Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
This was a bad idea. Spencer sat in his car, clutching the steering wheel with one hand and fisting the other on the console. If Alan hadn’t been looking over his shoulder when Lilith’s text came through, he could have told her no thanks and been done with her.
Instead, Alan had grabbed his arm and said, “Tell her we’ll be there.”
Texting with Lilith was one thing. A distant thing. When the warm fuzzies started expanding in his chest, he could put his phone down, walk away, and distract himself from the unwelcome emotions. Seeing her face to face again would be an exercise in willpower he wasn’t sure he could sustain.
He inhaled deeply, trying to calm his racing heart, but the damn thing felt like it had grown hummingbird wings. He checked his hair in the rearview mirror, got out of the car, and paced toward The Fang and Flask.
Alan and Rebecca met him at the door, but he couldn’t make himself step inside. Now, in addition to the rapid flapping inside his chest, a swarm of angry wasps had taken flight in his stomach. He froze at the entrance, turning on his heel, and Alan slammed into him, making him stumble.
Spencer stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. “You guys go talk to her. I’ll wait in the car.”
Rebecca flashed a knowing smile. “She wants to talk to you.”
And therein lay the problem. She’d been texting him all week, asking him questions about himself, showing interest in him, disarming him. He had to keep reminding himself her interest was fabricated. She wanted to go on another expedition, and that was what this meeting was about.
“She’s using me.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “She’s helping you.”
“Her familiar is sick, and she thinks going on an expedition with us will be exciting enough to save her.”
“Men can be so dense.” Rebecca palmed his shoulder. “She’s a powerful immortal who can do anything she wants. The possibilities for her to find excitement are endless, yet she’s choosing you. She likes you. Now, wipe the crud out of your eyes and see her for what she really is.”
“We have to hear her out,” Alan said. “I don’t think another Bigfoot sighting is going to be enough to save our show.”
Spencer gazed across the horizon. The sun setting behind the buildings painted the sky in shades of deep pink and purple. A car horn blared from the intersection a block over, and a couple stepped around him to enter the bar.
It would be fine. Hear what she had to say and leave. He was a big boy; he could manage that.
“All right. Let’s do this.” He crossed the threshold and made his way toward the stairs.
His friends followed him down the flight and through the thick, purple velvet curtain.
He’d never set foot in The Underworld before; most people hadn’t unless they came to this bar.
The average topside-dwelling supe couldn’t find the entrances to The Underworld, and that was by design.
They couldn’t have any old being wandering in willy nilly.
He spotted Lilith at a booth along the far wall, and his breath caught. Her long red hair flowed in thick waves over her shoulders, and her pale, flawless skin reminded him of porcelain—fragile, which he was certain Lilith was not.
The hummingbird sensation in his chest settled as his owl took notice of her, and his feet carried him toward her before his mind realized he was moving.
He stopped at the table, letting his gaze wander over her form.
She wore a black silk dress with thin straps and a matching choker around her neck.
When his gaze met hers, her eyes brightened with her smile.
“Good afternoon, Spencer.”
His name on her plump, pink lips turned his skin to gooseflesh.
“Hi, Lilith.” Her name tasted like honey on his tongue. Oh, hell. Whatever her intention with this meeting, he couldn’t deny the attraction. Against his better judgment, he slid onto the seat next to her while Alan and Rebecca took the one across from them.
She held his gaze for a moment before turning to his friends. “Thank you for meeting with me.”
“We can’t wait to hear your idea.” Alan leaned his arms on the table. “I’m sure Spencer told you our show is in trouble.”
“Yes, he did, and I think I can help.”
“Wait.” Spencer cocked his head. “How are you even here with the sun still up? I thought most vampires were dead to the world during daylight hours.”
She smiled slyly. “I’m not most vampires.”
No kidding. She wasn’t even most women. She was gorgeous, smart, and sexy, and she smelled of mint and lavender. Delicious.
“There is no daylight in The Underworld, so I can be awake—and sleep—whenever I choose. It’s one of the many perks of living in Lucifer’s lair.”
“What’s it like being in the dark all the time?” Rebecca asked. “How do you keep your body regulated? I think I’d go crazy.”
“It isn’t dark all the time. Lucifer controls the ‘skies’ and creates the seasons for us. The Underworld has become quite pleasant since he found his soulmate. We have roads and shops much like you have up top.”
