The Lie (The Skyy Huntington Series) (21 page)

“Mother, I’m so glad you made it in on time,” he hugged her back, then moved aside to introduce me to her. I could see her smile, and as soon as I did I knew where Aiden got his from. Perfect, of course just like his. Her teeth were so white, even in the semi-darkness. “Mother, this is my friend Skyy Huntington. Skyy, this is my mother, Fiona.”

I extended my hand for her to shake, but instead she moved Aiden out of the way and gave me a huge hug. Not only was her outfit, and teeth perfect, but she smelled divine. Whatever perfume she had on was amazing. “Skyy! I am so happy to finally meet you. I hear you’ve had a bit of trouble here lately, don’t worry we’ll get it straightened out,” she said and hugged me once again. Wow, she was really, really friendly.

After he introduced me to her, he gestured over to Christian who was still just behind us standing in the doorway, “And Mother, this is our dear friend Christian Vane. Christian, this is Fiona.”

Fiona made her way over to Christian and gave him an equally friendly hug. “So nice to meet you Christian. And Aiden didn’t tell me how handsome you were either!” she exclaimed.

Holy shit, she was flirting with Christian! I laughed on the inside as I watched the two cabbies and Aiden empty the cabs of all her luggage. Aiden tipped them what I was sure was a hefty amount for their troubles and they were on their way. Aiden and Christian both grabbed a suitcase with each hand and tossed her duffle style bags over each shoulder. There were still five large suitcases left out in the driveway.

Once we walked into the foyer I was able to get a better look at Fiona. She was really short, probably 4’9” if that, petite as can be, with beautiful golden hair that was in a loose chignon at the base of her neck. Her hair reminded me of wheat shining in the sun, it was so…perfect. And then I got a look at her eyes, the same mesmerizing color as Aiden’s. There was no doubt he was her son. And her skin was flawless. I wasn’t sure how old she really was, but I’d not peg her for a day over thirty-five. I know Aiden said she got sick when he was thirty-one, so she must be at least in her late forties.

She was busy talking about how crowded the flight was, when Cupcake finally decided to come down the stairs and investigate the new voice in the house. She ran right up to Fiona, who knelt down to pet her. “Oh my! How darling are you?!” she squealed. Cupcake was wagging her tail and licking Fiona’s hand in approval.

“This is my dog, Cupcake,” I offered, so at least she could call her by her name. Fiona continued to pet her, and I immediately liked her even more because she didn’t seem to fake being a dog person, she genuinely enjoyed seeing Cupcake. She started talking to Cupcake in what I like to call the “dog voice” and Cupcake loved it.

Aiden and Christian went back outside for the remainder of the suitcases. Once they were all inside and the door was shut, they started to lug them up the stairs to her guest room. “Would you like to go to the sitting room?” Fiona offered. I nodded and followed her into the sitting room, which was a comfy little room with a large fireplace, and an older feel to it, complete with a phonograph and decent collection of music to play on it. Fiona chose a selection and placed it on the turntable and then sat down in the loveseat across from me.

“So, sweetie, Aiden tells me that we can’t talk openly in front of your friend Christian. How are you holding up through all of this?” she said with concern.

“Well, my world has pretty much been turned upside down in the last couple weeks. But I’m doing better than expected I suppose. A lot of that is thanks to Aiden, he’s been very kind and helpful to me,” I replied.

She nodded, “Yes he told me about your grandfather, I am sure that was quite a big shock to think he was dead then find out otherwise.”

“You have no idea,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Well with Lucius on the way tonight, and Aiden and I already here, I promise you that you’ll both be safe. I hope that your grandfather can find a way to do away with that book, so we can personally kill that maniac Bathory once and for all. I don’t take kindly to anyone threatening my family and friends,” as she said that she reached back to pin a piece of stray hair back into her bun. If she wasn’t so nice, I’d probably be jealous of how beautiful she was. If I felt homely around Aiden before she came, I felt like a total homeless bag lady around Fiona.

“I really appreciate you guys flying in to help us out. I know you probably have better things to do, especially on such short notice,” I said, with true gratefulness in my voice.

