Dangerous Creatures (Book 3, Pure Series) (27 page)

              So, it was highly unlikely that she would show up at the house. Then again, it was her house, and she could return any time she chose. And the protective charm on the house had no effect on her despite her vampire status—she had been designated as safe when the charm was set, and she could enter the house as easily as any ordinary human being. Because of this, Odette remained as something of a variable—but I still wondered where she was and how she was doing.

              I heard Anton's door slam, and I turned to see him walking up to me.

              "I just got a message from Peter," he said. "They think Emmanuel flew into a small airport in Scotland and then travelled down to London from there."

              He shook his head. "We really should've been prepared for something like that."

              "You can't watch every airport in the world," I said. "Besides, we got through it."

              "Yeah, I guess we did."

              "Is there any word on the Hunter?" I asked.

              "No," Anton said. "We have no idea where he is, and now that he has the necklace, we're unlikely to be able to track him—even though we now know what he looks like. I have a funny feeling that he knows exactly what he's doing and we're d—"

              Anton stopped.

              "We're what?" I asked.

              "Nothing."

              "Were you going to say 'doomed'?" I asked.

              "No, of course not," Anton said. He glanced up at the house. "Were you thinking about Odette?"

              "I was actually," I said.

              "I don't think you have to worry about her. No one's seen her in months, and I don't mean just humans. No vampires have spotted her either."

              "I'm not worried about seeing her exactly," I said. "I'm just wondering how she is."

              "How she is?" Anton said. "She almost got you killed."

              "Yes," I said. "But then she helped me. Twice, in fact."

              "Well, wherever she is, she's still dangerous," Anton said. "And I, for one, hope she doesn't show up. We don't need a complication like that."

              He glanced down the street. "And speaking of things I hope don't show up, we should really get you inside. There's no sign of the Hunter, but that could change at any moment."

              Anton went to the trunk and got out my suitcase, and then the two of us walked up to the house together. We stopped at the door, and Anton pulled a key out of his jacket pocket.

              "And here is the key to the house," he said. "This is as far as I go—I can't go in with you. But you know that."

              I looked at him in surprise. "How did you get a key to the house?"

              "We vampires have our ways. And it's a good thing, too. Otherwise, you'd find yourself trying to jimmy open a window with a crowbar. Now, you'd better go on in."

              "What are you going to do?" I asked.

              "Right now, I'm going to drive over to that quaint little grocery store that's a few blocks away and get you some supplies. Unfortunately, if all goes well, you're going to be in there for a while."

              I unlocked the door. "Thanks, Anton."

              "Thank me when this is all over," he said.

              I went into the house with my suitcase and locked the door behind me.

              I stood for a moment in the dim hall and looked around. I had never stayed in this house by myself before, and even though I knew Anton would be back soon, I suddenly felt very lonely.

              I left my suitcase in the hallway and walked into the living room. The last time I had been here, it had been Christmastime, and GM and I had had a Christmas tree that had sat in the corner—the corner was empty now. I walked into the kitchen next and sat down at the table. GM and I had sat at this table and slept in this house on some very tense occasions—but we had always managed to pull through.

              I wondered what she was doing right now, and I wondered if she was thinking about me.

              I was startled a little while later to hear a knock at the door—I had gotten lost in my memories—and I got up and hurried to the living room. I peered out the window from behind the curtain, and I could see Anton standing on the doorstep.

              There was another knock at the door, and I hurried to open it.

              "I'm glad to see you're being cautious," Anton said. Next to him sat a metal grocery cart that was full of bags.

              "You could see me?" I said.

              Anton smiled. "I could see the curtain moving—you don't need to be a vampire to catch something like that."

              "I would've done something more discreet," I said, "but we don't have a peephole on the door."

              "Well, it really doesn't matter," Anton replied. "The Hunter certainly isn't going to knock. I just meant that it's good to see that you're being cautious in general. Could you open the door just a little wider?"

              I did as Anton asked, and he tipped the grocery cart up and over the threshold.

              "I think you should be set for a little while," he said. "If you need anything else, just give me a call. Otherwise, you won't be seeing me again."

              Anton gave me a level stare. "Now, pay close attention to what I'm about to say. Do
not
go outside for any reason—and I do mean
any reason
. Don't even open the door. And stay away from the windows—no matter what you hear—or think you hear. Don't even look outside. This house will become your whole universe. It will keep you safe. When—and if—it's ever safe again for you to come out, I will call you. Got it?"

              "Got it," I said.

              He took a step back. "Be sure to lock the door behind me."

              "Anton," I said, "how soon will he come?"

              "Time's a-wasting. We won't have to wait long."

              He paused. "Goodbye, Katie."

              Anton turned then and disappeared. I shut the door and locked it.

              I went to the kitchen then—glad to have some normal, practical things to do, and I found some measure of comfort in taking the groceries out of their bags and putting them away. After that, I took my suitcase up to my old bedroom and began to unpack.

              Although Odette owned the house—and had owned it for several years—she had altered it very little since I had lived there, and my bedroom was much the same as it had been when I was five years old. The rocking horse rug my mother had made still sat on the floor, the picture of the little yellow bird that I had loved still hung on the wall, and the butterfly coverlet that had once blanketed my bed lay there still. Even the spot on the wall where I had scrawled my full name—Ekaterina—was still intact.

