Kindling Flames: Smoke Rising (The Ancient Fire Series Book 3)

by Julie Wetzel

  “Brian.” Darien’s snappy comeback was killed when Hank stepped into the room dressed in jeans and a worn T-shirt. “Some of Christian’s menagerie have just arrived looking for their master.” He sounded a little worried.

  Brian sat up straight in his chair. “Did you tell them he’s resting?” he asked, getting up.

  “Yes,” Hank answered. “But they are worried. Apparently he didn’t call them to let them know he was staying.”

  Darien released Vicky and stood up to follow the two men out to the foyer.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Brian reassured the butler.

  Vicky dropped Zak to the floor and followed the three men from the kitchen.

  “Good afternoon,” Brian called as he stepped into the foyer. Four people were standing in a group just inside the room.

  Vicky recognized Christian’s envoy from the club. He looked a lot less nice dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans. The entire group looked a little windblown in gear suited for the three Harleys parked outside.

  “Where is Master Christian?” The envoy stepped towards Brian.

  Brian ignored the threat in the man’s voice. He knew it stemmed from worry for his missing master. “I am Brian Mylan, and I would like to welcome you to our home.” Tipping his head forwards, he bowed to the group of anxious people. “Master Christian and his fledglings are currently resting safely, but if you would like for me to show you to them, I would be happy to help.”

  The group relaxed just a little at the polite words.

  “I’m Stanley,” the lead biker said. “This is Lana, Jerome, and Tony.” Each person nodded when Stanley said their name.

  Looking at the four representatives, Darien couldn’t help but wonder what type of people Christian had in his menagerie. The female, Lana, had short, spiky hair in the most offensive shade of pink possible. She was almost too thin to be healthy. The tall, dark-skinned, bald man Stanley had introduced as Jerome looked like he could bench press elephants. The last man, Tony, was short and slightly fat. A ponytail held his thinning, brown hair at the nape of his neck. Stanley looked the best of them: taller, well built, and fairly handsome. All of them were dressed in biker leathers, jeans, and heavy boots. From what Darien had discovered from Christian, he hadn’t expected his menagerie to have a biker-gang feel.

  Stanley ran his eyes over Darien before turning his attention back to Brian. “Could you please show us to them?”

  “Right this way.” Brian turned and led the group through the doorway on the left side of the foyer. Christian’s menagerie followed.

  Darien brought up the rear with Vicky and Zak, who was back in his Shih Tzu form.

  Brian stopped at a door and opened it to reveal a cool, dark room. “They’re in here.” The group stepped into the room and looked down at the three still forms on the bed.

  Stanley reached over and touched Christian’s leg through the covers, but he did not stir.

  “Allow me,” Darien said from where he had stopped in the doorway with Brian and Vicky. Relaxing his control, Darien let his power roll out. He released just enough energy to call the master vampire from his rest.

  Christian drew in a deep breath and opened his eyes. His senses tingled from the energy that swept over the bed. He looked up in the dark at the four shapes standing over him. “Stanley?” Christian asked as he sat up. “What’s going on?” His mind worked quickly to figure things out. Looking around for the source of power that had disturbed his rest, his eyes landed on the three silhouettes in the doorway. Due to the light illuminating them from behind, he couldn’t make out who they were.

  “We were worried when you didn’t make it back by sunrise,” Stanley explained, drawing his master’s attention back. “You never called.”

  Christian looked back at his pets. “I’m fine.” He pulled the covers back. “Let me get dressed, and I will be right out.”

  Christian’s pets backed up as their master climbed over Aiden.

  “There are fresh clothes in the closet if you would like,” Brian called before stepping back to let the people in the room out.

  Christian called his thanks as the bikers shut the door.

  Brian led the group back down the hall to the darkened foyer to wait for their master. Hank had drawn the heavy curtains to make the room safe for the vampires.

  “Forgive our rudeness,” Stanley apologized to Brian. “Master Christian doesn’t often stay out during the day like this.”

