Caleb lifted his hand. I thought he was going to hit me. I flinched, expecting to be nailed. What I felt was his energy--his power brushed past me in the direction of my car. I heard the engine trying to click over. He was starting it. He was starting my car! I was shocked. I was about to ask him why he was starting my car when he hit the accelerator, propelling me back against the seat--sending even more pain through my shoulder. I heard a huge boom and turned. The whole area seemed to shake, vibrate, as my ears rang, and my heart leapt to my throat. My car or what was left of it was engulfed in a huge ball of fire. I turned back to Caleb slowly, my eyes wide.
"How did you know?"
"When I touched the wheel I saw it."
"You had a vision of someone doing this?" I asked.
"No," he said, clutching the steering wheel tightly. "I didn’t have a vision of what had happened. I had a vision of what was to come."
I gulped. Did he mean he saw me getting blown to bits when he touched the wheel? I looked at him. His eyes were wide and looking at me, but past me. I knew then that he had, and I didn’t want any more details. I’d been on the receiving end of those visions before and I knew how vivid they were. I shook slightly, suddenly very uneasy.
He touched my knee. "Let’s get you out of here, okay?"
"What about my car?"
"What about it? It’s not really drivable, now is it?"
"Shouldn’t we call the police or something?" I asked, looking back at the inferno.
He patted my knee. "Some things are better left unsaid. Pallo will see to it that it’s taken care of. He’s good at cleaning up messes." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice at the end.
I knew from the way his house looked that Pallo had money, but I never expected he had that much clout. Part of me didn’t want to know what kind of people I had managed to get myself mixed up with. They were shaping up to be the supernatural Mafia.
My week had started out pretty run of the mill. Now look at it. I had led an ordinary existence right up until I met Pallo. I went to work every day, did my job, and went home. Every now and then I had the occasional change of routine. I would take a class in self-defense, painting, or cooking. I didn’t waver off the path of normal too often. I liked my little routines. I was a creature of habit, and I liked knowing what was going to happen next--it was safe. This was not.
"Can you take me home, please?" I asked, staring out the front window.
"Gwyneth…."
"Gwen," I corrected him.
"Gwen, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. They found you here, they know where you live. Do you have anywhere else to go?"
I thought about my options--there were Ken and Sharon. Not too many options, huh! I really didn’t want to barge in on Ken porking the redhead again, and Sharon was headed out of town. Besides, she was staying with family until her apartment was done being painted. No help there.
I started to say that I had nowhere to go but my apartment when I thought about my parents, Paul and Sarah. They had both passed away in the last year and a half. I lost my mom to a stroke and my dad to a broken heart. It had been hard. Ken had helped me get through it. He had been my rock, the strong, steady being I needed to hold myself together. I had cried the night he proposed to me, not because I was so happy, even though I was, but because my dad would not be there to walk me down the aisle.
After they passed, Ken tried to convince me to sell their houses. They had a main house and a vacation home. Saying that made them seem so much grander than they really were, but that’s okay, they deserved it. The main house was where we lived the majority of the year. The vacation home was more of a country farm house. It sat on about two hundred acres of land--the majority of it wooded. The closest neighbors were at least fifteen minutes away in either direction. It sat about a mile off of the road. A huge river ran through the center of the property.
Ken had managed to talk me into selling the main house, but I hadn’t been able to bring myself to sell the other.
When I made my decision to move away from home and head to college, I thought I would run as far and fast as I could to get away from the small town I grew up in. All I wanted to do now was run back to it. I wanted to leave the hustle and the bustle of the big city behind.
"Caleb, I hate to ask you to do this. You can say no if you want." I paused. He looked at me.
"Gwen, I’ll do anything you want me to."
"Could you take me to my family’s country home? It’s about a half hour away from here."
He smiled at me. His green eyes lit up. "The way you were acting, I thought you were going to ask me to take you to Mexico or something."
That made me laugh.
