I started to make some sarcastic comment about being perfectly innocent and trouble free, when I heard footsteps bounding down the steps from the upstairs floor. Not expecting anyone to be here with us, I cast another curious look at Devlin, and he shook his head.
“Do you need to walk as though a herd of elephants is running wild in my home?” he bellowed, not at all the response I expected. Devlin wore an impatient expression, and when I didn’t see him reaching for weapons, I realized the noise must be coming from only one source.
Feet appeared first on the steps, followed by the lanky body of Vlad—Devlin’s charge, family member, and general pain in the butt. I personally had a soft spot for the poor disillusioned vampire, but even I couldn’t help bursting into laughter when I got a full look at what he was wearing.
“No. Turn around and change.” Devlin’s face was one of absolute certainty, and his voice spoke volumes. “Immediately.”
“Come now, Uncle. I’m old enough to dress myself,” Vlad retorted, chuckling. “I happen to think this will impress and draw the ladies to me.” Reaching the bottom of the stairway, he turned to face the mirror, and snorted. “I’m never going to get used to not seeing my reflection.”
“You don’t need one to know you look like a fool. Why can’t you dress normally?” Devlin sighed.
“Let’s get a third opinion since it seems we can’t agree. Darcy?” Vlad finally acknowledged I was standing there, and flashed a wide grin. “What do you say? Don’t I look amazing?”
He looked so proud of himself, dressed in what could only be described as something from the eighteen century. Wearing a deep blue velvet jacket with frills from the shirt sleeves poking out at the end, his trousers fell to just below his knees. Gold buttons complemented his overcoat and as he pivoted on his toes to give me a better view, I could see a brilliant red waistcoat underneath. All he needed was the powered wig to make it perfect.
That alone would’ve been okay, but for some reason Vlad had tried to add a more updated, Goth look to the ensemble—a studded collar around his neck, black combat boots, and black eyeliner. He was a mess.
“Well ….” Words seemed to fail me as my mind tried to make sense of it all. I couldn’t imagine any occasion where Vlad would want to wear this. If he was trying to fit in, this outfit would do the exact opposite. “You look like Lestat, from Interview with a Vampire,” I blurted out, and he rewarded me with a display of white fang, seeming pleased. “If he decided to have a love child with Marilyn Manson!”
“Perfect!” He brushed by me, full of airs and grace. “Don’t wait up for me. I believe I’ll be out all night.”
The sound of Devlin coughing brought him to a stop, just as his hand reached for the doorknob. I watched his thin frame slump somewhat before Vlad twirled around, his mouth open and ready to defend himself.
“We have a guest,” Devlin stated, nodding toward me. “Or were you choosing to leave without offering a proper hello?”
Letting out a puff of air, Vlad’s face fell, and he rushed to where I stood.
“Sorry, Darcy. I didn’t mean to be rude.” Not knowing what he should do, he awkwardly stuck out his hand, and I shook it. He pumped my arm hard, refusing to let it go until I yanked it away.
“It’s good to see you again. You going to a party or something?” I smiled, trying not to laugh over Vlad’s exuberance, while Devlin leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He definitely had his hands full with this one.
“Nope, I’m heading down to a new club that just opened called Bite Me. It’s vampire night.”
I’d heard of this happening—different businesses springing up all over the place trying to capitalize on the rising fascination humans had with all things supernatural. I hadn’t personally been to one, but from what I’d been told, Bite Me was extremely popular.
“Well, if I can’t convince you to change, you can at least pick up a few items from the store on your way home. Darcy’s going to be staying here a few days, and unlike us, she’ll need food to eat,” Devlin added to the conversation.
“Do I look like your indentured servant?” Vlad gasped, a look of horrified disdain on his face, and he actually held his hand to his chest in shock.
Devlin crossed the room in three steps, a soft breeze signaling the speed it took for him to do it. One second Vlad was standing—next he was dangling in the air as his uncle held him up by his shirtfront.
“You test my very patience, youngling. You would be wise to say yes and follow my instructions. You never know when I’ll have to save you from another staking.” Lowering his charge to the floor, Devlin helped rearrange his collar and finery, pretending to dust off lint from Vlad’s shoulders. “Charge everything to my account. Enjoy your evening.”
Needing no other invitation, Vlad high tailed it out of the house, careful to wave goodbye as he left.
“You seriously scared him to death!” I laughed, unable to hold it in anymore. Each time I saw Vlad I never knew what I was going to find, and watching him interact with Devlin was always priceless.
“He deserves it. Good grief, did you see that outfit?” Devlin chuckled, and pointing to my luggage, he moved to grab it again. “So, you ready to get settled in?”
Nodding, I followed him up the stairs, passing a number of closed doors, before we arrived at my room. It was the same one I stayed in each time, and entering the space I trailed my fingers over the familiar items.
I’d once told Devlin I hadn’t ever travelled—the secret wish of my heart being my desire to see the world and all its hidden treasures. I didn’t know whether I would ever be able to leave the country, let alone visit somewhere foreign, so he had picked different pieces from his collection to decorate my room.
