Jocelynn Drake - Nightwalker

Sadira settled in an ornate chair in one corner of the room, allowing her to survey the entire room and keep her back to the wall. We hadn’t survived this long without learning to be cautious. Of course, in my case it also helped to be lucky.

I looked around the cozy room, taking in the pale yellow striped wallpaper and antique furniture with its slightly faded flower print. Lamps dotted the room, casting the area in a soft, warm glow while sweeping back the shadows to the far corners. There were a few landscape portraits and bookshelves set into the walls.

“Is there anything I can get you?” James inquired, drawing my attention back to him. He was so eager to be involved, to help in some fashion, even if it was only fetching food, that I wanted to smile. By the sheer fact that we hadn’t drained him dry yet, he was willing to give me and my kind a chance. I wished more humans could view us with the same open-mindedness.

“Do you have any more hunters lying around?” I asked, knowing Danaus couldn’t be the only hunter lurking around this rambling old house. “I’d like at least a pair at the door.”

“Of course.”

“And a meal for my companions.”

“Food for Michael and Gabriel will not be a problem, but…” He hedged nervously, his gaze darting to Sadira, who smiled. While she would never admit to it, she was enjoying James’s discomfort.

“Sadira and I will hunt outside of the Compound later this evening,” I said, then looked over at Tristan. He was still young and I had no doubt that last night’s confrontation had left him feeling like he could use a bite. I didn’t want a half-starved nightwalker on my hands when I was having trouble myself, particularly around this many humans. They were hell to control and extremely dangerous.

“I’ll feed later as well,” Tristan volunteered, his voice soft but firm.

“Very good,” James said with a quiet sigh of relief. “Anything else?”

“Yes, a shower.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Pushing him back out the door, I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. “I’m a vampire, James, not a self-cleaning oven,” I said. I turned my gaze to Sadira for a moment. “Find me another Tabor. I’ll be back soon.” Closing the door, I looked at James again, who was blushing.

“Forgive me, I just never thought…” he stammered, resettling his gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his narrow nose.

“Yeah, all us undead don’t need to bathe. Our magic keeps us clean.” Laying my hands on his shoulders, I gently turned him so he was pointed toward the main hall. “Find me a shower and then fetch the food. If you’re lucky, we’ll be out of your hair in less than an hour.”

James silently led me up the stairs to the second floor. Down the hall to the left, he opened the third door, revealing a beautiful bedroom decorated in mint green and gold. A large four-poster bed dominated the room, and a heavy walnut desk lounged against the far wall. The room was neat and clean, with its books properly arranged. I paused at the bureau to look at the row of pictures, all of smiling family and friends.

“This room belongs to Melanie Richards. She’s currently in the States visiting family,” James explained. “I would give you a spare room, but we’re a little crowded at the moment.”

“Had to call in reinforcements?” I teased. His mouth bobbed open and closed for a moment, but I had pity on him. There was something a little endearing about this poor human. Maybe it was just the fact that he didn’t resemble a librarian at the moment, like all the others. “I don’t blame you,” I whispered, with a secret little smile.

I turned my gaze back to the pictures, wondering if any of the females was the room’s owner. “I bet she’s going to be upset to discover she missed out on seeing the vampire circus sweep through.”

“That’s an understatement,” James muttered, earning a light chuckle from me.

“You’ll just have to tell her that I used her shower. Maybe that will placate her,” I said, feeling supremely absurd. I walked into the bathroom off the bedroom. It was small, with a set of green towels hanging on the towel rod. Most of the personal items had been removed, but I was relieved to find some shampoo and bath gel. I smelled of smoke and felt grimy, coated in a thick layer of my own blood.

“Is there anything else I can do?” he offered, his hand resting on the white marble sink.

“No, I can handle this, unless you want to stay and wash my back?”

This time James smiled and shook his head. I think he was beginning to catch on to my teasing. “I shall leave you and take care of the other items.” With that, he headed out of the room.

I closed the bathroom door and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a nightmare. My red hair hung about my face in matted clumps, filled with dried blood, leaves, and dirt. My face and body were streaked with blood and dirt. I looked like the hideous, blood-sucking monster vampires were proclaimed to be. And yet none of my own fear was showing beneath the blood and dirt. The world couldn’t see that I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing. Most of my decisions were made on the fly, and the fact that I was still alive was a testament to my own stupid luck.

Turning away from the mirror in disgust, I turned on only the hot water and stripped out of my clothes. I climbed into the tub and sighed as the steaming hot water heated my cold flesh and turned my complexion pink. It was the quickest way to gain warmth without feeding. The feeling was always short-lived, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Relaxed again, I washed my hair and scrubbed off last night’s encounters at the pub, in the alley with Rowe, and in the woods.

With my hands braced against the tile wall, I let the hot water pour down on my head and over my body, rinsing off the dirt and soap. I closed my eyes and stretched out my senses. I started on the first floor, pausing for a second. While I couldn’t feel Sadira, I could pick up the swell of power emanating from her. So much for hiding. Hell, let her blame it on me. Jabari had plenty to be angry with me for. Why not add one more thing? I had a few things I was eager to discuss with the Elder.

The members of Themis were still anxious, running about the large mansion like a hive of angry bees. There was a large group meeting at the opposite end of the second floor. I didn’t pause to hear what they were discussing. I didn’t care. We’d be gone soon and I’d never have to deal with these people again.

On the third floor, I located Danaus. He was so calm and at peace, I could only guess he was asleep. He was more difficult to read than humans and other nightwalkers. Much like most magic users, his powers seemed to muddy things. I could pick up on emotions but not specific thoughts. I lingered over him, soaking in his calm the same way I had soaked in the warmth of his powers. Reluctantly, I moved on and was about to pull away when I picked up on the other strong magic user in the house. He was on the third floor in what felt like a large room. He was calm as well, but there was a deeper sense of concern and anticipation curling around him. This had to be the illustrious Ryan.

With a shake of my head, I closed the connection and turned off the shower. Wiping off the excess water, I towel-dried my hair as best as I could. Reluctantly, I pulled on my pants, shoes, and bra. The shirt was ruined. I would have to borrow something from Miss Richards for now. If we had time, I hoped to stop at the hotel in London and pick up my things before we flew out. Locating a brush under the sink, I ran it through my hair, getting rid of the tangles as best as I could. When finished, I at least felt like I carried the semblance of average humanity.

Reaching for the doorknob, I suddenly stopped. Michael was waiting for me in the bedroom, his heart thudding fast in worry. I jerked open the door to find him pacing the room, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides.