People are scared. I can smell their fear.
“You look tired, Ri,” my brother says as we walk up the sidewalk. He drapes an arm over my shoulder. The people of Inverness are hustling about, going to work, school, getting on with their lives.
“Yeah, I’m feeling it,” I answer, and meet Seth’s worried gaze. “How you holding up, bro?”
Seth ducks his head. “Holdin’. Riggs told me to tell you he misses you,” he says with a grin. “Zetty, too. And of course Preacher and Estelle, and Nyx.” He scratches his head. “And all of the Duprés, I guess.” He chuckles. “Pretty much everyone.”
With a sigh, I lay my head on my brother’s shoulder. “I miss them all, too.” Sliding an arm around his waist, I squeeze. “I’ve missed you most, though.”
Seth kisses the top of my head. “I’ve missed you, too, sis. All this will be over soon. It’ll be right again. I know it.”
“Gosh, you two are just so darn sweet,” Noah says from behind us.
Rhine chuckles.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck bristles. My gaze lifts, away from the sidewalk I’m walking on, and it cuts across the street.
Nothing.
But everything inside me screams Eli. He’s watching me, curious.
Back at the Crachan, I shower, change, and in thirty minutes meet the others downstairs. I’m starting to wind down, feel weary, but I want to go with Seth, Noah, and Rhine to pick up Eli’s brothers at the airport. I’ve missed them. And, I confess, there’s some comfort in having Luc and Phin close. Almost like having a piece of Eli with me.
We take two Rovers, and I ride with Rhine. Although the sun is hidden, the gray-white of daylight is bright. He wears a dark pair of shades as he weaves through the streets to Inverness’s airport. Noah and Seth follow behind us in the other Rover.
“I can go wi’ you, ya know,” Rhine says. “Inside the realm.” His gaze is straight ahead, on the road, but I can tell by the clenching of his jaw that he’s worried.
“It’s too dangerous,” I tell him. “You’re strong, and fast as hell with the silver.” I cover his hand with mine. “But no way could you keep up in there. I’d constantly be worried about what you were doing instead of concentrating on what I had to do.”
An amused grin lifts one side of his mouth. “You worry about me, Poe?”
I punch his arm. “Hell yeah, I worry.”
I can’t see his eyes behind the shades, but his mouth gives it all away. He full-out grins. “That makes me sor’ o’ feel like a baby. Havin’ a lass worry o’er me so much.”
Rhine’s accent is heavy, and at times I have to concentrate on what he’s saying to get the meaning. “Get used to it,” I say. “It’s what I do. Ask anyone who knows me.”
Rhine hits the volume to the radio, and a tune filters through the speakers of the Rover. His gravelly, unique voice overtakes the artist’s, and he claims the song. I listen, amazed, and when he pulls into a parking spot and shoves the Rover into park, I smile at him. “I think I could listen to you sing for hours,” I admit. “You’ve got to send me some music when I leave.”
Rhine takes off his shades, and green eyes study me. “I’m gonna hate tae see you go.”
I shake my head. “You probably say that to all your band groupies.”
Opening the door, he steps out. “Only tae you.”
Noah and Seth join us, and together the four of us hurry into the small airport to await Phin and Luc’s flight. It’s on time, thankfully, and just hit the tarmac. I stand, staring out of the huge Plexiglas overlooking the runway, and watch other planes land and take off. Memories assault me, and I can’t help tracing time back to the day I first met the Dupré family. The first time I understood that vampires existed. Luc and Phin were both so eager to show off their skills. I remember how they leaped like frogs on crack across Gilles’s parlor. Scared the holy shit out of me back then. Cracks me up to think about it now. Seems like I’ve known them all for years. Eli? Forever.
“Hey, come on outta there,” Noah says by my side. “Before you start bawling all over the airport.” He drops his arm over my shoulders and gives me a shake. “Look at Luc and Phin. They’re tripping over each other to get to you first.”
My memory of Eli and our first official introduction simmers inside me as I focus on the present, and Eli’s two younger brothers pushing past each other and the passengers filing out. Each has a duffel swung over his shoulder. Phin’s dark blond buzz cut and black shades stand in contrast with his perfect pale skin. Luc, whose hair is longer, brushing the collar of his black leather jacket, has a wide white smile. Both are making a beeline straight to me. When they reach me, they drop their duffels in unison. Phin reaches me first, throws his arms around my waist, and picks me off the floor. I fall into his embrace and squeeze.
“Jesus Christ, Poe,” he mutters against my neck. “I’ve missed the holy hell outta you!”
A wash of emotion hits me, and I breathe in his familiar scent. “I’ve missed you, too.”
In the next instant, I’m pulled directly out of Phin’s arms and am now enveloped into Luc’s strong embrace. “Sis,” he says against my hair. He’s a little quieter than the rowdy Phin, and his French accent is a little stronger. Every feeling he has rushes through me, too. He pulls back and kisses me on the cheek. The trademark Dupré cerulean blue eyes stare down at me, so much like Eli’s it almost hurts to see them. “It’s not been the same without you guys around.”
Phin laughs. “It’s been flat-out boring as hell at home without you.”
Luc kisses my cheek once more. “That is for Gilles and Elise. They miss you terribly.”
I stare into his gaze. “We’ll all be home soon.”
Noah and Seth exchange manly bro shakes and side hugs with Eli’s brothers, and then introductions are made between the Duprés and Rhine, and we make our way through the semicrowd of people filing out of baggage claim.
As we leave the building, I’m sandwiched between Eli’s brothers, each with an arm draped over my shoulders. We cross the parking lot, and at the Rovers, Phin doesn’t let me go. He inclines his head to the backseat, and we climb in. Luc shoots him a glare and then jumps in the front with Rhine. We head back to the Crachan, and by the time we arrive, I’ve updated Luc and Phin on all the events to date in Inverness. They are not surprised when I tell them Valerian Arcos is behind it all, and that he resurrected Carrine to control Eli, making me believe my only choice was to kill him. Fury makes their eyes turn dark, and I know that if Valerian makes the mistake of showing back up, he won’t survive.
And that, of course, will start an epic war between the vampire families.
They needed to stand in line, though. I’ve already had fanciful visions of shoving silver into Valerian’s heart myself.
Luc and Phin are completely impressed with Rhine and the Ness boys’ work in the city, and by the time Rhine pulls into the drive, they’re pretty much up to speed.
Noah and Seth join us, and we all walk in. Pete is squating down in front of the hearth, stoking a roaring fire. Two other Ness boys are plopped onto chairs, eating bowls of cereal. I’m pretty sure, by the furtive glances Pete and the others pass Luc and Phin when they’re introduced, they’re freaked out by their houseful of vampires.
We sit on the sofa, Luc and Phin on either side of me. Noah and Seth fall into chairs. Rhine throws himself down in front of the hearth, onto the floor.
We discuss our next move.
“If Carrine is everything you say she is,” Phin says, rubbing his buzz-cut head, “she’ll know when you try to get to St. Bueno’s to fill those cartridges.”
“That’s why me and a few of the other lads should go alone,” Rhine offers. “She’ll focus on you, Riley.” He inclines his head to Luc and Phin. “And on you.”
“He’s right,” Noah agrees. He looks at Rhine. “You’ve got to do this now.” He inclines his head to me. “The longer she waits, the stronger Carrine becomes.”
“Why do you have to go in alone, Ri?” Seth asks. His green eyes are hazy with worry. “I don’t get it.”
“Well,” I answer my baby brother, “our theory is, since Carrine was a powerful witch before she became a vampire, she can manipulate inside the realm. I saw a piece of it before.” I smile at him wryly. “What if she, I don’t know”—I incline my head to Luc—“manipulated him to act against me?” I shake my head, the thought making me sick inside. “I couldn’t face having to fight one of you.”
“Well, I for one am dying to see this scatha of yours,” Phin says. He looks at Rhine. “When will you leave?”
“The sooner the better,” Rhine says in his brogue. He glances at me. “An’ from the looks o’ it, lads, Riley here is about tae crash.”
I focus on the handsome young Scotsman, and realize my vision has in fact gone blurry.
“Yeah, look at that goofy look on her face,” Phin says, leaning back and staring at me. He lifts his hand in front of me. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
I stare. “One. And your mother would beat you if she saw that,” I say.
I am feeling weary, though. “I’d feel better if Seth went with Rhine and the others,” I mumble, and lay my head over onto Luc’s shoulder. “Make sure at least . . . eight of you go, huh?” I try to focus on Rhine, but his face has become distorted. My eyelids grow heavier and heavier.
“Och, there she goes,” Rhine says, his voice fainter now. His voice sounds like he’s talking from a concrete tunnel.
“I’ll take her up,” Noah says, his voice even fainter. “You boys will find some V8 in the fridge.”
I feel my body go weightless as Noah leans down and slides his arms under my knees and shoulders, lifting me into the air. The room is spinning as he’s taking me upstairs, and I concentrate on his features to keep from becoming dizzy. “There’s gotta be a way to fix this narcolepsy,” I mumble. “Don’t like it.”
