Bite of Envy (Just One Bite #4) (12 page)

When the coffee was ready, Lizbeth organized it on one of
their serving trays as Adrian would normally do, setting the pitcher of cream
and the sugar bowl next to the carafe before hefting it and joining everyone in
the parlor. Everyone, she thought with a wince, but Adrian. He’d stayed
upstairs with RaeLynn. She knew the sweet little baby was no doubt sleeping by
now, but she didn’t blame him for remaining within reach of her. She’d saved
his life, and he felt secure with her. With a groan of disgust, she remembered
the horrid little scene. Sad that it took a baby who hasn’t even seen her first
birthday yet to make him feel secure, and a house full of adults made him
nervous.
We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t
decide to pack his shit and leave
, she thought morosely.

He’s not planning on
leaving, although if you keep bringing home strays he might be better off
,
Eamon shot back at her in her mind. Then he turned and spoke to the group and
to Sandra in particular. He explained again, slowly and patiently, the rules.
“Protect your head and heart,” he summed up. “You can be killed that way, so be
very cautious of your surroundings at all times if you wish to keep your immortal
life intact. I recommend setting up blood sources for yourself so there’s
little chance of bleeding someone dry when you’re hungry,” he said pointedly,
and Sandra flushed, looking down at her toes as though the meaning of life was
hidden in her candy pink nail polish.

“
Bad,
On
!” a tiny voice scolded Eamon, and everyone in the
room jumped as RaeLynn included her two cents on the subject. She may have been
upstairs with Adrian, but apparently she was fully involved in what was going
on below.
“
You, too
!”
Sandra looked confused, and Lizbeth rushed to clarify.

“Apparently RaeLynn is curious why you won’t own up to your
part in this,” Lizbeth said with a smirk. There was some heat in her gaze, and
Diandra grinned, realizing she’d once again overlooked something important.

Eamon looked outraged.
“My part in this?
I had nothing to do with your ill-advised turning of this woman. You are
responsible for her, not me, so I’ll be damned if I’ll claim any responsibility
for this fiasco.”

Sandy spoke up then, surprising everyone. She’d been
extremely quiet since entering the parlor, and even though they looked at her
and spoke to her, it was almost as though she wasn’t really there. “He’s
already claimed responsibility- that’s why he’s snapping at you now. He feels
guilty, so he’s punishing you for it.”

“I don’t have anything to feel guilty for. I had nothing to
do with your conversion,” he argued, but the heat was gone.

“If that’s the case, Eamon, then why feel the guilt at all?
It’s all over your face, if one knows where to look. Maybe you should take some
of the burden off of them. After all, from what I was told these two are new to
the life, while you’ve had centuries to learn the rules. You should’ve thought
about the bloodlust that would overwhelm me. Isn’t your job to teach? Didn’t
you provide them with the picnic basket from Hell following their conversions?”
Sandra was relentless, finally finding an outlet for the anger that swamped
her. “I don’t know much about the dynamics here, but RaeLynn is obviously
quicker on her tiny feet than the rest of us, calling you on your behavior
here.”

Eamon’s face mottled with rage. “Shut the fuck up,” he said,
his voice quiet but deadly. “You are new here, and you have no say in anything.
You’re too fucking new to know a damned thing, so just shut the fuck up.”

Sandra grinned, and Lizbeth recognized the look. It was the
hunter’s smile, the one where she knew her prey was cornered, and she was
simply toying with it before dinner. She often wore that look while working, but
it was much creepier with the tiny hint of fangs with it. “Oh, hit a nerve, did
I? All right, but think on this, Eamon. You’re responsible for Lizbeth, as
she’s still in training, correct? Then by default you’re responsible for me, as
she was under your instruction. She turned me, but you told her how.” At his
blink of surprise, she let out a throaty laugh. “Yes, she told me after I
nearly killed Adrian because you didn’t warn anyone it could happen. So before
you yell and scream at her, think about who carries the most blame, and
shoulder your share of it.”

Eamon stared at her, speechless. Lizbeth wore a sardonic
smile, and Diandra was carefully looking down, her hair hiding whatever
expression was on her face. Without another word, Eamon shifted to feline form
and sprinted from the room. Lizzie knew he was heading for the kitchen, as they
always left a window cracked for him to escape to his favored bush. “Round one,
Sandra and RaeLynn,” she said quietly.

