Welcome to the Darkness (Darkness Trilogy) (19 page)

“Reed, you need to get a grip ASAP or you’re going to give this gig away,” she leaned in and whispered.

His eyes widened in understanding and Sarah thought they couldn’t get to New York fast enough.

I
stepped outside the JFK airport into the cold New York night. My breath puffed out in clouds and a light drizzle sprinkled icy droplets on my warm skin. It was a dreary welcome, but I felt exhilarated to be here and not on that nerve-wracking flight. Sarah had looked almost as relieved as I felt when our plane finally touched down.

A shiny stretch limousine pulled up in front of us, and a serious-looking man in a black suit got out of the driver’s side. He beckoned us over
and held the door open for us like a hired chauffeur would have. Not that I’d ever been in a limo before or knew anything about what chauffeurs did or didn’t do. Considering our current circle of acquaintances, I suspected the driver was a vampire.

The driver got back in, and Sarah, Nathaniel and I clambered into the spacious rear compartment. The instant we pulled the door shut we rocked backwards
as the limo took off. I sat in the seat facing forward and nestled next to Sarah, while Nathaniel took the seat opposite us.

“Do you have any idea where we’re going?” I asked.

“The King’s estate is located on a property not far from here, in an area called Lawrence which is approximately half way between the airport and Long Beach,” Nathaniel answered. I had no idea where any of those places were. “About twenty minutes from our current position,” he added.

I stared out the window, watching the city lights slide
by. I didn’t recognize anything of the New York I’d seen in movies and stuff, but then again, we weren’t driving through Times Square. If I focused on the houses lining the road, it almost seemed like we were still in San Jose, but when I expanded my view into the distance, there weren’t any mountains. Not a palm tree in sight either. We definitely weren’t in California any more.

“This is sort of a homecoming for you, isn’t it?” Sarah asked, looking at Nathaniel.

“Indeed. I spent most of my life here in New York, in service to the King,” he answered, a hint of nostalgia coloring his voice.

The car slowed and we entered a community where the road twisted in majestic arcs and the homes became
more opulent, the properties larger. A moment later, our limo turned through a pair of stone half-walls and headed up the curved drive of a sprawling mansion. There weren’t any gates or security guards, but the vampires probably didn’t need that kind of thing. Any poor bastard who tried to rob these guys would end up being dinner.

The car came to a stop outside the front doors of the manor and we climbed out. I lifted my head and scanned the vast expanse of ivy-covered stone, rounded turrets and
hundreds of shuttered windows. My keen vampire night vision revealed the perfectly trimmed hedges and manicured lawns that spread out from the estate in all directions. Now this was what I’d thought a vampire lair would look like!

Sarah and I followed Nathaniel up the front steps, and the double doors swung open before we had a chance to knock. No
doubt the vamps with their super hearing had known we were coming from a mile away. Another serious-looking guy in a suit, but with a shock of red hair, gestured for us to come in.

“This way, please,” he said in a monotone.

“Nathaniel,” a second vampire said, off to our left. I hadn’t even noticed him there, waiting in the shadows. “Welcome home. If you’ll follow me?”

I darted a glance at Sarah. Were they splitting us up? She shrugged and shook her head.

“If the two of you will come with me, please,” the first vamp said, moving toward the staircase in front of us. “I will show you to your quarters.”

Nathaniel left
with the other guy down a hallway on the left side of the stairs. They disappeared into the bowels of the mansion and I turned back to get a better look at the grand foyer where we stood. The stairs rose straight up in front of us, splitting off to both sides half-way up. The twin hallways on the second floor overlooked the large entryway. A massive crystal chandelier sparkled with a gazillion lights above us, and dark hardwood floors gleamed under our feet. The bannisters, columns, and even the ceiling were intricately carved, yet there wasn’t a single painting or picture hanging on the walls, or plant to breathe life into the place. It was like a museum emptied of all its artifacts.

Our escort headed up the stairs, and Sarah and I fell i
nto step behind him. He took the right-hand branch and we followed him down the long hallway. Every door along the hall was closed, and the vampire stopped outside one near the end. He turned the knob and opened the door.

“Your room,” he said, indicating for us to go
inside.

I peeked past him
at the large bed–the only bed–in the room. “Uh, so we’re sharing?” I asked. It was a mansion after all, and there were probably fifty thousand other bedrooms in the place.

“You are a mated pair, are you not?” he asked.

“M–mated . . . ?” Heat crept up my neck into my face.

“It’s perfect,” Sarah insisted, dragging me by the arm into the room. “Thank
you very much.”

“The King will see you in the drawing room in ten minutes. It is the first door to your right at the bottom of the stairs,” the vamp said.

“Great, thanks,” I mumbled. I kicked the door closed behind me with my heel and stuffed my hands in my pockets.

The bed and dresser looked like fancy antiques, and the wallpaper and carpet
were patterned with complicated-looking swirly designs. The room lacked a homey feel though, and seemed bare without any knick-knacks or decorations.

“I guess you can have the bed
because I don’t . . . sleep,” I said.

Sarah bit her lip and
stifled a grin.

“What?” I said.

“I think you’re very cute,” she said with a smile.

Cute?
“Uh huh.”

“That’s not a bad thing, silly.” She laughed and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. “I wonder what the King is
like?”

“Nathaniel said he was nice as long as you stay on his good side. Who knows what it take
s to piss these guys off though? Looking at them the wrong way might do it.” I sighed.

