Retribution (Book 3 of The Dominion Series)

by Lund, S. E.

  After I register, Julien and I meet with the Sheriff's sister about renting a house. We go to see three cottages on the coast that are available. We chose one high on a hill overlooking the ocean. It has three bedrooms, a fireplace and a great yard. Nestled in a grove of trees, it's a short walk to the hilltop and a narrow walkway down to the beach. I can't believe our luck and finding such a gem.

  I love it.

  I could be really happy here. It reminds me of our cottage in Wales. There's a sense of peace in the cottage, and in this small town. I haven't known for a very long time.

  All it needs is a piano and perhaps, a violin. I'd love to play a duet with Julien one day.

  "When can we move in?" I ask, as we stand outside overlooking the beach.

  "You can have the keys once you put down a deposit and pay the rent."

  I look at Julien, who's also smiling. He loves the ocean as much as me. I hug him. I'm actually happy.

  Julien gives the real estate agent a check for three months rent and a damage deposit and we have the keys. The cottage is fully furnished with plush overstuffed furniture and we're able to move our paltry belongings in that night, checking out from the motel a day early. I'm glad to be out of there, and even more glad to have our own bedroom. The house is equipped with a security system, but even so, Julien has arranged to have a security detail on the cottage, just in case.

  Our bedroom is at the front of the cottage, looking out over the ocean, sliding doors to a small stone patio and I'm ecstatic. The room is a bit prettified for me, all pink and white roses, with a four-poster bed and ornate dresser with a full mirror. A hand-made quilt covers the bed, and a hooked rug with a cabbage rose pattern lies on the floor.

  It smells of fabric softener and looks peaceful. Julien takes a room beside it as an office, putting the bed away in the shed outside and moving the desk in from a foyer. Once the computers are up and running, it will be tech central during the mission. We have a special encrypted phone to use in case we needed to contact the SCU on any matter and I'll see about buying some whiteboards so we can track evidence.

  I'm just so excited to finally be in a real house. My first real home outside the apartment and my foster parent's cottage.

  I go out to the hill overlooking a rugged beach down below and breathe in the briny air. One day, I want to live in a place like this. I look up into the growing darkness as the first stars peek out in the night sky. With the sound from the ocean and the silence of the coast, it's as close to heaven as I can imagine.

  Julien goes out again at night to put in a few applications for jobs so he can look as if he fits in. He doesn't need a job, of course, but this way he'll be able to meet the town regulars. He will also go out to check in case any vampires are out. He turns the security alarm on when he leaves and kisses me while I sit on our bed, reading on my iPad.

  When he comes home much later that night, he wakes me when he moves around our room, undressing.

  I sit up in the darkness. "Did you find anything?"

  "No vampires," he says. "But I did get a job as a relief bartender at the Cove Bistro and Lounge. My first shift is Friday night. Luckily, their relief bartender left town and they had a vacancy."

  "How does it feel to have a real job?"

  He chuckles. "Bartending is a great job for meeting the regulars."

  "Maybe I could get a job as a hostess or waitress there."

  "I'll ask the owner when I go in on Friday. You could always be a busgirl."

  I throw an extra pillow at him and he catches it, his reflexes faster than mine. I check the clock radio, which reads 2:30 a.m.

  "I have my first day of college tomorrow. I'm really curious to meet the Professors Rhys."

  "They're definitely high on the suspect list," Julien says from the bathroom doorway. "I don't need to warn you not to let anyone touch you."

  "Then don't," I say, trying hard to keep frustration out of my voice. I have to tell myself that he's only being careful, warning me about the risks of going up against a vampire or another Adept with their touch telepathy.

  He returns to bed and creeps in beside me, naked. I don't have to touch him to know he's already excited about my blood feed. I can feel his lust from a distance. I think that tonight, I'll let him feed me from his neck the way he likes.

  As I straddle his hips, sinking onto him until he fills me completely, he sighs.

