The Vampire's Mark 3: Cold Heir (Reverse Harem Romance)

by Rachel Jonas

  Liv’s gaze rose to meet mine again, a half-smile on her lips when she nodded. “Friendship … we can do that.”

  With our business settled, Silas tossed Liv the key to the truck before he, Elle and I turned to leave.

  “Hold up,” Liv called out to us, and I faced her only to find genuine curiosity in her eyes. “You really care about Cori, don’t you?” she asked.

  It wouldn’t serve any of us well for me to lie, so I didn’t bother trying. “I do.”.

  She walked toward the truck, twirling the keyring around her finger as she smiled. “Then I’d say we’re already friends.”

  Chapter Four

  Corina

  I should’ve known this experience would be … interesting.

  The first clue was Levi’s careful search for beartraps and landmines on the surrounding property. He passed me a cautious smile as the large stick he sacrificed was forcibly snapped in two by the giant, metal jaws that lurched from beneath a pile of leaves.

  “Are you sure we should be doing this?”

  I clung to his arm when asking, unashamed at how apprehensive I felt about moving forward. Anyone who took such drastic measures to keep people away, clearly didn’t want company.

  “It’s fine. Glenn’s harmless. Just a tad eccentric,” Levi insisted as we took another step.

  Scanning the ground carefully, I searched for more traps. His Ianite eyes were definitely sharper than mine, but my parents had trained me well.

  “Wait!” I whispered, gripping Levi’s arm tight when I pointed. Roughly six inches in front of him lie a well-hidden tripwire. He stared at it a moment, maybe imagining what would have happened if I hadn’t noticed it.

  “Thanks,” he whispered back, taking his next step even slower than the last.

  There should have been a sense of relief when we managed to make it to the house of someone he was familiar with, but I hadn’t gotten that yet. Whoever this ‘eccentric’ Ianite was, he’d gone all out with his security measures. Either he was extremely paranoid, or he had good reason for all of this.

  Both those options made the concern within me grow.

  A small, shack-like house came into view and I swallowed a breath. Inside, several lights were still ablaze, so I guessed that meant this Glenn person was still up and about despite the late hour.

  Lucky us.

  The closer we got, the more intrigued I became.

  More of the colorful paintings we spotted on the trees at the edge of the property hung from wood slats. They’d been tied to the overhang of a dilapidated, wraparound porch. Near the steps, a bench swing moved with the breeze, its chain screeching against the braces from which it hung. Just above it, a macabre art piece, a ‘windchime’—if it could be called that—had been crafted out of bones and teeth. The sound it made when the wind blew was ominous, sending a chill scurrying down my spine.

  “Are those … human?” I dared to ask.

  Levi peered down on me when he shook his head, doing his best to reassure me with the nonchalant expression he wore.

  “Nah, of course not,” he asserted. “At least … I don’t think they are.”

  My heart sank, but I hid my nerves. “Fair enough, I guess.”

  We took the stairs lightly, but it didn’t matter. The aged wood creaked and groaned beneath our weight anyway.

  “If he’s as skittish as I think he is, shouldn’t we maybe call out to him first? To avoid spooking him?”

  Levi stood in place for a moment, considering my suggestion. “We should be fine. Once he sees it’s—”

  That sentence was cut short by the menacing click of a shotgun being pumped from behind us. The barrel of it pressed to Levi’s spine and we froze.

  “You’ve got three seconds to tell me who you are and why you’re here.”

  The strained rattle of his voice gave away his age, but I didn’t for one second think that meant he was feeble. The few elderly who had been turned usually weren’t. In the very least, his gun packed power, and that was enough for me.

  “Glenn, it’s … it’s me. Levi. I’ve visited here many times with Julian, your grandson.”

  That explanation filled me with so much confusion, I nearly forgot the weapon that had been drawn on us.

  This man was Julian’s grandfather? How did someone of his status end up in a place like this?

  There was a brief stint of silence while the man seemed to process what Levi shared. The next second, the steel barrel was lowered, and I breathed deeply.

