Necromancing Nim (9 page)

Finally, it hit me. I was not alone in my bed.

My heart began to pound hard and high, its rapid beat slamming in the back of my throat. Who the hell was in my bed? Whoever it was, my back was to them, and I would have to turn over to see them—

Then I realized I already knew. I wasn’t sure how—maybe a smell or a slight sound—but I knew.

I rolled over quickly, staring down at him. “Colin, get the fucking hell out of my bed.”

He didn’t get the fucking hell out of my bed. In fact, he didn’t even move. He just lay there, eyes closed, very pale and, frankly, looking kind of dead. Apparently, the office futon hadn’t been good enough for him.

I sighed. At least he was fully clothed and on top of the covers. It wasn’t like he’d tried to take advantage of me in my sleep or anything. As far as I could tell he’d just come in, flopped down on the empty side of the bed and dozed off. He was more than just dozing, though. He was dead asleep. Vampire-in-daylight asleep. I poked him. He didn’t respond.

Lying in my bed, he looked even bigger than he did under normal circumstances. I have a queen-size—God knows why, since there’s never anybody in it but me and Rufus—and he didn’t leave much room around him, what with the ridiculously broad shoulders. His feet, sock-clad, pushed against the footboard.

With his face relaxed and the glower gone, he was…handsome wasn’t quite the word. His features were rough-hewn and not entirely symmetrical, but in repose, his mouth looked fuller, more kissable, and since he wasn’t yelling at me, I could better appreciate the artistic arches of his cheekbones. I laid a finger against his mouth, just for the hell of it. They were soft and cool, pillowy. I’d never figured anything on Colin could be pillowy.

He didn’t respond. I didn’t know whether I was relieved or disappointed. Finally, I decided I was being creepy and got up to get dressed.

It was weird, though, knowing he was there. Even with no sound of breathing in the room, with the sure knowledge he was literally dead to the world, I felt weird and uncomfortable changing clothes with him in my bed. It felt intimate in a way I hadn’t felt with anyone in a long time.

Okay, fine, obviously my love life sucked if undressing in front of a dead guy could get me all twitterpated, but still. Just freaking weird.

I turned my back to him when I pulled my shirt off, then turned toward him, cupping one breast in my hand with my forearm over the other so I wouldn’t flash nipple. He just lay there, pale and still. I wondered what he’d do if I poked my boob in his face. Probably nothing. Which would be awesome for my self-confidence. Also kind of rude. Sure, he was a guy, so I doubt he’d object to having a boob shoved in his face, but it seemed wrong to do it while he couldn’t roundly reject me if he wanted to.

Or not reject me… Except he liked guys, if his reaction to Sebastian was any indication. But vampires tended to have flexible preferences, or so I’d heard. I’d also heard they were unbelievably good at the sexing.
Oh, God, Nim, you’re an idiot, and you don’t even like him.

But that didn’t stop the quick, insistent tingle that ran through my body at the thought of his hands on me. Or his mouth. He was, after all, an attractive man. And in my bed. Where no man had gone, boldly or otherwise, in a very long time. It was completely natural for my brain to go to the tingly places. At least the right things were tingling this time. I wondered briefly what he might think of my navel ring—my single concession to girlyness.

Clenching my teeth in irritation at myself, I grabbed the rest of my clothes and finished changing in the bathroom. With the door closed.

In the kitchen, I was greeted by one of my least favorite sights. Rufus had gotten into the garbage. Damn that Gwen—she could never remember to put her bits of leftover steak either outside in the bin or down the disposal. Damn that dog too, who managed to get into the trash basket in spite of my moving it into the cabinet under the sink. I was going to have to get a baby-proof latch to keep him from opening the cabinet door with his nose. I made a token complaint at the dog, who was wisely keeping himself scarce, and cleaned up the mess.

Gwen, lousy perpetrator that she was, was gone. She’d left a note on the kitchen counter saying she’d gone down to the airport to talk to someone about more flights to fill in her schedule. I hoped she’d find something so she’d be flying for the next few days. That would work for me. I could put Sebastian in her room for the duration if she lined up work. If she didn’t—well, there was always the futon.