  Brian nodded his head at the man. “It’s all right. I understand your concern.”

  Stanley’s eyes shifted to the other man standing next to Brian. He had become the object of interest for most of the people in the room. “Good afternoon, Master Darien.” Stanley bowed to the man he was sure was the real vampire master. Darien had not clamped down on his control, and Stanley could taste his power on the back of his tongue.

  “Good afternoon,” Darien responded as he watched the group. There was something about these people that Darien wasn’t sure he liked. He placed his arm protectively around Vicky’s shoulders and drew her in against him.

  Zak rubbed against her legs and glared at the four new humans.

  “What are you doing here?” Christian’s voice came from the door they had just come through. He had pulled on some jeans from the closet. His dress shirt hung unbuttoned as he finessed it into place.

  “We came to make sure you were okay,” Lana said in a slightly whiny voice.

  Christian walked over to her and rubbed the leather on her upper arms. “I’m fine,” he reassured them. “Master Clara and the Council have agreed to let us stay in the city.” Stepping back, he looked at his people. “You should all go back home. I’ll head out at dark.”

  “They’re welcome to stay until you’re ready to leave,” Brian added from where he stood next to Darien and Vicky. “Everyone is welcome here, and it’s a long ride back to town.”

  Christian’s eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance, but he let it go and turned to look at Brian. “I don’t want to impose on you like that,” he said, politely refusing Brian’s offer.

  Brian waved the refusal away. “It’s no imposition. This is a neutral place where all the kisses are welcome.” He turned towards the door leading to the living area for the house pets. “Come with me, and I’ll show you around.” Stopping at the door, he waited for the guests to make up their mind.

  Christian looked at the four faces asking for his permission. “Very well,” he gave in, and the group turned, eager to follow their host into the living area. Christian sighed deeply, watching them go.

  Darien chuckled lightly from where he stood. “Don’t worry,” he reassured the new Council member. “The menagerie here knows how to welcome guests.”

  Christian started to button up his shirt as he considered Darien.

  Darien held his hand out for Christian to follow his people through the doorway. “Shall we?”

  “After you,” Christian said politely.

  Darien nodded and pulled Vicky along through the doorway.

  Zak sat on the floor, glaring as the new vampire followed them out.

  Christian glanced back at the little dog, then watched the man walking in front of him. There was no doubt that this was the real Darien Ritter. The power radiating from him was incredible and felt nothing like the man he spent hours studying last night. The question that tickled the back of Christian’s mind was how this man could have arrived during the daytime, and where had his double gone?

  ***

  Clara stood on the porch to see Darien off. “Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” It was well after two in the morning when Christian had announced that he needed to take his people and go home. Darien had taken the opportunity to announce that he and Vicky needed to head home, too.

  “Yes,” Darien said. “I have calls to make early tomorrow if I have any hopes of getting the Halloween party arranged.” He turned to help Vicky load her bag into the backseat of the car. Christian had left whi
le they had gathered their things from the room where they had stayed. “Good night,” Darien called to the group.

  “Farewell.” Clara watched him get into the car to leave.

  Vicky settled Zak into her lap for the ride back to town. “Who knew that bikers could be so nice?” It had been a very entertaining evening with Christian’s menagerie. Vicky had found out that most of Christian’s people rode motorcycles, but they were nothing like what she had expected them to be. After the initial misunderstanding was cleared up, they turned out to be amazing people. Lana had spent most of the evening talking with Liz about hawk moths and the care of night-blooming moonflowers. Liz had even promised to take her out to get some cuttings from the garden when Lana had a vehicle that she could transport them back home in. Darien had gotten caught up in a conversation with Roger, Tony, and Christian about motorcycles. Stanley and Jerome had taken Josie and Jenny up on their offer for a dip in the onsen.

  “You can never tell a person’s character from the way they look,” Darien said thoughtfully as he pulled his sports car out of Clara’s driveway.

