Kindling Flames: Smoke Rising (The Ancient Fire Series Book 3) (25 page)

“Good night, Darien.” Ann smiled at him.

Darien bowed his head to her and disappeared down the steps.

“Let’s get you settled.” Vicky led her mother into her bedroom.

“I like him.” Ann smiled as she stepped into the dappled green room. “He has good taste.”

“I’m glad that you approve.” Vicky folded back the blankets and fluffed up the pillows on the bed.

Zak jumped up on the bed and wagged his tail happily.

Ann rummaged around in her suitcase for her night clothing. Pulling out a flowered sleep set, she came over to the bed and scrubbed her fingers into Zak’s fur. “So, Victoria, is there anything else you wanted to tell me?” She looked up at Vicky messing with the bedding.

Vicky stopped and looked at her mother. “What do you mean?” Could her mother have noticed there was something different about Darien or Zak?

Ann gave her daughter a considering look. “From what I have seen and heard, Darien loves you very much, but that proposal seemed rushed.”

Vicky sat down on the bed next to Zak and thought about her mother’s words. “Perhaps.” Vicky scratched the fay between her and her mother. “Darien wasn’t too happy when we were forced into the handfasting.”

“Forced?” Ann asked, disturbed.

“It’s a long story,” Vicky sighed, “but, Mom, I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She shrugged. “I know that we haven’t been together for long, but I love him. I don’t know how to explain it. Being with Darien just feels right. I don’t know what I would do without him.”

Zak gurgled at her, and Vicky grinned, scratching the fay again.

“Or Zak. They make my life complete.”

Ann nodded her understanding. “That’s all well and good, but that’s not what I asked.” She pinned Vicky with her eyes. “Is there something else that you need to tell me?”

“I don’t understand.” Vicky shook her head, confused by her mother’s words. “What am I supposed to tell you?”

“Victoria Abigail Westernly.” Ann said, disappointed that she would need to spell it out for her daughter. “Are you pregnant?”

Vicky stared at her mother with an open mouth. “No, Mom!” she said, shocked that her mother would jump to that conclusion. “Why would you think such a thing?”

“Do I really need to answer that?” Ann tilted her head forwards and gave Vicky a pointed look.

Vicky nodded her head.

“First of all, you look fantastic. Your skin is very nice with a slight glow to it, and even though you’ve dyed your hair, it’s really thick and healthy; then, you got dizzy in the kitchen for no reason; and finally, the man that you have been living with suddenly asked you to marry him. What else am I supposed to think?”

Vicky laughed and let out a long sigh. “No, Mom, I’m not pregnant,” Vicky grinned. “I’m too young for children.”

Ann laughed at her. “I was just about your age when I had you,” she pointed out.

Vicky glared at her mother. “I don’t have time for children at the moment.” Darien had told her that vampires couldn’t have children when she had first asked him if she needed to worry about birth control. “It would interfere with work.”

“If you need help, you know I’d be there for you,” Ann offered.

Vicky gaped at her mother. “Mom!” Vicky protested.

“Oh sweetheart,” Ann patted Vicky’s leg, “for you and your kids, I would sell my house in Moraine and move to Brenton. I’m still a few years from retiring, but I have a rather nice nest egg put back. I could survive on that for a while so I could help with your babies.”

“Let us get married first,” she interrupted her mother before she could press the matter more. Vicky didn’t have the heart to tell her mother that children were not in her future if she stayed with Darien.

“Of course.” Ann smiled at her daughter. “But don’t leave it for too long. I would like to be able to have a chance to spoil my grandkids before I get too old.”

Vicky just sighed and shook her head. “Goodnight, Mom.” She stood up from the bed. “I should go see if Darien needs any help.”

“Goodnight, darling.” Ann patted Zak one last time. “Sleep well.”

Zak jumped off the bed and followed Vicky out of the room.

Vicky still couldn’t believe her mother thought she was pregnant. She went downstairs to find Darien scrubbing the last of the pans. He looked up when Vicky and Zak came into the room.

Darien smiled at Vicky. “Did you have a nice chat with your mother?”

Vicky sighed heavily. “She thinks I’m pregnant.”

Darien just chuckled at her. He had heard Ann ask Vicky that question. As a vampire, Darien’s hearing was exceptionally good. It also helped that Ann had a voice that traveled well through the quiet home. He placed the last pan in the dishwasher and dried his hands before turning to Vicky.

“I am truly sorry about that,” Darien said regretfully. “It’s the one thing I cannot give you.”

Vicky shrugged and leaned into Darien for a hug. “It’ll be okay,” she sighed. “I’ll have to tell her sometime that we can’t have kids.”

Darien cuddled Vicky against him. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He kissed her head.

Vicky nodded.