  “What on Earth are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?” The old-timer asked through a choked laugh.

  Levi turned to meet my gaze, discreetly moving me behind him before addressing Glenn.

  “Well, that’s a bit of a long story,” he chuckled, “but we’re here.”

  “Long time no see!” Glenn barely got the sentence out before pulling Levi into a tight embrace.

  Now that my life was no longer flashing before my eyes, I got a good look at him.

  A thick, gnarly, salt-and-pepper beard hid half his face. More of the frizzy mess hung down his shoulders, peeking out beneath a tattered military hat, a vintage, prewar piece.

  There was nothing remarkable about his features, other than wrinkled skin that reminded me of a swatch of ancient leather. He nearly matched Levi’s height, but was frail by comparison. The tropical-themed shirt and cargo pants he wore were on par with the word Levi used to describe him—eccentric.

  The man turned to observe me next, crimson irises scanning me slowly. It seemed that, despite Levi assuring him that we’d come in peace, I hadn’t been given a pass.

  “This a friend of yours?” he eventually asked.

  Levi shifted himself in front of me a bit more, hiding me behind his solid frame.

  “Actually, she’s a bit more than that,” he explained. “But if you don’t mind letting us in to rest, I can tell you more about it.”

  Glenn stared me down a bit longer, maybe wondering why I was dressed in rags and looked like a cat had vomited me up, but he answered Levi’s request with a shallow nod.

  He brushed past us, sifting through dozens of keys on a ring, and then unlocked the front door we hadn’t even had a chance to knock on before being held at gunpoint.

  “Place is a mess, but you’re welcome to whatever you need,” he offered.

  “Thank you, sir,” Levi replied with a smile. “Any chance you’ve changed your stance on having a phone on the property?”

  “I can’t believe you even had to ask!” Glenn eyed him in disbelief. “I’ll never invite the powers-that-be to listen in on my conversations.”

  Levi seemed to expect that answer when he laughed.

  “You’re welcome to rest here a bit, though, if you need to,” was Glenn’s gracious offer. “Should I prepare a bed, or are you two just passing through?”

  The question prompted Levi to look me over concernedly.

  “A place to sleep would be nice.” I guessed it was my weary eyes and slumped posture that influenced his response. “And, if it’s not too much to ask, do you happen to have something for Corina to eat?”

  The man eyed me again as we stood in a small, dimly lit foyer. “Corina,” he repeated to himself. “Beautiful name.”

  Still nervous, I smiled. “Thank you.”

  He gave another of those quick nods. “You can check the cabinets for canned goods, but chances are they’re expired. Been a while since I’ve had visitors of the human variety.”

  The corners of his mouth tugged up and the expression was only mildly comforting. I knew Levi trusted this guy to some extent, but I wasn’t sure he was stable. My mind drifted back to the recent memory of the large stick being snapped in two by a well-placed bear trap.

  We moved toward a kitchen that I guessed had seen better days. The few missing floor tiles and cluttered surfaces were clues. Surprisingly, though, it wasn’t completely filthy, just needed a little T.L.C.

  “Have a seat, sweetheart,” Glenn instr
ucted.

  Before obeying, I glanced toward Levi. He nodded to assure me it was safe to let my guard down, but I would only do so within reason.

  “Now, let’s see,” Glenn sighed, approaching the cabinets for a look. He scanned several cans, noting that they’d gone bad years ago.

  “Nope, nothing useful here, but I’ve got a garden out back,” he shared. “I grow carrots, celery, lettuce and a few other goodies for Miles, so if you’d like to grab something fresh, you’re welcome to it.”

  Levi’s brow quirked. “Miles?”

  Glenn nodded. “As you can imagine, it gets a little too quiet out here, so I caught myself a rabbit a few years ago, and we get along famously. Best kind of buddy a guy can have—doesn’t talk, doesn’t expect much.” He shrugged casually. “He looked like a Miles to me, so that’s what I call him.”

  Levi chuckled quietly. “I’ll see what I can find.”

  Glenn nodded, and seeing Levi turn, preparing to leave me alone with him, my guard went up at warp-speed.

