Destined For a Vampire (7 page)

My wits were slow to return, as was normal breathing. I couldn’t hide my breathlessness, so I used it to my advantage.

“I’m fine. I woke up scared. Just a nightmare. Go back to sleep,” I encouraged, resisting the urge to go and slam the door shut in her face so Bo and I could pick up where we left off.

“Okay. G’night,” she said, yawning and pulling the door shut.

I rushed to the window, hoping Bo hadn’t gone, but he had. There was no sign of him, but for the lingering scent of him in my hair and the tingle of the skin at my shoulder.

********

Throughout the next day, I wracked my brain trying to figure out why the scent of my attacker seemed familiar. I knew I’d smelled it before, but I just couldn’t identify it. It was like that elusive word stuck on the tip of your tongue. It’s there, but you just can’t get to it.

I’d thought about her on and off all day, my attacker. I was still bothered by it, yes, but it was more an effort to keep my mind off Bo. I wanted desperately to see him, actually
see
him, to recommit his handsome face to memory. But deep down, I knew he wouldn’t make an appearance. Not in public. Not today, not ever. He couldn’t. There would be too many questions, too many inconsistencies. No, Bo would never be able to show his face in Harker again.

Acid roiled in the pit of my stomach just thinking about it, so I purposely steered my mind into more soothing waters. At least I could still feel him; that always made things seem better.

Once or twice, I’d sensed his presence. I knew he was...somewhere, somewhere close, but I never did catch even a tiny glimpse of his shimmer. The one time I’d actually seen him in his translucent state, I’d seen the way the light bent around his invisible form. It had been like looking at the trees through the heat waves that roll off of hot pavement. I found myself continually watching for that distortion, any visual confirmation that he was out there. Somewhere.

But, in the end, I knew I’d have to content myself with just knowing he was near, with feeling the tug of his presence on my heart. It would be a while before things got back to normal, and even then, it wouldn’t be in this town.

Bringing my mind back to the present, I rolled to a stop at the red light. I was on my way to Dr. Sebastian Aiello’s house and I was not having an easy time finding it.

I glanced down at the two sets of directions in my lap. One was a handwritten note in my mother’s neat cursive. The other was a print out from Google Maps. Neither seemed to be taking me exactly where I wanted to go. It was almost as if the address for my new employer didn’t exist.

I expected some confusion from Mom’s directions. That’s why I printed a set from a much more reliable, less intoxicated source, but that wasn’t doing the trick either.

When the light turned green, I proceeded straight through the light for the second time. I watched street signs to the left and right as I passed, but nowhere did I see the one I was looking for.

Frustrated, I pushed the gas pedal to the floor and zoomed past the
Dead End
sign, aiming to turn around and go through the directions one more time.

I swung the car in a wide right, starting to make the turn, when I saw a small road that split off behind a stand of trees. To the left of the entrance was a wrought iron sign that read
Haven Drive,
just the one I was looking for.

I guided the car through the trees and realized that it wasn’t a street, but a driveway. It wound through more trees and then up a slight incline. At the top sat a mammoth stone home that looked like a small castle. It crouched in the center of a ring of huge maple trees that cast a perpetual shadow over the cool gray structure.

I pulled to a stop in front of the bay of garage doors, hoping I didn’t choose the one he’d have to pull his car out of. I cut the engine and got out to walk to the front door.

I rang the bell. I could hear the muted majestic chimes sounding behind the heavy wood. A little chill skittered down my spine. They had an ominous ring that made me uncomfortable for some reason.

That feeling, however, was washed away the instant the door opened revealing an incredibly handsome man that I felt sure must have modeled for Calvin Klein at some point. I assumed—I hoped— that this was Sebastian Aiello.

Dressed in fitted charcoal pants and a pewter silk shirt, he looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. At well over six feet, he was tall with broad shoulders and slim hips. His skin was like bronze, his hair like spun gold.

He smiled, a wide spread of his perfect lips that nearly stole my breath.

“You must be Ridley.”

