Book One: The Girl (The Sanctum) (24 page)

The light coming
through the window was bright and crisp, full of tiny sparks and pops, a perfect fall morning. Outside the traffic was picking up as folks headed to school or work or wherever else it was they went at such an early hour. In sharp contrast, the air inside the room was stifling and still, depleted of the life just outside the window. Darby opened her eyes and turned her face towards the sun, relishing the warmth and longing for the outdoors.

She carefully removed the transfusion tube from her arm, certain that one more drop of blood in her system would cause her to explode. Leaning over, she flipped the switch on the machine, turning it off for good. She sat up in bed and crossed her legs, stretched her neck from side to side and her arms high above her head. She could not recall a time feeling so stiff and unused, almost as if she would need to train her limbs to work again.

"I see you're feeling better,” Dev observed as she walked into the room to check on Darby, holding out her hand to formally introduce herself, “and by the way, my name is Dev. I don’t believe I ever introduced myself to you.”

Darby took Dev's outstretched hand in her own and smiled thoughtfully. It was so strange to finally know her name.

"Dev," she let it roll off her tongue nice and slow, sounding more like "Dave" with her thick, Southern drawl. "It's a bit odd but I kinda like it. So nice to finally meet you. And yes, I am definitely feeling better but I can see you're not in the best shape of your life," Darby replied as she took in the dark circles
under Dev’s eyes and her overall gray aura.

Dev paid Darby no mind, not feeling like explaining her appearance and instead, smiled tiredly as she ran her hands over Darby's arms and legs, examining them one final time.

"I feel like I’ve been rode hard and hung up dry, but apparently it was worth it,” Darby whispered mischievously in Dev's ear, “a girl could get used to this treatment.”

"Well, don't," Dev leaned in close and whispered right back, “because this is a one-time rub down. You are so not my type.”

Darby could not help but smile. Apparently, taking care of her had helped Dev overcome some of her squeamishness with vampires.

"I like you this way, all open and relaxed,” Darby laughed, “you remind me of your mama.”

Dev stopped her examination of the tiny vampire, stepped away from her and waited, too shocked to speak, too stunned to trust her voice.

“Maya was your mama, correct?” Darby asked gently, not wanting to further spook Dev, uncertain of how she might react.

“Yes,” Dev replied, still trying to wrap her head around the direction of the conversation, “she was. She’s dead now.”

Darby leaned against the bed with the blow of that news.

“Oh sweet Jesus, I’m sorry.”

“How do you know my mom, Darby?”

“Years ago, we crossed paths. I was rip-roaring through India, killing anything I pleased and she found me. I threatened to kill her and she stilled me with her power. When I woke up, I was lying in the sunshine in the middle of a field as if it was nothin’. She gave me that. I don’t know why she did it, but she did.

“She had some powerful magic running through her. I smell it on you as well. That’s how I knew you were Maya’s.”

“I’m not her blood,” Dev replied.

“Don’t matter,” Darby insisted, “you’ve got that same magic running through those veins of yours. Trust me, I can smell it a mile away.”

“Then why are you always getting up in my face about it?” Dev laughed, “smelling me in my sleep.”

Darby grinned wickedly.

“You get me so hot and bothered, I can’t help myself,” Darby explained as she jumped off the bed, "but don’t worry, I know to keep my distance. Wyatt has warned me that you are off limits. Good lord, that boy loves you something fierce."

Dev pointedly ignored the comment about Wyatt and just watched Darby. It was pretty special that both she and her mom had worked on the vampire, together creating the being standing before her. Dev smiled, feeling a distinct bond with her mom in death that she had never felt when Maya was alive.

"So hot stuff, you gonna tell me what you did or am I gonna have to guess?” Darby’s voice brought Dev back into the moment, “because the fact I'm standing here right now means you laid your hands on me."

Dev handed Darby some fresh clothes and took a seat, still intrigued by the vampire's awesome recovery.

"What do you remember?" Dev asked.

Darby fastened her bra and pulled a sweater over her head, shook out her curls and grabbed the jeans Dev gave her.

“That bastard Luc. He’s what I remember.”

