by L.H. Cosway
“Is that so?”
“I understand you’ve come because of an attack last night?” Ethan interjected.
“Yes,” Antonia replied. “We had an intruder enter our home in the early hours of the morning. Somehow this person managed to bypass all our guards, breach our security measures, and enter the governor’s study where he was going through some paperwork. If it weren’t for the fact that a maid entered and found the masked intruder standing behind Howard with a stake in hand, my dear husband would not be here with us today.”
“Was the intruder apprehended?” Ethan questioned, his expression unreadable.
“Sadly not,” Howard replied. “He got away before my guards could catch him, which is why we theorise that he was of our kind. Otherwise, he would not have been able to outrun them.”
“Ah, so you’re here to question if it was I who arranged this … intrusion,” Ethan surmised.
“It is necessary,” Howard stated blandly. “I mean no offence. My guards have already questioned your staff, most of whom were at home at the time of the attack. Therefore, we now only need to establish your own whereabouts before we can be on our way.”
“Very well, I have nothing to hide.” Ethan clasped his hands together. “Exactly what time did the attack take place?”
“Between four-thirty and five-o’clock this morning,” Howard replied, watching Ethan’s reaction very closely.
Ethan glanced at me. “This will all be very easy to clear up then. I was with Tegan all last night. Wasn’t I, darling?” At this he tugged me close, wrapping his arm around my waist and allowing me to breathe him in. He smelled like night-blooming jasmine and spice. My heart thudded at his closeness.
“Yes, that’s right.” I answered, trying my best to keep my voice steady.
Howard studied me a long moment before returning his attention to Ethan. They stared at each other for a long time, as though communicating telepathically.
“May I question her directly?” Howard asked.
“You have my permission,” Ethan replied.
Howard turned to me, and I sensed he was about to use his compulsion. I mentally prepared myself to put on an act as though mildly hypnotised. But just as he opened his mouth and focused his eyes on mine, Lucas stormed into the office, pulling a bedraggled, homeless-looking man in by the scruff of the neck.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Howard demanded.
“Sorry for the intrusion,” Lucas replied, a little out of breath. “I was out front when this guy came running up to the club. I think he’s been put under some sort of spell. He accosted me and demanded to speak with you, Governor. He said he’s got a message from the sorcerer Theodore.”
At this Howard instantly paled. “He’s lying. Theodore hasn’t been seen in Tribane for decades. He’s—he’s long dead.”
Suddenly the homeless man sputtered and started rambling in a strange, distorted voice that sent shivers down my spine. “Theodore is back. My message is for you, Governor Howard Herrington, Vampire leader of Tribane. The sorcerer Theodore has come to take back the territory that once belonged to him. He has already shown how easy it is for him to gain access to your private home. If you do not surrender your title as governor within the next three days, there will be a mighty war. A war you will lose.”
The man fell to the floor and started to convulse in a seizure. A moment later, the convulsions stopped and he jumped to his feet, pulling a stake from his coat pocket. He lunged at Howard, but the two burly guards grabbed him before he could get to the small vampire. They pinned him to the floor.
“Get him out of here!” Howard shouted, glaring at the homeless man with hatred in his eyes. “Drusilla! Get in here now!”
At this, Dru appeared. Howard took her aside to whisper furiously in her ear. She nodded, grabbing the homeless man from the floor and lifting him out of the room. A cold sweat coated my palms as I wondered what would become of the poor sod.
“Did I hear that vermin correctly?” Antonia hissed in a shrill, almost hysterical voice.
“Whoever put the spell on him was probably just trying to spook you by using that name,” Delilah said. “Theodore died way back in the sixties, so it couldn’t be him who’s behind this. Perhaps they imagined the governor would surrender at the mere mention of the name. It’s an obvious bluff.”
Antonia’s jade eyes flicked to Delilah, and I noticed a small measure of disdain. Maybe she didn’t like the fact that a dhampir was allowed to live among vampires simply because her father was high status.
“Yes, yes. You are right,” Antonia responded. “Our people will discover the true identity of this assassin.” She paused, making a sweeping glance over those present, her gaze lingering on Ethan longer than necessary. Clearly, he wasn’t out of the woods yet. “And when they are caught, they will wish they had never been born.”
Antonia took her husband’s hand, who still looked out of sorts after the attempt on his life.
“We will be in touch,” Howard said to Ethan as the guards started to escort them from the room. Antonia paused by me, her shrewd eyes taking me in. “She is surprisingly lucid for a blood donor, Ethan. And I see no visible marks on her. I do hope you are not being foolish.”
Blood donor? Wait, what? Ethan had called me his human companion? Was that the term they used to describe a person they drank blood from?
“Of course not, my governess,” Ethan replied courteously. “I simply prefer to take my sustenance from a less visible part of the body.” He arched a flirtatious eyebrow.
“Hmm,” she replied before continuing out the door.
Once they were gone, I exhaled heavily. Something about that woman seriously terrified me. Delilah sagged down into a chair. Tentatively, I went to sit beside her.
“I’d say thank God they’ve left, but this last development has me even more worried.”
