by Brynn Myers
I sat there in silence pondering what he just said…I took his breath away. Wow, how do I respond to that?
"Kylah, you alright?"
"Yes, I’m fine. I was just processing what you said. I’m flattered by your comment. Thank you, but I’m worried too. Your reaction has me wondering how the boys and Vivi will react."
"I think it will be fine, Kylah. They may be taken aback for a moment, but I think once you explain your reasoning, they will love it. You looked beautiful."
I leaned down into my bag and pulled out Mom’s journal. I flipped through the pages of writing, looking for the sketches. The journal wasn’t that big, but there were quite a few pages of Mom’s musings about her devotion to a man that I could only assume was Dad. It was evident how much she had loved him by the way she went on and on about him. I finally found the page with the sketches and turned it towards Syd. "This is my costume." I nervously waited for his reaction, but he just sat there in silence. "You know, the way you keep responding, you’re acting as if you knew my mom."
"I knew of your mom, yes. It was hard to not know about her when I worked for your grandmother. She used to talk about her all the time."
"Yeah, she has not dealt with her loss very well. She turned into a bit of a recluse after the car accident. I don’t see her very often anymore. I guess that’s okay, because seeing her only reminds me that Mom is no longer here…her or Dad."
Syd reached over and put his arm around me. "Sushi or Italian? My treat."
Tears once again filled my eyes. "I’m sorry, I never cry like this. It’s just …never mind, Italian sounds great."
Syd gave the driver the address and wiped the tear that slid down my cheek. "I’m sorry you are going through all this. I wish there was some way for me to change all that has happened, but I know I can’t."
"You know, for someone I just met, I feel so connected to you. Thank you for being so understanding." Syd smiled as the cab pulled up to the curb. He paid the fare and we walked towards a quaint little Italian restaurant with a black awning covering the tables on the sidewalk.
The host sat us at one of the outside tables as the waiter walked up grinning wildly. "Signore Syd, lovely to see you, and I see you have brought a beautiful companion. What can I get for you today?"
"Two Chiantis, a Caprese Salad, and a Penne alla Vodka to split."
As the waiter nodded and scurried away, Syd shrugged when he saw my dumbfounded expression. "What?"
"All my favorites in one order. Exactly how much did Dillon tell you about me?"
"Nothing really, it was just a lucky guess." Again he flashed another one of his devilish grins as the waiter arrived with the wine and some bread.
Chapter Eleven
Lunch with Syd was lovely, both the meal and the conversation. I learned he had once been married, and that his wife and child were both taken from him without warning, so he understood the pain I felt when it came to my parents’ tragic accident. We talked about those moments when you stopped to ponder if you only had one more day, what would you have done differently? We both gave long-winded monologues about what we would have said and done, but the point still remained, we didn’t have that chance and we never would.
"I learned a long time ago, Syd, that anger can turn you, but it’s how you choose to deal with it that will transform you."
"I agree, but sometimes, Kylah, that anger is the exact thing you need to make it through the next day." Syd smiled a less than convincing smile as he paid the waiter and stood to leave the table.
"We're not too far from the apartment. Care to walk?" Syd grabbed the bags Frank sent us home with and smiled.
"Sounds good to me. The fall air may do us both some good."
Despite Syd’s cool demeanor, he was always watching our surroundings as if one of the passers-by was gonna pull something hinky, but the reality was, it was more likely they would give us a wide berth considering Syd’s facial expression.
"You okay over there? You look as if you are ready to take someone’s head off."
"I’m fine, but I have this feeling we are being followed, so it’s a good thing we only have one more block." He raised an eyebrow. "I would hate to have to make a scene here on the street."
"Uh, yeah, then let’s pick up our pace, shall we? Because I am not really interested in seeing that. Besides, why would anyone be following us, or rather, me? I’m a nobody."
"I don’t know, Kylah, but I guess Dillon’s suspicions weren’t wrong in this case. Attractive girl who leaves the theatre district at late hours…who knows, maybe someone is stalking you. Maybe you have a secret admirer?"
