“Uh, I usually don't find clothes that fit so easily,” I muttered, hiding my thoughts.
“No worries, these are just for you.”
She then handed me a pair of black high heels that fit as if made just for me.
I painted on a smile and waited for the door to click closed.
“Gran,” I loudly whispered. “Gran.”
“No need to shout, dear. Aren't you happy I was able to find this great man, a lord, to help you out?”
“How is it that you can appear and disappear?”
“I don't know. Haven't really figured that out, but this place is just perfect for your next Macleod book. The ceiling height, the grounds; I've seen it all.”
“And the strange vibe I'm getting here?”
“Well, you don't have the best instinct. This place is incredible. Better than being on that ship, I tell you. You wanted to get out of there anyway. This is definitely an improvement.”
I slowly put the outfit on. “Have you seen anyone else here?”
“Anyone else?” Gran stopped to think. “This place is filled with people. A complete unique society.”
“Whew,” I sighed. “I was starting to get worried.” I was sure she heard the annoyance in my voice.
“They are all just supernatural, some even dead, but you don't have a thing to concern yourself with.”
“What!” My hands stopped trying to button up the pearl-buttoned sleeves. “I'm surrounded by things I don’t understand. This doesn’t make sense. The supernatural world doesn’t really exist. It can’t.” I shook my head in disbelief, knowing full well what she said was true, but it was easier for me to live in denial.
“You know, you get this way when you are upset—all scientific. And there are tons of reasons to consider your current situation as not being optimal, but just because you can’t see it or didn’t know it existed, doesn’t mean that it can’t be true.”
“This is not just believing in Santa Claus, this is a dragon!”
“It's not the first time. This place is perfect for us. Come, you don't want to leave his Lordship waiting.” She paused. “You know, I could use a word of thanks from you too. This is the perfect spot for you to make your return to publishing, immersed in your story. You're meeting a handsome man.”
“A mistake,” I seethed. “I didn’t need a man, or a happy ever after.”
“You close yourself off so much from love. He will not be your next mistake. He's too handsome for that.”
“You don’t get it.” I began to shake with anger. “This existence for me is sheer terror. I’m a stranger in my own body.” The angrier I became, I felt my fangs descend. “Plus, I'll take your word on that. I have a way of making good men turn bad.”
“No, more like bad men turn worse.”
I guessed I should have taken that as a positive. At least she didn't say that I made them into the worst.
“This one here, he is different and in such a good way. Just you wait and see. He is going to sweep you off your feet and then I can finally see those grandbabies I've been waiting for.”
“Oh my god, I barley know the man, and you're trying to plan a wedding.”
“No dear, I didn't say wedding. I said grandchildren. You can't live in a cave forever, and this man is like a male Aphrodite. I might be dead, but if I had ovaries, they would quiver.”
“Ew, Gran.”
A fresh wave of rage punched me. I could feel the invisible chains that held me in place. My body refused to listen to my commands of rise and run away from this place.
I didn't ask to be turned into this monster, tied to this new life that I knew nothing about. When I left for vacation, the highest chance of something going wrong was that I could walk away with a yeast infection from the freaking pool chlorine, but to not be able to return to my life? Everything I'd built, taken from me in an instant. Every accolade voided, friendship erased, and dreams now crushed—just gone.
I clenched and unclenched my fists.
Gran stared at me.
“The rage is normal, I hear,” Gran said, but I ignored her. She'd allowed this to happen to me. Of course, she wouldn't have wanted to be tied to a corpse floating up and down the coast, since her ring of light was situated on my hand, but that didn't mean that I could ever forgive her for this.
“I did what I thought was best. I've watched so many of my loved ones’ pass, but you are different. We actually have a relationship. You can hear the inflection of my voice and not wait for me to communicate with flickering lights, books that might move on their own, or boo sounds. You see me.”
I whipped my head around. “But you stole everything from me due to your selfishness.”
“You love the Highlands, dear.”
“No, I loved the apartment in New York. I loved the city. What am I supposed to do out here? Milk cows, sheer sheep? Hell, no one thought about me while making their decisions, just what they could get from me.”
“Why don't you put all of that frustration to good use. Now that you're immortal, your body can move like a machine.”
“I don't want to move like a machine, wear incredibly tight leather and rock a katana. I'm not a character in some freaking urban fantasy tale. This is my life.”
Gran folded her hands in her lap, and stopped floating to take a seat. “What would you have me do?”
“Help me find my way. I can't go this alone, but I also don't know anything about what it means to be… this… this thing. If you were truly alive, I would have killed you by now.”
“That is the thing, Leslie. I think you need to find a way, an outlet to let go of all that rage.”
“How?”
“What did you want to do when you were a child?”
“Play football?”
“No, not that.”
“I wanted to be Wonder Woman.”
Gran frowned. “That is a start, but you also wanted to be a wrestler, remember? You could surely do something with that.”
“I was eight, and it was the eighties.”
