by Tasha Black
She tried not to think about his arms around her and the odd sense of peace she had felt when he held her.
Lights were on in most of the windows and it should have looked welcoming, but the old hotel still loomed over them in an almost menacing way.
Dru repressed a shudder.
Yeah, this was the right place to be when writing a horror novel, not a romance.
6
Dru glanced up at the grandfather clock.
Her shift would be over in half an hour. Constance, the cook, was already banging around in the dining room, setting up the continental breakfast.
Dru turned her attention back to the daily audit. It was one of the night clerk’s duties to log all the guests, payments received and other data. Oddly, Hemlock House still kept handwritten logs instead of a computer file, even though half the data on the log had to be copied down from the digital records.
The books were balanced for today and even better, Dru had finished up most of her character work for her book.
When Viktor had walked her back to the lobby, Brian Thompson had mercifully been gone.
And though she had expected to be distracted by the strange evening spent with her new friend, Dru found she was able to focus on her writing. The fresh air must have done her some good.
She had already taken the typewriter back up to her room, just in case Howie decided to make an early appearance.
In half an hour, Zander would take over at the desk, and she could get some well-earned rest.
As if on cue, the front doors flew open and Zander strode in.
He was just as big and blond as he had been in high school. If anything, he was more handsome now, having gained a chiseled jawline and a little life experience in the six years since.
“Zander,” she said. “You’re early.”
“I thought we could check the shift notes over breakfast,” he said with a smile that made it seem like he had been caught in the act.
Hailey insisted that Zander had a crush on Dru.
Dru always figured his real crush was on Hailey, but the flush in his cheeks right now said maybe Hailey had been spot on.
Or maybe it was just from the cold outside.
Dru had crushed on Zander pretty hard back in high school. They had always been in the same advanced math classes, even though he was a bit of a jock.
It would be kind of amazing if she finally got the chance to date him because of an excursion back home.
“Sure, let’s eat,” Dru replied.
She closed up the audit book and slid it under the desk, grabbing the old journal to bring back to her room with her after breakfast.
They walked together the few steps down the corridor and left into the dining room, which was basically right behind the clerk’s desk.
Small tables lining the walls housed a couple of cereal dispensers, coffee and tea carafes, pitchers of juice, a mini-fridge with milk and cream, and a huge basket of assorted, individually wrapped Tastykakes - classic Pennsylvania treats.
The massive dining table took up the center of the room. Hazel and Honey Van Buren were already firmly ensconced at the foot of the table, eating big plates of scrambled eggs and drinking steaming mugs of black coffee, like they did every day.
The Van Buren sisters lived permanently in the hotel, as far as Dru understood it. Their advanced age was offset by their high energy and near-constant, twinkly-eyed giggling.
At the end of their meal, each sister would customarily stuff a packaged cake and a piece of fruit in her purse. Then the two would link arms to go for a stroll through the solarium before their mid-morning nap back in the Amethyst Room.
“Good morning, Miss Van Buren and Miss Van Buren,” Dru said politely.
“Hello, children,” Hazel said, smiling up at Dru and Zander. It was clear she didn’t remember their names.
“Good morning,” Honey echoed.
Constance was behind the griddle station next to the head of the table.
Dru headed gamely toward her.
True to her usual grumpy form, Constance didn’t even acknowledge her.
“Um, may I have some eggs?” Dru asked meekly.
Constance scowled at her and scooped a small portion of scrambled eggs on a plate.
“And some scrapple?” Dru added.
The cook threw a piece of scrapple begrudgingly on her plate.
“Thank you,” Dru said, heading for the condiment table for hot sauce.
It always seemed like Constance didn’t think the staff should get free meals. But it was literally part of the pay.
“Constance, this looks amazing,” Zander exclaimed from behind her.
“Good morning, Zander,” Constance said approvingly. “Eggs and bacon, right? Any pancakes?”
“Yes, please,” he said enthusiastically.
Dru joined him at the table a moment later.
Zander’s plate was piled high with food. Clearly Constance liked him.
Well, he was likable. Who could blame her?
“Oh my God, so good,” Zander enthused around a mouthful of pancakes.
Dru smiled and took a bite of her scrapple.
She knew on some level that the way scrapple was made was gross. But the classic Pennsylvania breakfast meat was so good that she couldn’t bring herself to care.
She hopped up to grab a glass of juice from the dispenser.
“Hey, what’s this?” Zander asked.
She turned to see he was holding the journal she had set on the table between them.
“Whoa, I didn’t know you liked cryptograms,” he said, before she could answer.
“What?” she asked.
“My grandfather loves these things,” he told her.
“I didn’t realize that’s what it was,” she said. “I couldn’t figure out what language it was in.”
“It’s not in another language,” he said. “It’s basically a code. You have to figure out the cipher and then you can solve it.”
“Very cool,” Dru said, nodding and trying not to snatch it back from him.
“Want me to try to solve it for you during my shift?” Zander asked. “I can bring it up to you when I’m done.”