  Vicky snickered in the seat next to him.

  He shot her an odd look. “What’s funny?”

  Vicky’s snickers burst into full laughter, and she held her sides in mirth.

  Zak shook out of his disguise and reached a few soft feelers up to touch her face in concern.

  She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. “Sorry.” Vicky giggled again and wiped a tear away from her eye. She rubbed Zak to soothe him. A few more chuckles leaked out. She took another deep breath, but it failed to remove the grin from her face.

  Darien cocked an eyebrow at her as he split his attention between her and the road.

  She giggled again. “I just never expected to hear that coming from you.”

  “What?” Darien asked, confused.

  “The whole ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’ thing.” Vicky smiled and pulled on Zak’s feelers as she talked. “The two of you are the epitome of that statement.”

  Darien nodded his head as he thought about it.

  “Who would expect a cute little Shih Tzu to be a hellhound?” She ruffled Zak. “And you.” She turned her attention to Darien. “You’ve had the world fooled into thinking you’re a human for how long?”

  “A while.” He shrugged.

  She laughed again. “A long while.” Vicky sighed and leaned back into her seat farther. “I read up on the company.” She looked out the window to watch the night passing.

  “Does that bother you?” Darien held his breath waiting for Vicky’s answer. He hated to think that the woman he had come to love might have an issue with what he was.

  Vicky sat, petting Zak for what Darien thought was a lifetime. “No.” She turned back to look at Darien’s profile.

  He glanced over at her and caught the truth in her eyes.

  The tension that had built in the car dissipated as she went on. “It bothered me a little when I first found out, but I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Zak wiggled unhappily in her lap.

  Vicky rubbed him roughly. “Either of you.”

  Darien sighed deeply at her answer. He slipped his hand from the steering wheel and over to her arm. His fingers caressed her skin as he slipped them down her forearm, drawing her hand to his and lacing their fingers together. Darien gently lifted Vicky’s hand up to his cheek before sliding it over to kiss the back lovingly. “We aren’t the only ones that are more than we appear,” he said, dropping their joined hands down to rest on the console between the seats. “I can honestly say that you were not what I expected when the temp agency sent you.”

  Vicky fidgeted shyly as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

  “I don’t know—”

  Zak gurgled loudly interrupting Darien’s words.

  The vampire chuckled and amended what he was saying. “I should say we don’t know what we would do without you.”

  Zak purred his agreement as he wiggled in Vicky’s lap.

  Her smile grew. “You two are so sweet.” Vicky squeezed Darien’s hand and scratched her free hand into Zak’s back. “Now, if I could just find a way for the two of you to agree.”

  Zak wiggled menacingly at Darien, and the vampire bared his fangs at the little horror.

  Vicky chuckled at the two play posturing. She relaxed back in her seat and enjoyed the touch of her boys as they made their way back home.

  Vicky held the phone to her ear as she sprawled on her back across Darien’s dark blue comforter. “Hey, Mom.” She hung her head over the side of the bed so that her hair pooled on the floor below her as she talked. “What’s going on?”

  “Not much,” Vicky’s mother, Ann, answered. “Work has been a little busy lately. They just hired a new accountant.”

  Vicky listened to her mom prattle on about the difficulties of training new people as she stretched her legs up in the air. “I can see how that would be rough.” She watched gravity pull her yoga pants up her legs as she talked. “At least they got you some help.” Bending her knees down, she twisted so her back popped, and lay there for a moment feeling the stretch in her muscles.

  “This is true,” Ann answered. “But it would have been nice if they had consulted me before they hired this girl. She’s a complete flake.” Vicky’s mother went on to complain about her new helper.

  Vicky relaxed back to the bed before twisting over in the other direction. This had become their Sunday evening routine. Vicky would call and listen to her mother complain about work as she cooled down from her workout. She had found the treadmills in Darien’s building a lot nicer than running through her old neighborhood. At least here she didn’t risk getting mugged at night.

