FOURTEEN
Emma
“You’re absolutely fascinating,”Vance said as he opened the front door. He’d just settled my wrap on my shoulders. We’d stayed around after dinner, sipping brandy with the other vampires, until I’d stifled a yawn to hopefully give Vance the hint that I was ready to go.
It’d taken three yawns before he’d finally gotten it. And finally, we were on our way back to my house.
We head out to his limo and his driver opened the door at our approach. He took my hand and helped me in, then climbed in beside me. The brandy was warm in my belly, and I felt relaxed, but I'd been careful not to drink too much. I might have been reassured that I was safe with him, but I also wasn't about to just be stupid.
"How did you like everyone?" He asked, and I realized that while I’d been watching the pretty landscape fly by, he'd been watching me.
"They were all lovely. I mean, I haven't known about the supernatural for very long, so most of what I knew about vampires I learned from movies and books, but they weren't what I’d expected at all."
"How so?"
I thought for a moment, choosing my words with care. "They were almost... human." A laugh bubbled up from my throat. "I mean, there was more tension when the other clans were at the table. But with just your clan, you felt more like a family."
He nodded, a smile teasing his lips. "Yes, Clan Dusk is the poorest and least respected, so there's often jealousy from them at these sort of gatherings. Clan Descent is involved in a lot of the... under belly in Mystic Hollow. They run most of the night clubs, gambling rings, and have ties to most of those types of establishments in the large cities in all the states around us. I like both clans well enough, but they are more like distant relatives, while my own clan is like my family."
"I could feel that," I admitted, and I could. The instant it was just his clan, some of the pretense fell away. There was more laughter, more personal stories, and it felt like everyone was trying to make sure I was included. It was definitely not the worst party I'd attended.
He seemed pleased. "I'm glad. And what did you think of our suspects?"
"That's a little trickier to answer," I told him, frowning as I thought about them. "They were a bit hard to read. All of them seemed guilty though and all of them seemed like they wanted their leader dead."
"You're correct," he said, again looking oddly pleased.
I continue, speaking my thoughts aloud. "Dreven seemed older, perhaps more stable, but grouchy. I didn't detect a single positive thing about the man, although I suspect if he wanted to kill his leader, he would have done it in a more subtle way than what we found. I haven't entirely eliminated him, but he doesn't seem the top suspect."
He smiled. "I would tend to agree. Dreven is the oldest in his clan, and probably the best choice to take over from Quillan. He's an unpleasant fellow, unliked by most, but he would do a decent job."
Good to know my instincts were right about him.
"And the others?"
"Jeffrey." My nose wrinkled even speaking his name. "That guy seems like a Grade A bully, on the offensive. I can kind of see him calling women chicks, smashing beers on his head, and depantsing people."
Vance laughed. "Jeffrey was in fact a high school football player when he was Turned. And from what I heard, nearly exactly how you described. The women in his school liked him, the way young people tend to idolize poor role models. The young men wanted to be him. But in all ways, he would be one of the last people I would consider turning. His contribution to his clan has been trouble, scandal, and a pair of strong arms they hardly needed."
Okay, so my karmic senses seemed to be on point tonight. "The thing is, I can see him killing someone in a fit of rage. Not so much as a planned out attack, I'm not sure he has the ability to think that way, but he could be a possible suspect."
He nodded. "And Trista?"
"Trista was a hard one," I answered honestly. "She seemed like two people. The person she wanted people to see her as, and the person she actually was. I kind of think that she's gotten far in life because people discount her. She plays the part of a dumb young woman, but there's a cunningness beneath that that would make for an excellent plotter. I can actually picture her coming up with this whole plan to get rid of Quillan, but she also doesn't seem like the type to get her hands dirty. So if she did it, she had someone else do the actual killing, I imagine."
"Trista was actually Turned right out of high school. She was a cheerleader, with a high IQ, if all the rumors I heard were correct. I've never quite understood why Quillan decided she was worthy of turning. We vampires already have many beautiful, intelligent vampires in our clans." His gaze swept over me, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. "And Lysa?"
A laugh exploded from my lips. "Uh, sorry, it's just Lysa seemed confident and in control. I actually think if I wasn't considering her as a murder suspect, I'd like her. She has the personality of a leader, even if I also suspect she didn't like me all that much."
"Just... incredible," he remarked, reaching out as if to set his hand on my knee, then pulling back.
I sat up a little taller, realizing that I'd been talking to this vampire like we were friends, which we weren't. The whole thing was actually a bit unnerving. It wasn't that I didn't think men and women could be friends, it was simply that I suspected that Vance was still hoping for more than friendship. And the fact that he looked down on my Daniel... that made it impossible for us to ever be friends. Once upon a time it might have made us enemies, but I no longer saw the world as just black and white. I realized that I could strongly dislike the way he spoke about Daniel and see it as a massive red waving flag that this guy was a bit of a prick, but also not pummel him with my purse over it.
When his gaze caught mine, I looked away. "I didn't really do anything. Certainly, I didn't figure anything out."
"You accomplished more than you realize," his voice was almost a purr.
I have to hold back a sigh. Hadn't I been clear with him? I wasn't exactly going to scream from the rooftop that this man did nothing for me. That he was like a nice piece of furniture. I could notice it, but it doesn't mean I want to date that piece of furniture. Daniel and I might have taken things slowly, but it felt like I'd waited my whole life for him. As long as he wanted to be with me, he would be my one-and-only. And, I got the sense he felt the same way about me.
