Chapter 7 Mistake
Mistake
Grayson laid in bed, missing Ryder, for quite some time.
He had one arm stretched out towards where Ryder’s fluffy wolf body had laid, imagining he could still feel his body heat.
But when it became clear that it was only himself warming those sheets, Grayson dragged himself out of bed, showered, and dressed. He had things to do after all.
Including talking to Rachel Willis, ace reporter.
He’d pulled on faded jeans and a warm, gray, cashmere sweater that was just loose enough to be cozy while also looking elegant. His hair still curled from the shower as he shuffled out to the common room. It was very quiet. Only Eiji was sitting there.
He was seated on the couch by the fireplace with a cup of steaming tea by his side and a book in the other.
He smiled at Grayson and inclined his head to indicate that he could join him.
Grayson grabbed one of the fresh squeezed grapefruit juices from the refrigerator.
It was cold and tart going down his throat.
He drained nearly the whole bottle before he sat down kitty-corner from the Japanese man.
“We’re the only ones up?” Grayson observed.
Both Mairead and Amara’s bedroom doors were securely shut.
Eiji inclined his head again. “I think that Mairead will be recovering from all those jello shots for sometime. Even the good doctor enjoyed herself at the party. We stayed out very late.”
“You’re up,” Grayson pointed out. “And you pretty much drank Mairead under the table.”
“I am old. I need less sleep. And I was never a very good sleeper to begin with.” Eiji waved off the compliment.
Grayson shuffled his feet a little and took another sip of grapefruit juice. “I wanted to thank you for last night.”
Eiji lifted a thin eyebrow. “Ah.”
“How did you know that–”
“It was not Ryder you were dancing with?” Eiji’s eyes sparkled. “I have seen how he looks at you. And the being last night did not look at you that way.”
“No, he did not.” Grayson nodded.
“Was the imposter taken care of?” Though it was phrased as a question, it was really a statement.
“He was.” Grayson nodded.
“Good.”
They sat there quietly, each of them drinking their beverages of choice.
Grayson realized how good it felt to talk to someone who didn’t ask questions, but who understood.
Of course, Eiji was understanding something dark and unsavory.
But Grayson knew that they needed people who could walk into the Vampire life without the qualms most law-abiding citizens had.
“Eiji, I know that Mairead asked this the other day and you didn’t answer–and you don’t have to answer now–but do you have a Bloodline you’re particularly interested in?” Grayson asked.
Eiji, who was taking a sip of his tea, waited until he had swallowed and set the teacup down before he shifted to face Grayson fully. “I see much value in all of the Bloodlines, but I do have some interest in one.”
Grayson nodded. “Would you be willing to tell me which one?”
Would Eiji think he was just being nosy?
Or would the older man believe that Grayson was trying to get intel for some other reason?
The truth was that he wanted to hook Eiji up with the right Bloodline more quickly than not.
As a reward, but also because he was valuable.
Balthazar was probably already planning something elaborate and slightly ridiculous, but Grayson thought that while Eiji played his cards relatively close to his vest that he might want to cut to the chase.
“I do not think you ask this of me lightly,” Eiji remarked after a long time.
“I don’t.”
“And you think to repay me in some way for last evening’s discretion?” Eiji asked.
“In a way. But more than that. I think… I think you’re exactly the sort of person that we need,” Grayson said.
He realized he’d used the word “we” instead of attributing it to the “Vampires” generally.
“Ashyr,” Eiji said softly.
Grayson froze for a moment thinking that somehow Eiji had guessed who he was. But then he realized that Eiji was answering his question and was telling him the Bloodline he wished to be a part of. Grayson couldn’t help but smile broadly. His small Bloodline would get a new member.
“You would be perfect for Ashyr,” Grayson told him. “A Vampire named Dani will be reaching out to you.”
Eiji bowed slightly. “Thank you, Grayson.”
He did not ask how Grayson would accomplish this or why Grayson had the ability to ensure that certain Ashyr Vampires would be in touch with him.
He clearly knew that Grayson was more than he seemed or not what he seemed at all.
Just like Eiji could play the doting grandfather on Mairead and really be a yakuza boss.
“Thank you, Eiji.” Grayson rose. “We will speak more soon.”
Both of them gave half bows. Grayson left Eiji with his tea and book.
