He doubted the resurgence of magic and monsters in the wider world would make them any more accepting; it would all be terrifying to them, regardless of its source.
But their fear made no difference—if Adalynn and Danny had survived the harsh world she’d described, that made them dangerous. What would stop them from making an attempt on Merrick’s life while he was vulnerable?
“I cannot risk it. They must go. They must go…tomorrow.”
Yes, he would send them on tomorrow, rain or shine, and then he’d be free to carry on with his existence. Then he could turn toward the future and embrace the new world with a clear mind and an unburdened conscience, for the lives of these two mortals were of no consequence, and he was not responsible for them.
To send them away today, with half the day gone, would be unnecessarily cruel.
Being firm didn’t require being unfair. They would appreciate the gesture, would be grateful for an additional night in a warm bed beneath a sound roof, would appreciate a few more decent meals before they’d need to find sustenance for themselves again.
Though…what would two more days matter, in the grand scheme? It would allow them more time to rest and prepare for whatever trials awaited them…
No. I need to tell her now. Tomorrow, they need to leave.
He allowed himself no further internal debate; he halted his pacing, turned on his heel, and stalked to the door, which he tugged open a bit too hard before exiting the study. Halfway across the loft, he paused. A soft, eerie sound was drifting up from downstairs, unidentifiable but somehow familiar.
Merrick descended the staircase. The sound grew more distinct as he entered the space between the foyer and the parlor. It was music—piano music—emanating from the southern hallway. There was something diminished about the notes, however, something flat and almost metallic; he couldn’t understand why, but they lacked the fullness and subtle power piano music usually contained.
Merrick followed the music down the hall. By the time he was a few paces away from the ballroom’s entrance, he knew what the music was, knew why it was familiar. It had been a long time since he’d heard it, but he couldn’t forget Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Number Fourteen, Sonata quasi una fantasia. Whatever his opinions on humans, Merrick could not deny that they sometimes produced works of immense beauty.
His stride faltered when he reached the entryway—his eyes were called immediately to Adalynn, who was dancing to the melancholy music in an impromptu ballet. Her arms and legs moved with an expressiveness as haunting as the notes of the song, even if she seemed a bit uncertain and out of practice. The patter of rain and occasional peals of thunder seemed only to urge her on, and added another somber layer to the scene; she danced like it was the last time she would ever do so, danced like she was mourning the world, danced like she was alive.
Merrick’s chest tightened, and for several seconds, it was difficult to draw breath. Her emotions were clear in her movement, in her features—she was feeling everything. Joy, sorrow, pain, fear, comfort; she carried it all with her, and it was both terribly human and more beautiful than anything he’d ever seen. He knew there were dancers with far more skill and grace—he’d seen some in his time—but he knew also there was no dancer in the history of the world who could’ve moved him as much as his Adalynn did right here, right now.
My Adalynn?
Yes, his soul replied. Mine.
His body responded, flooding with arousal, with desire, with need. Only the overwhelming beauty of her dance kept him in place, with eyes transfixed, until the song finally ended. To interrupt had seemed like the gravest crime he could possibly have committed. The little cassette player she’d placed on the piano went quiet, emitting only static for several seconds, which was largely swallowed by the steady sound of falling rain. Adalynn came to a halt, her chest heaving with her quick breaths.
She straightened and turned toward the piano, halting abruptly when her eyes fell on Merrick. She sucked in a startled breath, her eyes rounding, and raced toward the piano to press a button on the cassette player. The device fell silent with a click.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t realize it was that loud. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Merrick crossed the threshold and approached her. His mouth was dry, his blood heated. Each step closer to her was easier than the last, as though her pull on him only increased as the distance between them shrank. “It wasn’t loud, you didn’t disturb me, and there’s no need for you to be embarrassed. That was lovely, Adalynn.”
Her already flushed cheeks colored further. She ducked her head slightly and smiled. “Um, thank you. It’s…been a while. It felt good to dance again.”
“Your brother mentioned you being a talented piano player, but he did not mention you were also a dancer.” Merrick stopped a few feet away from Adalynn and slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket to prevent himself from reaching for her.
She grinned. “I think you’re just being nice. I’m not that great a dancer. I stopped in my senior year of high school, so I’m especially rusty.”
“As with any art, the true power lies in the emotion. And the emotion you expressed while you were dancing…it was powerful, Adalynn. Do not discount yourself.”
“Thank you.” Adalynn shifted her weight from one leg to the other and slid one of her palms along her forearm to grasp her elbow. She glanced away briefly, her soft smile curling into a smirk. “So, Danny was talking about me, huh?”
God, those lips…
Merrick wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to feel her soft, pliable lips against his, to feel the heat of her body directly, to sample her taste.
“He was,” he said. “He is incredibly fond of you, and remarkably protective.”
“He is. That protectiveness is a trait that I both love and fear.”
Merrick tilted his head slightly. “What about it do you fear?”
“That he won’t leave me when he needs to. We already lost our parents, and I know I’m all he’s got now, but…”
“He mentioned that, as well. To have lost them both so suddenly must’ve been difficult on the two of you. But you’ve both demonstrated immense inner strength.”
Her features tightened. “He told you about our parents?”
The sudden pain in her voice wrapped around Merrick’s heart and squeezed.
“That they were killed in a car accident while going to visit you in the hospital,” he said.
Tears welled in her eyes, and after a moment, she looked toward the window. “Danny was in the car with them. They were coming to support me for the first round of my new treatment when the quake happened. I was standing at the edge of the parking lot waiting for them when I saw them driving up…and saw the ambulance plow into their car. My parents were in the front seat and took the brunt of it. They…they were dead by the time I got to the car. Danny was in the back, shaken up pretty badly, but he didn’t seem hurt.
“I calmed him down as best I could and was helping him get out of the car when we heard a choking sound from the front seat. We thought maybe they were alive, maybe there was a chance to save them. We were at the hospital, so close to help. But the things in the front seat…those weren’t our parents anymore. They were like wild beasts, with glowing eyes and gnashing teeth and…” She shook her head. “They were trying to grab at Danny, making these inhuman, gurgling growls. It was like they wanted to eat him. But they couldn’t reach because they were pinned in their seats by all the mangled metal. I got him out of there as quickly as I could.”