His voice was like honey and it made my brain feel like mush. He didn’t inspire the trance-like fascination that Lars did, so I wasn’t alarmed. He was just so impeccably, beautifully crafted, I was almost in awe.

I nodded.

“I’m Sebastian,” he said. “Please, come in.”

He stepped back, sweeping his hand in front of him. I obliged by sliding past him into the grand foyer.

Soft light from a massive crystal chandelier shone in the rich wood paneling and glinted off the polished stone floors. I felt like I’d stumbled into an episode of
Cribs.

“I really appreciate you doing this for us. I know babysitting probably isn’t the ideal way to make a buck, but I wanted someone a little older to watch Lilly.”

I smiled politely and nodded, feeling more dumbstruck as the minutes ticked by.

“Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

Sebastian turned and guided me down a long, wide hallway. I busied myself with looking at the amazing art that lined its length so that I wouldn’t get caught gawking at Sebastian’s butt. I couldn’t help but notice that he filled out his pants to perfection and that wasn’t a thought that I felt comfortable having.

The inside of the house was as stunning as the outside. I had to concentrate on keeping my mouth shut, as it wanted to fall open in wonder several times.

All the materials I could see were either smooth, gleaming woods or rough, cool stone. From the floors to the ceilings, everything was decorated to complement the castle-like feel of the house. There was even a suit of armor standing guard outside the entrance to what appeared to be his study. I’d never seen a suit of armor before and it gave me the comical feeling of being on an adventure with Scooby Doo.

After we’d passed several doors, the corridor widened and split into two large rooms. To my right was the kitchen and behind it was a huge dining room. To my left was an informal den, outfitted with three puffy leather couches and a fireplace so big that I could stand inside it.

Kneeling on the thick Oriental rug that lay between the sofas was a little girl.

She looked to be about three or four years old and she was bent over a nearly life-size doll that was rolled over onto its belly. The doll’s yellow dress was hiked up over its head and the little girl was struggling to change its diaper. There was a wet spot on the white material, and I could only assume that it was one of those dolls that you put water in so that when you squeezed it, the doll would pee.

Sebastian walked to the child and squatted down in front of her.

“Lilly, she’s here.”

The little girl’s head popped up and her face lit up like she’d just found a long lost friend.

Though she looked nothing like her father, she was just as stunning. Her auburn hair hung in long thick waves around her tiny face and her silvery eyes shone with pleasure. When I saw their pale color, I thought maybe that’s what she got from her father (other than pure gorgeousness): grayish eyes. It seemed that hers were just a bit more blue.

“You’re Ridley?”

I couldn’t help but smile at the bell of excitement that rang in her tiny voice.

“I am.”

She got to her feet and practically ran to me, taking my hand in her smaller one. “Come and see my room.”

“Lilly, I need to talk to Ridley for a minute before you drag her off, ok?”

Lilly sighed. “Ok,” she said, turning back to the doll she’d left half dressed.

Sebastian shook his head in that tolerant way that parents do and turned his attention back to me.

“She’s already eaten and had her bath. Bedtime is 9:00, no matter what she tries to tell you. She likes a story, but she’ll try to talk you into telling her a dozen, so don’t be fooled. She gets one.” He smiled, obviously amused by his daughter’s ploys. If possible, I thought that made him even more attractive. “She doesn’t usually watch much television, probably because her room is full of toys. Do you have any questions for me?”

I tried to think back to babysitting etiquette. It had been so long since I’d actually done it, I felt rusty.

“Does she have any allergies or medical conditions that I should know about?”

Sebastian’s tawny brows rose.

“No, but those are good questions.”

For some reason, his compliment made me feel sparkly and wonderful. I couldn’t help the smile of pleasure I felt tugging at my lips.

“What about a number in case of emergencies?”

“My cell’s under the magnet on the fridge.”

I nodded.

“I shouldn’t be too late. I know you have school tomorrow, so—”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m a night owl.”

“Me, too,” Sebastian said, grinning. “Alright, well, I’ll get going. Make yourself at home. There’s food and drinks in the fridge. Just made some fresh tea.