“Nah,” she said. “I’ll work on it myself now that I know what it is.”
“It’s pretty hard at first, there are a lot of strategies,” Zander said, handing it over. “It would be a lot easier if you had a key. If you decide you want help, just let me know.”
“Will do,” she told him.
“So what’s your plan for the day?” Zander asked.
“Well, I need to find Chester,” Dru said. “There was a dead rabbit in the meadow earlier and Howie had me put it in the basement.”
Zander nodded as he scooped up another big mouthful of food.
Chester Crawford drove the shuttle bus, but his real job was groundskeeper, and he dealt with the garbage. It didn’t sit right with Dru to dump an animal carcass without giving him a heads up that it was there.
“We had a few new guests during my shift,” Dru said, shifting her thoughts to the change of duty. “Jeffrey and Jenna Wilder are in Topaz with their daughter, Angie. They were hoping to book a second room, so if there are any cancellations, be sure to check in with them.”
“Mmhmm,” Zander said.
“And Viktor Striker is in Sapphire, Onyx and Quartz,” she said. “He’s interested in the birdwatching trails, but he got in really late, so I doubt you’ll see him.”
“What was his deal?” Zander asked. “Is he crazy old like Hailey said? Was he wearing a cloak or anything?”
“Weirdly no,” Dru said. “I mean, he’s kind of pale and he sent a ton of heavy old trunks ahead, but he seems mostly normal. Not super old either.”
“Weird,” Zander said appreciatively, nodding with his eyes wide.
Dru knew she could have told him more, but she felt oddly possessive over the mysterious guest. For now, she liked that he was her mystery.
“I guess I sho
uld go find Chester,” she said as she popped the last bit of hot-sauce-coated eggs into her mouth. “Are you okay to take over?”
“Go ahead,” Zander said cheerfully, waving her on. “Stop down later if you get bored.”
She waved back, then grabbed the journal and headed out through the solarium.
7
Dru stepped out of the dining room and headed for the door on the other side of the solarium that led outside.
The ceiling of the solarium rose swiftly into a glassy dome that came down on all sides, making guests feel like they were in a plant-filled bubble.
Ferns, figs, and leafy, flowered species Dru couldn’t name made the air in the solarium oxygen-rich and fragrant. She was tempted to hang out in here a while. There were ornate metal benches scattered throughout the jungle-like room, and it was a great place to stop and just relax for a few minutes.
But what she really needed was to find Chester and then get some sleep.
The rear lawn was still cloaked in the blue of pre-dawn, and Dru had to wait for her eyes to adjust as she stepped out of the well-lit solarium and into the crisp snow.
The groundskeeper’s cottage was behind the servant’s wing, close to the edge of the woods. She had barely taken two steps in that direction when a noise from behind her brought her attention back.
Something was banging around in the basements.
The door to the catacombs that she had used for entry last night stood open. And something was clattering in there, the sound echoing off the wet stone walls.
Feeling a little bit like the idiot who gets murdered before the opening credits roll in a horror movie, Dru headed into the basement, pulling on the string that turned on the light.
If she had somehow left that door open last night and an animal had gotten in, it was her fault. She couldn’t afford to lose this job after a week.
And most likely it was just Chester, getting an early start on his rounds.
The light from the single bulb was so dim that she decided to use her flashlight as well.
It can’t be a bear, she told herself as the dimness of the basement surrounded her.
She was struck again by the musty smell of the place. It was as if the stone walls were sweating mold.
“Chester,” she called out.
The name echoed off the walls, but there was no answer.
Taking a deep breath, Dru moved toward the sound of banging, the beam of the flashlight bouncing along the stone floor of the tunnel.
She passed an old shovel with a wooden handle leaned against the wall and grabbed it, switching the flashlight to her left hand. It would make a pretty good weapon, if necessary.
She was getting closer to whatever was making the noises.
“Chester,” she called out again.
The echo back was a lonely sound. There was no reply, only more clattering and banging.
There was a turn in the tunnel coming up and it sounded as if the sounds were coming from the offshoot on the left. There was another light on down that way. Bears didn’t use lights. But people answered when you called them. So what did that leave?
She put the flashlight in her mouth and clutched the handle of the shovel over her shoulder, like a baseball bat.
Her footsteps echoed in her ears, and she willed herself to walk quietly and hold her breath.
She jumped around the corner to surprise whatever was there.
She was greeted by a terrible scream.
Dru screamed too, causing the flashlight to fall from her mouth.
On its way down it, illuminated a very frightened looking Chester Crawford. The plaid hunting cap he always wore had half-slid off his head.
He stepped back, banging a built-in shelf behind him.
There was an odd scraping sound.
“I’m s-sorry,” Dru stammered, bending to pick up the flashlight.
Chester pulled headphones from his ears and straightened his hat.
“What are you doing down here? And why do you have my good shovel?” His wrinkled face was furious, even his white hair looked spiky and angry.
