In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete Second Season: Episodes 6-10 (29 page)

Alisha stood on the steps behind him, listening attentively, but he could feel her gaze also boring into his back. Since their talk in her studio, she’d been agitated and insisted on following him about as he made sure the mansion was secure. Maybe it was because he’d sent away the servants without telling her. Or maybe it was because of Vanora.

“So the vampires will be in these rooms. The mortal girl will be in this one,” Armando said, pointing to the layout of the house on Morgan’s clipboard. He had even noted where each individual vampire would be located by name and description.

“Where will you be?” Morgan asked, taking note that his name was missing.

“Yes, Armando, where will you be?” Alisha’s suspicions were crystal clear.

“Where I am needed,” Armando answered not even glancing in her direction. “No one enters the gate, Morgan. No deliveries, no meter readers, utility company technicians...”

“Gotcha. Only our people are allowed on the grounds,” Morgan said, nodding.

“The mortal girl may try to leave. Don’t let her.”

Alisha snorted behind his back. “Like that ever worked on Vanora.”

“Ma’am, we can handle it,” Morgan assured her.

In all truthfulness, Armando actually wondered if Morgan could handle Vanora. She was growing stronger in her abilities. “You have the security codes.”

“Yes, and we already have our cameras up and the feed is live.” Morgan gave him a slight smile. “It’s not that different from Austin.”

“Austin?” Alisha said, stepping around Armando. “Austin?”

“We watched over your sister in Austin, ma’am.”

“Then where were you when Rhonda died?”

“We didn’t handle the night shift,” Morgan answered, averting her eyes.

“I see.” Alisha focused her attention on Armando, her hands settling on her hips.

He ignored her. “The weapons I ordered?”

“Those will be here by the time you awaken. Silver-tipped stakes, silver-tipped daggers...”  Morgan shifted slightly on her feet. “Armando, we may not be supernaturals, but we can handle the night shift. My people are highly trained.”

“I don’t want to put any more people in danger. I know you can handle the day creatures and the human minions, but...” Armando shook his head.

“Hire them,” Alisha said shortly. “Or I will do it myself.”

Trying not to sound as exasperated as he actually was, Armando said, “Fine. Morgan, add a night shift.”

Morgan inclined her head, then checked her watch. “An hour until sunrise. I suppose we’re technically already on the night shift, aren’t we?” She flashed a smile that was surprisingly charming on her stern face. “Anything else?”

“That’s all. If anything else should come to mind, I’ll let you know.”

Though she didn’t actually salute, somehow Morgan gave the impression of doing so before she strode over to the large security vehicle parked on the drive.

“We’re in good hands,” Armando said to Alisha.

“Thanks for taking care of this,” Alisha answered a bit tersely.

“I care about what happens here.” Armando turned to fully face Vanora’s elder sister. “You know that.”

“Because of Snow Pea.”

“She’s not a little girl, Alisha. Nicknames like that don’t empower her.”

A flash of indignation shifted Alisha’s eyes to flaming red. “She’s my sister. The only family I have left. My brother is dead. I can call her whatever the hell I want.”

“You can’t have it both ways, Alisha. You can’t trust her so much that you’re willing to put your life and hers on the line to stay here and fight, then turn around and coddle her.”

“I have her best interests in mind, Armando!”

“So do I, Alisha.”

“You brought Carlotta into our lives. You warned Roman about the old vampires coming to kill him, one of which is apparently Carlotta’s Master.”

“What is your point?” Armando asked, giving her a hard look. Alisha was skirting terribly close to the truth.

Throwing up her hands, Alisha growled. “I don’t know exactly. Maybe it’s just that you want me to trust you with what I hold most dear, yet you haven’t shown the greatest wisdom when it comes to your own choices.”

With an exasperated chuckle, Armando said, “I’m doing what I can, Alisha. Making the best choices I can to keep her safe. To keep all of you safe. But Vanora and you are making it damn difficult.”

“Where are you staying during the day?” Alisha’s eyes were no longer red, but they were fierce.

“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” Armando answered honestly. Reason told him to hide away in one of the guest rooms. His heart drew him to Vanora’s bedroom.

“She’s only twenty.”

“She’s an adult.”

“She’s mortal.”

“You and I both know that’s not particularly correct.”

“She’s my little sister!”

“And she’s the woman I love. What’s your point?”

Alisha took a sharp step back, shock upon her face.

Armando waved a hand toward the lighted windows of Vanora’s room. “You already know I love her. Why the shock?”

“Because you admitted it and you
mean
it.” Framed by the light spilling out of the front door, Alisha looked eerily like Vanora in the moment.

“We may all be dead soon. What’s the point of denying it?”

“She doesn’t deserve to be hurt any more than she already has been.” Alisha lifted her hands slightly, appealing to him. “You’re an old vampire, Armando. She’s just a young woman.”

“Is this you talking, or the blood of Roman in your veins? Because you’re sounding just like him.”

With a visible shudder, Alisha stepped through the doorway and into the light. “Can his blood influence me?”

“Yes. It can.”

Struggling against tears, Alisha pressed her fingers to her lips.  “Leave Vanora alone. Find another place to sleep. Don’t hurt her any more than she has been. That’s
me
speaking. And maybe Roman, too, but we love her.” Without another word, she closed the front door, leaving him outside.

Vanora sat cross-legged on her bed sorting through all her sketches she had brought with her from Austin. The box in which she stored them was open at her side and she carefully returned most of them to it. The few she kept out pulled a frown onto her face.

Roman’s killer, Lorelei, stared out at her in vivid black and white. Vanora hated how the vampire girl looked so young and beguiling. With a pen she scribbled the girl’s name in the corner and set it aside.

