[Fosswell 01.0] A Brush With the Moon Page 14

  “Just trying to sneak a peek at what’s kept you occupied for the last couple of hours. I take it you’ve forgiven him? I don’t need to ask what you’ve been doing. It’s written all over your smug little face, and if you were any more bowlegged, you’d need callipers!”

  “Beth. Shh.”

  “Sorry. You can stump up the details later. I’ll look forward to it. Boyfriend, huh?”

  I smiled coyly and shrugged in acceptance. “Is Vincent still here?”

  “Nah, he left about an hour ago, with Lara, of all people. How about that?”

  Sebastian returned and handed me my wine.

  “Okay, then,” Beth said. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone…again. Hey, Lorraine, I didn’t know you were here. Where’ve you been hiding?”

  Sebastian spotted a couple vacating the sofa and steered me towards it.

  “Beth mentioned that Vincent left a while ago with Lara. I thought you should know,” I said.

  “That’s not good. Have you seen Connor?”

  “Did he even come?”

  “Yeah, but you know him. None too sociable. He can blend into the wallpaper and is easy to miss. I hope he followed them.”

  “Why? Are you ever going to tell me the real reason you both seem to be crawling around her?”

  “Okay. I suppose you deserve it.” He glanced around to check who was within earshot before continuing, “The truth is, my family has sworn an oath to protect her. She’s the last of her kind, a descendant of the royal family of Caelum demons. As the end of their world drew near, their priests swore to protect her and placed her with human parents. The man hired by the Reiths to kill her parents over the land issue found out her true identity, and he was planning to extort more money from the Reiths for the information, but before he completed his plan, he was executed.”

  “Who by?”

  “That’s not important. What matters is that the Reiths are still in the dark about Lara’s real heritage, but they are aware that an heiress is alive and somewhere in this area. That’s why I help to protect her—not for my benefit, but for the good of the world. If the Reiths got control of her, they would use her as a weapon.”

  “A weapon? How?”

  “Lara will acquire abilities when she comes of age. Caelum demons are very powerful. They’re able to control the atmosphere around them by changing the composition of the elements.”

  “Wow, that’s clever.”

  “We all have our talents, some more impressive than others,” he said, cheekily stroking my thigh.

  I knew he was trying to distract me, but I was still absorbing this latest information. “Are you saying that the Reiths want to take over the world?”

  “That would be a simplified version. They’re Vires demons. They have the ability to make humans do their bidding, and they crave power, lots of it. They feed off it, and will stop at nothing to gain as much as possible. At the moment, a truce exists between us. Vincent’s dad, Sirus, was indebted to my family when my father saved his life in the war of seventy-two. So far, he’s pretty much kept to his agreement. His son Tyron, however, has monarchical delusions of grandeur. We have to keep him in check to prevent him from gaining control of anyone, or anything, that could be used for evil purposes. If he ever grows a big enough army, it could be hell on earth…literally.”

  “Vincent hasn’t mentioned his brother.”

  “Half-brother. Vincent is the result of his dad’s affair with a human. He got the Reith name and access to their money, but none of their abilities that we know of. His father isn’t interested in anything that’s of no use to him, and he’s happy for Vincent to stay out of the way in Fosswell. The trouble is, Vincent feels ostracised and is always searching for a way to ingratiate himself with his father. If he found out who you or Lara really were, it would give him one of the best bargaining trophies he could ever desire. He’s very cunning, and he can’t be trusted, Sophie.”

  “Okay, I’ll be careful.”

  “You’ll need to be. We have reason to believe that Simone was murdered because the vamps smelt Tokala’s scent on her. They thought she was the new tenderfoot, and even though they now know they were mistaken, they realise that they’re close, and will be using all their resources to seek you out. But you’ve got us to help you now, and I trust you to be sensible.”

  “Simone’s dead because of me?”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  I couldn’t dismiss it that easily. She might not have been a friend, but no one deserved to die like that.

  “Have you told your family about me?”

