“When you returned from Iliama, I knew Ransom had stepped into the land of the dead. Like recognizes like, you see.” He raised a brow and nodded once. “And when you saved him, you tied yourselves together more intrinsically than before. I also know his tattoo is no ordinary inked mark, nor are the ones on your sisters.”
Kinley opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but not certain how. Bert held up a hand to silence her. “Now the Moon Man pays you a visit. A long time ago, my people worshiped him as a god.”
She kept her voice near a whisper. “Sedge told us a different tale about the sun and the moon.”
“So many myths.” Bert mused, his voice growing as quiet as her own. “Mine was a love story.” He smiled as he said it and stared at the closed window behind Kinley. “They were children of the Creator god. The moon was snatched away at birth and raised in the underworld. When he later returned, he saw the bright beauty of his sister with her golden red locks and fell immediately in love. He courted her, and their union brought about bountiful harvests. But after the harvest, the moon was tricked and was unfaithful to his wife. He was chased back to the underworld, and she became the frosty dark, the deadliness of winter. In the new year, she forgives him, and the romance begins anew. A never-ending cycle.”
Kinley liked his story much better than Sedge’s. But did it matter in the end? The Moon Man had beaten her. No beautiful romance could change her mind about what sort of being he was.
“You are exquisite.” He reached in slow motion and took a lock of her hair between his fingers. “And you shine bright. But you are pale, more like a glittering star than the fiery sun.”
Her hair slid inch by inch out of his loose hold.
The sun was a star, but she wasn’t going to get technical. He waxed more poetic than literal. And reminiscent. Like he was lost to the past.
She didn’t move. Barely even breathed, not wanting to disturb his moment.
“And I, now forever belonging to the underworld…”
The tinkling of china shattered the moment. Ransom entered the room carrying a tray with a steaming pot and cup and saucer. “I heated up the water fast in the microwave. Mett has her coffee maker packed, and she doesn’t even own a kettle. I know that woman drinks tea.”
“Thank you, Ransom. Let me prepare the cup for Miss Dorn.” Bert rose with preternatural fluidity, plucked the tray from Ransom’s hands, and set it on the dresser.
Kinley didn’t know how it was for Bert, but it was more difficult for her to break free of their moment than it seemed for him. She blinked several times, as if trying to wake herself up. It was like coming out of a dream, or rather, it more seemed like she was still in one where nothing worked the same as it did in the waking world.
Ransom smiled at her and bent to kiss her cheek. “This is going to help. You’ll feel ready for a romp in minutes.”
Bert glanced over his shoulder. “You will wait until after I leave first, won’t you?”
Did he just make a joke? Kinley had to be dreaming. Maybe she’d fallen asleep on her bed and the Moon Man hadn’t even been real. No, because a conversation about a god creating vaginas in her bathroom with her sisters and their boyfriends while she sat in vinegar was not something even her unconscious mind would come up with.
Ransom chuckled and sat next to Kinley as Bert turned to offer her the cup. Steam danced lazily off the surface of the tea, and a hint of cinnamon tickled her nose.
“Here you go, Miss Dorn. Drink it all.”
She took the cup and balanced it between both sets of fingers. “Thank you.”
“I’ll take my leave now. I must get to the airport to catch my flight.” Bert held out a hand as both she and Ransom started to rise. “No. Stay. Take care of one another. Enjoy the holidays. I have gifts shipped to Mr. Osberg’s home—”
“Oh, you shouldn’t. You’re too generous.” Kinley protested.
Bert waved it off. “It is my pleasure. The Dorn women are a wonderful challenge to shop for, and you are giving me a new home. My little house in the mountains.”
His massive castle more like it! And while Ametta and Saskia might be hard to buy for, Kinley believed she was easy. The fangirl in her had dozens of items tagged on her Amazon wish list.
Ransom hopped up and hugged his boss. “Merry Christmas, Bert. Thank you for this gift most of all.” He pointed to the cup.
