Scorned (26 page)

“Better get used to it,” Adelina said. Her
smile was great. She and Calliope didn’t seem bothered by the cold
either. “There’s going to be lots of snow between now and the time
we leave.” Pierce didn’t like that at all. He grumbled about “this
damn snow” all the way to the navy blue mini-van waiting for us on
the tarmac. Adelina climbed into the driver’s seat, Calliope got
shotgun, and Pierce and I snuggled in the backseat until the heater
warmed up.

“I never really pegged Roman for the minivan
type,” I said as we pulled out of the airport and onto the highway.
The smile Adelina gave me told the story before she did.

“He’s not. I am.”

“Did you ever want children?” I asked,
before I thought about what I’d said. “I’m sorry,” I hurried to
say. “That’s none of my business. I just thought you’d make a good
soccer mom.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing,”
Pierce said.

“The Master, Roman has told me many times
that, should I want to have children, all I have to do is ask and
he will find a father for me.”

“You ever think about taking him up on his
offer?” I asked, though I knew what the answer would be.

“I have,” Adelina answered. “But, I do not
want to have children with a man I do not love. I love The Master
and that is enough for me.”

“What about you?” I asked Calliope and she
gave me a sad sort of smile.

“It is the same way for me. Besides,” she
added, “there are many young women for us to care for, so in a way
it is like we have children.”

Pierce gave me a look and I told him with my
eyes that it wasn’t a good time and we would talk about it later.
He conceded and the subject dropped.

From the outside, the Colorado house was
much grander than I expected it to be. Snow piled high on the sides
of the road, gathering more as it fell from the sky. The entire
place was white, even the bark on the birch trees that surrounded
the house.

“Wow,” Pierce said. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” I said softly beside him.

Stone steps led from the house to the
driveway that wrapped around and disappeared, and if there was a
garage it was around back somewhere because I couldn’t see one. The
front door was the solid kind with an etched window made of several
different panes gilt in gold. Warm yellow light shone through each
pane, caught on the nuances and fractured to create effects that
made the glass look like it would melt and pour over our feet.

I grasped the knob and pushed. The door
swung open easily and we walked into a small hall. There were six
steps leading down to the right, beyond which I could see the
living room, and six steps led up into a darkened hall, although in
the late afternoon light, or what was left of it after the snow and
clouds blocked most of it, it wasn’t as spooky as it would have
been at night. A chandelier hung in the hallway. Just a small one,
but it was beautiful, made of gold and dripping with what was
probably real crystal. Or maybe, knowing Roman’s lavish tastes,
they were diamonds.

“This way,” Adelina said, and took us up the
stairs. There was a door at the end of the hall on the left. “This
is your room,” she said with a smile. “Go ahead and get settled.
The butler will be in soon with some refreshments.”

When she left, Pierce pushed the door open
and I gasped. This wasn’t a room, it was a suite. A king size bed
stood against the far wall, covered in the most luscious looking
bedclothes in deep reds and golds with patterns that made me think
of the seventeenth century. It was canopied by heavy curtains that
could be pulled closed to give complete privacy. On our end was a
sitting area with two large sofas and a couple of chairs all
surrounding a giant fireplace with a roaring fire. On the floor was
a bearskin rug that looked like it was made of polar bear fur and I
couldn’t help but think of the kind of things that might be fun to
do on top of it.

I kicked off my shoes at the door because I
was afraid I would track mud and snow across the lush white
carpet.

“Damn,” Pierce said in a soft voice behind
me.

“Yeah. I wonder what the bathroom looks
like,” I said, but I had a good idea.

I crossed the room to the door on the left
of the bed and pulled it open. Four sinks lined the left wall,
those cool bowl sinks that sit on top of the counter, and the
faucets looked like hand pumps from a well. The shower was set back
in the wall. There were four shower heads, one on each end and two
in the back wall each with their own thermostat. A seat ran along
the back should you desire to sit and there was a towel hook on the
wall just outside the door. The bathtub wasn’t just a bathtub; it
was a hot tub with enough room for no less than eight. A round red
and cream bench sat in the middle of the floor, completing the
ensemble.

