Hunted By Firelight by Krista Street

Chapter 22

~ AVERY ~

The Whimsical Room was small, cramped, and filled with such heavy magical wards that it made my head spin. Not to mention there was nothing whimsical about it. It was more like a prison cell since it was bare stone with no windows, and the only furnishing was a lone narrow bed that couldn’t be more than two feet wide.

I figured the name was intentional. Its poetic title promised fluffy pillows, endless candlelight, and fragrant rosebuds. It was the perfect way to lure an unsuspecting individual into the room so they could be locked inside against their will.

How fitting.

“Charming, is it not?” Nicholas stood, lounging against the wall, his feet crossed at the ankles as I sat cross-legged on the bed. He wasn’t more than two feet away from me since the room was so tiny.

When Wyatt had rushed me down the stairs, it’d been on the tip of my tongue to ask why the rest of the household staff wasn’t also being taken to the Whimsical Room, but then I saw the room.

It was big enough for me and Nicholas but barely.

“I suppose it could be worse,” I replied, albeit a tad bitterly. A hum of annoyance still flowed through me. “I’m still surprised they didn’t let you fight, since you’re an old and strong vampire.”

“As an SF consultant, my business lies strictly in the libraries.” He raised his hands. “Alas, I’m not allowed to fight as I’m not a trained SF member, much like you.”

I huffed again and eyed the single fairy light, which hovered in the middle of the ceiling, illuminating the raw stone walls that looked cut from a mountain.

Nicholas sank to the ground, drawing his knees to his chest, but he still bumped into the bed.

“You can sit on here with me if you want.” I waved to the end of the bed.

“Oh no.” He shook his head. “If your commander found me on that bed with you, I fear that my time in this charming room would have been for naught, since he would no doubt murder me.”

I laughed, thankful for the ease of tension as worry continued to pull at me. Who knew how long we’d be in here.

Despite being angry with Wyatt for not letting me help, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t also afraid. I had absolutely no idea what was going on at surface level. Even though the entire estate had vibrated each time the wards had been tested while Wyatt raced me down a long spiraling staircase cut deep into the earth, nothing down here moved. Absolutely nothing.

The wards and spells in this room were cloaked in so much magic, it was as though we were in our own realm.

Knowing my internal thoughts would drive me crazy, I switched subjects. “What happened between you and Wyatt? Why does he hate you so much?”

“You picked up on that, huh?” Nicholas sighed and leaned his head against the wall. His blond hair looked as soft as silk, the strands brushing the tips of his shoulders. “It’s a rather long and boring story. I’m sure you don’t care to hear it.”

I lifted my hands. “Looks like we have nothing but time right now, and no other entertainment to speak of.”

A sad smile lifted his lips. “Well, I suppose I could divulge a few details.” His gaze dipped to the floor. “He hates me because of something that happened with his sister.”

My lips parted. His sister. I narrowed my eyes, wracking my brain for what I knew of his family, but nothing came. Come to think of it, I knew nothing about Wyatt’s family at all.

“Her name is Lassa,” Nicholas continued. “Beautiful and mischievous Lassa.” He tsked.

I cocked my head.

He sighed again. “Oh, all right. I’ll tell you everything.” He shifted on the floor as though settling in for a long chat. “I met Lassa a few years ago when I was at the SF, consulting again for the Bulgarian libraries. The first time I saw her, she was on the grounds and was unaccompanied. Naturally, I thought she was SF staff, especially since she so confidently maneuvered the walkways. I honestly had no idea she was Major Jamison’s younger sister and that she was merely on the grounds because she was visiting him. And I had no idea just how young she was. As you know, or as you once knew before your memories left, in our community, a young face can be quite deceiving. I’ve met women who look like they’re thirteen years of age, but in reality they’re really six hundred years old.”

I nodded in understanding. Even though I didn’t remember experiences, I still remembered random things. “You mean like a vampire, or a fairy who cloaks their true appearance?”

“Yes, or a very talented witch who specializes in illusion spells.”

“So you thought Lassa was older?”

“I did. I had no idea she was sixteen. She told me she was twenty, and I believed her.”

I grimaced, already guessing where this was going.

He took in my expression. “Exactly. Suffice to say, I’ll spare you all the flowery details, and only reveal that Wyatt found us in a rather compromising position. And when Lassa realized that her trip to see her big brother was about to land her in a world of trouble with her parents, she turned on me. She said I’d attacked her, compelled her, and she hadn’t willingly complied to be with me.”

My mouth dropped. “He thinks you raped his sister? But surely he can’t still believe that. If you had actually done that, you’d be in prison, and you certainly wouldn’t be a consultant for the SF.”

Some part of my brain knew that if a vampire compelled a supernatural, they could be sent to prison if the compulsion was deemed evil enough.

Nicholas again sighed. “Yes, logic does deem that if I’m free now I didn’t commit the crime, but I was initially arrested and detained. After investigating the matter, the SF eventually determined that I’d done nothing wrong. Lassa was found guilty of lying. If she hadn’t been a minor, she could have faced serious consequences. But as she was, she was banned from ever visiting SF grounds again.”

I shook my head. “I still don’t understand. What’s the problem? You did nothing wrong.”

Sadness entered Nicholas’s eyes. “To this day, Wyatt still believes I took advantage of his little sister. He no longer believes that I raped her—I have a feeling I would be dead if he did—but he doesn’t feel I’m entirely innocent either. In his eyes, I seduced his baby sister and took her virginity. And let me tell you, he is one protective older brother. I pity the man she eventually ends up with.”

I forced a smile, irritation washing through me again. “Yes, I’ve experienced how protective he can be. That’s why I’m in here.”

He laughed humorlessly. “Touché.”

“So that’s why he acts so growly around you?”

He nodded. “So, there you have it. As I tried to warn you, it was a rather boring reason and nothing overly interesting.”

“But you bait him,” I said, curiosity getting the better of me. “I saw you goad him a few times in the field I woke up in.”

A mischievous smile lifted his lips. “Well, when it’s so easy to do, even I have a hard time resisting.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Vampires.”

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s not the kindest behavior on my part, but you’re correct, it’s in my vampiric nature to poke the sleeping bear. It keeps life more interesting.”

“Do you think you two will ever reach an understanding?”

He shrugged. “Truth be told, I would like to, and I’m even making efforts to be more gallant. Take you, for example. I’ve seen how he looks at you. I know that he considers you his mate, so despite my carnal interest in you, I’ve curbed my . . . appetite.” He waved to how he sat on the floor and me on the bed.

My cheeks heated since a part of me knew that if he wanted to unleash his sexual energy I would undoubtedly succumb to it. “Thanks for that.”

His lips parted, a flash of fang revealed. “Of course. Now, what should we talk about to keep ourselves occupied?”