“I wish I’d known,” I said, glancing over my shoulder to make sure there wasn’t a line forming behind us. It was half past eleven, so we’d missed the morning rush, but the lunch wave was on its way soon. “I have the afternoon free-ish. Want me to go home and change and come pitch in for a few hours?”
I’d worked as a barista for the first couple years of my time in the small town. It had been quite some time since I’d last donned a Siren’s Song apron, but I had a feeling the work would come back to me without much effort. Muscle memory or something. And worst-case scenario, a little dash of magic never hurt.
“Don’t worry about it, Holly,” Cassie said, waving off the suggestion. “Nicole and I have it under control, and I promise, as soon as the lunch rush dies down, I’ll clock out.”
Nicole passed a drink order to a tall man standing at the other end of the counter, then smiled at me. “If she’s not gone by two, I’ll call the chief personally.”
Cassie’s mouth gaped.
I laughed and thanked Nicole. “I like her,” I told Cassie once the barista ducked into the back to grab another bag of beans. “You need to keep her around after the season.”
“I’ll do my best,” Cassie agreed. “Now, what can I get you two?”
“Thought you’d never ask,” Adam said with a chuckle before rattling off his order—which, predictably, included three types of cookies to go along with his coffee.
I ordered my usual, a hazelnut vanilla latte, and we wandered down to the other end of the counter. “So, how’s the wedding plans?” Cassie asked as she picked up a pair of silver tongs and started retrieving Adam’s cookies from the case. “You find a dress yet?”
“No.” I sighed. “Still no luck there.”
“What about your something old, new, borrowed, and blue? Any of those checked off the list?”
“Are you doing that?” Adam asked. His tone wasn’t judgmental, but a little surprised.
“In theory,” I told him. “But, like the dress hunt, I haven’t come up with much yet.”
“You know you’re welcome to come raid my closet and jewelry box anytime for the borrowed,” Cassie said before turning on the grinder.
Nicole returned with a bag of beans and refilled the hopper before taking over at the cash register, helping a couple of elderly ladies. Cassie made my latte and then got Adam’s black coffee. He was a calorie hog in every aspect of life, except when it came to his coffee. He preferred it with just a touch of milk and once he had it in hand, he wandered over to the long, skinny table made from driftwood to doctor it up a smidge.
“Are you free tomorrow afternoon?” I asked Cassie. “Anastasia is coming over for lunch and I know she’s going to drag me out dress shopping. It would be fun to have you come, too. I need someone on my side when she tries to talk me into something strapless with a fluffy princess skirt.”
Cassie smiled as she leaned against the counter. “Sure. I can make that work. Although, for the record, I tend to like a fluffy skirt.”
“Ugh. I’m doomed,” I groaned.
Cassie giggled as she sent me on my way, promising to swing by the manor the following day around noon.
Chapter Four
The rest of Lacey’s conclave arrived over a span of three hours that night once the sun set. I hadn’t been sure what to expect, but somehow, as the various vampires appeared on the doorstep, they all seemed to match. Not that they all looked the same, but they all carried the same elegance and air of importance as Lacey and Matthias. Pleasantries were exchanged, but none of them were overly friendly or interested in making small talk. Each of the introductions was rather brisk and businesslike.
The first couple to arrive was from House Ryson. Nathaniel and Trisha appeared to be in their late forties, though they were likely far older. Bornlings weren’t frozen in time the way humans-turned-vampires were. They had abilities that granted them aging that bent to their will. Lacey had once told me that her mother had reluctantly aged herself only when her daughter started looking more like her sister than her offspring.
Trisha Ryson was a stately woman with glossy brunette hair, which she’d pulled back into a sleek chignon. Her skin was fair and flawless with understated makeup expertly applied. She was dressed for travel, though I figured even her most casual of outfits would have price tags higher than my entire wardrobe combined. Similarly, her husband Nathaniel wore slacks and a button-up shirt with a silk tie. His dark hair matched his wife’s hue, and was combed away from his face with a deep side part. He wore wire-rimmed glasses, though I suspected that was a fashion choice more than a physical necessity.
“Lord and Lady Ryson preside over the Pacific Northwest and California, after merging their courts together upon their marriage,” Lacey explained, after welcoming the pair into the inn. “What was that, twelve years ago now?”
Trisha offered a polite smile. “That’s correct. We aren’t quite the newlyweds you and Lord Hartford are.”
After the Rysons came another dapper gentleman in an impeccably tailored navy suit, with salt-and-pepper hair, warm brown skin, and a pair of round, wire-rimmed glasses that framed large, dark eyes. Lacey introduced him as Lord Christian Sánchez, the Baron of Mexico.
The last to arrive was Lady Aretha Powers, a woman with amber eyes and deep umber skin. Her hair was cut short, almost a buzz cut, and there was some sense of power that radiated from the striking woman. She presided over the state of Georgia as the highest-ranking member of her house. In lieu of a spouse or partner, she’d traveled with her assistant, Julian Cross. He was handsome and fit, with broad shoulders and tawny hair. Almost like he’d fallen from a glossy sunscreen ad in a magazine.
