Life's Blood (The Cordelia Chronicles) (18 page)

“Don’t listen to him, Addie. He’s full of it,” I said, giving her thigh a squeeze.

Looking at me with sad puppy dog eyes, she nodded her head vigorously. She was trying hard to hide the truth, but I knew she was terrified. I gave Eli a knowing look, and he pulled her close to his side.

“Come on,” he said as he opened the car door. “Let’s check in and get settled before dinner. Maybe they gave us the big room this time.”

“Doubt it,” Chaseyn said, looking back over his shoulder at me.

So that was his secret. Chaseyn had paid handsomely for the privilege of knowing he had secured the best room in every establishment. How, I had no idea. I’d made all the reservations online while he was sleeping off the flu the week before. I didn’t even know he was aware of the hotels I’d chosen.

“Chaseyn Lear, is that why you asked for the list of hotels? So you could best me?” Addie huffed.

“You’re just upset because you didn’t think of it first,” he laughed.

Addie turned on her heel and walked away in a snit, Eli following close behind. James watched while Chaseyn grabbed our bags from the trunk.

“So this is the crowd you hang with these days,” James said. “My how the mighty have fallen.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Chaseyn said.

“Is that right,
bro
?”

“Don’t call me that,” Chaseyn warned, taking a threatening step into James’ personal space.

I had been standing a few feet away at the entry to the hotel…or was it the restaurant…maybe both. It was hard to say for certain one way or the other. I’d barely noticed the scene playing out before me. For some reason, Chaseyn had a bee in his bonnet about James, and I wasn’t going to question it. The guy seemed like a jerk anyway. And, I was still sore over him frightening Addie with his vampire tales. But something James said had roused my attention, and now, I was fully involved in the action.

“What did you say?” I asked, jumping between the two of them just as they started to dance around like two men about to throw down.

“Mind your own business,
love
,” James said, tacking on the endearment to taunt Chaseyn.

“I told you not to call her that,” Chaseyn said, shoving James with all his might.

Despite the fact that James was a full-blooded vampire, he stumbled backward onto the stone sidewalk. Chaseyn, satisfied with his handiwork, resumed the task of unloading our bags from the trunk. I wasn’t about to forget what I’d heard, but for the moment, I wanted to focus on getting as far away from James as possible. He was bad news, and we already had our fair share. The last thing we needed was another vampire enemy.

“What are you doing slumming with this little twinkie anyway?” James asked, as he sprang up from the ground in away that made him seem utterly unhuman…which was accurate. He brushed away the pebbles that had rooted themselves in the palms of his hands when they hit the ground.

“Come on, Cordelia, let’s get out of here,” Chaseyn said, grabbing my hand and storming madly toward the door to the hotel.

“You don’t know why you’re with her, do you? That’s why you’re so upset, because you can’t give me an explanation,” James called after us.

“I don’t owe you anything, James,” Chaseyn muttered.

“You keep telling yourself that,” James replied. “I don’t know how you sleep at night.”

“What the
hell
is going on, Chaseyn? Who is that guy?”

Chaseyn had just opened the door to our room--another phenomenal room--but I could barely bring myself to notice. I tossed my purse on the bed and crossed the room to the shuttered window. I threw it open and took in the view overlooking the square. It was beautiful, and had I not been seriously upset, I would have been able to absorb its splendor. Instead, I closed my eyes and waited for the brisk breeze to cool the heat that had risen to my face.

I was fuming. There was clearly more to Chaseyn’s relationship with James than I had thought, and I was furious he hadn’t found a way to tell me sooner.

“He’s my brother,” Chaseyn said quietly. “And, I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Well, that’s not an option,” I said angrily. “He raised some valid concerns, and I want to hear your thoughts about them.”

“You can’t be serious,” he said. “Don’t listen to anything James says. He’s just trying to stir up trouble.”

“Why didn’t you defend me?”

“You can’t really be mad at me because I refused to acknowledge his drivel,” Chaseyn replied, crossing the room so he was standing directly in front of me, our chests no more than two inches apart. It was hard to focus on my anger with him so close, but I stood resolute.

“Sure I can,” I said, but my lips betrayed me, turning up ever so slightly at the edges.

“No. You can’t,” he insisted, and before I could put up my defenses, his lips were pressed firm against mine.

It’s true what they say about fighting--making up makes it all worthwhile.

At first I tried to fight him. I worked my fisted hands between us and pushed hard against Chaseyn’s chest. But it was no use. He grabbed my hands and pulled my arms around my back. He secured them there with one hand while the other hand traced a line down my cheek, jaw, neck…Finally, my faculties returned, and remembering why I was so mad, I pulled away fast and hard.

“Come on, Cordelia. I shouldn’t have to justify myself to you. I love you,” Chaseyn pleaded. “I don’t know why you’re still so insecure.”

Well
that
pushed me over the edge. The scars from the wounds Sylvie had inflicted just a few months ago were still healing. And, James’ snide “slumming” remark had added salt to the wound. The fact that Chaseyn didn’t inherently recognize how that would make me feel made me even more furious. I stormed into the bathroom--a lovely marble room with a large soaker tub--and sulked.

“It’s not like I asked him to come with us,” Chaseyn said softly. I could see the shadow of his feet under the door, and I heard his body slide along the wood as he slumped to the floor. “He’s trouble, and I should have tried harder to keep him away.”

“It’s not your fault,” I said through the door. I was pressed up against it now too, touching the wood as though if I pressed hard enough I would be able to feel Chaseyn’s smooth skin instead.

“Can you open the door now, love? Are we done fighting?”

Slowly, I pulled myself up off the ground and twisted the knob. Before I could fully open the door, Chaseyn had reached inside and pulled me into his arms. He nestled his nose into my hair and inhaled deeply.