  “No. No, it’s our secret for the moment. Lara, on the other hand, is a loose cannon. Father was confident Connor and I could manage her, but you’ve seen what happens when we take our eye off the ball even for a second.”

  “Who was it, by the way? Who got her pregnant, I mean?”

  “Some guy on the basketball team.”

  “Why didn’t he help her?”

  “Denied it was him. Said she was on her own.”

  “You could have persuaded him, threatened him. I know you’re strong enough.”

  “Violence is never an easy way to solve a problem. I only ever use it as a last resort. I prefer to show my strength in the sports arena.”

  “I’ve noticed. So, you took her under your wing.”

  “We couldn’t allow Lara to have a child before she comes of age. It wouldn’t be able to assume human form and would not survive in this realm. Lara is unaware of her heritage. The shock of giving birth to a demon would probably have killed her. It was easy to persuade her from having the child. She’s not exactly the mothering type. And I needed to gain her trust, because the task of revealing her true identity has been given to me.”

  “Oh.” I laughed. “Well, good luck with that one.”

  Sebastian placed his fingers on my lips to silence me, his eyes pointing towards an advancing Justin.

  “Things are quietening down now,” Justin said. “With a bit of luck, we’ll be able to crash soon. You don’t mind if I stay, do you? Beth said it was okay. Mummy busts a gut if I tramp in after midnight. She doesn’t like her beauty sleep being disturbed.” He threw a pillow onto the nearby chair.

  “You’re welcome anytime. You know that,” I answered.

  “Here, have the sofa. We were just off to bed anyway, weren’t we, Soph?” Sebastian said.

  “We were?”

  He nodded and winked suggestively.

  I didn’t want to fall asleep. It would mean the evening was over, and I wanted to hold on to it forever, but, curled snugly in Sebastian’s arms, I fell into a deep slumber almost immediately.

  A voice sang out from the figure silhouetted in the light of the window with her hair and gown blowing in the non-existent wind. Long white fingers reached over into the shadows of the room and stroked the wooden box on the adjacent dressing table. ‘You have not yet used the gift I gave you. Take it and discover its power. Now you have released your own, it will make you stronger. You need to be ready. Time passes quickly in this mortal world and chaos draws near.’

  ***

  I awoke to the sound of milk bottles clinking on the backstreet and a song thrush chirping its morning tune. Sebastian was still sound asleep and didn’t stir when I rose to visit the bathroom.

  As I began to wash my hands, a flash of colour caught my eye, and I looked up into the mirror. My legs buckled, and I had to grab the sink to prevent myself from crumpling to the floor with shock at the sight.

  My hair was bright orange!

  Chapter Sixteen

  NOT AUBURN, strawberry-blonde, or even the brightest of redheads; my hair was tangerine orange. I turned my head slightly, reaching around to draw the full length over my shoulder. The colour gradually faded into white before ending at pure black tips. Extreme dip-dying, or what? How on earth was I going to explain this one?

  I tiptoed back into the bedroom, pulled on my jeans, an assortment of tops to layer up, and added
some thick, warm socks before adeptly pinning my hair into a tight bun, making sure all the black-and-white ends were tucked safely underneath. A light sprinkling of make-up, and I was done.

  I walked over to the window and pulled the curtain to one side to see what the day had in store for us.

  Outside, the sun was beginning to rise. A light sprinkling of snow had dusted the rooftops and pavements like icing sugar on a cake, but the trees were still and the sky was free of clouds. A pink glow on the horizon blended subtly through muted shades of yellow and green to the expected blue of the day, and tiny bird silhouettes flitted between the chimneys and nearby electricity pylons.

  Letting the curtain fall from my hands, I turned to face Sebastian. He was lying on his side, studying me intently with a loving smile on his face.

  “I didn’t realise you were awake yet,” I said.

  “Only for a few minutes.”

  I mouthed a silent oh and joined him on the edge of the bed, unconsciously fingering a stray bit of fringe that had already escaped its constraints.

  He reached up to stroke the side of my head. “A rather daring choice for someone who doesn’t crave attention, but it certainly makes a statement. Is this the new you?”

