by M. J. Caan
“What things? Why are you coming back?” asked Fionna as she entered the room.
“Torie has decided to let Elion stay here for a bit, so I’m going home to pack a bag. I’ll be sleeping here as well.” She gave the vampire a long stare before continuing for the door.
“Honestly, Jasmin, you live right beside me; you’re two minutes away. I don’t think—” She was interrupted by Fionna taking her phone out and pacing the room as she made a call. “And what are you doing, Fionna?”
“I’m calling Glen and having her bring me my overnight bag and my big stake.” She also gave Elion a stare. “Just in case.”
Torie raised both hands in the air before letting them drop in exasperation. She gave Elric a glance and could see the werewolf smiling, the storm in his eyes now a bemused twinkle.
“And you?” she asked him.
“Oh, it’s a slumber party now. This will be fun,” he replied.
His phone chirped and he fished it out, glancing at the screen.
“Max just texted. He has the preliminary autopsy report on the mayor. He’s coming by in the morning with some news.”
In all honesty, Torie had nearly forgotten about the mayor, what with everything going on.
“Well, I guess we can figure out where everybody can sleep,” said Torie.
Jasmin looked around, waving a hand at her surroundings. “You’ve got about seven thousand square feet here, Torie. I think we can all find a place. Besides, isn’t this what you envisioned when you built this place? Room for all who needed a place to stay?” She smiled, her voice trailing off as she dug her keys out of her purse and headed for the door before stopping to turn back around to look at Elion. “What about the wards? Can they go back up?”
Elion looked away, staring out the office window into the darkness of the woods.
“If it makes you feel safer, of course. But once they are up, I will not be able to leave the premises at all, even if I wanted to.”
“So, dragon fire and sunlight don’t hurt you, but you can’t pass through magical wards?” said Torie. “Good to know. Well, since we are all here, I’ll go open a couple bottles of wine and see if I can throw together some snacks. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”
12
She had been right of course. Everyone was too on edge to sleep, and when the first rays of morning light broke through the highest of the windows along the back of the house, Torie felt like her eyelids weighed ten pounds each.
“Whew, I am out of practice,” said Jasmin as they sat in the kitchen.
Torie had placed a large pot of water on to boil and had filled the coffee maker. “Practice with what?”
“Keeping my ass up all night. I can’t remember the last time I pulled an all-nighter for anything.”
“I haven’t done it since Shawn was a baby. He had colic and would sometimes cry for hours at a time at night. The only thing that I found would help was to strap him into a car seat and place that on top of the dryer. So I’d sit there for half the night with him like that. Didn’t think he would ever grow out of that.”
The mention of her son made her both sad and elated. Sad because she missed him but elated because she knew that he was sure to come for a visit soon. He had not yet seen the new house and she was excited to show him his room and let him put his finishing touch on it. It was the only room that she had told her guests was off limits to them.
Otherwise, she had given them free rein and let them pick whichever room they wanted. Everyone had stowed their things, only to regroup in the great room. Light banter had turned to silence around four in the morning, and everyone spent the next couple of hours dozing and waking with a start.
Everyone except Elion.
Torie had watched the vampire as he sat in a wingback chair next to the huge fireplace, one leg casually draped over the other. He hadn’t spoken throughout the night, his keen eyes seemed to be focused on something in the distance. Each time Torie would nod off and wake with a start, he would still be in the exact same position, his eyes locked on either her or Leo, who slept curled in a ball on a pillow next to where she sat with Elric on the couch.
Elric had also not slept, remaining motionless, his attention focused solely on Torie. Every time she opened her eyes, she felt his hand on hers giving her a reassuring squeeze.
“Is it just me or do supernaturals not sleep?” asked Torie. “I don’t think Elric or Elion closed their eyes once all night. It was freaky.”
“And neither did Fionna,” said Jasmin. “That girl sat there holding that stake in a death grip, staring at Elion the whole night.” She chuckled slightly at the image.
“What time do you think Max will be here?” asked Torie.
“Probably any minute now. Especially as soon as you throw some bacon on that griddle, he’ll smell it and come running.”
Torie laughed. “I guess that’s a hint huh?”
She opened the fridge and took out an enormous package of applewood smoked bacon. Jasmin had been kind enough to raid her pantry and refrigerator and bring over enough supplies to feed a small army. Elion might not eat food, but Elric and Max could put away more food at one sitting than a family of four in a week. And for someone so petite, Fionna was nearly a match for them.
Jasmin helped to set out dishes and cutlery when something small brushed against her leg unexpectedly. She let out a small scream and nearly dropped the coffee cups she was holding. Looking down, she saw Leo glancing up at her as he continued to rub his body across the back of her legs.
“Torie, I think your dragon thinks he’s a cat.”
Torie rushed around the island to pick him up, cooing at him as if he were an infant.
“Oh, he’s probably hungry. He hasn’t eaten since yesterday, and I have no idea how often to feed a dragon.”
“That depends on how big you want them to grow.” It was Elion. He was leaning against the wall behind them, staring at Leo. “They are much like the reptiles that evolved from them. Meaning, they can grow to the size of their surroundings and to match the supply of food around them.”
