by E G Bateman
Stuart laughed. “Normals don’t need one.”
She blushed furiously.
Her thoughts clicked into focus after a second and she wondered why Scott would need to wear one. She opened her mouth to ask as he clicked the second bracelet onto himself.
Too late.
Stuart passed papers to him for signature. “What do you two do then?”
The sorcerer handed each sheet to the man as he signed it. “I’m Mr. Pick’s physiotherapist.”
Dick stepped closer to the desk. “Shaun is a gold-star masseur. I would absolutely die without my daily massage.”
The front door opened and the two white-coated care assistants—both had fully shifted and displayed goat legs and horns—entered with the elderly man, who wore the robe.
Stuart called out to one of the men. “Josh?”
The other man tightened his hold on the elderly man. “I’ve got him. Come on, Albert. If you’re good, I’ll get you some candy.”
“I only went out to give my candy cane a little air.” Albert cackled.
The assistant chuckled and shook his head as he led the elderly man through the lobby.
“Thanks, Raj,” Josh called after them and headed to the desk. “Hey, Stuart. What do you need?”
Stuart waited until he was at the counter. “Is Mr. Pick’s room ready yet?”
“Yes. We filled the refrigerator minutes before Albert made a run for it.”
“He reeks of booze.” He lowered his voice but Lexi could hear him quite well.
His colleague grimaced. “Yeah, Nila caught a few of them in a bar again.”
Stuart drew in a sharp intake of breath.
The man rolled his eyes and mouthed, “I know.”
The man focused on the computer, then looked at Scott. “Oh, you are a physiotherapist. Dude, your qualifications are great. What a weird coincidence. We lost our physio today. She called in to say she won the lottery and she’s not coming back.”
“Wow! That’s lucky.” The sorcerer’s gaze cut to Lexi.
“Don’t you try to poach my masseur. I’m very attached to him.” Dick stepped forward and linked arms with Scott.
“I wouldn’t do that, Mr. Pick,” Stuart assured him hastily. “I expect the position will be filled from inside Kindred.”
When the vampire wandered away to leaf through brochures, Stuart turned to Scott again. “I’ve never met an independent sorcerer before. In fact, every one I’ve ever heard of has either been a Kindred mage or was training to be a Kindred mage.”
He shrugged and looked around. “I’ve never been much of a joiner. We heard they’d taken over. To be honest, we half expected legacies to be everywhere.”
“If they are, I’ll turn around and get on the plane again,” Dick interjected.
Stuart leaned closer and lowered his voice. “It was really quiet when they first took over but now, they’re always visiting—well beyond the regulation weekly visits we’ve always had. They’re a pain.” He stood quickly as though he realized he’d said too much. “If you are a mage, I guess I’m in trouble now.”
Scott smiled. “I’ve worked for Mr. Pick for several years and I have no intention to jump ship now.”
He seemed satisfied. “Right.” He looked at Lexi. “And what do you do?”
The sorcerer looked from Stuart to her and back again. “This is Lena she’s his…nail technician.”
The clerk stared at Lexi and she stared incredulously at Scott.
Dick stepped forward. “She’s my donor. I prefer to be discreet on paper.”
Stuart raised his eyebrows but nodded his understanding. “I see. You won’t need the refrigerator, then.”
Dick waved a hand. “Leave the refrigerator. I like a variety and sometimes, Lena’s a little…sour.”
She flushed and she had to bite back a caustic comment. “Right, let’s get our stuff.”
They stepped out and walked around the building. Back at the car, she thumped Scott’s arm. “Nail technician?”
The vampire laughed and she spun and thumped his arm. “Donor? Really? And would you stop talking about your cover within earshot of strangers? Cover this, cover that. It’s just as well you didn’t get the name Bond. You’re the worst spy in the history of spying.”
He smoothed an eyebrow. “Well, after that dick pic stunt you pulled, if I’d thought faster, you’d have been my proctologist.”
