I raised an eyebrow. "Should I feel honored?"
He fell back and shrugged. "That's entirely up to you, but wouldn't you rather ask me more questions?"
I jerked my thumb at the window to my right. "Where are we going?"
Cruor chuckled. "I am a terrible date, aren't I? We are attending a private dinner given by Mr. Edric Eres in honor of his daughter having graduated college."
I furrowed my brow. "Isn't she the one who had the bracelet stolen last night?"
"The very same," he confirmed.
"How do you know them?" I asked him.
"I made their acquaintance in Europe when Miss Eres was choosing her college," he explained.
I fidgeted and pressed my street clothes close against me. "And there'll be a lot of these rich folks at the party?"
His voice was soothing in that strange way of his. "About a dozen, but you needn't worry. Their false beauty cannot compare to your natural-well, shall we say you have a very exuberant life energy surrounding you."
I stopped my fidgeting and raised an eyebrow. "Thanks. I think."
The car slowed and turned onto a smooth road. I glanced out the window and saw the landscape was much changed. Gone were the skyscrapers and noisy, honking streets. Streetlights were replaced by elegant lampposts and the glass buildings changed to tall, imposing mansions. Blocks gave way to vast estates, and the smell of water drifted to my nose.
Cruor gestured to the window. "There is nothing quite like nature to remind one of our more primitive roots. Perhaps that's why so many congregate on the fringes of the uncontrollable waters and forests, not least of which the wealthy of society." His eyes fell on me and there was that bright glimmer again. It was almost as though his eyes glowed in the dark. "It makes one think of ages past, and of futures yet to come."
I shrugged. "I guess, but history's never been my strong suit."
He chuckled. "We must do something about that, but after the dinner."
CHAPTER 5
We drove a few more miles through the expensive landscape before we reached the final road that followed the southeastern shoreline of the port. On the other side of the river lay the port itself, but the large mansions dominated the land on this side. Their small parks were fenced by tall stone walls and iron gates. We pulled up to a pair of those gates and stopped for a moment before they opened and allowed us entrance.
The park of the wealthy Eres family held a variety of ancient oak and maple trees. They cast their long shadows across the paved driveway and all the way to the three-floor Colonial building they called home. The two imposing columns on either side of the tall pair of white doors felt like bars on a cage that kept the world out. The tall, wide windows glared down at us with their curtained glass turned up in high fashion.
Behind the mansion stretched a large, green lawn enveloped by shadows. The port waters lapped against the far stretches of the lawn, and a long dock disappeared into the darkness. A light fog floated onto land and enveloped the trees and lawn in a soft gray blanket.
The driver parked the car in front of the tall portico and opened the car door on my left. I blinked against the bright lights from the windows that fell over the darkness inside the car.
Cruor exited first and offered me his hand and a smile. "It's time for your first foray into a new world."
I reluctantly set my clothes on the seat and took his hand. Cruor pulled me from the car and led me up to the shut entrance. He pressed the doorbell and the entrance was answered in half a moment by an elderly man. Behind him were the white walls of the entrance hall. A curved stairway hugged the left-hand wall and disappeared into the second floor.
The man stepped aside and bowed to us.
"Good evening, Mr. Cruor," he greeted my companion. At least he hadn't lied about his name like his age.
Cruor stepped inside with me by his side and bowed his head. "Good evening, Promus. I hope we're not too late."
"You are punctual as always, Mr. Cruor," Promus replied.
Cruor removed his coat, hat and cane, and handed them to the butler. "And the others?"
Promus nodded to a doorway off to our left. "In the parlor, sir. Refreshments have been ordered before dinner."
"Excellent. If you will excuse us." Cruor offered me his arm, and I took it as a lame man would take a cane.
He led me to the doorway where we paused. The parlor was a grand room filled with horsehair furniture and a black oak coffee table. A billiard table stood to our far right at the rear of the room. On the opposite side of the room from where we stood was a large fireplace that burned brightly with thick logs. A half dozen men in coats and as many woman in dresses congregated together. They varied in ages from thirty to sixty, but they all held the sort of air of one possessed of great confidence and great money.