“Make certain she drinks it all, and don’t let anything else happen to my architect while I’m away.” Bert patted Ransom on the shoulder and bowed to Kinley. “A pleasure talking to you as always, Miss Dorn. Please take care of yourself and enjoy the holidays.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ellsworth. Have a safe trip, and Happy Holidays to you too.” Kinley sipped her tea as proof she was going to drink it. And she was, once they were done fussing over her.
Bert exited, and Kinley squirmed as her back itched as much as it hurt. She didn’t think it unusual Bert would give them gifts or offer to make her the tea. He was overly generous at times, but sharing his story of the sun and the moon, that moment seemed almost like she had imagined it.
Ransom shed his jeans, crawled under the blankets next to her, and rested a hand on her leg. “Do you ever hear any whispers about Bert?”
“Hm?” Kinley pursed her lips, tried to remember if she ever did, and then shook her head. “No. Why? Did you?”
“Nope, never. I was just curious as to what he got us for Christmas.” He lay down on his back with his free hand behind his head. “One year, he got my brother and me motorcycles. My mom was pissed because we weren’t even old enough to drive yet.”
As Ransom listed off the extravagant gifts Bert gave his family over the years, she wondered why she’d never heard anything about Bert. He would have to have a long history. She caught whispers about everyone. She’d even get a little something about her sisters now and then, but never Bert.
It was like he didn’t exist.
When Kinley woke early the next morning, her welts barely hurt. By the time they arrived at Lucky’s house on Kodiak Island, they only itched a bit. Bert’s vampiric blood had worked wonders again.
Kinley even had extra energy, making her bounce on her toes in excitement at touring a Cremaschi house. Ametta was more than happy to give the tour as Lucky and Ransom sat down in front of the massive flat screen TV hooked up to every new game console imaginable. Sedge skipped the games to check the outside perimeter.
Ametta led her sisters from room to room and detailed what she wanted to do.
“This place is amazing.” Kinley traced her fingers along the hand-carved banister. “It will take you at least all next year to finish it.”
“At least.” Ametta agreed with a grin. “I want to hire a landscaper too. I never designed a garden before. And Lucky didn’t put a cap on my budget.”
“That man’s bank account is in trouble.” Saskia snorted and strolled with her hands in her pockets. “But damn, yeah, this place is gorgeous.”
“I’ll take you to the kitchen last and show you what I’d like you to make. It needs new cupboards and a custom island. It would be wonderful to have a deck out back and a long outdoor table for all the family. There are so many Osbergs on this island it’s crazy.”
Kinley half-listened to Ametta rattle on, engrossed in the exquisite details of the house. Cremaschi was extraordinarily talented. Everything, even the unusual angle the floorboards were laid, had his signature. Whispers of ages gone past flitted by her ears. People and conversations. Like reading a history of the house and its residents.
“Kin.” Saskia’s sharp tone broke into her thoughts. “Are you feeling okay?”
Kinley blinked and smiled. “Yes, I feel great. Just sucked in by this house.”
“How’s your back doing? Has it healed yet?” Ametta asked.
It had been nice not to think about the Moon Man since arriving at Lucky’s home. Kinley pushed her mind away from dwelling on it even more. Running a hand over one shoulder and then the other, s
he nodded. “Almost completely.”
Saskia came around behind Kinley and lifted her sweater. “Huh. Just some redness left. Sedge was certain you wouldn’t heal for a long time.”
Not that Sedge had told Kinley that. She tugged her shirt free and pushed it back down. Her irritation itched more than what remained of her welts. “I’m fine. Let’s finish the tour.”
Ametta pressed her glossed lips together. “It’s not fine if Sedge thinks you shouldn’t have healed so fast. Do you feel sick? You look kinda feverish this morning.”
“I’m fine,” Kinley repeated.
“No, I think something’s going on.” Saskia headed back to the stairs. “Let’s get everyone together and see if we can figure this out.”
Kinley wanted to yell at them to stop fussing over her. Instead, she hissed out between her teeth before stating, “I really am fine. I had a bit of Mr. Ellsworth’s blood to help me heal faster. It’s okay.”