We spent a few more minutes exploring the room and discovered a luxurious en-suite bathroom past the first closed door. A huge, empty walk-in closet was behind the other.

When ten minutes had passed, we headed back down the long hallway to the stairs and found our way to the drawing room.

Sarah knocked twice and a booming voice called, “Come
in.”

We pushed the door open and Nathaniel
stood at the far side of the room. The door closed behind us with a soft click and I took a deep, calming breath. A stocky man stood facing the windows with his back to us. He had long, blond hair drawn back in a ponytail, and a rich blue cape edged in fur hung from his shoulders and touched the floor. He was dressed like a king from the Middle Ages. Wow, was this guy playing into his role or what?

He turned to face us and my gaze drifted up to his face. I realized with a start that he looked familiar. Was this guy a famous celebrity or something? Where had I seen him b
efore? “I have a bad feeling about this,” I muttered under my breath. Sarah grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“W
elcome, friends,” the King said, breaking into a hearty grin.

“May I introduce Ree
d Hennessy,” Nathaniel said. Sarah and I walked closer. “And Sarah Perkins.”

I was trying to figure out what we
were supposed to do–bow, or kneel on the floor or what–when the King thrust his hand out to shake mine. I held out my hand, and he grasped it firmly, giving it a forceful shake. I hoped he didn’t shake Sarah’s hand quite as hard or he risked doing some real damage. Instead, he lifted her outstretched hand very gently and raised it to his lips for a kiss.

“It is wonderful to meet you both,” he purred, although he was
looking only at Sarah. “Please, be seated.” He stepped back and swept his arm out to indicate the arrangement of old-fashioned looking couches and chairs.

We picked out our seats and sat down, but the King remained standing. The chairs were probably antiques worth a fortune, but they weren’t very comfortable. I squirmed in my seat, unsure what the King wanted from us.

“You must be tired from your journey,” he said. “Allow me to regale you with a tune or two to help you relax.”

Huh? I snuck a glance at Sarah, but she looked as co
nfused as I was. The King strolled over to the grand piano sitting in the corner of the room and plunked his bulky form onto the piano bench. He stretched his arms out, cracked his knuckles, and then began to play. This guy was a certified, eccentric weirdo.

I sat stoically and listened
while he played a classical song I didn’t recognize. It had crashing loud parts and barely audible quiet parts, and I wondered if he wasn’t making it up as he went along. The whole situation was so surreal, I thought maybe I was dreaming. I’d heard about dreams where people became aware they were dreaming: lucid dreams. You were supposed to check your watch to see whether the second hand was moving. I checked my wrist, but then remembered my watch had gotten smashed back in California.

Suddenly, the King stopped playing and I sat up straighter. He stood up and came closer to where we were sitting, but didn’t sit down
himself. “Your accommodations are to your liking, I hope?” he asked, as though we hadn’t just spent ten minutes awkwardly sitting here listening to him play the piano.

“Yes, of course, Sire,”
Nathaniel replied.

“Yes, thank you,” Sarah said.

The King turned to me, waiting.

“Oh . . . sure, absolutely,” I said and tried to smile.

“Good, good!” the King replied, clapping his hands together like a happy kid. “Feel free to explore the manor building and grounds as you please. You are welcome to stay indefinitely, of course. What is it they say in this country? Oh yes,
mi casa es su casa
. We have nothing to hide from you. In fact, I should like to take you on a tour of our research facilities. We have made some fascinating discoveries since you were last in my service, Nathaniel.” The King’s eyes glittered with delight and he looked at each of us in turn.

“That would be lovely,” Nathaniel replied. Sarah and I nodded our agreement.

“I would like to hear of your journey here, if you don’t mind sharing,” the King continued.

A sudden knock on the door made me jump.

“I hope you do not object to having my sister join us,” the King said.

The door cracked open, swinging slowly towards us, and
I caught a glimpse of blood red satin peeking out: part of an extravagant ball gown. Apparently, overdressing ran in the family.

Sarah swore and my jaw hit the floor. With her ice-blue eyes full of hatred, in walked none other than the Queen of San Jose.

R
eed spun and glared at Nathaniel. “You could have mentioned the King’s sister was the frigging Queen, you moron!”

Nathaniel’s heart rate increased though he attempted to remain calm. “I assure you, I was unaware of their exact relationship.”

“But you knew they
had
a relationship?” Sarah asked incredulously.

They turned as one to look at the King, who chuckled with merriment. His chuckles grew to loud guffaws and he shook with laughter, tears rolling down his cheeks. “Your reactions,” he choked
out. “Absolutely . . . priceless!”

The King wiped his eyes on his sleeves, struggling to compose himself. “I do love a touch of drama,” he added. “It is difficult to keep life interesting after four centuries. Come
forward,” he said to the Queen. “Sit,” he commanded her, like a dog. She sat.

“Now, where were we?” the King said.

“I’m not sitting here with her!” Reed shouted. “She sent people to kill us!”

“She had me kidnapped!” Sarah added.

“
You
killed my men,” the Queen retorted.

“I wouldn’t have killed them if they hadn’t
kidnapped
me,” Sarah argued.

“You destroyed my lair! Half of my contingent has been annihilated!” the Queen growled, her fangs extended.

“Now, now, sister dearest,” the King said, interrupting. “You know you bring this type of problem on yourself. I am sure you can put your differences aside and behave like civilized adults. I shall be most displeased if any of our guests come to harm,” he added, giving the Queen a pointed look.