Scott chuckled as they retrieved their luggage from the car. Dick put Marcel on his lead and he jumped down.
When they returned to the lobby, Stuart looked at the puppy. “I’m sorry, we don’t allow pets.”
The vampire lifted his dog into his arms. “This isn’t a pet. It’s my therapy dog.”
The clerk looked doubtfully at Marcel, who whined appealingly. “I’m afraid it’s up to Nila. Don’t get your hopes up, though.”
“Stuart, why don’t you leave that decision up to me?”
He scrunched his eyes closed for a moment.
Lexi turned to where Nila stood in the doorway with the silver whistle around her neck. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she had to force herself not to shudder. She didn’t need her legacy abilities to tell her this woman was dangerous.
Nila approached with steady strides and Stuart took a step back. “Sorry, Nila. I was only—”
The woman spoke over him. “You must be Richard.” Her voice softened. “I’ve been expecting you.” She extended a hand to Dick.
Stuart’s face showed shock at her changed demeanor. Almost instantly, he seemed to remember himself and set his face to neutral.
Lexi noticed immediately there was no “Mr. Pick.” This woman considered herself his equal. It seemed at odds with her role as a service provider.
The vampire shook her hand. “Nila. What a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I see you run a tight ship here. Very impressive.”
She watched his face. He knew instantly the woman was enamored. The playful twitch of his lip was masterful. There was nothing in his face that betrayed his true thoughts about this horrid woman and he looked, for want of a better word, entranced. She glanced at Nila and found her eyes disconcertingly icy, with pupils like tiny pinpricks. There was something overly shiny about her skin—something unhealthy.
“Is he house-trained?” the woman asked.
Lexi caught a whiff of her breath and had to clench her stomach muscles to stop herself from heaving.
“I’m sorry?” he replied like he’d forgotten there was a world beyond her face. “Oh, Marcel. Yes, most certainly. I run a tight ship myself.”
Dick deserves an award for this. He is pure method.
The ghastly woman smiled. “Well, how about I show you and Marcel to your room?”
He followed her along the hallway. She stepped through a doorway and he glanced at Lexi before he continued.
Josh—who had leaned on the counter—straightened. “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Stuart held a pen out to Lexi. “You need to sign in.” She tried to take it but he tightened his hold on it. She fought a scowl when she saw his grin. He winked at her. “You know what they say—all the girls go satyr sooner or later.”
She stared at him until he released the pen, then wrote her fake name in the register. Without a word, she dropped the pen on the counter and turned away.
The two friends climbed the stairs behind Josh. On the fourth floor, they turned down a myriad of hallways.
“Are we expected to find our way out of this place?” Lexi asked.
Their guide shrugged. “I know. Sorry. It’ll probably take you a couple of days to find your way around.”
Josh showed them to two oddly shaped rooms next to each other. They were small but clean. “These were the servant’s rooms at the turn of the century. As you might guess from the circular outer walls, we’re in one of the turrets now. You should find it peaceful. No one ever comes up here except to access the laundry closets and clean.”
Scott
looked out of the window into the darkness. “How old is this building?”
“There’s been a structure on this property for hundreds of years. First, it was an old stone tower. That was about four hundred years ago. Over the years, the house replaced that, and new parts have been added by different owners ever since. It’s kind of a warren now.” He turned to Lexi. “I wonder if you shouldn’t be in a room on the basement level with your boss.” He laughed. “I know I like to be near the snack machine.”
She stared at him and tried to keep her face blank.
These satyrs will be a pain in the ass.
Josh put his hands out in a gesture of surrender. “It was only a thought.”
Scott looked at her. “You will not leave me here all alone. It’s creepy.”
The other man pointed out the small staff kitchen, lounge, and bathroom facilities. After they assured him they didn’t need anything else, he left them without a backward glance.
Lexi threw her satchel and overnight bag onto the bed in her room and showered. She headed into the small kitchen and dining area. It didn’t appear to see any use at all.
Ten minutes later, Scott wandered in with damp hair and looked around. “I don’t like this place.”
