15. The Curtain Falls
Chapter 15
The Curtain Falls
Hawaiian Desire cruise—Twenty minutes later
C erissa wasn’t sure she agreed with his assessment but focused on guiding the group to the forward theater. “We thought you two might be interested in the main show—a series of aerial and acrobatic acts.”
When Circus Garza came to town last year, to her surprise, she’d learned Henry owned the tent show. So tonight’s production seemed a perfect opportunity to get him into the mood for attending a different theater performance each night by starting with something he loved.
Henry’s eyes lit up. “I do enjoy the skill of the acrobats and trapeze artists.”
When the lights went down and the curtain rose, Cerissa relaxed in her seat and excitement flitted in her stomach. She squeezed his hand and pushed all thoughts of the rogue vampire aside.
The show opened with four acrobats, suspended by cables directly over the stage and dressed like Olympian gods and goddesses, vocalizing to New Age music, accompanied by a live band. High-energy lighting created an ethereal effect. Another cable system suspended a fifth performer over the audience, circling the perimeter as he assumed one graceful but difficult pose after another. He stopped at one of the support columns and walked down the column, his body parallel to the floor, giving the appearance of defying gravity. The audience broke into applause.
More dancers entered, moving with the rhythmic beat, so anywhere Cerissa looked in the theater—on stage, overhead, or behind them—there was action.
Henry harrumphed .
Cerissa side-eyed him. Why did he sound less than pleased? Wasn’t he enjoying the show?
After the opening number, a single trapeze artist performed on a circular ring. Very impressive, considering the ship was swaying back and forth in the deep sea waves.
He leaned over, placing his mouth by her ear. “This is not circus.”
She shrugged. She was enjoying the visual spectacle.
“There is no need for those dancers,” he whispered. “They distract from the skill of the acrobat. And those costumes are ridiculous.”
“Henry—”
“The music is just as silly. What happened to traditional circus music? It has been good enough for over a hundred years.”
Cerissa glimpsed disgruntled cruisers sitting near them. “We’re disturbing others.”
This felt so unlike him. Politeness was ingrained in his personality. Had the doctor’s news unsettled him more than she’d caught on?
He glanced around, then nodded. “I will wait for you at the piano bar.”
She kissed his cheek. “I’ll come find you when it’s over.”
He eased past the legs of others in their row and left. It was difficult to let him go. Her instincts told her to follow and remedy the problem. But she was learning she didn’t have to fix everything or everyone. Whatever was bothering Henry, well, she’d give him a chance to work it out on his own, hard as it was to not intervene.
H enry walked out of the theater, pleased Cerissa didn’t try to guilt him into staying. The show was worse than expected. Horrible. He loved old-fashioned circus acts, the beauty of the three-ring shows under the big top. But the modern version annoyed him. The tie-dyed leotards were suitable for a Martha Graham dance recital, and the surreal music lacked any sense of suspense. After all, fear that the performers might fall and injure themselves was part of what made acrobatic performances so popular.
On the way into the theater, he’d noticed the piano bar near the entrance and thought Cerissa might enjoy listening to the musical improvisations. The theater door closed behind him, and he walked into the softly lit bar and settled on a cushy chair with a good vantage point. When the show let out, he’d have no problem spotting Cerissa. He ordered a drink to keep the server happy. Relaxing, he watched the ocean through the big bay windows. The stars shone above, and the dark water churned below as he drummed his fingers to the music.
Why had he allowed himself to become so annoyed? Yes, the circus was dear to him, but perhaps he should have stayed. They were on their honeymoon. He could be holding Cerissa’s hand, sharing something she enjoyed—even if he didn’t. The doctor’s interruption of their pleasant dinner had set him on edge, and he hadn’t realized the effects lingered.
Next time, he’d be more patient. At least the piano player was far superior to the surreal sounds of the theater.
A whoosh of movement near the bar’s entrance startled him from his reflections. A blond woman slowed to sashay across the thick carpet in high heels and a vivid blue cocktail dress, a silver beaded decoration at her waist, holding the fabric draped to form a deep well of cleavage. She slid onto a barstool next to a man.
No, not a woman. She’d moved too fast, and the scent of her blood was distinctive even from twenty feet away—a vampire.
Was she the vampire causing trouble?
He straightened in his cushy chair and scanned the room for options. What could he do about her presence? They were in a crowded public place. He couldn’t very well restrain her and force her to come with him. How would he explain his aggressive approach to ship security if they became involved? He couldn’t mesmerize them all. And what if she was just another passenger like himself? She might not be the ghost they were looking for.
He continued to drum his fingers on the chair’s arm. Should he call the doctor? They could claim she was ill and ask her to accompany them for some questions. But what if she resisted? In a fight, she’d be able to crush a few mortals with no problem. And if Henry intervened? They were at sea. Where would he hide for the rest of the trip if he displayed his supernaturally enhanced strength here in a busy piano bar?
