Alec lifted my chin. ‘When this is over, I promise we’ll make a new one, just for us. You can fill it with whatever you like, however you want it.’
‘All our own?’
‘All ours.’
I turned in his arms and surveyed the compact two-bedroom apartment I’d called home for the past eleven years. ‘I loved living here,’ I whispered.
As we stood there, banging sounded on the door. I jumped. ‘It’s Mrs Henderson, for sure. If she gets suspicious, she’ll ring the police.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.’ Alec went to the door and opened it a fraction, enough for her to see him, but not enough for her to glimpse the lounge area.
‘Hello, Mrs Henderson,’ he said.
‘Oh! It’s you again. I, um, saw your car and ... is Miss Dantonville here?’ She tried to peer around him but Alec blocked her view.
‘Yes, I’m here, Mrs Henderson,’ I called as I began a hurried clean up.
‘Is everything all right, love? I heard sounds coming from here last night, things crashing and banging.’ Alec leaned nonchalantly against the doorway, further blocking her view.
‘Fine. Fine. It must have been a cat. Nothing to be concerned about,’ I said and began to hiccup! Crap! It happened each time I tried to lie – like an inbuilt lie preventer.
‘Cat? You don’t have one. Are you sure everything’s okay, love?’ Her voice was breathless.
‘Mrs Henderson everything’s—’
‘Fine, really,’ I said and joined Alec. She was puffing after climbing the stairs to my apartment, while trying to bend her considerable bulk and peer through his legs. ‘It must have got in through the window. There’s no need to worry any further. Thank you for ringing me.’
‘It’s my responsibility, you know, to keep an eye on this building.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Well, if you’re absolutely sure, love. But weren’t your windows all closed?’ She tried peering around my shoulder.
‘Um, no. I forgot one.’ I hiccupped again. Crap!
‘Surely if there was a cat, my Salieri would have known. But he jumped on my bed, hissing, and refused to come out from under the cover.’
‘A possum?’ I sounded increasingly desperate.
‘There are no possums in this area, love.’
Alec cleared his throat – I’d never heard him do that before – turned his head and looked at me with one raised eyebrow. I knew what he was asking – mesmerisation. I hated the idea of it, but Mrs Henderson was so persistent.
I nodded.
‘Look at me, Mrs Henderson,’ he said, his voice low and hypnotic. ‘A large possum entered Miss Dantonville’s unit. It only caused minimal damage. Nothing to worry about. Salieri needs you.’
Her eyes glazed over as she repeated what Alec had said.
‘Goodbye, Mrs Henderson.’ He closed the door and turned to me. ‘You don’t need a guard dog with dear Mrs Henderson around. I wonder why Luc bothered.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘I’m so glad she doesn’t know about my hiccupping. That would have given it all away.’
‘And she never will.’ He drew me into his arms.
‘That’s twice now you’ve had to mesmerise her.’ Later I’d ask how many times he could do that to a person without it causing some form of damage.
‘Persistent, isn’t she?’ he remarked.
‘You have no idea.’
‘I think I’m beginning to.’ His mouth curled up into a smile. With my nosey neighbour dispatched, it was time to get back to the problem at hand. ‘Let’s lock it up for now, till you decide what you want done with it,’ he suggested.
I sighed and gave a small nod. ‘How long do you think we’ll be on the yacht?’
‘A few weeks, till repairs on Luc’s house are completed.’
‘What about your apartment? Couldn’t we go there?’ I pulled out of his embrace and looked up at him.
‘I’d love you to, but I can’t guarantee your safety there any more than here. It’s not geared for security the way Luc’s place is. I’ve never needed it.’
‘Bugger. So your apartment’s been abandoned, too.’
‘I’m hardly there anyway.’
I reached up and ran my arms around his neck. ‘So for now, do we sleep in your cabin or mine?’
‘Which would you prefer?’ He gave me a slow smile.
‘You’ve already sampled mine. My turn to check yours out.’
His hands wandered to my backside and squeezed me closer. ‘We can always toss for it.’ He leaned down and kissed me. ‘Much as I’d love this to continue, it’ll be dark in a couple of hours. Anything here you’d like to take with you?’