“
So
… Victoria Abigail.” Darien smiled at Vicky.

“You heard that?” Vicky let out a ragged breath.

Darien nodded his head. “I think it’s a pretty name,” he said with a grin.

Vicky growled at him slightly. “Says the man that got to pick his own name,” she grumbled. Stopping, she looked up at him. “You still haven’t told me what your name is.”

Darien chuckled at her. “My name isn’t very special, but if you would like to know…” Darien paused as Vicky nodded. “It’s Daigh.”

“Die?” Vicky gave him an odd look as she repeated what she heard.

Darien smiled at her. “There is a ‘gh’ at the end, but close,” he said again. “Daigh. It’s Gaelic for flame or fire.”

“Wait.” Vicky gave him an incredulous look. “Your parents named you Flame?” She couldn’t believe any parent would be so tasteless.

Darien laughed at her. “No.” He sighed the mirth from his voice. “I have no idea what my parents named me. I told you I was raised in a monastery, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Daigh is the name the monks gave me after being orphaned in a fire,” Darien explained.

A pained expression crossed Vicky’s face. “Oh, Darien.” Her voice was thick with sympathy. “That’s terrible. It must have been hard for you.”

“I was really young when it happened.” Darien shrugged. “I had scars for a while, but nine hundred years has a way of erasing things like that.”

“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard,” Vicky protested. “To lose everything you know and be sent off to live with a bunch of strangers.”

Darien pulled her close for a hug. “It was hard for a while, but the monks were always good to me,” he reassured her. “But, enough about my depressing past.” Releasing Vicky from his arms, he turned and looked over the small mess remaining. “Let’s leave the rest of this for Odette and head up to bed.” Darien folded the towel over the dish strainer and turned back to see a concerned look in Vicky’s eyes. He smiled at her. “That happened a long time ago, and I have gotten over it.” Pulling her into the line of his body, he moved her towards the foyer door. “What I am concerned about is you and that fay mark.” Darien rubbed his hand over the sensitive spot on Vicky’s back.

She shivered in response.

“Odette said she tried to help loosen the magic’s hold on you, but she could not break the spell completely.”

“Odette tried to break the spell?” Vicky looked back over her shoulder into the kitchen, surprised. When she didn’t see anything there, she turned back to the door Darien was taking her through. “That’s what made me dizzy this evening.”

Darien nodded. “She said she was sorry for surprising you like that,” he informed Vicky. “She knew you were sensitive to magic, but she hadn’t expected you to be that sensitive.”

Vicky didn’t know what to say to this.

Darien went on. “Odette did say that there were several layers of magic on you, and that each one required something different to remove them. She was unable to tell me exactly what we needed for each, but she assured me that there was nothing there that would hurt you.” He sighed as they walked up the steps. “Odette did suggest that I mark you again before we go back into Fairy. She thinks my mark will protect you more than Zak’s did.”

Zak whined at them from the floor.

Darien ignored him and propelled Vicky across the hallway into his suite. “Now, let’s see what we can do about this magic.” He grinned suggestively.

“Mr. Ritter!” Vicky gasped. “My mother is just in the other room.”

“Then we will just have to be quiet about it.” Darien’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “And if she does say something, you can always tell her that we were working on those grandbabies of hers.”

“You’re horrible,” Vicky complained as a hint of a smile curled her lips.

“And you love it.” Darien chuckled as they headed off to bed.

Vicky glanced over at her mother as she drove back to Darien’s home. “I told you that you would love Brenton.” They had spent the morning, and well into the afternoon, shopping and seeing the sights the city had to offer. Ann had only visited the city once in the few years Vicky had been living there. That had been while Vicky was still in college and didn’t have the extra money to show her a good time.

“It was so nice of Darien to let you borrow his car.” Ann ran her hand across the dashboard of the Jaguar. “It’s too bad that Jack couldn’t come out with us.”

Vicky pursed her lips as she listened to her mother talk. “He could have come if he wanted to,” she grumbled.

“No, he couldn’t have, darling,” Ann shook her head. “Vampires can’t get out during the day.”

“Mom…” Vicky shot Ann a sidelong glance. “I don’t think Jack is a vampire.”

“Of course he is.” Ann sighed.

Vicky huffed. “But how do you know that?”

“Because he told me he was.”

“Mom,” Vicky complained, “I once told you I was a fairy, but you didn’t believe me then.”

“You were also ten at the time.” Ann gave her daughter a motherly smile.

Vicky huffed again. “But you still didn’t believe me,” she explained to her mom. “Why would you believe something just as fantastical from Jack?”

“Why would he lie to me?” Ann asked.

“I don’t know, Mom.” Vicky sighed, “I just don’t like it.”