              As I recalled, Odette's bedroom looked very much as it had when she was a child, too. I thought for a moment about going down the hall to check her room, but I knew I wouldn't find her there. Instead, I finished unpacking and then sat down on my bed and listened to the silence in the house. I felt another pang of loneliness.

              At that moment, as odd as it was, I would have welcomed a visit from Odette. She was capricious, and as Anton had pointed out—dangerous—but she was still my cousin. Despite what she had done, I missed her.

              I continued to sit for a time, lost in my thoughts. Eventually, I shook off my preoccupation and went downstairs. I figured I might as well make dinner.

              As I got to work sautéing some chicken, I found myself thinking about William. I wondered where he was—and if he was all right. It began to dawn on me that something must have gone terribly wrong. It wasn't like William to simply vanish—and although that had actually happened once before, it hadn't been William's fault—that had been because of the Sìdh and a letter they had destroyed. Since then, William had promised never to be out of touch with me again, and I had made a vow never to doubt him.

              I knew this absence wasn't of William's doing, and a deep sense of dread settled over me. It would take something severe to keep William away from me for this long—especially with the Hunter after me.

              I went to my phone then and very nearly called Anton, but as soon as I picked it up, I stopped—I realized that calling Anton wouldn't do any good. I'd asked him about William quite a few times already, and he hadn't answered me. If Anton hadn't told me anything before, I probably wouldn't get anything out of him now.

              It occurred to me then that William hadn't been in my thoughts very much lately. Part of that was due, no doubt, to how busy—and terrifying—the last two days had been. But I couldn't help but wonder if Anton hadn't used his powers of persuasion on me to make me forget about William. Now that I was out of his company, my thoughts felt clearer and freer. If that was true, it was yet another reason why Anton wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know.

              I put my phone away and returned to the kitchen.

              I ate a quiet dinner by myself, and then I went into the living room and settled down to read a book.

              Eventually, I set the book aside, and as I listened to the silence in the house, I felt the weight of loneliness pressing in on me even more heavily than ever.

              I glanced at the clock. It was a little after ten. I decided to call it a night and just go to bed.

              I lay awake for a long time, listening to the quiet in the house and straining to hear if there was anything stirring outside. Anton had forbidden me to look out the windows, and I had to admit that his advice was probably sound. But all the same, I wanted to know what was going on outside—and if the Hunter was approaching the house.

              But the silence stretched unbroken for quite some time, and I had to conclude that nothing was going on outside the walls of my house—nothing dangerous at least. All that was probably happening was that Anton and his vampires were standing guard in the most unobtrusive way possible—I could picture them, silent and pale, blending in with the shadows.

              There was nothing for them to do but keep their lonely vigil.

              I felt myself sinking into sleep, and as I did so, my last thoughts were of William. I ran my fingers over the cross he had given me, and I imagined that he was near.

              I awoke some time later to find a bright light shining on my face, and I sat up, shielding my eyes. A blazing, golden light was streaming into my room, and I blinked, trying to find the source. After a moment, my eyes adjusted to the glare, and I could see that the light was streaming out of the mirror over my bureau.

              And silhouetted against the light was a large, dark shape.

              Someone was sitting on the edge of my bed.

              I jumped out of bed quickly, and the dark shape rose along with me.

              "Please," said a familiar voice, as I stumbled away, "don't be alarmed."

              I squinted into the glare, and I could just make out the features of a man who had come to my aid once.

              "Cormac?" I said.

              "Yes," he replied. "You remember me?"

              "It would be hard to forget you," I said, my momentary panic subsiding. "Is there any way you could turn down that glow? It's a little hard for me to see."

              The shadowy figure before me made a slight motion with his hand, and the bright light that flooded the room dimmed to a more comfortable level.

              Standing before me was Cormac, prince of the Sìdh, who had once saved me from Anton in the Old Grove back in Elspeth's Grove. Cormac was tall and handsome in an otherworldly way, with golden hair and blue eyes that were startling in their intensity.

              He was a stunning sight to behold—so stunning that I couldn't be sure of what I was seeing.

              "Are you real?" I asked. "Or am I dreaming?"

              "I'm very real," Cormac replied in his oddly musical voice. "And I have come to help you."

              "Help me?" I said.

              Cormac cast a quick glance over his shoulder into the glow, and then he took a step toward me. "Katie, you don't have to be afraid of those—things—outside, those creatures."

              "Do you mean Anton and the other vampires?" I asked.

              "Yes," Cormac replied. "I recognize the one called Anton. He's the foul creature who attacked you once before."

              "It's different this time," I said. "Anton and the others are trying to help."

              Cormac stared at me, incredulous. "Surely you know what is after you? You must know of the one called the Hunter—an ancient creature of darkness that even now makes its loathsome way toward you. The creatures that stand outside this house are vile enough. But the one that is coming is a thousand times worse. The Hunter is a vampire of the ancient days. His power is such that it once even threatened the Sìdh."