Empath (Book 1 of the Empath Trilogy) (28 page)

They were in the dining room, sitting at the table with a map out.  James and Henry had their covered mugs; that was James’ doing.  I was grateful for the lids hiding the sight of blood so early in the morning.  Troy’s empty breakfast plate had been pushed off to the side.  I knew he usually liked to eat a big meal and I was bummed I’d overslept that feast, my usual English muffin didn’t sound like enough this morning.  James’ smoky blue eyes caught me as I entered the room and warmed when I smiled at him.  He smiled back, perfectly relaxed, and I felt that tug inside my center. 

“Good morning Claire.”  It never failed to amaze me how he could invoke such a physical reaction from me with the most casual of gestures.

Still a bit groggy, I pushed my hair back with my hand.  I wished for the millionth time that I had gotten my dad’s straight hair. 

The English muffins were next to the toaster, I honed in on them the minute I entered the kitchen.  Perfect.  I put one in and set the kettle on the stove while I waited for the toaster to pop.  The men were still talking in the other room and I was leaning on the counter, dozing, thinking how much it felt like a home with the sound of their voices trailing into the kitchen. 

Feeling mellow, I walked into the dining room a few minutes later with my plate in my hand.  James got up and motioned for me to sit in his chair since the fourth place at the table was taken up with atlases and books.  He hovered between the others while I ate my breakfast and was almost done when the kettle whistled.  Tea in hand, I returned a few minutes later to retake my seat. 

I must have been more tired or distracted than I thought because I noticed that, although I could make out what they were saying, I wasn’t absorbing the details.  Instead of grasping what should have been straightforward plans, my lack of focus was blurring every few words so that I could no longer make sense of things.  It didn’t matter, their voices were all I wanted to hear, not the words.  Knowing we were all here gave me some minor comfort.  Rubbing my temple I worried a headache was coming on.

“Claire.”  James left them to approach me while I was finishing my second cup of tea.  “Are you feeling alright?”  He sounded concerned.

My voice surprised me.  It was flat, my tongue sluggish and hard to maneuver in my mouth.  “I’m fine.  Did you get everything sorted out?”

He eyed me strangely.  “Yes, we have everything pretty well ironed out, down to some much needed outside help.  We were able to find some more locals willing to step in; William was respected.”

Waving a hand limply in the air I cut him off.  “You don’t need to tell me, I heard you.  I’m sure it will all work out.  When are we leaving?” 

Brow furrowed, he put his hand to my head, tipping my face back so that he could look into my eyes.  “If it makes you feel better, we work very well together as a family, our clan and us.  This will be over before you know it.”

I smiled lazily, perfectly accepting.  “Okay.”

His features stiffened as he tipped his face and called out low and urgent over his shoulder.  “Henry, come in here.”  Those vampires sure were fast, I thought to myself when Henry appeared out of nowhere. 

James spoke too low for me to hear.  This time I could barely hear even the hum of his voice.  I usually loved to hear him talk about anything at all.  Again, he turned my face to his and I saw his lips moving but didn’t register anything he was saying.  He looked in my eyes, lifting the lids and turning my head into the light.  Henry checked my pulse and poked at me too before mumbling something else to James.  He looked a little panicky as he followed Henry to the kitchen.  Out of nowhere, I felt incredibly tired.  Rising, I started to walk toward the couch.  My heart started to pound in my ears and my vision blurred as the floor rose up to meet me. 

Ch. 34

Eventually, I became aware of something cool and wet on my forehead and that I had somehow made it to the couch; then it registered what had happened.  James had carried me here after I fainted.  I’d never fainted in my life.  Stephen gets tortured for two days and runs through two states to get home and
I
faint?  I was mortified.

“Claire,” his voice was thick with concern.  “Claire, are you okay?”

My eyes fluttered open, and blinking, I took in my surroundings.  I saw that there would be no hiding this embarrassment.  The entire household was standing around the couch.  The sound I heard was my own groan.  Raising my hand to cover my face, I found my voice.  “Can we pretend this never happened?”

Someone giggled nearby.  I wasn’t sure if it was Tonya or Tara.  Either way, I wished they would find something to do away from here. 

I rolled toward the back of the couch and willed them all to go away.  There was a quiet shuffling as they left the room and then I felt the couch cushion shift.  His hand was on my shoulder as he tried to roll me over to face him.  Feeling exceptionally childish, I held my body tight and whined, “no” until he pushed a little harder and made me roll over in spite of myself.

I looked up at his eyes, dark with worry.  “Claire, what happened?”

“Didn’t you hear the thud when I fell?”   

“No,” he said sounding exasperated.  “What I am asking is if you remember what happened
before
you fainted?”

“Yes, I felt really tired.”  I dropped my attitude; it wasn’t helping.

He was nodding his head.  “You looked pale.  Your eyes were glassy as well.  Maybe you are in shock.”

Considering that, I canted my head to the side.  “Yeah, but now would be a funny time.  I mean, nothing’s happened to me for a while.” 

His expression remained clouded as he was thinking and he spoke slowly.  “I want you to take it slow the next few days while we figure out what is going on.”  Seeing my eyes beginning to roll, he spoke quickly before I could disagree.  “It’s probably nothing, but let’s just keep track of your symptoms and see if anything else happens.” 

Reluctantly, I agreed.  It felt selfish to take up anyone’s time with my weaknesses while they all had so much to do.

“Are you still feeling up to the wedding?  We can bow out if you want to.  We could find a hotel in another town to wait until our flight Sunday.”

