words, spoken with such an innocent expression. And yet, I knew, given half the provocation, she could rip the flesh off my bones and wear it like a cape.
The hallway was awash with light and I stepped in, my shoes silent on the lush green carpet. “Do you live here, Reiko?”
I didn’t mean to talk to her as though she were a child, but I couldn’t seem to stop. Not with a face like that. “Yes, I do.”
“Do you live here alone?”
“No. We’ve been waiting for you.”
On that rather ominous note, I followed her into the living room, beautifully designed with dark wood furniture that gleamed under the large chandelier hung from the wood paneled ceiling. Large ceiling to floor windows with silken yellow drapes looked out into a garden and I recognized Jason sitting in a plush armchair in front of a softly crackling fire.
Jason smiled, but it was the sort of smile that did not reach his dark eyes. “Welcome, Ran. I see you’ve met Reiko.”
I nodded and she put a hand on my bag. I’m ashamed to say that I flinched. I’d never been so close to a vampire and not killed it immediately. “Oh. I’m sorry! Did I scare you?”
An immediate answer did not come to mind. “I…I’m sorry, Reiko. I’m just not used to being around such a pretty little girl.”
A pale wash of crimson came over her full cheeks. “You are too kind. Can I take your bag?”
Instinctively, my fingers tightened around the strap. “No, it’s much too heavy for you.”
Silly words, especially when spoken to a vampire older than America.
But it seemed to work.
This time, her entire face blazed and if she’d been wearing a skirt, she probably would’ve curtsied. “May I lead you to your room, then?”
To be honest, I didn’t want to around her any longer than I had to. “Oh…what does Mr. Eldridge want me to do?”
If I expected any help from his corner, I was not going to get it.
He inclined his head to one side in a gracious manner. “Thank you very much, Reiko. After you show her to her room, I think Marcus will take you out for the night.”
Who was Marcus?
The little girl awarded him with a blinding smile, made all the more prominent by her jutting canines. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so unsure of my safety. “Thank you, Jason. Ran, won’t you follow me?”
Jason, almost as though he understand the moral quandary I was in, merely nodded, his black eyes never leaving mine. “It’s all right, Ran. While you are here, you are safe. For all she looks and knows, Reiko is to be trusted.”
Trust a vampire. It was almost too much to bear.
But bear it, I would. “As you wish.”
“When you are settled, I would be pleased if you could join me,” he said and I could only nod in agreement as Reiko led me up a flight of stairs, the railing polished and slightly waxy to the touch.
We stopped at the second floor landing and she pointed up the still ascending stairs. “Upstairs, that is where I am. If you need me, just come upstairs, okay?”
Like hell I would. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I would never willingly walk into a pit of snakes and this seemed no different.
There were several doors, all of them closed on this particular floor and I trailed a hand down the dark blue wallpaper, blooming roses with vines running up and down the walls.
She opened a door on the right. “This is where Jason wanted you to stay.”
As far as rooms went, it was quite serviceable. A large bed with dark blue sheets that matched the dark blue curtains, currently drawn against the night. Two closed doors, most likely the bathroom and closet. A small writing desk sat against the wall next to the window and I set down my bags on the bed that could comfortably accommodate a basketball athlete. “It’s quite nice.”
“Isn’t it?” If it wasn’t for her canines and that strange, dark aura, I couldn’t have believed this was a being capable of so much violence. “I like it, too. I think Jase has excellent
The hallway was awash with light and I stepped in, my shoes silent on the lush green carpet. “Do you live here, Reiko?”
I didn’t mean to talk to her as though she were a child, but I couldn’t seem to stop. Not with a face like that. “Yes, I do.”
“Do you live here alone?”
“No. We’ve been waiting for you.”
On that rather ominous note, I followed her into the living room, beautifully designed with dark wood furniture that gleamed under the large chandelier hung from the wood paneled ceiling. Large ceiling to floor windows with silken yellow drapes looked out into a garden and I recognized Jason sitting in a plush armchair in front of a softly crackling fire.
Jason smiled, but it was the sort of smile that did not reach his dark eyes. “Welcome, Ran. I see you’ve met Reiko.”
I nodded and she put a hand on my bag. I’m ashamed to say that I flinched. I’d never been so close to a vampire and not killed it immediately. “Oh. I’m sorry! Did I scare you?”
An immediate answer did not come to mind. “I…I’m sorry, Reiko. I’m just not used to being around such a pretty little girl.”
A pale wash of crimson came over her full cheeks. “You are too kind. Can I take your bag?”
Instinctively, my fingers tightened around the strap. “No, it’s much too heavy for you.”
Silly words, especially when spoken to a vampire older than America.
But it seemed to work.
This time, her entire face blazed and if she’d been wearing a skirt, she probably would’ve curtsied. “May I lead you to your room, then?”
To be honest, I didn’t want to around her any longer than I had to. “Oh…what does Mr. Eldridge want me to do?”
If I expected any help from his corner, I was not going to get it.
He inclined his head to one side in a gracious manner. “Thank you very much, Reiko. After you show her to her room, I think Marcus will take you out for the night.”
Who was Marcus?
The little girl awarded him with a blinding smile, made all the more prominent by her jutting canines. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so unsure of my safety. “Thank you, Jason. Ran, won’t you follow me?”
Jason, almost as though he understand the moral quandary I was in, merely nodded, his black eyes never leaving mine. “It’s all right, Ran. While you are here, you are safe. For all she looks and knows, Reiko is to be trusted.”
Trust a vampire. It was almost too much to bear.
But bear it, I would. “As you wish.”
“When you are settled, I would be pleased if you could join me,” he said and I could only nod in agreement as Reiko led me up a flight of stairs, the railing polished and slightly waxy to the touch.
We stopped at the second floor landing and she pointed up the still ascending stairs. “Upstairs, that is where I am. If you need me, just come upstairs, okay?”
Like hell I would. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I would never willingly walk into a pit of snakes and this seemed no different.
There were several doors, all of them closed on this particular floor and I trailed a hand down the dark blue wallpaper, blooming roses with vines running up and down the walls.
She opened a door on the right. “This is where Jason wanted you to stay.”
As far as rooms went, it was quite serviceable. A large bed with dark blue sheets that matched the dark blue curtains, currently drawn against the night. Two closed doors, most likely the bathroom and closet. A small writing desk sat against the wall next to the window and I set down my bags on the bed that could comfortably accommodate a basketball athlete. “It’s quite nice.”
“Isn’t it?” If it wasn’t for her canines and that strange, dark aura, I couldn’t have believed this was a being capable of so much violence. “I like it, too. I think Jase has excellent
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