Sara Humphreys - Vampire Trouble

“Welcome, my friends,” Xavier shouted from the stool he stood on. Pushing his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, he pressed a button on the remote control in his hand and the doors swished shut behind them. “I have been expecting you.”

He flew across the room and landed in front of Shane and Maya with an enormous grin. His shock of white hair stood out in about a thousand directions, and the clothes and lab coat he wore were equally disheveled. Xavier was a dwarf with a huge personality, and he always seemed to fill the room with his boundless energy.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Maya.” Xavier reached up and offered his hand, which Maya promptly shook. He looked her up and down with a nod of approval. “Olivia told me you would be coming by to stock up on weapons, but I didn’t realize you were training to be a sentry.”

“I’m not, not really,” Maya said nervously as he released her hand.

“Yes, she is.” Shane leaned down and shook Xavier’s hand, but he didn’t miss the surprised look on Maya’s face. “By the time I’m done with Maya, she’ll be able to tangle with the best of them. Sentry or not.”

“I may not be able to show you how to fight,” Xavier said with a wink, “but I can give you some outstanding weapons. I have a new gun that’s so easy to use, even a youngling like yourself will feel like a pro in no time.”

A fluttering noise from above captured Maya’s attention, and she looked up to see where it was coming from. All she could see were the dangling weapons. A few of them wobbled as though something or someone had flown past. Looking toward the ceiling, Xavier chuckled and stuck his hands in the pockets of his lab coat.

“We have guests,” Xavier called. “You should come out and say hello.”

The fluttering noise echoed through the room, but Maya still couldn’t pinpoint the location. Xavier was a bit eccentric, and part of her wondered if he was shouting at nothing at all.

“Come on.” He waved them toward the back of the room. “I have some items set aside for you, Shane, but I thought you’d like to select certain things yourself, like the ammo.”

“Thank you.” Shane followed Xavier and motioned for Maya to do the same. Hands clasped behind his back, Shane glanced briefly at the ceiling before stopping in front of the back wall. “Has Bella been paying you more visits?”

“Who’s Bella?” Maya asked, looking warily toward the ceiling.

“She’s a friend,” Xavier said with a sly smile. “But she’s shy. Probably for the best anyway. She only speaks Romanian. I’ve been working on teaching her English, but so far I can’t get her to say much. Usually she just hangs around and smiles at me while I work.”

Isabella is a ghost. Shane’s voice slid into Maya’s mind with welcoming familiarity and instantly put her at ease. She’s haunted the halls of The Cloisters for years but recently took a liking to Xavier. I’ve never seen her, but he talks about her all the time. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s harmless.

I hope so. Maya eyed the ceiling again. I’ve had all the trouble I can handle.

“Do you know any Romanian?” Xavier asked while fishing the remote out of the pocket of his white lab coat.

“Me?” Maya shook her head. “No. English is my first and only language.”

“You?” He nodded toward Shane.

“Sadly, I do not, but if you need Spanish, French, German, or Japanese translations, then I would be of some assistance.”

“Wait a minute.” Maya stopped dead in her tracks. “You speak all those languages?”

“I have been roaming the planet for four centuries.” Shane frowned. “Actually, it’s rather appalling that I haven’t learned more. Most vampires my age are fluent in many more languages than that.”

“Yeah.” Maya pursed her lips and nodded. “I was just thinking what a slacker you are.”

Shane shot her an annoyed look that quickly faded when he saw the teasing look in her eyes. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

Maya smiled and lifted one shoulder but said nothing because he was right. She was relieved that he didn’t appear to hate her after what had happened. Then, her smile faltered as she realized why he was being so forgiving.

He was her bloodmate, and without her, he would never walk in the sun. Did Shane truly care for her, or was he merely following the bloodmate trail?

Xavier pushed another button on his remote, and seconds later the back wall slid away to reveal a massive arsenal—but it didn’t stop there. Another wall covered with guns disappeared behind the neighboring panel to reveal a walk-in closet that would make any warrior drool. It was the NYC Presidium’s armory.

When Maya looked at Shane, the expression on his face was a combination of excitement and simmering aggression. He reminded her of a tiger, pacing back and forth, and waiting for the right moment to strike. Shane stepped into the cavernous armory and immediately started picking up various guns and slipping them into hidden compartments within his jacket. He handled them with absolute confidence, and while Maya watched him, the word “graceful” actually came to mind.

Shane was most definitely in his element.

Maya, however, was not, and to say she was intimidated by the space would be an understatement.

“Don’t be shy.” Xavier waved for her to come in. He flew up and stood on top of a stool at the far side of the room. “I have something here that’s perfect for you.”

Maya went over to him, although she couldn’t help but notice that Shane was watching her while he packed various items into his bag, which now had more firepower than clothing. When she finally reached Xavier, he was holding a gun out to her with both hands.

“Here.” He smiled warmly. “Give it a try. It’s not loaded, so you don’t have to worry about any accidents.”

Maya licked her lips, which suddenly felt dry. She stared at the shiny stainless-steel weapon. Slipping the bag off her shoulder, Maya placed it on the ground before tentatively taking the gun from Xavier.

She held the weapon in both hands and turned it over, carefully inspecting it. It was lighter than she expected and had a long, thin barrel with what looked like a skinny pole running along the top of it. The handle was smooth, and wrapping her fingers around it, she was surprised at how easily and naturally it fit in her hand.

“How is it?” Shane’s voice drifted over her left shoulder, making Maya jump a bit. He’d moved in behind her without a sound and stood just inches away. “Is it too heavy or cumbersome feeling?”

Maya lifted one shoulder and looked at the weapon in her hands. “I have no idea how it’s supposed to feel. I’ve never held a gun before. At least, not since I was turned,” she added quickly. “I couldn’t tell you what the hell I held or didn’t hold when I was human.”

“Well, I doubt you ever held anything like this.” Xavier pushed his glasses up onto his head and pointed one pudgy finger at the gun. “That gun takes standard silver bullet ammo and liquid silver bullets.”

“That’s new.” Shane had moved closer, but Maya did her best to focus on what Xavier was saying instead of the way her body was reacting to Shane.

“And deadly to both vamps and werewolves.” Xavier snagged two ammunition magazines from the shelf behind him and held them up. “The black mags contain the solid silver bullets. As you know, they kill only with a shot to the head or heart. The white mags have the liquid silver bullets. Once they hit the target, liquid silver is injected into the bloodstream. Given the amount, it’s almost always fatal.”

“You’re a genius, my friend.” Shane reached past Maya and took the ammunition from Xavier. “I’ll hold on to these.”