Hidden Heart (6 page)

I woke to sunshine streaming in through floor-to-ceiling windows, momentarily confused by the sound of the Pacific surf. Someone had come in while I was sleeping and opened the French doors between my room and the balcony.

I’d vacationed at the beach before—my family used to drive down to Destin, Florida, at least once a year and rent an oceanside hotel room. This was a whole different category of oceanside room, one of many in Nox’s house.

I’d been furious last night when Nox refused to instruct the driver to take me to a hotel. He’d insisted on my spending the night at his home. To do otherwise would raise suspicion, he said.

After dropping that bomb on me, Nox had immediately lowered the privacy window between the front and back seats of the Hummer and put his finger to his lips. “Servants talk,” he scribbled on the side of his boarding pass envelope.

I’d shoved the paper back at him and given him a dirty look, the only thing I could do, since protesting out loud would have revealed to the driver that I was neither a legitimate fan pod member nor under his glamour. The ruse had begun.

And now I was waking up in Nox’s house, in his bed. Well, not
his
bed—a bed that belonged to him. It was large and ridiculously luxurious, like the rest of the Spanish-styled mansion. I got up and padded across the floor toward the open doors. How could I resist the lure of that view, the blue water stretching out to forever?

The stone tile was wonderfully warm under my bare feet, and the California morning sunshine did not fail to live up to its reputation. I leaned out over the railing to check out the beach below. A lone jogger passed, disturbing a trio of seagulls who were intent on finding their breakfast. The whole scene was so peaceful, so pleasing, I had to remind myself I wasn’t happy to be here. I wasn’t here to enjoy the scenery.

But someone else apparently was. When I turned to walk back into my room, I stopped short at the sight of Nox standing in the doorway, his long arms stretched out to either side, hands propped on the frame.

“You’re awake.” He eyed my t-shirt clad figure and bare legs with a raised brow and an appreciative nod.

“Yes, and
you’re
in
my
room.”

“I brought breakfast.” Nox stepped back and made an inviting gesture with his arm.

I walked past him, pulling the hem of my sleep-tee down further over the tops of my thighs, and stopped at the small bistro table where a lavish breakfast had been set up.

“You said you had a staff for this kind of thing.”

“Yes, well, they cooked it actually. But I didn’t want to overwork them on our first day here. I thought I’d help by bringing it up. Sit down—you must be starving. I was told you didn’t eat anything last night.”

When I’d been unable to convince Nox to let me sleep elsewhere and he’d brought me here last night, I’d asked to see my room and then walked inside and shut the door, leaving him in the hallway alone. After attempting to talk to me through the door and receiving nothing but silence on my end, he finally gave up.

I’d showered in the huge, beautiful attached bathroom and gone right to bed, physically and mentally exhausted.

But now I was famished. Faced with the display of delicious-smelling food, my stomach reminded me of that skipped supper. I sat down at the table and picked up a fork.

“Well?” I looked up at Nox.

“What?”

“Are you going to stand there and watch me eat, because if you are, that’s pretty weird.”

“So, this is okay for you? I mean, it looks good?”

Why was he so concerned about my breakfast enjoyment? “It’s fine. It’s food. It’ll do.
What
is your deal?”

“I want you to be comfortable here. If this food isn’t to your liking, you can send it back and ask for something else. Whatever you want—ask for it and it’s yours.”

“You know what I want, Nox,” I growled, stabbing at the scrambled eggs on my plate. “Just get me to Emmy, and I’ll take her home and get out of your hair, the sooner the better.”

He pulled out the other chair and sat down opposite me at the table. His tone was quiet and cautious. “I told you—it’s going to take some time. And until we find her…” He took a deep breath. “…you’re going to have to live here.”

My fork clattered against the plate as I dropped it. “What?”

“As a member of my fan pod, you’ll have to live here. That’s how it’s done.”

“You mean—all those celebrities with fan pods—the members all
live
in their houses? At their beck and call day and night?”   

Now he blushed. “Something like that. In ancient days when Elves ruled over humans, that was how it was. The Dark Elves are trying to restore the old system, I guess. I don’t know much about it—only what Alfred has told me, which isn’t much.”

“Well if you think I’m going to live here and be part of your…
harem
, you’re wrong.” I shoved back from the table. Leaving my full plate, I marched across the room to where I’d dropped my clothes on the floor the night before and grabbed the pile, heading for the bathroom. “And why am I just now learning about this little detail? I’ll find Emmy myself. Thanks for breakfast.” The bathroom door slammed behind me with a satisfying bang.