  "I could get used to this, Eve," he says before I silence him with my mouth.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  "The only abnormality is the incapacity to love."

  Anaïs Nin

  My stomach is all butterflies in the morning as I dress for my first day of college. I chose a navy blue long sleeved t-shirt with a white camisole underneath and a pair of jeans. I usually wear Doc Marten's, but that might label me as a tough chick, so I put on a pair of black high tops instead. My hair is freshly washed and still damp. It's long enough that it will take at least an hour to dry, but I don't care. I put on only the most minimal amount of makeup – just a bit of lip gloss and a touch of mascara – don't want to look too made-up. It's a Catholic school, after all, but what do I know? Are there priests and nuns? I have no idea.

  I don't have any real school supplies, so I take a notebook from one of the files and rip out the pages of notes. Along with some pens and pencils, that's it. I stuff them in my backpack, slip my iPod into a pocket of my hoodie and put my ear buds in loosely.

  I enter the bedroom and turn on the light. When I shake Julien's shoulder, he snorts awake.

  "What's the matter? Are you OK?"

  Julien sits up on the bed and watches me as I turn in a circle.

  "Is this appropriate for a Catholic college?"

  "You look demure." He rubs his eyes and then grins. "Little will they know that underneath the prim exterior is a vampire's lover and very brazen temptress."

  "So I look like a normal college student?"

  "Yes."

  "Good," I say and take in a deep breath. "I'm more nervous about this than killing vampires."

  "In my experience, Catholic college is hell but that was back in the day when the brothers patrolled the hallways with willow branches." He lays back and smiles at me, his hands behind his head on the pillow. "Killing vampires is easy in comparison."

  "They have a cafeteria so I'll probably stay and eat there, check out the other students."

  "Be careful. Don't take your gun or you'll set off the metal detectors, if there are any."

  "Julien!" I say, frowning. "I'm not a total idiot."

  I pull out my small wooden letter opener. It looks harmless, but I could kill a vampire with it if I have to.

  He sighs heavily, sounding more like a frustrated parent than a partner and lover.

  "You going to be OK? You feel nervous. I can help you with that…"

  I grin. "I don't have time. Wish me luck?"

  "You won't need it. Call me at lunch, let me know how things are going. Red cap will follow you there and back."

  I nod and check my watch. I have enough time to stop by the coffee shop on the way to the college, get a coffee and grab a bagel. I'll eat on the way. I'm so nervous, I wonder if I'll even be able to swallow. I tell myself that this is nothing compared to what I do for a living, but it's small comfort.

  The hardest part is walking up to the school through the throngs of students hanging around the front entrance and on the grassy field in front of the building. They stand in clusters, their chatter not making it past the music blasting on my iPod.

  Many of them turn when I walk up the path to the entrance. I'm probably one of the few new faces around. I keep my head forward and eyes on the path, pretending not to notice their eyes on me, but I feel them. When I walk up to the front doors, someone – a young man with blond hair – opens the door for me.

  I smile at him and say a faint ‘Thanks’ and then go in to find my locker. I walk along the rows of lockers, looking for my number, and there it is. It's in the midd
le of a row, the only one that hasn't been claimed. I bought a lock from the registrar the previous day and so I open the locker and stare at the empty interior, uncertain what to do with it.

  Classes don’t start for ten minutes, and so I take out my lone notebook, a pen and pencil, and stuff my backpack into the locker. Then, I remember my letter opener – my weapon. But I could, if needed, kill or disable someone with my pencil, so I relax. I take out my class schedule with room numbers listed, and walk the halls, looking for my first class. It's on the third floor, so I walk up the stairs and search the hallway for room 312. Biology 325 – Marine Biology. The only biology class I could get into. Even Julien couldn't compel his way to get me into something more interesting – to me – and more relevant to my aspirations.

  There are only a few students in the class – probably the other loners or brainiacs who want to get a great seat at the front. I take one in the middle of the far row beside the windows and sit down, staring out the window at the football field where some players are practicing.