Dick appeared at the door, also with damp hair. “I am with you one hundred percent.”
She scanned the hallway behind him.
The vampire walked into the room and looked relieved. “Don’t worry. She left for the evening. I thought I would have to throw her out of my room.”
“Her breath.” She screwed her face up in disgust. “What is she?”
He shuddered. “I know. Thank God I don’t have to breathe. I haven’t a clue what she is. I’ve never come across anything so disconcerting before.” He stepped to the door. “I’ll go down to Marcel. I think she even spooked him.”
Scott ran his fingers through his damp blond curls. “So, what do we know?”
Dick spoke from the hallway without turning back. “We know it’s not a fucking spa.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Lexi ran through old abandoned rooms lined with rough stone. She reached a stone spiral stairway and started to climb.
“I sense you are near.” The voice was raspy and seemingly everywhere.
The stairs seemed never-ending and the muscles in her legs burned. Someone or something behind her was gaining. She stumbled to the top of the staircase and a door that was locked. The rushing footsteps came closer. She put her hand out and averted her face, not wanting to see what was coming.
A scream made her turn. It was Scott. He stepped back, his face burned where her hand had touched it.
She bolted into a seated position in bed. Her body was slick with sweat and she shivered in the pre-dawn cool of her New England bedroom. She put her hand on her chest and breathed measured breaths in an effort to slow her heart rate before she slid out. Still a little on edge, she crept along the hallway toward the bathroom and past the servants’ lounge. Movement caught her eye and she stopped, retraced a couple of steps, and looked in. Dick was seated at the window in the dark.
“When exactly do you sleep?” She yawned.
He turned to face her. “I only need a couple of hours these days, but I’ll be in that basement all day. Did you have a nightmare? Your heart is racing like a charging rhino.”
Lexi wondered if she should deny it. She hated to appear weak but she nodded. “Do you dream?”
“I used to dream every day that I was either playing tennis with Harv or lying next to him near a swimming pool in the sun. I haven’t had that dream for a couple of weeks. I miss it.” He sighed. “I would give up every future moment of this life for one last tennis game with Harv.” He returned his gaze to the window and the darkness.
She stared into the blackness. “Can you see anything?”
The vampire shrugged. “I can see my reputation will be in tatters after this. Delusional indeed.”
“Not your reputation. Richard Pick’s, and he won’t exist after we leave here.” She coughed. “That was a stupid trick with the name. But under the circumstances, it might have worked out for the best.”
“You could be right. And with regard to your original question, I can see everything but there’s not much of interest to see.” He settled into silence and she continued to the bathroom.
Outside her room, she hesitated and considered looking in on Scott but heard him snoring. She entered her room and switched the light on to orient herself.
Lexi noticed a strange mark on the bedsheet. She walked to the bed to examine it. On closer inspection, it wasn’t a stain as she’d assumed but a burn mark in the shape of a hand. “What the hell?” She sat beside it, her mouth agape. The dream came to her and she placed her hand over the mark. It was a perfect fit. She pulled away quickly, pushed to her feet, and threw the covers off the bed to remake it with the burn tucked in at the bottom. Although she tried, she couldn’t return to sleep.
Finally, she rose with the pre-dawn light. Dick had gone, presumably to the basement. She wandered through the hallways of the top floor, opened doors to rooms, and looked out of the windows for signs of construction activity on the grounds. The rooms along one wall had no windows other than a small skylight in the ceiling.
How depressing.
During her exploration through the rooms and hallways, she located a walk-in closet with paint cans, brushes, and dust sheets. She darted to her room, snatched the burned sheet, folded it, and shoved it at the bottom of the pile of dust sheets.
With that disposed of, she took another sheet from a laundry closet and remade the bed. She could hear Scott moving and by the time his head popped around the door, she was seated on her bed, sharpening a shuriken.
She glanced up. “Sleep well?”
He frowned. “I snored, didn’t I?”
