by Jen Pretty
I looked around, trying to figure out what had just happened. I was sure I was in the gym when I closed my eyes. I spun around as the yelling got louder, and Ninel raced out the back door.
“Lark! Holy crap,” he said. He bent at the waist and rested his hands on his knees, his breath heaving in and out.
“What happened? Why are you running? You should be resting,” I said.
“Yes, well, when vampires began racing around calling your name and searching the house, I got concerned and thought maybe I should help look.” Several other vampires came pushing out the door followed closely behind by Peri.
“What the hell, you crazy woman!” Peri yelled.
“I have no idea,” I said in reply.
Peri whipped out her phone and sent a text. She popped it back in her pocket, and then Frankie was in the yard.
“What the hell?” he said, looking at me.
“I don’t know. I was in the basement. Then I was here.”
“Is she a witch?” Peri asked.
“No, I would know if she was.” He squinted at me, and his eyes went far away like he was looking through me then snapped back. “I don’t know what she is.”
“I am not a what,” I said. “I’m a who.” I stomped past all the staring eyes and jogged up to my room, slamming the door behind me.
Something was weird, but I didn’t need everyone studying me like an insect. I climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket over my head. The sunlight streaming in the window trickled through the blanket, but it was dark enough and warm.
I lay curled up I there until a voice spoke from outside my fort.
“Lark.” It was Frankie.
“Go away,” I said.
“I want to talk to you,” he said.
“No, thank you,” I replied. Closing my eyes to try and block out the world.
The blankets on the other side of the bed popped up for a second, blinding me with daylight until Frankie slid in and pulled the covers down again.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” I said, rolling onto my side to face him.
“I’m just worried about you.”
“Well, I’m used to weird things happening now, so it’s not worth worrying about.” It was a lie. I was not cool with this new development. The elves and the magical transportation thing was not normal.
Frankie nodded. “You remember I can read your mind, right?”
“Shit,” I muttered, and he chuckled. “Elves have weird powers.”
“I’m not an elf. I’m just short,” I said, pulling my knees towards my chest, I cradled my small round stomach in my lap.
“Ok, you want to go get a sandwich?”
“I could go for a Big Mac,” I replied.
He laughed and took my hand. Suddenly we were in the driveway standing in front of Frankie’s shiny motorcycle.
“Did you bring this with you?” I asked, sure he had shifted himself into the yard after Peri texted him.
“I’d just got on when Peri sent a text to say you were missing. It’s the heaviest thing I’ve ever moved,” he said with a cocky grin. He pulled a helmet out and handed it to me. I pulled it on and fiddled with the snap until he reached over and snapped it for me.
Frankie swung his leg over the bike and held it upright while I scampered. I hooked my sock feet up on the tiny bars and wrapped my arms around his waist. The bike screamed to life, and Frankie drove us out the driveway, stopping at the gate. The vampire at the gate looked at us for a minute. I gave him a wave to hurry him up. I wanted to hit the road.
The guard picked up a phone and made a call. Frankie flicked off the engine and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.
I watched the guard’s lips move, but I couldn’t hear him even when I strained my ears. I no longer had Durga’s help with the super vamp hearing.
After a moment he walked out and handed me the phone. I shook my head and took the phone.
“What?” I said, in my least happy voice.
“Where are you going?”
Ah, there is the grumpy bossy vampire I knew. Guess the honeymoon is over.
“I’m going out. Is there a problem?”
“On a motorcycle? That’s dangerous.”
Frankie scoffed. He could hear the vampire on the line.
“Tough shit, Vincent. You tell this vampire to open the gates right now,” I said. I didn’t have much of a threat to offer. I wasn’t nearly as scary as Durga.
There was a long pause. I waited.
“Open the gates,” he said before the line went dead. Shit head.
I dropped the phone on the asphalt and wrapped my arms around Frankie. The guard who had been listening in to the conversation ran back to the booth and hit the button to open the gates.
As soon as they slid open, Frankie sped through and then off down the road. He didn’t break any laws, but he took corners at speed and accelerated faster than necessary. Adrenaline hit my system making me giddy. I clung to Frankie until he pulled into a McDonald’s.
“You want to eat here or take it to go?” Frankie asked.
“To go. I want to get out of the city.”
He smiled and slipped into the drive-through. Once we had a bag of food, Frankie had me hop off and grab a backpack out of his motorcycle bag. I put the food in it, hoping it would stay warm and then jumped back on and we took off down the highway. The wind whipped my face, and I tucked in behind Frankie to use him as a wind block. It wasn’t long before he got off the highway and took me to a quiet place I recognized. We had picnicked here before. I hopped off, and Frankie kicked out the kickstand. He grabbed a blanket from his bag, and we walked down a narrow path to the grassy hillside.
Laying on the blanket in the sun and stuffing my face with big macs was like heaven. The difference between here and India, besides the obvious, was that in India it was a dry heat, here there was humidity that made it feel different. More like spring.
“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” Frankie said.
“Why not?” I tipped my head to look at him.
Frankie sighed. “You two are just working out stuff, and this thing with Peri is brand new. I don’t want to cause problems.”
