IM03 - Pandora's Box (11 page)

I took in a deep breath of the chilly damp air, noting a subtle yet pungent sweetness that seemed to be coming from the pond. The thickness and humidity felt heavy in my lungs, but I enjoyed the difference. Compared to the arid desert I had just come from, this was purely refreshing.

“I could stay here forever. It’s so beautiful,” I said as we strolled along a dirt path around the large pond.

“I said that once too,” Lysander replied. He took my hand in his.

“So, why did you leave?”

“Kallisto.”

“I can’t believe she held so much power over you.” I realized how rude that sounded about a second after the words left my lips.

Lysander’s grip tightened slightly on my hand. “She was a powerful woman. Please, Alyssa, let’s not bring up foul memories right now. Let me enjoy being here, with you, in this beautiful city.”

Through our shared connection as master and fledgling, I felt the distant echo of a heart, tearing in two. I knew Lysander had loved Kallisto very much. So much so that he was willing to forgive her of the many crimes she committed against him. We hadn’t been together long enough for me to expect that same amount of feeling from him, but I hoped, in some weird way, that our love would blossom to be that strong. 

“Ever considered coming back here to live?” I asked, trying to put a positive spin back on things.

“No,” he said without hesitation. “There are too many painful memories.”

I nodded, not knowing what else to say at that moment. We ambled over to a small cable suspension bridge and stopped to gaze out at the water. I spotted a sign saying there were Swan Boat tours, but the dock for them sat empty. All the boats must have been stowed for the night.  I admired how the city’s skyline in the background lit up the night.  I wished I had a camera to capture the postcard-perfect beauty of it.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you brought me here. I just wish it had been under better circumstances.” I turned to face him. “Promise me something.”

“Anything.” He looked down at me and smiled. Gone was the echoed pain I’d felt from him a moment ago. Once our eyes connected, I felt the warmth and comfort of love radiating from him. It made me smile.

“When we’ve taken care of all our issues, you and I will go on a vacation.”

He let out a serene sigh. “You have my word. We will go on a lavish vacation, just you and I, to some place neither of us has ever been. That way, no bad memories will affect our fun.”

“Really?” I said, both shocked and excited. The last time I’d asked Lysander to travel, he’d said no, and there was no arguing with him. Unlike the rest of the Peregrinus, he preferred to stay right where he was.

“Yes,” he said with surprised laughter. “But that means Fallon stays home. This will be our vacation.”

I giggled. Fallon and I had been inseparable since our reunion, but he was right. If we did take a couples vacation, it should just be the two of us.

“Fallon can handle the clan by herself now. You promise though, no going back on your word. You and me, on a vacation… alone?”

“Yes.”

Lysander bent his head and captured my lips in a deep kiss that promised more.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, crushing my lips into his. A rush of heat spread through my body as my pulse quickened with excitement. Lysander’s hand snaked around my waist, then sank down over my hips. He deepened the kiss, sending his tongue to explore my mouth while his hand kneaded my ass. I moaned into his mouth and knotted my fingers in his hair. Oh, that man could kiss!

Before I could act on the impulse whispering in my head to rip his shirt off, Lysander pulled away.

“Later,” he said in a panted breath. “You wanted to see the city before sunrise, didn’t you?”

I groaned in frustration—he was such a tease—but agreed to continue our tour. He was right, the night was flying by and we still needed to hunt and try to get in some sightseeing before the sun rose and locked us away in our hotel room. Besides, we could always continue where we left off once back there.

***

After visiting the various statues around the park—the ducks being my favorite—we continued our tour of Bean Town, moving on to Faneuil Hall.

I’d heard before that Boston was one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities around the USA, and it was certainly true from what I saw. Compared to home, this city seemed so easy to get around. Between a huge metro train system and buses, and the small blocks with plenty of sidewalk space, it was a perfect place for walking.

Though it was night, it wasn’t late enough for all of the businesses to be closed. In fact, business was booming in the heart of the city. People were out in droves, wandering between bars and nightclubs.

We spotted a bar that looked suspiciously like the one from the TV show
Cheers
, and I made the decision to check it out.

 As we walked in the crowded bar packed with what I assumed were other tourists, I felt the strange, hair-raising, eyes-on-the-back-of-your-neck sensation of a vampire nearby. I knew this feeling well, and the fact that it came while we were in a strange city sent a chill tiptoeing across my already ice-cold skin. 

I scanned the area and spotted a rail-thin woman across the room. She zeroed in on us too, and gave us a knowing nod.

“Maybe we should go someplace else,” I said, grabbing tightly onto Lysander’s arm. I hadn’t dealt with many strange vampires before. I wasn’t exactly sure if they’d be friendly or not.

“We are fine here,” Lysander said confidently and walked us toward an open table.

The strange vampire eyed us suspiciously. She was tall, dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, a tee-shirt with the bar’s logo on it, and an apron. On top of her head was a thick pouf of tightly spiraled raven-black hair. It framed her face like a dark halo. Unlike me, with my very pale milky-white skin, she could still pass for human without wearing makeup. Her skin, though visibly lighter than it had probably been when she was human, was a muted
café au lait
, though I doubted any human would notice the light color in the dimly-lit bar. Only her eyes would give her away as something different. She had the same light blue-grey eyes all vampires shared.

 We took spots at a tiny table at the edge of the bar, along the wall. As soon as we sat down, the strange woman was at our sides.

“On ya’ best behavior, you two,” she warned in a thick Boston accent. “I ain’t cleaning up messes tonight.”

She narrowed her eyes and inspected us.

“Can you suggest any good places to eat?” Lysander asked arching an eyebrow at her. “We’re only in town for a few days and wanted to sample local cuisine.”