“Oh, honey,” Ann cooed, “I understand. Just because I love Jack doesn’t mean that I love you any less.” She reached over and patted Vicky on the leg. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

“Oh, Mom!” Vicky could see that she was getting nowhere arguing with her mother on this subject. Once the older woman had set her mind to something, there was no changing it. Vicky decided it would just be best to drop the subject for now. She parked Darien’s car on the side of the street next to his building. “Let’s just go inside and see what the guys are up too.”

Ann agreed, and they pulled the shopping out of the trunk and headed up to the penthouse.

“Hey there, baby,” Ann greeted the wiggly dog waiting for them in the foyer. “Did you miss us?” She dropped her bags in the hall and picked Zak up to ruffle his fur.

“You’re spoiling him,” Vicky warned as she passed up Zak, who was slobbering on her mother’s face.

Ann laughed and tucked him under her arm so she could pick up the bags she had dropped. Following her daughter into the living room, she found Darien sitting on the couch, looking over some paperwork spread across the coffee table. He looked up when the girls came into the room.

“Did you ladies have a good time?” Darien asked as he scooted the papers together and tucked them back into a manila folder. He picked up his coffee and leaned back into the couch to talk with Vicky and her mother.

“Oh, it was fun,” Ann gushed as she dropped her bags on the couch. “We found this shop that just had the most amazing handbags.”

Darien nodded his head and listened to Vicky’s mom ramble on about their shopping trip. Movement from the foyer doorway drew his attention away from the sweater the older woman was showing off.

Jack stood in the shadows and stared into the living room at Ann talking to Darien.

“Good afternoon,” Darien greeted the unseen visitor.

Jack made as if he was going to withdraw from the room, but Ann turned to look at whom Darien was speaking to. “Jack!” she gasped, surprised at seeing her boyfriend up and moving during the daytime. “What are you doing up?” Ann dropped the sweater to the couch and went over to where her boyfriend cowered next to the angel stone wall.

“I think we need to leave. Now,” Jack said as he stared at Darien, who was sipping his coffee.

Ann could hear the fear in the younger man’s voice. “What are you saying?” Distressed, she looked back over the living room for what might have disturbed her boyfriend.

Jack took hold of Ann’s arm and started to pull her out of the room. “It’s not safe here,” he whispered to her. “We need to leave.”

Ann planted her feet and gave Jack a concerned look. “What are you talking about?” She looked back over her shoulder to where Jack’s eyes were trained on Darien. “It’s perfectly safe here. There is just my daughter and her fiancé.” Ann wrapped her hand over where Jack was touching her arm. “And it’s daytime. You can’t leave until after dark.”

“I’ll deal with the sun.” Jack shook his head and pulled on Ann again. “We need to go.”

“I’m insulted by your attitude, young man. My home is perfectly safe.” Darien glared up at Jack. He set his coffee on the table and stood up.

Jack grabbed Ann and yanked her around so she was behind him.

Ann cried out in surprise and nearly fell over from the sudden movement.

“Mom!” Vicky gasped and headed over to help her.

Zak scampered over, growling at Jack.

“
Back, monster
!” Jack screamed at Zak as he drew near.

Vicky paused in her steps, taken aback by Jack’s attitude.

“Jack!” Ann scolded. She had regained her footing and turned to look at the unexpected display from her boyfriend. “What has gotten into you?”

Jack’s face darkened at the stern tone Ann took. “They’re monsters,” Jack growled as he stepped back from where Zak was gurgling warningly at him.

“There is nothing wrong here.” Ann bent over and picked Zak up so she could soothe him. To her horror, Jack grabbed the little dog from her hands and threw him across the room to smack into the wooden wall between the living room and family room. Ann and Vicky both shrieked and raced over to the fay.

Jack grabbed Ann’s arm to stop her, and she turned to swat at him.

“That is enough!” Darien growled and closed on the youth causing the scene.

Jack whipped his attention around to the vampire coming for him and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a golden cross on a chain and held it up between them. “Back, foul demon of Hell!” Jack yelled, thrusting the cross at Darien.

Darien paused in his advance and cocked an eyebrow at the feeble attempt to stop him. He snickered and reached out to wrap his hand over the cross.

Jack’s eyes widened in surprise as Darien took the cross from his hand.

Vicky turned with Zak in her arms to see what Jack was doing.

Darien gathered the chain up and palmed the cross. “Are you done?” He tossed it lightly in his hand.

“But… but… how?” Jack stuttered as he took a step away from Darien. “You’re a vampire.”

Darien threw back his head and laughed at the confused young man. He turned away from him, dropping the little cross on the cushions of the couch as he passed. Walking across the room, he threw open the curtains and stood in the sunlight streaming into the room. “Happy?” Darien leaned against the windowsill and grinned at them. Jack just stood there, shocked.