“Well, I wanted a burger, and Mr. Bossy-pants isn’t the boss of me. He needs a reminder. Everything is weird, but you and I are friends, and I have hardly seen you in months. Also, Peri and I are bff’s so she won’t mind that I’m out here with you.”
Frankie raised his hands in defeat. “Ok, but if it becomes a big deal, I’ll back off. I just don’t like to see you hiding in a blanket fort.”
I laughed, and Frankie lay back. We watched the clouds move across the sky.
“Is your coven still afraid of me?” I asked, my eyes tracking a cloud that looked like a lion.
“No, I think you are fine now. Anytime you want to visit, you can.”
“That’s good. I’ve missed being around you. I like that we can be here and it’s not awkward. That’s what I always liked about you, Frankie. Except when we argued, it was always easy.”
He smiled at me, and we lay there for almost an hour in silence watching the clouds before we packed up the garbage and headed back to the mansion.
Time to have a chat with my monster fiancé.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Frankie flew back through town, making me smile so wide, my face muscles were a bit sore when he slowed and steered the bike through the gates to Vincent’s mansion. He pulled up to the steps at the front of the house and let me off, then he smiled at me and rode back down the driveway. I watched him go and then turned to track down Vincent. Hopefully, he was home from visiting the elves and would have information, but first, he and I needed to talk. I was dreading it, but I wouldn’t walk on eggshells. He had no right to tell me what to do.
I climbed the steps, and the door swung open, revealing Trevor.
“Hey Lark, I’m just showing Andre the ropes.”
Andre was a human. He was no more than twenty. His hair swept up
into a high man-bun and his clothes made him look like he belonged in a cafe working on his novel. He had his sleeves rolled up, displaying tattoos. He wore a fashionable scarf around his neck and his rough beard completed the picture of a modern man.
“Andre. It’s good to meet you.”
“You too. I’ve read the file on you, and Trevor explained you are pregnant. Congratulations, I look forward to meeting your little one, and if there is anything you need, please let me know.” Andre didn’t sound like I expected. He sounded professional, smiled and seemed honestly polite.
Trevor beamed at the man like he was brilliant. Interesting.
“Thanks, Andre.” I turned to Trevor. “Is Vincent home yet?”
“Not yet. He called to say he’s on his way. He wanted to talk to you, but I told him you were still out. I hope that’s OK.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks.”
I took the first hall and bypassed the dining room in favour of the kitchen. I walked in and almost died. It smelled like chocolate cake. My favourite kitchen lady was icing it at the counter, but she turned around when I walked in and smiled at me. She wiped her hands on her apron and swept across the room to feel up my baby bump.
“It’s good to see you too,” I said as she ran her hands over Elliot’s bubble. He kicked and danced around, and I swear kitchen lady almost cried.
“I’m glad you are back.” She hustled back to the cake and cut a big slice, slipping it onto a plate and setting it at the small table in the corner. “Come, sit.”
Don’t have to ask me twice. I parked my pants in front of the cake and munched on the delicious sweet treat. My eyes rolled back in my head as the soft cake hit my tongue. Kitchen lady hustled back over and set a cup of coffee down.
“Decaf,” she said.
I crinkled my nose.
“It’s good, you will like it,” she promised. She returned to the stove to stir something in a large pot. I took a sip. She was right. Whatever kitchen lady had done to make the caffeine free coffee taste just as good as regular coffee, I wouldn’t question it. I thought I would have to start drinking water or tea. When I finished my cake, I leaned back in my chair and let my body digest. I finally felt full, something that was getting harder to do as Elliot grew. Elliot was taking up so much space, it should be easier to get full, but it seemed like the opposite. He was growing so fast I needed to eat more.
“Happy birthday, Lark,” the kitchen lady said as she took my plate away. I spent my birthday in a cave getting gored by a buffalo. Maybe I could pretend today was my birthday instead. I got to have a picnic and cake — sounds like a birthday.
“Thanks,” I replied, and she went back to stirring.
It had been a long time since I had a birthday party. When I was young, my parents threw big birthday parties, but while I was in foster homes, it was never a huge deal. I could have a party though. I thought about it — streamers and balloons. A pinata. It wouldn’t be a long game with the warriors here. Someone would chop it and then it would rain candy. I walked out of the kitchen, and as I passed the dining room, something caught my eye. I stopped and backed up a step, peeking through into the dining room. Someone hung balloons and streamers from the ceiling, and a giant pinata hung in the middle of the room. None of it was there when I walked by the first time. I looked around, but the vampires seemed as stunned as I was.
Oops.
I laughed. Whatever was going on with me now, I threw myself a birthday party — good thing I didn’t wish for ponies. My laughter echoed through the halls and drew the attention of a few passing vampires.
Magic that grants wishes? Perfect. I continued down the hall and up the stairs to Vincent’s room. Our room, I guess. I turned on the water in the tub, planning to have a hot bath. I walked back into the room to get clean clothes to change into, but there was a vampire in my room. An unhappy looking vampire. Vincent.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“I don’t think you should be running around town on a motorcycle. Particularly not with another man,” he said.