Chapter 9
We turned onto the tiny, one lane road that the house sat off of. I hadn’t been there in a year, but nothing had changed. Weeds and tall grass still bordered the road. We passed two drives on the road before I had Caleb turn right into the driveway. My mom had wanted my dad to pave the driveway, but he didn’t see any point in spending money trying to pave a mile’s worth of driveway. We only used the place for about three weeks a year.
Gravel crunched under the tires of Caleb’s SUV. Pine trees lined the drive for the first half of the lane, extending high into the air, blocking most of the sunlight. They opened to a large grassy area. I could still remember the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of the riding lawnmower buzzing. I missed Paul and Sarah. They were the only family I had ever known. It never once mattered to them that I was adopted, or that I had extra gifts. They loved me for me.
The grass was in desperate need of cutting. I had hired a local boy to take care of it for the summer. It was obvious he was ripping me off. The corner of the house poked out at us from behind another large pine tree. I smiled when I saw the huge white wraparound porch.
Caleb parked the car around the end of the circular driveway. He opened his door as I sat there, looking at the front of the house. It was still as breathtaking as it had always been to me. It wasn’t so much that it was extravagant--it wasn’t--it was how simple, yet perfect it was. All white with hunter green shutters and front door. It was perfect.
"Are you okay?" Caleb asked.
The sound of his voice brought me back. I opened my door and got out. He followed suit. I stepped onto the small stone walkway. Grass had started to grow up through the cracks. It looked like it belonged there. I liked it. I led Caleb up the four wooden steps and onto the front portion of the porch.
"I don’t suppose you have a spare key roaming around that dress, do you? I mean, it doesn’t look like you could be hiding much in that," he said, smirking.
"It was the best choice, trust me."
"Yeah, I’ve seen some of Pallo’s women. I don’t doubt that for a minute."
The thought of Pallo having other women made my chest feel tight. He wasn’t mine, and I had been the one to agree on being just friends. What he did was none of my business, so why did it still bother me?
I walked to the left of the front door. I bent down and moved the welcome mat. My fingers slid along the smooth stained boards. I felt the loose one and pulled it up. It was still there. My dad had made a little cubbyhole there for a spare key. He used to say, "You never know when you could be stuck on the outside looking in, best to be prepared." He had no idea how true his words had been.
I pulled the key out and straightened, then pulled open the screen and unlocked the front door. The smell of stale air hit me hard as the door swung open. I stepped in, Caleb following closely at my heels.
I put the key down on the table next to the door. It was dark inside with the curtains pulled shut to block the daylight. I flipped the light switch, and the light above the stairs turned on. I was happy I had decided to leave the electric on. Actually, it was more like I had forgotten to get them shut off. Ken had told me to call the utility companies and handle it. I forgot. Right then and there, I was pretty happy I was absent-minded.
I looked around. Nothing
had changed. I hadn’t realized that I expected it to. The floors were still hardwood. The walls were still cream textured wallpaper everywhere, and the place sill felt like home.
I gave Caleb the condensed version of the grand tour, pointing to each room as we went past it, then I headed upstairs to get changed. I walked down the hall to my room. I had spent most of my summers here when I was in college.
I turned in and was overwhelmed with the feeling of being home. My queen-sized bed was sitting in the center of the room. A yellow and white quilt covered it. My mother had made the quilt to match the yellow walls of the room. I had insisted that my bedroom be yellow. She had tried to talk me into pink and even white, but I wouldn’t budge. I loved being surrounded by the warmth of the yellow. I had a large, old maple-colored dresser near my closet door. I had gotten into the bad habit of buying clothes and leaving them there. I loved to shop thrift stores and bargain shops, so it only made sense to go ahead and pick a few extra items up and leave them, a just-in-case kind of thing. This was just in case.
I opened the drawer and found an old pair of cut-off jean shorts, a blue tank top, and a white, long sleeve, cotton button-down top. I had always kept undergarments here, so I wasn’t worried about that. However, my underwear fashion had matured over the years, and I hadn’t worn a pair of white cotton briefs in a while. Oh well, anything was better than the red string that had been giving me a wedgie since we left Necro World.