Lacey and Matthias greeted each set of guests and made the introductions, and while they were polite, there was something about Lacey’s posture that set me on edge. She seemed nervous, which was something of a new side to Lacey. I’d lived with her for years, and there was only one time I could recall her acting this way—and that had been on the day she’d told me and Adam that her father was the Baron of the East and that she had been summoned home. I’d understood her nerves that day, but tonight it was unclear what was bothering her. Adam seemed to pick up on it, too, his eyes darting between Lacey and the guests like he was watching a ping-pong match.
We helped everyone to their suites and then went down to the formal dining room to finish setting the table while our new guests settled in. Per Lacey’s instructions, her enclave of vampires would be dining alone, eager to start their business. Adam and I planned to make ourselves scarce and go out for dinner and a movie, a rare date night in the midst of our busy season.
When the table was set, I went upstairs to Lacey and Matthias’s room to let them know we were leaving soon. I knocked softly on the closed bedroom door and waited.
“Come in,” Lacey called.
I cracked the door and peeked inside. Lacey stood facing the full-length mirror on the far side of the room, her head tilted to one side as she slipped an earring into her left earlobe. She was wrapped in a black velvet dress that looked tailor-made to fit her like a glove. Her platinum hair hung past her shoulders in a sleek sheet. She was breathtaking. Granted, the vampire could easily win a beauty contest while wearing a burlap sack.
“You look great,” I told her.
She smiled, her delicate fangs showing for a quick second. “Thank you.”
Thumbing over my shoulder, I leaned against the doorframe. “The table’s all set. Everything you need is in the kitchen. Adam and I are about to head out to give you some privacy. We’ll try to be quiet when we get home.”
“Thank you, Holly.” She slipped the second earring in and shook her hair back. My gaze caught on the choker she wore around her neck, a black velvet ribbon with a large onyx stone hanging down to rest in the hollow of her throat. The stone was roughly the size of a bottle cap with a fine gold frame.
“That’s a pretty necklace,” I told her. “A gift from Matthias?” I asked, suddenly r
ealizing his absence. I hadn’t heard anyone leave the manor when I’d been downstairs setting the table, but then, vampires were very quiet.
Lacey stroked one finger over the stone, something protective in the way she dragged one sharply pointed fingernail over its surface. “No. I found this on my own.”
“Oh.” I bobbed my head. “Well, it suits you.”
She stood for another moment, staring at her reflection—which was nothing new for Lacey. When she’d lived at the manor it was a near-nightly occurrence to find her camped out in the bathroom for hours, preparing for a night out. If only we’d all had our own suites back then. Evangeline certainly would have been happier. Between the former soap star and the vampire beauty queen, shelf space in the bathroom came at a premium.
“Where’s Matthias?” I asked.
“He went to check the perimeter,” Lacey replied.
I frowned. “Are you expecting … company?”
Lacey finally tore her eyes from the onyx and turned to me. “It’s just a precaution,” she told me. “The nature of the matters we are here to discuss is quite sensitive. We can’t afford to have any prying eyes or ears lurking about.”
“Does anyone even know you are here?” I asked.
Lacey sighed. “As far as we know, our cover story worked, but things are strange in vampire circles these days. A few members of our household staff know where we are, and while I don’t think any of them would be disloyal, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.”
There was a weariness in Lacey’s unlined face that I hadn’t noticed before. Her frost-blue eyes returned to her reflection in the mirror, one finger still pressed against the pendant at her throat.
“Do you want us to stay home?” I offered. “Adam could keep watch, if you’re expecting—”
“Everything will be fine, Holly,” she said, her tone bordering on snappy. She cringed, then held up one pale hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—it’s just been a long few months. A lot of work has gone into organizing this meeting.”
I nodded, as though I understood, but my mind was only racking up more questions with every passing second. “Okay. Well, if you need us, you know all you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you.” She affixed a smile on her lips and made a show of smoothing away invisible flyaways before glancing at me again. “Have a good time at dinner.”
I slipped from the room and went to find Adam. Matthias was just coming in the front door when I reached the bottom of the stairs. We exchanged polite smiles as we passed each other, he on his way upstairs while I went to the den.
“There you are,” Adam said, flicking the remote toward the TV, killing whatever sitcom rerun he’d been watching while he waited on me. “Is the queen of the damned all set for her big dinner?”
“I think so,” I replied, unsure whether to tell him about the strained conversation with Lacey. There wasn’t much to say, really. I still had no idea what the meeting was about or whether or not we should be worried.
“Good,” Adam said, placing one hand on his stomach, “because I’m starving!”
Smiling, I rolled my eyes. “Someone alert the media.”
We left the den and headed out of the manor. I hesitated at the front door, looking up the stairs for a moment longer than I normally would.
“You forget something?” Adam asked. “I fed Boots, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I closed the door and shook my head. “All good, then.”
