Daylight - Book 1 (No Death for the Wicked) (13 page)

Chapter Twelve

Sneakers and dresses

My strength finally returns. I’m up on my two bare feet in a flash and I cart myself through the room, angling my body away from the silver ingrained door. I slip past it without any trouble and into the hall. The hallway is deserted,
mostly
. The first thing I discover is Varen, with that same sniveling smirk I grew to detest plasters across his face. His body lies on the other side of the stately hall. As I bend down I can see an expression of shock stamped into his large eyes. I move over to the body, dig around in one of the coat pockets and pull out a pack of smokes. I fold the jacket back over and pat his chest, and comment, “Thanks for leaving me something.
Fucker
.”  I move further down to Krew’s office and lean against the doorjamb.

“So, you’
re a better chess player than I am, and a thief to boot.” Graham smiles as he turns to me, his clothing has changed and his eyes burn a brighter dramatic blue. It makes me want to sigh out loud and wipe the drool from my mouth. But in order to maintain my ability to withstand his perfectness I suck it up and watch as he pulls several vials out of Krew’s safe.

“I know how to play many games, but a thief,
not really
, more of a grave robber,” he says as he walks up to me and hands me a sizeable vial which looks like sunshine was poured right into it.

“Drink this
, Mattie, and we will simply walk out of here.” I reach for it purposely skimming my fingers along his, that wave of intenseness beats through my veins and I look into his eyes. He feels it too as his smile broadens. “Drink up.”

I do. Chugging it all down
and it literally warms my throat all the way to the pit of my stomach. This is how I remember the serum feeling, the boost of its potency kicks in and I swirl around looking for Graham. But he’s not here. “Graha—?”  He’s back before I can finish his name.

“You’re going to need these,” he pitches me a Gothic red dress and
a pair of black sneakers. “We will be doing a little walking in a moment.  Maybe later we will hijack a car or whatever is necessary to put Solace behind us.”

I walk over to Krew’s private bathroom and begin str
ipping down and wash the human’s blood from my face and arms. I can feel him watching me as I tug the old clothing off and strap myself in the tiny waist dress. I adjust the sleeves over my shoulders. “I didn’t know you were a fan of red…” I say as I hike up my girls and check out my cleavage in the mirror.

“I wasn’t, but I am now, thanks to your ability to arouse the
dead
.” I glance just below his waist to see he’s not lying by any means. I grab the shoes from the floor and stroll out of the bathroom, easing myself into one of the plush chairs. I slide on one sneaker at a time and tie it, noticing the ancient looking book he holds in his hand.

“What’s that,” I ment
ion as I tighten the knot on my sneaker.

“Your
Daylight
.  The ingredients for making the serum and all the other secrets in the Vampire world are in this book.”

“You’
re seriously going to take that? You know they’ll come after us.” I sit up straighter in the chair waiting for his response.

“Let them.” He holds h
is hand out for me to take. I grip it as if it holds an oath between us. He squeezes tenderly affirming I have nothing to fear.

“Time to go.”

“Wait, Graham, hold on.” I flash back to the bathroom and grab my pilfered pack of smokes that I had deposited on the sink. “Alright, I think I’m ready.”

We walk
back out stepping over Varen’s stock-still decapitated body and on down the hallway. The elevator ride is strangely quiet between us but his eyes hauntingly stay centered on me. Just being in his presence drains my worries and I actually crack a slight smile at him. We arrive at the main lobby and tour ourselves out of the hotel still in silence. If my heart could drum a beat it would now as we stride coolly through the double ornate doors and out into the awaiting day. I bite down on my lower lip as a tinge of panic licks down my spine, but Graham’s firm hold on my hand assures me. And that’s all I need.

We walk about a block
making heads turn. He seems to have that effect on people. Graham grins wickedly and lifts my chin up with his two fingers. Locking our eyes together he says calmly, “I need you to wait here…”

“B
ut
—” before I can grumble another sulking word, he kisses my lips. And all the questions I had running through my mind sail away. My emotions chart a totally different course as my fingers grasp through his thick dark hair. He pulls away but not completely I can still feel his lips brush against mine as he repeats himself, “Wait here.”

I nod
with a grudging sigh and close my eyes and feel the warmth of the sun. The heat absorbs throughout my flesh and for once I feel
almost
normal. I angle my face up to the sun and embrace this moment. It’s been far too long since I have stood in the sunlight, breathing in its rays, and not regret my very existence. I’m a natural nocturnal but a lover of light. It’s all I’ve ever known.

“That’s a stunning dress…” A random voice states as
I pop my eyes open and scan around. A young woman, mid-twenties, with long flowing blond hair stands next to me. I eye her and she eyes the dress. “Is that dress a
Galliano
?” 

“
Um, yeah, sure…” I say while ruffling the damn thing. Hell if I know who made it or even where Graham got it from. As far as I know this was crafted by Death himself.

“It is to die for.”

“If you only knew,” I quip back. She sends me a brief smile and leisurely walks on down the sidewalk. My senses tell me I’m being watched so I dart a look across the street, only a few people accompany it. I turn and catch a glance of Graham, a slow smirk creeps along my face.

His tall handsome form leans against a street
light about a block away flicking a lighter. I smile and walk his way with a smoke in hand.  As he holds the lighter steady he says, “Are you ready, Mattie, for
our
walk in Daylight?”

The End

  
 
Or is it?

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