Dev started to ask about Luc, but the door opened and in walked Wyatt. He glanced briefly at Dev and frowned, still smarting from the harsh words she threw at him last night, then quickly turned his attention to Darby. A huge smile, genuine and heartfelt, curved his lips as he wrapped his arms around the vampire. He looked down and kissed the top of her head as he had done thousands of times before, so pleased to be doing so again.

Darby squeezed him tight then wiggled out of his embrace, afraid seeing him like this, so open with his emotions, would make her cry.

“Okay sweetheart,” she smiled up at him, “I’m not dead yet. Let’s not get all mushy about it.”

Wyatt grinned and leaned against her bed, happy to see Darby healed and animated. Watching her lie in that bed, so still and deathlike had been horrible.

“Pardon me for being a little happy to see you up and about.”

“All thanks to the good doctor over there,” Darby nodded in Dev’s direction, “not only is she as hot as a two-dollar pistol
, but
she’s also freakishly talented in the healing department.”

“Two-dollar pistols no longer exist,” Wyatt noted.

“Shut up, smart ass,” Darby grinned at them, “you know exactly what I mean.”

“Stop it,” Dev waved off Darby’s compliment with a smile, “you’re giving me far too much credit. You are a vampire after all. This is what you guys do.”

“If you say so,” Darby wrapped a cold arm around Dev’s waist, “but you and I both know that’s being a bit modest.”

“Well, either way,” Wyatt suddenly stood, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but that room, “I’m glad you’re all right. You think you’re ready to give us a rundown of what happened, or at least what you can remember?”

“Hot damn, Wyatt. You think you can sound a little more formal and Breslin-like? I was fixing to have that lovely chat with Dev and am more than happy to oblige you, but give a girl a second.”

Darby shot Wyatt an annoyed look which he promptly ignored.

“Plus, I’ve gotta see Ryker so your little rundown,” Darby imitated his formal tone, “is going to have to wait a quick second.”

“You just woke up and are already giving me a hard time. I can’t win,” Wyatt laughed, knowing Darby was right, “of course you should see Ryker before you do anything else. I’m headed back that way, so I’ll walk with you.”

Wyatt picked himself off the bed and headed for the door. Dev started to follow and then stopped, not wanting to be in the hallway with him at the same time. Darby watched the two desperately try to avoid one another.

“What’s the deal with y’all?” she asked, stopping both of them in their tracks.

“Nothing,” Dev replied nonchalantly.

“What are you talking about?” Wyatt asked from the doorway.

“Well, shoot me, Wyatt Clayworth, but the last time I was around the two of you, it was all mystical and whatnot. You saved her, she saved you, true love, blah, blah, blah. Not this,” Darby gestured towards them as they stood apart from each other. “I mean for cripe’s sake, you lied to Ryker about her. And now y’all can barely look at each other.”

“You’re right, Darb,” Wyatt agreed, “we did save each other, only to realize we really don’t like one another. So what you’re seeing right now is us trying to make nice for everyone else until Dev can get to wherever it is she needs to be.”

“
That makes about as much sense as tits on a bull
,”
Darby noted dryly.

“Drop it and let’s go find Ryker,” Wyatt said as he left the room and headed for his wing, not waiting to see whether Darby followed.

Dev shrugged her shoulders as Darby walked past.

“He’s right, Darby. We don’t really know one another and the little we do know, we don’t particularly like. You should just leave it alone.”

Darby stopped in front of Dev and studied her painfully beautiful face for a moment, so tired and worn out, and so very sad.

“Sweetheart, you might just be about the world’s worst liar.”

Then she turned on her heel and headed after Wyatt.

“You’re full of it, Clayworth!” Darby yelled after him as she walked down the hall, turning back to smile mischievously at Dev, “she is the love of your life and you know it.”

“Shut up, Darby,” Wyatt responded, sounding far away, “remember I can always revoke your welcome within these fine walls.”

"You wouldn't dare," Darby replied with a laugh.

Their voices faded until Dev was left with the silence of the room. She stuck her head out the doorway and seeing no one, ventured out and started exploring The Academy.

