“I don’t understand.”
“Some of them, well many of them have turned a new leaf, so to speak.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning there are repentant killers amongst our ranks.”
Startled and more than a little frightened she shot a look his way. “How can you trust any of them?” she asked horrified at the idea.
“The majority of the Order members can be trusted.”
“But this Celeste is one of the ones you don’t trust?”
“It’s not simply a matter of trust.”
“What do you mean?” A deep sense of worry lodged in her lungs. Silently she waited.
“She’s the one who turned me,” he finally said.
“Does that mean she has some sort of hold over you?” Like the sire thing she’d heard about in some vampire films.
Shuddering with repulsion, Ethan swiped a hand over his forehead, as if the mere thought of Celeste being his sire made him sweat. “Thank heavens no! She turned me, expecting more from me—romantically. And because of that, there’s a chance she won’t like the sight of you much.”
“She expected…?” Danielle fell speechless then, as a bit of jealousy nipped at her. And she’d mocked him for being the jealous type, she mused irritably.
Apparently knowing her like he did, Ethan answered her unspoken concern without her having asked. “Danielle, she was never my girlfriend. We never even tried. She’s not my type, and never was. There is something dark about her. Quite honestly, she is rather like theatrical vampire vixens—almost exactly as they’re portrayed in movies.” Ethan snickered softly.
“Why then?”
“I suppose she thought I was handsome and, like the spoiled brat she was, she attempted to take what she wanted without asking.”
He was right, that did sound like something a wicked vampire vixen might do.
“Many of the members of the Order chose this life; they chose to become vampires believing they could resist the urge to take a life. And many of them have stayed true to that promise, but not Celeste. I fear she bounces around between sides and may not be completely loyal to either. She was turned out of pity because she was dying, a pity she has never shown another as long as I’ve known her. Beon should have let her die of the black plague.”
Danielle’s eyes rounded at that shocking bit of news. “How did Beon know her?”
“She was Nadia’s friend and Nadia is his daughter, she too was at deaths door. I suppose Beon didn’t want her to be alone. He’d planned to turn Nadia all along, but was forced to do it sooner than he’d meant to when she became ill. I do know he regrets turning Celeste but when he learned of her true nature it was too late and now he feels guilty and wants to help her so he lets her return when she asks to.”
“How old were they?” she asked slowly.
“Twenty or twenty-one, though I’m not certain.”
“Can vampires have children then?”
“No. Beon’s story is interesting. He was good friends with a vampire named Seth. They hunted pheasant and played croquet, amongst other things. They had known each other for many years without Beon ever knowing the truth about Seth. Nadia was born long before this. But as Beon aged, Seth wanted their friendship to continue rather than be forced to watch his friend grow old and die. So he told Beon what he was, and invited him to join. Seth convinced him that he didn’t have to become a murderer to live as a vampire because he could hunt animals instead. Beon thought it over, and decided to do it, choosing immortal life. They are still close friends.”
“What about his wife?” Danielle figured she too must be a vampire.
“Beon turned Sophia out of love of course. She returned Beon’s affection, even though that was not common for the time, and accepted his offer willingly.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, hoping Ethan never changed his mind about wanting to turn her. While immortality seemed like a great idea, she could never picture herself drinking blood. If this was a curse, how could the others want this?
Likely unaware of her internal turmoil, Ethan went on, “The man you saw briefly the other night, Max, was also turned by Seth. Both of them are quite a bit older than Beon.”
Recalling the bulk of Max’s figure, she realized he wasn’t a small man and wondered what he looked like.
“Max had been injured critically while fighting in battle. He was a member of the Order of the Garter…. That was the first order of British knights,” he clarified, when she tossed a confused look his way. “He was going to die from his wounds. Seth went to find him before he slipped away and made the same offer to Max that he’d offered Beon. Max too chose it over death.”