I looked around and shook my head. ‘Nothing. I have more than enough to wear at Luc’s.’
‘All right. Quick tidy up, then lock it.’
The broken and unsalvageable objects we placed in storage boxes I’d kept from when I moved here. As we left we dumped it all in the garbage bins. In the remaining time, we cleaned up the mess and I bagged the ripped clothing. After a long, last look at my home of eleven years, I closed the door and – after some fiddling – Alec managed to secure the lock.
Chapter 21 - Best Friends And Lovers
LAURA
By the time Alec and I drove back to Vaucluse, it was early evening and the sun was casting long shadows on the gravelled path leading past the house to the jetty. Luc must have organised for the repairs to begin. Warning signs had been erected on the steel barricades that now blocked access to the sides and rear sections of the mansion – the areas most damaged by the fire. Although the main driveway, the front entrance and rest of the house were unaffected, a sign had been placed on the door, directing all enquiries to the site office – Luc’s yacht.
‘It’s our temporary floating residence,’ Alec said. ‘It ensures the locals know we’re on the premises.’
I could understand that. Why give burglars an open invitation.
‘Is that what you call it, The Residence? I heard Marcus mention it.’ It reminded me of the White House or Buckingham Palace. Perhaps that was the vampire equivalent of the position my family held in their world – my world, too, I had to keep reminding myself.
‘Yes. Wherever the Ingenii and princeps currently reside. For the last seventeen-or-so-hundred years Luc has held that position so it’s become synonymous with him.’
‘What if we want to live somewhere else?’ My ancestral family “seat” was not exactly the sort of permanent home I’d envisaged for myself. Yet I could appreciate the practicality its size afforded – a place to house my father’s entourage, accommodate high-ranking visiting Brethren and host those special ceremonies human eyes could never be allowed to see.
‘I’d build something new, but it’d have to be large enough to function in the same way as Luc’s. It’s the Princeps Oblige – Obligation of the Princeps,’ he said, as we strode past the giant fig trees and the blue wisteria-covered pavilion where Alec had kissed me for the first time, during the Ritual.
The memory would always remain with me – whenever I smelled the delicate scent of wisteria mingled with the heady perfume of fallen frangipanis on the soft summer air, I thought of our first kiss.
I leant my head against his arm and tried to imagine what our house would be like. ‘No gargoyles,’ I said. I wanted a home, not a museum; a place for children to run and play.
‘That’s a promise.’ He smiled, and kissed the tips of our interlaced fingers.
The yacht windows glinted gold in the light of the setting sun, although no light came from the portholes on the lower decks. Their occupants must be still sleeping until it was dark enough to rise. I prayed Jenny would get here before then.
Luc and Judy sat on the open upper deck, each with a glass in hand. Luc’s was red – red wine or A positive? Judy beckoned for us to join them. The deck gave an unhindered view of the bay and, in the distance, the magnificent sandstone cliffs – the North Heads – that acted as a natural gateway to the Pacific Ocean
beyond.
Alec approached Luc, bent and whispered something in his ear. I guessed it had to do with the break-in at my flat.
‘Excuse me, ma Cherie,’ Luc said to Judy. He got up and went indoors with Alec.
‘Everything okay, dear?’ Judy asked, as she watched them leave.
I sat next to her on the curved settee and looked out at the darkening water. ‘Someone broke into my unit. Alec sensed it was the same group who attacked him last night.’
She sucked in a breath and placed her drink on the table. ‘Did they take anything?’
‘A book Jen lent me.’ I turned and gazed in the direction of the garden, half of which was now in shadow. What’s keeping her? ‘He thinks they might be after her, to use her against us. I phoned ... invited her to stay with us for a few days. Is that okay?’ I angled my head and looked at her.
‘Oh, my dear. Of course it is. We have room enough.’
‘She’s in danger because of me.’ Unable to sit still, I went to the railing and strained my eyes to see past the trees, in case I could spot her walking down the path, although I’d asked her to text me first. She wouldn’t know the way. Maybe I should wait for her outside. And put yourself in danger? My inner voice warned. I dug the phone from my pocket. No message. My fingers pressed into the railing.
