Dianne Duvall: Darkness Rises

Her mother smiled up at him. “Call me Evie.”

When she offered her hand, he took it and brought it to his lips. “A pleasure to meet you, Evie.” He offered his hand to Krysta’s father. “And you as well, Mr. Linz.”

“Call me Martin. Nice to meet you, Étienne.”

Étienne’s mind went blank. Two hundred plus years old and he found himself tongue-tied in the face of his fiancée’s parents.

Not surprising. He hadn’t formally courted a woman since his transformation.

Evie grinned up at her husband. “He reminds me of you, honey. So handsome.”

Heat stole up his neck.

Krysta’s eyes widened. “Are you blushing?”

“No,” he denied swiftly, sparking laughs.

Evie motioned for them to continue through the living room and into the den. “Come in and make yourself comfortable. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

Martin smiled. “Can I get you something to drink, Étienne?”

“Yes, please. Whatever you’re having.”

Krysta raised her brows. It won’t relax you. Alcohol has no affect on us , she reminded him as Martin crossed to a small bar in one corner and poured them both a Scotch.

I thought refusing would seem odd , Étienne said. And I want to appear as human as possible .

“Krysta, do you want anything?” Martin asked.

“No, thanks, Dad.”

“Sean?”

“No, thanks.”

Martin returned and handed Étienne a glass.

Étienne ignored the urge to down it in one gulp and, instead, sipped it slowly.

Martin sipped his own, moving to stand beside his wife. “So. Should we assume by your presence here tonight that it’s all over?” he asked them.

Étienne looked at Krysta, not knowing what he meant.

She seemed just as confused. “All what?”

He motioned to the front of the house. “Whatever inspired you to station guards around the property.”

Étienne froze.

Krysta gaped. “You knew about that?”

They nodded.

“How?”

“Honey,” Evie said gently, “you know I have strong empathic abilities. I could sense them out there.”

Merde . How were they going to explain that?

“I can’t tell you how hard it was,” Evie added, “for me to refrain from taking them some sandwiches or soda or something to help them through the long, boring hours, but they didn’t seem to want us to know they were there.”

“Uh-huh,” Krysta muttered, apparently as at a loss as Étienne.

“So? What happened?”

Krysta swallowed audibly. “There was . . . a . . . uh . . .”

“Stalker,” Étienne blurted. “Krysta acquired an Internet stalker who lost his head over her beauty and cleverness and we feared he might harm you in his desire to get to her.”

Krysta sent him a relieved smile, then nodded somberly.

Sean pursed his lips and watched his parents.

Martin looked down at Evie. “I like him. He thinks fast on his feet.”

She nodded.

They knew he was bullshitting?

Hoping Krysta wouldn’t kick his ass later, Étienne did what he had sworn he wouldn’t do tonight and read her parents’ minds. He had intended to let them get to know him the regular way without peeking into their thoughts and using whatever he found there to manipulate them into liking him. But he needed to know what it was they thought they knew.

Evie proved to be as difficult to read as her daughter. But Martin . . .

Étienne sucked in a breath.

“What?” Krysta asked.

“They know.”

“Know what?”

“Everything.”

“About us? What, are you reading their minds?”

“Yes.”

She turned to her mother. “You know we’re engaged?”

Evie’s eyes widened. “You’re engaged?” Squealing, she yanked Krysta into a hug and jumped up and down. “My baby’s engaged! Congratulations! We just thought you were lovers.”

Sean laughed.

Étienne kept his eyes on their father.

Martin knew everything. He knew Krysta had spent the last six years hunting vampires, something she thought she had successfully kept from them. He knew Sean had helped her. He knew Étienne had saved her ass. More than once. He knew they had been battling soldiers. And he knew Étienne was immortal.

Sort of. He thought Étienne was a “good vampire.”

Evie released her daughter and hugged Étienne.

Surprised, he wrapped his arms around her and gingerly hugged her back.

“Congratulations,” she said.

“Thank you.” He met Martin’s gaze. “I wanted to seek your permission before I asked her, but circumstances were such that I could not,” he admitted. And, damn it, his accent had just gotten thicker and his speech had reverted to the more formal tones of his youth.

Krysta eyed him curiously. “Everything okay?”

Hell, no.

Her mother backed away, face still bright with a grin.

“Krysta,” Étienne asked (casually he hoped), “what did you say your parents’ gifts were?”

“My mother is empathic and my dad is precognitive.”

“He can see the future?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because he has been seeing yours quite clearly for some time now.”

She looked at Martin. “What do you mean?”

“They know you’ve been hunting vampires.”

Her parents nodded.

Krysta shook her head. “No, they don’t. No way.”

Sean cleared his throat. “Um . . . Krysta . . . Étienne just said they know you’ve been hunting vampires and they didn’t flinch or frown or make a cuckoo sign with their fingers. They nodded. I think that pretty much confirms it.”

Krysta kept shaking her head. “No. They would’ve stopped me.”

Her mother shrugged. “Why do you think we refused to pay your and Sean’s college tuition?”

“You didn’t refuse to pay it. You couldn’t pay it. You lost everything when the stock market tanked in 2008.”

Evie waved a hand in a pshaw gesture. “Martin saw that coming from a mile away, as well as the value it would regain over the next few years. We’re actually quite wealthy now. But we knew the only way we could reduce the time you spent risking your life hunting vampires was to ensure that you had to work as many hours as possible to cover rent and help Sean pay his tuition after you dropped out your junior year.”

Martin nodded. “I didn’t foresee Michael’s death, baby. I’m sorry.” He met Étienne’s gaze. “But I did foresee Étienne and how happy he would make you.” He smiled at Krysta. “If we had come up with a way to keep you from hunting vampires, you never would have met him. So we settled for doing what we could to limit your hours, so to speak.”

“You know I’m immortal,” Étienne asked, hardly able to believe it, “and still approve of our impending marriage?”

“Yes,” he responded simply.

Evie nodded. “So?” She turned to Krysta and Sean and rubbed her hands together with anticipation. “Let’s see ’em.”

Krysta and Sean exchanged a glance.

“See what?” Krysta asked.

“Your fangs.”

The siblings looked equally astonished.

“You know about that, too?” Sean asked.

She nodded. “I’ve been trying to get a glimpse of them ever since you arrived.”

“You’re not upset?” Krysta asked.

“That we don’t have to worry about our children ever getting sick or dying? That you’ll be young and healthy forever? No.”

Martin nodded. “Or that you’ll both spend eternity with someone you love? Someone who makes you happy?”

“No,” Evie said again.

“Hell, no,” Martin seconded.

“Wait,” Sean said. “Are you saying I’m going to marry an immortal, too?”

“Yes,” Martin stated with confidence.

“Who is she?”