He rinsed out the glass bottle that had held his grapefruit juice and with a final deep breath, he left the comforts of his room and then the dorm.
Rachel was already waiting for him outside.
He’d wondered if he was going to have to contact her, but there she was.
Nearly a foot and a half shorter than he was and one quarter his size, she could still be confused with the school girl she’d been not that long ago.
She held a tablet tightly against her chest and she had a purse thrown over her left shoulder that she tucked against her side. She wore a conservative blue pants suit and discrete makeup with kitten-heeled pumps.
“Grayson!” She called to him, lifting her other hand as if this was in a press briefing, trying to get called upon.
She wasn’t the only one waiting outside.
There were quite a few Vampires that were hanging about, looking up at this window or that, clearly waiting for a favorite human to wake.
He noted Dani, too, was waiting for him.
She stepped out of the shadows the moment that Rachel called his name.
His eyes met Dani’s. There was a question in hers: did he want her to waylay this reporter?
Tempting.
“Rachel, could you hold on a minute? I just need to speak to someone,” Grayson said as he smoothly turned from her to Dani.
“Why is a reporter stalking you?” Dani asked as he led her ten feet away.
“She’s an old friend… of Grayson’s,” he explained, feeling strange speaking of himself and yet not himself in the third person.
Dani’s brow knitted together. “And do you want to see this old friend?”
“Not really, no, but I promised Ryder I would. She knows Grayson’s… my mother,” Grayson explained.
“This seems like an emotionally loaded conversation that you are going to have with her. Forgive me for asking, but are you up for it?” Dani studied his face.
“Not really, but I never will be,” he admitted. “Better to get it over with.”
“Kaito and I will follow, but keep a discrete distance,” she said.
“Actually, I’d like you to speak to Eiji Goda about joining our Bloodline,” Grayson said.
Her eyebrows rose and a smile curled her lips. “You already have found us a fledgling?”
“I think so. He’s a yakuza boss. I’m sure there’s a whole file on him that Balthazar prepared,” he said. “He’d be perfect, I think.”
She nodded. “I will speak with him.”
“Good. I should go. I’ll talk to you later,” he said.
“If you need me, Master, do not hesitate to indicate it and I will come,” she told him.
“I appreciate that. I may take you up on it.” He drew in a deep breath and gave her a smile before going back to Rachel who waited anxiously.
She reminded him of a pent up ball of energy as she constantly shifted her bag, her tablet or twisted her hair.
She was nervous too, but the bright smile indicated that she really was happy to see him.
His own memories of her were vague. It wasn’t just because as Grayson he’d sought to forget everything about his past, but because the more he became Ashyr, the more Grayson’s brief life receded in the distance.
He assumed the memories would return if he needed them.
“Where would you like to go?” he asked her.
“There’s a coffee shop on the next street over.” She indicated with a tip of her head.
“There is?” Grayson’s eyebrows rose.
“They’ve kept you busy so you might not yet have realized they’ve made Nightvallen quite a little city. Coffee shops. Restaurants. Bars. Clothing stores. Art galleries and the best, coziest book shop I’ve ever seen,” she gushed at the end.
“A book shop?” His own eyes lit up with interest.
The library had been a place of refuge for him when he’d been homeless.
It was warm and safe. He could curl in a corner and sleep or read and forget everything that was happening in his life.
The librarians were kind. One had brought in an extra sandwich and chips every day.
She kept claiming that she overpacked her lunch, her eyes were bigger than her stomach, when she’d share them with him.
It had taken him a while to realize she was just saying that.
She’d brought them for him. Her kindness had been almost paralyzing at the time.
She’d truly wanted to help him. Which was why she started to ask him questions.
Just a few at first. But they were incisive and he’d realized that she truly wanted to help him.
Which meant finding out his past to get him off the street…
And he couldn’t have that. He needed to be invisible so he’d had to stop going to the library.
He could still see her face in his mind though. He hoped she was well.
“Yes! It’s marvelous! There’s this brilliant librarian and two staff. They tuck you into a cozy corner by a fireplace and bring you tea, cake and books they think you’d like. I’ve already bought half a dozen,” she admitted with a blush.
“Sounds great,” Grayson said genuinely.
“I’d say let’s go there, but I’ll get distracted. So I hope you don’t mind if we go to the coffee shop,” she said. “I don’t think that many people will be there yet after last night’s festivities.”