She waved a hand around in the air, “Oh nonsense. If it was up to me, I’d be around here much more than Aiden would like. I have to sit around and wait for him to invite me, or make up excuses to visit the States just to see him. He’s my only boy I have left, heck he is my only child I have left. But he stood by me in my mortal life until the very end. I love him dearly, and I’d do anything for him. And he admires you dearly, so that extends to you as well sweetie,” she said with a smile.

I heard the men coming back down the stairs in the main hallway. Fiona winked at me and sat back to relax in her chair, straightening her sweater out. Aiden and Christian walked into the sitting room just then.

“Ok, all moved into the room Mother. We even let the elephant out of the suitcase to roam around and stretch his legs,” he said and laughed.

Christian was flexing and stretching his arms, “Yes, I was certain that was what had to be in there, seeing as it was so heavy, ma’am,” he chimed in.

Fiona just waved her hand in the air again chuckling, “Oh please, I think with the size of those triceps you’d have no issues at all,” she said to Christian while winking. Then she patted the seat next to her on the loveseat. “Come now, have a seat and take a load off,” she offered to him.

Aiden glanced over and me and shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. Christian did as he was told and sat beside Fiona. “Would anyone like a drink?” Aiden offered. Christian and Fiona nodded.

“I’ll take an amaretto please dear, on ice,” she said.

Christian chimed in, “Just a beer for me please, need a hand?” he offered.

“No, just sit and relax, enjoy yourselves. Skyy, anything for you?” Aiden asked as he looked at me.

“Sure I suppose I’ll have a beer as well,” I replied. If everyone else was drinking I may as well.

While Aiden was off getting the drinks, Fiona started the conversation. “So, how long have you two known each other? Aiden says you go way back.”

Christian was the first to reply, and actually looked excited to be the one to reply for once. “Oh yes, Skyy and I met in our freshman year of high school. We’ve been partners in crime ever since. We went to college together at UMASS as well.” Aiden returned handing everyone their drinks, noticing there was no individual seating left, he came and sat beside me on the loveseat I was occupying.

“So, what do you do for a living?” Fiona asked him. Christian explained how he worked as the accountant for his friend’s law firm. She acted like she was interested in what he was saying, and for all I know, maybe she was. Once he finished I was next in the spotlight.

“And Skyy, how about you? Aiden didn’t mention what you did for work,” I then explained how I inherited money from Grandpa, and was looking into business ventures.

“I’d be more than happy to help you look around and explore your options while I am in town Skyy,” was her reply. Well, we’ll see if we can fit that in the schedule between being killed or being tortured, I thought to myself.

And so the night went by with easy conversation, a lot more drinks (at least on Christian and Fiona’s end) and laughter. Because we couldn’t talk openly in front of Christian, we had to act as though it was just a normal gathering.

It was just after midnight when Aiden’s phone buzzed with a text from Lucius letting him know he had arrived and he was hopping into a cab to the house. Within an hour he was pulling into the gates.

Aiden got up first. “You guys sit tight, I’ll let him in and bring him in here,” he said. We all nodded our heads, and I figured he couldn’t possibly be bringing the amount of luggage that Fiona had.

Shortly after I heard their voices coming towards the sitting room. Aiden walked in first with Lucius behind him. I was not sure what to expect from the description he had given me, but this certainly was not it.

He had long dark brown hair with loose curls in it, which extended to the middle of his back. And he was tall, from a distance I judged him to be as tall as, or almost taller than Christian who is 6’5”. And holy crap was he built. Muscles bulging everywhere. His face was rather plain, and I could tell he was Roman from his nose, it looked like all those roman statues you see. But his eyes were gorgeous, they were a deep shade of violet and they sparkled like amethysts, I had never seen anyone with a natural eye color like that before. I would guess he was probably in his late forties, but after seeing Fiona who looked so young and perfect, who knew. He could be sixty.

I stood up to greet him, with Fiona and Christian following suit. Aiden walked him over to me first, which I thought was weird. Lucius held his hand out to greet me and shook it lightly. “Lucius this is my friend Skyy who I have told you so much about,” he said.

Lucius let go of my hand then bowed slightly to me. “A pleasure, madam,” he said.

I was almost left speechless, because his presence really filled a room. I squeaked out a polite “Hello,” in response and then sat back down and Lucius turned to greet Fiona. He gave her a generous hug.

