“I’ve got it, Mom.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Oh, good. You found the creamer.”
Swallowing hard, Orianna fought back the tears. There was no sense breaking down now. She would reserve that for later, during the hard conversation to come.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“Sun’s up,” Miklós intoned, his attention focusedon the laptop he had perched on his thighs. “This is our new home for the next…” He peered at his watch.
“Twelve hours,” Magnar stated.
As if Eclipse didn’t already know that. The prickle on his neck had been all the warning he’d needed, a reminder that dust and ash was his forever form if he didn’t find shelter. It wasn’t until he’d stepped into the musty basement that he realized how good they really had it back in Darkness. At the mansion, they were protected from the sun, able to move about at will with all the luxuries at their disposal, never having to worry that giant ball of fire might be their demise.
But the sun wasn’t Orianna’s enemy. At least not as long as she was human. She could wander around freely while he was forced to cower down here, doing his damnedest not to think about a backup plan if, say, the house were to burn to the ground.
Yeah. Best to dump the doom and gloom.
In an effort to hold on to his sanity, Eclipse listened to Orianna and Elizabeth talking upstairs in the kitchen. He smelled burnt coffee and the lingering aroma of lemon cleaner.
He was so in tune with Orianna he could feel the sadness that cloaked her. Her mother’s condition pained her, though he wasn’t sure if it was that she was confined to the wheelchair or that she was ensnared by the pain meds, a prisoner to addiction. He couldn’t imagine either was fun. Not for Elizabeth or those who cared for her.
“Did you map the house?” Miklós asked Magnar.
“Just like Orianna said. Three bedrooms, two baths,” the male responded. “Small entry inside the living room. Couch, television, old coffee table. I doubt anyone’s been in that room in at least a year, maybe two. Kitchen just beyond that, separate hall leading to the bedrooms. First on the left looks like it’s been converted to an office. Next, on the right, appears to be their other daughter’s room. Probably set up as a shrine when she skipped town. Next is a small bath, also on the right. Tub, sink, toilet. Nothing fancy and clearly not used. Last, straight ahead is the master bedroom. Queen bed, television on top of the dresser, one nightstand, one lamp. Both closet and bathroom doors are on the left side of the room. That bath’s been modified for her wheelchair, appears used often and meticulously clean.”
Eclipse continued to stare at the door, mentally walking through the house using Magnar’s description.
“And the cameras?” Miklós asked. “I see three. How many’d you get up?”
“Five.” Magnar leaned over, peering at Miklós’s computer. “Yep, living room and hallway. That’s the view from above this door”—he pointed to the entry to the basement—“and I got one pointing at the front door, another on the front porch.”
“There they are,” Miklós said, relief in his tone.
“She must have help around here,” Magnar noted. “House is clean, but I’m not sure how she does laundry since it’s down here.”
Eclipse made a mental note to ensure Elizabeth had all the comforts when she moved to Darkness.If. If she moved to Darkness. He couldn’t very well ship her off without Orianna’s go-ahead, and he got the impression it wouldn’t be an easy sell for Elizabeth. Then again, if Elizabeth believed it was Orianna wanting her mother close, perhaps she would jump on board. Eclipse had been serious when he’d told Orianna they couldn’t interact with the human. Not if it was at all avoidable. Well and truly sucked, if you asked him. Eclipse wouldn’t mind having a mother-in-law, spending time with Orianna’s family.
“Backyard’s got a chain-link fence surrounding it,” Miklós said, “a small shed that’s padlocked. Looks like someone’s been in and out of there frequently. Front door and back door are the only exits, and from a quick inspection, someone’s painted the windows shut. Considering the age of the house and Elizabeth’s inability to do the work herself, someone’s doing right by it and her.”
Eclipse didn’t add anything to their conversation, and he tuned out when they shifted to discussions of who would sleep where.
He was far too twitchy for sleep. Probably had a lot to do with the fact that he was trapped now that the sun was rising higher in the sky, with no way of helping Orianna should she need it. He didn’t like the helpless feeling at all. Not being able to protect hisamsouelotwas his worst fear. A month ago, he’d been content to believe she was safe in that shitty little apartment with thefiestreighkeeping tabs on her. Now that he’d held her while she slept in his bed, woke with her next to him, Eclipse couldn’t bear the thought of not being right there to ensure no harm would come to her.
The only positive was that the vampires and demons were trapped, as well. Except for the shadow beasts, but he’d yet to encounter any who had Orianna on their radar.
However, humans were just as capable of raining hell as any of the supernatural. Namely, Orianna’s father, who seemed to be intent on hurting Elizabeth, even if it was only financially.
Turning, he peered back at Miklós. “What do you know about Erik McKay?”
Thelieterrasnatched up his laptop once again. “Last known residence was Phoenix, Arizona. That was three months ago. Looks like he’s been drifting for quite some time. No employment records for the past eight years, but that doesn’t mean he’s not working for cash. He’s managed to stay low, keeping off the government’s radar. Oh, and he’s got no bank accounts that I can find. None after he left several in the red back when he left Elizabeth high and dry, after he’d shipped Orianna and Amber off to boarding school, paid for by Elizabeth’s parents.”
“What about that place we went to in Telluride? Not recent?”
“Kandarie did some digging on that and found he’d first been in the area about three years ago. Same time as Orianna’s sister. We figure that’s how she tracked him down, followed him back. It looks like they tried to establish a relationship, but dear old Dad left Amber high and dry in that shitty apartment after a month and a half. He rented it again but bailed shortly after the eviction was processed. We were able to track Amber’s movements until seven months ago. Came to the same conclusion her GA did.”
That she was dead, Eclipse knew. Amber’s guardian angel had documented it after having lost his connection to her.
Footsteps sounded above them, causing Eclipse to turn toward the noise. The basement door creaked as it opened, and then Orianna appeared at the top of the rickety staircase.