Eamon curled his tail about him tightly, hugging himself in
the only manner he could as a feline. How dare she talk to him that way? Didn’t
she know what his life was like? Okay, that wasn’t fair and he knew it. He
didn’t talk about his life, so no one knew just how awful his past was, or how
busy his present could be. But still, it wasn’t fair for them to lay the blame
at his feet. He was devastated coming face to face with Balfleur that way. He
knew someday he would confront the man, and he the man would pay for all he’d
put Eamon through. He just didn’t expect to have to deal with him so soon.

Enough of that
, he
scolded himself. It was time to focus on the present and future. Balfleur would
pay for the past soon enough. Right now he needed to figure out what to do with
Sandra. It was hard work training a neophyte, and he now had two under his
wing. He didn’t know how he’d have the strength to deal with them both, but he
supposed he’d have to. What choice did he have?

You could let me train
Sandra, while you work with Lizbeth
, Diandra said casually into his mind,
startling him into hissing. He hated when she dove in that way- she was so
damned good at it that he didn’t know she was there until it was too late.
Why thank you
, she said sarcastically.
I don’t want you training them together.

Why don’t you? If
that’s the best for the both of them, perhaps it’s what I should do. It’ll
definitely be easier for me, time-wise. You’re not qualified to train anyone,
he shot back snidely.

Diandra’s voice was still tainted with amusement.
I’m better than you. I’m faster, I’m
stronger. You know it’s true, so I’m qualified to train the little newbie.

Eamon was still concerned.
Why don’t you want me to train them together? Don’t you trust me?

With my life, and the
life of my family,
Dia responded seriously.
I don’t trust Sandra not to make a very strong play for Lizbeth,
especially now that we’ll be in close confines for a bit. They have enough in
common without giving her more room to maneuver. I’d just rather keep them
separate as much as possible.

If you don’t trust
Lizbeth,
Eamon began, but she cut him off.

I trust Lizbeth with
my heart, fragile thing that it is. What I don’t trust is her ability to see
past their history together to the woman Sandra is now, or to avoid putting
herself in a situation where no one can win. I want to protect her, even if I
have to protect her from herself first and foremost.

There was nothing Eamon could say to that, so he simply
agreed to her plan. He wasn’t comfortable with Sandra anyway, so having Diandra
train her would be better for everyone involved. Resigned to another day of
drama, he laid his head down on his paws and attempted to sleep, but as it
always did, the past haunted his every dream. The time would be soon for him to
tell the women everything, but for tonight, he would push it aside as he always
did. He’d tell his story when it was necessary, and not a single second
earlier.

The next morning Lizbeth went off to work, leaving Diandra
to talk with Sandra without interference. She’d never have a better chance to
make her stance than now, so she knocked on the guest room door bright and
early. Sandra opened the door, green eyes bleary from sleep and her pretty
blond hair in disarray. “Diandra,” she said. The surprise was evident in her
voice.

I suppose she expected
Lizbeth to knock on her door
, Dia thought sarcastically. She handed Sandra
a blood baggie. The reporter grimaced in distaste before instinct won out and
she pierced the bag with her fangs and slurped mightily. Within fifteen seconds
it was empty and the woman looked more alert and aware of her surroundings.
“Come downstairs for coffee and breakfast if you wish, then it’ll be time to
start your training.” She turned to walk back down the stairs, but halted and
spun to the woman once more. “Oh, and wear something comfortable.”

“I didn’t think Eamon would want to train me after I pissed
him off last night,” Sandra said conversationally. She drew her pale pink robe
a little tighter around her body in a slight show of nerves.

Diandra smiled. “He isn’t training you. I am.” And with
that, she headed to the dining room table, leaving Sandra stunned in the
doorway to the bedroom.

Adrian was waiting for her when she sat down, and she was
both startled and grateful. She was afraid the man would be too nervous to show
himself while Lizbeth and Eamon weren’t around. She was glad he wasn’t hiding
in his room and seemed at ease in his home once more, for this was as much his
home as it was hers. There was a slight flinching around his eyes, but other
than that, he showed no fear. “Good morning, Adrian,” she said lightly as he
set a cup of coffee in front of her. “I’m glad to see you this morning.”