"Oh, please! The only people who look at me are…well, no one because Ty and Dillon won’t allow them. Olivia’s brother Vincent flirts with me, but he's harmless. Oh wait, maybe it's Brooke. I did piss her off yesterday by making her late for her appointment." I watched as Syd’s face contorted with my ramblings.
"This is not a joke, Kylah. Your safety is important to your family and you shouldn’t take that lightly." Syd nudged my arm to direct me towards the glass doors of the apartment building. He nodded as George opened the doors to let us through.
"I’m fine. This is nuts, no one cares about me. I'm a costume designer, not a mob princess. Hell, maybe you should go protect Olivia. Now she’s someone who comes from a family that needs protection."
"Olivia is not my concern, Kylah, you are. If Tynan and Vivi have not yet arrived back home, I will stay with you until they do, otherwise I have some work to do."
"Sheesh, you sure did get serious all of a sudden."
"I take my job and my responsibility very seriously, and now that we’ve spent the day together…well it’s more than just my duty to keep you safe." The doors to the elevator opened and I stood there unable to move as Syd walked into the empty space. "And don’t let me hear you say again that you are a nobody. It couldn’t be farther from the truth."
When he realized that I had not followed him, he hit the open arrows and looked at me. "You coming or what?"
"Sorry!" I scrambled into the elevator but avoided looking at Syd directly. I was still contemplating everything that had happened since Syd stepped through my apartment door this morning. I had felt so comfortable with him, and yet his knowledge of all the things I loved fell into the "little bit creepy" category, and now for him to act as if I was important to him…why? As the doors closed, I could feel the heat of Syd’s stare. Damn, this is the longest elevator ride ever.
When the doors opened, I stepped into the hallway, quickening my steps as I moved closer to my front door. I knew Syd was right behind me, but I wasn’t about to turn around and acknowledge him or his words. It was ludicrous to even consider the idea that any male other than my brothers would care whether or not I was a "nobody."
Short of my parents’ death, my life had been relatively uneventful, dare I say boring. There was no reason in this world why anyone would bother stalking me or trying to harm me. My mental rant went on as I unlocked the door and barged inside, but before I could get very far, I was picked up and thrown up into the air. I squealed and kicked but settled when I realized it was Tynan.
"TY! PUT ME DOWN!"
He laughed and continued to run around with me over his shoulder. As he ran by Vivi, I waved as she gave me an I’m-sorry-about-this look.
"You’re not gonna help me out here are you?" She shook her head and smirked but her attention was quickly averted when Syd came through the door. Vivi walked over to the door and started chatting with Syd, but I lost focus on them when Ty dumped me over the back of the couch.
"I swear Tynan, I am not a child anymore!"
"I missed my baby sister and you know damn well you missed me."
I shook my head and laughed because he was right. There was no point in trying to deny it. I sat up and leaned over the back of the couch, punching Tynan in the arm. "You are such a shit, Tynan."
"So what’s been going on here while we’ve been gone? I see Dillon s
ent Syd over to babysit you. How’s that working out?"
"Well, he’s much better than the last jackass Dillon sent, but I gotta tell you, Ty, he knows an awful lot about me. What does Dillon do, data dump my favorite things to the bodyguard of the moment?"
Ty shook his head. "Nah, not to everyone, but Syd’s one of Dillon’s closest friends, so yeah, he may have let him in on a few details to make it easier for you to accept him. Kylah, you know tonight is going to be crazy. Promise me you will stick close to Syd."
Ty smacked me upside the head. "Don’t roll your eyes, I am dead serious."
I sighed heavily. "Do I really have a choice?"
The lock on the front door clicked into place and Vivi walked into the room. "Is he scolding you already? Damn, Kylah, that may be a new record." She moved closer to the couch and pulled me into a deep hug. "Nana wanted me to make sure I gave you an extra one of these for her."
My eyes started to well up with tears as Vivi hugged me a second time. "How is Nana?"
