by I. T. Lucas
Then again, self-talk was a powerful tool for shaping one's opinion about oneself, so she shouldn’t feel guilty about hoping to see him in her dreams again.
Talking to her subconscious while sleeping seemed to have a therapeutic effect on her, and it didn’t matter who her weird brain had chosen for the role. Although selecting Logan, of all people, must say something about her and who her psyche gravitated toward.
Except, Ella hadn’t dreamt about Logan since her first night in the village, and it seemed that her subconscious had entered the same sloth mode that her conscious self had.
The therapist her mother kept harping on about could probably shed light on what was going on in her head, but Ella wasn’t going to see her. Her current issues would resolve with time, the same way her grief over her father’s death had.
No therapist could talk the pain away, and Ella wasn’t willing to take antidepressants either.
It was like putting a bandage over a bullet wound but leaving the bullet in. From the outside, everything would seem just peachy, which would make everyone happy, but the insides would fester, eventually killing the patient.
Ella chuckled. That analogy would no longer work when she was an immortal, but there was plenty of time before she attempted that.
Instinctively, she felt she had to get better first.
With a sigh, Ella pushed her feet into a pair of flip-flops and opened the bedroom’s door.
The mental break she’d taken from life had to end, even though ten days were not nearly enough for the brain reboot she needed.
It was back to putting on a smile and acting as if everything was fine.
She was a pro at that. Pretending had become second nature to her, so much so that she’d even believed in the lies she’d told herself.
She’d done it twice already—once after her father’s death, and the second time with the Russian.
She could do it again.
The first two times had been necessary for her survival. This time she was going to do it for the sake of her family.
And who knew?
Maybe pretending to be okay would actually help her feel that way?
9
Vivian
The sun was setting, and it was getting cold, but Vivian dreaded going home. The evening walks with Magnus were a much-needed respite from the dark mood permeating their house, and as guilty as it made her feel to think like that, she wasn’t ready to get back yet.
“You seem chilly.” Magnus shrugged his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.
The warmth that was trapped inside enveloped her like a cozy blanket, and when she pushed her arms into the sleeves, Vivian let out a contented sigh.
“What gave me away? The goosebumps on my arms, or the chattering teeth?”
“The goosebumps. I would’ve never allowed you to get so cold that your teeth chattered.” He rubbed his hands over her arms.
Stretching on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “My knight in a fancy suit.”
“I think it’s time to go back.”
“Yeah, we should. It’s going to be dark soon.”
As they neared their house and Magnus unhooked the leash from Scarlet’s collar, she loped toward the front door. The dog seemed equally excited about going out for walks as she was about coming back.
“Mom!” Parker opened the door. “My fangs are finally coming out.” He fended off Scarlet, who lifted up on her hind legs and was trying to climb up his thighs. “Come take a look!”
From behind him, Ella grinned.
It was the first genuine smile Vivian had seen on her daughter’s face since the day she’d been rescued.
Ella put her hand on Parker’s shoulder. “The very tips are out, and they are pointy. So cute. He looks like a baby vampire.”
“Let me see.” Vivian hooked a finger under Parker’s chin and lifted his head up to the setting sun. “Yep. I can see them.”
“This calls for a celebration,” Magnus said. “How about we go to a restaurant tonight?”
Vivian shook her head. “I already cooked dinner.”
Ella looked relieved. Apparently, the grin didn’t mean she was ready to go out yet.
Parker, on the other hand, was disappointed. “We can eat yours tomorrow.”
Vivian wrapped her arms around him and kissed his soft cheek. “You don’t have the teeth to eat a steak with, so what’s the point? That’s the only thing you order when we go out.”
His old canines had fallen out on Friday, and it would be a long time before his fangs were long enough to bite into a steak again. “But even if you did, it would’ve hurt too much. Your gums are swollen. Did you take the pain meds Bridget gave you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I think you should stick to the mashed potatoes tonight.”
“Blah. I don’t like them. Why didn’t you make fries?”
She patted his back. “You’ll thank me once you start eating.”
“I’ll set the table.” Ella flip-flopped to the kitchen.
Was it her imagination, or did Ella look a little more upbeat?
Perhaps she was caught up in the excitement over Parker’s fangs finally coming out.
Vivian shook her head.
Her sweet baby boy was growing fangs. Reality was indeed stranger than fiction.
When the table was set, Vivian opened the warming drawer and pulled out the meatloaf and mashed potatoes she’d made before going out on a walk with Magnus.
“It’s Monday,” Parker said.
Ella lifted a brow. “So?”
“Mondays and Wednesdays are supposed to be steak days.” He sounded so despondent that it was almost funny.
“Says who?”
“We made a deal. Each of us got to choose what we eat two days of the week, and Sundays we eat out. I guess now that you’re back we need to redo the schedule. But Mondays are still steak days.” He cast Vivian an accusing look. “Meatloaf is for Fridays.”
“I know, sweetie. But as I explained before, you can’t eat meat without canines, and your gums will hurt even when chewing something softer. I made these easy to chew dishes especially for you.”