“If that’s true,” said Jasmin, “then with the size of this house, you’re in trouble, Torie. And where did you come from, Elion? You can’t just go around popping up out of nowhere like that. Maybe someone should put a bell on you.”
Her remark at least got a smile out of the vampire. “My kind have very light footsteps.”
“So we see,” said Torie. She looked at the coffee and then at Elion. “I’m making breakfast, which I know you don’t eat, but what about coffee? Can you drink that?”
Elion frowned. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never tried it. I don’t eat solids because I have no way of digesting them. The…fluids I ingest travel directly to my circulatory system, providing what little nutrients my body requires to continue functioning. I suppose I can try coffee. I have always enjoyed the smell but have never actually attempted to drink it.”
“Well, then I am happy to be your first,” said Torie.
“Your first what?” asked Elric, walking lazily into the room.
“Provider of coffee. Nothing more,” replied Torie.
“So, Elion, how often do you need to feed?” asked Jasmin.
“Once or twice a month at this point.”
“That’s not very often. What happens if you don’t feed?” Jasmin pressed.
“Well, if I stop drinking, eventually I will stop moving. My body will not atrophy beyond this point, but I will grow cold and motionless. My mind may continue, or it may not. I have heard stories of vampires who have reached a certain age and become bored with life—or non-life in our case—and simply retired to a remote location and became still. So still that the forest grew over them, claiming their bodies and pulling them deep into the root systems of trees and plants. Are those vampires still alive on the inside? I don’t know. I don’t even know if those stories are true.”
“Well, that sounds macabre,” said Torie, “and ha
rdly breakfast conversation.” She turned her attention to the beeping coffee pot and removed the carafe of dark brew. Pouring a cup, she placed it in front of the vampire as all eyes turned to him.
Jasmin took out her phone and aimed it at him as he picked up the cup, eyeing it cautiously.
“What? I’m recording this moment for prosperity. How often will we have an ancient vampire drinking his first cup of coffee in your house?” she said.
Slowly, Elion raised the cup to his lips and took a small sip. He looked up, giving a smile to Jasmin’s camera.
“It’s good,” he proclaimed. He took a second, longer drink. “Very good.” He threw back his head and downed the entire cup of steaming brew in a single gulp, much to everyone’s surprise. “May I have another?”
“Um, sure,” said Torie. “But just so you know, most people drink it slowly, in sips. Not that it matters here, but if you were ever to have some out in public, that would definitely draw attention to you.”
After sitting another cup in front of him, and pouring more for her guests, Torie set about preparing bacon and eggs while Elric cut up fresh fruit and laid it out on a platter.
“Has anyone seen Fionna?” Torie asked.
“She took Effie out for a walk earlier. Those two seem to have really hit it off,” said Jasmin.
The mention of Effie’s name caught Elion’s attention. “Torie, may I spend some time with your houseguest? I’d like to talk to her.”
She had been in the midst of fluffing the giant skillet of scrambled eggs and stopped to look at him.
“No. I don’t think that is wise. She’s been through a lot and we can’t figure out what to do with her. I can’t see any reason that you might have to speak with her.”
“What interest do you have in her?” asked Jasmin.
Elion waved dismissively before taking another draw of coffee. “It’s nothing. I find older humans intriguing is all.”
“That reminds me,” said Torie. “She told me she has a sister that her son would never let her speak with. She wants me to check in with her and gave me her number out west. I had planned on calling her today once we speak with Max. I should have done it last night. But there was so much going on.”
“A sister,” said Jasmin. “So she does have family. Looks like you might not have to host a guest too much longer, Torie.”
“Funny how Max’s contacts came up empty on finding her family though,” said Elric. “Between that and the fact that she doesn’t show up in any records in the mayor’s background, it almost feels like someone kept her hidden all this time.”
“Someone as in the mayor,” said Torie. She placed the eggs on a platter and then the bacon. She piled some uncooked pieces onto a paper plate for Leo and placed it on the floor, giving him a little mental nudge letting him know it was okay to eat.
“What did you just do?” asked Elion. He stood up from the table and came to crouch by the dragon as it eagerly feasted on the raw meat.
“What do you mean?” asked Torie.
“Just now. When you fed him. I felt something from you…a push almost.”
“Oh that. I found that if I form a mental image of what I want him to do, he will sometimes do it. It’s starting to become a reflex I think.”
Elion looked from the dragon to her and then back to the dragon.
“Indeed,” he said, standing to return to his coffee.
Torie looked at Jasmin, who nodded her head in the direction of the great room and casually walked out of the kitchen. Torie wiped her hands on the dishtowel and followed her. Once outside the kitchen, Jasmin leaned in, whispering to her.
“I don’t trust that vampire. I’ve known vampires before and this one is not like any I’ve ever come across. How was he able to pick up on you sending an almost unconscious message to a dragon like that? Even I didn’t feel anything from you.”
