He abruptly let go. “Who are you?”
Before I could answer, he had vanished.
I glanced around the room, suddenly aware of being alone. Not quite certain what I felt, I opened the door and fled up the stairs.
I HAD LIED to the vampire about it being a group of friends coming to collect me, and there was no way in hell I was going to put Sandy in danger by letting her in. But I couldn’t leave Bubba, either. I didn’t trust Leather Boy not to attempt to kill my cat. Chances were, Bubba could save himself, but I wasn’t about to chance it.
I raced to the front door, yanked it open, and said, “Get back in the car and lock the doors. I’ll be out in a moment. Do as I say and don’t ask questions.”
Then, slamming the door in her face, I dashed back to the pantry where I grabbed the carrier. Bubba stared up at me like I was crazy. I shook it at him.
“Get in. Now. It’s important, Bubba, so don’t give me any backpaw. Please?”
He must have sensed the worry in my voice because he darted in the open carrier and didn’t complain once when I slammed the door and locked it. As I gathered my purse and coat, I heard something in the kitchen. Crap. Probably Mr. Leather. Bubba hissed as I darted out the front door, not bothering to lock it. I leaped down the porch steps and yanked open the back door to Sandy’s car, shoving Bubba’s carrier inside, then ducked into the passenger seat. Sandy was staring at me like I’d gone crackers as I fumbled for the seat belt.
“Drive. Now. Just do it.”
“What’s going on?”
“Hurry up. I’ll tell you when we’re out of range.”
“Out of range of what?” Sandy gunned the engine, squealing out of my driveway.
I caught my breath as the mansion vanished behind us. I’d figure out what to do with the joint later. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting the hell away from the house. Whoever he was, I had no doubt that Leather Boy was watching from the shadows. By now, he’d know that I had lied. But that shouldn’t surprise him. I had my doubts that many people were forthcoming when disseminating information to vampires. He should be used to it by now.
Sandy kept her mouth shut until we hit the main road. There, she took a left turn. “We’re headed to Zweb’s Steakhouse, but they might not want to let Bubba in.”
“I’m not leaving him in the car unless you put a fuckton of garlic around his cage.”
“Garlic…but…” Abruptly, she stopped. “Garlic. Vampire?”
I let out a long breath, relaxing into my seat. “And how. But leave it till we’re inside where it’s bright and safe.”
“Zweb’s is charmed against vamps, you know. I’ll have a word with the maître d’. He’ll probably let Bubba stay in the cloakroom while we eat. But what about your car?”
“I can get it in the morning. The vamp won’t be wandering around in daylight, and I doubt if he’ll leave his coffin in my basement.” Sandy started to say something and I held up my hand. “I’ll tell you the whole thing in a minute. But now that I think about it, by morning, I should be able to go back to the mansion.”
After all, he’d have to hide his coffin somewhere else. He knew that I’d search the house for it and that I wouldn’t be alone this time. In fact, I’d bet a year of Craig’s salary that he’d move his lair entirely off my property. I could trap the entire estate, warding against vamps in one day with the help of my coven. And they wouldn’t leave me hanging. Once I called them, they’d jump to help. We were like that with each other.
Once we were near Zweb’s—which was in a mini-mall about three miles away from my house—I drew a deep breath.
“Okay. So, I went down into the basement because I found the door open, and I found out there’s a vampire living down there. By the way, that cleaning company? Never bothered to go near the basement. If they had, they might have found the coffin…and living room…he had set up.”
“Living room?”
“Complete with books and a half-finished jigsaw puzzle. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, I think I might have been on the menu, slated to be breakfast.” I realized I didn’t want to tell her that he’d kissed me. Or that I had liked it. Everything felt too surreal.
Sandy swerved into a parking spot next to the restaurant. “Wonderful. Want to gather the coven, go back, and stake him?”