With a long-suffering sigh, Parker put a small chunk of meatloaf on his fork. “The fangs are worth it.” He closed his eyes and pushed the chunk into his mouth.
“I can make you an awesome ravioli with mushrooms dish,” Ella said. “It will melt in your mouth.”
“I don’t like mushrooms.”
“Since when are you so picky?”
Vivian put her fork down and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “When we stayed at the other location, Magnus spoiled him with restaurant food takeout. Now he doesn't want to eat anything home cooked.”
“I’m still good with steaks and anything else barbecued.”
Ella eyed him with an evil smirk. “Oh, yeah? I can barbecue some zucchini and eggplant for you. Comes out delicious.”
The banter between her kids that had used to annoy Vivian was now the best table conversation she could hope for.
It was familiar and reassuring.
“I almost forgot,” Magnus said. “Roni asks what name do you want to put on your fake papers?” He reached behind him to the suit jacket he’d hung over the back of the chair. “I have a list of possible names.” He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Ella.
“Can’t I just make up my own?” She took the note and opened it.
“Good fake documents use the names of real people who’ve passed away, and in your case, it is doubly important to have the best possible. Gorchenco might be still looking for you.”
Ignoring his comment about the Russian, Ella asked, “So Magnus is not your real name?”
“It is. The MacBain isn't.”
“What is it then?”
“I don’t have one. It’s just Magnus.”
“And what’s Mom’s fake name?”
“Victoria MacBain.”
Ella glanced at the note and frowned.
“I don’t see MacBain on the list.” She seemed disappointed.
“It’s better for you and your mom not to share the same fake last name.”
“Yeah, makes sense.” Ella looked at the note for a long time. “I like Kelly Rubinstein, age twenty-one.” She smirked. “It opens all kinds of possibilities.”
As long as it got her out of the house, Vivian didn’t mind Ella going to a bar and getting herself a drink or two. Anything was better than rotting away in her room for days on end.
“Indeed,” Magnus said. “I’ll tell Roni. Now, all we need is to get your picture.”
Since the drinking age in Scotland was sixteen when accompanied by an adult and eighteen to order their own, Magnus probably hadn’t suspected Ella’s motive for choosing the name of a twenty-one-year-old.
“Can he wait with it for a few days? Amanda offered to give me a makeover, and I would like to take her up on that. I want the picture to look nothing like I look now.”
Magnus took the note and put it back in his suit jacket’s pocket. “There’s no rush. For now, we can take you wherever you need to go, but if you want to get a car and drive yourself places, you’ll need a driver’s license.”
Ella waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not in a hurry. Even with the wig and glasses, I’m still scared to leave the safety of the village.”
“Even when you’re with us?” Magnus asked.
“Even with you. I know he’s still looking for me.”
Leaning back in his chair, Magnus nodded. “Right now, Gorchenco is back in Russia, and rumors are that he’s mourning the death of his young wife. But that doesn’t mean that his people are not looking for you.”
Vivian’s eyes widened. Did Magnus say wife?
“But don’t worry,” he said. “We’ve covered our tracks well and the staging was impeccable. His people will snoop around and double-check every piece of information, and eventually, they will have to give up and accept that you are really dead.”
Closing her eyes, Ella put a hand over her heart and slumped in her chair. “That would be the best news ever. I’m afraid he’ll never stop looking for me.”
“Because you are his wife?” Vivian bit out.
It rankled that Ella hadn’t shared that information with her. Had Gorchenco forced her to marry him?
“No, not because I’m his damn wife, or was. But because he knows he’ll never find another lookalike of his lost love.” Ella opened her eyes and leveled them at Vivian. “Can we please never talk about this again? I’m about to barf out the meatloaf, and it’s not going to be pretty.”
10
Magnus
“Why didn’t you tell me he married her?” Vivian asked when Ella excused herself and went back to her room.
“I thought you knew.” Magnus rose to his feet and started collecting the dishes.
She handed him her plate. “If I did, I would’ve told you.”
“It’s not a big deal. Ella is dead to the world. That marriage is null and void. I don’t know why you’re so upset about it.” He carried the plates to the sink.
Following him, Vivian sighed. “I don’t like to put Ella and dead in the same sentence. And I’m upset that she didn’t tell me about marrying Gorchenco. The only reason she wouldn’t was that my daughter didn’t think I could handle it.”
“Don’t take it too hard. It was her way of protecting her family, and it probably made her feel like she had at least some control over what was happening to her. She couldn't refuse Gorchenco, but she could choose whether to tell you or not.”
His explanation seemed to mollify Vivian. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I need to find a way to get her out of the house. Sitting in her room all day and cooking in her own juices is not doing her any good. She needs to meet people.”
Magnus put the last plate in the dishwasher and closed it. “The obvious solution is to invite people over here. But you said she didn’t want you to do that.”
“She said she didn’t want pity visits and threatened to go to her room if I invited girls I thought could become her friends. Like Tessa and Wonder. They are not much older than Ella. Sylvia too, even though she’s in her mid-twenties. She’s mated to Roni who’s not even twenty yet.”
