“If I hadn’t gotten staked by Nicholas, would we have had a chance?”
Please don’t ask that.
I sucked in the air too quickly and worked to control my exhale, unsure how to answer. Back then, he‘d used his power to confuse me and the cells of my body—like now—they cried out, begging for his touch.
“Maybe,” I said with intentions to keep from leading him on, still deeply in love with Nicholas. “It wasn’t a choice I had to make and now I’m with Nicholas. So, I—I don’t know.”
“Things change,” he mumbled.
“Your turn,” I interrupted. “Or do you want to continue playing?”
“Yeah. Truth.”
I tightened my lips together, prepared. “So, when you took off to L.A., you said you—you know—had a situation with your girlfriend. What happened?”
“With Lauren?” He sighed, feeling tremendous shame. “Yeah, I should still be rotting in Hades forever for that and everyone else I . . . you know. I loved her with all my heart and she threw it away on Jack. I was an impetuous heartless killer without a conscience back then. They deserved better.”
His anguish made me regret I asked. “Sorry.”
“It’s all my fault and I need to suffer the consequences. I was a fool to let her string me along and over-reacted when I found out differently. Such a fool . . .” He sighed and put his head in his hands. No longer did he seem like a vicious killer, but a troubled soul infected with immortality. The guilt swept up and washed over me, leaving me anxious to find Nicholas and help him before the same thing happened to him.
I got up and sat next to Phil, putting my arm over his shoulder, unsure what to say. “You didn’t know—”
“The thing is, I did know, but I can’t change the past.”
I closed my eyes and held tight to Phil’s shoulder—Nicholas’ half-vampire brother—wishing somehow I could help him make amends. Nicholas, many times, breathed the same words to me, trying to get over his torment of being too late to save my mother’s life. Nicholas’ love for me seemed to be the only thing that helped him move beyond the past. But the lives Phil took weren’t the same.
“Are we going tonight?” I asked as a distraction. “To L.A.?”
“Sure.” His hesitation sent out tremors.
“Why don’t you want to go?”
Phil fidgeted, rubbing his knuckles over his chin. “I’ve been told never to return.”
“What?” I snorted. “That’s absurd. By whom?”
“The vamps that run that town,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Oh.” I tightened my eyes. “When?”
Phil took a deep breath. “After the incident with Lauren, I went a little crazy and ran into some locals there. It wasn’t pretty considering how territorial they are and how sloppy I was. They warned me never to come back or they’d turn me in.”
“Turn you in?”
“To the council, where they wanted to take Nick.”
Nicholas had mentioned the Royals. Maybe they were one and the same.
“Who is this Council anyway?”
“The big wig vamps that run everything and Alora totally hates them. She complains they’re so old school—”
For some reason, I couldn’t picture Alora saying “old school” and had to smile.
“But—” Phil tisked “—the L.A. vamps have got that place wired so they’ll know I’m there, no doubt about it.”
I pushed my hand through my hair, unsure what to do. “You don’t have to take me then.”
“I have no choice. You can’t drive with Daddy monitoring the GPS, now can you? It’ll be okay.” His teeth gleamed through his conniving smile. “They can’t fly.”
The infectiousness of his danger-craving made me grin too. And actually, the escapade started to get my spy juices bubbling. Maybe we could sneak in and out undetected. We had to try. “I’m going to have to go back to Nicholas’ place and see if he’s got the address, or even a phone number. Maybe I can just call.”
“Yeah sure,” he said, slightly disappointed. “We’ll go back after dark when your dad thinks you’re sleeping, or we can send Scarlett over to Nicholas’ now.”
“No.” The last thing he needs is the mind shrink snooping through his personal things. “I’d feel better if I did it.”
“Sure thing, Boss.”
I stuck out my tongue. “Brat.”
Deep down, I didn’t want Phil to get in trouble, but there wasn’t any other way to get to L.A. and back without alerting Dad. We didn’t have a choice—Harry had to be warned.
“What are you thinking about?” Phil asked, his face pensive.