“Max was a knight?” she asked, unwilling to admit vocally that even though the idea of being a vampire repulsed her, she just might make the same choice if she was faced with certain death at a young age.
Ethan chuckled. “Yes. He was a knight in shining armor,” he said, rolling his eyes.
The romantic idea of meeting a real life knight pushed aside the earlier concerns and she said, “Wow! Really?”
Ethan laughed, shaking his head and then continued, probably thinking, figures she’d like the idea of coming face to face with a hot knight. Was he hot, she wondered to herself and again considered Ethan’s body. Ethan caught her perusal and lifted an eyebrow at her. “What?” she asked, shooting for innocence.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” he muttered with a hint of suspicion.
When she didn’t expound for him he went on to say, “You may find this interesting to know, there are some who were invited to join the Order who declined, choosing death instead.”
That was sort of surprising, but Danielle said nothing, and shifted her gaze out the window. They were traveling a country road lined with thick green hedges, and she was a little unnerved at the idea that this was a two-way street. It seemed way to narrow for that.
“I can’t judge them for taking advantage of the curse like this,” Ethan said, again drawing her attention. “To be perfectly honest.” He locked eyes with her for a moment before returning them to the road as he guided the car around a sharp turn, then confessed, “If you happened to be near death I would likely make the same offer to you.”
With that, her thoughts returned to him and how he’d become a vampire, “She didn’t give you a choice, did she?”
“No,” he said, his brows lowering.
Danielle sensed his wrath concerning her actions.
“Celeste snuck into my bedchamber at night and bit me while I slept. When the pain of it awoke me from my slumber, she explained what she’d done. I knew who she was, having met her briefly at a recent ball.” His frown deepened. “Even cursed as she was, I had not been attracted to her. Perhaps I sensed the darkness of her soul. But when she used her magic on me by blowing that stifling vampire breath into my face, I was helpless as she took me away from my home.”
“What happened to your family?”
“As I turned, became cursed, I feared harming them and never went back.”
“That’s so sad, Ethan, I’m sorry.”
He exhaled slowly and then finished his story. “It wasn’t a happy time for me, but I was forced to accept it. When I got to the bed and breakfast they use for Order headquarters, I realized the full extent of what she wanted from me. Unfortunately for her, as I turned, I was also freed from her magical influence over me. And I wasn’t going to get involved with her—she hadn’t expected that. However, she did seem willing to accept my decision and moved on to other men, this time choosing other vampires.” Ethan laughed, and then commented dryly, “Even though she can’t control them as she tried to control me.”
Thinking about his magical manipulation as they’d left the ruins, Danielle forced herself to ask a question she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to, “Could you do that to me, control me like that?”
“Yes. But I won’t.”
“But you—”
“You’r
e right, and I’m sorry about that.” He reached over and took her hand into his. “In my defense, I was only teasing and my powers at night are immensely different than now, even with your extra sensitivity to it. She forced the full intensity of the curse on me. I would never do that to you, I swear it.”
“Should I be worried? I mean maybe you shouldn’t be taking me there.”
He dropped his gaze to the signet ring on his finger as his hands gripped the steering wheel. “Our creed is ‘Live the curse in fortitude, temperance and honor. Fight for the weak and fight to maintain humanity.’”
“It sounds practically medieval,” she said.
“Well, the ones who came up with it are medieval, or were.” Ethan laughed again, but shook his head and said, “I can understand your concern, Danielle, but this is truly the safest place I can take you. We spend our nights saving mortals from vampires. It’s what we do ... it’s how I found you. You’ll be welcome there. I swear it. I just need you to be extremely cautious around Celeste.”
“And it’s daylight, so she can’t hurt me now?”
His lips thinned at her question. “Not like she could at night, I suppose.”
What sort of an answer was that? Danielle wondered, when she noticed they’d arrived at a bed and breakfast as he stopped the car. She tried turning to look at the structure, but Ethan took her chin gently in his hand. “I won’t let her hurt you. Ever.” He leaned in and sealed his promise with a kiss. Feeling enchanted all over again, she expelled a shuddering breath as he came around to open the door for her.
