Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Santiga Bay—Two weeks earlier
I rolled over and stretched like a well-fed cat. Sun peeked through the blinds. A simple sign that I was going to love this day. There was nothing more beautiful than a morning after an evening rain. The city washed clean, leaving behind a particular sharpness to the landscape as if a thin veil had been lifted.
I reached for Lucas, but his spot was empty. The sheets were still warm, and his heady scent made me gooey inside.
Then I remembered. This was day four.
After the insane but successful mission the team had pulled off in rescuing Hamilton and, most assuredly, pissing off Devon’s greatest enemy, Lorenzo Venizi, Devon had given the Family a three-day rest period. No work. No training. A true mini vacation. We just couldn’t leave the estate. We were, in effect, on a lockdown that would last until Devon’s war with Lorenzo was over.
I groaned as I sat up and rubbed my face. Back to training for me. For as much as I griped about it, the exhaustive sessions seemed to be working. I hadn’t needed my new martial arts skills or my growing array of fighting techniques for what I called the Hamilton heist, but it came in handy when Lucas and I ran into vamps at the Renaud Library in San Francisco. And with whatever was coming, maybe I should consider doubling down on the training as my normal routine.
A delicate white jasmine blossom rested on the bathroom counter next to a hand-scribbled note. I picked up the flower and gave the spicy scent a deep sniff as I read the message.
Devon called a staff meeting that will fill the entire morning. Cressa told me to let you sleep. Get a decent breakfast. She’ll meet you in the training room at eleven. How about a late picnic by the lake?
I sighed and took another whiff of the jasmine before sticking it in a glass of water and setting it on the writing desk near the window. That vamp knew how to push all the right buttons. I shook my head. Who would have thought I’d fall for a vamp? The thought sobered me. An ill-fated relationship to be sure, but I tucked the thought away. I wasn’t the type to dwell on those things, preferring to live in the moment.
Once I freshened up and dressed, I wandered down to the kitchen, jonesing for a cup of Lucia’s fabulous coffee. One thing about Devon, he didn’t skimp on his chefs. I dearly loved Cook, who owned his kitchen at the coastal manor, but Lucia gave him a run for his money where coffee was concerned. She was a dazzling chef in her own right, and like Cook, proudly displayed her certificate from an internationally famous culinary school.
The kitchen was less frantic than during the three-day hiatus when a continuous buffet had been set up in the dining room. Since no one was on a time schedule except for the security patrols, Devon made sure food was available throughout the day. Just like on a cruise—or so I’d heard, never having been on one. Now, we were back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Lucia greeted me with a cup of coffee that she shoved in my hands. “Good morning, Ginger. Do you mind taking your breakfast in the dining room this morning?” She lowered her voice. “Anna is in there by herself. She’s been out of sorts since she arrived with Lyra before the island raid and doesn’t seem to know what to do with herself.”
Inside, I cringed. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Anna. She was a nice enough person, and a human, but she was so rigid and serious, she reminded me of an old English butler. Not that I knew what an old English butler was like other than in movies. On the outside, I smiled and patted Lucia’s arm. “Of course, we girls have to stick together.”
The relief on her face was enough to encourage me to make the best of my morning with Anna. When I considered my role in the Family, I didn’t have many duties. In fact, I only had one—training in the gym. Anna drove Cressa crazy with all the etiquette and history lessons. After the last mission and the previous threat of Council sanctions against House Trelane, maybe it was time I took living in the household more seriously. I wasn’t a fan of etiquette. My spirit was too rebellious for that, but it was important to know how to fit in among vamps. And though I wouldn’t admit it to most, I was fascinated by history. Maybe an hour or two with Anna wouldn’t be such a hardship.
Anna was halfway through a meal of eggs and fruit when I strolled into the dining room and plopped into a chair across from her.
“Good morning, Anna.”
She’d been so focused on her plate that she jumped at my greeting and choked on her food. Fortunately for her, I knew the Heimlich maneuver, but it wasn’t needed as she cleared her throat and sipped water.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” She appeared more dazed than pleased to see me, but she was like that with everyone. Devon saw something in her, so I would find that spark that was buried deep inside. My own personal mission.
I smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you, but you were definitely interested in those eggs. Lucia does something different with them than Cook.”
She calmed and nodded. “It’s the cream.”
“Cream?”
She nodded. “Lucia adds a touch of cream, which makes the eggs, well, creamier. Cook prefers water to make them fluffier. Then, of course, they both use different herbs.”
“Wow, I hadn’t thought of it before. I’ve always just whipped the eggs together and was grateful not to burn them.” It was a bit of a lie. I enjoyed cooking and did a pretty good job of it, but I never had the money to try new things. Not until Devon put me up in a condo. It was actually Cressa’s condo, but she rarely stayed there. She preferred being with Devon, which made sense since their relationship had grown intimate. Either way, having the condo and a constant supply of fresh ingredients gave me the opportunity to cook and try new recipes. Those days were gone for a while, at least until the lockdown was over.
My breakfast of oatmeal and a scrambled egg was served by one of the kitchen staff along with a small carafe of coffee. Anna preferred tea, and she received a fresh teapot.
Then silence descended.
Anna seemed a bit skittish and would probably finish her breakfast and leave without another word. The poor thing. The question was, did she not like me? Did she find me too… I don’t know, me? Or was she just shy unless the topic of history and vamp etiquette came up?
I decided on the casual approach. “Did you enjoy your three days of holiday?”