Speaking of Sebastian, he was still sprawled over my couch, wrapped in a blanket, my spare pillow smushed up behind his head. I went to double-check the curtain over the window above the couch. It wouldn’t do to serve as his safe house only to have him incinerated by sunlight through the living room window.

I glanced at my watch. I’d awakened early. I’d gone to bed early too, so I supposed that made sense. The sun hadn’t set yet, though; neither of my vampire house guests would be budging for a little while.

Rufus surfaced, whining amiably and wagging his tail. I considered fussing at him again about the garbage, but it was far too late now, and any hollering on my part would just upset him. Instead, I let him out and started my coffee perking.

After a few minutes, Rufus woofed to be let in, so I opened the door for him. Outside, the sky was beginning to streak with color. I so rarely got to see the sunset these days that it was a special treat. I stepped out onto the back deck and leaned against the rails, watching the huge, orange orb make its way down an orange-and-blue-streaked sky. When the sun disappeared behind the mountains, I headed back inside to make breakfast.

Sebastian and Colin were both awake now, ensconced on my couch with their feet on my coffee table. Sebastian’s color was better, his skin pinker and the marks on his face nearly gone, though he still seemed muzzy.

“Good morning,” I said. Sebastian flinched like someone who’s just been caught doing something he shouldn’t. A glance at the coffeemaker told me why. They’d taken all but about the last half cup. I sighed and pulled out the brewing basket to rinse it and start another pot. If they didn’t quit drinking all my coffee, I was going to put them both out in the sun and leave them there.

“Hey,” said Colin, nonchalant. He took his feet off the table and leaned forward to pick up the mug of coffee sitting next to where his feet had been.

I pressed my lips into a firm, chastising line. “We need to talk.”

His eyes glittered at me over the rim of the mug. “Why?”

“You know why.”

Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I said, ignoring Colin’s smirk. “Just some boundary issues.”

“Ah.” Sebastian nodded knowingly. “I take it he didn’t have permission to crash in your bed?”

“No, he did not.” I headed for the kitchen to scrounge up some breakfast. “And we are definitely going to talk about that, Colin.”

“No, we’re not.”

“Yes, we are. My house, my rules.” I had hit the point where I didn’t give a shit what he thought about me. I didn’t want him in my bed. At all. Ever. Was I protesting too much? Of course I was. Next time he got in my bed—and there would
not
be a next time—I wouldn’t be responsible for the consequences. He wore expensive shirts. No way was I paying for them if I tore them to shreds.

My assertiveness, though, seemed to amuse him. “Am I allowed to use the computer?”

I turned from the stove, where I’d cracked two eggs into a pan. “What the hell do you need to use my computer for?” Strangely, I found the notion of him touching my computer to be just as uncomfortable as him touching—well, me. It was too intimate, somehow. I spent a lot of time attached to that computer. It was like a body part. In any case, he was the kind of guy who needed constant and intense supervision.

“Don’t you use those forums or whatever to keep track of local news? I thought maybe we could see what the news reports are saying about Bob’s and, well, anything else that might be relevant.”

“Or if anybody’s said anything about the stone,” Sebastian added quietly.

Colin’s eyebrows did odd things, as if they were trying to speak to Sebastian independently of any other part of Colin’s face. Sebastian just sipped his coffee.

I stared at them both, waiting for elaboration, but found none forthcoming. Behind me, the eggs began to sputter. I turned back and neatly flipped them over. They were going to be over medium instead of over easy, but I wasn’t picky. “What stone?” They couldn’t possibly mean that crap-ass piece of rock I’d found in my jacket pocket.

“You don’t want to be involved in this,” Colin stated. His certainty annoyed me.

I wheeled again to glare at him. “Since when do you make decisions for me?”

“He’s right.” Sebastian’s statement was gentler, less dictatorial. “It’s dangerous. I shouldn’t have involved you this far, but it just…happened. And I’m sorry for that.”