  “Uh, need some help?” I was already on my feet before even finishing the question, readying myself to follow Levi out the back door.

  “I won’t hear of it,” Glenn cut in, answering instead. “Digging around in the dirt is man’s work.”

  Overlooking the sexist undertones of the statement, I assumed he meant it to be sweet. Close enough, I guessed.

  I passed another desperate glance toward Levi.

  “You’ve had a long night already,” he insisted. “I won’t be more than a minute.” I held his gaze, letting him know I wouldn’t give him a second longer. He disappeared through the door and then it was just us—Glenn and me.

  The intensity when he stared was unnerving. He just had one of those looks set on his face, like he knew there was more to me and Levi’s story than we shared.

  “Kinda late to be out diddling around, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “I suppose you could say that.”

  That penetrating look of his persisted. “So, how do you know Levi?”

  Blinking, I composed myself. “I met him through Julian, actually. Did I hear Levi right? Julian’s your grandson?”

  It was still insane to think that this man—living in the middle of nowhere, with so little to his name—was so closely related to the monarchs.

  “That’s right,” he answered, settling into the seat across from me. “Although, you’d never guess it, seeing as how I haven’t seen him in years.” A long pause and a sigh punctuated what seemed to be growing frustration. “Is the boy still behaving like his father’s lapdog?”

  The question confirmed the tension I suspected.

  “Probably a lot less than you’d imagine,” was all I could say without saying too much.

  “Poor kid didn’t stand a chance. And it wasn’t like any of them ever put much stock in anything I had to say about it, seeing as how they’ve all labeled me a kook and what have you.” He was thoughtful for a moment. “I suppose I shouldn’t complain. I’m at least grateful my daughter makes her way out here to the boondocks to visit her old man. Just saw her a few weeks ago, in fact.”

  He’d barely gotten the words out when Levi stepped inside, carrying an armful of vegetables to the sink.

  “She stuck around for nearly a week this time,” Glenn shared, wearing a warm smile as he revisited the memory. “She helped me wash some linens, brought a fresh supply of blood, and even sorted some old photos I’d been meaning to get into the albums. I was never good at the domestic stuff,” he chuckled. “I suppose her mother had me spoiled in that way, and now it seems she’s taken after my Charlotte more than I realized.”

  “You’re speaking of the empress?” Levi joined our conversation with his back to us, running water as he rinsed a few stalks of celery.

  Glenn rolled his eyes at the term. “Yeah, but to me she’s Laura. Just Laura,” he declared.

  Levi was quiet again, and I watched his posture shift when he glanced over his shoulder to meet Glenn’s gaze.

  “Was this recent?” he asked. “Because it was my understanding that she’d been north, in Wakeshire.”

  “I’m old, but not senile,” Glenn replied defensively. “I think I know when my own daughter comes to see me.”

  “I didn’t mean to suggest anything. I was simply confused by the timeline.”

  Glenn fell silent, and I got the feeling his sanity was a sensitive subject for him. Especially after what he revealed about being deemed a kook.

  Standing, he moved to the sink, forcing Levi aside. “You’re a guest here. Sit,” he insisted.

  Levi raised his hands in surrender, smiling a bit as he came to rest beside me. When he leaned in, I listened intently.

  “You’ll have to excuse him. I warned you he’s a bit different, but he’s harmless.”

  While I’d seen for myself that Glenn sort of marched to the beat of his own drum, I still wasn’t sure he hadn’t told the truth. Maybe the empress had been here. I wasn’t as convinced as Levi that Glenn was mistaken.

  This raised a very interesting question.

  If the empress had been here, when she was believed to be elsewhere, what other secrets was she keeping?

  Chapter Five

  Corina

  After seeing to it that I had a full stomach and a hot bath, Glenn was practically my new best friend.

  I changed into the oversized, plaid shirt that came down to my knees, and towel-dried my hair while Levi showered. Glenn powered down his generator after the hot-water tank filled, and the house was now swathed in the warm glow of candlelight.