“Damn,” Pierce said again. “He doesn’t know
how to half do anything, does he?”

I shook my head. “I’m going to call my aunt.
You should let Gable know we made it okay.”

We went back into the bedroom to make quick
phone calls. Afterward, I flopped onto the bed and let my eyes
close. I don’t sleep much anymore. I always seem to be
exhausted.

A knock on the door startled me into
realizing I’d drifted for a moment.

“Wake up.” Pierce slapped my butt as he
walked past to get the door. I groaned and rolled to a sitting
position so I could see who it was. A man who fit every description
of a butler you’ve ever seen, from the tux with tails to his white
gloves to the hooked nose, receding hairline, and English accent,
came through the door with a tray of hot cocoa and cookies. I
assumed they were cookies, because I’d never seen any of them
before.

I hopped down from the edge of the bed and
came over to stand closer to Pierce and the old butler. He was so
pale I knew he was a vampire right off.

“Good evening,” he said. “You may call me
William. The Master sent me with refreshments. He sends his regards
and wishes you to get your rest. He understands that it has been a
long day for you both.”

Pierce took the tray and set it on the
hearth in front of the fireplace. “Thank you.”

Butler William nodded and left.

I sat down in front of the fire on the soft
rug and snagged a mug of hot chocolate for myself. Pierce took a
seat next to me and we sipped together in silence for a few
moments.

“God, I’m tired.” Pierce yawned and
stretched and popped one of the cookies in his mouth. “I think I’m
going to lie down.”

“Yeah, I’ll join you.”

I don’t remember making it to the bed.

The room was dark and cast with shadows when
I woke up. I pushed heavy covers off and turned to find Pierce
snoring next to me.

“Pierce. Baby, wake up.” His only reply was
a louder snort and he turned over onto his other side. I climbed
out of the bed and crept across to the fireplace. Some embers still
burned underneath so I tried to stoke it to bring some warmth and
light to the room.

A shadow fell across the floor in front of
me and I screamed, but a cold, dead hand clapped over my mouth
before anything more than a squeak escaped.

“
Tis only me, my sweet.”

I let myself relax, but growled in my mind,
“Why the hell didn’t you just let me know you were
here?”

“
I tried.”

That was all the answer I got. Roman removed
his hand from my mouth and I turned to him, motioning to the door
with the stoker. I didn’t wait for him to lead or follow, but
marched from the room as quietly as I could.

“What did you do?” I asked, once the door
was shut.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Stop it! What did you do? Did you drug him?
Because there’s no way he wouldn’t wake up if he heard me scream.
What. Did. You. DO?”

“I need you to come somewhere with me,
LeKrista, and I knew he would not allow it. But it is
important.”

“Ohmigod. You really aren’t above anything
are you? I’m not going anywhere with you, Roman.”

“Ah, but you must. You have no choice.”

“Excuse me? No choice?” There were two looks
that he wore in that moment. His face held a smug arrogance that
made me want to hit him, but in his eyes was worry. “What kind of
trouble am I in now?” I asked, half joking, but Roman’s face
cleared of all emotion and I knew I’d hit the nail on the head.

“LeKrista, I really don’t have time to
explain or to convince you to come with me. We are already
late.”

Roman wrapped me in his stronger-than-life
arms without my consent and then we were airborne.

“
What’s the rush? Slow down.”

“
We are in a hurry. We’re late.”

“
Late for what?”
But I didn’t get an
answer.

By the time we landed we’d flown so fast I
was breathless. I collapsed to the floor, unable to breathe and
sure I was going to die. My lungs felt like they’d disappeared and
my throat was so dry it stuck shut. I looked up at Roman, my eyes
so wide I thought they might pop out of my skull. I grasped for
him, my fingers clutching only air. He came closer and started
shouting at someone, but I couldn’t hear a word he said. I tangled
my hands in his shirt and pulled him close enough that our faces
almost touched.