When I’d showered and dressed, I went downstairs, suitcase in hand, to meet the taxi I’d called.

Nox was waiting for me on the bottom step. He held my arm as I attempted to pass him. “Please don’t leave, Ryann. You need my help.” His voice was low and urgent.

Having no other choice, I stopped. With him standing one step below me, we were eye-to-eye. I didn’t like looking directly into that inhumanly beautiful hazel gaze, but I made myself do it.

“Maybe, maybe not,” I lifted my chin. “But I don’t need
anything
enough to trade my—”

Leaning close to my ear, he whispered, “I
know
that. I’d never expect you to—” He broke off with a frustrated sound. “We have to put on a good show for the staff and for Alfred—make them think I have a real fan pod and you’re a member. I would never try to take advantage of the situation.”

I pulled back and leveled an incredulous look at him. “Oh no. Not
you
,” I said, sarcasm dripping from the words. “It’s not like you’ve already tried to take advantage of me, is it? Like when you tried to seduce me and
pretended
to care about me.”

Nox’s brows pulled together in an angry slant. “I was not pretending.”

“And
I
wasn’t seduced,” I countered, jerking my arm away and pushing past him.

Following me to the door, he let out an exasperated breath. “Look, I know I’m not the one you want. You’ve made that very clear. But I
am
the one who’s here. And I do care about you—I want to help you. If you’ll let me. Please don’t leave.”

The desperation in his tone took some of the wind out of my sails, but it didn’t change the fact that being so far from home and living in his house put me in way too vulnerable a position. Glancing back to him with my hand on the door pull, I said, “You already have helped me. You got me here. Now I’ll do the rest. Thanks for the plane ticket—I’m going to pay you back—I’ll send the money when I get home—
with
Emmy. Good luck with your tour preparations.”

I opened the door and hurried toward the taxi waiting at the curb outside the gates of the estate. As it drove away, my gaze was pulled back to the mansion. Nox was standing in the front doorway, watching me go.

Turning my head, I let the view through the windshield replace the image but couldn’t block out the mental picture of his sad eyes, their blended color looking more green than brown as he’d pleaded with me not to leave him.

Vallon Foster’s house was on the Map of the Stars’ Homes after all. According to the cab driver, Vallon lived in a mansion formerly owned by one of the biggest action movie stars of the past few decades.

For a moment I wondered if that guy had been an Elf, too—he did look super-young for his age—but then I read he’d recently gotten divorced from his wife, and his hair hadn’t turned white. Or maybe it
had
and he’d died it to cover the mark. Then again, he
was
a Dark Elf. They were different from the Light Elves—in so many ways. Maybe they could fool around with as many people as they wanted to without consequence.

In any case, I’d found the house and hopefully found Emmy as well. All I had to do now was get inside. I paid the cabbie, adding a few dollars for a tip.

“Good luck,” he said. His tone made the encouraging remark sound more like “fat chance.”

Stepping onto the sidewalk, I surveyed the high ivy-covered walls surrounding the estate. The house must have been set far back from the road because it wasn’t even visible. There was an iron gate across the drive and beside it, an intercom box I assumed would connect me with some sort of security person. It seemed like my best bet, short of scaling the walls and possibly finding some unhappy Dobermans on the other side. 

Pushing the button, I waited for a response. A quiet whirring noise caused me to turn my head to the side where a video camera panned around and then focused on me. Okay, so they could see I wasn’t an armed robber now. They could also see I wasn’t a maid or serviceperson.

Could I pretend to be one of Vallon’s stray fan pod members who’d gotten lost? Did someone keep up with them all—remember all their names and faces? Emmy had told me he had at least two hundred members in his fan pod at a time. Maybe they’d buy the “little lost sheep” act.

“Yes?” asked a feminine voice.

I leaned toward the box, angling my mouth at what looked like the receiver. “Hi. Um… I got left behind when we went… out. Can I come in?”

“State your name.”

Dang.
It wasn’t going to work. They did keep some kind of records of their members. And I didn’t dare say my real name. What was the most common name I knew? “Taylor?”

There was a pause. Then the voice came back, sounding sterner this time. “All of our Taylors are accounted for. If you would like to see Mr. Foster, he has a movie premier at the end of this month and will be walking the red carpet. Check his website if you’d like to apply for his fan pod. And please do not attempt to access his personal estate again. All trespassers will be immediately apprehended and turned over to the authorities. Goodbye.” The monitor fell silent.