“I thought you said it was only some wannabe impersonating Theodore,” Lucas interjected. “If that’s the case, then why are you so on edge?”
“I only said that to reassure the governor,” Delilah hissed. “Although I don’t know why I bothered. Did you see the way that bitch Antonia looked at me? She thinks she’s so superior. I heard she has a penchant for young unwilling human males. She uses compulsion to force them to let her feed from them.”
“Seriously?” I asked, my stomach turning at the thought.
Delilah nodded. “It’s just a rumour, but if it’s true then she has no business looking down on me.”
“Quiet, everyone,” Ethan interrupted. “If Theodore really has returned to the city then it doesn’t bode well for us, and it could very possibly be true. It’s widely believed that he faked that theatrical death of his.”
Okay, now I was way too curious. “Um, who exactly is Theodore anyway?”
“The less you know about him the better,” Ethan replied, a little too dismissively for my liking. “Now, come along, I’ll take you home.”
“I’m not going home. I have to get to work. Also, why did Antonia presume I was a blood donor?”
“It’s easier if that’s what she believes. Vampires aren’t in the habit of spending time with humans for recreational purposes.”
I sputtered a laugh. “Recreational purposes?”
“What he means to say is, if we aren’t fucking you or biting you, we aren’t interested,” Lucas supplied.
“Didn’t you go on a date with Amanda?” I countered.
“Yes, and I fucked her good, too.”
“Ugh,” I grimaced. “Please, spare me.”
“I’ll drive you to work,” Ethan said, casting Lucas a censorious glare as he took my hand and led me from the office.
I was about to protest, but I remembered how tired I was and how much I didn’t need vampire drama. We were walking quietly hand in hand down the corridor when Dru appeared, wiping what looked like fresh blood off her knuckles.
“I see you didn’t give much heed to the idea of ‘don’t shoot the messeng
er’ Drusilla,” Ethan said, sizing up her dishevelled appearance.
“Just following orders,” she shrugged before her gaze settled on me.
“Hey, thought I smelled you there. If you ever get tired of this handsome bastard, come find me.”
“Nobody gets tired of me,” Ethan shot back. “So, give it up.”
“Can’t blame me for trying. You got yourself one special girl there, Ethan. You’d better keep an eye on her though.” She ran her eyes up and down my body. “Someone just might steal her.”
Ethan stared at her with casual disdain, not rising to her taunt. “Go clean yourself up, Dru. Beating up homeless humans isn’t a good look.” With that, he guided me out the door.
16.
Inside Ethan’s car, I was greeted by a welcome rush of warmth, a pleasant contrast to the frosty cold outside. We drove in silence for a few minutes before I noticed he kept stealing glances at me.
“Something’s different about you,” he stated, his expression thoughtful.
I tensed ever so slightly. Did he know I’d gone to Rita? No, that was impossible. He couldn’t read minds. At least, I didn’t think he could.
“Different how?” I asked, hoping I came off casual.
“I can’t quite place it. You seem—I don’t know—enlightened somehow.”
Damn. He was more perceptive than I gave him credit for. Then again, I knew next to nothing about his species. His senses could be ten times more heightened than mine, his brain capable of deciphering so much more information. Seeing as vampires lived a thousand years instead of a paltry eighty or ninety, it was only to be expected that they had more senses, too.
“Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m extremely tired, but that’s nothing new.”
“You shouldn’t go to work if you’re tired. Take the night off. Get some sleep.” His voice was gentle, caring, which made me defensive for some reason. Probably because I didn’t want to soften towards him even more than I already had. When it came to Ethan, I was having far too many troublesome feelings.
“It’s not that easy. I can’t just randomly take nights off. I’d get fired.”
“I can talk to your boss, convince him you’re sick.”
I glanced at him. “You mean use your compulsion?”
“Sure.”
I had to admit, it was a tempting offer, but I couldn’t do it. It didn’t feel right. “No, I can’t let you do that.”
“I’m your friend now, Tegan. You should let me do things for you.”
Why did my exhausted brain make that sentence sound dirty?
“I’m still not entirely sure of your intentions.”
“You think I’m only sticking around because of the spell?”
“Well, yes, that and how my blood … smells to you. It’s kind of obvious.”
Ethan went silent, and I cast him a glance. His jaw was tight, his expression tepid. When he spoke, his voice was rough. “Your distrust is highly frustrating to me. What do I need to do to earn it?”
“Stick around? Don’t bite me?” I suggested with a hint of humour, hoping to lighten his mood.
His lips slowly transformed into a smirk. “The former I can do. The latter I can make no promises on, but if it does happen, I promise you’ll like it.”
His flirtatious tone didn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy. Instead, I pictured Ethan biting me and all the ramifications that would follow. My blood could make him stronger, more powerful. It could allow him to walk in the sun.
Maybe it was better that vampires could only come out at night. They were so much stronger than humans already. It was only fair that they had some disadvantages. Then I thought of Ethan and the gift I could give him. I could give him something he’d never experienced before. Daylight. Something in my heart longed to give it to him, but the logical side of my brain knew it was too risky. I still didn’t know enough about what I was.