A portly man of forty turned to us and his eyes widened. "Simon! How wonderful to see you!" He set his wine glass on a tray held by a servant and hurried over to us with his arms spread wide and a smile on his chubby face. The man clasped Cruor's offered hand and shook it with a great deal of energy. "I must tell you what a pleasant surprise it was for Eileen when your yellow roses arrived!"
"Papa!" a melodious voice interrupted.
The portly man stepped to the side and we all turned to the stairs. A young woman in a white, flowing gown hurried down the steps in heels that made me wince. She had the same bright smile on her face as the man, and it was entirely for Cruor's benefit.
She offered him her hand and batted her eyelashes. "It's always a pleasure to see you, Simon, and as Papa so selfishly told you, I was very pleased with the roses."
Cruor took her hand and pressed a kiss on the top. I couldn't help but frown. My displeasure was noticed by the young woman. Her eyes fell on me and one of her eyebrows raised.
"Who is this, Simon? A friend?" she asked him.
Cruor swept one hand towards me and pulled me forward with his other one. "My escort for the evening. Miss Faith Luvena, this is Miss Eileen Eres."
Miss Eres raised an eyebrow, but offered me her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Luvena."
I took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Um, likewise."
She removed her hand from me and her eyes swept over me. "I don't believe I know that family name. Is your father in the port trade?"
"She is rather a new transplant in our world," Cruor spoke up. He turned to me and flashed me one of his strange toothy smiles. "You might say I picked her as one does a beautiful flower, and set her in our small vase."
Eileen laughed. "You are so amusing, Simon! And the things you say! You almost make me forget about the horrible ordeal two nights past!"
Cruor glanced between our host and his daughter. "Is there are word on who might have done such a thing?"
Mr. Eres pursed his lips and shook his head. "Not a clue. It may as well have been a ghost from what little the police can deduce."
Eileen grasped Cruor's arm and leaned against him. "And it's such a pity that you didn't buy the bracelet first. I remember that you so admired it when Papa showed you the bracelet when we first met in Paris."
Cruor nodded. "Yes. Fate is cruel that it should only be in your possession for such a short time, but perhaps the culprit will be found."
Mr. Eres stepped up to the pair and swept his arm towards the parlor. "But enough of this sad business! Come! Let us join the others!" He guided our little group into the parlor where we joined the other six guests. He clapped his hands together and quieted the small party. "Tonight is a great night! Tonight we celebrate my little angel's graduation with a degree in fine arts!"
"And what do you hope to do with such a degree, Miss Eileen?" one of the older women asked her.
Eileen shrugged. "Perhaps work in a museum, or perhaps an art house. I haven't really thought that far ahead. Perhaps I'll even return for another degree."
One of the gentlemen of thirty laughed. "You could gather enough diplomas to make a dress!"
Mr. Eres wrinkl
ed his nose. "Heaven forbid! There aren't enough colleges that are worth the money, and those that are would drain my bank!"
I stood off to one side and far from the group. Cruor's back faced me as he spoke with an older couple. He glanced over his shoulder and his eyes fell on me. He half-turned to me and offered me his hand.
"Faith, I'd like to introduce you to these lovely people," he called to me.
I reluctantly walked over to him and took his hand so he pulled me close to his side. He gestured first to the man and then the woman. "Mr. and Mrs. Gemmarius, this is Faith Luvena, a new acquaintance of mine."
Mr. Gemmarius bowed his head, but his wife smiled and shook my hand. "A pleasure to meet you, my dear. How did you come to know this rascal?"
"I plucked her from a flower shop," Cruor spoke up.
The woman laughed and tapped Cruor's shoulder with her closed fan. "What a tease you are!" She turned to her morose husband. "Isn't he a tease, darling?"
The man rallied himself from his thoughts and managed a smile. "A very ingenious man with his tales, certainly."
Cruor turned his attention to the husband. "You seem distracted tonight, Mr. Gemmarius. Is something the matter?"