“I’m just wondering, since Nicholas is a half-vampire, why he didn’t mention having trouble with a vampire gang and you did? He grew up there after all.”
“Heck if I know. His dad’s a vamp, right? Maybe he’s part of the gang or they don’t even know he’s a vamp. When I first met him, he didn’t give off the vibe, so I didn’t have a clue who or what he was. Just a mutant or something. Now I realize he’s part vamp.” Phil touched his nose. “Maybe my rebirth has sharpened my senses.”
“Maybe,” I said, knowing full well why Phil suddenly could sense him.
When Nicholas and Phil met initially, Nicholas was wearing the talisman which rendered him undetectable and invincible. Now, since he didn’t have it on, other vamps would naturally sense his heritage.
My fingertips grazed the talisman and wondered, with it not working, how I could keep the necklace from ever getting into the wrong hands. The smart thing would be to hide it some place where no one could find it. But I didn’t want to take it off, hoping, somehow, when Nicholas returned to his former self, it would flicker to life and begin protecting me again.
“Hey, do you want to go watch TV or read or something?” I said, really wanting a mind-numbing distraction.
“With you? Always, Parker.”
“You’ll be able to hide if my dad comes home or Luke wakes up, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll take off. No worries.” He flashed his million dollar smile before we filed downstairs.
Chapter Twenty-One
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun doing nothing. Our day consisted of hiding in the dark, eating bon bons and making fun of cheesy Soap Operas and idiots trying to lie to Judge Judy. When nothing good was on, we read out loud some more and dined on grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup. Phil ate like it was the last meal on earth, which made me feel like an accomplished cook. By the afternoon though, I finally got the courage to turn my iPhone back on. To my disappointment, I found Nicholas hadn’t texted me back.
To distract myself, I shot Sam multiple text messages so she knew I was still alive, but her return texts were mostly about the growing anxiety at school surrounding Katie’s disappearance. Guilt crept up and several times I almost told her the truth. Phil stopped me though and insisted I kept what I knew a secret. Painful as it was, we didn’t need to taint Sam’s world unless we had no choice.
When Luke finally got up and made an appearance, Phil had fun acting like a ghost, hovering silently behind him.
My gasps and anxious behavior freaked Luke out and he left shortly thereafter. I felt rotten because I wanted to make up after our fight, sensing the tension lingering, but Phil wouldn’t stop goofing around.
Sometime after four, Dad finally came home with a ton of groceries, forcing Phil to remain upstairs while I put on my “sick” song and dance. Dad kept mostly to himself, seeming distracted while he made dinner. I was surprised he didn’t grill me or even mention he knew about Nicholas, given the opportunity.
But right before he finished cooking my favorite dinner—garlic mashed potatoes, fried chicken and sautéed green beans—I pushed down my ravaging hunger and said I needed to lay down. Dad, taking the bait, must have thought I was practically on my death bed to pass up his cooking. In fatherly concern, he checked on me shortly thereafter and brought a plate to my room. But as soon as he left, I
had to fight Phil with my lone fork, which he promptly stole from me.
“You’re dad is a really good cook,” Phil said after shoveling the first bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth. “Does he always cook like this?”
I hummed after Phil finally fed me something with the fork we now shared and fanned my fingers right after so he’d give me another bite. “He does when he’s home.”
“Smart thinking to get dinner in bed. This is a total score plus he must think you’re super sick.” He dove into the green beans, stabbing them one by one, filling up the tines. “Maybe we shouldn’t eat it all and leave something on the plate.”
“Naw,” we said at the same time before bursting into laughter.
I wiped the fried chicken grease from my lips and smirked.
“Jinks, you owe me a coke,” he interrupted.
“That’s so old; I can’t even believe you said that!”
“But doesn’t a coke sound really good right now?”
“Or a tall glass of milk.”
“Or a nice warm neck . . .”
I gasped.
“I mean, a tall glass of . . . beer,” Phil put down the fork. “Bad slip.”
