Haven

by Celia Breslin

  The images disappeared.

  I blinked. “Why all the secrecy?”

  Safety in subterfuge.

  “Meaning?”

  One does not provide ammunition to one’s enemies.

  “Sounds like paranoia to me.”

  “On the contrary, my darling,” Tessa added. “One does not live to be as old as we without taking the utmost of precautions.”

  Couldn’t argue with that. They had me beat by centuries. “Do you love each other?”

  Tessa stared, eyes bright, while Thomas uttered, It’s complicated.

  “No, it’s not. Either you love her or you don’t, Uncle Tommy. Which one is it?”

  Tessa spoke for him. “At first, it was grief. Losing you was hard on all of us. Once the deed was done, your father left for Italy, shutting himself away from the world for a time, losing himself in his music and art. Jonas accompanied your father, choosing to drown his pain in violence.”

  We had a list, a long list, Thomas interjected. Jonas made it much shorter.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “As for Thomas and myself,” Tessa continued as if I hadn’t interrupted. “We remained behind until the day you awoke. Then we, too, returned to Italy, choosing physical comfort as our distraction from the despair.”

  “You’re saying you slept together to help each other forget about me?”

  Oh, Carina, so young, Thomas mused.

  “No, dear child. We could never forget you. We had so much emptiness in us, where you had been, and we filled it with each other.”

  “Okay, feeling miserable brought you together, but what kept you together?”

  “Our union was built upon grief. From there, it grew into more.”

  “You love him.”

  “Yes.”

  “And he loves you.”

  Yes, Thomas breathed through my head.

  Tessa’s blue-green eyes glowed.

  “Neat.” I was pleased. Once over the initial shock of discovery, I liked the idea of them as a twosome.

  Thomas chuckled. Grazie, cara mia. We are pleased you are pleased.

  “But I still don’t get it. You’re in love but you don’t date. You’re together, but you’re not?”

  “My darling, we are as together as one can be when running vast empires,” Tessa replied.

  “Oh. Your work keeps you apart. Like a long distance relationship.”

  She nodded. “An oversimplification, but yes.”

  It also brings us together. As it has done now, Thomas added.

  Wham, back to me. My happiness vanished. “We’re going to talk about me and my issues now, aren’t we? That’s why you showed up in my head.”

  Yes.

  The car stopped. I glanced out the window, expecting to see my place, but we parked in the driveway of an unfamiliar, modern, two-story building.

  “Where are we?” I admired the building’s natural wood exterior, tinted windows and thick steel framing. Similar in style to my place, though mine was stone, tint and steel. Still, I liked it.

  “Moraga Avenue,” Stella replied.

  Not quite the answer I wanted. “We’re in the Sunset? Why?” I bit my lip, pulse skipping a beat. Adrian said Alexander lived in the Sunset. Please, let it be his house. I unbuckled my seat belt. “Is this Alexa—”

  Let us proceed. Thomas’s voice bounced around my brain like a spiky ping-pong ball.

  “Ow!” I massaged my temples. “Now what?”

  Carina, our patience nears its end. We have brought you back to us, granted you sufficient time to readjust. But we can wait no longer.

  “You call a few days, sufficient? I call it not even remotely enough,” I protested.

  You were reckless, foolish last night, risking death for a moment of bliss. For that, there are consequences.

  “Oh, don’t you dare go there. I got enough of that from Tony this morning. Not that it’s any of your business, but I didn’t have sex with Alexander. So back off.”

  Sex is irrelevant. Thomas smacked me with his cold power. I fumbled for the door handle with trembling hands, forehead on the window. Why was he hurting me?

  Fight, my inner voice spoke up.

  Tessa intervened. “Thomas, my love, this is not the way.”

  I disagree.

  “Who died and made you Jonas?” I snapped. Resist. Punish. Wow, he angered both my vampire and human sides. If I could figure out how to activate my power, I’d fight back. Unfortunately, my on-switch eluded me.

  So needed to work on that.

  “The more you push her, the more she resists,” Tessa continued. “Like her father, once angered, she cannot hear you.”