The memory of his scent lingered. Realizing that I was probably being stupid, I shook my head. “By the time we gather everyone together, he’ll be long gone. And you have to promise me that you aren’t going to go all Buffy on him, if you find him. He’s strong, Sandy. He’s old and he strong and the only reason I escaped was because he let me go.”
“There have always been vampires in Bedlam. They walk the straight and narrow here, because as a whole, the magical community is too strong for them. But they’re usually out in the open. I wonder why he was hiding. So, what do you want to do? We really should tell somebody.”
“I don’t know. Let me get some food in me and I’ll figure it out.”
She motioned to the restaurant. “Okay. Bring Bubba.”
I nodded, staring out the side window into the evening darkness. I couldn’t shake the memory of those lips and eyes. They haunted me, like a song I couldn’t quite remember. And somewhere deep inside, I realized that I wanted to remember very, very much.
Chapter 3
BEDLAM WAS A magical town—actually, it was a magical island. It had grown up over the years, cloaked in silence and shadow. Even now, unless Bedlam wanted you to find it, chances were you’d ignore it in favor of the other islands. The population stayed steady at around six thousand, but the town was a far cry from one of those pit stops that felt like time had deserted it. With all the modern conveniences, it still had a quirky, old-world charm. And its problems were unique. A melting pot of the PretCom, it was at the same time hidden and open, forward thinking and steeped in tradition, progressive and yet as ancient as they came.
Zweb’s Steakhouse was on Storm Shelter Road, and despite the small population, it was usually packed. As we approached the door, Sandy said, “We don’t have a reservation, but I know the maître d’ and he always manages to find me a table.”
By now, I was shaky, as well as still slightly aroused—an unsettling combination—and my stomach was rumbling. I’d be able to face life much better on a full stomach.
Holding tight to Bubba’s carrier with one hand and my purse with the other, I glanced over my shoulder. Had he followed us? I wasn’t sure how fast vampires could move, but I knew it was a hell of a lot faster than most humans—or witches. But nothing looked out of the ordinary. Still, I kept an eye out as we headed up the ramp to the steakhouse.
A sudden giggle escaped from Sandy’s lips. “Ha! You just had a run-in with a vampire and we’re eating at a steakhouse.” At my puzzled glance, she called her nose. “Get it? Steakhouse! Steak? Stake.”
“The last thing I need right now is a bunch of puns.” But her attempted joke had broken through some of my tension and I laughed. Just a little, but a laugh all the same.
Sandy was right about one thing. The maître d’ tucked Bubba away in the cloakroom after she had a private conversation with him, and then he found us a table. It wasn’t even next to the kitchen. In fact, he led us to a secluded booth. Grateful for the privacy, I slid in one side while Sandy slid in the other. We ordered a round of margaritas and deep-fried mozzarella sticks while we perused the menu. After the waiter brought our drinks, I finally sat back, shaking my head. The whole thing seemed like a dream. A nightmare. An erotic thriller?
“What did he say?”
“We argued about the house. Who owned it. I’m not sure who won.”
Sandy blinked. “Okay, then. What did he look like?”
I closed my menu, frowning. “Let me see… He was tall with long dark hair and chocolate eyes… His features were angular, and his lips…mmm…” I drifted off for a moment, lost in the memory of his kiss. My whol
e body felt warm. A moment later, I became aware that Sandy was jabbing me in the arm.
“Maddy? Maddy! Earth to Maddy.”
I blinked, shaking out of my reverie. Blushing, I said, “Sorry, kind of got lost in my thoughts.”
“I have no doubt, and I have a feeling your thoughts were hot and heavy, judging by the look on your face. Look what you did—you generated steam.” She frowned, wiping away a condensation spot on the table with her napkin. “You didn’t kiss him, did you?”
“I may have. Would that be wrong?” I played with the stem of my glass.
“That wouldn’t be good!”
“Well, it was good and it wasn’t my fault. He kissed me first!” I tossed my napkin on the table and upended my drink, draining it in one long swig.