The way her sisters’ dark eyes widened and their jaws dropped told her their reaction was going to be exactly what she predicted it to be. She nipped her lower lip. Part of her regretted sharing the secret. Well, it wasn’t exactly a secret. Bert had given his blood to Ransom on numerous occasions and probably to other people as well. Bert hadn’t said to keep it a secret, but he did come up to the bedroom and whispered his offer.
“You drank a vampire’s blood?” Ametta covered her mouth and dipped her head back to turn her shock to the ceiling.
“Did he force it on you? Is this why you’ve been acting all wacky?” Saskia stood with her feet apart in a ready-to-launch-into-battle stance. “I will chain him to the foundation of his own fucking castle and let him burn in the sun.”
“No, no! It’s not like that at all. Mr. Ellsworth is kind and generous and would never force me to do anything.” Kinley pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. She exhaled slowly, urging herself to remain composed. Her calm would make them at ease with this too. “It’s not dangerous. It’s just a few drops in some tea. Ransom has been hurt numerous times in his life, and Mr. Ellsworth has helped him heal with his blood. I had the same tea after the giant injured me. It’s all right, really.”
Saskia huffed, and her fingers unfurled. “Twice, and you never told us.”
“What is there to tell? I’m not going to turn into a vampire. Can you imagine a vampiric polar bear?” Kinley offered a little smile.
Saskia sighed and pursed her lips to the side. “That would kinda be badass.”
“I can’t believe you drank someone’s blood.” Ametta gave a small shudder. “But if it helped you, he has my thanks. I’d rather not lose our richest client because he turned my sister into a vampire.” She then patted the wall. “So it really was the house that had you so entranced.”
“It’s magnificent.” Kinley’s smile widened, and not wanting them to wonder about anything else, she added, “Plus, his blood boosts my energy for a few days. I’m a little stronger, my senses are keener—”
“Damn.” Saskia looked ready to consider calling Bert and asking for some of his blood herself. “So it’s a good thing as we’re here looking for the totem. Not only do we have our tokens to help us feel it out, but your ability will be extra sensitive. Once Sedge has the bear totem, it will be no problem to take the rest back.”
Even if Sedge had the bear totem, Kinley didn’t believe it would be easy retrieving the two tokens from Azarius and finding the hunter who had the owl one. Did they even have a plan? Sedge and Saskia were the heads of the operation. Oh God. It all sounded like some twisted plot in a crime drama.
So what would the heroes do in those shows? Make a plan, have it all go to crap, and then do the unexpected.
Push forward and protect.
That’s all they could do. That one whisper was a constant reminder.
“Kin,” Ametta called from the top of the staircase.
“Yes, sorry. The kitchen.” Kinley followed her sisters. “The house is chatty. It’s a bit distracting.”
“Really? Though it isn’t too much of a surprise. There’s a lot of history in this house.” Ametta smiled that proud smile of hers.
Kinley could have sworn Ametta was as much in love with the house as she was with Lucky. Though she couldn’t imagine her younger sister living anywhere else other than a city, it wouldn’t surprise her if Mett built up a city around her so she could have the house and her metropolitan life too.
“You’re drifting off again.” Saskia nudged Kinley’s arm.
“Sorry.”
“Just don’t fall down the stairs.”
Kinley nodded. Falling down stairs, chatty houses, and vampire blood tea were the least of their worries. What they needed was a plan, and the hope they could pull off the unexpected when they needed to do so. If the Moon Man beat her to give her the strength to defeat a god…
She stumbled down the last two steps and caught herself as the realization hit her. The Moon Man knew about Bert and the tea. He beat her so she’d drink it and gain that extra strength.
And since the effect only lasted a few days, something was going to happen very soon.
After the tour, dinner was made. They drank beer and wine and ate pizza before setting up some security precautions. An electronic security system wasn’t going to do much against someone who could bash down the front door or fly onto the roof.
Everyone followed Sedge to each room of the house as he did some sort of blessing. No, Kinley decided it was not the right word. He spoke of their need and the danger and left a gift in the dining room—an ax and a pot—for the house.