Magnus chuckled. “Technically, Wonder is ancient.” He’d told Vivian Wonder’s story, but she must’ve forgotten.
Vivian waved a dismissive hand. “She didn’t actually live for all those years, so they don’t count.”
As Parker walked into the kitchen and reached for his pain meds, Vivian put a hand on his shoulder. “When was the last time you took them? Bridget said no more than two every four hours.”
He grimaced. “Are three and a half hours okay? My gums are killing me.”
She nodded. “Maybe we should get you some topical numbing.”
“Like for babies?”
“Yeah.” She ruffled his hair. “You’re my baby, and you’re always going to be even when you’re six feet tall and have a beard on that beautiful face.”
He pretended to grimace, but it was more of a crooked smile. Despite protests to the contrary, the boy loved being babied by his mother.
Magnus handed him a glass of water. “Here you go, buddy. If you want, we can go over to Merlin’s and ask him for that stinky stuff he makes to numb pain. If you don’t mind the smell and taste of it, the paste is effective.”
“I'm willing to give it a try. Do you want to go now?”
“Let me check with Merlin.”
Magnus fired off a quick text to which Merlin replied with a thumbs up.
“Grab a jacket, Parker. It’s getting cold outside.”
The kid rolled his eyes. “It's less than a hundred feet to Merlin’s house, and I can’t catch a cold anymore.”
“As you wish. Don’t complain to me when you’re shivering.” Magnus turned to Vivian. “I’m going to leave Scarlet with you. Merlin has too much breakable stuff for her to get into.”
The guy’s house was a mess. Stacks of books were tucked into every corner, and the lab equipment was strewn over every surface. Not to mention the smell. For some reason, all of Merlin’s creations stank.
Vivian kissed his cheek. “Don’t take long. I’m making coffee.”
When they got there, Merlin’s door was open, which Magnus took to mean they were invited to just walk in.
“Wow, it stinks in here.” He pinched his nose closed.
Parker looked up at him with a raised brow. “It’s not so bad. I like the smell of cooking potions.”
“You’re a weird kid. This is okay, but your mother’s meatloaf is not?”
“Smell and taste are not the same. It’s like the cologne you put on. It smells good, but you wouldn't drink it, right?”
“You have a point.”
“Hello, neighbors.” Merlin walked into his living room, wearing purple pajamas with little white stars and moons printed on them, a long, gray house robe, and a pair of fluffy orange slippers. “I have just the thing for you, my young friend.” He pulled a tube out of his robe’s pocket. “Smear it all over your gums whenever they bother you.”
Magnus eyed the thing suspiciously. “What’s in it?”
“Just some medicinal herbs. Organically grown without the use of harmful pesticides. It’s perfectly safe.”
Taking a quick sniff, Magnus crinkled his nose. As a boy, he hadn’t given much thought to what was in the paste. As long as it helped with the pain, he’d been willing to smear cockroach juice on his gums. But as an adult, he now knew of several herbs that although safe were not something a kid should ingest. “You sure about it?”
Merlin waved a dismissive hand. “Positive.” Removing a stack of newspapers from the couch, he put them on the coffee table. “Now come sit with me and tell me how Ella is doing.”
The couch, which had been brand new just a few short weeks ago, was covered in stains and burn marks.
“I would love to stay and chat, but Vivian is e
xpecting me back home for coffee.” Feeling uncomfortable about leaving right after getting what he’d come for, Magnus added, “You’re more than welcome to come and join us.”
Merlin grinned. “I would love to. It gets a bit lonely here in the evenings.” He walked toward the door, and then glanced at them over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”
“Don’t you want to change first?” Parker asked.
“No. I’m very comfortable.” Merlin tightened the belt around his waist. “This will do.”
Magnus shrugged. As long as the guy wasn’t naked, he could wear whatever he wanted. “Let’s go.”
“Is Ella still staying in the house all day?” Merlin asked as they stepped out the door.
“I’m afraid so.”
“It’s so sad.” Merlin shook his head. “Maybe I can prepare a potion for her. Something to lift her mood.”
“Ella will never take anything like that,” Parker said. “What we need to do is invite Julian for dinner at our house.”
“Ella doesn’t want anyone visiting her.”
“He won’t. Julian will come because you and Mom want to thank him for organizing the rescue. And then he can stay and play computer games with me.”
“I don’t know if he plays.”
“Come on. Julian is a young dude. Of course, he plays. He can come every evening to keep me company.” Parker rolled his eyes and made air quotes. “If he hangs around the house enough, Ella will get used to having him there, and maybe they’ll start talking, and then maybe he’ll ask her out on a date.”
“The kid is a genius.” Merlin patted Parker’s back.
Parker shrugged. “I just know my sister. Ella is stubborn, and she wants to do things her way, but she is a nice person. She will not be rude to Julian and go hide in her room when he comes. And when she gets to know him better, she’ll see that he is a really cool guy.”
It sounded like a good plan, but Ella might see right through it.
Then again, it didn’t matter whether she did or not. The excuse for Julian’s invitation was valid, and so was him staying after dinner, especially if he and Parker seemed to hit it off, which they already had.