  It was quiet aside from the sound of running water, leaving me to wonder if Glenn had gone to bed and left us to our own devices for the night. I was on my best behavior for about five minutes before curiosity got the best of me. Taking slow, quiet steps, I moved to the door of the bedroom Levi and I would share, peering out into the hallway. A single candle resting on a stand at the end of the narrow passage lit the frame of an open doorway.

  Inside? Books.

  Tons of them.

  We stopped in briefly on Glenn’s house tour before we settled in for the evening. I hadn’t gotten close enough to read any of the titles, but it was so rare to see such a large collection outside a guarded library, so … I couldn’t help myself.

  Pausing to listen, I stepped out and ventured toward the room that had called to me since I first laid eyes on it. On my way in, I swiped a candle, raising it for a better look once I reached my destination. There were even more than I first realized, stacks that nearly reached the ceiling, cases filled to the brim. Even the tables were covered, holding some with swatches of paper sticking out the side—a clear sign that Glenn didn’t just have them for show. These had seemingly been put to good use over the years.

  My fingers trailed the spines as I took a breath, inhaling their one-of-a-kind scent. Nothing else in the world carried that aroma. I focused on the titles—pieces that documented the war that resulted in humanity’s fall, even a few first edition sonnets from Levi’s quadrant.

  And then I spotted it, something that made me stop cold in my tracks.

  Red Prose.

  My brow twitched a bit as I reread the title about ten times, wondering how or why a relative of the monarchy came to own it, a banned book. One that painted Ianites in such a terrible light at that. I couldn’t remember what year it had been pulled from circulation, but I was certain it was on the list. It was a collection of cautionary, children’s folksongs, all a means of warning youths of the dangers of crossing an Ianite’s path, or breaking their stringent rules.

  Glancing a few titles to the left, I spotted another that wasn’t allowed. With there being so many, I could only guess this small sample was representative of the entire collection.

  How many of these illegal books did he own?

  They were considered contraband, and the consequence for having them in one’s possession was harsh—the removal of both eyes. If the person was caught owning more than a do
zen, a hand was hacked off as well.

  Remembering the punishment, I pulled my hand away and just stared from a distance.

  “Find anything good?”

  I gasped when Glenn entered, his gaze locked on the section of books before me. Maybe he knew what I’d seen, knew I was aware they weren’t allowed.

  “Sorry I wandered in. I was just admiring your library. Your selection is rather extensive.” I prayed that sounded more complimentary than accusatory.

  Glenn nodded as he stepped inside too. “I’ve been hoarding books nearly all my life,” he smiled. “As you can see, I’ve run out of space to house most of them.”

  “How did you acquire them all?”

  It felt especially cruel to hope his alleged feeblemindedness would cause him to divulge more than he ought to, but I did. I hoped he’d spill all his secrets.

  He eyed me for a moment, and I wondered if he’d seen through me.

  “Some were gifts, several were imported,” he shared. “But at any rate, I’m sure you don’t want to talk about this.”

  “Actually, I’m intrigued.”

  The statement seemed to catch him off guard. Perhaps it was simply that he wasn’t used to others putting much stock in the things he said. Or perhaps it was something else. I’d been told there was a hunger behind my eyes—a thirst for deeper understanding—that I didn’t hide well. Maybe that look had betrayed me again tonight.

  “Have an interest in old books?” he asked curiously.

  I nodded. “Something like that. More so the ones people fought to have practically erased from existence.”

  There was a stalemate between Glenn and I as an understanding emerged. An understanding where we were both aware that some tomes from his collection were dangerous to own. He stared intently and I didn’t falter. There was something more to him, although I hadn’t quite figured out what that ‘something’ was. Seeing as how I knew enough to spot the anomalies hidden on his shelves, I guessed he might have assumed the same about me.

  “You’re an observant girl.”

  He had no idea.

  “Well, since you’ve unearthed one of my dirty little secrets, and since you have an honest enough face, I guess there’s no use denying the truth.” Despite this decision to be forthright, he hesitated a moment longer. “It’s true that some of the pieces I own were acquired by … less than legal means.”