"You shouldn't worry too much," Simon commented.
I pursed my lips and glanced out the window. "This isn't exactly safe, and I know it's not legal."
Simon pursed his lips and followed my gaze. We drove up the short drive to the elegant mansion. "Legality and the Eres family have little in common."
I shrugged. "Yeah, but I didn't think I'd be involved in something like this."
He smiled. "If all goes well, you won't."
Certus parked the car at the front walk and we stepped out. The lit windows cast long streams of light over the front lawn. The door opened at our coming and our host and his daughter stepped out.
Eileen sailed down the steps with her arms wide open and enveloped Simon in a tight hug. "Isn't it just wonderful? It's like a dream to have my bracelet back!" She pulled away and smiled at him. "It's almost as though you brought us good luck last night."
Simon smiled down at her and shook his head. "I wish I could claim credit, but the return of your jewelry was none of my doing. I can only celebrate its return."
She grasped his hand and tugged him towards the door. I discreetly followed them. "Daddy won't let me wear the bracelet, but would you like to see it?" she asked Simon.
Mr. Eres chuckled and shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't let that happen, either, my darling. The study has been closed for the evening and the security alarm set."
Eileen puckered her lips in a pout. "Not even a peek?"
"Not even that, my precious, but dinner is ready and I'm sure our guests are hungry." He stepped aside and gestured to the interior. "Please join us."
We slipped into the dining room. The long, wide room had a row of windows on the far wall that looked out on the grounds. Four places were set on the mahogany table. It was there that Eileen noticed my presence. She glanced across the table as we took our seats and frowned. "Oh, it's you. Patience, was it?"
"Faith," I corrected her.
"And how are you feeling this evening, Miss Luvena?" Mr. Eres asked me.
I smiled at him. It was difficult to believe the jovial man at the head of the table was involved in drug smuggling. "I'm fine. I was just a little tired from work."
Eileen raised an eyebrow. "And what kind of work do you do?"
"I-um, I used to work at a flower shop," I told her.
She turned up her nose and her lip curled back in a sneer. "How tedious." She turned to Simon who sat beside her and smiled at him. "I have so adored your flowers, but I'm afraid they've begun to wilt."
"That's what happens when you smother them with love," her father scolded her.
She frowned. "What can one do when one's love keeps himself so far away all the time?"
Simon chuckled. "I must manage my affairs some time."
Mr. Eres smiled. "And what do you have your hands in now? Buying and selling islands? Gold mines in the Congo?"
"None of the above. My current employment is through art dealings," Simon told him.
Eileen gasped and clutched his arm. "Art? I just love art. You know, that's my major."
Simon smiled and bowed his head. "Yes, I know. Some time you and I must discuss the finer points of Renaissance artists."
She wrinkled her nose and waved her hand at him. "Oh, I didn't learn much about them. I was far more interested in the Post-Modern artists." She sighed and leaned her cheek against his arm. "Those sweeping strokes. Those beautiful women."
"You mean like Picasso and his models?" I spoke up.
She lifted her head and frowned at me. "Pick-a-who?"
Mr. Eres coughed into his napkin. "Perhaps the less said on the matter the better." He lifted his glass. "Let's celebrate the return of the bracelet, and greater fortune for us."
We raised our glasses and clinked them together, and food soon arrived. I glanced at my watch. Six o'clock sharp. Our acquaintances may have already started their operation to resteal the bracelet. The jealous half of me was glad to ruin the happiness of the snob who was wrapped around Simon's arm. The other part of me had a bad feeling about things and just wished to get out of the house without being implicated.
The bad feeling in my gut hit during the second course. It was six-thirty and we were in the middle of a riveting discussion of Eileen's expensive footwear when the lights flickered and went out.
Eileen screamed. Some light came through the dining windows, and I had no trouble seeing her cleaning furiously to Simon. "What's happened? What's wrong?"
There came a scraping of a chair and her father's voice spoke from the darkness. "It's just the lights. Perhaps someone hit a power pole."