She leaned in between us, resting her elbows on the table. “I don’t wanna know where the deed goes down, just stay away from tourist traps. Boston don’t need bad press. It’s bad for business, ya feel me? You hungry for some local game, you keep it off the radar.”

“Of course.” Lysander smiled and nodded. “My mate Alyssa and I are just here for some sightseeing. We’re not planning to cause any trouble.”

“Good. I’m Zuri, by the way.” She smiled finally, having given us our official warning, and placed a card on the table. “If you do make a mess, call this number. We don’t need the
Saints
knocking down our door.”

That I found both interesting and shocking. Vamps carrying around business cards and offering cleanup service. That went against everything Lysander had told me about us being solitary creatures. It seemed Zuri belonged to a very organized group. I filed my questions away under “things to ask Lysander later” and returned my attention to the conversation.

“Thank you for the information,” Lysander said. He picked up the card and slid it into his pocket. “We are well aware of the rules of secrecy. You will not be troubled by us.”

“Yeah,” Zuri snorted and rolled her eyes. “They all say that. And then we get Santino snooping around with his band of mercenaries.”

“Santino won’t be causing any trouble anymore,” Lysander said with an air of superiority.

“Really?” Now it was Zuri’s turn to quirk an eyebrow at Lysander. “Someone finally kill that old bastard?”

Lysander wobbled his head a bit in neither a confirming nor denying gesture. “Let’s just say he’s been taken out of commission.”

“Yeah,” I added enthusiastically. “We’ve just dealt a crippling blow to the Acta Sanctorum’s west coast operations.”

“Well, cheers to that. Now that you mention it, I had heard something about Mr. Badass being sent to early retirement. Kudos to you for being a part of the solution. Now, should I bring ya a beer so ya don’t look like the only ones in the bar not drinkin’?”

“You work here?” I asked.

She scoffed and shook her head. “You must be new. Either that or Handsome here is loaded.”

“Right on both accounts,” I laughed.

“Take it from me sista’, ya want your own cash.” She nodded at Lysander.  “No offence to you, but pretty boy might not be around forever.”

I caught a hint of anger in her last words and took it to mean her own maker or mate must have left her to fend for herself. 

“How long have you been here… like this?” I asked cautiously.

She shot a smile at Lysander who had folded his hands in front of his face. “You betta’ teach this girl. She’s got newbie written all over her.”

Heat rose to my face. I was just trying to be friendly and make conversation, but I guess I was projecting naivety like a beacon. “Sorry, I play poker for my money back in Vegas. I didn’t realize we could still hold down real jobs.”

“This ain’t my job.” She indicated the rest of the bar. “This is a part-time gig. Working here doesn’t pay the bills, but it lets me keep an eye out for the troublemakers.” She smiled again, showing off her teeth. “A few of us work with the local wolf pack to keep the touristy spots clean.”

“Speaking of unsavory characters,” Lysander said. “Have you noticed any new vampires in the area, besides us?”

“People come and go all the time here. Your best bet is to check with Connor. He’s the Olde Town pack leader, and he runs a tight ship. If anything is going down in Bean Town, he’s the one to talk to.”

Lysander nodded. “We have met. I plan to speak with him soon.”

“Well, if ya not gonna pretend to drink, I have other customers to care for. Don’t lose my card. You need anything, give a call.” She turned to me. “And if you’re in town for a few days, why not hang out with my crew? A newbie like yourself might benefit from some new scenery.”

“I’ll consider it. Thanks again, Zuri.” I beamed at her. She definitely seemed interesting. I might enjoy meeting her crew and seeing what Boston vamps were like.

***

On Zuri’s suggestion, we headed to a large park a couple blocks over, near the water.

The night was growing colder by the minute, and the closer we got to the water the more it clung to me. I understood now what a “bone-chilling cold” meant. It wasn’t freezing yet, but I sure felt like it. Vampires have poor circulation, thanks to our extremely slow beating hearts, leaving us in a constant state of chill. We don’t deal too well with real cold.

There were still a few people wandering the pathways, but they weren’t lingering. Witnesses weren’t something you wanted when hunting, but the docks nearby would probably be secluded enough.

Lysander slowed his approach as we neared the water. At first I thought he was pausing to determine what direction to go, but then I felt that eerie sensation again, the one that always accompanies new vampires. I knew we were close.

I looked around slowly, trying to discern the direction the feeling came from. Lysander, though, seemed to be focused on a homeless man lying under a tree.

He walked towards the grubby-looking guy who was lying still as death.

“You’re not fooling anyone,” Lysander said angrily.

The homeless man stirred and opened his eyes, but they weren’t human eyes. They were the trademark of our kind: an eerie blue-gray that had an almost glow to them in the dark.

I knew his face the instant I saw it. Edmond.

“Lysander, what a surprise. When did you get into town?” Edmond asked in his thick French accent.

The last time I’d seen Edmond, he’d been well dressed and impeccably groomed, sporting Armani suits and Italian leather shoes. Now he looked grubby and dirty, wearing a pair of grass-stained jeans and a grey pullover hoodie jacket. His usually neat raven-black hair had been left loose and stringy around his pale face.

“Why don’t you drop the charade and tell me what you did with my memoirs?” Lysander said. I could tell he was struggling to maintain his calm appearance. Through our bond, I felt his emotions better than others; and his rage didn’t just radiate, it pumped through my own blood. I too felt a need to restrain myself from taking a swing or two at Edmond. Ratty looking or not, he was ancient too and much stronger than me.

Edmond scrunched up his face. “What are you talking about? I told you where to find them.”

“Don’t play games with me.” Lysander’s voice was strained with rage.

“Do I look like a person in any position to play games?” Edmond said, confusion etching lines in his brow.