Well, that was super. I turned around and sat on the curb.
What the heck do I think I’m doing? I’m not Veronica Mars.
I didn’t know the first thing about investigating or finding missing persons… or breaking and entering. Unless I happened to catch Emmy at the movie premier, there was no way to get close to her. Not without help.

Not without Nox.

*     *     *

              When I pushed the buzzer at Nox’s gate that night, the reception was entirely different. It immediately clicked and swung wide, and a man’s voice said, “Please come in, Miss Carroll,” through the speaker.

              I had barely set foot on the driveway when the front door burst open. Nox rushed out to meet me. “Are you all right? Did something happen?” Worried eyes catalogued me from sunburned face to tired toes.

              I sighed as he took my suitcase, relieving my aching arms. “I’m fine. And no—absolutely nothing happened. I didn’t see a soul. I couldn’t even get inside the gate.” Sighing again, I prepared to humble myself and admit defeat. “Go ahead and say you told me so.”

              Assured of my well-being, Nox’s face relaxed. “I’m sorry you had no luck. I was afraid that’s what would happen. Based on the security they’ve provided for me here, I’m not surprised the Dark Council would have Vallon well-protected.”

Leading me into the house, he peppered me with questions. “Are you hungry? Would you like to have a meal sent to your room? Or… I was eating on the patio when you rang the buzzer—you could join me if you like.”

              I was starving. And hot. And tired. Sitting out in the ocean breeze listening to the waves sounded too good to resist. “Yes. That would be nice.”

              His face brightened. “Good. It’s this way.”

              I followed Nox through the enormous house to a set of French doors that opened up to a gorgeous pool deck and a stone lanai running the entire width of the house. The sun had almost set, but there was still a faint light visible over the horizon, giving the ocean a glowing border that appeared to be made of smoldering coals.

              As we stepped out onto the lanai, a servant was leaving, having placed another platter of food as well as a new plate and set of silverware on the table.

              I darted my eyes at Nox. “Oh. So you told her…”

              He nodded. “She was near the kitchen when we passed through. I told her I would have a dinner companion after all.”

              “She’s Elven then?”

              “Yes. Most of the staff are.”

              He pulled out a chair for me and waited as I took my seat, then took his own. “I hope you like seafood. It’s all fresh-caught—there’s an assortment there for you to choose from.” Lifting the lid of the platter, he gestured to the variety of fish and shellfish his chef had prepared. There was far more there than two people could ever eat. Dark Elves apparently liked to live well.

The scent of the grilled fish and savory vegetables wafted up, filling my nose and making my mouth spike with saliva. I was ravenous. Thirsty, too.

              “Any sweet tea?”

              That got a big smile out of him. “I’m afraid my staff isn’t used to providing that particular beverage. Maybe you could make some for us while you’re here—we do have saol water on hand.”

              I smiled back. “Maybe I will, and if you’re
really
nice, maybe I’ll share.”

I had brought some saol water with me, in the metallic flask Lad had given me a few weeks ago, during better times. A tiny amount went a long way, but it was nice to know there was more in case I did actually want to whip up my special recipe sweet tea. Then again maybe not—the thought of cooking in Nox’s kitchen was too strange.

I lifted a portion of fish onto my plate along with some salad. “So, you were eating alone then? I guess your fan pod hasn’t arrived yet.”

My tone was snarky, but Nox didn’t seem bothered. He seemed… resigned. “Well, actually, quite a few members did arrive this afternoon. Alfred was
very
enthusiastic when I told him I’d finally agree to having one. There was already a wait list apparently.”

              “Oh. And you didn’t want to eat with them?” I took a bite of fish. It was buttery and delicious. Kudos to the chef.

              “Definitely not. I haven’t even met them yet. It feels weird to have a bunch of strangers in my house, though I guess I’ll have to see them eventually.” He put his fork down and caught my gaze in his. “I’m so glad you came back… I was worried about you.”

              Feeling suddenly shy for some reason, I returned my attention to my plate. “The streets of Brentwood aren’t exactly dangerous territory.”

              “You never know. If they turned you away immediately, why were you gone for so long? What did you do all day?”