Eileen gasped. "What if it's burglars after my bracelet?"
Eres chuckled. "No one but us and the house staff know the bracelet was returned."
My vampiric eyes picked up on a faint blush that appeared on Eileen's cheeks. "I. . .I might have told a few others."
Her father whipped his head to her and scowled. "Who?"
She winced. "Perhaps a dozen or two?"
"Foolish little girl!" he snapped.
He stormed towards the archway that led to the front hall with his daughter close at his heels. "Daddy! Daddy, I'm sorry!"
Simon swept past both of them and blocked the entrance with his body. "You shouldn't go wandering in the dark. You could injure yourself."
Eileen grabbed her father's arm and tugged on the limb. "Simon's right, Daddy. We should stay here until the lights are-"
"Mr. Eres!" a voice cried out. A man in a black suit appeared behind Simon. "Mr. Eres!"
"I'm right here, what is it?" Eres growled.
"Some of our men are unconscious! They were found in the rear garden!"
Eres threw up his arms. "Do I have to wipe your asses for you? Wake them up and get them into the house!"
The man in black shook his head. "We can't wake them, sir. Nothing we've done has worked."
Eres frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"
His employee cringed. "I'm not sure, sir, but it might be a good idea-" A loud crash came from the rear of the house.
Eres's eyes widened. "The study! That came from the study!" He shoved Simon aside and ran down the rear hallway at the back of the front hall. Eileen and the man in black followed him.
Simon stepped back and I could see the deep, annoyed frown on his lips. "The fools. . ." he murmured.
I looked up into his face. "Do you think they'll get away?"
He shook his head. "Not without our invention, and a great deal of luck."
"It's gone!" The cry came from Eres. "How the hell did they make off with the whole damn thing?"
Simon took my hand and guided me down the hall. We arrived at a door in the center-right wing of the house. The double-doors were wide open and revealed a study complete with bookshelves, a desk, and a hole in the wall. Our acquaintances gaped at the hole.
The man in black shook his head. "I don't know, sir. The safe was welded to the steel frame of the house."
Something floated down in front of my face. I tilted back my head and followed its journey from the top. The ceiling was divided into depressed squares that sank upward. My eyes widened as I beheld a large furry wolf creature cramped into one of those depressions. Their feet and one hand pressed them into place. Tucked under the other arm was a large metal safe.
Simon set a hand on my shoulder, and I whipped my head to him. He pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head.
Simon cleared his throat and stepped forward. "The thief must still be on the rounds, and surely the cameras caught them in the act."
Eres shook his head. "Not without the electricity, and they even hit the backup generators, but you're right about the first point. They have to be on the grounds." He turned to the dark man. "Wake those men up with a cattle prod if you have to, but get them searching the grounds." The man nodded and hurried out of the room.
Eileen let out a wail mixed with a sob. She turned and rushed into Simon's chest. "Why? Why does this happen to me?"
Eres
clenched his fists and growled. "How I'd like to get my hands on whoever did this."
He put his arms around her and half-turned towards the door. "Perhaps we could all use a stiff drink."
"Why?" Eileen wailed.
"Shut your trap and let's get you a stiff drink as he said," her father snapped.
We left the room, and I brought up the rear. I stepped out into the hall.
That's when I felt the cold chill, and lost my mind.
CHAPTER 12
At least, I lost a part of my mind. The deep, intimate part.
Lady, we've got a problem.
I blinked and spun around. The voice sounded familiar, but the others were already at the front hall. "Hello?"
Don't speak out loud. Speak in your mind.
I tilted my head to one side and furrowed my brow. Specter?
The voice inside my head chuckled. The one and only, but no time for small chat. We've got a problem.
How the hell are you in my head?
It's a gift of mine to communicate with people if I enter their body, but we don't have time for small chat. Maeve's stuck in a tree close beside an exterior outlet, and the guards are circling her.
I raised an eyebrow. How'd that happen?