There was no denying the central focus was the exquisitely carved four-poster bed. I loved the boldness of the red draperies, and how it would swish when I pulled the cord and completely enclosed the sleeping area. Different shades of reds, yellows, and brown materials made up the bedding with enough pillows to sink into. There were frills and beads that sparkled–the perfect place for a princess to sleep. What made it even more special was that Devlin had been the one to design and build the wooden frame.
I smiled at my favorite things—the artwork of different sceneries and exotic places, from the green pastoral farms of England, to the lush tropical forests of the Pacific. I took in a deep breath and felt relaxed.
“Everything up to your standard, madam?” Devlin teased, and I grinned. “Try to enjoy yourself a little while you’re here. You’re safe, and we’ll do everything we can so you can return home.”
I sat down hard on the bed, the mattress springs causing me to bounce. “I appreciate this, Devlin.” I could feel the events of the day begin to catch up with me, causing me to yawn widely.
“No problem. I enjoy having you stay with me, and it’s only temporary. I have a feeling everything will start working itself out quickly now that we have a good lead.” He sat down beside me, and I leaned into his shoulder. We sat there for a moment, enjoying the silence, and I tried to gather my thoughts.
“It just seems so crazy. I know love can make people do insane things, but you’d think there’d come a point where you realize it wasn’t meant to be and let go.”
“This is not about love, Darcy. This is obsession plain and simple, and unfortunately I’ve seen enough in my time to know people will go to any lengths to get what they want. They become fixated, even to the point where they lose all reasoning. Hurting someone doesn’t even seem wrong because, in their minds, the person is just an obstacle needing removed.”
“Amber feels that way.”
“Yeah, and she needs stopping. Unfortunately, we can’t just act on hunches, even if they’re true. We’ll get the proof we need.”
Devlin lifted his arm, and pulled me into a side embrace, his strong frame lending me strength. Enjoying the contact, I rested my hand on his knee, patting it softly.
Anot
her yawn escaped, and I rubbed my face with my hands. “I think I’m going to go to bed now. I can barely keep my eyes open all of a sudden.” I covered my mouth to hide a third yawn.
“Okay, then. I called Vivien while you were with Mason, and she’s expecting us at her home in the morning. Depending on whether Vlad remembers or not, we can grab something for you to eat on the way. Sound good?”
I murmured my agreement, already removing my shoes and socks as I prepared to strip off. Taking it as his cue to leave, I heard the door close behind Devlin, and I made quick work of my clothes.
Sliding into bed, the sheets cool against my warm skin, I barely had time to think about the meeting tomorrow before I was fast asleep.
Chapter Fifteen
I let out an ear-piercing shriek, fright sending adrenaline pumping through my body.
What the hell? I thought, shock making it difficult to make sense of what I was seeing. Once my brain began functioning again, though, my scream quickly turned to laughter and before too long tears of mirth were streaming down my cheeks.
Unbelievable.
Before I could speak, a hard body came crashing in behind me. A hard, wet, body—one fresh out of a shower and covered barely with a towel wrapped around it.
“What happened?” Devlin yelled, scanning the room for danger. Pushing past, leaving droplets of water behind on the sleeve of my arm, he peered into the corners, and checked the adjoining bathroom by flicking the light off and on. Satisfied everything checked out, he relaxed his stance.
“Do you mind, Uncle?” Vlad’s voice interrupted, reminding me again why I’d screamed in the first place.
I hadn’t been to visit Devlin since his young nephew had moved in, and when I’d gone exploring through the different rooms to see if anything had changed, I wasn’t prepared for the massive black coffin resting on a makeshift platform displayed in the center of the bedroom.
I also wasn’t ready for the way it slowly creaked open, revealing a sleepy vampire mid yawn wearing superman pajamas. Caught by surprise, I’d done the only thing that was natural—I’d screamed.
Devlin looked between us—the indignant appearance of Vlad and the laughing one of mine and figured out immediately what had happened.
“I guess I forgot to warn you that my charge is a walking cliché of all vampires.” He threw a disgusted glance over to the coffin, shaking his head as his hand kept the towel from slipping to the floor. “He won’t listen to reason, adamant that true vampires don’t sleep in comfortable beds, so I’ve left him to his foolishness.” Stepping closer to me, Devlin chuckled. “That was one loud scream, Darcy. I thought you were being murdered in your sleep.”
“So you rushed to my defense naked?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, unabashedly taking in the sight of his muscled torso. This was definitely a side of my friend I hadn’t seen too often, and the warmth of a blush swept across my cheeks—especially since I couldn’t quite keep my gaze from travelling up and down his body.
He was a fine tuned machine—tight ridges and contours graced his abdomen, and his biceps were the biggest I’d ever seen. It made me want to reach out and touch them, just to see what they would feel like. Friend or no, Devlin was magnificent. He was also still very wet, the droplets from his interrupted shower trailing over his skin, running down his chest before disappearing beneath the towel.
My face heated even further when my eyes rested just below his waist, and I gave myself a mental shake, Devlin’s cough catching my attention. He was obviously amused by how distracted I’d become, and he ran his hand through his hair, combing it with his fingers.
“Not naked, I did grab a towel. And you have no idea how lethal I can be with it, if needed.” He tugged at the material again, narrowly stopping it from opening, and Vlad groaned loudly from his coffin.