"She’s great and she hopes to see you soon. She said it’s been too long." I shook off my sadness and followed Vivi into the kitchen as Ty went to take their bags into their room.
"Where did Syd go?"
"He had a few things to do. He said he would be back here by 6pm, ready to become a knight." She smiled as she took two glasses out of the cabinet. "So how was your day with Syd anyway?"
"He seems like a really good guy. Conversations are so easy with him it’s almost as if we have known each other for years." Vivi smirked as Tynan walked into the room again.
He waved at us. "Carry on with your girl talk, I could care less." Tynan leaned against the bar as the phone started to ring.
Vivi teased, "Yeah right, Tynan Keenan nobody's buying that load of crap."
Vivi laughed as she lifted the ringing phone from its cradle, "Hello." We watched as she listened to whoever was on the line while making her way to the fridge. After pulling out a pitcher of tea, she poured some into both glasses as Ty gave her the "what about me" look. Vivi hung up the phone and pulled a bag of chips out of the pantry. "Our costumes arrived. Ty, would you mind going down to the concierge's desk to pick them up? ".
"On my way." As Tynan headed out the front door, Vivi and I sat down on the couch and started talking about their trip and how tonight was going to be a night to remember.
"So, what are the two of you going as anyway?" Vivi didn’t get the chance to answer because Tynan walked back into the room shaking two garment bags.
"We are going as zombie prom dates! She’s the queen and I am her king." Ty unzipped the bags and pulled out two tattered costumes.
"Oh, for the love of…you guys…really?" I laughed out loud because if anyone could make the1970s baby blue tuxedo he held in front of him look good, it was gonna be my brother. And the retro yellow prom dress with all the tiered ruffles that Vivi was going to be wearing…well let’s just say they needed to be zombies to pull that off.
Ty beamed as he shook the costumes back and forth. "Don’t be jealous. We are gonna be the hit of the night."
Vivi gently touched my arm. "What did you finally settle on?"
"Well, it’s kind of a surprise. I still have a few things to finish before I am ready to show you guys." I nervously looked back and forth between them, hoping they wouldn’t press me for more information.
Chapter Twelve
I opened the door to my room only to be blinded by the sunlight streaming in from the huge picture window. The sun was so bright it was muting the eggplant colored walls, making them appear to be a lighter shade of purple. I smiled when I noticed the black wig perfectly placed on my dressing table. Syd must have brought it in here before he left. I picked up the note he left on an old Starbucks receipt. "Didn't want this to get messed up, had a really great time with you today, see you tonight. Syd."
I set down the note and ran my hand along the top of the wig. Today was filled with such a mixed bag of emotions: first with Syd’s reaction to my costume, and then lunch. I was just not sure how to feel about this man. He was so kind and loving, but his serious side could be a little unnerving. All in all though, I thought Syd was someone worth getting to know better.
The light shining in was too much for my eyes; it was giving me a headache, so I walked over to the floor to ceiling windows and closed the deep velvet curtains. I stopped short when I saw something glinting in the rug next to my messenger bag. I leaned down to pick it up, unsure of what or where it came from. A ring? The muted gold band encased a green stone almost the color of my eyes, and it was surrounded by a swirling Celtic knot. It was stunning. I slipped the ring onto my finger and felt a slight tingle. Hmm…that's weird. I wondered if Syd dropped it by accident, but then I noticed the bag Frank sent home with us and assumed he must have put it in there for me to wear as part of my costume. A wide smile crept over my face as I made a mental note to thank Frank…again. I stared down at the ring, realizing it would make a perfect addition to my ensemble.
I went to the closet and pulled out the other pieces of my costume, double-checking that everything was ready to go. The linen blouse hanging next to the heavy velvet bolero jacket seemed to be wrinkle free now; I guess the weight of the other pieces did the work for me. As I stood back to admire my work, I noticed a thread hanging from the inseam of the black pants and grabbed the scissors to snip it. If Mom could've seen this costume she, would've been so proud of the work I'd done. Now I can only hope that Ty and Dillion would feel the same way.