Never mind that! Just tell Simon that—When the devil's called he appears, and Simon was suddenly standing by my side.
He looked straight ahead and his voice was so low I could barely hear the words. "What's went wrong?"
I spoke, but I wasn't the one moving my lips. "There were a few more guards than I expected. When the lights were knocked out they covered the perimeter of the house. Maeve's stuck in a tree, and I don't know how Dolf's going to get out of the study."
Simon frowned. "Tell Maeve to wait where she is. Faith will rescue her. I will take care of Dolf."
I wanted to whip my head to him, but I still wasn't in control of my body. What the hell? How the hell am I supposed to do that? I screamed in my head.
I spoke again outside of my control. "Faith wonders how she's supposed to do that."
Simon grinned. "Through faith, but I'll explain in a moment. Tell Maeve to remain where she is."
The chill left my body and I watched Specter's spectral form slip through the wall to my right. My knees buckled and I would've dropped to the floor if Simon hadn't caught me.
"Steady. The fatigue will vanish in a moment," he assured me.
I raised myself onto my feet and brushed away his hands. "I'd really like to know how the hell I'm supposed to help her."
He gave me his sly smile. "Through a bit of vampire magic."
I frowned. "Come again?"
He chuckled. "Vampires are very quickly. Simply pull her onto your back and move from tree to tree until you reach the garage. Certus will take care of things there."
My mouth dropped open. "But I don't move that fast!"
"Simon? Simon, where are you?" Eileen's voice drifted from the hall.
Simon stepped towards the front hall and looked over his shoulder at me. "Focus on the point you want to reach and run. Your heritage will do the rest."
Eileen stepped into the mouth of the hall and looked in our direction. "Simon! There you are! Daddy and I were worried you might have been taken by the burglars!"
He strode towards her and shook his head. "No, I was merely giving Faith directions to the upstairs bathroom. The one to the left of the top of the stairs and down the hall."
Eileen reached Simon and looked past him to glare at me. "Oh, I see. Well, take your time, Patience."
"It's Faith," I reminded her.
She looped her arm through one of Simon's and turned her back on me. "Well, take your time, anyway. We'll keep the food warm."
The pair went off together, and I was left alone in the darkened hallway. I sighed and looked around me. Simon had mentioned the location of a bathroom. I marched to the front hall and up the dark stairs to the second floor. Three halls ran in different directions. Two to my left and right, and another straight ahead. I took the left one and came to the end. A window lay at the end of the hall, and on the other side was a large tree.
Something moved in it.
I walked up to the glass and squinted. Maeve's pale face stared back at me from among the tree branches. A bag sat in her lap and its strap lay over one shoulder.
I gasped and pulled up the window to stick my head out. "Maeve!" I whispered.
Maeve started and clawed at the tree for a moment before she regained her hold. She whipped her head to me and glared. "Don't do that!"
"Did Specter get a hold of-"
"Present," the spook spoke up as he appeared from below us. He pointed down. "There's the problem."
I followed his finger and noticed a guard parked against the side of the house.
"Why can't you just knock him out?" I suggested.
He sat back in midair and folded his arms across his chest. "I could, but then they might stick two people here to do a better search, and then Maeve would be in trouble."
I swept my eyes over the area. The garage was a good hundred yards from the house. Trees were scattered across the distance. I pursed my lips and inspected the closest thick branch. The branch was only a foot from the window, but there was a sheer fall to the ground.
Maeve watched me with a frown. "How are you supposed to get me down?"
A thought struck me. I eased myself over the ledge of the window. "Very carefully," I returned.
Specter floated close beside me. "I'd offer to help, but these hands can't hold a human."
I sat side-saddle on the sill and nodded down at the guard. "Knock him out."
Specter frowned. "But-"
"We'll get out of here before they notice him, so knock him out!" I hissed.
Specter shrugged and floated downward. He floated into the man's body and another second later the guard dropped like a rock. Specter reappeared and looked up at me. "Better hurry. There's another watch coming soon."
