Lucien leaned back against the couch and gave Greyson a hard stare. “I want to know what’s going on. Kora was light on details.”
“She had no choice. The letter she received detailing the quest demanded she tell no one.”
“She told you.”
“She had no choice in that either.”
“I see.” Lucien frowned. “You’re under no such obligation.”
“No, I am not.”
“Then explain.”
Hattie came in with a bamboo tray. On it were two tall glasses of lemonade and a china plate piled high with cookies. Two smaller plates and two linen napkins completed the service. She set it on the square tufted ottoman that served as a table between the couches. “Here you are. Holler if you need anything else.”
“Thank you,” Greyson said.
When she’d left, Lucien sighed and picked up a cookie. “You’re helping me with these. She’ll be disappointed if we don’t make an effort.”
“Can’t have that.” Greyson put two cookies on a plate and took a glass of lemonade. “But she knows I’m a vampire.”
“She also knows vampires can eat if they choose to.”
Greyson wasn’t going to argue further. He wasn’t all that interested in sweets, but for Hattie’s sake, and the sake of staying on Lucien’s good side, he’d eat and drink until he was near bursting. He took a big bite of a cookie to prove he was a team player.
Lucien sipped his lemonade. “Now explain what’s going on.”
Greyson washed the cookie down with some lemonade, thankful it was more tart than sweet, and began to explain everything Kora had told him.
When he was done, Lucien sat without speaking for a bit.
Greyson used the silence to finish his cookie, plus two more. He’d nearly emptied his glass of lemonade when Lucien spoke.
“Do you think this quest is something that can be accomplished safely?”
“I don’t have any reason to think otherwise. There are probably other people who want whatever this final treasure is, but Kora’s got the sun locket. Without that, there’s no way to even get started.”
“Doesn’t mean you won’t be watched.”
“I’d already assumed we would be. I also won’t let her take any unnecessary chances. Part of the reason I want to go with her is to keep her safe.”
“She told me she’s not paying you.”
“She’s not. I don’t want her to. I’d much rather go with her as a friend than hired help.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed in thought, and he went quiet again.
Greyson finished his lemonade and set the empty glass back on the tray.
Lucien swirled the ice in his glass, but didn’t drink. “Is there anything romantic going on between you two?”
If there’d been any food in Greyson’s mouth, he would have choked on it. “No.”
Was that true? He wasn’t sure. Did a few kisses constitute something romantic? Or had those kisses just been reactions to the moments that preceded them? He didn’t know. And didn’t want to analyze any further. Mostly for fear of making his answer a lie.
“Good. Keep it that way.”
Greyson frowned. “Can I ask why?”
Lucien set his glass on the tray, then stretched his arm along the back of the couch. “You’re a good man, Greyson. It’s nothing personal. But Kora’s just getting her life on track. A romantic involvement would complicate that. A breakup would be even worse. She needs a solid year of working and keeping up with her responsibilities before she should even think about getting involved with someone.”
“Right.” On the inside, though, he was bristling. In Greyson’s opinion, Lucien was overstepping. But then, he was Kora’s father, and he had paid dearly over the years to extricate her from all kinds of trouble. So maybe…maybe Greyson could understand.
“I’m glad you agree. Bring her home safely. And still single. And I will make it worth your while.”
“I don’t need—”
“By which I mean a million dollars. Cash, gold, gems, stocks, however you want it, I’ll deliver.”
Greyson blinked as the reaper’s words sank in. He was well-off. But in the world of supernaturals, there was rich and there was Ellingham-level wealth. Greyson wasn’t at the level of the Ellinghams. And he wasn’t sure the Ellinghams, except maybe for Elenora, were at the level of Lucien.
So even though he was pretty comfortable, a million dollars was still a lot of money. He made himself respond, but he couldn’t bring himself to agree. “That’s very generous of you.”
“My daughter is the only treasure that matters to me.”
Greyson nodded. “I will keep her safe.”
“Then I’m fine with her going. Perhaps not fine. But I understand her need to do this. How are you traveling?”
“I’ve already arranged for the use of the Ellinghams’ plane.”
“That was kind of them.”
“I’m sure Kora being your daughter played into it.”
He grunted. “I suppose I’ll owe them, then.”
“I think I might be the one that will owe them.” Greyson shrugged. “But then, who in this town isn’t beholden to them in some way?”
“True.” Lucien stood, ending Greyson’s visit. “When will you leave?”
Greyson followed suit and got up. “As soon as Kora can. I know she wants to go soon, but she has to work out everything at the club.”
“I’ll speak to her and tell her that’s handled. The sooner you two leave, the sooner you can return.”
“Agreed.”
“Thank you for coming by.” Lucien walked him to the door, but before he opened it, he turned to Greyson. “You have my number. If you need anything while you’re away, call.”
“I will.”
Lucien’s hand was on the knob, but he still didn’t open the door. “And I want updates. Understood?”
