My expectations was that she was going to clam up and watch her words, but she practically gushed, "Honestly, and I wouldn't say this to the other vampires, it's sosonice. I mean, Quillan was fine, or whatever, but it's more fun without him around. But then, you'll see when you get there."
Carol looked at me with an expression that said,do you really think this airhead helped kill her boss and abduct Bryan?I winced. Today, Trista does seem a little dumb, if I was being honest. With it just being her, Carol, and me, she was more talkative. Probably less careful with her words. And it wasn't... impressive. Which made her masking herself all the more confusing.
“You ready?” she chirped, then drew her lipstick out of her pocket and applied another layer.
"Sure," I told her.
We all stood up and headed down the street. Just up ahead, a limo was parked. What was it with these vampires and limos? I’d only ever ridden in one for my prom. Not to drive from town to the house.
But, trying to save face, I acted like I slid into limos every day of my life and scooted over for Carol and Trista to join me.
I tried to surreptitiously study Trista on the drive. We went in the opposite direction from town that Vance’s estate was on, and she explained that her whole coven lived with her. “We have a lot of fun,” she said brightly.
Dang. It was even more obvious that she’d been Turned young. Even though she’d aged since then, it wasn’t much with how slowly they aged. And she probably did more to take care of her appearance than Bryan ever did, making her appear even younger, even though I was pretty sure she was at least decades older. She just had one of those young-appearing faces.
It took a good half an hour to get to her estate, and once again, it was in a location that I was fairly familiar with yet had never seen the gates to her mansion. “Shielded by a witch?” I asked.
Carol peered out the window. “I can see the ward. It’s not the kind of magic I manipulate, but it’s impressive work.”
Someone rushed out of the front door to open the limo for us and when Trista exited, she greeted the person warmly and thanked her. “No problem, Trista,” the woman replied, seemingly actually happy to see the vampire.
And it was honestly strange. The woman in front of us was short, kind of frumpy, with brown slacks and a wrinkled grey shirt. If I were a betting person, I would think these two women would want nothing to do with each other. Even though both of them were equally young-looking, the new woman radiated a deep sense that she was smart and introverted. She seemed exactly like the kind of person someone like Trista would ignore at best and be cruel to at most.
Instead, they seemed to be friends.
"Love the new glasses," Trista said to her.
The other woman adjusted the dark frames. "You don't think they make my nose look bigger?"
Trista leaned in. "I think they draw attention to thatbeautifulface of yours, Blake."
Blake blushed. "Thanks for helping me pick them out." Hurrying ahead of us, she opened the massive door to the mansion and waved us through.
“Please,” Trista said, leading the way. “Make yourselves comfortable while you’re here.”
As we walked up the steps, I looked away from the two women to the massive manor in front of me. It was the polar opposite of Vance's. Where he had one large impressive building. This place felt more like a collection of buildings connected together. Almost how I'd expect a multi-generational home, built by some very wealthy people, to look. It was made of red brick, simpler-looking, even though it wasn't the least bit simple, with big windows and a huge door.
"This place has belonged to Clan Dusk as long as Mystic Hollow has existed," Trista explained brightly. "Although it has been expanded over the years."
We stepped through the doors, and I looked around the massive entryway, trying not to look like the country mouse. Inside, there were wooden floors and rich paintings. A spiraling staircase going up and out of sight, and huge hallways leading to who-knew-where. It was all very impressive, if also homey in an unexpected way.
“This is lovely,” Carol said, her words genuine, and maybe a little surprised. But I didn't blame her, this wasn't exactly the way I pictured Clan Dusk.
“Thank you.” Trista motioned toward the right. “Our library.”
Carol and I peeked in to find a handful of women sitting around reading or typing on laptops. There was a low buzz of conversation from women seated on chairs in two corners, appearing almost as if they were having a book club. All of them appeared young, far younger than the vampires in Clan Scarlet. And all of them having an edge of innocence that I hadn't expected. Beyond them, the room was like the rest of the place, homey in an unexpected way. And the number of books in the room was saliva-inducing.
“And over here…” We whirled around to find her standing in front of another huge set of double doors. “Our ball room, which we don't actually use all that often. Maybe if we have a banquet or something. You know, it all just seems like a bitmuch.”
A couple of women walked by as she spoke, but they stopped and greeted her warmly before continuing on their way. Again, it was strange. Not at all like when I was at Vance's home. There, it felt like they were all a family. But here, the place was like a palace, yet the atmosphere said sorority house. And I hadn’t seen a man yet.
“If you'll come down this short hallway,” Trista said as she opened a small door behind a grandiose set of stairs. “We’ll talk in my favorite room in the house. My study. It's small, not as grand, butsupercomfy.”
We ended up on an oversized soft couch that could’ve been found in any living room in town, while Trista curled up in a recliner. A black wooden desk and multicolored desk chair, which looked more like a gaming chair, filled up the other side of the room.
Trista was nothing like I would’ve imagined her. She wasn’t catty or vain. She seemed warm, inviting, and like I could really be friends with her.
Except for the whole blocking thing, which still bothered me.