“Yeah. He’s sorry.” He smirked again. Bastard with the smirking, and me with my life in danger. “But you’re a little stuck with us now.”

“I could kick you out on your vampire asses,” I said. “Revoke my invitation.”

Colin scoffed. “Like you believe that bullshit.”

“You are annoying as all hell,” I shot back, and Sebastian let his head loll back on the couch.

“Stop it,” he said. “She’s right, you are annoying as all hell. This is serious. Quit the goddamn flirting.”

I started to shoot something back; then my mouth snapped shut. Flirting? God, just kill me now if Colin was flirting with me. I didn’t want him flirting with me. Never. At all. It was too freaking weird.

With my brain throwing the “protesting too much” line at me again, I swallowed any response I might have made and instead evaluated Sebastian’s face. Sober, his mouth pressed into a thin line of irritation. And tired. Bone-tired, like he was fighting an infection. Vampire flu, maybe. Or just the aftermath of the sunburn. “So,” I continued quietly, “what do we need to do next?”

Sebastian tipped his head back up and gave me a grateful half smile. “It’s probably not quite safe yet to go back to Colin’s house.”

“I’ll make some phone calls in a few minutes,” Colin offered. Apparently, he too had decided to play nice for Sebastian’s benefit. “See if the coast is clear.”

“Good. And checking the forums isn’t a bad idea.” Sebastian’s attention shifted to me. “Would you mind? Or could Colin take care of it?”

“Either way,” I conceded.

“Good. Then the next thing is for me to collect the stone.” He winced, apologetic. “Which, I’m sorry to say, I planted on you last night.”

Colin gaped at him. “You what?”

Before Sebastian could answer or Colin could jump any further down his throat, I broke in. “Yeah. I know.”

“You what?” This time Colin’s exclamation was directed at me. Sebastian’s lifted brows echoed the sentiment, but he didn’t say anything.

“I found it in my coat. I know you were trying to be all sneaky and everything, but…”

Sebastian nodded. “I should have known you would.”

“So it’s here?” Colin seemed to be having difficulty putting all the pieces together. “Right here. In this house?”

“It was this morning.” I got up and walked to the kitchen, opening the cabinet where I’d stowed the weird rock next to the coffee mugs. “I put it up here—” I pulled it down and held it out. Oddly, both vampires flinched as if they didn’t want the thing anywhere near them. I pointed it toward Sebastian. “Here.”

He shook his head. “No. Probably best if you just put it back.”

I turned back to the cabinet and started to tuck it back behind the coffee mugs but reconsidered. If it was really that important, maybe I should hide it a little better. I stuffed it into a bag of store-brand grounds. I’d had them for two years and hadn’t used them more than twice—they tasted like dishwater when they were brewed up.

Turning back to my house guests, I asked, “What’s the big deal, anyway?”

“Better if you don’t know,” Colin put in.

That rankled. “I’m involved—why are you two so adamant I not know what I’m involved in?”

“It’s safer for now,” Sebastian said. “It just is.”

If Colin had said it, I would have continued to press because I wasn’t convinced Colin had my best interests at heart. Coming from Sebastian, though, the statement sounded sincere, and for whatever reason, I was more inclined to believe him. “All right,” I conceded. “For now. But I want to know eventually. Just fair warning.”

Sebastian nodded. “Eventually. When it’s safe or when it’s absolutely necessary. Whichever comes first.”

That didn’t sound good at all. And when Colin added, “Let’s hope it’s safe that comes first,” it didn’t make things sound any better.

Colin turned to Sebastian, and I could see his dark eyes assessing the other man. When he spoke, his voice was as gentle as I’d ever heard it. “You up to heading out? We can get you something to eat, then come back and hit the computers.”

Sebastian nodded. “The sooner the better, I think.” I decided not to ask where they were going, especially since Colin had said Sebastian would need something fresh this time around.

Picking up his and Sebastian’s coffee cups, Colin took them to the sink and rinsed them out. Walking back by me, he brushed his fingertips across my shoulder. I flinched, not because I was offended by his touch but because it had taken me by surprise. And it had felt good. Reassuring.