“Understood.” Greyson made himself smile. But what he really understood was that no matter how old Kora was, her father was never going to lose his need to protect her.
And while that was a commendable trait in a parent, Greyson also realized that having Lucien as a father-in-law was a daunting proposition.
Bringing Kora home safe might not be easy. But bringing her home single was going to be a piece of cake.
Kora could barely contain her excitement as the Ellinghams’ plane touched down at the Weston Airport outside of Dublin. It was a little after eight thirty in the evening, and she’d woken up only an hour earlier. Not only had sleeping on the plane helped to pass the time, but she’d needed to sleep so she’d be ready for this next leg of the quest.
Greyson had been up about the same amount of time, but while she was looking out the window, he was on his phone.
She glanced at him. “What are you doing?”
“Hiring a car to take us to the Dragon’s Hoard. It’s about forty-five minutes from here as best I can tell.”
“Shouldn’t we be getting a hotel?”
He didn’t look up from his phone. “I’m hoping not to be here that long.”
“You really think we’re going to figure out this next clue and go after it in a matter of hours? The locket doesn’t work that way.”
He put his phone down. “You make it sound like you don’t think this is going to be the location of the final treasure.”
“I don’t. That would be too easy.”
“I suppose that’s true.” He picked his phone up again and started tapping the screen. “There are a couple of dead-and-breakfasts’ here, one in particular that I remember. Been a while, but if it’s still around, we’ll go there.”
“Sounds good.” D&Bs were vampire-friendly boutique hotels. They also supplied rooms to other supernaturals, but vampires were their main clientele. Nocturne Falls had a few. They’d have blood on hand, windows that were UV tinted, blackout curtains in all the rooms, an understanding staff, and most had secondary and tertiary exits, a throwback to the days of angry villa
gers with pitchforks.
Even if such threats didn’t exist in current times, there were new ones. Extra escape routes were never a bad thing.
She snuck a look at Greyson again. Having a handsome, capable vampire at your side wasn’t a bad thing either.
And while Greyson had been exceptionally kind and accommodating since they’d gotten their trip underway, he’d also been a little…aloof. Almost like he’d decided that while they were on this trip, he needed to be all about the business of the quest.
She’d seen him like this before. Every time he’d come to rescue her from some predicament. It was a mode he went into where he was hyperfocused on his surroundings and keeping them safe.
And while she understood and even appreciated that part of him, they were still on the plane. There wasn’t anything that could happen to them here.
It made her inexplicably sad. Like she’d become a client to him again. A job to be done.
She much preferred him as a friend. A friend she really needed to stop kissing. Although there was little danger of that happening again when he was keeping her at arm’s length.
Wait a second. Was that why he was keeping her at arm’s length?
He hadn’t seemed particularly upset by the kissing. In fact, he’d initiated one of the kisses. And had done so in a way that had made it seem like he’d been driven by desire and unable to stop himself.
Kora had found that rather flattering.
So this change in him was a little baffling. What could have caused it? Since his discovery of the pub and them getting on the plane, not that much time had passed. But something in that span of hours had shifted his attitude toward her.
What had done that? Had he made the decision on his own to treat this like any other job? Could be. But why?
He’d met with Hugh Ellingham to ask about using the plane, but she doubted Hugh would have had anything to say about how Greyson approached this mission. She could see him making a remark about returning the plane in one piece or something like that, but the plane was staying at the airport. Not much chance of it running into trouble there.
After Hugh, he’d gone to see her father. And really, that meeting had all the makings of a game changer, but Greyson had acted like it had been a whole lot of nothing. To the point that she hadn’t given it much thought.
Now, however, she realized she’d been wrong to do that. Her father had agreed without any stipulations to let her do this quest. At least none he’d mentioned to her.
That didn’t mean he hadn’t put stipulations on Greyson.
There was no point in asking him, though. She doubted he’d confess the truth of that meeting to her. Chances were good he couldn’t anyway. Lucien probably had made Greyson’s silence part of the deal.
Whatever deal it was that had been struck.
The plane came to a stop, and the pilot announced their arrival.
They got up and got their backpacks from the overhead storage. The backpacks didn’t hold all that much. A change of clothes, a few odds and ends. The bulk of their luggage would remain on the plane.
The backpacks were more about completing their look since they’d chosen to dress like traveling students rather than centuries-old vampires. It would make blending in easier. And no one was likely to look at them more than twice.
Greyson’s hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, and he hadn’t shaved, giving him a little shadow on his jaw. He was in cargo pants, a T-shirt, and a flannel button-down left open. He looked exactly like a college student. Kora hadn’t been able to stop staring at him when she’d first seen him. It was so different than the way he usually looked.
She could almost forget he was a vampire. But then, that was the point.
She’d opted for jeans, a T-shirt, and a lightweight jacket with a drawstring waist. The jacket had a lot of pockets, making it great for traveling. She’d pushed her hair back with a headband and wore very little makeup.
He pulled his backpack on and faced her. “The D&B is all set up, but I’m assuming you want to go straight to the pub.”