  Silence.

  “I know you do this out of love, out of worry for what might have been this past evening. But she does not understand your passion.”

  Very well. His power disappeared.

  Tessa drew me into her arms, stroking my hair, blanketing me with her soothing energy. The scent of lavender perfumed the air. I melted into her embrace, boneless, as if under the influence of a boatload of valium.

  Nice. With her in charge, bring on the you’ve-been-a-naughty-little-half-breed lecture.

  Tessa resettled me in my seat and smoothed some errant strands of hair from my face, tucking them under my headband.

  “Thought I was glamour-proof, that you can’t compel me like an ordinary human,” I mused as she worked on my hair.

  “Indeed you are, but what you experience now is no mere parlor trick. We all have our unique gifts and you, my darling, experience one of the many in my repertoire.”

  My eyelids drooped and my vision blurred, making it difficult to focus on her face. “Why are you doing this? Are you mad at me?”

  “No, dearest.”

  “Then is this about last night?” I closed my eyes and visualized Alexander kissing me, biting my neck, his fingers slipping inside. I shivered.

  “Stay with me, darling. Try to break free.”

  “Don’t wanna,” I mumbled. “I’m glad you’re not mad like some people.”

  Thomas grumbled in my head.

  “Break free, child. Show us your strength,” she encouraged.

  I didn’t respond, too caught up in enjoying the cozy ride she’d provided.

  Tessa tensed. “So be it. I hoped to relax you, to open you gently to your power so we might learn of the binding’s effect upon you. Thus, we might begin your formal training in a pleasant manner. Sadly, you continue to resist us, no matter how light our touch.”

  Frustration colored her voice, but I wasn’t in the mood to give up the floaty goodness.

  “We’ve reached our first destination for the evening,” she continued. “We begin here, with a lesson in consequences, and for this you must break free of me, Carina. You are human but also vampire. Show us your strength and come back to me.”

  Silence, save my deep, relaxed breathing.

  “Now, Carina,” she commanded, voice hard. “For there remains much to impart before I will allow you to join my minion once more.”

  Two things broke through the flower power haze. First, no one allowed me to do anything. Sure, they were hundreds of years older than me, but I wasn’t a kid. Second, who was her minion?

  I opened my eyes, blinked. “Minion?” My brain tried to swat away the loosey-goosey spell holding my body captive.

  “Yes. As Thomas has said, the two of you were reckless last night. I can forgive you that moment of weakness, my darling, as you are but a fledgling. But the Youngling is not, and he defied a direct order. More than one, in fact. For that, he must answer.”

  He must answer.

  Unease slithered up my spine and my heart pounded a chaotic beat in my chest. Every last speck of the lavender calm disappeared from my body. I pieced together the clues. Tessa holding back Alexander as my uncles bit into my wrists. Tessa ordering him not to interfere. Tessa’s secretive ‘chats’ with both Alexander and Tony. Finally, Stella, her fury last night, her words now e
choing in my head, You’ve defied our Mistress.

  Our Mistress.

  I bolted upright. “You made him? You turned him into a vampire?”

  She nodded, eyes gone black and glowing with her power.

  That’s all it took to find my on-switch. My anger flared, as did my power. My eyes shifted to black, my energy flooding the car. “You killed him. Why would you do that? How could you do that to him?”

  Ah yes, this is much better than my way, Thomas interjected, voice dry.

  My blood boiled. “You stay out of this.”

  “Look at her, Thomas. Feel her. Strong emotion opened her. Alexander truly is her key.”

  That was never in doubt.

  “Oh, you know what I mean. Feel her, my dear, feel her.”

  Thomas’s energy poured over me, but this time I was ready and I pushed back, my power hot, angry. Resist. Fight. Punish.

  Yes! Bravissima cara mia. Thomas’s enthusiasm made me angrier.

  “Shut up.” I scrambled from the car and made it one whole step before Stella appeared in front of me.

  I glared at her. “Move.”

  She raised an eyebrow, a clear make me.