“I love you, Cordelia, and I don’t care what anyone else says.”

“Me, too.”

***

I took a minute to settle in before taking a seat on the couch across from the bed. The room was large, with wood beams lining the ceiling. We were on the top floor--the penthouse--of the very traditional building. The walls were white plaster, and white linens covered the king-sized bed. There were red accent pieces here and there--a lampshade, throw pillows on the couch, the quilt at the foot of the bed. The furniture was all hand carved wood--no surprise there.

I got comfortable, and Chaseyn told me more about his brother. James was a few centuries older than him. They’d spent a fair bit of time together when Chaseyn was a kid, and he’d been something of a mentor to Chaseyn. But, they had also got into their fair share of trouble during Chaseyn’s dark years. James was the only one of Chaseyn’s siblings that didn’t have an ulterior motive. Despite Alexei’s best efforts, James had never wished his brother any ill will. In fact, they were best friends…Chaseyn’s only true friend prior to meeting me, Addie, and Eli.

But they’d had a falling out when Chaseyn sobered up. James had continued down his wayward path to destruction, while Chaseyn had chosen to clean up his life. It didn’t take long for them to drift apart, and the rift grew wider when Chaseyn left London in search of “the girl” Alexei had intended to make his bride. In other words,
I
was the reason Chaseyn and James couldn’t see eye to eye.

“So he wants me dead?” I asked.

“I doubt it,” Chaseyn replied. “He never cared all that much about the whole Alexei-Lorelei legend. He’s just pissed at me for leaving him behind.”

“So, that’s why he said all of those terrible things about me.”

Chaseyn nodded his agreement, and suddenly, it all made sense.

“But what’s he doing here now?” I asked. It didn’t make sense that he would be here coincidentally.

“I don’t know, but I guess I should find out,” Chaseyn said.

“Yes. After dinner,” I replied.

***

By the time we met up with Addie and Eli my stomach was grumbling so loudly I was sure the guests in the next room could hear it. There was a restaurant in our hotel, but since we would be eating breakfast there, Addie and I decided we wanted to try someplace else. We looped our arms together and bounded out into the street, Chaseyn and Eli following a few paces behind.

The city center was filled with dozens of obscure souvenir shops, which we popped in and out of as we strolled along the cobbled street. Most were filled with the same bizarre vampire memorabilia, but some had handcrafted silver jewelry or custom clothing designs. Addie picked up the odd trinket here and there, but we didn’t come across many places to eat.

“Does that sign say there’s pizza in that place?” Eli asked enthusiastically, pointing at a brick building across the street. We walked across to the windowless whitewashed building where the sign was posted and pulled on the massive brass door handle, but it didn’t budge.

“The sign says it’s open, and I hear music inside,” Eli said hopefully.

“I think you’re out of luck, mate,” Chaseyn laughed, slapping Eli on the back.

We continued walking, stopping to read the menu at a few different establishments along our route. Night was falling fast, and I worried we would run out of time if we didn’t make our minds up soon. Some of the shops had started pulling their signs from the streets in anticipation of locking up for the night. I got the impression others would stay open as long as there were people on the streets. But the crowds were fading fast, too. We walked down the narrow alley behind the inn where we were staying and found a few more restaurants--my particular favorite being one that had a cartoon drawing of Dracula with blood dripping from his fangs welcoming guests inside.

“Now that’s an appetizing image,” Eli laughed.

“Depends on who you ask,” Chaseyn shrugged, and I poked him in the ribs.

“Sorry, man,” Eli said. “We can eat there if you want.”

“Am I missing something?” Addie asked. “I feel like there’s a joke here that I’m not getting.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I reassured. “I don’t always get those two either.”

I grabbed Addie by the arm and guided her to the next establishment. It was right next to the Clock Tower, the most prominent feature of the Citadel. Located next to the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, the tower housed a museum filled with primitive instruments of torture. I was still on the fence about whether or not I wanted to check it out, and I was sure Addie felt the same way. I’d decide in the morning. For now, the only thing I needed to decide was what I wanted to eat.

“I’m not all that hungry,” Chaseyn said, taking a swig from the travel mug he carried with him everywhere. The blood it contained vital to his life and health.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, panicked.

Chaseyn didn’t say anything. In fact, he didn’t so much as take a breath. Finally, after what felt like minutes but was actually only seconds, he nodded his head, but my stomach was already in knots. He’d taken too long to respond, and I knew that could only mean one thing. Chaseyn was sick--the blood was no longer doing its job. Suddenly, I felt ill, too.

“I need to sit down for a minute,” I said, looking for a nearby bench or curb. My head was spinning, and I was sure I was going to pass out.

“You’re probably just hungry,” Addie said. “It’s been hours since we last ate. We better get some food in you fast.”

I shook my head to let them know I was no longer interested in eating. I stumbled to the side of a building and press my back against it, bending to place my hands on my thighs. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply in an effort to regain my composure.

“Give us a second, guys,” Chaseyn said to Addie and Eli as he walked over to me. They continued reading the menu at the only restaurant we had yet to see, while Chaseyn crouched down at my feet. He gazed up into my eyes, and my heart warmed instantly. He was breathtaking. And, I was rendered breathless.

“We’re running out of time, aren’t we?”

“I promised I wouldn’t lie to you, Cordelia,” he said, nodding his head. “I’m starting to feel weaker.”

“Then, we have to leave now,” I said pushing away from the wall. “We can leave Addie and Eli here so we can meet up with Mina and Balthazar.”

“That’s not going to do us any good, love. They’re not ready for us, and we haven’t collected all of the ingredients yet,” he replied, grabbing me in a tight bear hug. I started to sob.