A huge mansion stood before them. Formal landscaping edged a gravel path that led to the wide front steps. They passed sculpted shrubs in the shapes of animals as their footsteps crunched against the small rocks.
“Who does the yard work?” she wondered aloud.
“Beon. He loves to garden. He’s always puttering around, plucking weeds and trimming shrubs.”
A vampire who’s fond of gardening? “Why doesn’t he just hire someone?’
“Never. These sculptures are his pride and joy.”
The image of a vampire delicately trimming his shrub into the shape of a bunny went through her mind, and she giggled. Somehow the idea made Beon seem much more human.
There’s no way this is a quaint little bed and breakfast, Danielle thought as they entered. It was massive with a curving staircase on either side of the grand entryway. Really, it looked more like a hotel with marble pillars, marble floors and a large round table in the center which was adorned with an equally large floral arrangement.
Ethan steered her to the left and entered a room with several comfy chairs and wall to wall bookshelves. “Is this the library?” she asked.
“No, this is the drawing room and where we have all of the Order meetings.”
The bookshelves were filled with books, but scattered between them were old pictures and ancient looking knickknacks.
Danielle’s eyes rounded when he pulled her close, leaned down and kissed her just under her jaw line. “Wait here. I’ll go get the others.”
“But you told me to be careful,” she said as he dashed through the tall black doors flanking the entrance. Supposing he wouldn’t leave her if she wasn’t safe, Danielle walked around. Her gaze lifted to a tapestry hung above a large fireplace on the left side of the room. On it was the same crest as on Ethan’s ring. Yellow, blue and red threads made up the design which she’d only seen depicted in gold in the ring version.
With her eyes drawn downward, she began examining the fragile-looking artifacts sitting along the mantle, not daring to touch anything, for fear of breaking something she knew she couldn’t replace. She didn’t even know what some of the items were.
The photographs, however, were even more captivating. On the bookshelves she noticed a few really old photos of Ethan from a time long before she’d been born. His attire and hair was different, but otherwise, he looked exactly the same. It gave her chills.
Hearing a tiny noise behind her, she turned expecting to see Ethan coming back through the doors on the other side of the room. She screamed, but it was muffled by Ethan’s hand. He was directly behind her again.
She slapped his arm. “Stop doing that!” The words came out muffled because his hand was still over her mouth.
But he understood anyway and chuckled. “No way, I like you’re reaction too much.”
She tried to push past him and froze when she saw a man and woman standing in the room. Beon and Sophia? The woman was beaming with a bright smile but the man was ... well, he wasn’t exactly frowning or smiling. In a way, the expression on his face was more like intrigued amusement.
To Danielle’s surprise, before anyone said anything, Ethan snatched up her hand, and led her to the woman. “Danielle, go with Sophia, she needs you in the kitchen.” He released her hand, which Sophia took. She glanced over her shoulder at Ethan as she was led from the room realizing her ankle wasn’t bothering her any longer. Ethan only winked, and waved her out, while Beon offered a grim smile and nodded silently. She realized he wanted to talk to Beon alone ... about her.
“Welcome to our home, Danielle,” Sophia said with a gentle British accent. It was kind of strange to have Sophia referring to this place as a home.
But she ignored that as she shifted her attention to the woman towing her down a wide hallway, and said, “Thank you.”
The stone floor was lined with thick red and beige rugs and many paintings were hung along the paneled walls. Sophia’s sophisticated attire looked expensive. This vampire life seemed to agree with her, even though—she didn’t seem very vampirish to Danielle. While she may have looked like she was thirty-something, Danielle sensed a maturity that better fit a grandmother.
“I’ve been experimenting with some new recipes. I need your opinion,” Sophia said.