  So this is what school feels like… I have no memory of my years at Boston University.

  Students filter in over the next few minutes, and finally, the teacher arrives. Professor Grant. In his forties, with black hair and black horn-rimmed glasses, a blue shirt and paisley tie and brown corduroy pants. He starts writing on the blackboard while students slip inside, taking their seats.

  "You're in my seat."

  I glance up, startled at the sound of a male voice beside me. A tall guy, dark hair and eyes, wearing a team jersey. Number twenty-three. Johnson.

  "Oh. Sorry," I say and fumble with my things, glancing around, looking for another empty seat.

  "You can have it," he says. "Just don't ever say I never gave you anything." He smiles an All-American smile. He's actually quite cute.

  "Thanks," I say, sitting back down.

  "You're obviously new. I'm Nathan Johnson, but my friends call me Nate."

  "Thanks, Nate," I say and smile back. "Eve Hayden. My friends call me Eve." Out of habit, I extend my hand to shake and he chuckles and takes it, bringing it up to his lips in a mock kiss.

  Stupid me. My first five minutes in class and I've already let someone touch me. Julien will be furious. Normally, Adepts wear gloves when they're operating to keep from touching other people skin on skin, which is the only time our telepathy works, but gloves would definitely be a tip off in college…

  Nate winks at me and takes another seat in the row beside me, plopping his books on the desktop. I feel the eyes of every student turn to me. I remember what Julien said when we talked about me going to college. He said that the girls would consider me competition, while the guys would wonder what kind of woman I was and whether they'd have a chance with me.

  I don't really know. I don't think I fit into any category. I'm just me. Eve Hayden, vampire killer.

  Freak of nature.

  From our research, I know that the Professors Rhys have a daughter who is in her junior year and in several of my classes. So far, roll call hasn't revealed her presence. She's supposed to be in my biology class and my history class, but she isn't in either. I do get my first glimpse of one of the famed Rhys teachers in Drama.

  Drama class is very dramatic. It's being held on the stage in the assembly hall. The curtains are drawn, creating a cozy little room, the sound muffled by the huge red-velvet drapes. On stage is a set with ornate couches and chairs. Almost two-dozen students sit or stand or lean against the furniture.

  Professor Rhys is quite the character. He's in his late forties, with longish graying hair, a grayish moustache and droopy eyes that are extremely expressive and large. His accent is northern British and has a soft lilt that makes him seem all the more exotic. No strange paleness so he isn't a vampire. He parades across the stage as he talks to us about the play we're reading – something by Chekov – taking time to introduce me and forcing me to say a few words about myself.

  "What do you want to know?" I say, uncertain what's expected.

  "Tell us about your family, why you're here of all places," Professor Rhys says. "We consider ourselves a family here at Bishop McDermott, Eve. We like to know each student."

  I take in a breath. "I live with my boyfriend, Julien. My mother died when I was eleven. My dad played with the Prague orchestra for a while but he's ill now and in an institution."

  There's an awkward silence for a moment. I bet they weren't expecting to hear about my tragic life.

  "Did you go to school in Prague?" a student asks.

  "No, I was home-schooled. I studied piano and practiced all day."

  The students ooh and ahh at that, looking at each other as if I'm something exotic.

  "Why did you decide to move here, of all places?" Professor Rhys asks, examining me closely.

  Julien and I have already thought up a good cover story. "My father spent some time here in the summer when he was a kid. I remembered him telling us about it and how if he moved back to America, he'd want to live here. He almost got a job in Boston and would have liked for us to move here, so this was the first place I thought of."

  "Well, welcome to Davis Cove. We're glad to have you, Eve."

  He seems really nice. He isn't a vampire – I can tell that right away. He might be an Adept, but there's no good way to tell that without touching him. There's still his wife to check out and of course, their daughter. From what the Sheriff said, they also have two sons, one who's studying at MIT and one at St. John's Seminary in Brighton. As new residents, each one is a possible suspect but I doubted either one is a vampire. More likely Adepts, if anything. Their kids are about my age. Maybe my crop of Adepts.