“All right, you want me to dish? Here’s what happened.” And then, I told her the whole thing, including that he seemed to be fond of jigsaw puzzles, kittens, and baking.
Sandy looked mildly alarmed by the time I finished. “Oh boy, I can see you found a real winner.” She paused. “Was the kiss really that good?”
“He was so hot I almost burst into flames. I’ve never been kissed like that before. Or at least…I don’t think so. There’s something so familiar about him that it left me unsettled. And he seemed to feel the same way.”
“Sounds yummy. But this is not high school. Maddy…”
“What is it? Spill it. They haven’t discovered that you can turn into a vampire from kissing one, have they?”
“You know that’s wild-eyed anti-fang propaganda. But seriously, I heard some scuttlebutt the other day that may have something to do with your particular vampire. If it’s true, and if there is a connection, you might be in a lot of trouble.”
I didn’t like the sound of a lot of trouble. “What is it?”
“There are rumors that Aegis is in town.”
I stared at her. “You have got to be kidding. Mother pus bucket. Aegis? Are you sure?” But as I thought about my jigsaw-solving vamp, something rang an alarm. I raised my hand to signal for the waiter. I needed another drink. “Oh good gods, it could have been him.”
Aegis had been the golden boy of the Greek gods. He had been a demigod—a servant of Apollo. That is, until he had decided to usurp his master’s glory and take credit for some song Apollo had written. And if there was one thing Apollo was not, it was generous of spirit when it came to sharing glory. Especially in the music department. The Greek gods all had ego issues, and Apollo was as prone to narcissism as Narcissus himself.
Aegis had tried to claim credit for something Apollo had done—nobody really knew what it was at this point in time—and Apollo had turned him into one of the Fallen. A vampire, banishing him forever from the sunlight that was Apollo’s domain.
Since then, the story went, Aegis had roamed the world as a vampire-slash-demigod, causing mayhem and havoc wherever he went. But he still maintained the charm that had come from being one of the sun god’s chosen. He had used it to his advantage throughout the centuries, causing several wars along the way, though they were mostly caused by his ability to woo women away from their husbands.
“You don’t think Aegis could really be here, do you? In Bedlam?” Somehow the prospect of finding an unliving legend holed up in the basement of my house seemed ludicrous.
“He’s got to be somewhere, and Bedlam’s as good a place as any. Your description of him sounds about the same as he’s been described over the years. There are a couple paintings in the local museum of him. What was he wearing?”
“I dunno, I wasn’t paying attention to his fashion sense.” I frowned, trying to recall. Finally, a few images flickered into my mind. “Leather jacket. I think…leather pants and a red button-down shirt that was open to his chest.”
“For someone who wasn’t keeping her eyes on the clothes, you remember pretty good. Anything else?”
I nodded, trying to pry the memory up to the surface. There was something…and then I remembered. His arms…outstretched to either side of me. Then, his hand on my shoulder and something glistening on his finger.
“He had on a very detailed and intricate gold ring, with a sun etched on it.”
“That clinches it. Apollo’s ring. It has to be him. Your vampire is Aegis—Fallen, banished from the light.” Sandy slugged back the rest of her margarita.
The waitress appeared and we placed our dinner orders. Then we asked for another round of drinks. Once she had gone on her way, I rested my chin on my hands and stared at my drink.
“I suppose I could buy a different place in Bedlam but it doesn’t make sense, given he’ll have to change his hideaway. But…do you think he’ll be back? After all, I know about him. And why didn’t he kill me when he had the chance? He guessed I was a witch—I thought for sure that would do it.”
Sandy pursed her lips. “Vampire or not, Aegis has a soft spot for women. I’m sure he’s killed more than his fair share over the years, but the fact that he spared you is almost more frightening than if he’d taken a chomp on your neck. Truth? I think you’ve gotten his attention. And I just can’t see that as a good thing.”
The thought of being on a vampire’s register made my stomach lurch.
“You said he knows you’re a witch?”
