“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say.
“Val and I are old acquaintances,” Rowan said. “I met Val through your great-grandfather, January.”
“So…you’re a vampire.” I cleared my throat. Vampires weren’t generally the best of companions. While they were technically considered part of the Otherkin Community, it was in an out in left field, behind the barn type of way.
Val laughed. “Yes, I am. And you’re a witch. And a strong one at that—or at least, you have the potential, Rowan tells me. So, she told me about your little problem,” he said. “You need someone to buy a plot of land and basically bury it. No pun intended.”
I tried to focus. Everything seemed so surreal. “That’s about the size of it. We’re talking about the land the old Stellarview asylum sits on. We need to raze the building and barricade that patch of land as best as we can. While it won’t ensure the safety of the community, it will help.”
“What you’re saying is that you would like me to become the landlord of the elemental creature that lives there?” Val fixed his gaze on me and I found myself staring back, unable to look away, or to even think. My heart was beginning to race. He was gorgeous, far more than I had thought when I first saw him.
“January? January!” Rowan poked my arm.
I jumped. I’d been sitting there staring at Val like he was mashed potatoes and gravy—which I couldn’t resist either. I groaned, then blushed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” I wasn’t sure what to say.
Val laughed, his lip curling in a most beguiling way. “I’m flattered, but let’s leave it at business right now.”
Oh, great. I was digging myself a deep hole. I turned my gaze away, trying to compose myself. He put his shades back on, and the pull began to fade. So sunglasses could interfere with a vampire’s magnetism. I’d have to remember that.
“I talked to the city and they can’t take it on. If they could turn the land into a park or something, that would be different, but they don’t have the funds to spend on acreage they can’t make use of.” I glanced at Rowan. I had a good mind to smack her a good one. She could have warned me that I’d be meeting a vampire. Then again, I might not have come.
“Hmm,” Val said. “If I do this, what’s in it for me? I won’t be able to use the land either.”
Just wanting the conversation to end, I shrugged. “I don’t know. Civic pride at helping out your town? The excitement of tearing down a building? I can’t offer you much in return.”
Rowan frowned, turning to Val. “Don’t toy. She’s not a mouse.”
“True enough,” Val said, suddenly back to business. “All right, I’ll buy the land for a fair price. We’ll destroy the building, and then I’ll pay to have the parcel fenced. That’s all I can do, but I gather that will be good enough. And in return…” he paused.
“Yes?” I dreaded hearing what he expected in return. I had no clue what he would ask and yet I dreaded it.
“In return, in the future, I may ask for your help. I hear you work for Conjure Ink, and that you’re starting your own paranormal consulting business as a side line.”
I didn’t want anything more to do with him, but it seemed like a fair-enough trade.
“All right. We owe you one.”
He was on his feet the next moment. “I’ll have my lawyer contact the property owner tomorrow morning and expedite the purchase. Give me your phone number and I’ll let you know when the transaction is made.”
Reluctantly, I gave him my phone number and took his in return. He left almost immediately after that, leaving me alone with Rowan.
She turned to me after shutting the door behind him. “Val happens to be one of the better vamps around, but don’t trust any of them. They’ll always go for their best advantage.”
“Why do you think he agreed to the deal?” I wanted to know what he was getting out of it, because I knew he wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of his heart.
“He owed me a rather large favor. A very large favor, actually. I cashed in my marker.” Rowan put the kettle on for tea.
“You mean, you did this—”
“For the good of the town, yes. Moonshadow Bay is my home. I love this town and even though I tend to keep out of sight, I care about the people here,” Rowan said. “I need to tell you something. I belong to a coven. We’re called the Crystal Cauldron, and we guard over Moonshadow Bay. We drive out trouble the best we can. We can’t always prevent it, but we’ve managed several cleanups over the years.”
This was all new to me. “I was told that dark magicians built SICI. Are they still around?”
Rowan nodded, her face serious. “They’re known as the Covenant of Chaos. They’re a bunch of self-serving greedmongers. They aren’t as strong as they used to be, but one of our members foresees a resurgence coming, so we intend to be ready for them.”
Rowan poured our tea. Her kitchen was one of those huge old country kitchens where the women of the house ruled supreme. Fresh loaves of bread filled the air with their yeasty scent, and bundles of herbs hung drying on an old-fashioned clothes rack. A huge wreath decorated the back door, woven of holly and ivy and trimmed with a huge burgundy ribbon.
Her range was modern in function, but retro, looking like a wood cookstove. The walls were a cheerful yellow with rich pecan trim. As we sat down at the huge old oak table, I felt like I had been transported back in time.
Rowan handed me a plate of freshly baked cookies. “Snickerdoodles,” she said.
I sipped the tea, pleased to find it was peppermint. I wasn’t a tea drinker, but I hadn’t wanted to be rude. “Can I trust Val to keep up his end of the bargain?”
She frowned. “Vampires are unpredictable. But I think he’ll honor the agreement. He owed me such a huge debt that if he doesn’t, he’ll be persona non grata among his own people.”
“You must have something pretty dirty on him,” I said.
Rowan merely smiled. “That’s the beauty of being known as someone who will absolutely keep a secret—it can be very useful to have ammunition.” She glanced at the clock. “It’s nearly eight—I have an appointment at nine. Here’s hoping everything works out for the best. I just hope when that building comes down, it doesn’t unleash a lot of psychic backlash.”
At that, she wrapped up the rest of the batch of cookies and handed me the bag. Then, walking me silently to the door, she waved good-bye.
I called Ari and asked her to meet me for coffee. I had so much to process that I felt like I’d be mulling over things for years.
Ari met me at 9:30 at the Mad Dog Coffee House, several blocks from my house, and even closer to hers.
“So tell me what the hell’s happening? I was so tired last night that I couldn’t stay, but I want to hear everything.”
I summoned up a deep breath and in a rush of words, told her everything that had happened yesterday, including the fact that Killian had almost stayed the night.
“So, you guys are really into each other? I’m so happy. I think he’s cool,” she said, cupping her decaf latte. “And you’re going to the carnival together.”