Lexi stood and glanced at the bed. She turned to face him. “I have no idea. I slept like a log.” Lying to him wasn’t usually an option but without the empathetic link, it was surprisingly easy.
They headed to the small staff kitchen and made coffee.
She sat at a table while he went through all the cupboards from one end to the other and inexplicably repeated the process.
As he opened and closed the doors, she questioned her actions. Why didn’t I tell Scott about the dream and the mark on my sheet? She knew why. While she hated to admit it—even to herself—she was afraid of losing him or somehow being unworthy of his friendship.
Scott sniffed. “I’ve been through every cupboard in here. There isn’t a crumb of food but I smell bacon. I suppose we’ll have to go downstairs.”
Her eyebrows raised. “You sound unusually reticent to get breakfast.”
He took her mug. “I don’t want to run into that Nila woman. She’s really horrible.” He shuddered to emphasize his point.
As though he’d invoked her, the penetrating sound of her whistle pierced the air from a lower floor. His eyes closed as he exhaled sharply and this time, it was Lexi who shuddered.
She moved toward the door. “We need to start looking through this facility. If Alicia and Bryan are here, they’re probably in danger. The longer this takes, the worse their chances are. I’ve had a look around this level and there doesn’t seem to be much up here.”
They walked cautiously down the stairs and as they rounded the staircase into the lobby, Stuart replaced the receiver and looked at them. “Hey, good morning. Would you like the tour?”
Scott grinned. “Will it start with food?”
The clerk laughed. He stuck his head around the door to an office behind him. “Karen, I’m taking Shaun and Lena into the breakfast room. Can you keep an eye on the desk?” He walked ahead of them but was still within earshot.
Lexi turned to Scott. “You and your stomach. I was looking forward to a tour straight away.” She stared intently at him.
He smiled. “I thought it might be nice to meet the other residents and find out what goes on here…for Richard.”
Stuart glanced at them over his shoulder and they both smiled at him.
Their guide led them into a room that was set up for breakfast with residents seated at tables, eating and talking.
Patrick’s voice bellowed across the room. “Well, if it isn’t my new pals. Come on. I’ll buy you breakfast.”
They made their way across the room to his table.
Scott shook his hand. “Good morning. How’s your head?”
The old man winced. “It’ll be better when I’ve got this down me.” He pointed at a plate filled with sausages, bacon, eggs, and pancakes.
The sorcerer’s stomach gurgled.
Stuart grinned. “I’ll order breakfast for you, then come back in a half-hour or so. We can do the tour before I finish my shift. Do you want the same breakfast?”
They both nodded enthusiastically and sat at the table.
Patrick looked up. “And here comes Phyllis.”
A lady in a purple leisure suit moved slowly through the room with a walker and joined them. Lexi recognized her from the evening before in the bar where she’d used walking sticks.
A young man followed her, holding an enormous plate of sausages, bacon, and eggs. He placed it in front of her as she sat. She nodded her thanks to him and rubbed her hands enthusiastically. “I love breakfast. It’s my favorite meal.”
The old man grinned. “But what about dinner, Phyllis?”
With absolute sincerity, she replied, “I love dinner. It’s my favorite meal.”
He passed the pepper to her. “This is Shaun and Lena. They dropped me here last night. He’s a sorcerer.”
The woman didn’t look at them. Instead, she muttered. “You’re living here now, are you? You only came a couple of days ago. I haven’t gnawed on it since then.” She waved her arm to reveal an identity bracelet similar to Dick and Scott’s.
Scott looked confused. “We arrived last night.”
Phyllis scowled. “I mean your other Kindred pals—or brothers and sisters or whatever you call yourselves.”
Lexi looked at Patrick to confirm that he wore a band on his wrist too. Her brow wrinkled in puzzlement as she shifted in her seat to look at the other residents. Everyone wore them. It dawned on her that these bracelets—and the one she had fastened onto Dick’s wrist—were more substantial than the flimsy hospital bands she’d seen in the past. She glanced at Scott’s arm.