I nodded. “He guessed. I’d ask if I could stay at your place tonight, but I don’t want to chance putting you in danger. I’ll check in at a hotel. Then tomorrow, if you think the coven will gather, we can ward the land and house.”
“Oh, we’ll gather, all right. Maybe he’ll move on? Maybe he’ll be long gone by then.”
I thought about that. Maybe he would just up and leave Bedlam, but something inside told me no, that he wasn’t going to give up on this town quite so easily. “So gather the coven tonight?”
“Yeah, and you can stay with me. I grow so much garlic around my house that no way will golden boy venture through. Bubba’s welcome, of course.” She laughed. “It figures, first thing you do when you get to Bedlam is get mixed up with a vampire. And one of the Fallen, at that.”
THREE DAYS LATER, my house was vampire-proofed and so was the surrounding area. The coven had gone into overdrive, erecting a six-foot tall cedar fence around my property. We hired a couple of the local Weres to help. Werewolves might not like magic and they might not like witches or vampires very much, but they loved making money and they had no problems taking jobs offered by the former. The latter, even a Were wouldn’t bend over for.
Sandy took a few days off from work and we began to tear apart the house—gutting the old fixtures, steaming off wallpaper, picking paint colors while downing pitchers of mimosas. Of course, we weren’t all that keen to get our hands dirty, so magic happened—in a big way.
I stared at the walls, trying to envision what color I wanted my living room. The old mansion had grown on me quickly. With five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a butler’s pantry, and a maid’s room, it was so big that I wasn’t sure what the hell to do with it. But then, between my third and fourth mimosa, an idea sparked to life.
“A bed and breakfast. I need to turn this place into a B&B. Can’t you see it, Sandy? I’ll make this the most comfortable place in the whole state for the PretCom. Come visit Bedlam, the home of magic and mayhem!”
The entire plan practically laid itself out. I didn’t need a job, but I wanted to do something besides wander around the town. And given I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Aegis the Golden Boy in the past three days, I had the feeling he had left town. After that little bump in the road, this seemed like the perfect way to start my new life.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. You can start it up for a song—what will you need? The license, get the kitchen redone to health regulations for a commercial enterprise. Hire a cook—”
I glared at her. “What do you mean, ‘hire a cook’?”
“I mean exactly what I said. You can’t cook worth a damn, so you’d better hire somebody who can at least bake
muffins for breakfast. You’ve got a lot of talents, sweetie, but the kitchen isn’t one of them.” Sandy hiccupped, then winked at me as she refilled my glass. “By the way, your spell warped itself. The wallpaper stripper has metamorphosed into something I don’t think you had in mind, though I don’t really object.”
Turning to the other side of the room, I saw that my holeo—a magical automaton woven from energy, formed into human shape—was no longer pulling strips of wallpaper off. Instead, he had turned into the spitting image of Aegis and was now bumping and grinding his way to some unheard rhythm, which was easy enough to follow given the pelvic thrusts we were witnessing.
I sputtered. “How the hell did that happen?”
“Your subconscious forms the holeo. Therefore, I can guess what movie your subconscious is playing right now.” She snickered and pushed herself to her feet from the hedonistic den of pillows and blankets we had spread across the floor.
As she staggered for the microwave to get the popcorn we had nuked, I banished the holeo and, as it faded out, thought that my subconscious had better get a rein on itself.
“Obviously, I’m still…shocked…over what happened the other day. So ignore that little faux pas and tell me what you think of my B&B idea.”
“I’m serious. I love it. What are you going to call it? Every bed and breakfast has to have a clever name.”
I accepted a bowl of popcorn and topped it off with a cupcake. As I rolled over, staring at the ceiling—which I could easily envision with a full-sized mural of some elk crossing a mountain river flowing down off the glaciers of Mount Rainier—I knew exactly what to name my B&B.
“ ‘Bewitching Bedlam,’ of course.” And with that, my future had a path and I had a goal.
Chapter 4
A MONTH LATER, I had managed to transform the old mansion into a showpiece.