After he balanced the risks and the rewards, a low-key approach seemed best. Carrying his scotch, he walked to the woman. “Excuse me, but have we met before?”
She turned to look at him, and her eyes narrowed. “No, I don’t know you, dude.” She quirked her head toward the gentleman next to her. “No poaching. I saw him first.”
So she is hunting for her dinner.
Henry took the chair on her other side. “I thought we might belong to the same community.”
She tossed her hair, her nose high in the air. “I don’t belong to any community. I’m a free spirit.”
From the lines on her fingernails, he estimated her maker had turned her seventy years ago, and she looked to be nineteen or twenty years at most. Beautiful in a beachy sort of way. Perhaps she used tanning makeup. “I thought if we could speak for a moment, we might solve a mutual problem.”
“I don’t have a problem, old man .” She waved dismissively. “Now shoo.”
The guy leaned around her to glare at Henry. “Is this dude bothering you?”
“Yes. Make him go away.”
“You heard the lady. She doesn’t know you and doesn’t want to.”
“My apologies.” Henry gave a slight bow. “Should you change your mind, the ship’s doctor, Antonio Martinez, will know how to find me. The good doctor can see to your nutritional needs.”
Henry returned to his seat but kept an eye on the woman and what was clearly her next conscripted donor. There were some vampires who refused to abandon regular live feeding, a requirement for entry into almost any of the treaty communities. Perhaps she was one of the unaffiliated who spurned bagged blood.
He weighed his options and took out his phone to text Antonio using the ship’s dedicated messaging app. The doctor could decide what steps he wanted to take under the circumstances.
When the blonde and the man left together, Henry had a tough choice to make. Follow them, and risk a scene, or let her go. Now that she knew he was watching, she was unlikely to cause permanent harm to a mortal. She was an annoyance, but not one he needed to do something about. The ship wasn’t his territory, and while he sympathized with the problem Antonio faced, he didn’t need to be proactive about it.
And something about the woman’s age, demeanor, and style made him doubt she had anything to do with the silver stakes. Not unless she was a superb actress. He’d never met her before, and she certainly didn’t act like an assassin. Instead, she seemed singularly obsessed with her hunt for dinner.
Forty minutes later, Cerissa, Rolf, and Karen emerged from the theater. Through the crystal, Henry subtly let Cerissa know he was in a better mood and, in response, felt her relief. He joined them in the sauntering crowd and handed his wife the scotch he’d ordered—no ice—then slipped an arm around her and pulled her to him for a light kiss. “Where are we going dancing?”
“There’s supposed to be a great dance club on deck seventeen,” Karen said.
Rolf looked at her with disapproval. “You just want to go there because you’re hoping to find the interloper.”
Henry caught Rolf’s gaze. “You needn’t worry about that. I don’t think we’ll see her there.”
Rolf’s eyes widened. “Her? How do you know it’s a she—”
“Because, if I’m not mistaken, she just left this bar with her most recent conquest.”
“We’re going after her, right?” Cerissa asked.
“No, cari?a . We’re going dancing. I owe you for my earlier behavior in the theater, and what better way than to twirl you around the dance floor? Besides, I tried talking with the woman and she was uninterested in our help. This is not our problem.”
“But—” Karen said.
“ Liebling ,” Rolf interrupted, “Henry’s correct. This is not the Hill. We are not responsible. I’m not spending our vacation chasing after her.” He leered at her lustily. “I’d prefer to chase you.”
The mortal blushed, and Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Rolf’s overtures rarely embarrassed Karen. But then, Rolf’s leer was more suggestive than usual. He slipped an arm around her and whispered something as he guided her to the elevator. She laughed.
“I guess we should follow them.” Cerissa motioned at their friend’s backs, but a trickle of hesitancy filtered to Henry through the crystal.
“Would you rather we go off on our own?”
“No, I… I’m just worried about the interloper.”
He should have known that his wife wouldn’t settle so easily. “Cerissa, now that I’ve approached her and the, um, woman is aware I’m watching, she’s unlikely to do anything you’re worried she might.”
The light of understanding brightened Cerissa’s emerald eyes, and she nodded. “So, you think it’s best to leave her alone for now?”
“I think that a cornered animal makes rasher moves when they think someone is after their prey.”
“I see.” The edges of her lips quirked up. “In that case, I’d love to go dancing.”
Henry offered his arm. They hooked elbows, and she brushed the side of her breast against him. Had she done it to be suggestive, or was she just cuddling him as she sometimes did when they walked? From the impish smile on her face, the touch was on purpose. If they hadn’t been in a public place, he would have patted her bottom in response.
Hmm . Maybe after dancing, when they returned to her suite, there’d be plenty of opportunity to pat her gorgeous lushness. Among other things.