New recipes? Do all vampires like to cook even though, as Ethan had said, they can’t really taste it anymore? “I’d be happy to help,” Danielle said when Sophia tossed a look over her shoulder, probably wondering what the delay was.
Sophia led Danielle into a spacious kitchen at the end of the hall. It had all of the modern advances in kitchen luxury: shiny appliances, abundant counter space and double ovens. Danielle knew her aunt would’ve been dreadfully envious. But, what shocked her the most was that it was an absolute disaster! The rest of the mansion, or what she’d seen of it so far, had been spotless. While it appeared the dishes had been done, there was food, and crumbs, and flour and, what looked like sauce everywhere.
Sophia reached for an apron, and put it on. Danielle’s eyes widened with shock because it was completely slimed too! It seemed Sophia was a terribly messy cook, and needed the apron to keep her expensive clothes clean. Danielle was then a little concerned about what Sophia had made. Was she going to have to eat it? Would it be—sanitary?
“I am so glad Ethan found you! He’s really needed a mate.” Danielle cringed internally at the word “mate,” which seemed like a vampirish thing to say. Sophia held her by the arms while she gave her one good look-over. “I’ve been so worried about him. He simply does too much work for the Order. And what a lovely girl you are.” She then tapped one finger lightly on Danielle’s nose.
Danielle blinked and then managed to squeak out, “Thank you.”
Sophia bustled to the refrigerator, and pulled out an elegant silver tray filled with tiny hors d’oeuvres. They looked delicious, though the state of the kitchen had cast doubts in her mind regarding taste. “I’ve been working all day making these for you. I hope you like them.”
All day? So Ethan had told them he was bringing her here. He’d made it seem like it was a last minute idea.... Danielle’s focus returned to Sophia and she realized she needed to say something, “I’m very grateful, but you didn’t have to do this for me.”
“I wanted to do it for you, darling.” The vampire tucked a stray curl back into her bun. “We get so few mortals here and I do so love to cook.”
Um, inter
esting.
“Now be a good girl, and take these back to Beon and Ethan. I’ll follow you in a minute with tea,” she sang, like she was the grandmother who delighted in spoiling her grandchildren.
“All right. Thank you, Sophia.” Danielle left the kitchen as Sophia placed a teakettle on the stove. After taking several steps, she glanced back to make sure Sophia wouldn’t see her sniff at the hors d’oeuvres…. They smelled okay.
As she made her way down the hall, she realized she hadn’t gotten dizzy when she looked into Sophia’s eyes like she did with Ethan. While Sophia used words a vampire might say, she seemed like any other mortal person. Pondering this, she walked back to the drawing room.
Danielle paused at the double doors because they’d been closed, and she could hear Ethan’s voice through the door. Curious, she listened a moment.
“No, Beon! I’m not okay with that! Leave me my hope!” Danielle flinched—with the angry tone in his voice, except for the last part, which sounded deeply pained, she knew they’d been arguing.
Then silence, Beon’s reply never came.
“Danielle, come in!” It was Ethan’s voice, which was now as kind and gentle as usual. Clearly they knew she was standing behind the doors. If they were more like mortal men right now, then how...? She looked down and noticed the gap between the floor and the bottom of the doors. So they’d seen her feet.
Feeling like a dork, she shifted the tray to one hand and opened the door. Expecting to be greeted with angry faces, she was surprised to see grins instead. Ethan outstretched his arms as he beckoned for her to join him. Both men were standing, as she should have anticipated.
She went to Ethan and stopped to set the tray on the table in front of him. The second she released it and straightened, Ethan slipped his arms around her and dropped into the overstuffed chair behind him, pulling her onto his lap.
Startled by Ethan’s forward intimacy in front of this stranger, she looked Beon’s way. Apparently the argument was forgotten because Beon grinned crookedly while he watched the exchange, like he was happy for Ethan? No, that wasn’t it; it was more like he was curious. About what?
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