  “Apparently. Although not through choice.”

  “Hmm. Tokala’s work, I presume?”

  “Unless there’s a psychotic hairdresser who likes to inflict crazy colours on people as they sleep, then, yes, I guess so.”

  “Well, I like it. It’s kind of Bohemian, and with you being an art student, I don’t think anybody will question it.”

  Apart from one person, maybe, and she was sleeping in the next room. We’d have to leave before she woke up.

  “Do you have plans for today?” I asked.

  “Not until tonight. Father’s hosting a media event at La Gratia in Carleigh. I thought you might like to go, and I’m sure he’d love to meet you.”

  I’d heard of La Gratia. It was a modern art gallery, built in the swanky part of the city about two years ago. A piece of art in itself, the gallery was shaped like a giant slice of melon, with full glass walls and a funky, modern water sculpture adorning the entrance. Mr Arkwright had mentioned it in our contemporary art class, and I’d been dying to visit there ever since.

  “I’d love to.”

  “Excellent. So, how do you want to pass the time until then?” he asked cheekily.

  “Hey, slow down, cowboy. I still need to recover from last night,” I said, pushing him away. “Get dressed. It’s a beautiful day for a walk.”

  Later, after a leisurely stroll up the river, we arrived at Lovell Towers. My frozen lungs felt starved of oxygen. I couldn’t feel the end of my nose, and my lips had shrivelled to half their normal size, but I felt invigorated by the exercise.

  I dumped my overnight bag on the bed, and Sebastian went to run me a hot bath. There, I lounged luxuriously in the warming bubbles and listened as muted voices began a whispered conversation in my bedroom.

  I caught a small snippet.

  “Patience, man, patience.”

  “But when, bro?”

  “It’s not something that can be rushed, or we’ll both lose out.”

  “It’s so hard.”

  “I know, but think of the prize.”

  “Seb? Who’s that?” I called.

  “No one exciting, only Connor,” Sebastian called back.

  I tried to relax, but I couldn’t. So I climbed out of the water and emerged from the bathroom still damp and wrapped only in a too-small towel.

  Connor’s eyes slowly travelled from my legs up to my face and grew wide at my appearance. He grabbed Sebastian’s arm. “Duuude!”

  “I know. It shocked me at first, too.”

  In my hasty nosiness, I’d forgotten to get dry, and I realised what he must be seeing. I’d failed at the first test.

  During the time it took me to dry off and get dressed for the evening, Sebastian recounted how Connor had followed Lara and Vincent over to Despots, where it was allegedly very quiet due to most of the town’s teenagers being at our place. There, they’d had a couple of drinks before Vincent drove Lara safely home, so the boys were able to rest easy in their bodyguard task.

  Finally, I was ready.

  “You look gorgeous,” Sebastian said.

  “Why, thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself. I’ve always loved the sight of a man in a suit.”

  I’d dressed simply in a midnight blue, knee-length belted dress and matching court shoes. My hair was loud enough. I didn’t need my clothes shouting out too.

  Suddenly remembering my dream, I wandered over to the dressing table and gingerly opened the wooden box’s ornate lid without really knowing what I expected to find.

  Inside its confines lay a purple velvet pouch with a drawstring top. I pulled it open and found that it contained an iridescent white stone disc pendant on a silver chain, exactly like the one in my dream. I lifted the chain over my head and allowed the milky stone to rest gently against the dark blue material of my dress.

  As I stood admiring my gift in the mirror, a knock on the door announced Connor’s return, and he opened it wearing a dark-grey suit identical to Sebastian’s, but he had accessorised it with a pink tie instead of Sebastian’s pale blue one. The combination of colours really accentuated their piercing eyes to a point where they became almost hypnotic.

  I smiled wide enough to eat a baguette sideways and hooked my arms through one each of the boys’ as we headed downstairs to Sebastian’s silver MG. I was one lucky girl, sandwiched between two truly hot guys.