“A bit. The library here is in such disarray, I’ll need weeks to straighten it out. I’m surprised Simone allowed it to get so out of order.”
Of course, she worked through her holiday. There were a few humans on staff at Oasis, but how well did Anna know them?
“Well, from what I’ve heard, no one has your experience with the books, so can you really blame her?”
Anna’s head tilted, and a bit of a smile appeared along with a slight blush. “All it requires is a bit of training.”
Another thought hit me. “How are you doing with this lockdown? You’ve lived in Devon’s household for some time, right? You must be used to this sort of thing.”
She shook her head and leaned in, her voice low. “To be honest, I’m a bit terrified. I mean, war is a dangerous game. There hasn’t been an officially declared war in a century. I’m not even sure what that would be like in today’s times.”
“I didn’t think it had been officially declared yet.”
She shook her head. “No. Not yet. Devon will want his allies aligned. And while he doesn’t need Council approval to declare war, he’ll want to have a clear declaration of his intent and grievances. Then he’ll officially put it on paper.”
That did sound pretty serious. Lucas and I hadn’t discussed it, preferring to keep Family business out of our three days together.
I scraped the last bite of oatmeal from the bowl. “Do you have any defensive training? I mean, Devon’s security is pretty tight, but do you know how to defend yourself?” I wasn’t sure why the thought hadn’t crossed my mind before, but what did the other humans do in the middle of a vampire attack?
“There’s a panic room here and at the coast manor. All the humans go there at the time of an attack.”
“What happens if someone gets cut off from getting to the panic room.”
Anna shivered. “Then it’s up to the attacking vampires and their leniency with humans.”
I gulped. “No wonder you’re terrified. Do you have any defensive training?”
“It was some time ago, and it was up to us whether we wanted to continue. I’ve always been more of a book nerd.”
I laughed. “And from what I remember, that saved the House from sanctions when Devon was framed for Boretsky’s murder.”
Her blush appeared again. “That was Cressa’s idea to have Lyra take leadership.”
“And how did Cressa know to suggest it?”
Anna’s gaze lifted to mine, and she sat a little straighter. “It was her classwork.”
I pointed my fork at her. “Exactly.”
She perked up and poured another cup of tea while I jammed scrambled eggs in my mouth in between swallows of coffee.
When I pushed my plate away, I said, “I have to admit. I’ve learned a lot from Lucas and Cressa about vampires, but, I don’t know, it seems like I could learn more. You’ve probably noticed I’m not big on etiquette.”
She snorted but didn’t say anything.
I laughed. “Right? But I’m learning a lot about defensive training.”
She shrugged. “That’s a specialty of the cadre as well as all the vampires in the Family.”
“But it sounds like Devon doesn’t mind if the humans learn it as well.”
She moved her plate an inch to the right and set her fork and knife across the top of it. Even with empty plates, there seemed to be a proper way to place the utensils.
I leaned toward her. “I have an idea. Just listen to the whole thing and then tell me what you think.”
Her expression became guarded, and her brows knit together with suspicion. “Alright.”
She was a tough nut, but I was far from intimidated.
“I’m not an expert by a long shot, but I’ve got some pretty impressive defensive skills I didn’t have a month ago. And it appears my training in that area is going to be continuing. What I don’t have is education on vamp society, the history of the House, the squabbles with House Venizi, and what all this war stuff is about. I can’t even imagine what form it would take. And all this business with the shifters and their place in vampire history. This is stuff you know in your sleep.”
Her brows relaxed, but she still appeared dubious. “Go on.”
She was hooked. She might not know it yet, but I was pretty good at baiting a line. All those years living on the edge of the Hollows taught a woman something.
“I was thinking of a trade of sorts. You spend an hour with me in the training room every day. It gives me extra practice. And you get me up to speed on the subjects you know the best.” I held up my hand when her eyes began to twinkle. “This has to be like a speed-reading education. I’m not saying it doesn’t have to be deep, but it has to be spot on for what the House will be facing over the next who knows how long.”
“What about your training with Cressa and the cadre?”
“That will continue. I don’t have a choice in that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do my own training. We might have to rearrange our schedule to accommodate the cadre, but I think we can make it work. What do you say?”
Anna leaned back and sipped her tea as she studied me. Judging my ability? Sizing me up? Wondering if there was some hidden agenda? She set her teacup down. “We start this afternoon.”
Wow. I should have known once she committed, she’d be all in.
“I have a late lunch planned with Lucas. How about meeting at three for the education session, then we’ll finish up in the gym? I can check with Cressa for a more specific schedule.”
She brightened. “Agreed. I’ll find us a suitable classroom.”
I cringed at the term, but this had been my idea. Suddenly, I was excited. I stuck my arm out for a fist bump, and Anna just stared at it.
“Okay, this isn’t a defensive move, but it will be important when we end a session. Fist bumps are critical.”
Her brows wrinkled again with a dubious look.
“You have to trust me on this. Once your endorphins kick in from the exercise, it’s a way to release them. Here, just try it.” I repeated the gesture, and she stretched across the table to bump her fist against mine. It was weak, but it was a start.
“Don’t worry. You won’t be able to help yourself after the first session.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” She stood and brushed off her linen pants. Before she reached the door, she turned back. “Oh, and one more thing. In exchange for the fist bump, you’ll have fifteen minutes of etiquette training with each session.” Then she all but raced from the room.
She was a sly one. But I couldn’t help grinning as I poured another cup of coffee.