As he returned home, he growled to himself. He had an oath to uphold, and he knew he would. Why did he not just get her for breaking and entering? Though that would raise more questions. As he walked back in, he headed for the third floor to his suite. He had just completed that part of the house, and he started to become concerned that it would never be completed. The main issue being workers that would not panic, and up and quit. Not to mention part of the house was a danger for anything who went near his four roommates, though….
“And?” The ladies looked at him as he came in and removed his mask, revealing his perfectly classic face.
“And I need to sleep, I have a shift in the morning.” He kept his eyes down on his hands as he removed his gloves.
“What’s it like where she lives?” Lottie smiled, completely enamored with the lady.
“Classic Victorian painted lady, quite beautiful with earth tones.” Linnaeus smirked, not having expected anyone to even do that to a house of that caliper and it look as if it was natural.
“Did you talk?” Margret asked as she worked on some new journal piece on her tablet.
“No. We didn’t speak until we got there.” He put up the umbrella, removing his jacket and placing it on the back of the chair the guest had sat in.
Josephina watched him, “And…you…came back rather quick. Did she invite you in?”
He paused at that. Had she? “She did.” He found that he could not accept it, “But I can tell you, that is not a woman that just does the one night.”
“Well, I like her!” Lottie beamed, “She’s knowledgeable, well versed, and an artist! I love her!”
Margret scoffed and rolled her eyes before looking up from what she had been reading, “You only like her because she complemented your work.”
“I’m sure that she would like yours too, beached whale.” Lottie pouted.
“Blood clot,” Margret shot back.
“Go shovel yourselves!” Josephina snapped at them both.
Linnaeus looked at the matriarch before he sat down in a chair across from the matriarch, “What did you notice about her?”
Josephina looked up from an embroidery piece, “She was playing a game in her mind. A strange game, but a game nonetheless.”
“Her energy was not regular for a human. I haven’t felt it before.” He gave shift of his shoulders as he sank in the seat a moment and tapped his hand on the arm in thought before tossing the thought away, “I am going to bed. Have a wonderful rest of the night and please do make sure that everything gets done. I would like to come home and just clean up and change so I can get those cuts for Louis.”
Josephina smiled, not looking up from her piece. “I will tell him to wait for you before we do too much.”
“Thank you.” He stood up and started to make his way to go through a door and up to his room, only to stop and look back at Josephina. “Do you have an idea of what she could be?”
“I have, but I am not sure if that is the case of what she could be.” She glanced up from her piece, “Have a good night and we will keep it down.”
Linnaeus continued on to the stairs, knowing that he would not receive the answers directly from her. She loved to toy with him. Yes, Josephina was older and wiser in these matters than anyone could be, especially in this new century. His mind was clouded, the house was so close to the walkway but to see her just there…and she did not even trip any of his energy measured traps to know if she was actually in the door. Hell, even the ghosts of the house would set off one and she was like a ninja. He stepped into the room and looked to the black velvet and white silk drapes at the window. His sharp blue eyes turned soft as he found what it was that he felt from her. She was so shattered that she had a blank slate, without someone else or a crowd she could not be seen. She was an actual shadow.
He started to strip down and move to his bathroom, turning on the shower. He had to think and not be concerned about how he must seem to her. But she had no panic, no fear, she was relaxed and her smile…that smile was deceptive. It was more than infectious, that was truly inviting. Was she physically attractive? Not really, but it still affected him as if her eyes had a way of setting a spell. There had to be a demon in her lying-in wait. For the first time in a while had he felt danger. He shook his head, he needed to scrub off her energy and then try to sleep before his shift at the station. The vampiresses would prepare for dinner and he would do what was needed to cover up what he had to, as well as attempt to impress this succubus…if she might actually be one. Why of all the houses did he choose to buy and flip did it have to be this one? It was dirt cheap for the size and who would pass up a three-story home with history? Though…most of the history would not tend to physically nor metaphysically linger, first mistake. And to go for it ‘as is’? For being a detective, he was an idiot. There was a woman that fell into his lap, liked him, or at least it seemed that way, and he let those three get involved.
Then had he really invited her in?
