Courted by the Vampire (13 page)

Leave it alone
.

“This is the bathing area.” Cessily moved aside.

Chapter Ten

Hannah’s interest in Cessily faded as the glory of Horace’s bathhouse
spread before her. Once again, she had under-estimated the trickery magical beings employed to build their residences. “This is wonderful!”

It was as if a European spa had landed in the middle of the Indiana Dunes
State Park. Sunken concrete baths steamed invitingly in the room. Women clothed in white robes wandered through the maze, some receiving massages on heavily cushioned tables from impossibly gorgeous men. Another group enjoyed fruity herbal-scented facials, while another small pod ate plump, juicy fruit from the chilled bowls on a banquet table as they chatted with hunky half-elves.

Cessily motioned Edwin to a door on the left side of the corridor. “The
men’s bathing area is through there. I will return Hannah to you in an hour.”

Streaks of pea green painted themselves across Hannah’s consciousness.
Edwin was worried. A swift splash of vivid brown interrupted the green. Now, he’d started to panic. She attempted to tap into his mind, but met nothing but blank grayness. The bounty hunter had shut her out.

As Edwin turned to her, his eyes blazed with icy intensity. “I know this
seems fantastic, but sometimes appearances are deceiving. I ask that you be constantly vigilant. Do not let your guard down, no matter how tempting it may be to do so. If something is too good to be true, it usually is.”

She dismissed his concern. “I promise to remain safe.
Please don’t worry about me.” She patted his arm. Her attention already meandered toward the steaming aromatherapy baths. “I’ll see you later.” Hannah left him to stand by himself at the door to the men’s bath area. She followed Cessily through the rows and rows of inviting tubs and grinned.

“This bath belongs to you for the next hour. You should find it quite
relaxing with lavender and geranium to sooth your cuts as well as a touch of lemon oil to invigorate your senses. There are numerous soaps and lotions for you to choose. When you are finished soaking, there is a small hand-bell at the edge of the bath. Please ring it, and I will return to escort you to the next treatment.”

Ignoring the trepidation that danced in her stomach, Hannah wasted no
time in shedding her clothing then sank into the wonderfully warm and scented water. “This is heaven.”

A frown pulled Cessily’s lips downward. “If you will just let me have
your bag, I’ll be off.”

“Uh, no that’s all right.” A spiral of warning bounced around the inside
her stomach. Remembering Edwin’s admonition, she vigorously shook her head. “I’d like to keep the bag with me, if you don’t mind.”

The bath attendant shrugged. “Suit yourself. There are fresh clothes for
you in this basket as well as shoes. Ring the bell when you’re finished.”

“I will.”
Hannah sighed with relief as Cessily finally left the area. She lay back against the smooth limestone of the tub. Life couldn’t possibly get any better. Her original plan had been to spend every second of that precious hour reclining in the lovely warm water, but Edwin’s warning put a damper over her ability to enjoy the respite. She procured a razor from her makeup bag then shaved her legs, figuring that at least she could strive to be a bit more feminine even if it was just to continue to trek through a forest. Of course, if she and the bounty hunter decided to indulge in a little adult-oriented entertainment, she’d be glad she spent some time on grooming. Her cheeks heated at the thought. Did she want their relationship to progress to that level?

Hannah, we need to leave.

She smoothed bath gel over her arms and frowned. How much work would it take if she decided to seduce the starchy vamp?
Go away, Edwin. You’re ruining my bath.

I am sorry, but I do not trust Horace. Something is not right in this camp. There
is an aura of magic here that is not friendly.

I’m not finished yet. Now, go away.
She closed him out of her mind, sighed, and tried to unwind in the water of the bath. “Damn it!” She glanced around the spa area, glad no one seemed interested in her outburst. Anxiety settled like a rock into her stomach with a thud. He’d ruined the experience.

Hannah spent a good amount of time lathering her hair. She shivered
when she pulled a dried leaf from the bubbles. What else was in there? For her own peace of mind, she lathered, rinsed and repeated at least twice. She inhaled the sweet rose scent of the shampoo, completely happy to soak her trouble away but when wrinkles turned her fingers and toes into wanna-be prunes, she exited the now-dirty bathwater with a regretful glance. She dried off with the fluffiest soft towel she had ever used then stroked a corner of the white material over her cheek. She’d definitely missed the little luxuries of life.

Edwin, you need to travel with one of these optical illusion huts. It would make
hiking through the forest much more enjoyable.

Starburst
s of ruddy brown twinkled in her mind.
I am bathing under duress.

Now is not the time for sarcasm.
Her laugh echoed off the concrete baths. When she spied her old clothes folded neatly on a side table, she grabbed them and stuffed them into her bag, marveling that they’d been washed and pressed. Old clothes were forgotten in the face of a new outfit. A grin slid over Hannah’s lips. Cessily had provided new under garments of a black lacy variety, but she didn’t dwell on why they were black or lacy. They were fresh and clean, and that was good enough for her. At least there was still some sort of feminism left in the world.

She slipped an ankle-length dress over her head, sighing as the cool, soft
cotton whispered against her skin. Short sleeved and of a raspberry hue, it was pretty but very plain. The only thing remotely fashionable about the garment was the scooped neckline that bared a rather indecent amount of breast. With a shrug, Hannah dropped the long chain with the pendants under her dress. The pair of ballet flats she slipped on was equally unremarkable with the exception they were made of very soft and pliable tan leather.

With a smile, she arranged her short locks into spiky disarray with the
same hair gel she used at home. Tiny alarms clanged in her head.
Why does the spa have my hair products?
Another glance at the happy women did little to quell her apprehension. With a last look of longing at the scented bath water, she rang the bell as her unease multiplied like rabbits.