Growing up, her parents had spoken fondly of the academies, ten in all, one for each founding family. The largest ones were in London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Beijing, with smaller academies in Argentina, Mumbai, Barcelona, Cape Town and Mexico City. Each family had run an Academy since the founding of The Sanctum but there was little doubt that the London Breslin-led academy wielded the most power. Each had a specialty, like the Clayworth’s state-of-the-art weapons design or the Breslin’s Sanctum-renowned healers and all were known as centers for learning. What Dev’s parents failed to relay was how a family’s distinct personality could exhibit itself throughout the halls of the building.

All around her, everywhere she turned, Dev was surrounded by rich, deep earth tones, creating a welcoming and warm atmosphere. The furniture was plush and comfortable, inviting you to curl up on a couch and stay for a while. Books held a prominent position throughout the building and one could find stacks of them everywhere. Artwork from all over the Magical world hung on the walls and then there were the rugs. Some were ornate and plush, others were simple and threadbare but they were all beautiful and they were everywhere. The floors, the hallways, some were even on the walls. They seemed to tell a story of the Clayworth travels around the world and Dev was intrigued by all of them, convinced a few were from her side of the globe.

Turning down the hallway of the North Wing, Dev walked quietly along, tracing her finger along the book shelf, telling herself when she counted thirty steps, she would stop and grab whatever book was at her fingertip. She came to a stop in front of
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Dev carefully pulled the book from the shelf and flipped through the pages, inhaling its earthy scent. Everything was electronic these days, people were always on their laptops and cell phones, but Dev loved nothing more than finding a quiet spot and getting lost in a book. She found a comfortable chair in one of the many sitting rooms, wrapped herself in the blanket draped over the arm and settled in for a chance to disappear into someone else’s reality for a bit.

A couple of hours later, Dev was fast asleep with the book splayed on her lap when Jools came upon her, finding her lightly snoring in the corner.

“Wyatt,” Jools whispered loudly, hoping to catch her brother’s attention.

“What?” he asked without bothering to look in her direction, focused on his phone.

“Come here,” Jools whispered again, catching Ryker’s attention rather than Wyatt’s.

Ryker walked over and stuck his head into the room, caught sight of Dev passed out and chuckled.

“Hey Wyatt,” Ryker called back to his friend, “check it out.”

Wyatt looked up from his phone and walked over, wondering what Ryker and Jools wanted him to see so badly. He joined them in the doorway, saw Dev and wondered how much longer he would have to bump into her around every corner he turned.

“Dev!” Wyatt shouted into the room, startling not only Dev but Jools and Ryker as well.

“Dude, let her sleep,” Ryker laughed.

“Why are you yelling at her like that?” Jools asked.

Dev wrapped the blanket closer around her and tried to get her thoughts straight.

“Get up,” Wyatt snarled in her direction, “everyone’s been looking for you. We’re meeting in my parents’ place. It would be nice to do so sometime tonight.”

He exited the room without another word, leaving Dev to face Jools’ and Ryker’s surprised expressions on her own.

“Should I even ask?” Ryker wondered aloud.

“Honestly, it’s not even worth it,” Dev replied, shaking her head as she left the room and headed for the Clayworth’s suite.

Ryker watched Dev walk down the hallway, tall and fierce and beautiful but also a little sad and so alone. He would never get involved in whatever was going on between her and Wyatt, but Ryker could not help feeling bad for Dev. Without Wyatt, she had no one.

“Hey,” Jools pulled him back into the room and wrapped her arms around him with a grin.

“Hey to you.”

He smiled down at her, pushing her hair off her face and kissed her softly.

“What’s wrong with your boyfriend?” she asked.

Ryker chuckled and shook his head.

“Apparently, there’s a little trouble in paradise,” he replied as he kissed her again, “but is that really your main concern?”

Jools pulled him further into the dark room, falling onto the couch with Ryker. He made a trail of kisses down her neck as she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer.

“Your moody boyfriend,” she whispered, “is hardly my concern at all.”

“That’s more like it,” Ryker smiled before kissing her long and deep, making Jools so dizzy she had to remind herself to breathe.

“RYKER AND JOOLS!” Wyatt’s voice suddenly accosted them from the hallway, “get your hands off each other and come on already!”