  I make it through the morning without major incident and when Julien calls, I'm sitting alone in the cafeteria in the corner of an empty table, eating my sandwich.

  "How's things? Any football players hit on you yet?"

  I laugh. "Well, one did kiss my hand this morning."

  "Eve…" He doesn't laugh.

  "It was my fault," I add quickly. "He gave me his seat and I introduced myself, and tried to shake his hand without thinking. He kissed my hand instead."

  "No strange vibe?'

  "Nope."

  "What about the students and teachers? Anything there?"

  I glance around the room at the collection of students, none of whom seemed interested in me.

  "Not so far. Nothing. The one student I was looking for didn't show up in class today."

  "Hmm," he says. "Sounds suspicious. Or a pure coincidence."

  "I have music class this afternoon and history. We'll see how that goes. What are you doing?"

  "Just ordering those test results. Should be here in a few days to a week, depending on how busy the lab is."

  "Ok. I guess I'll see you after school."

  I hang up and finish my sandwich, reading web news on my iPhone until my first afternoon class.

  When it comes time for music, I enter the classroom to find an older woman with grey bouffant hair at the front. She'd written her name on the board and it isn't Professor Rhys. It's a substitute teacher. I won't get to meet the elusive Professor Mrs. Rhys or her daughter today, but I suspect that there's nothing to be found in that family. Likely, they really are just new residents to America who found jobs at the school together due to a lucky coincidence of openings.

  There are ten other new residents in the past few years we have to investigate, and so while they aren't a dead end for certain – I won't know until I've seen them all up close – I expect the Rhys family is just a family.

  So my first full day at college isn't as bad as I feared. It's pretty tame. No one tried to strike up a friendship with me, and other than Nate kissing my hand, no one has even spoken to me.

  I can do this.

  "How'd it go today?"

  Julien stands beside me, chopping up some vegetables for a stir-fry.

  I shrug. "Nothing spectacular happened, with the exception of Nate kissing my hand." />
  "Nate, hmm?" he says, frowning a bit. "Sounds awfully familiar, considering you just met."

  "What?" I say and push his arm playfully. "You're not jealous are you?"

  He pops a piece of broccoli into his mouth and chews, grinning sheepishly.

  "Me? Jealous of some mere human? He's got nothing on me."

  We sit down at the table and eat, Julien filling me in on what he's been up to while I was pretending to be a student.

  "Our victim was friends with the Rhys girl," he says, raising his eyebrows.

  That makes my skin crawl. I could see them both maybe being caught up in a vampire's circle, becoming blood slaves with him – and it was likely a 'him'. Few vampires chose Adepts of the same sex unless they're homosexual. The relationship is far too erotic. Most straights prefer the opposite sex.

  "There's probably a vampire recruiting young female Adepts," Julien says. "You should get to know her and see if you can get into their little group – if there is one."

  I push my food around on my plate at the thought. Of course, I suspect Soren's the one responsible for these killings, although there's a chance it's someone else.

  "I think it's Soren who's responsible." I watch his response.

  He leans over and takes my hand. "You are so cute." He kisses my knuckles as if to overwrite what Nate did earlier in the day. "Tell that Nate kid to keep his hands off you or your monstrously strong eight-hundred year old vampire boyfriend will come after him with everything I've got."

  "Julien!" I say, laughing. I stab a piece of mushroom with my fork. "You have nothing to fear. No one," I say and lean forward, pushing my fork towards him, "could ever measure up to you. No one."

  Through our connection, I get a momentary glimpse into his mind before he's able to shut me out.

  Except Michel…

  He looks away, not meeting my eyes, squeezing my hand.

  I sigh.

  "Whoever is responsible," I say, my voice a bit choked from his thoughts. "I look forward to finding the bastard and killing him – or them."