Help yourself. There are DVDs behind that shelf,” he explained, pointing to the built-ins that framed the gigantic fireplace. Then, as if deciding that was insufficient, he walked toward them. “Here, let me show you.”

I followed Sebastian to the left of the fireplace.

“It’s hinged,” he said, pulling on a discreet handle that lay at the edge of the shelf. It opened, revealing what probably numbered in the hundreds of DVDs.

“That’s cool,” I said under my breath, duly impressed.

“If you—”

“Daddy, just go,” Lilly said from her place on the carpet.

Sebastian chuckled. “Someone’s anxious to have you all to herself.”

Lilly rolled her eyes in such an adult way, in such a grown-up gesture, that I had to laugh.

“I want to show her my princess castle.”

“Well, far be it for me to stand in the way of that,” Sebastian teased. “You two have fun. Lilly, you be a good girl.”

“I will, Daddy,” she promised absently then took my hand again. “Come on, Ridley.”

********

Two hours, one tea (a real one for me, a pretend one for her), several hide-and-seeks and three stories later, I was creeping down the hall, away from Lilly’s room, where she’d finally gone to sleep. She was much harder to refuse than Sebastian made it seem. Something about that dainty voice and those shiny blue-gray eyes tugged at my heart strings and made it virtually impossible to say no.

I stopped a ways down the hall to listen, making sure that I didn’t hear her stirring or calling for me. As I strained to hear, a light in the otherwise dark room of Sebastian’s study caught my eye.

I stepped past the suit of armor, giving it a wide berth, and stood just inside the doorway, peering into the dimly lit room. A wide desk dominated the space. It was stained a rich reddish color that matched the cabinetry that covered the wall behind it. The intricately carved wooden shelves held hundreds of tomes. I could make out the titles of several of them, all whimsical works. None of them really surprised me, though, since Sebastian was a Professor of Mythology. Among the many rows and rows of books, however, one collection stood out from the rest.

It was a set of books that shared a deep red spine, each having gilded lettering that I couldn’t read from across the room. One book lay on a slanted platform, displayed under a light that shone on its old, leather cover. It drew me like a moth to a flame.

As I neared it, the smell of aged paper stung my nose. My fingers itched to open the dusty cover and touch the wrinkled pages. I leaned in close enough to make out the faded symbols stenciled across the front, though they meant nothing to me.

A shiver snaked its way through me and I thought I should probably get out of Sebastian’s personal space, but something inside me just wouldn’t let me move away from that book.

Compelled beyond reason to open it, I reached out with one finger and gently lifted the cover. The leather creaked and that musty smell wafted up to envelope me in a puff of stale air.

The first page was littered with a bunch of letters and symbols that I didn’t recognize. The second page was not much better, with its smeared images that looked like a collage of small, overlapping charcoal portraits. I paid them little attention, turning to another page instead.

Line after line of markings and symbols crossed the page, filling it with words I couldn’t decipher and content that I couldn’t understand. I flipped through several more pages and found nothing but the same.

I was just about to close the book when a crisp white corner caught my eye.

It was stuck between two yellowed pages about halfway through the book. I turned there.

On the paper was a list of the markings I’d seen on the previous pages of the book. Beside them were English words and phrases. It appeared that someone, presumably Sebastian, was attempting to translate the work into English.

I turned the page and there, tucked between the pieces of dry old parchment, was another sheet of paper. This one held sentences that I could actually read and understand.

It seemed as though the book was some sort of history of the vampire legend, a detailed accounting of where the tales had originated and how the “curse” had been passed down through time and generations.

…began with Constantine. Of all the guardian angels, he was one of the
greatest in his choir. His works were many, his dedication unmatched. But, alas, as
every great figure must, Constantine had a weakness, an Achilles heel. His downfall
would prove to be another heavenly being, a messenger angel by the name of Iofiel.

Iofiel was the Angel of Beauty and Constantine loved her from the moment
they met, just as Iofiel became enamored with him. It would only take days for their
love to blossom into obsession, an obsession that would shift their focus from
serving God and humanity and turn it toward one another.