Captured Sun (3 page)

"Um, yeah, I'll pass. You guys are coming to Mathias' place after the fair to watch the fireworks on the beach, though, right?"

Mom nodded. "Don't forget to take the potato salad when you go. I won't have time to come back for it."

"No problem. Call me if there's anything else you want me to have for the cookout."

"It's really so nice of Mathias to host this cookout, don't you think, Tawnya?"

"Sure, Loraine."

I could see something wasn't quite right with Tawnya this morning, but she didn't want to share whatever it was with Mom. Tawnya had a lot of secrets she kept from Mom, but since she also kept my secrets, I had decided I couldn't expose hers. "I'm gonna get ready. I'll see you guys later."

Tawnya leaned into my room a few minutes later. "Mairin, have you seen the newspaper lately?"

I shook my head. "I try not to read it." What was the point? I saw the murders first hand. The newspaper couldn't horrify me any more than my dreams.

"Something is killing people in alleys in East Hampton. And now a funeral arrangement shows up on our front porch. Do you have any theories?"

"Should I have a theory?" I asked.

"How about a dream to tell me about?"

I flopped onto my bed. "Yeah, I've been dreaming about the murders in East Hampton," I said. "But the dreams are coming too late for anyone to do anything about them."

"Maybe the authorities could do something if they knew who was doing it," Tawnya said.

A chill ran down my spine. "It isn't Mathias."

"You don't know that, Mairin. He is what he is, no matter how you feel about him. Have your dreams shown you who the killer is?"

"I can't see the killer's face in my dreams, but I know it isn't Mathias."

"I know you trust him, Mairin. I've even begun to like him, but we cannot forget for one moment what he really is. To do so is to invite death to the table."

I was torn. I could tell Tawnya how I knew for certain it wasn't Mathias, but that would mean admitting he spent almost every night with me. I was pretty sure if she knew I'd invited a vampire to stay in our house every night she'd freak out and Mathias would be banned from our home. I knew he'd abide by such an injunction, too. I wasn't willing to risk losing my nights with him.

"You'll have to trust me this time, Tawnya. It isn't Mathias. I'm certain enough to stake my life on it."

"You do that every time you're alone with him, Maire," she said. "You don't know how hard it is for me to let you go with him, knowing what he is. Especially after you got hurt last spring."

"That wasn't Mathias either," I said. "It was the demigod I told you about."

"But Mathias is the reason you were there. That makes him culpable, Maire."

I shook my head. We were never going to agree on this issue. I knew Mathias would have died because he believed Braden threatened to harm me and then offered to protect me and my family if Mathias would lose the fight. Braden had then threatened to kill me when Mathias decided I was worth living for. It was only Mathias' desire to remain worthy of my affection that kept him from killing Braden after that threat. Tawnya simply refused to believe there was any good in a vampire.

"Look, Tawnya, we can fight about this, but it won't fix the problem. I know the killer in East Hampton isn't Mathias. I've been dreaming of it, though it's been staying in the shadows of my dreams and I haven't seen its face yet. I only know it is not Mathias."

"Just promise you'll be careful, Mairin. And protect your sister."

"I am and I do. And so does Mathias."

"Ready when you are, sis," Kerry said from behind Tawnya.

"I need five minutes Kerr," I said. "Meet you downstairs."

Kerry left and Tawnya looked at me a moment before following her. I wished I knew how to convince Tawnya that Mathias would never hurt us or allow anything else to hurt us.

"Come on, Maire. The sun is waiting!" Kerry called. She had no idea.

I pulled the Nova into Mathias' driveway. As it always did when I knew I would see him soon, my heart thumped heavily in my chest. Part of me was distracted and still caught in the arguments I kept having with Tawnya. I knew I would have to find some way to prove to her that Mathias was not evil or keep having the same argument with her for the rest of my life. Who knew angels could be so stubborn?

"Did Mathias get a new car?" Kerry asked, pointing at a large, red SUV parked next Mathias' sports car.