  It was an interesting and enlightening evening. It being a private party, the gallery was closed to the general public. Sebastian’s father was exhibiting a selection of jewellery pieces by a young protégée—gorgeous, wacky designs, totally out of my price range, naturally.

  Mr Lovell Senior was still ruggedly handsome for a man in his fifties, with his slightly greying hair giving him a distinguished air. His strength of character was as obvious as his strength of body, and I could understand why Sebastian jumped when his father asked. Hemming Lovell didn’t look like a man with whom you could argue. But I understood where Sebastian had got his charm. His father was full of compliments whilst retaining a certain aloofness which suggested that his expectations of Sebastian’s and my relationship were not that high. Hemming was, however, fascinated by my pendant, and enquired as to its origins. I mentioned only that it was a present from a friend and quickly changed the subject.

  The complete opposite of Hemming, Connor’s father, Seth, was slightly smaller in form and fairer in colour. When he stood next to his petite, dark, and rather exotic-looking wife, they painted a striking couple. Of course, both men had the Lovell eyes, which they used to great effect during the course of the evening to direct proceedings.

  Sebastian was ever-attentive. He introduced me to the young designer and made sure that my glass was always full. Then, as I chatted with a pleasant bubble-faced—although it just looked like a bad case of acne to me—demon named Bob, who was extolling the virtues of owning a large chain of ironmongers, I spotted Connor and Sebastian with their fathers in a corner by the lift. I was pondering why an ironmonger would be interested in expensive modern jewellery when an apparent heated discussion ensued among the four men. I strained to hear what they were saying, and my attention drifted from my companion.

  Mr Lovell’s back was towards me, but I knew it was Hemming speaking.

  “You know it’s expected. Have your fun and take your pleasure for now, if you like, but you will marry your second cousin after her change.” His speech was directed at both boys. An arranged marriage? No, surely not. Did that really still happen? I wished I knew who Mr Lovell had been speaking to, but was afraid of the answer.

  A large gentleman moved and obstructed my view, and a guest nudged my shoulder, squeezing through the crowd.

  “…And that’s why our families are now firm friends,” Bob said.

  Em
barrassed that I hadn’t been listening, I nodded politely and excused myself in order to visit the ladies’, where I promptly discovered Lara fixing her lippie.

  “God, not you again. Am I having a nightmare?” she spat at my reflection.

  “It’s no picnic for me, either,” I answered.

  “I suppose I should have known you’d have wheedled an invite.”

  “Pity I can’t say the same,” I said whilst thinking someone could have mentioned it.

  She smirked slyly. “You obviously don’t have your feet as far under the table as you’d like. A real boyfriend wouldn’t keep secrets from you.” She popped her lipstick into her tiny clutch and snapped it shut before whirling around to face me with a self-satisfied grin. “I love that outfit, by the way. You look almost pretty in it. But I think you need to sue your hairdresser.”

  What a bitch. “At least I’m an individual, not a couture clone with zero sense of her own style and a bad attitude,” I said with a huge, fake smile.

  “Connor seems to like the way I look,” she sneered, pushing past me to the exit.

  I eyed her too-tight mini skirt. “What a shocker. I wonder why?” She made to leave, and I snarled, “Careful the door doesn’t bite your huge butt on the way out.”

  That must have been why we’d seen no sign of Connor after leaving him at his Mazda, I thought, calming down a bit after Lara had left. He must have made a detour to pick her up on the way. Why hadn’t Sebastian told me? But I knew the answer. Sebastian knew my feelings when it came to Lara. I couldn’t stand the girl; even thinking about her got my hackles up.

  Back in the main room, I tried to seek out Sebastian, but I was repeatedly cornered by one person after another. Even the waitresses always seemed to be in my face with their bountiful trays of microscopic offerings, and after meeting a wide assortment of Lovell employees and distinguished guests whom I would probably never see again, and whose names I would never remember anyway, I felt slightly claustrophobic. I wanted for nothing in the way of sustenance, but I did need air, so I decided to sneak away to the adjoining gallery for a breather.