“Well, you did something then, and I expect you to do it now. What were we supposed to do? Let you die? If you are dead set on having a pity party about it—go walk into the sunlight and get it over with, but I will not take you pouting around like a little brat when someone does something good for you. So, put on the damn dress, get downstairs and thank your host. Tonight, let him wine and dine you, and maybe you can let your hair down, for once.”
“I'm not having sex with him.”
“Pfft. I'm not asking about that, but I promise not to think less of you if you do. You need to take a closer look at his wonderful face, and a body that will encourage you to do bad things with him. You have suffered this dry spell long enough, as Tom has been gone for a while now. You remember the time I sent you to that bondage workshop for the third Macleod book?”
“Gran.” I didn’t want to think about Tom. And definitely not about rope play.
“Well, just imagine all of those kinky things you could do to Alistair that you never got to try out with Tom.” She winked and began to hum.
“I told you about it, but not because I wanted your expertise in case I met someone.”
“Just promise me, you won't give him the cold shoulder. He is too fine for you to not at least think of him as a possibility.”
“If you say that one more time, I'm going to take the ring off and put it in my pocket,” I said and raised my hand. There were times when she enjoyed the game of romance way too much, and I wasn't sure if I was up to playing with her whispering in my ear.
“You don't have to worry about that. I don't think I'd be able to sneak in on him anyway. He seems to have a knack for seeing the undead.”
I collapsed back on the chaise. “This is all insane. First freezing in the sea, and now playing dress up to meet a lord who can see the dead—and he’s a dragon.
“Well, there are worse things, dear,” Gran said.
“What's that?”
; “You could be dead too, and I sort of promised you to him. So you might as well have at him.”
“You did what?” I screamed.
“I needed him to save you. And he seemed lonely enough. I guess something about a desperate woman dying called to him.” She shrugged her shoulders.
I pushed up from the chaise and headed toward the door, sucked my teeth and clenched my jaw. Unsteady on my feet, I wobbled on the high heels down the long hallway. Large painted portraits hung on the wall that I hadn’t noticed previously. At my speed, they were simply a blur.
“Welcome to his lordship's home,” Gran said. “Do you think all of these women are his ex-lovers? If so, boy does he have a type. Look, if we stay long enough, he might be able to paint one of you too. Wouldn't that be romantic?”
“I just want to make it through this meet and greet, climb back up to a bed, and pull the covers over my head. If I’m lucky, he’ll have a stake. Whatever shenanigans you have planned will have to wait for another day.”
Long shadows covered up what I assumed to be perfectly painted and beautiful women on the walls, and as my gaze drifted, I didn't expect them to land on the man waiting in the hallway with his arms crossed. He was dressed in a tailored black suit, with the collar of his black shirt slightly undone. I took a gulp.
Freaking hormones.
“Did you hear a lot of that?” I asked him.
“No worries. I've been accused of more than just collecting paintings.” He turned away and assumed I should follow. “Come, Leslie.”
I took a step. Not that I had a lot of choice.
Damn him for taking that away from me.
20
Alistair
“Are the runes in place?” Alistair asked Rose who stood to his right.
Seated on his throne in the great hall on a dais, with Gillianbusti loudly snorting beside him, Alistair considered his options.
With the woman’s death, he must now speak to the community and advise them of what this could mean.
Within the estate, Rose still gave him due deference as the Lord of the Order, the ruler, and that which kept their worlds safe.
“Yes, my Lord. Today we must make sure that everything is taken care of. This place likes to devour the ladies who arrive here, but even more, they will make it that no one can enter.” Alistair wiped his brow. The last thing he wanted to be reminded of was that if Leslie stayed she'd be put in danger, and if she left, he'd be forever stuck to enjoy the night, but never the daylight, as his bite had connected their souls.
And it also didn’t help that her hostility was growing more and more each day. She’d need to work out, but also be introduced to this new world where she would be under his protection.
He scanned the crowd and wondered. Who could have killed the girl in the village? He couldn’t rid the image of the deceased woman from his mind.
“Make sure that everyone is visible, dear Rose. We don't want to scare our guests. We need them.”
He watched Killian make his way through the throng of people to stand at this left.
Alistair picked up his staff and banged it against the floor, silencing the room.
The growing ruckus in the grand room wasn’t what he’d expected to encounter when he’d called the meeting. On most days, everyone got along swell, but this was not most days.
“Should we not be concerned about this human you’ve brought here?” asked one gentleman, but it wasn’t just that one question, but the question of many for several nodded their heads.
Alistair tried not to frown. Even he had his trepidation, but there was no reason to let that woman die.
“In this Order, as created by the gods, our mission is to be a place for those like us, and we have accepted the two women, Myrtle, and her granddaughter, Leslie, into our abode. Neither has been properly introduced. You will meet them today and welcome them as I have welcomed each of you.
“The change is not always one of birth. Some of us here have been different since we took our first breath, while others have transitioned, and in death, found this place to be their beacon. While others—”
“But this one is different. She’s a vampire. They haven’t been in these parts in centuries.”