“Are you sufficiently refreshed?” Cessily inquired seconds later. Hannah nodded then followed the woman through
the bathing room to a long banquet table filled with food. “Please, partake of the bounty you see before you. I will return in fifteen minutes to reunite you with your companion.”

“Thank you.” Hannah sighed with disappointment but grazed through
the mountains of fruit in spite of it. She’d hoped Cessily would indulge in a girl talk. Apparently, there was no time for such luxuries in the spa. She dumped a few apples and oranges into her bag for later, then squirreled away a couple of handfuls of almonds as well as two bottles of high-end water. After being on this quest with Edwin, her learning curve improved. Food was very hard to come by, so she had to stock up when she had the chance. Hannah rearranged the contents of her bag so the freshly laundered clothing hid the stowaway fruit. She’d even packed a couple bottles of exquisite lotions and soaps from the bath. Cleanliness was a big necessity.

Too soon, Cessily returned. With the crook of a forefinger, she beckoned
Hannah into a small alcove nearby. “You must leave this place. It’s not safe!”

Hannah narrowed
her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Horace is not as kind as all of this suggests.” She waved her hands wide
as if to encompass the whole spa. “He holds us captive and forces us to be slaves to his vices. You must get away before he binds you into submission as well.”

She pressed something into Hannah’s palm, her eyes wild. “Quickly. I must
return you to him now!”

With a quirked eyebrow, Hannah opened her hand. A two-inch crystal of
amethyst quartz winked back. It was a powerful gem. The amethyst would promote calm and the quartz would intensify psychic powers. It swung on a long black silken cord. Hannah tied it about her waist as a belt. “What is it for? Am I supposed to use it somehow?” When she received no answer, she slung the handle of her bag across her chest with a frown. “Where are we going?” Again, no answer. She followed Cessily out of the room and into the camp area where the high-spirited revelry was still going on. All thoughts of Cessily and Horace were thrust from her mind as Edwin came into her line of vision.

He cleaned up well. Exceedingly well—disturbingly so. Gone were the dark
clothes he favored. In their place, he wore a simple mossy green tunic of what appeared to be a linen-cotton blend. It skimmed the hard planes of his chest and left nothing to the imagination.

Her fingers itched to touch it to be sure. At some point in her many moves
all over the country, she had worked in a clothing shop. She knew her fabrics.

The loose fitting tan pants were most likely made of the same material.
She flicked her gaze over the leather boots on his feet then back to a vest of buttery-soft doeskin. Desire slammed into her chest as she continued to stare. She hoped she wasn’t drooling.

You are not drooling, Hannah, but you do look very
nice in that dress. I am honored to be able to share this quest with you.

“You don’t look half bad yourself.”
She smiled as she reached his side.

*****

Edwin guided her nearer the fire and accepted a plate of some sort of roasted meat from one of the women who worked the camp. “I would imagine you are still hungry. Eat now. We may not have a chance later.” His gaze lingered briefly on the creamy expanse of her chest. He swallowed around the lump of need lodged in his throat. Willpower would be needed to resist the charms she offered.

Desperate for a diversion, he watched as Hannah dug into the food with
apparent enjoyment. She never failed to surprise him. Her appetite was bottomless, but the primal side of him liked to provide for her. Apparently, men had not evolved much in the last several hundred years.

No other living soul came into sight as Hannah chattered on about her
bath and what Cessily had told her. The sound of her voice proved to be calming for his discomfort. As he ate his share of meat, he was glad for her companionship. “Why do you stare at me?”

“Open your mouth.”

He blinked at her outrageous command. “I beg your pardon?” She never failed to keep him guessing.

“Just do it.” Hannah leaned closer. “Open your mouth. I need to check
something.”

Edwin stared at her
. Earnestness shone from her eyes. “Fine.” He obliged, even as embarrassment heated his body when she peered within his mouth.

“Okay, that’s all I needed to know.” She patted his cheek.

“And?” He would not give into her vanity and ask what she was looking for.

“You don’t have fangs.”

“I have already told you  did not.” He answered her grin and nearly lost himself in the green depths of her eyes. “We will leave this place immediately. Promise me you won’t do anything rash if we should happen to find ourselves separated.”

“Wow, I’m impressed. You didn’t order me to do something, and you
used a contraction. It must be my lucky day.”

“Humor has no place in the face of imminent danger.” But he smiled
nonetheless.

“Do you think that eventuality will occur, our separation?”

Edwin shrugged. He glanced at Hannah, and his chest tightened with another wave of need. The fire turned her red hair to burnished copper, her eyes blazed and winked in the flickering light. How had he become attracted to her in a matter of days? He shoved the thought of her as a sexual object from his mind. “We have to be prepared.” He stood and drew her with him. “Confidence, Hannah.” When an anxious expression crossed her face, he dropped a chaste kiss on her forehead. With one last squeeze of her hand, he went in search of Horace. The whisper of her shoes on the forest floor confirmed she followed.

The goat man lounged against the side of another hut, gnawing on a large
chunk of roasted meat. He discarded the nearly clean bone as they approached.

Edwin cleared his throat. “We
thank you for your hospitality, but find that we need to be on our way.” He could not shake the thick cord of wariness that wrapped itself around him. The goat man was a formidable opponent, for the simple fact he cheated in everything he did and if he had half a clue as to what Hannah was, every second spent in the camp multiplied the danger.

Horace’s booming laugh rang out over the camp. “Leaving so soon? The
party’s just started.” He wiped his greasy lips on his forearm. “Did you enjoy the spa facilities, my dear?” He waggled his bushy eyebrows suggestively at Hannah.