Feeling a little run down, I looked at the clock and realized I had time to take a little nap before I needed to start getting ready. I walked over to my bed and laid down…just a quick nap, that’s all I needed. I closed my eyes and it wasn’t long before I drifted off.
* * * * * * * * *
The sound of Layne’s heels clicking on the marble floors was music to my ears. "Tell me you have good news, my pet." She dropped two overstuffed garment bags over the back of the couch before she walked towards the bar.
"How much do you adore me, Liam?" She turned to give me a flirtatious grin.
"More than my Renoir painting. Now, what news do you have for me, my dear?"
"I found your treasure, Liam. I finished the job Gavin failed to do. However, I regret to inform you that Aerric ashed him and a few of your fledglings just as I faded into the alley."
"Aerric?" I walked to the bar to stand next to Layne as she handed me a glass filled with Bushmill’s whiskey. "This is an interesting development."
"What's so interesting about Aerric killing Gavin? He was a moron."
"Because, my pet, if Aerric is here, then maybe we are closer than I thought to retrieving my Aednat. Did you happen to spot anyone else?"
Her wicked grin matched the glint in her eyes. "Well, after Gavin became dust in the wind, I picked up the ring left in the alley and took it to her."
"You encountered her?"
Layne ran her hand down the front of my chest. "I did better than encounter her." She swayed her hips and walked over to the couch to pick up the two garment bags. "I got us an invite to the party she will be attending tonight." She shook the bags and then set them back down.
"And pray tell, how did you manage that?" I grinned as I continued to sip my drink, trying to act as if this wasn’t the best news I had heard in two decades.
Layne plopped down on the couch and put her feet up on my coffee table. Normally I would be punishing her for such insolence, but due to her discovery, I gave her a pass this time. "I met up with her in the park and we had a lovely chat. Her name is Kylah, her and her brothers own Keenan’s Irish Pub, and she was reading the book you have been seeking."
Faster than the eye could perceive, I was in front of Layne. I pulled her face close to mine. "If you are lying to me, my sweet, I will flay your skin from your bones and feed you to the changelings. Are we clear?"
She raised one eyebrow and spoke with venom in her voice. "I did as you asked. I succeeded where Gavin faile
d. Do not threaten me, Liam, or I will remind you why I am your most feared assassin." She maneuvered out of my grip and again grabbed the gold bags, unzipping them.
"We will need to be dressed appropriately. It’s All Hallows Eve, and everyone attending will be dressed in their finest." She pulled out what looked like a Victorian Fop costume. "I took the liberty of picking out matching outfits because I told Kylah I would be bringing a date."
"You must be joking if you think I will dress in such a manner."
Her arrogant grin was unnerving. "You will dress like this or you will not be able to get close enough to your precious female." She dropped the bag over the couch and turned to exit with her bag in tow. "I will be back in a bit to do the makeup that goes with the costume."
My growl shook the walls. "I will do no such thing."
Layne flashed before me, her eyes beginning to change colors at a rapid rate, unable to settle on her natural blue-green. "You will, or you will be walking into an ambush. Unlike that ignorant jackass Gavin, I know for a fact that this is the female you seek. When I left the ring in her apartment, I sensed the magic flowing. If my hunch is correct, the Nine are here and they will never let you close enough to smell her, much less take her." As her temper flared, her eyes snapped to jet-black. "So you will wear this outfit and you will use the makeup to disguise your true self."
I shook with anger but knew she was right. In order to get her back, I would need to do what Layne said, but that did not mean I would like it. "I agree on one condition. You get me close enough to touch her, and I will do the rest."
Layne jerked her shoulders out of my grip. "I will not die for your obsession, but I will get you close enough to know the truth…that your beloved Aednat is alive and well and living here in New York. Beyond that, you are on your own. If the history lesson is correct, the Naio are not easily bested. Kylah is a goddess and her brothers will stop at nothing to protect her. Of that I am certain. So unless you have a way to kill a god, let’s just keep to my plan. A young couple in love and dressed as dead Victorians. Can you do that? "