“I’m so sorry,” Dru said again. “I, uh, saw the door was open and heard noises and came to check it out.”
“Hmph,” Chester replied, holding his hand out for the shovel.
She handed it over, noticing that there appeared to be an even gap between the stones behind him.
“Hey, is that another secret passageway?” she asked, pointing to the space. “I think it might have opened when you hit that shelf.”
“There are passages all over the place down here,” he said irritably. “I don’t keep track of them.”
“Okay,” she said, mentally regrouping. “I was looking for you anyway. There was a dead rabbit on the meadow yesterday. Howie asked me to throw it out. I brought it to the bins down here. But I just wanted you to know about it.”
“Howie,” Chester snorted.
At least they agreed on their opinion of Howie.
“I saw a fox in the woods last night too,” she said. “I’ll bet he killed the rabbit. So maybe it’s better to close the basement door so he doesn’t get in.”
“Foxes don’t want in,” Chester scoffed.
“Anyway, sorry I scared you,” she said, moving to leave.
“You didn’t scare me,” he retorted. “Just startled me, that’s all. Next time, don’t go sneaking up on people. You could end up getting yourself punched in the throat.”
That was an awfully specific outcome, and she hadn’t snuck up on him - she’d been yelling his name the whole time.
But Dru saw no reason to argue. Instead, she gave a little wave and headed back down the tunnel toward the reassuring dawn of the world outside.
8
Dru was dreaming again.
Knowing it must be a dream didn’t change how hard the stone floor felt beneath her feet, or the warmth of the redolent air that swirled around her, filling her senses with roses.
She searched the stars for some meaning, but this world was the same as before - unchanging, and pretty as a picture.
Knowing what was coming next, she listened for the footsteps.
This time, when they rang out, she turned to see her mysterious lover.
The room she stood in was round, and lined with arched windows just like the one she had been gazing from. It was familiar, yet she was sure it was somewhere she had never been.
A tall, dark figure appeared in the doorway, moonlight glistening in the dark hair that brushed his wide shoulders.
Viktor.
He moved toward her slowly, a panther stalking his prey.
Dru felt herself go warm and soft. She was ready to be devoured. All she wanted was for him to touch her, to possess her.
“Drucilla,” he murmured when he reached her.
She froze, transfixed by his deep blue eyes.
He reached out his hand and swept her hair away from her neck in a gesture so tender it resonated in her bones. He leaned in, cupping her cheek in his hand, those blue eyes mercifully closing at the last instant, freeing her to lose herself in his kiss.
The breeze swirled around them, lifting her hair, rustling in her dress, pulling her away from him.
“Viktor,” she tried to cry.
But the wind was drowning her out, squeezing the sound back into her throat before it could reach him.
And she was cold, so cold.
His arms were disappearing from around her as the dream faded and the real world seeped back in…
Dru sat up in bed, still breathless, and looked around the room.
She was alone, though the curtains moved slightly in the draft from the windows, letting in fragments of stark afternoon light.
Strange, it had all seemed so real.
And so similar to the dream she had woken up from last night. Before she had even met Viktor…
“Get up, Holloway,” she groaned to herself. “You just need a better social life.”
But she didn’t des
erve a better social life. Not yet anyway. She had to get this book written first. Her parents had worked their butts off to pay for her college, only to have to watch her get a Creative Writing degree. She knew she’d better make it worth their while, even if they would never say it.
The hot shower washed away the vestiges of the dream and brought with it the certain knowledge that she was out of cereal and had to go downstairs and eat dinner for breakfast.
At least she could check in with Hailey. That was always the best part of her day.
She dressed quickly, stuck the journal in her pocket, and headed out into the corridor.
She made it almost to the staircase when she heard something in the janitor’s closet.
“Gert?” she called, opening the door.
But it wasn’t the tiny but fierce housekeeper inside.
“Uh, hey,” a man’s voice said.
“Can I help you?” Dru asked, her heart pounding.
“Sorry,” he said, stepping out into the light of the hallway. “Do you work here?”
“Yes,” she replied.
He was tall and very handsome. His jeans hung low around his hips and a black t-shirt clung enough to show off his lean muscular form.
This must be Tyler Park, the hot guy in Agate that Hailey had been gushing over.
“I spilled some soda in my room, and I was just going to get something to clean it up,” he said, looking embarrassed. “The girl in the lobby seems a little… high strung. I didn’t want to disturb her.”
Hailey was probably flirting madly with him and he was afraid to go down there. Dru didn’t blame him. She didn’t see how anyone could hold up under the weight of Hailey’s full attention.
“It’s fine,” Dru assured him. “I’ll take care of it.”
“No, no, I insist,” he said. “I’m the klutz that caused the problem, and I’m guessing you’re not even on duty.”
“You’re right,” she admitted. “I’m not.”
She grabbed paper towels and a spray bottle of cleaner and handed them over.
“Just leave them right inside the door when you’re done.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” he told her earnestly.