Adrian smiled as he set down a platter with a cheese
omelette and two slices of lightly buttered whole wheat toast, knowing it was
one of her favorite meals. A dish of raspberries was already on the table, and
she popped on of the plump berries into her mouth. “I can’t hide forever,” he
said reasonably. “And I cast a little spell that’ll provide me some added
protection.”

Dia raised her eyebrows. “Do tell,” she invited.

Adrian blushed as he sat down next to her. “It’s a little
blood protection, that’s all. If I offer the blood freely, as I do for you and
Lizbeth, the blood will taste as it usually does. However, if someone should
bite me to retrieve the blood, it’ll taste like sewage.”

Diandra threw back her head and let the laughter ring
through the room. “Oh, that’s great, Adrian. Well done.”

Sandra walked in at that moment, looking a bit uncomfortable
in her forest green yoga pants and a matching tank top. The weather was a bit
brisk, but she’d already realized her body processed temperature differently,
and she’d probably sweat a bit, so she went for comfort over practicality.
“What’s so funny?” she asked as she sat down across from Diandra and Adrian.

“Oh, Adrian was just telling me an amusing story about
garbage protection,” Diandra said with a quick grin, and began laughing again.
This time Adrian joined her, and Sandra felt completely left out.

“Be right back,” Adrian said, jumping to his feet and
heading for the stairs. A mere second later, RaeLynn’s first faint call could
be heard.

Sandra turned wide eyes to Diandra. “How did he know she was
awake before we heard her?” she asked. She reached for a coffee mug and the
carafe that was sitting in the middle of the table. Pouring a cup, she added
copious amounts of sugar and cream, making it more filler than actual coffee.

“She called to him mind-to-mind before actually calling out,
more than likely. She usually does,” Dia replied, her tone matter-of-fact. This
was all part of the routine around here, and since she obviously wasn’t, Sandra
couldn’t be expected to know all this, let alone actually understand.

Sandra smiled. “It must be nice, having him around to take
care of RaeLynn so you don’t have to be tied down. You’re free to come and go
as you please,” she commented.

Diandra was pissed beyond belief. Did this idiot really just
imply that she was a bad mother? “It’s nice having him around because he’s
family. He’s not some servant, Sandra. Rae loves him, and he’s the best
possible protection for her.”

Sandra raised amused eyebrows at that. “He’s a human. I
highly doubt he could protect her if something supernatural came looking for
you or Lizbeth. What could he do?” She brushed invisible lint off her pants and
sat back, crossing her legs at the knee and sipping from her overly sweet
beverage.

Diandra dropped all pretense of courtesy.
“A
lot more than you could, newbie.
He’s a Wiccan- he’s got powers you’ve
only read about in books,” she shot back, lying through her teeth. Adrian had
no actual powers, but she knew the Goddess he worshipped smiled down upon their
household due to his heavy devotion and following of the path she’d laid out
before him. “It’s amazing the disdain you have for humans now, when you were
one more recently than you probably care to remember. Adrian’s not some lackey,
you know. He belongs here.”

“And I don’t, I get it. If you’re so against me being here,
why haven’t you tossed me out the door? Why are you going to train me?” Sandra
threw her hands up in the air, frustrated and angry.

Diandra stood up, planting her hands on the waist of her
black tap pants and tapping her bare feet impatiently. “Because if I threw you
out on your sneaky little ass, Carson would kill you before you could snivel in
fear. And that would make Lizbeth sad. I do everything in my power to keep her
happy, even when it means training her ex-girlfriend with boundary issues.”

“Boundary issues?”
Sandra snarled,
jumping to her feet as well. “And just what is that supposed to mean?”

Diandra rolled her eyes in disgust. “It means I know why
you’re here. You’re still hoping to separate us, even after Lizbeth made it
clear how she feels. She doesn’t want you anymore. She loves me, and she’s in
love with me. You, well, you were a nice distraction, and nothing more. So I’ll
teach you to defend yourself. I’ll help you learn to stay alive, and then
you’ll leave.” She got into Sandra’s face, and was satisfied with the glimmer
of fear she saw in reaction. “Heed my warning, Sandra. If you try to come
between us, you won’t have to worry about Carson. I’ll rip your fucking arms
off of your skinny little body and cave in your pretty face with them.” She
turned away and headed to the sliding glass door, pretending she didn’t see
Adrian standing in the doorway with RaeLynn, both of them listening intently.
“Now get your ass outside and let’s get to work. You have an awful lot to
learn.”