"Not that I know of, but I wouldn't put it past him." Mathias' extravagant spending sometimes made me want to throttle him. So far I'd been able to keep him from going overboard with me and my family, but it had taken several screaming fights to get him to return the car he'd bought to replace my Nova. I still had a sneaking suspicion that he hadn't actually returned it, but had simply moved it out of sight.

Cecelia and Kerry grabbed their towels and headed straight for the beach. I smiled. Cecelia might be pissed that I was thinking of staying near Highland Home, but she was definitely enjoying the benefits of Mathias' beach house. I couldn't fault her for enjoying this summer. We'd had few summers this happy in our lives. The Golden Ones had never hesitated to make our trips to the beach hellish if the opportunity presented itself. A private beach where we didn't have to watch every word we said or step we took meant we could relax and enjoy the sun, sand and sea. I watched my sister and best friend round the corner of the house and then I headed up the front walk, smiling as Mathias opened the front door and waited for me.

"Mairin," he said. It always amazed me how much love Mathias could imbue my name with. "We have a small complication, my heart."

"What's up?"

"I have a visitor."

"Oh good," I said. "I didn't really want to believe you'd bought that monster truck out there in the drive."

Mathias smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Are you going to introduce your pet, Mathias?" A thin, pale man leaned against the wall separating the entrance way from the living room. His piercing blue eyes shone in the dim light of the entrance way and I realized the shades in the front of the house were drawn. Mathias always opened every shade so the sun could flood his home with light. Only something significant could have forced my sun-worshiping vampire to pull the blinds. My money was on this new vamp. Though he was an attractive man, Mathias' visitor had a dark, pulsing gold aura, attesting to his less than positive nature. Goose bumps rose on my arms as the vampire assessed me as though I were an entree on display at a restaurant.

"I've explained Mairin, Alfred. She is not a pet." Mathias' irritation was clear. Alfred's attitude toward me was not something Mathias was going to accept.

Alfred dismissed Mathias with a wave of his hand. "No matter. I meant no offense." Alfred eyed me again before turning to Mathias. "I do still expect an introduction, boy. I taught you better."

Mathias bowed stiffly. "Mairin, may I present Alfred Tallmadge, my...father in this life. Alfred, this is Mairin Cote, my heart."

Alfred pushed away from the wall and walked slowly around me. "She is lovely, Mathias, I will give you that."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alfred," I said, offering my hand. He stared at it as though it might bite him before shaking his head.

"You will forgive me if I do not, um, shake hands, Mairin. I find it more difficult to touch humans than my son does."

"Of course," I said, letting my hand drop. I had to remember not all vampires were like Mathias. Many preferred to stay away from humans unless they were hungry. Mathias stepped closer to me, leaning down to brush his lips against my temple.

"Alfred has decided to stay with me for a time, Mairin. We may need to cut back on the family visits for the duration of his visit."

"Yes, we wouldn't want any accidents, would we, Mathias?" Alfred's laugh was chilling. "Forgive me, Mairin. I find my son's attachment to humanity somewhat amusing. You may rest assured you and your family are in no danger from me. I would not harm Mathias in that way."

"Um, Kerry and Cece are on the beach and Mom and Tawnya are coming later. Do I need to call them?" Alfred's assurances did not ring true and I was worried.

"No, my heart. But we will curtail the visits a bit in the future. Perhaps it would be a good time to visit some of the schools where you have been accepted."

I nodded. I needed to ask Mathias if he thought Alfred was the faceless killer from my dreams, but I couldn't while Alfred watched me so closely. Something about Alfred's scrutiny made me extremely uncomfortable. It was as though Alfred saw me as a threat to him in some way, although how I could threaten a vampire, I had no idea.

"I will excuse myself, Mathias," Alfred said. "I have an...engagement for this evening."

"Please remember what we discussed earlier, Alfred. It is important to me."

"Of course, my son. I am not an animal."

A moment later I heard the SUV's engine roar to life. Beside me, Mathias relaxed.

"I apologize, Mairin. I did not know he was coming. He was here when I came home this morning."

"Why are you apologizing. He's your family, isn't he? Why shouldn't he visit?"