“Fiona my dear, looking lovely as ever,” he said. Fiona just smiled and sat down while Christian was introduced.

“And this is our friend Christian, who is spending some time with us as well,” Lucius shook Christian’s hand, I couldn’t help but feeling sorry for Christian. He had no idea what was going on, but yet he seemed so happy and acted like he belonged here in all of this madness.

“Sir, very nice to meet you,” he said. Christian sat back down beside Fiona, while Aiden went to get a chair for Lucius to sit in. Once Lucius was settled, Aiden started a fire in the huge ornate fireplace. After that he offered everyone drinks, yet again. Christian looked like he was half in the bag already, but accepted another one, along with Fiona.

Aiden gestured to Lucius as if he were drinking out of an imaginary glass, “Lucius? A bloody mary for you? Extra bloody?” Lucius just nodded in Aiden’s direction, and while I am sure Christian didn’t get the innuendo, I sure did.

It was odd to sit there and watch a vampire drink blood right in front of me, and I think Aiden sensed that. He leaned back and put his arm over the back of the loveseat, and gently rubbed my back. We all sat there for about twenty minutes making small talk, Lucius and Fiona talked about their flight over to America as they called it, Fiona commented on how beautiful my hair was and informed me that she brought some products from France with her that she just had to show me.

I noticed while Lucius drank his “bloody mary” that his amethyst eyes glowed ever so slightly, he tried to hide that by keeping his head shifted mostly down, but I saw it. What was fascinating is that even though their eyes glowed that reflective glow like a dogs eyes in the dark when light hits them, they glowed the color of their eyes. Aiden’s glowed green, Mr. Skinhead’s glowed that ice blue color, and Lucius were glowing a deep violet color.

Christian and Fiona really hit it off. I am not sure if it was the liquor, or if it was his mind whammy, or if she was mind whammying him (I’d be really pissed off about that) but they talked like long lost old friends. Lucius wasn’t a big talker and once he finished his bloody mary he stood up and announced he was retiring.

Aiden showed Lucius to his guest room and I excused myself to let Cupcake out. I was standing at the back door waiting for her to come back in when Aiden came downstairs and walked into the kitchen.

“They are both outside,” he said. I knew what he meant. “Now that Mother and Lucius are here, we’ll take care of them tomorrow. We’ll need to get in touch with your grandpa and find out if he can give us any kind of realistic timeline for this ritual, because Bathory will just keep sending more vampires here and pretty soon we’ll either need to relocate you, or you’ll become a prisoner in my home.” His face was grim when he said it.

“I also have a few defensive things I’d like to show you tomorrow, after you’ve had a good nights' rest.” Aiden let Cupcake inside and shut the door. Just then we heard laughing from the sitting room.

“So uhh, I don’t want to offend you, but what’s up with your mom? Is she mind whammying Christian? He seems awfully happy and very talkative with her, and he’s never like that. He’s super shy,” I said sheepishly.

Aiden shrugged his shoulders. “She’s not influencing him in any way, honestly I am not sure what is going on. They seem to enjoy each other’s company.”

I shrugged my shoulders too. “Ok then, as long as she isn’t messing with his mind, I’m cool with that. She seems really sweet by the way.”

He gave a little chuckle, “Yeah, she is very sweet but trust me, she wants to get her hands on your hair, she’s like a kid with a doll. I saw her face light up when she saw you. She loves fashion, accessorizing, makeup. You’re like a living Barbie doll for her.”

I absently touched my hand to my hair. “That sounds…fun?” I said not sure if that was the right answer or not.

Aiden smiled again. “Trust me, you don’t have a choice in the matter. Don’t be surprised if you wake up to find her brushing your hair while you sleep,” he started moving towards the sitting room again. “Shall we?” he gestured.

“I think I am going to call it a night as well Aiden. I’ll say goodnight to your mother and then head upstairs.”

“Ok, I’ll escort you up there and then I have some work I need to get to as well,” he said.

I walked into the sitting room to find Christian deep in a story about the time when he went to Europe when we he was in high school with his parents. He was using his hands and arms and gestures, really getting into the story, like he’d known Fiona for ages. Something I rarely ever saw him do, even around me. I cleared my throat.