“So why didn’t we do this at my condo and the cabin?” Ametta pressed her lips together as she peered with narrowed eyes at Sedge.
“I did.” Sedge seemed oblivious of her irritated glare. “But this house is different. The spirits here are intelligent and must know the gifts come from all of us. The domovoi will protect Lucky, and likely you, but at the very least, this will earn the rest of us his respect. Perhaps he will protect us if need be too.”
“Okay, that’s fine, but can you put those things like in the pantry or the cellar?” Ametta gestured to the gifts.
Kinley bit back her smile. It seemed the designer was having issues with the big black pot and long handled ax in the middle of her dining room table. Inuit beliefs were about appeasing the spirits. They’d seen Saskia practice taboo for several years where she would offer gifts to appease the spirits of the animals she ate and the spirits of trees she cut down. Ametta often shared her annoyance about it, especially since she couldn’t convince Saskia to become a vegetarian and not have to deal with it.
“For now, they should stay in the heart of the house.” Sedge didn’t say anything more. He walked out of the room to the kitchen with Saskia right behind him.
“These definitely will not go with the Christmas décor.” Ametta sighed.
“Yeah, but when Sedge goes crazy from all work and no play, he knows where to find an ax to hack everyone to bits.” Ransom joked and received a few groans in response.
Kinley gave his hand a squeeze for his silly movie reference, and he took it as a cue they should go upstairs to their bedroom. It was nine o’clock, very early for them.
By the time two rolled around, Ransom had been sleeping for over two hours and the house was quiet. Snores rumbled softly from behind the closed doors of two rooms down the hall. Sedge and Saskia must have felt confident in their appeasement of the spirits to not assign anyone to a watch.
Pulling the blankets up over Ransom’s naked body, Kinley slid out of bed and slipped on a nightshirt and pajama bottoms. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms.
Water. And maybe a snack. Mm, leftover pizza. Funny that she had never been a midnight muncher before.
She crept silently out of the room into the dimly lit hall. The shadows and the runners Ametta had laid down made the corridor seem longer than it was. All the pictures lining the walls helped that effect.
Tinse
l and holly and a poinsettia there.
All I want for Christmas is a dog, Mom. One of those really big ones to pull my sled.
I love you so much. Stay with me always.
The whispers of days gone by followed Kinley down the stairs. She peeked out the window next to the front door and smiled to see the lightly falling snow. A white Christmas was always expected in Alaska, but it was nice when you weren’t snowed in for the holidays. She’d spent many a holiday season trying to keep peace between her sisters and her father. This year would be…
She sucked in a shaky breath. It would be bittersweet.
Her first Christmas with Ransom, but her first without her dad. The weight of the totem quest hung over them and the fate of all shifters in the world.
She’d do her best to make it as happy as it could be for everyone. Tomorrow, she and Ametta would decorate. Lucky bought supplies to cook up a feast to feed dozens of people, and he offered to make cookies. Ransom had packed a dozen Christmas movies and his mom’s fruitcake, which was as heavy as a cinder block.
A sense of movement to her left drew her from her thoughts.
Cocking her head, she listened. No sounds of someone else walking about. The whispers continued to speak of the past.
Turning, she headed to the kitchen and stopped at the entrance to the dining room. The ax was gone.
Kinley’s body tensed and every sense went into overdrive. Upstairs, the snoring continued and wind blew gently along the sides of the house. The scent of homemade pizza perfumed the air and made her stomach growl.
Should she shout for help? Or would that only alert whoever was there to where she was? If there was anyone there. Maybe Ametta moved the ax.
No. Mett would have moved both items if she had. Would Lucky have done it? Saskia and Sedge wouldn’t touch anything left out for the spirits for a while.
She tiptoed to peek into the kitchen. Nothing.
Would Ransom and her sisters wake if they felt the presence of a totem nearby? Azarius could have taken the ax, or maybe the golden eagle hunter.
Descending Moon (Totem Book 8) Page 3
