A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)

“Sure, we’ll be ready by then.” Jax nodded. “Thank you.”

“It is the least I can do, on top of the bravery you’re already demonstrating.”

The Mara walked out, followed closely by two servants. I glanced back at Caspian and noticed the defeated look on his face, while Rowan and Farrah seemed to deliberately ignore him, and Emilian was busy smiling at us.

We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into, but my suspicion that Caspian was hiding something began to scratch the inside of my skull. I’d have to find out more about him, maybe even follow him, but I needed to go over this with Jax. Whether Caspian had anything to do with these disappearances or anything else that was shifty in Azure Heights, I didn’t know. But my instincts rarely failed me, and I’d learned to pay attention, even when there seemed to be nothing there.





Fiona





(Daughter of Benedict & Yelena)





After the dinner, Avril, Heron, and I walked with Vincent and Rowan to the Roho mansion. It was situated three levels above the Broken Bow Inn. The platform was huge, carved into the mountain’s limestone ridge to hold five large villas with three floors each. They were similar in design and architecture, with pure white facades, sculpted columns, and French windows, fit for kings and queens.

The Roho mansion was situated on the right side of the level, beautifully framed by dark green pines and flowering bushes, with a white marble fountain at the front surrounded by a narrow strip of beige slabs that contrasted with the brown cobblestone. We couldn’t help but stop and stare at the world that lay beyond the hedges bordering this top level of Azure Heights, including the Valley of Screams and the smooth plains, now glazed in darkness beneath Pell, one of the three moons of Neraka.

“By midnight, all three moons will be shining bright.” Vincent’s voice broke me out of my reverie. He stood behind me, his face surprisingly close to mine.

Our eyes met for a second before I turned around and moved closer to Avril and Heron. Rowan smiled, then climbed the white marble stairs leading up to the main entrance. We followed quietly, as did Vincent.

“You are all welcome in House Roho,” Rowan said as she pushed open the double doors and invited us into the sumptuous reception area.

The house looked even bigger on the inside, with white walls, beige-and-white marble flooring, and brushed brass details. The reception hall was tall and round, with two sets of stairs leading up to the first floor, and open archways on both sides leading into other parts of the ground floor. The candlelit chandeliers cast a delicate amber light, revealing a massive living room to our left, and the dining and kitchen area to the right.

Painted portraits of Roho family members were hung on the walls along the stairs, depicting them in their finest clothes. I recognized Rowan and Vincent in a family scene, accompanied by a beautiful young female Mara with bright jade eyes and red hair.

“I assume that’s Sienna?” I pointed at her, and Vincent followed my gaze, then smiled.

“Yes. We had that portrait made about ten years ago,” he replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. “She’d barely made her debut at the time.”

“Hers was one of the most beautiful debutante balls in the history of Azure Heights,” Rowan sighed, gazing at the image of her daughter.

Four Imen servants—two males and two females—came out, waiting at the base of the stairs with blank expressions and dull brown eyes. They seemed accustomed to their roles but unable to look us directly in the eyes.

“I must retreat to my quarters upstairs for the rest of the evening,” Rowan said, then waved at the servants and Vincent. “But please take full advantage of Vincent and our servants for whatever you may need. I hope you find whatever could help find my daughter. I have a feeling she might still be alive.”

“Are you just hopeful, or…?” Heron asked, and got instantly slapped over the shoulder by Avril.

“No, I can feel it in my soul,” Rowan replied, unaffected by the young Mara’s bluntness. “A mother feels these things…”

She then gave us a polite nod and went up the stairs, vanishing behind a set of walnut double doors. I glanced around the salon again, my gaze instinctively settling on the Imen servants.

“Did you know Sienna well?” I asked them. Vincent moved closer to my side. I could’ve sworn he was doing it on purpose. Maybe he’d noticed that I found him attractive, which could prove to be a problem for my mission here. I shook the thought away and focused on the Imen instead.

“We did, milady,” one female replied in a neutral tone. “She was the light of our eyes, our joy to live, in many ways.”

“She was soft, and sweet, and kind,” said the other female, “and always had a good thought for anyone she crossed paths with.”

“She was—” one male started to say, but Heron cleared his throat loud enough to interrupt him.

“How about we go see Sienna’s room,” Heron said, “instead of standing here and hearing about what a wonderful person she was? Don’t get me wrong, she sounds great, but we’ll never find her like this.”

“You are right.” Vincent gave him a weak smile, then walked up the stairs, motioning us to follow him. “This way, please.”

We went after him, and I gave the Imen a sideways glance as I passed them. They didn’t even bother to look. They seemed almost catatonic. I pulled Heron to the side for a brief second, while Avril moved up, following Vincent.

“Can you try to use your mind-bending on them when you get a chance?” I whispered.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely try,” he replied. “They seem fishy to you too, huh?”

I nodded, then quickly joined Avril’s side. We reached the first floor and were taken to Sienna’s bedroom. There was definitely something off about those Imen, but we all knew we had to be careful not to piss off our hosts. There was a lot we’d yet to understand about their way of life, so we had to be smart and discreet if we wanted to look into it.

Sienna’s bedroom was beautiful, its walls clad in emerald-green silk wallpaper with gold details, and a gorgeous canopy bed in the middle, its white organza curtains moving gently in the evening breeze. The windows had been left open, and the temperature was a little lower than the comfortable average. The furniture was mostly warm chestnut with brass accents, and the wooden floor was polished and laminated to perfection, the overhead chandelier’s reflection almost a mirror image.

“This is beautiful,” I murmured, gazing at the painted ceiling.

“Yes, my sister decorated it.” Vincent smiled. “She’s very good at this kind of thing…”

“You know, there’s no point in all of us checking one room,” Avril said. “Are there other rooms that Sienna used frequently?”

“The study.” Vincent nodded. “It’s the room next door. It’s open.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed Heron by the wrist and walked out.