  My eye twitched. Challenge accepted. I threw an elbow strike, but Tessa appeared, halting my arm a breath away from Stella’s head.

  “Let her pass,” she commanded.

  Stella stepped to the side and swept out her arm, highlighting my escape route. I glowered at her and stalked away, scanning my surroundings.

  We were indeed on Moraga Avenue, between Ninth and Tenth avenues, though closer to Tenth. Residential, quiet, almost suburban except no two houses were alike. I shifted onto Tenth and descended the hill toward Golden Gate Park and the restaurants and shops on Irving Street. I’d call Faith for a ride when I achieved more distance between the vampires and me. Or maybe I’d hop on a bus or hail a cab. I could use some alone time. So sick of talking. Talking resulted in too much drama.

  Hmph.

  A chill breeze whipped up the hill and thick fog hovered over the park, racing inland, spurred on by the push of the wind. I pulled my sweater coat closed, cinched the belt, and covered my head with the hood. Cold, windy, foggy. Not surprising for the Sunset.

  Stop musing about the weather. Figure out your next move.

  Should I go to the clinic, visit my friends? Check on Tony at my house? Maybe I should visit Lorenzo and Dom. Or retreat to Adrian’s place and deal with club business. But it’s Sunday. Sanguine Sunday. The vampires probably expected me at the club tonight, so, of course, that was the last place I’d go.

  What about Alexander?

  I halted. My anger deflated, power diminishing to a low hum, eyes shifting to brown. I took stock of my surroundings. No activity to my left or right, no pedestrians, no one coming in or out of houses, no cars passing through the intersection. Nobody around but me. I’d made it one long block without any interference, but that left Alexander alone with the she-devil. And Tessa intended to punish him for our little escapade at the club.

  I can’t abandon him like this.

  No matter what she said, it wasn’t his fault. The blood sharing and the rest of it was one hundred percent consensual. She can’t blame him. I have to go back.

  “Yes you do,” Jonas agreed.

  I let out a pitiful girlie shriek and whirled.

  My jaw dropped. Jonas stood behind me, cross and impatient, as per usual, but that’s not what made me gape. Nope. It was his uber hip, all-black ensemble. On his head, a black fedora. A fitted chesterfield coat with a velvet collar covered his body to the knees. Under the coat, a button-down shirt with diamond studs, and perfect-fit, black slacks. Dress shoes, leather gloves and a walking cane with a round diamond top completed the outfit.

  I wanted to be cranky, but he looked so amazing the last of my anger fizzled right out. I touched his sleeve. “Italian wool?”

  “Of course.”

  My fingers trailed down to his hand holding the cane. “Cane sword?”

  “Of course.”

  I laughed. “You are so predictable.”

  “As are you.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” We stared at each other in amiable silence. “Now what?”

  “What do you think?”

  I walked up the hill at a fast clip. “It wasn’t his fault, you know.”

  Jonas followed, matching my stride. “He is minion.”

  “Your point?”

  “He. Is. Minion.”

  “And you. Are. Cryptic. So let me be clear. It wasn’t his fault.”

  We stopped at the corner, three houses away from Alexander’s place. The Mercedes still parked in the driveway.

  “I’m not going to let Tessa hurt him over me.” I crossed my arms and pouted at the empty car.

  “You cannot stop her.”

  My frown deepened. “Oh yeah?”

  Jonas cocked a brow, gazing at me with shining, predatory black eyes. I lifted my face to the foggy sky. We were wasting time. I couldn’t win this exchange and Tessa might be hurting Alexander right now.

  “True.”

  My worry spiked. “Has she already?”

  Jonas let out an impatient snort. “Come.” He glided toward Alexander’s house.

  I hurried after him. Time to face the wrath of Tessa.

  Seventeen

  Alexander occupied the top floor of his vampires-only building. His space was beautiful. Wide-planked bamboo flooring throughout, galley kitchen with granite countertops, glass fronted cabinets and stainless steel appliances, spacious living room with low-slung leather couches in front of an inset fireplace, and a baby grand piano in the dining room. A hip, modern heaven.