“No,” I surprised myself with my resolve.  “I want to go.  I have a chance to have a
normal
family function.  I want that.  Plus, I get to have the hottest date there.” 

“I was hoping you would want to go.  I want to speak to your father.”  He was watching his fingers tracing the outline of my healed jaw.

I felt my eyes go wide.  He chuckled.  “Not about any of this.  You must remember that I was raised in another time.  In my youth, when a man wanted to court a woman he asked her father for permission.  I would like to have the opportunity to do things right.  It bothers me I haven’t been able to speak to him yet.”

I couldn’t fight the laugh that bubbled up.  “You
want
to meet my parents?”

He nodded, very serious.  “I want to let them know my intentions.  It would be nice to have
one thing
that we don’t have to hide from them.”

“We aren’t hiding.  People know I am here.”

“Work doesn’t count.  Henry is your boss, and I believe your professors know you are staying with a ‘friend’.  Besides, I am trying to do the honorable thing here.”  He was starting to get agitated.

“James, have I done something that has upset you?”  My nerves were starting my stomach churning and I felt dizzy again. 

Reaching out to touch my cheek, James spoke uncertainly.  “Claire, do you think your father will approve of you being with someone so much older?”

Taking a moment, I swallowed the disbelief at the comprehension that he could stare down death but had a perfectly human fear of a father’s approval.  “James, what parent wouldn’t adore you?  You have an exciting job, a lovely home and their daughter is crazy about you.  Who cares that you’re a few years older?  They’re a few years apart too.  By the way, how do you explain your lack of a family?  I should probably know so I don’t say the wrong thing.”

Winking, he grinned crookedly.  “Haven’t I told you about my trust fund?  It explains the money, the lack of family and I have a legitimate excuse for being a prick once in a while.”

“So, you’re wealthy as well?  Again I ask you, how could my parents not love you?”  I sniggered.  “I do.”  His skin right in front of me was a temptation.  Stretching my neck I reached my lips to the base of his throat exposed by the open neck of his white shirt.  My kiss turned into two and as I grabbed his arm to pull him close, I felt his body go still and he pushed me down out of reach.  My hurt must have shown on my face.  “What did I do?”

“Nothing.”  James’ objection was harsh.  He hurried to soften the blow.  “Claire, you fainted about fifteen minutes ago and you are a few shades paler than normal.  Although you are testing my self-control, I must ask you to wait until you are better.  We should get a good meal in you first.  Besides, I thought we would get on the road soon.  I’ve always enjoyed Duluth and I thought we could get up there a few hours early and spend some time on the town.”  His brow furrowed.  “You know, we’ve never had a real date.”

“Yes, we have, remember the night we went to the club?”

James’ face darkened.  “How could I forget the night I introduced you to a psychopath?  And for the record, it was not a date.  It was homework.”

I sighed, “Look at the up side.”  The look he gave me told me he didn’t see one.  “We’ve spent every moment together since that night.  I can’t see it as
all
bad.  Can you?”  Even with his recent declaration of love for me, I still worried it would fade in time when the newness of me wore off.  What if I aged badly, what if he met some super hot vampire chick that could keep up with him better and wasn’t going to die in seventy years?  He’d said it himself, “a vampire’s feelings are fleeting.”  How could I expect anything but what his nature promised?

Ch. 35

Bags packed and in the trunk, James and I were speeding up 35W by eleven.  Normally Duluth was a two hour drive, but my chauffeur exceeded the speed limit routinely.  I was fairly confident we would be there before noon. 

On the way, we talked about nothing important at all. No covens, no psychopaths, not even our pending trip to Scotland tomorrow.  Instead we talked about music.  I confessed my guilty pleasure of 80’s music, and he introduced me to blue grass.  We agreed on some of the newer music getting radio play like Snow Patrol.  We took turns listening to one another’s choices made possible by satellite radio and iPod.  Before long, we were debating electric versus acoustic guitars and how music has changed in the last century.  He obviously had more experience with the earlier half of the century than I did, but he proved himself a patient teacher and willing listener.

Sure enough, it was just after noon when we pulled into Duluth.  That was a record for me and I told him so.  He was getting used to my teasing him about his driving and gave his now typical response, “my kind enjoys speed” and I was no more impressed with it this time than each time before.  There was no point in commenting further.  He could no sooner change the color of his freckles.

The music faded for no reason and I turned up the volume twice, unable to get the sound back as we pulled into the lot at a nicer hotel in Canal Park overlooking Lake Superior.  After putting the car in park and turning it off, I felt his stare.  “Isn’t that a little loud?”  He whispered.

“My hearing isn’t as good as yours, you can’t keep turning it down on me.”  I assumed he’d adjusted it when I wasn’t looking.

“Claire I never touched it.”  He eyed me warily, guessing accurately that the change was with me and not the controls.

“Maybe I should get my ears checked.”  I snapped, frustrated with my weakness more than with him.  My door slamming was mostly accidental but I was too close to tears to turn around and explain that.

He couldn’t be vampire fast out here in public, so I used the time it took for him to grab the bags to pull myself together.  He caught up to me as I was ogling the Victorian lobby décor.  It was so beautiful and elegant.  It struck me as very him, and I wondered briefly if all vampires got stuck in their time or if it was just this one.  As “with the times” as James could be, he was certainly set in his ways from his formative human years.  And as quickly as I had gotten pissy with him, I was on the other side of it.  He walked up beside me and I turned my face up to him.  Features guarded, he looked down at me, a bag in each hand and leaned down to kiss me chastely on the lips.  Afterward, he nodded his head to the side and indicated that we should go to the front desk.