Mathias opened the shades in the front of the house, allowing the sun to fill his home. "Alfred does not have the same respect for human life as I do, Mairin. He sees you as food and nothing more. While I have elicited his word that he will not hunt while he is here, I can do nothing about his views."

"You don't think..."

"That Alfred is the one killing in East Hampton and here? No. Though I did ask him. He has denied it."

"And you believe him?" I wasn't so sure I would trust Alfred to tell the truth.

"Yes. Alfred is many things, but a liar is not one of them. He is too proud of himself and his prowess as a killer to consider lying to cover up his hunting."

I shuddered. Sometimes the matter-of-fact manner in which Mathias discussed death made me want to run screaming. I knew he'd never hurt me and that he'd stopped killing his food, but his attitude about death was still chilling.

Mathias wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his embrace. "He gave his word, Mairin. He won't hunt near here. I told him where to find the clubs that cater to our kind. He'll use them while he visits."

"He doesn't like me," I said.

"He doesn't approve of my attachment to you, Mairin. He is disappointed in me for choosing to love a human. He has no opinion of you personally, only your affect on me."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Mathias lay his lips against mine for a fleeting moment. "Never apologize for being who you are, Mairin. Alfred will either learn to accept my choices or he will not. In either case, my feelings for you will be unchanged."

"But he's your family. I...I shouldn't come between you and your family."

"You are my life, my heart. No one else is more important to me than you are." He smiled down at me. "Enough about Alfred and his antiquated ideas about inter-species love. Shall we enjoy our day in the sun?"

"Speaking of antiquated ideas," I said as I wrapped my arms around Mathias' waist. "I can think of a few I would like to dispose of."

I stood on my toes and kissed his neck where it rose pale and beautiful out of the collar of the dark shirt he wore. I buried my nose against his flesh, reveling in the deep, earthy scent of his skin.

Mathias chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "I love you," he said, stepping back and gently putting space between us.

"I love you, too," I snapped. If I didn't figure out how to get a handle on my hormones or how to convince Mathias to loosen up, I was going to go mad. His calm demeanor further infuriated me every time he used it to put a wall between us.

"We have had this discussion, my heart. You will not change my mind," he said. "There is too much to be lost."

"I know, my immortal soul and all that." I moved to push past him to go out to the beach, but he stopped me.

"I know my rules frustrate you, my heart, but please understand that they save us both. Would you want me to suffer an eternal, soulless existence without you should I rescind my rules and do the unthinkable?" His eyes searched mine. "Is a kiss really worth that?"

"No," I said. "Nothing is worth giving you that kind of pain."

He swept his lips lightly over my temple and lips before letting them rest against the pulse at the base of my throat.

"This is the most precious sound and sensation in my existence, Mairin," he said, straightening so he could lock his gaze with mine again. "Your heart beat is my reason to live. I beg you to allow me to enjoy it without fear."

I ducked my head and lay my ear against his silent chest. He always knew how to turn my objections to his rules into arguments for why they should be even more stringent.

"I don't deserve you," I whispered.

"You deserve more than I will ever be, but I am pleased to accept that you want me."

I sight and held him.

"Come, my heart," he said. "Kerry and Cecelia will be looking for us."

When we joined Kerry and Cecelia on the beach, they weren't alone. It seemed to be the day for surprise visitors.

"How's your grandmother, Xavier?" Kerry asked.

"She's great. I know she's missing spending time at your mom's shop. I think she said something about starting up Mairin's lessons again in the fall."

"That would be great," I said, spreading my towel next to Cecelia's. "I miss Elise."

Xavier spun around. "You're getting to be as quiet as Mathias, Maire."

Mathias and Xavier sized each other up silently. The uneasy truce between them had resulted from the battle last spring. Neither truly trusted the other, but they'd agreed to keep their interactions civil. Xavier rarely came to Highland Home without his grandmother, so I wondered what had brought him right to what he'd once called Mathias' lair. Without giving me any clues, Xavier excused himself and motioned for Mathias to follow him.

Kerry and I watched Mathias and Xavier walk back to the house. I was pretty sure she was thinking something similar to what I was.