Ann swatted Jack in the back of the head and made him turn her loose. “What is wrong with you?” she snapped before heading over to where Vicky was cuddling a very mad Zak. Ann rubbed the little dog to make sure he was okay.

“But he’s a vampire,” Jack insisted.

Ann glared at him. “He can’t be a vampire.” She turned to look at Darien, resting in the sunlight. “Just look at him.”

Jack clenched his teeth and glared at Darien.

Darien just smiled smugly at him.

“Anyway…” Ann turned her attention back to her boyfriend. “You’re a vampire, so what does it matter?”

Jack bristled and slammed his foot into the floor. “
He’s
the vampire!” He stormed over to where Vicky and Ann were coddling Zak and pointed at Darien. The English accent Jack had been using had evaporated some time ago. “Why else would he have fresh blood in the kitchen?”

“Umm… because he was trying to be a good host,” Ann pointed out.

“I saw him drink it!!” Jack insisted.

Ann looked over as Darien still relaxed in the sun, watching Jack with narrowed eyes.

Ann stood up from the floor. “Jack, honey. What does it matter if he’s a vampire or not? You’re a vampire.” She patted his shoulders soothingly.

Jack pushed her hands away from him. “I’m not a vampire!” he screamed and whipped around to point at Darien. “He’s the goddamned vampire!”

Ann looked at him, confused.

Humor stole over Darien’s face as he listened to Jack digging his own grave.

“What are you saying?” Ann asked him, confused.

“I’m not a vampire, okay?” he exploded. “I wasn’t born in 1873! I don’t drink blood! Hell, I’m not even British!”

Ann stared at him in disbelief.

Jack lowered his voice to an angry hiss as he confessed the rest of his sins. “I originally told you that for fun, but you believed me. I kept feeing you lines, and you just lapped it up. I figured anyone gullible enough to believe in vampires deserved what they got.”

Ann’s face fell as she realized Jack had been using her. “So you didn’t love me?” she asked in almost a whisper.

Jack laughed at her. “Of course I loved you.” He smiled. “You bought me anything I wanted. My girlfriend thought it was fantastic the way I could manipulate you into getting me stuff, no matter what the cost.”

The pain and sadness on Ann’s face turned hard, and she glared at the man that had been playing her. “Get out”!” she said sternly.

Vicky released a very angry Zak from her arms.

Jack backed away from the growling fay.

Darien pushed away from the window to help. “I’ll help you get your things.”

“No.” Ann stopped him. “He has nothing here. I bought everything up there.”

Jack stared at her in disbelief.

Darien nodded his head and turned calm eyes to the man in his living room.

“But, Ann,” Jack protested as he stepped away from the rage the older woman was turning to him. “You can’t just toss me out so far away from home.”

“I can,” Ann stepped towards him menacingly, “and I will. And if you so much as darken my door again, you will regret it.”

“But how will I get home?” Jack protested as he stepped back from Darien closing on him.

“Why don’t you call that… that
girlfriend
of yours?” Ann spit venomously at him.

Jack took another step away.

Darien reached out and took hold of the young man’s collar. “You are no longer welcome in my home.” He turned Jack towards the foyer.

Jack staggered as Darien pulled him along. “But how?” He looked up at the man, not understanding how Darien could be a vampire. “Why didn’t the cross work?”

Darien grinned at him. “It takes greater faith for holy items to work on me.”

Jack’s mouth gaped open as Darien punched the button for the elevator.

When the door opened, Darien pushed Jack backwards into the elevator. “It would also be a good idea for you to heed the lady’s warning.” An evil light crept into his eyes as he released just a hint of his power. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you… accidentally.”

Jack stared, openmouthed, at the threat as the door slid shut between him and the vampire.

Darien turned back to the living room as he clamped his power back down.

“I’m so sorry, dear,” Ann said to Vicky. “I should have listened to you.” A single tear rolled down Ann’s cheek.

“Oh, Mom.” Vicky gathered her mother in her arms and squeezed her. “It’ll be okay.” She rubbed her mother’s back as the older woman cried on her shoulder.

Zak wiggled over and rubbed against her leg affectionately.

After a minute, Ann sniffed and looked down at the little dog. “Are you okay, baby?” She squatted down and rubbed Zak, looking for some sign that Jack had hurt him.

Zak gurgled at her and let Ann pick him up to cuddle.

Darien went over to the chair and picked up the necklace he had dropped on the cushion. “I believe this is yours.” He held the cross out to her by the chain.

Ann looked at the offering and nodded her head. She took it from Darien and stared at the small, golden cross. “I’m sorry about this. I have no idea what got into him.” Ann sighed. “He really is a nice guy.” A sad look crossed her face as she looked over at the doorway to the foyer. “Or, at least, I thought he was.”