Judy stood next to me and placed an arm around my shoulders. ‘It’s not your fault. These Rebels will do anything to take control.’ She gazed in the same direction. ‘When did you ring her?’
‘Um, a couple of hours ago.’
‘There’s still time, dear. It’s not dark yet.’ Although her voice sounded calm, I felt her body tense. ‘Put her in the room opposite yours. It’s not being used.’
We stood for a few minutes in silence and watched as the LED lights flashed on and lit up the length of the jetty. My phone buzzed and I dove my hand into my pocket to retrieve it.
A message from Jenny. ‘I’m at the front gate. Where R U???’
‘Finally! She’s out front,’ I said to Judy, with a mix of relief and trepidation.
‘Tell her to drive in and park in front of the house, near the rose bushes, and we’ll meet her there.’
I’d never been afraid of the dark, but recent events and the knowledge that there were powerful, immortal beings out there who envied my family’s privileged position, had changed all that. Luc’s grounds were safe, I told myself – his security would immediately detect intruders, and Luc and Alec were only a whisper way. They were more powerful than any of their enemies. Yet the niggling fear remained.
Judy turned her face toward the stateroom through which Luc and Alec had disappeared. ‘Luc,’ she said, ‘Laura and I are going to the front of the house to pick up a guest.’ The phone in her dress pocket rang a second later. ‘He says to go. They’ll be watching.’
Ah, vampire hearing. I breathed easier.
She linked her arm through mine, and we walked briskly the few hundred metres, or so, to the front drive. My stomach clenched as I wondered how I would handle this – my best friend in the company of vampires for the next few days. Plus, there’d be no hiding the fact I’d broken up with Matt once she met Alec. That was unavoidable. I sighed. It would probably be so much easier to blurt everything out and hope for the best.
Jenny’s white Subaru was parked exactly where she’d been directed. The boot was open and the upper half of her body was bent over as she tried to lift something from its depths. She wriggled her jeans-clad backside and dragged out a large suitcase, which she dumped on the uneven gravel surface with a crunch. She slammed the boot shut and gave me a huge grin.
‘I owe you, big time,’ she said.
‘For what? After the incredible birthday present you gave me.’ Jenny had got me front row seats to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, performing for the first time in Sydney. She knew I loved the bagpipes. She and I were going in February. Alec, of course, was coming too. I was thrilled when he told me he had his own set.
‘Anyway, how are you?’ Her large brown eyes shone as she gave me a hug.
‘Fine.’
‘No after effects, like dizziness or anything?’
The bump on the head I’d received when abducted by rogue vampires hadn’t caused any lasting damage, only a headache. ‘Nope. I’m really fine.’
As I pulled out of the hug, Jenny caught my hand. ‘Wow! Nice ring. Where did you get that?’
‘Um, birthday present. Got it last Friday.’
‘Who from?’ She examined it more closely.
‘My aunt Judy,’ I responded mechanically, hoping that would end the interrogation. How could I possibly tell her that “Aunt Judy” was my mother?
‘Hello Jenny. Nice to see you again.’ Judy moved forward and offered her hand.
Jenny looked her up and down and returned the shake. ‘You. Look. Amazing!’ She knew Judy and I shared the same age retarding gene, and that “my aunt” was a few weeks off celebrating her centenary. But she didn’t know that – unlike Judy – I had stopped ageing. Jenny was only thirty-four and she once jokingly asked if I would share my blood with her so she could look as young.
Judy laughed and good-humouredly patted her own cheek. ‘Good moisturiser. Now, let’s get back to the yacht.’
It was getting dark.
‘What is this place?’ Jenny absently picked up her bag. Her brown eyes widened and roamed past me to the house. ‘It’s a bloody castle.’
‘Sorry I can’t show you inside. There was an ... um ...’ Jenny knew my lying handicap, so I didn’t want to risk it.
‘A minor accident. Fire in the cellar, an electrical fault,’ Judy finished for me.