He closed his eyes as the water ran over his back and he ran back over his routine before she had entered. No, he had his veil up. His eyes opened. She had to see through it. But that meant there was no way that she was like normal humans.
Perhaps allowing this to happen was not a bad thing, could be a reason. He needed to be cautious, but she did say she knew someone that worked in renovations, might not be too terrible to ask her for a number. Or even perhaps her name…he cursed himself as he realized he did not even have her name. Damn him. Damn him for being stupid! No, hypnotized. That was it! She did put some spell on him.
He growled as he washed off what he could of her, even though it did not seem to help.
Rochelle paused the video once more and glanced over at the couch across from her own where she sat, “What time is it?”
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“I…have no idea.” Aurel reached for his phone and looked it over, “About one am. Why?”
“Something’s off. Way off.” She glanced to the stairs and pursed her lips.
“Caffeine fix?” Aurel squeaked.
“Not yet. I’ll go start her pot and fix her tray. Something is very off.” She started to shift to get up.
Aurel sighed and looked to her as she stood up, “Her and Lexx fighting again?”
“Possibly, but he would have still come back with her.” Rochelle could feel the drain of the energy in the house.
He nodded, “This is true…and she doesn’t normally shower at night.”
“It was raining…” Rochelle glanced again at the stairs.
Aurel arched a brow, “When has that affected her?”
Rochelle took a beat, “Break ups…hard partying, or something…else.”
“Paranormal? Come on!” he let out in an exasperated cry.
“It’s true.” She shrugged, tossing her blanket off of her lap and moved to the kitchen, pulling out her wooden tray from its usual place on the counter. Nyx never needed to cleanse like this unless something had returned, or she finally tossed that useless cuss to the wind. But her being alone was far from ideal, it could harm her, and if she were to be attacked as she had been…
“Someone is summoning you!” Aurel shouted from the other room.
“Steven?” she called out.
“Yup.”
“Talk about timing,” she muttered and returned into the room to grab her phone.
Aurel grabbed her phone and followed her into the kitchen, “You think this really has something to do with a paranormal occurrence?”
“It is a damn good chance that it is more than one thing.” Rochelle reached out for her phone.
“You think she met someone tonight?” He asked as he handed it out to her.
“I have no idea,” she went for her phone, “Hey. What’s up?”
“I had an odd feeling and thought to call, everything alright over there?” her boyfriend asked.
“Yeah,” she answered though she knew that it was far from it. “Everything okay with you?”
His deep tone turned playful, “Was wondering if you wanted to get out, maybe go to Macabre Café?”
“I wouldn’t mind it, it’s been a minute since I saw Rebekah…yeah, what time?” she leaned back on the counter, Aurel already having left and returned to the living room.
His smile was apparent as he asked, “Early afternoon?”
“That’ll work.”
He knew that she had something going on and took a beat, “Hey. Once you know what is going on, tell me. And if it is because of that dipshit fucking with her—”
“I will make sure to tell you.” It always caused her a small panic when he would read her like that or even get on the same frequency as Nyx and just know that something was not right. “I have the perfect spot to drop his ass in the ground.”
“Okay,” he sighed, “Let me know if there is anything you need.”
“I will,” she smiled, loving that he still put in the effort.
“I love you, Roch.”
“I love you too, Steve.” She hung up on him and shook her head before snickering, “Damn dorkfish.”
Nyx finally came down from her decompression routine. Both could tell she was worn down and that she definitely had something occur. She was not sure how to tell them of most of it, but there was something to it. She thought on those eyes, that voice, his energy…never had she felt such a strong chemistry before, well she had, but not with the other person reading her as he had done tonight. Also, her curiosity of the place was bothering her. The children…were they indeed just that? Or were they more? And what had kept them there? Vamps are not large on moving, but the place still seemed to need a proper restoration.
“Hey Nyx! Need a cocktail with your tea?” she caught Rochelle’s voice from the kitchen.
She answered back, “Yeah, just bring me the bottles.”
Aurel looked at her, “You sure you don’t just want to sleep?”
“Not yet,” she shook her head.
Rochelle came in with a tray and her tea set, setting it on the table next to her. “So, what happened?”