  Stella had opened the door for us then whooshed to the piano. Jonas sped over to the far wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Were it not such a foggy day, Alexander’s view of the park and beyond would be spectacular.

  Thomas sat on one of the couches with his laptop. “Come, Carina, you cannot hover in the entryway all day.”

  “Where are they?” Unease tightened my chest. No sign of Tessa and Alexander.

  “Come.” He turned his attention to the flat screen television above the fireplace then glanced at his laptop and typed.

  My hands fisted. “Where—?”

  “Sit, child.” Jonas blurred, reappearing on a burgundy chaise lounge between the couches and the piano. “There.” He pointed at Thomas’s couch.

  I shook my head and made a slow three-sixty, scanning for signs of Alexander. And Tessa. There was a bathroom and a small office behind me, both vacant. Thomas and Jonas in the living room, Stella at the piano, empty kitchen. My gaze wandered to the stairs near the fireplace. They must be upstairs.

  “True.” Thomas’s eyes flicked from TV to computer screen.

  I rolled mine. The mental eavesdropping annoyed me. “No such thing as privacy in your world is there?”

  “Not for you, my dear, and especially not today.”

  “Oh, like now is any different than any other day?” I slipped off my coat. My sneakers and socks followed. Didn’t want to dirty Alexander’s pristine flooring with my street shoes. The floor was warm under my feet.

  “Radiant floor heat,” Thomas explained.

  “Duh, and would you please stay out of my mind?” I headed for the stairs. A few steps away, I ran into a large tree trunk. With legs. I flopped onto the nearest couch, moving my gaze up, and up, and up some more until I found a face, a tan, Roman god-like face with piercing gray eyes.

  It was one of the gigantic bodyguards. Appearing out of nowhere. Barring my way to the stairs. How had he—? Oh, right, the invisible man trick. Forgot about that. But why hide?

  “Are you guys testing me again?”

  “Of course.”

  “Apparently I still can’t see or sense invisible vampires.”

  “Apparently.”

  I climbed to my feet. “Hello again. What’s your name?”

  He dropped to one knee and bowed his head, same position as the
previous night at Haven. “Mi chiamo Primo, Principessa.”

  “Primo?” I echoed.

  “Si.”

  “Perche? Why?” Primo meant first. First one of what?

  “First born. Of four,” Thomas supplied.

  “You mean your four goons—sorry. I mean, your four exceptionally large bodyguards are brothers?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did four brothers all become vampires? Did you kill them or adopt them or what? Are the other three named Secondo, Terzo, e Quarto?” I’d die laughing if they were named second, third, and fourth.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Thomas countered.

  “What?”

  Thomas gazed at me with his hypnotic green eyes and tilted his chin upward.

  Right, Alexander. And Tessa. “Oh now you want to tell me where they are and what’s going on here?”

  “In time, cara mia,” Thomas replied. “First, we must feed your hunger.”

  “I’m not—” My stomach growled. “Oh.”

  It had been a while since the frittata at Adrian’s and I couldn’t afford weakness right now. Not when surrounded by tricky vampires. Not when Alexander might need my help.

  Locate and protect, my inner vampire growled.

  “Yes, please, Primo, I’d love a drink. I’ll have what Stella is having.” She still sat on the piano bench, glass of blood in hand. She took a sip. I licked my lips, thirsty.

  While Primo vanished to fill my order, a pang of doubt struck. Last night Jonas said I was a barely-in-control newbie vampire. Would drinking blood push me over the edge? Was that a good or a bad thing in this situation?

  Primo reappeared with a tray and placed three wine glasses on the coffee table by the vampires. But I was in no mood to join them. I needed to chug and run.

  I cleared my throat. “Primo would you please bring me—”

  “That will be all, Primo,” Thomas interrupted. He closed his laptop, set it aside. “Work time is over.”

  The living room shimmered out of existence.

  I jumped on my bed and watched Uncle Tommy. He was stretched out on the couch by the fireplace working on his computer. He frowned a lot when he worked. I didn’t like that. I hopped off the bed and scampered over. He didn’t notice, so I yanked on his pant leg.