I put one hand on my hip and stared him down. “Are you telling me what I can do and who I can be friends with?”
He scanned my face for a long moment, then looked away.
“That’s what I thought,” I said, moving to the closet to find clothes. When I came back, he was sitting on the bed, his head in his hands. Of course, I felt sorry for the poor bastard and sighed. I sat down on the bed beside him. “I’m with you, Vincent. We’re going to get married and have a baby and live happily ever after.”
He turned his head and looked at me.
“You know you can’t boss me around. You’re going to have to live with that,” I said.
He nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried. I know Frankie’s a better man than I am.”
“That’s a load of shit. You are a good man — the best,” I said, pushing him onto his back on the bed and climbing on so I was straddling his chest. “And you are mine.” I kissed his nose, making him chuckle, then kissed his lips wiping the smile off his mouth. My tongue lashed out and swept across his sharp teeth before I pressed it onto the point of one, spilling a drop of blood in his mouth. He rolled over, pinning me under him and sucked on my tongue before pushing off me and standing up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing, I’m just hungry.”
The way he said it, I knew he didn’t mean he needed to order a pizza. “Then bite me.”
He shook his head. “No way. You need all your blood for Elliot. I’m going to get a bag of blood from the supply.” He turned toward the door.
“Are we ok?” I asked before he opened the door.
He turned back and smiled at me. “We’ll always be ok. Even when we aren’t ok.”
I laughed, and he disappeared out the door. I sighed and lay back on the bed, remembering the way his hands slid over my hips. I remembered my bath and jumped up to check on the water. It was steaming hot, so I let some out and added cold water until it was an acceptable temperature and then lay back and relaxed among the mountains of bubbles. My stomach stuck up out of the water like a whale breaching the surface. I ran my hands over it, watching as Elliot rummaged around in there. I imagined him fighting monsters and saving the day like in comic books. Pow. Bam. My stomach had grown over the day, it could have been the burgers or cake, but it felt like all baby.
When the water cooled, I got out and dried off, wedging into some yoga pants and a hoodie, and went downstairs to find Vincent. He hadn’t filled me in on his trip to the elves.
Downstairs I found Andre in the foyer signing for some packages and Trevor leaning over his shoulder trying to see the stack of boxes at the door.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Trevor spun around. “Nothing,” he said way too fast.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Just let it be a surprise,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “OK, fine.” I walked down the hall to Vincent’s office and knocked once before swinging open the door.
Vincent sat behind his desk a pen in his hand, but his eyes on me. “Hey,” I said, stepping in and closing the door behind me.
“Hi, you smell like flowers.” He smiled, and the room lit up light a sunrise. His eyes danced and his pointy teeth twinkled.
I almost forgot why I came down here, but then I shook my head and told myself to stop drooling over my vampire. “What did you learn from the elves?”
He set down his pen and leaned back in his chair. “Nothing, Emanuel wouldn’t talk to me.”
“That’s weird,” I said, walking forward to sit in the chair in front of his desk.
“Not really, he’s a strange fellow.”
“Yeah. I remember,” I said with a laugh. Then I filled Vincent in on what had been happening. The strange magical things that shouldn’t happen.
“I think you should talk to Emanuel. It’s important. The elves know things they don’t share outside their kind.”
“Do you think I’m an elf?” I asked.
“I don’t think so, but who knows.”
I nodded and stood to leave. I wasn’t sure how to feel about being an elf or maybe part elf. Even when I had Durga inside me, I was still a human. I ran my hand over my stomach again. It was becoming strangely calming to have my hand on my belly.
“I hired a doctor for you. She is a vampire working a few cities over but agreed to come and be your doctor until after Elliot is born. She will be here tomorrow at noon.”
“Thank you. I’ll see Emanuel. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on.”
“Take someone with you.” Vincent rose and came around his desk. He handed me a cell phone. It was new and shiny. “I’ll send directions to your phone. Try not to lose this one.” His wry smile had my stomach doing flips that had nothing to do with the tiny ninja who lived in there. “I think Drew would probably appreciate the gesture if you wanted to take him along.”
I nodded, and Vincent swooped down, sealing his lips to mine. I reached up and ran my fingers through his soft hair as our tongues twisted. When we finally broke away, we were both panting, and I didn’t want to leave the office. The tiny couch in the corner looked plenty big enough for two.
He followed my line of sight and laughed. “I have to finish this paperwork. We can spend tonight in a much more comfortable bed.”
“All right, but no take backs and no paperwork in bed.” His laughter was the last sound I heard as the door swung shut behind me.
I took the hall to the TV room to see if I could find my buddy, Drew.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Drew jumped up. “Yes!”
“All right, you know we aren’t killing anything right?”
“That’s fine. I have always wanted to see an elf. This is going to be great! Just let me go grab my jacket.” He ran off leaving me in the middle of the darkened entertainment room with a bunch of vampires staring at me. Now seemed like a good time to start getting to know the vampires.
“Nice to see you all,” I said.
“Down in front,” Peri called, throwing popcorn at me. I hadn’t seen her back there.