              I shrugged. “Walked around Vallon’s neighborhood, looking at the houses—at high walls and gates mostly—people sure like their privacy out here. Then I walked into the village at Brentwood, sat at Starbucks all afternoon, trying to figure out what to do next.” I looked down at my plate, stirring the food around with my fork. “I was embarrassed to come back here, to admit I needed help. And after the way I acted… I wasn’t sure you’d let me in.”

              His hand reached out to cover mine. “I’m happy you’re back. And… I’m happy to be needed. That doesn’t happen very often.”

              The odd remark drew my eyes back to his, but I quickly looked down again. Pulling my hand from beneath his, I used it to readjust the napkin in my lap, though it had been draped perfectly fine already.

“You’re a star. Everyone wants to be around you. I’ve seen it.”

              “They think they want me. But they don’t even know me,” he argued. “And no one
needs
me. There’s a difference. When my parents died, I was lucky to have my aunt and uncle to take me in… but I never really
belonged
there at Altum. I always felt different. While they were kind to me, I always felt like they were
stuck
with me, you know? I had no real role there. Lad always knew he would grow up and be king. He knew exactly what was expected of him. I had no real purpose. It didn’t really matter what I did. All of Ivar’s attention was reserved for Lad—he was obsessed with making him the perfect future ruler. I gave up trying to please Ivar and actually
tried
to make him angry with me, make him punish me. I broke rules—even came home once wearing human clothes, expecting him to be furious. He barely noticed.” Nox’s tone turned morose. “They didn’t even miss me when I turned sixteen and began staying away for longer and longer periods of time, playing with the band, traveling.”

              “I’m sure that’s not true. Lad told me they did wonder where you were—and
he
missed you, at least.”

              He huffed a humorless laugh. “Well… I’m sure he’s gotten over
that
.”

              “So… you two had a falling out then. Over me?” The thought of Lad feeling passionate enough about me to be angry with Nox made me happy and depressed at the same time. A renewed sense of loss swamped me and made me even more tired than I was already.

              Nox leaned back in his chair and surveyed the rolling waves and the nearly dark sky above them. “Oh yes. He was…
not pleased
with me when he found out I’d been spending time with you. After he saw us together in your yard—the day he was shot—I was almost afraid to ever go home again. Really, I didn’t go back until the Assemblage. I figured it would be safe then with all those visiting witnesses around. And of course, since he was getting married, there wasn’t much he could say to me anymore on the subject. I had hoped we might bury the hatchet that day.”

              I winced at the memory of the heartbreaking visit to Lad’s home, discovering it was his wedding day, running into Nox there in his full Elven garb.

              “Why didn’t you tell me?” He could have no doubt about what my quiet question referred to.

              Turning back to me, his eyes pleaded for understanding. “You know why. Keeping the secret of our existence is our most sacred law. It’s hammered into us from the earliest age. To have broken it would have meant danger for you and probably eternal banishment for me.”

              “But now I know. And instead of banishing you, Lad left me with you, told you to take care of me. Why? It doesn’t make sense. Why would he choose you?”

              Nox’s intense gaze revealed the answer before his words did. “Because he knew I would. He knew I’d do
anything
for you.”

For a moment, the two of us held blazing eye contact. I was having difficulty finding my breath.

Suddenly uncomfortable, I pushed away from the table and stood, knocking my water glass over in the process. “Oh, my gosh—I’m so sorry.”

Nox jumped from his seat and lifted his plate to remove it from the pathway of the approaching tabletop flood. As soon as he picked up the dishware, the breeze caught a piece of paper that had been tucked underneath and blew it across the table toward me. Instinctively, I grabbed it to keep it from blowing off the patio onto the beach.

I barely had my fingers on it before Nox snatched the paper from my hands. “Thanks. I’ve got it,” he said in a breathless rush.

“What is it? A letter?”

I couldn’t see it well, but there appeared to be several paragraphs of handwriting on the page.

An uncharacteristic blush colored his face in the light of the deck lamps. He folded the paper several times and stuffed it into the pocket of his shorts. “It’s nothing. Just a new song I’m working on.”

“Let me see it,” I ordered sweetly.

The blush deepened.
Interesting.

“Nah—it’s not very good—needs a lot of work. So, you finished with dinner? I can get somebody out here to clean this up and bring you a new plate. Or dessert if you want.”

“Actually, I’ve had enough, and it’s been a long day. Thank you. It was delicious.”

There was an awkward pause. It was time for some humility. “So… you were right. Trying to get to Emmy on my own was useless. You already know I need your help, but I can make it official, if you want me to grovel.”