Mrs. Gemmarius sighed. "It's all these jewelry thefts. You know, my husband's jewelry store also is the vault for many of our friends. He's afraid it will be robbed at any moment."
Cruor raised an eyebrow. "Really? I had no idea, but I'm sure it will be very safe. I might perhaps place some of my valuables in your safe."
Mr. Gemmarius perked up and his smile brightened. "You don't say? Well, I feel I must tell you that I don't keep them for free. Insurance and security costs, you see."
Cruor smiled and bowed his head. "Of course. If you'd like, we could discuss the terms right now."
Mrs. Gemmarius grabbed her husband's arm and scowled at him. "Business at a social? Really, darling, that's too much."
He plucked her hand off him and laid it against her side. "It will only be a moment, my dear. We'll be back before dinner is called."
The two men strode from the room, and I was left with the flustered Mrs. Gemmarius. She pulled out her fan and waved it in front of her. "Men! What nuisances they can be with their business! I would think Simon would have better manners than to encourage Midus in his rude behavior."
An idea flashed through my mind and my eyes flickered to her. "Have you known Mr. Cruor long?"
She shrugged. "Oh, not for too long, perhaps five years. My husband and I met him on our yearly travels through the diamond markets of the world. We were at Surat at the time haggling for a beautiful ruby of exquisite quality when Simon comes out of nowhere and buys it out from under our noses. Well, when he heard how disappointed we were do you know what he did?" I shook my head. She pressed her fan against her cleavage and smiled. "The darling just up and gives us the jewel. He even offers to pay the cost of the cut, but we were happy with its raw form." She leaned close to me and lowered her voice. "And since you're such a darling friend of Simon's I will tell you it wasn't easy to remove the ruby from the country. Such a rare steal as that has some very tight embargo, if you understand my meaning."
I raised an eyebrow. "How much did it cost?"
She shook her head. "I haven't any idea, but we were asking a good million for it, and he outbid us."
"So you got to keep the ruby?" I guessed.
She sighed and gave a nod. "Yes, but only for two years. It was stolen from our country home in upper New York, and the police never discovered who took it."
I frowned. "You had a jewel stolen, too?"
Mrs. Gemmarius's gaze wandered down to my neck and her eyes widened. "Why, what a beautiful necklace! And that gem!" She leaned down and squinted. "My goodness, but the cut is perfect!" She raised her head and winked at me. "You and Mr. Cruor must be very close."
I glanced over my shoulder in the direction of the doorway. "Yes, very close. If you'll excuse me."
CHAPTER 6
I slipped away from her and out of the parlor. The entrance hall was empty. Two doors stood across the hall. The front one was open and revealed a large dining room with a long table. The places were set with half a dozen utensils and the napkins were folded into hats.
The second door to the left was partially hidden in a narrow hallway and behind a large suit of armor. My ears detected the faint sound of voices. I walked across the hall and placed my ear against the door. The knob hadn't latched and the door gave way a few inches, allowing me a view into the room.
It was a study with large bookcases and a giant globe. An oak desk stood opposite the door, and in front of the desk stood Mr. Gemmarius. His arms were crossed over his chest and he had a frown on his lips.
"Really, Simon, I thought you would be more reasonable, but I can't offer you sufficient protection at such a small price," he commented.
Cruor stood to the right just out of my line of sight. His tone was one of bemusement as he chuckled. "I thought perhaps you might feel that way. As it is I will accept your offer as a token of our friendship."
Mr. Gemmarius dropped his arms to his side and grinned. "Excellent! I knew you'd see things my way. Let's shake on it." He stretched out his hand, and Cruor's hand came into view. They joined hands and shook.
I shrugged and turned away, but Cruor's calm voice brought me back.
"Now if you would kindly tell me the location and combination of your safe, our business will be finished."
I frowned and looked over my shoulder. Gemmarius stood stiff as a board, and his face was devoid of emotion. His eyes were wide and vacant. Cruor released his hand and it dropped lifeless to Gemmarius's side.
When Gemmarius spoke it was in a flat tone. "The vault is behind the picture of Queen Elizabeth the first," he revealed. "The combination is 1-25-52."