“Calm down. Now,” Alistair said in a commanding tone. “This woman is not only a vampire, but also my mate.”
He heard Rose’s sharp inhale, then continued, “As I am her sire. What you do to her, you do to me. She is not to be harmed—not a hair on her head or hide.”
“But I thought he was only to marry the seer,” Rose whispered.
“Interesting games the gods play,” Killian responded.
“You created a vampire, but did not tell me of this at the scene, Alistair.” Rose bristled. “It is possible that this abomination has killed.”
Alistair shook his head, but watched the idea grow steam as those in the crowd began to nod in agreement. “By creating her, you have created a quagmire for vampires that are outlawed. They almost decimated the area, feeding on supes and humans alike.”
“Do you dare question my authority, Rose?”
“I am a wielder, and the magic required to keep this place safe, I can also wield. You have brought forth a blight, and in doing so, you will bring attention to us, and cause harm to us all. That is not thinking in the best interest of our kind.”
Peter, the herbalist and mage, moved forward to stand in front of Alistair. “You are all quite wrong about this Leslie. She has a strong fortitude like I’ve never seen. Even more, his Lordship has only gifted his ability once. If she is forced to die, then you will also kill him, as their souls are tethered together. And surely, you do not wish death on the one who has harbored you and granted you a place of peace?”
Killian slapped his hand down on Alistair’s shoulder, and stepped forward too.
“There is more that you don’t know. The seer is not just a prophecy, but for the great battle, she will be needed so that we may win and stand with the gods at Ragnarok. I have spoken to the other Orders, and each of their seers have spoken of her. She is blessed by the gods, chosen by them for him, and for us. We do them and her a disservice to not allow the lass a chance to prove herself.”
“What can you tell us about the murder in town?” Peter asked.
Rose then stepped forward. “The body was drained of blood, and after initial testing, I located traces of henbane at the scene. Henbane is used by the seers to kill.”
“It sounds as if you are ready to bring her before the magistrate for this.” Killian said.
Alistair rose. “Here I am just that.” He banged his staff again against the floor. “Grace, I pronounce, she is under the protection of the Order.”
Rose sucked in her cheeks, bowed and stepped back. “As you wish, my Lord.”
It wasn't every day that he allowed recently turned, and unvetted, to pass over the threshold into their inner sanctum. Consequences could be dire. Although last night, he'd allowed the dragon to come out, the beast still barely rested under the surface. God or not, being one with the dragon, as decided by Freyja, was not what he'd wanted for his future. How did his dragon skillset help Asgard? He didn't know. All that he understood was that a beast came forward once every full moon, and in that time, bad things occurred.
Things he couldn't quite remember.
“Bring the women forth,” Alistair declared.
21
Leslie
From the back of the room we listened and watched it all. Talk about being disliked. Seemed like vampires were as badly hated as carpal tunnel, brussel sprouts, and assholes.
The place was strange. Not only did it have the magnificent aroma of fresh cloves everywhere, but the air felt like that of NASA-grade oxygen, at least from what I could remember from space camp eons ago. It was cool and refreshing. My lungs breathed it in, and did a little happy dance recognizing it for what it was—pure, delightful air.
In a crowd of humanoid, dragon-like creatures, the colors of forest green i
lluminated around the shoulders of the one who Alistair identified as Rose. Her ears were pointy, and she stood tall and lean. I knew right away that she was not an ordinary person. She was more beautiful than almost any woman I'd ever seen.
“What is this place?” I wondered aloud, and all heads turned to look at me.
“Psst, Gran,” I whispered, “Are you seeing all of this?”
Gran, of course, saw everything—that was the great thing about being a ghost. “Oh, child,” Gran responded. “I think you are going to have to be careful about which rooms you enter. What if each of these rooms takes you to one of the different realms, the nine worlds?”
“That is outrageous.”
“Look around you. We're surrounded by supernaturals,” she whispered.
I felt Alistair's stare heavy on me as he watched my every movement. He brazenly cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved, please welcome your new kin, Myrtle and Leslie.”
Huddled together, Gran took my hand and we walked up front to where Alistair stood. Just as his gaze was heavy, so was the disapproval of all of those around us. They shot bullets with their stern stares.
“It’s great to be here,” I said with a broad smile. I wasn't sure if he could tell that I was lying, but it seemed plausible enough to me that something like that could happen.
He crossed his arms.
I didn’t have Daddy issues. Those days disappeared a long time ago, somewhere between age twenty-five, and me finding out that I didn't need an agent to publish my first book. Imagine my surprise when I learned that there were tons of men interested in offering me a free ride. They didn't care what my hopes and dreams were, only if I was willing to bed them. They didn't love me, and I refused to love them.
This is a mistake. I don't belong here, and although I am very thankful for your saving me from the depths of death, I'm confused. Words I should have said, but instead, I began to ramble about the interior design. How it felt like a college dorm or old age community, and how I couldn’t wait to meet everyone individually.
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