I put everything on, tying the white shirt at the bottom instead of tucking it in. I cuffed the sleeves until they were just under my elbows and went to the closet. I threw the door open and saw a few pairs of shoes I’d left behind. Brown work boots, white Reeboks, and a pair of slip-on black loafers. I snatched the boots up, grabbed a pair of white socks, and put them on. When I looked at myself in the mirror over my dresser, I smiled. I looked like I was going hiking.
I searched through my top dresser drawer and found a hair band and brush. I worked the brush through my hair and then braided it.
I trotted back downstairs and headed into the kitchen. Caleb was standing over the stove, cooking something. He looked so at home in my family’s kitchen, I was speechless.
"Hey!" he said, turning and noticing me. "You look more comfortable."
"What are you doing?"
He smiled. "I was hungry, so I figured you would be too."
I walked over to the white counter next to him. I saw a box of pancake mix and syrup sitting out. I was impressed he had rummaged around that old kitchen and come up with enough stuff to make a meal. God bless instant pancake mix and hot guys.
"I wouldn’t have guessed that you were a cook," I said, taking in the smell of the warm pancakes.
"Yeah, it’s kind of hard to live four hundred years and not pick up a thing or two."
"You are full of surprises, aren’t you?" I said, going to the cupboard and getting out two plates.
He flipped the pancakes over. "What is that supposed to mean?"
I set the plates down on the old white table and turned to get glasses and silverware. "Nothing, it just means that you’re not what I pictured a four hundred year old faerie to be." He turned as I said this and gave me a puzzled look. "I would have thought you would be a little more proper, a little more refined." That’s not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say was, hey, you’re so normal and gorgeous!
"Ouch!" he said, pretending to stab his gut. "I’m hurt. Really, I am. You want to know why I’m not like Pallo, Mr. Suave, right."
That thought hadn’t entered my mind, but okay. "Yeah."
He turned and lifted the pan, bringing it over our plates. He slid the pancakes down onto them. "I don’t have to live my life in dark places. I don’t have people falling over themselves to impress me." He put the pan in the sink and turned and sat. "I don’t have people falling at my feet, answering my every need. I had it once, and it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be."
"Once?"
"It’s not important. Anyway, I lead a pretty normal life--work, home, extracurricular activities…."
I ignored that last remark. "Okay, so where do you work?"
He smiled. "I hunt down supernatural creatures for my clients. I guess you could say I am a bounty hunter for the things people don’t want to talk about."
"Do you hunt vampires?" I was shocked.
"Only if they’re wanted by the law--guy’s got to have his standards, right?" We laughed and started eating.
"I have a favor to ask before you go. Could you run me into town long enough to get some groceries?"
"That’s not a problem. Besides, I’m not going anywhere."
"What?"
"I called Pallo as soon as we got here. He was worried sick about you. The car is being taken care of as we speak, but he was very clear on not leaving you alone here."
I was dumbfounded … and more than a little ticked. "I don’t need a baby-sitter. What is he paying you? I get the feeling that you’re on retainer with him. Am I the new pet project for the old elf?"
Caleb looked like I’d just slapped him. His voice lowered. "Listen, I’m not going to take any shit from you. I don’t think you can take care of yourself, and NO, Pallo’s not paying me to do this. Don’t think he didn’t try, though."
I felt like such a heel. He was a nice guy, and I was questioning his motives. "So why are you being so helpful?" I asked. Old habits die hard.
"Gee, as if our little romp between the sheets wasn’t enough to want to keep me around you?" I smacked his arm and glared at him. "I have my reasons for caring about you. I have my reasons…."
We finished eating, and then headed into town. We approached the main intersection of town and I had Caleb turn into Smart Food.
We parked and headed inside. A boy, around the age of sixteen, came out of the back storage room as a little chime rang.
"Hello, ma’am, how can I help you?"