“I do.” She smiled. “I really want to find this next clue.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. The car should be out in front of the terminal by the time we get there.”
“Thanks for taking care of all of that.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
She tipped her head. “No, it’s not. You’re here to be my partner in this. I didn’t ask you to come so you can handle all the admin. I mean, I appreciate it very much. But in my mind, we’re equals in this.”
He looked at her without saying anything for a moment, then broke his silence. “Thanks. I don’t mind doing the admin stuff.”
“I just…I don’t want you to think you have to take care of me. I can handle myself. Maybe that wasn’t the case a while ago, but I promise I’m making smarter choices these days. The kind that don’t involve breaking laws and risking life and limb.” She grinned. “After all, I have Waffles to look after now.”
Only a hint of a smile played in his eyes. “Glad to hear it. And while I can see the changes in you, they aren’t going to stop me from protecting you.”
He was still being aloof, and it frustrated her. She wanted to lean in and kiss him, just to see what he’d do. Instead, a spark of her old self flared up inside her, filling her mouth with words better left unsaid.
But she hadn’t changed that much just yet. She went a different route. “Why? Is that what my father told you to do?”
His reaction was immediate and told her that her father had said something, but the look disappeared instantly. “What father wouldn’t want his daughter protected?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What else did he tell you to do?”
“Nothing. We should go.” He pushed past her to the now-open door.
She followed. She’d definitely struck a nerve. Greyson was holding something back. What that was, she didn’t know. But she’d find out sooner or later. If Greyson didn’t come clean, she’d work it out of her father.
And if he wouldn’t talk, Mémé would be the next best source. All Kora needed was some alone time to make a phone call.
Greyson hadn’t been back in Ireland in a long time, but going into the pub still felt like coming home. It was exactly the kind of place he used to hang out in when he wasn’t with Catherine, his wealthy sire and the woman he’d been romantically involved with for most of his vampire life.
Her death at the hands of a necromancer had changed everything, but he didn’t have time for wallowing in the injustices of the past.
Now was all about the present—and a very different woman.
Still playing their roles as trekking students, they found a table in one of the dark corners and settled in. Greyson went up to the bar and ordered two small beers. Guinness, naturally. He also got two packets of crisps, which seemed like the kind of thing students would do.
He took the beers and the crisps back to the table and sat down.
Kora leaned in, voice low. “There are witch’s hearts all over this place. They’re carved into everything like a motif.”
“I see that. They’re even behind the bar on the paneling.”
She picked up a bag of crisps and looked at it. Her top lip curled. “Pickled onion?”
“We’re students. We’re trying new things. You don’t actually have to eat them.”
“Good. Because yuck.” But her tone held a teasing note, and her eyes were full of amusement. She lifted the glass of Guinness. “I will drink this, however.”
“A real sacrifice, I’m sure.” He lifted his own and knocked it gently against hers in a toast. “Here’s to a successful trip.”
“Absolutely.” She took a sip, then set it back down. “The good news is, this has to be the place.”
He frowned. “Is there bad news?”
She nodded. “I have no idea how to find what we’re looking for. For one thing, there are too many witch’s hearts to look closely a
t them all in a single visit. For another, how will we know which one is the right one? And what do we do with it when and if we find it?” She sighed. “This is a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be.”
“Okay, let’s try to break down the locket’s inscription,” he said. “Seek the witch’s heart in the dragon’s hoard, but beware the pain of untrue love.”
Kora moved her chair a little closer to his. “The witch’s heart, we know.”
“You’re sure it can’t be anything else?”
She glanced around. “Not unless there’s an actual witch’s heart somewhere in here.”
“I haven’t seen anything aortal floating in a jar of formaldehyde, so let’s assume not.”
“Right, I don’t think that’s what it is either. So then, which of these many, many hearts is it? And what do we do? Push it like a button? Wait for it to speak to us? I’m at a loss here.”
He looked around some more before answering her. “There are a lot of hearts in here. What about the last bit that says beware the pain of untrue love?”
“I’m guessing that’s a warning against choosing the wrong heart.”
“Great. So not only do we have to figure out which one is the right one, but there’s a penalty for picking the wrong one?”
“I don’t think that’s an issue. See how some of the tails on the hearts go left, and some go right?”
He nodded.
“Witch’s hearts were meant for protection, unless they weren’t. From what I’ve read on this particular style of jewelry, a witch’s heart with a tail that pointed to the right was meant for protection. A witch’s heart with a tail that points to the left was meant for destruction.”
He raised his brows. “So no left-pointing tails.”
“I’d think not. But that’s as far as I’ve gotten on narrowing things down.”
“It’s a start.”
She made a face at him. “Barely.”
He opened his bag of crisps. He actually like pickled onion. Or was that prawn cocktail? Now he couldn’t remember, and it had been a while. He took one out, surprised by how much it smelled like feet. Maybe he wouldn’t eat it after all.
The Vampire’s Priceless Treasure Page 9