“Well, Lexx and I are no more. He was cheating and I suppose it was a long time coming.” She moved to pour it into one of her white and black cups, “And as for tonight I…met a coven.”
“A coven? Of what?” Aurel asked as she stirred in a teaspoon of raw honey into the cup.
“Vamps. Down the road,” she placed the spoon down on its placement on the tray and turned to the bottles, taking two pills of each of the three bottles to hopefully kill the already creeping migraine. Her eyes lifted up as she felt the looks of skepticism on Aurel’s face to concern on Rochelle’s. “I will be having dinner with them tomorrow night.”
“What? No, this can’t be real!” Aurel looked from Rochelle to Nyx and back. “Are you buying this?”
Rochelle blinked off part of her stupor and tapped her fingers on her chin before lifting her hand, “So…there is a coven…down the road…and we were not informed?”
She took the cocktail and a long drink, curling up under her blanket. “Yup.”
Rochelle fell back into the back of the couch across from her, the face of betrayal at the front. “The hell?”
“Right?!” she exclaimed lifting the brim of the cup to her lips, “That’s how I felt.”
Aurel was in a spiral of confusion, “Okay so…you believe this?”
Rochelle gave a nod, “Well yeah. Possibly. And you’re going alone? Tomorrow? Alone?”
Nyx nodded as she thought of his beautiful stare, “Yeah.”
Rochelle bit her lip, “I’m not sure how I feel on that…and how did you meet them?”
“I was…invited…in a matter of sorts. Very Meat Loaf kinda way.” She took another drink, her form now starting to ache as the metaphysical started to manifest in a physical manner.
“You’re taking your car, right?” Aurel asked, also feeling a bit on edge.
“Not sure, I am supposed to be picked up and escorted.” She could not help the grin that spread across her face at seeing him again.
Rochelle was well aware of that look. “Is he hot?” she asked, sure of the answer with a grin of her own.
Nyx felt warm and it was not from the blanket as she sank and hid the lower half of her face.
“Oh, he must be more than that for you to be finally ready to toss that idiot to the side.” Rochelle eyed her, “Was he the one that brought you home?”
“Maybe…” Nyx took a sip from her cup behind the blanket she was using as cover.
“And you think that you’re going alone?” Aurel breathed as Rochelle remained quiet and contemplative, “And you’re alright with this?”
“She is a grown ass adult,” she pointed out, “but why would have they let you go?”
Nyx sighed and shrugged, “I wondered the same.”
“Well, if he’s hot…” Rochelle beamed, “At least you get to have that.”
Her eyes cast down to the cup in her hands, “Strange at how he reacted to me though….”
Aurel side-eyed her, “Did you get a name?”
“Linnaeus.”
Both of them blinked.
“I know,” she let out a nervous laugh, “strange name, but it does suit him in an odd way.” She took another drink as she found herself wondering about him.
“Is it more than just him that you’re going back for?” Rochelle smirked.
“Possibly…” she paused as she placed the cup back down on the black saucer, “…the house is haunted.”
“Oh, come on!” Aurel exclaimed.
“Seriously?!” Rochelle’s excitement was uncontainable.
Nyx placed the cup and saucer back down and shifted to get more comfortable under the blanket. “It is, but that is what gets me. How is that no one has moved on? They actually should have and it is as if there was never a moment for them to have the opportunity.”
“That’s interesting.” Rochelle thought over it, “I say go and see what you find out. Keep your phone on you so that we can call and if you need us, we can help you.”
“I need to attempt taking photos.” Nyx said more to herself, “See if anything I get can help.”
Rochelle asked, “You sure you’ll be okay?”
“You can’t be serious about this!” Aurel almost whined, “This shit isn’t real!”
Both the women exchanged a look before their eyes trained back to him.
“Ladies?”
“You chose to join this right?” Rochelle’s eyes narrowed, “So, you have to be curious.”
“Curious? Yes.” He agreed, then shook his head, “The rest? No.”
Rochelle looked back to Nyx, “Think you can get us a shot at the place?”
She nodded, “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Wonderful.”
Aurel sank back down into where he was sat, “I am surrounded by crazy bitches.”
The two laughed at him before settling back in and continuing to watch the top scary moments to debunk.