“Do you ever feel sad that you can’t go out during the day?” I asked impulsively.
He glanced at me with raised eyebrows, as though my question surprised him. “Why do you ask that?”
I shrugged. “I was just wondering if vampires ever get seasonal affective disorder.”
There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes. It looked a lot like longing. “I’m not sure about seasonal affective disorder, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to move freely in the world and not have to worry about approaching daylight. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to see the sun rise. Just once.”
“Sunrises can be pretty spectacular.”
“Describe them to me,” he whispered, and his plea caused emotion to expand in my chest. “Obviously, I’ve seen pictures,” he went on, “but what does it feel like to watch one?”
All of a sudden, the car felt too small, the atmosphere heavy with the longing he seemed to be channelling at me. Sympathy swelled within me. For some reason I felt sad that he’d lived so long but had never enjoyed a sunny day. Never stayed up late or gotten up early to watch the sun rise. “When I was a teenager, my friend, Nicki, and I would climb up onto my dad’s roof, smoke cigarettes, and watch the sun come up. It made you feel like new things were possible, like the slate had been wiped clean and the future was bright.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Ethan murmured to himself.
“You want a clean slate?”
His hands flexed on the steering wheel. “I’ve lived several lifetimes, in human terms at least, and I remember all of them. Memories can be something of a burden. Sometimes I wonder how nice it would be to forget.”
“Memories can definitely be a burden,” I agreed. The image of finding Matthew still and lifeless in my apartment flashed in my head. “But it’s not like the trade-off isn’t worth it. I’d give anything to be able to move as fast you can.”
“You may have talents you’re not aware of. We still don’t know what you are.”
“I know I’m human,” I said, leaving out the part that I was also half-witch. I still wasn’t sure whether I wanted Ethan to know that or not yet.
“Human you may be, but that’s certainly not all you are,” he countered as he pulled to a stop outside Hagen’s. Glancing at the dashboard, I groaned when I saw I was ten minutes late. Mr Hagen was inside, glaring daggers at me through the window.
“Crap,” I muttered.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m late and my boss looks pissed.”
“Let me compel him. It’s the least I can do after you were prepared to provide me with an alibi.”
I chewed my lip, mulling it over. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Hagen right now and a night’s sleep sounded like heaven. I cast Ethan a glance. “Okay.”
He reached out and placed his hand on my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. The feel of his hand was extremely pleasant. More and more I found myself wanting to be touched by him.
“Don’t look so guilty. It’s just one night off. You work too hard.”
I nodded and watched as Ethan left the car and entered the store. He approached Mr Hagen, and they exchanged a few words. A moment later Ethan returned and started the engine.
“What did you say to him?”
“I told him you were sick and convinced him he’d be more than happy to cover your shift.”
That was hilarious and bizarre. Mr Hagen would rather drink his own urine than cover my shift.
“Thanks,” I said, closing my eyes for the short journey to my apartment building. I wasn’t sure how I managed to let my guard down enough to fall asleep, but the next thing I knew I was lying in bed. Someone had taken off my jeans and shoes. Oh, and there was the unmistakable shape of a body lying next to me.
Ethan Cristescu was in my bed.
Well, sort of. He appeared to be fully clothed and lying on top of the duvet, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, groggily glancing at the clock. It was the middle of the night.
“I don�
��t trust that slayer not to come back. I thought it would be safer if I stayed until morning. If you’re asking why I’m laying beside you in bed, it’s because your couch is extremely uncomfortable. I don’t know how poor Florence manages to sleep on it.”
“The slayer’s name is Finn Roe, and I don’t think he means me any harm. You, on the other hand—"
“He could try and use you to get to me,” Ethan countered. “If he hurt you, I’d have no other choice but to tear him limb from limb, and I’d rather avoid cleaning up the mess.”
“So, that’s the only reason you’re here? You don’t want to get blood under your manicured fingernails?”
“That and I find you adorable when you sleep. You drooled on my passenger seat, by the way.”
“I did not!”
He chuckled low. “You did. Also, I didn’t want to wake you. You were clearly exhausted.”
I couldn’t believe I’d let my guard down enough to fall asleep in a vampire’s car. I’d left myself completely at his mercy. He could’ve bitten me, but he hadn’t. Maybe that was cause to start trusting him a little more.
I swallowed thickly. “In that case, thank you. I don’t think anyone’s carried me to bed from a car since I was a child.”
“You’re welcome,” Ethan replied before letting silence fall.
Perhaps it was the fact that we were alone in my room and I was in my comfortable little bubble, but on instinct, I reached out and touched my fingers to his. My touch must’ve taken him off guard because he didn’t react right away. Then, after several long moments, his fingers moved, interlinking with mine. His palm was cool but not cold, and I enjoyed the feel of it.
“Ethan?” I whispered, heart beating wildly.
“Yes?”
“Can you hold me for a minute?”
It had been months, almost a year, since I’d last been physically close with anyone, and the need for affection overwhelmed me at that moment. The need to be held.
“It would be my pleasure,” he whispered before pulling me to him and wrapping his strong, solid arms around me. I sank into the embrace, resting my cheek against his collarbone.