‘Come on, Jen. The yacht’s out in the bay.’ Eager to get all of us safely aboard, I helped her carry her bag.
‘Whose yacht is it?’
‘Mine and my husband’s,’ Judy replied. ‘It’s called, My Judy.’
‘How romantic,’ Jenny said and looked at me with raised eyebrows. I’d never mentioned the existence of an “uncle” before. At the time, I didn’t know there was one.
In the few minutes it took us to walk from the car back to the garden, the sun had set, and the first stars peeped between the clouds. It was a calm, warm evening. The branches of the trees were still, yet a slight breeze brushed against my skin and drifted through my hair, almost as though something – or someone – had run past at high speed. The shock that someone could be here, undetected, made the blood drain from my cheeks. I spun around but saw no one.
‘What is it?’ Jenny asked.
I had nearly wrenched the bag from her grip. ‘Nothing. Just thought I heard something. Probably a possum.’
I glanced at the serpent ring on my hand. It glowed a rich scarlet, so there was no danger. My heart resumed its normal beat. Could it have been my imagination?
Jenny chuckled. ‘Bats, more like it. With all these fig trees, I’m not surprised.’
Judy let out a sudden laugh then quickly bit her lip.
If fruit bats were the only problem I’d be thrilled. ‘Let’s get to the boat.’ I doubled my pace.
‘Is that yours?’ Jenny’s mouth hung open when we reached the jetty and she saw the yacht. ‘It’s like a mini cruise liner.’
Indeed it was. All four decks were hung with multi-coloured lanterns that illuminated its sleek length, their reflections a glittering rainbow along the water. Lights shone from every window and porthole – its occupants had woken for the night. I needed to get Jenny on board before she met any of them. That time would come soon enough.
‘C’mon, let’s get you settled in your cabin, and then we’ll have a cuppa,’ I said, as Judy led the way onto the main deck. I’ll tell her everything when the time’s right. Not now.
‘I’ll join you girls later.’ Judy left, and we descended the stairs to the bedrooms.
Jenny looked about and shook her head in awe. ‘What money can buy.’
‘They’ve put you in the VIP room, Jen.’ We strolled down the carpeted corr
idor to the fore, as Judy had called it.
‘What’s her husband do?’
‘Real estate.’
She whistled. ‘That explains it.’
‘That’s my room.’ I pointed at a door with the gold Roman numeral, I, on it. ‘And this is yours.’ I opened the opposite door, bearing the numeral, II on it, and switched on the light.
Jenny’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, am I going to enjoy these next few days.’
So am I. In spite of everything, it was lovely to have her here. She was my link to the human world, a piece of life I could view as “normal.” I wanted to hang onto that for as long as possible.
I stepped aside to let her through.
Her room was identical in layout to mine, with its white walls and queen size bed set at an angle, a built-in desktop with black trim and accompanying chair. But that’s where the similarity ended – my room had a blue colour scheme, hers was light green. The splashes of wavy green lines on the carpet matched those on the curtains and silky bedspread, complimenting the scene of a coral reef in the framed watercolour above the bed.
‘Have you eaten?’ I sat on the edge of the bed as Jenny hoisted her bag onto the floating desk, flipped open the lid and began to unpack.
‘Yeah, hon, don’t worry. But that cuppa sounds good.’
‘Press the white panelling and it’ll pop open,’ I said, when she searched for somewhere to hang her clothes.
‘Huh! Now don’t look, cos I’m hiding your Christmas present in here. Haven’t had time to wrap it.’
Crap! Presents. I made a mental note to go shopping at the first opportunity. ‘That’s why your bag was so heavy.’
Jenny laughed. ‘Not telling. You’ll just have to wait.’
She removed her toiletry bag and whistled when she opened the door to the ensuite bathroom. ‘Nice. How long can I stay?’
‘As long as you want.’ Till we catch those who trashed my unit and took your book and photo.
When she was ready, I took her to the bar in the main salon where I’d noticed an espresso machine. ‘Take a seat,’ I said.
Jenny perched on one of the stools, leant her elbows on the counter and cupped her chin in her hands. ‘Now, tell me what happened.’
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