  “So, what’s new with you?” Ann asked.

  “Not too much.” Vicky relaxed back to the bed. “Vanessa is throwing a Halloween party next Friday.” She looked up when she heard a noise at the door.

  Zak wiggled in to the room just ahead of Darien.

  Darien paused in the doorway when he saw Vicky stretched across the bed in the black yoga pants and a forest-green T-shirt she had kidnapped from his dresser. He smiled before continuing on his way.

  “That sounds like fun,” Vicky’s mom said. “Is it a costume party?”

  “Yes,” Vicky answered as she watched Darien rummage in his dresser, getting things ready for work tomorrow.

  “Are you taking Darien?” Ann asked. A lot of their conversations had been about Darien lately.

  A smile crept across Vicky’s face. “Yes.”

  Zak jumped up on the bed and wiggled over to Vicky’s stomach. She scratched her free hand into his tentacles.

  “What are you going as?” Ann asked.

  Vicky looked up at the back of the man in the room and smiled a little wider. “A vampire’s minion.”

  Darien turned to look at her, surprised she had said that to her mother.

  Vicky’s eyes twinkled in mischief.

  He chuckled and went into his closet to make sure his suit was ready for tomorrow.

  “So, is Darien going as a vampire?” Ann asked. Darien had finally shown Vicky the outfit he was preparing for the party. The suit and cape would have made Bela Lugosi proud. Darien did tell her he had a dress for her, but he had been very tight lipped about what it was.

  “Darien makes a good vampire.” Vicky laughed at the irony of that statement.

  Zak gurgled at her.

  “So, things are still going well between you two?” Ann asked. She was glad that Vicky had finally found herself a nice boyfriend.

  “Yes, Mom,” Vicky answered. “Things are working out very nicely.”

  “I’m so glad for you,” Ann cooed. “I just recently found a nice guy, too.”

  Vicky froze at her mother’s words. “Really?” She had never known her mother to date. “What’s he like?”

  “He is sweet but a little strange,” Ann went on to explain. “He works nights over at the
gas station.”

  Vicky wrinkled her brow in concern. “You’re dating the guy from the gas station?”

  “It was the only night job that would work with him,” Ann explained. “He has to be inside by sunrise.”

  Vicky was starting to get very concerned about this man. “Why is that?”

  “He didn’t want me to tell anyone…” Ann waffled for a moment, “but, he’s a vampire.”

  “He’s a what?” Vicky sat upright on the bed, dislodging Zak from her stomach.

  Darien poked his head back into the room to see what had cause Vicky’s distress.

  “A vampire,” Ann said again.

  “No, Mom. He can’t be a vampire.” She shook her head. “They don’t exist.” Vicky ignored the vampire coming to sit on the bed behind her. She didn’t want her mother dealing with things of the night.

  “He is a vampire,” Ann declared. “I have seen it.”

  “Has he bitten you yet?” Vicky asked.

  Darien touched her back, and she turned widened eyes to him.

  “No,” Vicky’s mother said. “He said that he loves me too much to risk turning me into a vampire.”

  “Then what does he eat?” Vicky asked, still shocked.

  “He keeps a cooler full of bottles of blood,” Ann explained.

  Vicky’s horror dug in a little deeper. “How long has this been going on?” Moving the phone away from her mouth slightly, she looked up at Darien. “My mom’s dating a vampire,” she mouthed quietly.

  His eyes widened in surprise before fading into amusement.

  “A few months,” Ann said.

  Vicky’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “And you didn’t say anything until now?” She stiffened in shock.

  Zak and Darien both petted her reassuringly.

  “I didn’t want to bother you with this until it got more serious.”

  Vicky could hear the embarrassment in her mother’s voice. “How serious has it gotten?” she asked, starting to get really distressed.

  Zak gurgled his concern.

  “He asked me to marry him.” Ann sounded excited by this.