“Maybe not all vampires are alike. Maybe they possess different powers; or maybe they just have senses that develop over time that you don’t know anything about. How should I know?”
“But that’s just it; what do we know about him? I mean, sure, he has given us some good information about Leo, but why would he want to stay? Why the interest in old miss Effie? I saw the way he looked at her last night as well. It’s more than just liking to chat with old people as he claims. I’m not buying it. Plus, Fionna is really on edge around him, and she has great instincts.”
“And so do I,” said Torie. “I just don’t get the feeling that he is a danger.”
Jasmin placed her hands on her hips and stared at her friend.
“Not a danger? He’s impervious to dragon fire, and sunlight, and he’s old as dirt. That means he’s powerful. We have no idea what he’s capable of. He may not be human but I’m betting he still falls under human nature—meaning he will ask for something at some point.” They were headed back into the kitchen where Torie was pleased to see there was some light banter going on between Elric and Elion.
Elion turned to them with a smile. “You forgot one other thing. I have amazing hearing.” He then drained his coffee cup and sat it in the sink before heading out of the kitchen.
As he walked out, Max walked in, giving the vampire a long stare.
“You really shouldn’t just leave your door unlocked like that,” he said to Torie.
“Thanks, Max. But this house has three shifters, two witches and a vampire kicking around. I feel sorry for anyone who picked now to break in.”
“And was that…Elion?” he said to Elric.
The other wolf nodded, and Max gave a low whistle. “Definitely need to keep an eye on him.”
Jasmin’s ears perked up. “Why would you say that?”
“Because he’s a vampire. Why else?”
Torie let out a deep breath. “Max, what were you able to find out about the mayor’s death?”
The sheriff had a manilla folder in his hands which he opened, laying the paper contents onto the island.
“Well, the medical examiner found evidence of a massive stroke. His brain was filled with blood. He died of a sudden hemorrhage. Probably didn’t feel anything.”
“So he died of natural causes,” said Jasmin.
“That’s what it looked like, until the M.E. found this.” He shuffled through the papers until he came to photos of the dead mayor’s body. One of the photos was an extreme close-up of an area on the top of the mayor’s hand that focused in on a small black dot.
“What is it?” asked Torie.
“The M.E. said it was a tiny puncture. Not much bigger than the head of a pin. Closer examination of it showed that it was an injection site. Someone shot him up with something that caused his bleed.”
Torie took a deep breath. “So, it looks like Singing Falls has a murderer running loose. Great. How the heck am I supposed to plan a party and make chocolates while unpacking and taking care of our murder victim’s aging mother, babysit a dragon and an ancient vampire, all while a murderer is on the loose?”
“Well, it gets better,” said Max, reaching into his jacket pocket. He withdrew an older model cellphone and opened it. He keyed in a sequence of numbers to unlock it. “We found this while we were searching his house. It was hidden in the back drawer of a file cabinet in his home office. This was one of the saved voice files.”
He pressed another key a couple of times, skipping through voice memo recordings until he got to the one he wanted them to hear.
“I don’t know what else to do. I’m out of options.” The voice was male and sounded quite scared.
“Maybe you should just leave town. She’s going to get to you sooner or later,” came a second voice. This one female and just as scared sounding.
“I can’t just leave her like that. I know what I have to do.”
“You don’t know what you’re in for. Those witches are not to be toyed with,” replied the female.
“You’re right of course. Torie Bliss may well be the last face I see. If something happens to me, yo
u know what to do.” The line went dead after that, and no one in the room spoke.
“Torie Bliss,” said Max, “I need you to come with me to the station to answer some questions. If you have a lawyer, it might be a good time to give them a call.”
13
“What? You’re arresting her?” demanded Jasmin in dismay.
“No, of course not. But from a procedural standpoint, I need to take her downtown for questioning.”
“Like hell you do,” said Jasmin. Her eyes flared and blue orbs of magic encircled her hands.
“Don’t touch her, Max,” said Elric. The wolf’s eyes glowed yellow and his voice deepened. Torie knew that look and knew that he was on the brink of shifting and squaring off against his old alpha.
“Okay, everybody just calm down,” she said. “Max, you know I had nothing to do with killing the mayor. I never even met the man.”
“Why is he talking to someone about you trying to kill him then?” Max asked.
“He didn’t say she was trying to kill him, he mentioned something about her being the last face he’d ever see. Big difference. Plus, that wasn’t a voicemail; it was a recording of a conversation. Maybe that means he was speaking with someone that he didn’t trust. Maybe he wanted dirt on whoever that was.”
“Max, you were at the scene of his death just like we were. You yourself said there was no other scent in the vehicle with him, right?” said Torie.
Max nodded. “But he wasn’t killed at the crime scene. He was most likely injected somewhere else and then died in the car.”
Torie didn’t like the way this was going. She was pretty sure Max knew she had nothing to do with this, but what about other law enforcement officials? The murder of a mayor had to attract eyes higher up than his.
“This has federal implications,” said Max, confirming Torie’s suspicions. “The cleaner we make our paperwork dealing with the investigation, the better in the long run.”
