A Den of Tricks (A Shade of Vampire #54)

“Not with that many cleaning products.” I smirked. “It’s a masking tactic that some animals use to throw predators off their tracks. It’s used by species across the worlds we know, and this one is no exception. The scents I caught in his house were strong and permanent, seeping into the structural beams and every other inch of wood in there. He’s definitely hiding something.”

“That nose of yours is fantastic, I swear.” Heron shook his head slowly, amazed. “I mean, I thought I was a good tracker, but then you came along. I am literally in awe of you.”

“Thank you.” I gave him a warm smile, feeling my cheeks burn under his intense gaze. “I was always fascinated with chemistry and the olfactory sense… The two just came naturally to me, I guess. When I was given the option to further hone this skill, I took it.”

“It’s a good thing you did.” He nodded. “Your contributions so far have been extraordinary.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that, but yeah, I guess I can hold my own on this team.” I giggled, trying to maintain some sense of modesty under his barrage of compliments.

A couple of minutes went by in absolute silence. I stole a glance at Heron, and he looked as though he were trying to say something, but couldn’t find the right words.

“Avril,” he finally spoke, “have you ever thought about a soulmate?”

The question made me feel nervous, mainly because I didn’t understand its purpose, but also because I found myself instinctively looking at him as I tried to formulate an answer. My feelings for him were developing at an alarmingly rapid pace, and I knew, deep down, that my answer would be yes.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean, have you thought about having someone in your life, someone you’d want to spend an eternity with?” His gaze was clouded as he studied my expression, and I felt vulnerable all of a sudden.

“No… Yes… Okay, yes, I have thought about it.” I surrendered. What was the point in lying, anyway? We were stuck on this planet, and the future was so murky, so unclear, it felt like a disservice to myself if I denied it. You only get one life, and so on…

“What would that person be like?” he replied, then stared at the road ahead. The streetlamps cast a yellowish light over the cobblestone, and long shadows crossed the alley from various angles.

“I haven’t given it that much thought, but… I don’t know, if I were to make up a profile right now, off the top of my head, I guess he’d have to be someone who can accept me exactly the way I am… my curiosity, my strong opinions, and my quirks included.”

Heron didn’t say anything for a while, and, upon analyzing what I’d just said, I realized my statement felt incomplete.

“Of course,” I continued, “I would reciprocate. I’d accept him. I’d… love him, both his good and bad sides. I just can’t get more specific because, to be honest, I’m still trying to figure it out. I’ve never been in love with anyone before, Heron. I don’t know what that’s supposed to feel like, exactly. I also know I’ve got a very long life ahead of me, and I just don’t see myself rushing into anything…”

That was my defense mechanism rearing its not-so-pretty head. Alarm signals went off whenever I looked at Heron, opposing the butterflies squirming in my stomach and the frantic beats of my heart. He nodded slowly. I caught a glimpse of what seemed like disappointment in his eyes as he looked down and scratched the back of his neck.

“That… That makes sense,” he muttered.

I stilled and caught his forearm, stopping him in his tracks. Something felt a little off.

“What’s up?” he whispered.

“I think we’re being followed,” I replied, then looked over my shoulder.

The street was getting crowded with dozens of Imen of all ages. There must have been a gathering of sorts nearby. I started walking but didn’t let go of Heron’s arm. We slipped through the stream of people and made a sharp left turn, hiding between the walls of two neighboring houses.

The space was narrow, forcing Heron to stand extremely close to me. His chest pressed against mine, and I felt the heat from his hard body simmering into me. Our proximity seemed to affect us both, as he lowered his head slowly. I was looking to the right when I felt his breath on my cheek and turned my head, my nose touching his.

I found myself drowning in his jade eyes. His hands rested on my hips. The world gradually dissolved around us, and I found comfort in the shield of his body for a few moments. We stayed like that for what seemed like eons, until his lips inched closer and almost touched mine. My heart jumped in my throat as I struggled to breathe. I wanted him to kiss me—so badly that I nearly missed Lemuel’s scent getting stronger.

“He’s here,” I croaked, my lips parting beneath his.

Heron was losing control, but he tried to make sense of what I’d just said, while his eyes were fixed on mine.

“Wha… What?” he managed.

“Lemuel is here. He’s coming this way,” I whispered.

He lifted his head and looked out into the street. His arm shot out just as an old Iman passed by us. Heron grabbed him by his lapel and pulled him into the tight space with us. Lemuel whimpered as Heron immobilized him, pushing him against the wall.

Our little hiding spot was suddenly even more crowded, and I was too close to Heron for my mind to stay clear—and that was a challenge, because we’d just found Lemuel, as he’d followed us around. I shook my head and forced myself back into focus.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” I said softly.

Lemuel squirmed and tried to free himself, but he didn’t stand a chance against Heron. The old Iman froze when he realized he was dealing with a Mara. The horror on his face was almost heartbreaking—this creature was terrified of Heron’s kind, and I knew it had something to do with the Exiled Maras.

“Don’t… Please… I wasn’t looking to do any harm…” Lemuel breathed, his eyes wide and glassy. He was in his late sixties, tufts of white hair poking out from beneath his dark brown hat, wrinkles drawing shadows across his features. His body trembled with fear, and I put my hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down.

“We’re not going to hurt you, I promise.” I felt the need to repeat myself. “Why were you following us?”

“I saw you coming out of my house,” Lemuel replied, his voice barely audible. The crowd in the street was quite loud—a mixture of laughter and friendly words as the Imen praised the quality of a play they’d just watched, based on the fragments of theater-related conversation that trickled into our nook. “I just wanted to know what you were looking for…”

“We were looking for you, Lemuel,” I said, keeping my tone as gentle as possible. “Cynara and Hera told us where to find you. We need your help.”

“I… How could I possibly help you?”

“We need to see the Imen archives you’ve been keeping away from the Maras,” Heron replied. “The girls told us you’re quite the collector.”