"Hi, just picking up some stuff, thanks," I said, picking up two baskets, and handing one to Caleb.
"Lucky Gweny Wheny ?" The squeaky voice said.
I looked at him. Lucky Gweny Wheny? The only person who had ever called me that had been little Mitchell Smart, and I hadn’t seen him in years. I had baby-sat Mitchell over the summers during college. He was around nine or ten the last time I saw him, and that would have put him about…. Oh, my God, little Mitchell Smart was all grown up. Well, not ALL grown up, but a hell of a lot bigger than the last time I saw him.
"Mitchell?"
He flashed me a goofy, teenage boy smile. "Yep, Mitchell. How have you been?"
"What are you doing working here?" I asked, before it dawned on me that his grandfather was Joe Smart, the owner of the store.
"Grandpa needed some extra help in the summer, so I volunteered." He was starting to blush. "Who’s that with you?" he asked, looking to Caleb.
Shoot, I hadn’t really thought of running into anyone I knew.
"This is Caleb, my husband," I said quickly. When I realized what I’d said I just about fell over onto the floor. My husband? What the hell had made me say that? I tried to think of something to say to take it back. I came up empty.
"I didn’t know you got married. Congratulations," Mitchell said, walking towards Caleb. "Nice to meet’ ya, Caleb. Gweny Wheny’s real nice."
Caleb extended his hand to Mitchell. "Oh, yeah, Gweny Wheny’s real nice, real nice indeed. Darn good wife, too. She’ll be good for breedin’ if ya know what I mean."
I walked away and started picking out things we needed for the next day or two. Caleb came up behind me and put his arm around my waist. I pulled away.
"Now honey, don’t go making a scene," he said loud enough for people on the street to hear. I wanted to stomp on his foot, hard. I figured he wouldn’t feel it through his steel-toed boots, so I didn’t bother.
We picked out everything we needed and I pulled money out of my pocket to pay. Caleb put his hand on mine, pulling out his wallet. Mitchell gave us an odd look, and Caleb just smiled.
"City girls are so independent," he said.
Mitchell nodded and smiled like he totally understood what Caleb meant. I wondered how many relationships a boy of sixteen could have had, then I thought I didn’t really want to know. We headed out, our arms full of bags. Caleb opened the back end of the Explorer and loaded everything in. I walked around and got in.
As Caleb was climbing inside, Mitchell walked out onto the store’s porch waving goodbye. I waved back politely. Caleb turned and pressed his lips to mine. His tongue pushed into my mouth and for a moment, I forgot where I was and what was going on. Nothing but Caleb existed. His eyes closed as though to savor every second. I pulled back, and Caleb opened his eyes slowly. The shimmering I had seen in his eyes a moment ago was gone, they now were green--but deep, rich, and beautiful.
He smiled.
"Your eyes. They were on fire, glowing and green, now they’re not," I said, his face still close to mine.
He pulled from me. "Well, little wife of mine, you really don’t know that much about us, do you?"
"Us?" I asked.
"Fairies--you really don’t know that much about fairies, do you?"
"I’ve only ever seen two in my life. That includes you."
He started the truck. "Who was the other one?" he asked, backing out.
"I don’t know. Just some guy that came around a bunch when I was younger."
Caleb slowed the truck and pulled off to the side of the road. "What do you mean, came around when you were younger?"
I shrugged. "He never hurt me."
"Pallo and I are the only two who knew you even existed, or at least we thought so."
They knew I existed, what the heck was that supposed to mean? Why did he look so freaked out by the fact that I’d seen another faerie? I was frankly surprised I hadn’t seen more. From what I had heard, fairies were not uncommon. The only thing that was uncommon was finding a faerie under the age of two hundred.
"Can you describe him?" Caleb said, putting the car in park.
"What is there to describe? Tall, dark hair, handsome, pretty average?"
Caleb shook his head. I was annoying him--that much was obvious. "That’s not really all that helpful. Do you think you could recognize him if you saw a picture of him?"
Daughter of Darkness Page 9