“I’d love to see it.” Rebecca rested her forearms on the table, leaning forward. It appeared Lilith’s magnetic effect wasn’t reserved for Spencer.
“Perhaps I can give you all a tour sometime.”
“That would be amazing.” Rebecca bit her lip. “One more question, and then we can get down to business.”
Lilith glanced at Spencer, her gaze dipping to his mouth before she returned her attention to Rebecca. “Shoot.”
“You said you’re not like most vampires, so would you burn in the sun? Is that part of your curse?”
“That was two questions.” Alan playfully elbowed Rebecca.
“Sorry. I’ve got a million more.”
Lilith pressed her lips together, amusement dancing in her blue eyes. “I’m happy to answer them all. It’s been a long time since I’ve met anyone new.” Again she glanced at Spencer, and his throat felt like he’d swallowed a massive cotton ball.
“Sunlight does not affect me the way it does other vampires, and yes, it’s part of my curse. I lose my power when exposed to the sun; I get fatigued, but that is the extent of the effect.”
“Then why do the others fry?” Rebecca asked.
“The effect the sun has on my children entirely depends on the degree of separation. The further down the line they were created, the less of my magic they received. Vampires that I sire myself can be in the sun for short periods. Likewise, their glamour is nearly as strong as mine.”
“Fascinating. How many have you sired?” Rebecca looked like a kid who’d just met Santa Claus.
“This is interesting,” Alan said, “but let’s talk about your idea for the show.”
“Right. I can answer your questions another time.” She winked at Rebecca before turning her heart-melting smile on Spencer. “I believe I can help you find evidence that won’t expose our kind but will be intriguing enough to get your network’s attention.”
Spencer angled his body toward her. “We’re listening.”
“I have a dear friend in Romania, a vampire I sired ages ago, who has access to a gravesite where supposed vampires are buried. He has agreed to let us unearth a grave and film the way they disposed of those suspected of vampirism in the seventeen hundreds.”
“You want us to dig up a corpse.” Spencer pressed his lips into a thin line.
It wasn’t the worst idea he’d ever heard.
People accused their friends and relatives of being vampires for all kinds of reasons back then.
He’d done plenty of research on the subject when they’d tried to get permission to film there before. In fact…
“They used to say a person born with red hair and blue eyes would turn into a vampire. Is that because of you?”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, revealing a fang, and blood rushed to Spencer’s groin. Never in his life had a vampire’s fangs turned him on, but every time he glimpsed Lilith’s, he couldn’t help but imagine her biting him.
“Guilty.” She let out a small laugh. “I didn’t mean for the superstition to spread through the villages.
I was angry back then, and…” She shook her head.
“Andrei lives in a small castle on the outskirts of town. The gravesite is on his property, so we don’t have to worry about getting permission from the government.
He has even offered us rooms during our stay. What do you think?”
Alan rubbed his thumb and forefinger on his chin, feigning deep thought. “You want us to stay in a Romanian vampire’s castle, dig up a grave of someone accused of vampirism, and get it all on film?”
“That’s the gist of it,” Lilith said.
Alan grinned. “When do we leave?”
“As soon as you’re ready.” Lilith looked at Spencer, taking in his guarded expression. “What do you think?” She shifted in her seat to face him, her knee resting against his. “I would never force my will on you, so if we do this, we do it together. If you don’t want to, just say the word.”
He glanced down at where her leg touched his.
The small bodily contact lit a fire in his core and raised a red flag so high it flapped in his face.
His logical mind told him the fortress he’d built around his heart was beginning to crumble, and he needed to run as far from her as he could.
His owl, on the other hand, screamed at him to accept the offer, to tear down the walls and let Lilith in.
Spencer looked at his friends, who both made eyes at him that said they’d murder him if he said no. He could reinforce his defenses. He owed it to his team to do this. “I’m in.”
“Yes!” Rebecca shook her fist in victory.
“Let’s go work on the logistics.” Alan slid out of the booth, and Rebecca followed. “We can probably get a flight out the day after tomorrow. Four tickets?”
Lilith brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “I will meet you there. I’ll go a day ahead to help Andrei prepare for your arrival.”
“Sounds good,” Alan said. “You coming, Spence?”