I frowned. His angst was more heightened than usual. “Are you safe to be around? Should I uninvite you?”
I tried to sound like I was teasing.
“NO!” Phil straightened his back, his eyes fiercely tensed. “Don’t. That’ll force me outside and it’s not quite dusk yet. I’m completely under control. Honest.”
“Has that ever happened before?” I glanced at the darkened window shade; the orange sunset peaked through at the corners.
“No, but I don’t really want to experiment right now.”
I nibbled on my fingernail and watched him through my bangs. “I guess you really trust me then, don’t you.”
“Like you trust me.” The corners of his lips lifted as he put down the fork. “I mean, if you had an addiction to chocolate but knew every time you ate it, someone died, you’d give it up. Right?”
“Of course.” I bit the inside of my cheek. “Is that what it’s like?”
“A million times better but still, I’m not going to do it. No matter how tempted.”
Suddenly disinterested in food, I used the abandoned fork to push around the last few beans on the plate. I wanted to stop the awkward tension, but drew a blank. “Are you finished eating?”
“Dinner was amazing, don’t get me wrong.” He pulled his lips into a straight line. “I just always feel unsatisfied.”
“I know,” I murmured and got up to move the plate out of the way, placing it on my desk.
Just beyond, the clock read six-thirty. Luckily, my pajama day would be coming to an end after sunset. I craved a hot shower and normal clothing.
“I don’t know how you do this,” I said, realizing the daily burden he endured. “Don’t you get bored waiting for the sun to set?”
“That’s what I miss and hate the most—the sun,” he said wistfully. “But like always, it’s easy to take the simplest things for granted until they are taken from you.”
Like Nicholas’ protection and love. “True.” I said pensively. “I’ve been wondering . . . do you sleep?”
“I do sometimes, but technically, I don’t need to do anything extra to survive. I’m frozen in time and will stay like this forever as long as I don’t get staked or burned up.”
“You sure gobbled up dinner like you were starving.”
“I am, in a way. Haven’t you ever been hungry for something particular and no matter what you eat, you can’t make it go away?”
“Yeah,” I said, realizing I’d been subconsciously encapsulating his bloodlust so I didn’t have to worry while we were together.
His was still there, irksome as ever, like a piece of glass you feel hidden in your foot but you can’t seem to get it out.
The vampire life suddenly didn’t sound sexy anymore. I couldn’t imagine never being able to lay out at the beach, nor watch another sunset, besides being starved for blood all the time. And Phil’s change after experiencing Hell was almost like he’d grown a conscience, not wanting to give into merciless killings anymore. Would Nicholas suffer like that as well? Though, with the talisman, if I ever ended up with a vampy make-over, I wouldn’t have to worry about being burned up—if it started working again. But what really perplexed me was how the change would affect my decisions. Would I get all power-hungry like Alora? Or stay myself and be bloodless like Preston?
“It’s not so bad, as long as you have the right company,” Phil said with charisma, pulling me from my worries, melting me with his obsidian eyes.
“I guess not,” I said, darting mine away to look at my fidgeting hands. “So now what?”
“I’m going out to find Scar. You need to get the home front all squared away with good ole Dad and make your bed to look like you’re sleeping in it. Oh, and put on something very warm and dark colored. I’ll get a wig.”
“You’d look really hot with blonde hair with highlights,” I said with a giggle, unable to help myself.
“I bet.” He smirked. “It’s for your sleeping corpse. I’ll be back in an hour.”
Phil reached over and tapped my nose. His anxiety spiked just as the sun started to set. My body responded, pumping a bit of adrenaline in my blood, unsure if we should take this chance. I almost backed out when Phil spoke.
“I’m off.” He winked before he vanished.
The curtain fluttered ever so slightly in his wake. I walked over, pulled up the shades, and scanned the dark yard, hoping to feel Nicholas close by. The fact he didn’t come around the entire day bothered me.