“Since we’ve determined nothing is wrong, would you both kindly leave?” Vlad grumbled, gripping the edge of the lid to pull it closed.
“Come on, let’s leave Clark Kent to his beauty sleep,” Devlin mocked, referencing the design on Vlad’s pajamas. “The boy’s obviously a killer.” Laughter rumbled in his chest.
Following him out, Devlin led the way back to my room. “Let me get dressed, and I’ll come by and get you so we can leave for Vivien’s.”
I nodded, watching him move to return to his own bedroom, and I called out before he disappeared through the door. “Thanks for rushing to see what had happened, even if it was just a crazy vampire.”
“No problem. I meant what I said before about always being there to protect you should you need me.” He bowed slightly. “Be back in a few minutes.”
Ducking into my room, I lay on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what Mason was doing. Was he thinking of me? Was he missing me? I felt good about the plans we had made, but still something whispered for us to hurry. With me out of the way, would Amber think she was in the clear to make her move?
My mind conjured up all the ways Amber would pay for her interference and treachery, and my wolf let out a bloodthirsty howl. The ring should be enough proof that magic had been used to harm me, and if we could link it to her, it should seal the deal. She’d be history.
Leaning over, I grabbed my cell phone off the bed stand, and began to type out a text to Mason, letting him know I’d slept well and missed him. His response came quick.
I miss you too.
I let him know we were visiting the lead witch this morning, and I’d call him afterward with any news.
A knock at the door disturbed the quiet. As he peeked his head in, I saw Devlin was dressed in all black, his dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail. For what seemed like the millionth time I wondered why he was still single—he was beautiful, and I’d seen how women looked at him.
“You ready?” he questioned, watching as I got up and walked toward him. He held up a set of keys, dangling them from his finger.
“Are those what I think they are?” I grinned, excitement building inside me before confusion hit me. “I thought we left your bike in Woodside Hollow? Did you go back last night and get it?”
“Darcy, Darcy, Darcy. Do you really think I own only one bike?” He shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. “You’re not the only one that loves speeding down the highway. I recently got this one, and it’s even faster than the other.”
Eyeing the keys, I snatched them from his hand and called over my shoulder, “First one there drives!” I took off running.
I felt a cool breeze brush against me as I threw everything I had into making my body move. Even in human form, I was able to access the agility and speed of my wolf. Unfortunately, it didn’t match the prowess of a vampire, and I scowled as I found Devlin leaning against the motorcycle with his hand outstretched. I dropped the keys reluctantly, ignoring his laughter.
“Stupid vampire speed,” I muttered, fastening the helmet’s buckle tightly under my chin.
Winking at me, enjoying my pout, he swung his leg over the bike, and with his heel pushed the kickstand back. The roar of the engine starting instantly cheered me, the promise of a thrilling ride ahead, enough to wipe the frown from my face.
“If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you drive home. Deal?”
Swatting his bicep for being a punk, I hopped up behind him and with a rev and twist of the handlebar—we skidded out of the driveway and hit the open road.
Chapter Sixteen
Devil Springs was a melting pot for all things supernatural—mystical and magical. To the human eye, it had earned its name from the suspicions and legends that surrounded the area almost since its birth, but to those who knew, it was the nexus of phenomenal power.
It was because of this that both the leader of the witches and vampires resided here, using it as a base to govern over their individual stations. It was no coincidence that some of the most influential and dominating forces within the community lived here.
I’d spent some of my childhood coming to visit Vivien—the graceful witch
who was a friend of my mother’s. Pulling up outside the gated driveway which led up to a mansion of sorts, it was easy to feel the excitement start to build inside me. If there was anyone who would be able to uncover the truth behind the ring, it would be her.
Pushing on the intercom buzzer, I tried to ignore the flicker of anxiety in my body.
“Yes?” A voice broke out through the system causing it to crackle slightly.
“We’re here to speak with Vivien. She’s expecting us,” Devlin answered from his motorcycle. There was a clank of warning, before the cast iron fence began to swing open, granting us entrance. Devlin didn’t waste any time, driving between the gates easily, and before long we were pulling up to the front of the house.
It seemed we weren’t the only visitors today.
“This should be interesting. That’s Zane’s vehicle. I didn’t expect him to be here,” Devlin said.
The door swung open, revealing Vivien in a bold red dress that flowed down to the floor. She wore a wide smile as she threw her arms apart to greet us. I couldn’t resist the offer, and went up the stairs into her familiar embrace.
“My poor, sweet, child.” She stroked the back of my head before squeezing me tightly.
I took in a deep breath, enjoying her fresh scent of lavender and eucalyptus. The smell was instantly calming, and I felt my heart beat easier for the first time that morning, as I returned her tight embrace. I loved this woman.
I heard Devlin’s heavy footsteps coming up behind me, and even though I pulled away, I still held onto Vivien’s hand.
“It was good of you to see us on such short notice.” He stopped just before her, and bowed slightly out of respect. “I hope we haven’t kept you waiting.”
Forget Me Not (#2, The Mystic Wolves) Page 10