“Water.” I mouthed the word because I
couldn’t get any air to speak, and I thought of the ocean, full of
water that I couldn’t drink. “Air,” I mouthed, and felt the wind
blow through me. But it wasn’t blowing through me. I was losing
consciousness, hallucinating. As the blackness ate at my vision, I
knew I was going to die.

I felt someone’s lips on mine, and I knew I
was being given mouth-to-mouth, but I couldn’t see who it was. A
breath went in, and it came back out. Another breath in, and it
came back out. Two more times and I felt my heart stop and the
world left me.

I was dead.

I watched as Adelina pressed on my
chest.

“
One, two, three, four, five.”

She tilted my head back, pinched my nose,
and breathed into my mouth. My cheeks puffed out, but the air went
down my throat. I could feel it, even standing here near my head,
watching. My right hand went involuntarily to my chest at the
feeling. Calliope stood next to Roman across the room. He had his
face in his hands and his head on her shoulder, but she didn’t seem
to be making any progress in consoling him.

“
LeKrista.”

The Voice came from everywhere and
nowhere.

“
Yes?” I answered.

“
You can’t die,” It said. “There is much
I still need for you to do and learn.”

A young man stepped up beside me and sat on
the floor next to my feet. He looked up at me and smiled, and that
smile was so full of peace that I couldn’t help but mirror it in my
soul. I sat down next to him and crossed my legs Indian-style, just
like he had.

“
Am I dead?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, but don’t worry. I’m going
to send you back in a few moments.”

“
Roman’s pretty upset,” I said.

The young man nodded. “I have a few things
to tell you, so pay attention, okay?”

I nodded.

“
The time will soon come when you’ll need
to swallow your pride. Don’t fight it or it will be the death of
you. I won’t bring you back then, because it will be your
fault.”

I frowned. “Why, if you’re going to be able
bring me back now?”

“
It won’t be a matter of ability,
LeKrista. It will be a matter of whether or not I’m willing, and I
won’t be. If you let yourself die because of your own pride there
won’t be anything I’m willing to do for you. This wasn’t your
fault.”

“
Some would say otherwise.”

The young man shrugged and looked at me. His
eyes were so full of color that they were colorless and I sighed at
the immensity of the peace that filled them.

“
I know what the Mage woman says about
you. LeKrista, you were made special for this very reason. You
belong with the Mages, but you belong with the Vampires as well.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I must go now. Go to sleep and you’ll
wake up again. I promise.”

I looked at my body, and when I glanced back
to the man sitting next to me he was gone. Part of me knew that
wasn’t quite right, but it didn’t seem to matter. I was so sleepy.
I slid to the floor with my head braced by my hands and fell
asleep.

Someone was pounding on my chest.

No. It's CPR.

I came back with a gasp and sat up straight.
Whoever had been making my heart beat scrambled away. I heard them
crawl across the ancient hardwood floor, and looked around. Adelina
had saved my life, and she was now a foot away in case I came up
swinging. Roman and Calliope were across the room against the wall.
He was distraught, leaning on Calliope’s shoulder. Calliope rubbed
his back in soothing circles, trying to calm him, but it wasn’t
working. The longer they stood there, the worse he got until he
just exploded. Roman roared with pain. Calliope stepped back,
staring at her master. She looked around, caught sight of me and
did a double take.

“Master,” she whispered. “Master, look.”

Roman didn’t hear her, or couldn’t hear her
through his immense pain at losing me. That was kind of funny.

“
Calm down, you creepy old man. You’re
scaring the children.”

Roman stopped immediately and turned
surprised, disbelieving eyes to me. “What is this?” he
whispered.

“Um,” I said, “I’m not dead. Well, I was.
Not anymore.”

“How?” Roman asked and I grinned.

“You probably don’t want to know.” My cell
phone rang and I answered it without thinking. “Hello?”

“LeKrista?” It was Pierce and he was just as
shocked to hear my voice as Roman seemed to be.
“You’re...okay?”