I pushed the anxiety down, took the dirty plate and left my room to tell Dad goodnight. He was preoccupied in his office and when I mentioned I was going to bed, he didn’t even move to hug me. Maybe because he thought I was still contagious. He only recommended some Theraflu to help with my discomfort. I agreed and headed back upstairs, thankful he didn’t want to fawn all over me, but curious why he’d let the entire night slip by without one word about dating Nicholas.
Once I showered and changed, I had nothing to do until Phil returned. The beaded dusty pillows suddenly came in handy for making a makeshift body and the oversized teddy bear became my head and shoulders, shrouded under the sheet. All I needed was the wig and my stunt double would be set.
I paced, hoping Scarlett wouldn’t come back with Phil. I already had a plan to keep her here just in case she wanted to tag along. Tyler needed protection from Katie, naturally, and Scarlett would be the perfect guard until we returned. I’d even written down the directions to his house as a back-up.
I texted Sam to say goodnight right before shutting off the phone, wanting all my actions to look normal in case Dad checked my records. Worried I’d drop the phone from five-thousand feet during our flight, I waffled whether or not to bring it along. Common sense won out and I placed the phone within a zipper pouch on the inside of my backpack. I didn’t think, with it off, the phone transmitted a signal. But if I were ever stranded, at least I’d have a lifeline to society to solicit help.
The only ski hat I had was bright pink. Luke owned the only black one, but I didn’t know where he kept it. Hot pink or not, a hat was better than freezing my ears off so I stuffed it in my backpack along with my scarf and gloves.
I flipped off the bedroom light and went to the open window, peering outside, checking for Phil again. The serenade of crickets greeted my presence over the void of emotion within the trees. I wished for Nicholas to come kidnap me instead, sending out a silent beacon, hoping he hadn’t beaten me to L.A. already. My dad was the only one that registered in the night, who seemed to be doing something tedious—I’m sure for work. I shivered from the cold air and decided I might need another sweatshirt for the journey.
Unsure how long the trip would take, I took one last bathroom stop. When passing by the mirror, I glanced at my reflection noting the fresh application of makeup, not
understanding why I bothered to put it on.
Am I trying to keep Phil in the wings just in case Nicholas and I don’t work out? My heart ached at the thought of losing Nicholas forever. I shook my head, shut off the light and turned, running right into Cousin Itt.
Completely startled, I yelped.
“Shhh!” Phil peeled back the blonde curtains of hair to reveal his sparkling black eyes. “It’s just me.”
I scowled, annoyed my feelings’ radar was a second late to warn me, suddenly picking up his radiating smugness loud and clear.
“Nice hair,” I said, removing the blonde wig off his head and placing it on the teddy bear instead.
“Are you ready?” he asked behind me, his aura suddenly very enticed, and not in a way I wanted.
I stood up quickly and swirled around, watching his eyes glance from where my booty once was, giving me a once over that sprung my heart into overdrive.
“Nice leggings,” he said with a throaty tone and a half curled smile.
The heat radiated outward from my collar bone towards my ears, leaving a nice crimson trail in its path. Bending over in front of Phil with tight leggings on, ultimately giving him a peepshow, wasn’t what I intended to do.
“It was the only thing I had that was black,” I said sheepishly, pulling my jacket down over my hips with my eyes glued to the floor. “I’m ready when you are.”
Phil quietly gawked a moment longer, then chuckled while I died of embarrassment, my cheeks heating to blistering levels. I finally looked up at him and pursed my lips.
“Okay, let’s go,” he said, holding out his hand, which I took. He led me out of the window.
“Where’s her Highness?”
Phil tilted his head in disapproval, though enjoyment played across his thoughts. “Let’s be nice, shall we?”
I smirked and fastened myself next to Phil’s aura again, trying my best to keep away from her prying tentacles.
“I have catnip as a peace offering; do you think she’ll like it?”
“I’ll pass,” she said with disdain.
I withheld my laughter. “Guess not . . . so, what’s the plan? Is the coast clear?” I was anxious to get on our way, noticing Scarlett below within the bushes peering up at us.
The Sapphire Talisman Page 17
