Sharon Ashwood - Unchained

Holly picked up a tiny stuffed whale from the coffee table, squishing it between her fingers. “Alessandro filled me in last night after your phone call. He spent the rest of the night talking to the other vampires in town, but none of the locals seem to know about out-of-towners or anyone who might hire a sniper.”

“That’s pretty much what I expected,” Ashe replied.

“Alessandro’s put in a call to Queen Omara, just to give her a heads-up. He kind of had to.” Holly grimaced. “I really hope she doesn’t decide to pay a visit. Once she’s involved, the two vampire courts will be at war.”

Ashe could see the strain on Holly’s face. War meant casualties, and Alessandro would be in the thick of it. “Who are these vamps? Are they all with the King of the East?”

“And how did this collector find a thief inside the Castle?” Reynard put in. “There are connections here we do not see quite yet.”

“There are collector demons,” Holly offered tentatively. “Gathering stuff is a sickness with them, kind of like hoarders with superpowers. They’re notorious for double-crossing whomever they’re working with if they’re offered the right trinket.”

“Who would hire someone like that?” Ashe countered. “Wouldn’t they check references?”

“And forgive me for saying this, Captain, but would someone want a vessel containing your life essence?” Holly’s forehead furrowed with concern.

Reynard leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He had that closed look again. “I don’t really know. I assume for some work of the dark arts. Magic stole my life to bind me to my Castle duties. It stands to reason the same magic could install it elsewhere.”

“It’s not the Castle itself that binds you?”

“No.” His voice was heavy. “No more than any of the other inhabitants. The guardsmen’s power itself has a separate origin. One that chains us much more firmly.”

“So if the changes in the Castle’s magic haven’t affected the old guards, do you feel any different when you leave its domain? Do you get hungry or thirsty?” Holly asked.

“It happens more slowly with us than for the other residents. If there is too great a separation between body and soul, the spells that keep the guardsmen alive begin to weaken. That’s when we begin to feel ordinary appetites.”

What did that make those exquisite kisses in the gym? Ashe wondered. Most likely a really bad sign.

Holly tapped her chin with the stuffed whale. “So how did the guardsmen get started?”

“I’m afraid that was far before my time. I think they’ve been there as long as the Castle.”

Eden tugged Ashe’s sleeve, finished sulking and clearly bored by the adult conversation. She looked up, her hot-chocolate gaze at its most appealing. “Where’s Robin? Can I see her?”

The interruption scattered Ashe’s thoughts. She’d been on the cusp of making a connection, but it was gone now. She looked at her sister. “Is that okay?”

“Robin’s in the downstairs nursery, asleep. Eden, can you be very, very quiet?” Holly asked.

“Sure,” Eden replied, as if that was a completely unnecessary question.

Ashe stood, glad of the excuse to take a quick peek at her niece. “Come on, kiddo.”

The room was down a short hall decorated with wainscoting and an old-fashioned striped wallpaper. Eden followed Ashe, her hands in her pockets. “I hate the idea of the hellhounds outside. The kids around here already think I’m a terrorist spy. If they find out my aunt’s got a dog army guarding her house, my life is over.”

Ashe tried to digest that, but failed. “Y’know, they turn into hot guys in leather at least half the time. That’s pretty cool.”

“Human is cool, Mom. Everyone knows that.”

“Since when?”

“Since forever. They used to burn witches, you know.”

Ashe stopped and took her daughter by the shoulders. She was actually shocked. “Don’t you ever turn your back on your family or what they are.”

Eden’s face turned serious. “The kids at school . . .”

“Are complete idiots.” Ashe let her go. “You know that, right?”

“I don’t want to go there. I want to go back to Saint Flo’s.” Eden gave her hostile eyes. “I bet I could hitchhike.”

“The ocean would be a problem.” Ashe bit her tongue, wanting to say more, but Eden was only a child.

“Yeah, but I have to go to this school that hates me, so what am I supposed to do?” Eden was close to shouting, the anger sharp and real.

“We’ll figure something out. I promise.”

“When?”

Ashe made a decision. Her daughter was on the verge of getting her magic. Life was going to be hard enough for Eden, getting used to all that, and she’d run away once already. “You and I will have a talk before next weekend. Maybe there’s a different school we can try.”

The girl’s face melted with relief.

Bingo. Ashe put her arm around her daughter, and they walked into the downstairs nursery. It used to be Grandma’s room when she had lived in the house, and her Victorian tastes showed in the flowered wallpaper and pink Chinese carpet. Holly had made it into a second room for the baby, closer than the nursery two floors above.

“This room feels different,” Eden said softly, remembering not to wake the baby. “Super quiet.”

“It’s the house watching over Robin. It will keep away anyone who means harm to one of us.”

“One of us?”

“One of the family.”

“Cool.”

“You bet it is.” Ashe kissed the top of Eden’s curly head. “Here you’ve got the house, the hellhounds, Aunt Holly, and Uncle Alessandro to look after you. This is the safest place in Fairview.”

“Did my grandma and grandpa live here?” Eden asked.

Ashe’s stomach tightened; she felt the ghosts of her past circling around. “This used to be their house. Holly and I grew up here.”

Eden looked up at Ashe. “Are there any pictures of them?”

“Aunt Holly would know where they are. Now, let’s look at Robin.”

Ashe crossed to where the baby’s crib stood in the middle of the room. Robin had been born healthy but a little too soon, and was still tiny. A pink fuzzy sleeper engulfed her limbs, making her the same shape as a gingerbread cookie. Her hair was wheat blond like her father’s, but there wasn’t much of it yet. A single downy tuft crowned the top of her head like the curl on an ice-cream cone.

“She’s so funny-looking!” Eden whispered.

“Shh. Don’t say that in front of Aunt Holly.” Ashe felt her heart lighten. “All babies look like that.”

Robin was going to be beautiful. Ashe thought she could see something of both parents in Robin: the bow of Holly’s mouth, Caravelli’s straight nose. It would be fascinating to see who this miracle child turned out to be, what powers she would wield.

Ashe gripped the crib rail, aching to reach down and touch the baby’s petal-soft skin, but afraid to wake her. She had wanted more kids. At least now there was another child around. Being an auntie had its perks.

Eden gave an eager smile. “I bet I get to hold her later.”

“If you’re really lucky, you can change her diaper.”

Eden made a face at that.

Reynard and Holly came in. Despite his graceful movements, the captain seemed too large for the feminine room. He looked down into the crib and his face went soft. “Hello, darling girl.”

The way he said it, with that accent, had Ashe melting where she stood. “Have babies changed much?”

Reynard looked up, his gray eyes filled with something she couldn’t name. Sorrow, but deeper, as if the bad boy and the gentleman had stepped aside, and the real Reynard looked out at her for the first time.