Cruor chuckled. "Your birthday? That's very unwise of you to use such a known date, Mr. Gemmarius." The man didn't reply.
"Simon! Simon, where are you?" Eileen cooed.
I swung around in the direction of the hall. My shoulder hit the door and swung it open. Cruor turned to me. My hand flew to my mouth to stifle my gasp. His eyes were as red as coals and his teeth were long and sharp, like fangs. I stumbled backwards until my back hit the opposite side of the narrow hall.
Cruor was one moment five yards from me, and the next moment his hand slammed into the wall to the left of my head. He leaned his face close to mine. Those blood-red eyes stared into mine.
"Say nothing of this," he hissed.
I felt a strange tingle in my mind. My mouth bobbed up and down. I couldn't release the scream I so desperately desired.
Eileen appeared around the corner. "Simon! There you-oh."
Cruor face reverted back to human before he looked to Eileen with a smile. I ducked under his arm and rushed behind her. My shivering hands grasped her shoulders and my voice choked on my tremble.
"H-he's a monster!" I told her.
Cruor raised an eyebrow, but I noticed his body tensed.
Eileen glanced over her shoulder at me and frowned. "What are you going on about?"
I nodded at Cruor. "He's some sort of monster! I saw it! He had red eyes and was doing something to Gemmarius!"
At that moment the aforementioned gentleman stepped out of the study. He was all smiles as he nodded at us. "Well well, we have quite the crowd here, don't we?"
Cruor stepped aside, but his eyes never left me. His smile had no warmth and there was a shadow in his eyes that made me shudder. "Yes. I was just telling Miss Luvena about the view from the shoreline."
Eileen beamed with pride. "Yes. Papa bought the house specifically for the view. It was a nice deal, too."
I stepped out from behind her and pointed a finger at Cruor. "Are you listening to me? He's not human!"
Gemmarius raised an eyebrow and his eyes flickered to Cruor. "Is your date quite right in the head, Simon?"
Cruor closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm afraid the light in the study has played a t
rick on her." He stepped towards me and stretched out his hand. "Perhaps we should leave."
Eileen gasped. "Leave before dinner?"
I stepped away from his outstretched hand and shook my head. "Like hell I'm leaving with you."
Eileen turned to me, and all three of them stared at me with disconcerted eyes. She glanced at Cruor. "I think perhaps you should take her upstairs to let her lie down."
I'd seen enough movies to know where this conversation was headed. Neither Eileen nor Gemmarius believed my story. Heck, even I couldn't quite believe what I saw, but I still had faith in my eyes.
That's why I turned away from their concerned gazes and rushed to the door.
"Faith!" Cruor yelled.
He was the last person I would stop for. I rushed out into the night. The limo was gone and the driveway was empty. Worried voices echoed in the entrance hall behind me.
"What's going on?" Mr. Eres boomed.
"Midus! Midus!" Mrs. Gemmarius called.
"Faith!"
The last voice was Cruor. I rushed down the driveway. My feet pounded against the pavement in the direction of the gates. They were shut, and there was no guard to call to open them. I grabbed the bars and shook them.
Footsteps behind me made me look over my shoulder. Cruor stood five feet behind me. The driveway behind him was empty. His arms hung by his side and in the dim light his eyes glowed that unnatural red color. I swung around and pressed my back against the bars. Now I felt the full foolishness of my choice to come with this stranger, this monster.
He held out his hand to me. "Come back to the house with me, Faith."
I frowned and shook my head. "Hell no."
He took a step towards me. "You trusted me before."
I looked him up and down. "What the hell are you?"
"Your friend, if you will allow me, and something more if you wish it," he promised. He took another step towards me.
I slid along the bars to the right. "That doesn't answer my question."
He dropped his hand and a coy smile slipped onto his pale lips. "Do you wish for the truth, or the lies I give to others?"
"I want the truth," I insisted.
Cruor sighed. "Then I will tell you I am a vampire."
I frowned. "I said the truth."
He folded his arms across his chest and shrugged. "That is the truth. I haven't lied to you."