Earlier in the summer, we’d bought a used SUV. Beechwood Harbor was small enough that everything was in walking distance, so neither of us had owned a car while living at the manor. When Evangeline moved in a few years back, she’d brought her sporty little car with her, so on the rare occasions we needed a set of wheels, we’d had hers. However, once we started taking on more guests at the inn, the grocery orders got larger and we found ourselves using Evangeline’s car more and more to run errands and, on occasion, transporting guests to and from the magic portal that connected to the Seattle Haven, the nearest supernatural community. It was only about a mile away, and most of our guests preferred to drive themselves to the small coastal town from the city, but a few had opted for the portal and had come with luggage and needed a lift.
One plus of finally having our own vehicle was that we’d been able to expand our date nights to other neighboring towns. As much as I loved the comfort of McNally’s pub food, there were times when it was nice to go out and try new things. The largest nearby town, Pine Shoals, had more than a dozen restaurants, a movie theater, an arcade, and a bowling alley. So, when we found ourselves with a free night, we liked to go over there for a little fun.
Adam opened the passenger door for me and waited till I was buckled before closing the door and getting in behind the wheel. “You know what’s weird,” he said as he turned the key in the ignition.
“Hmm?”
“I’ve never heard of some of those houses before,” he replied, shifting into reverse before craning around to check out the back windshield. “Powers? Ryson? Collectively, they run the entirety of the West Coast US and Georgia, but we’ve never heard their house names?”
I’d noticed that too. I’d somehow expected one of the more infamous vampire families to be present. The old houses had a knack for gobbling up as much power as inhumanly possible, and with their deep history—not to mention their wealth—it was easy for them to climb to the upper echelons of the vampire hierarchy. I didn’t pay much attention to vampire politics, but it still struck me as odd that the ones present for Lacey’s meeting were able to fly so under the radar to the general supernatural community.
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” I replied as we pulled out onto the road and headed down the hill, onto the main drag through town. “After that whole mess with Jewel Molder this winter, and the nasty business with Greyson Molder a couple years ago, I’m pretty sure it’s a good thing houses like that aren’t holding onto all the power.”
“They might not have positions in the high court, but we do know they control the Vampire Council, and that’s more dangerous,” Adam said, his voice bitter. “Take Jewel for instance, she was openly glamouring people, right here in Beechwood, and what did she get? A slap on the wrist and sent back to her house because some vampire lord was able to convince the Haven Council to drop the case.”
“From what Meryl’s said, the Vampire Council has become even more corrupted in the past years. They aren’t doing anything to stop the unchecked vampires in Seattle, and if it’s happening there, it’s probably happening in other big cities, too.”
Adam nodded. “But the Haven Council only has so many options. They can’t risk an all-out war with the Vampire Council. Not when they could raise up a literal army within a few months’ time.”
A shiver ran up my spine and it had nothing to do with the blast of AC coming through the vents on the dashboard.
Chapter Five
“Holly? Holly, wake up. Holly!”
A frantic whisper stirred me from a dark dream, and I struggled to kick my way to the surface. My eyes fluttered open, only to be blinded by a bright light. Groaning, I turned away, one hand lifted to block my eyes.
“Oops, sorry!”
It was Harmony’s voice, though I couldn’t see her face as I blinked to rid the spots from my seared corneas. “What are you doing here, Harmony? It’s the middle of the night!” I whispered as Boots stirred beside me in bed. Beyond him, Adam lay sprawled, one arm above his head, snoring faintly.
Some guard dog.
Harmony moved her hand, sending the light beam to the ceiling, and I realized she was using the flashlight function on her cellphone. “I came home to get one of my textbooks, and I accidentally walked in on a big argument.”
I pushed up to sitting and frowned at her. “Argument? What argument?”
“Downstairs,” she hissed, pointing toward the floorboards. “The vampires!”
“And you thought that warranted running up
here to wake me up?” I grumbled, scrubbing at my eyes with the heels of my hands. “Harmony, look, I get it, you’re freaked out by the vampires, but I’m telling you, they’re not dangerous. Well … at least, these ones aren’t. I don’t think …”
“Gee, what a ringing endorsement,” the blonde witch replied. I couldn’t see her blue eyes rolling, but I’d seen the expression enough times that I could vividly imagine it all the same. “Don’t worry, Harmony, these ones probably won’t eat you!”
“Ugh!” I tossed my hands into the air. “What do you want, Harmony? Want me to go down there and tell them to keep it down? You’ll notice, whatever it was, I was managing to sleep through!”
“No!” Harmony said, her own frustration showing through. “I got to the front door and I heard loud voices. It sounded like they were arguing, so I decided to go around back. My textbook is in the kitchen, so I thought I could just go in the back door and avoid them, but when I turned the corner, I saw someone standing on the deck!”
My brows lifted and I sat up a little straighter. “What were they doing?”
“I don’t know. Casing the joint! She was peeking in all the windows, going from one to the other—”
“She?”
Harmony nodded, her flashlight shaking as she did so, sending the beam scattering across the ceiling. “Holly, I think it was Jewel.”
“Wait, what?” I snapped, no longer worried if I woke Adam.
“I couldn’t tell for sure,” Harmony said. “I didn’t follow her, obviously! But I stepped on a rock and turned my ankle, so I kind of … yelped, and she took off running. Before she did, I saw her face, but it was dark and shadowy, so I could be wrong, but—”
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