The next paper held the image of the albino vampire. Hesitating, she pondered storing it away with the others. It was difficult for her to comprehend why she was so reluctant to share his existence with the others though she knew she should. It was possible that Armando might even know who the albino vampire was and his connection to Lorelei. Was he also connected to Carlotta? Was he her Master, too? Yet, every time Vanora seriously considered relating her dreams, the trepidation she felt reduced her to silence.

The beautiful vampire was her deep dark secret.

Uncomfortable at that thought, she stared at the image that she had so meticulously recreated from her memories. What was his allure? Yes, they were both albinos, but it was something more than that. When he’d been in her bedroom that night she had longed for him with a desperate need that had terrified her.

“You’re the darkness,” she breathed.

The fact she had spoken the words aloud startled her. With quivering fingers, she set the sketch on top of the one of Lorelei.

The final sketch was of the seven women lying on a ring on the ground, each one gripping the ankle of the one before her. This one filled her with dread for some indiscernible reason. Hastily, she stored it with the other sketches, closed the lid, and set the box on the bed stand. She carefully folded the two drawings she had set aside and tucked them into the purse sitting on the floor near the bed.

Several short raps on the door startled her out of her reverie. Licking her lips and feeling a bit nervous, she called out, “Who is it?”

“Your sister.”

It was not the answer she’d been anticipating. Sliding off the bed, Vanora unlocked the door before opening it. Alisha stood in the hallway looking tired and flustered.

“It’s an hour until sunrise. I’ll be asleep soon. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” Alisha winced at her own phrasing. “I mean as okay as you can be considering...”

Vanora leaned against the doorjamb and rested her head against the frame. “I’m okay. I just miss Roman.”

“Me, too. He was so damn...” Alisha swallowed hard as tears spilled over her dark lashes. “He was so wonderful.”

“He was going to leave with us tonight...He listened to me.”

Alisha’s face contorted with her barely contained emotions. “I knew he would. He always...you...you were his little girl. He would have done anything to protect you.” After a slight hesitation, Alisha said, “By the way, I sent Armando away for the rest of the night.”

Disappointment filled Vanora as she raised her slim eyebrows in surprise. “Why?”

“You don’t need to be hurt any more than you have. Rhonda...Roman...that’s so much pain to bear. Armando is a vampire and he’s so much older than you-”

“When did you turn into Roman?” Vanora’s voice was sharper than she intended, but she didn’t appreciate her sister treating her like a child.

Flustered, Alisha sputtered, “I’m not...I just...”

“I’m twenty now. I’m an adult. I’ve been living on my own for the last few years. You don’t get to choose who I love, Alisha.”

Her older sister pressed her cold palm against Vanora’s cheek and stared into her eyes. “Don’t you get it? You’re all I have left. I don’t want anyone to hurt you!”

“Then don’t hurt me by sending him away,” Vanora retorted.

Alisha withdrew her hand as her expression clearly projected her concern. “How can this possibly end well for you two?”

“It won’t,” Vanora answered truthfully.

“I let go of Sin...”

“And you regret it, don’t you?”

Hugging herself tightly, Alisha gave a short nod. “But what hope was there for me and Sin? What hope is there for you and Armando?”

Vanora wondered if hope even existed anymore, but she didn’t answer. She understood Alisha’s viewpoint completely, but that didn’t mean she agreed with her sister dictating her life choices. Whatever span of time she had left before she was consumed by the coming darkness, Vanora was determined to make decisions for herself. Even if they were the wrong ones, at least she would be doing what she felt was right.

“I’m going to bed, Alisha.”

“Snow Pea...”

“I love you, but you need to not treat me like a child.” Vanora gave her Alisha a quick kiss on her cheek. She tasted the salty, coppery flavor of tears on her sister’s skin. “Call me Vanora, Alisha. I’m not a little girl anymore.” Not wanting to argue further, Vanora shut the door and locked it.

Her long white-blond tresses had dried into silky waves. She’d tucked them up into a messy bun earlier when she’d changed out of her bathrobe into red pajama bottoms covered in penguins and a black tank top. Fussing with her hair as she walked to the windows, she let it down so it fell to her waist in a soft cloud. Once at the far side of the room, Vanora pushed back the curtains, unlocked the window, and slid it open.

“Coming in?” she asked the vampire perched on the windowsill.

Armando tilted his head, his golden gaze catching the lamplight. “How’d you know I was here?”

Vanora almost rolled her eyes. “Alisha sent you away to protect me. Where else would you go but straight up to my room?”

“You know me well,” Armando answered, smiling slightly.

Vanora stepped aside and the vampire slipped in through her window.

“I didn’t want to leave without speaking to you...” Armando started.

“Don’t lie to me,” Vanora said, exasperation getting the best of her tongue. She stepped around him, shut the window, and pulled the curtains closed. Making sure there wasn’t any gaps in the fabric, she ignored the fluttering in her stomach.

“Okay. I came up here hoping you’d invite me in and let me sleep here. It doesn’t feel right to go back to my apartment considering all that has happened.”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it? Telling me the truth?”

Armando gave her a piercing look.

Vanora couldn’t help but give him a knowing smile. Hopping onto her bed, she dangled her legs off the edge and stared at the handsome vampire. Alexander had loaned the Spanish vampire some clothing from a stash he kept at the mansion for when he and Sheila stayed over. Armando was not as slight as Alexander, so the Skinny Puppy t-shirt and black jeans were a bit tight. Vanora sighed softly. Why did he have to be so damn alluring?

“Security is in place.” Armando shrugged off his leather jacket and tossed it onto a chair.

“Good.”

“Weapons will be delivered by evening.”

“Excellent.”