I climbed to my feet and eased a foot into the void. The tip of the branch held my first foot, so I leaned towards the tree and caught a higher branch to steady myself. For a moment I was stretched between branch and sill, and then my second foot followed. The branch bent under my weight. I felt my first foot slip down the smooth bark. My heart thumped. I whipped my eyes up and looked to a point at the trunk close beside Maeve.
And then I was there. She yelped and nearly fell back. I grabbed her sleeve and yanked her back against the tree.
She glared at me. "Tell me when you're going to do that!"
I looked from where I was to where I used to be. "Did I. . .did I really move that fast?"
Specter floated up to us and clapped. "And it was horribly clumsy."
I frowned. "It was my first time, okay?"
He tapped his wrist. "And it might be your last if you don't get out of here soon."
I took a deep breath and looked down at the ground. "Let's get out of this tree and get to the garage."
Maeve's mouth dropped open. "To the garage? Are you stupid? We'll never make it."
"I can carry you on my back and run there," I told her.
She scoffed. "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."
A sly grin slipped onto my lips. "Simon thought of it."
Maeve frowned. "Fine, I'll go, but if this gets messed up it won't be Simon's fault."
We climbed down the trunk of the tree and dropped the last seven feet to the ground. Specter flew around us. "Guards are coming!"
I backed up to Maeve and leaned down. "Quick!"
She grudgingly climbed onto my back. I grabbed her legs, steadied her, and looked ahead. Another tree stood some twenty feet from the house. I focused my attention on that and leapt forward.
I only moved forward a couple of feet and stumbled to a stop.
"What are you waiting for? An invitation?" Specter asked me.
Maeve squeezed on my shoulders and kicked my sides. "Move!"
I ground my teeth together. If I go
t out of this alive, I was going to kill Simon. Or destroy. Or whatever.
A noise behind me caught my attention. I looked over my shoulder and watched a pair of guards come around the back side of the house. One stopped and pointed at their fallen comrade. My heart quickened. I looked ahead and focused on the tree ahead of us. I took a step forward.
And then we were there.
"Farther!" Maeve hissed. "Don't stop and smell the flowers!"
The guards behind us shouted. I focused on the next tree. And the next. We bounced from tree trunk to tree trunk until I ran out of trees, but that didn't matter. We'd arrived at the garage. Maeve slipped off my sore shoulders and we scooted inside. The interior was pitch-black, but a pair of red eyes greeted us. Certus lit a match and swept his arm towards the limo.
"Mr. Cruor has explained everything. Please step inside the vehicle, Miss Maeve," he invited her.
"Don't mind if I do," she agreed before she slipped into the car.
Certus shut the door behind her and turned to me. "Mr. Cruor would like you to return to the house."
My shoulders drooped and my face fell. "Seriously? Through those guards?"
"He deems it good practice," Certus told me.
I pursed my lips and turned towards the garage door. "He's trying to get me killed. . ."
CHAPTER 13
I slipped out of the garage and looked around. No one was in sight. I tiptoed to the first tree and-
"Stop! Put your hands in the air!"
I cringed. The voice came from behind me. I raised my hands, but focused on the tree in front of me. I took a step forward.
"Stop!"
The voice was now twenty feet further away. I didn't look back to see his shocked face as I jumped from tree to tree. I soon reached the second-to-last tree. The one closest to the house swarmed with guards. I clutched onto the trunk and pursed my lips.
One of the men ran up and pointed in the direction of the front of the house. "Someone was spotted out front!"
The guards raced away from their post, but the new one remained. He looked to my tree and gestured to me. "Come on, Faith!" he hissed.
I blinked at him. "Specter?" I whispered back.
The guard rolled his eyes. "Who else? Now get over here and climb on my back!"
I hurried over. He leaned against the tree and I climbed his back to reach the first branch where I pulled myself up. The window was still open, so I slipped inside and brushed myself off.
"Have you had enough adventure tonight?"