Bottles of blood, warming in the microwave…
I shivered. “Don’t even go there. Aren’t you, like, a little ancient to be having babies now anyway?”
Her jaw dropped. “I’m not that old. Women are having babies in their forties all the time. I’m not even forty.”
“Well, whatever the case may be, you need to eat. You don’t look healthy at all.”
“I’m fine, just worry about yourself and keeping that wrist straight,” she said, looking at my bandage.
I moved my wrist slightly and winced, it was pretty tender. “I will.”
She stood up. “Listen, I’m going to take a shower and read for a while before Caleb gets here. Nathan should be home pretty soon.”
I nodded and watched her leave. I was going to have a talk with Caleb about her, as well. She was obviously starving to death and I knew it had to be something related to whatever he’d done to her. My only consolation was that she didn’t appear to be a vampire yet.
After I was done eating, I went upstairs with my cell phone, to try and reach Duncan again. I was terrified that Ethan had killed him, and I felt more than a little responsible. As expected, Duncan didn’t answer.
Sighing, I checked the time and noticed it was after eight, so I decided to take a shower and then wait for Caleb, too. I carefully removed the bandage before getting in and it was a total pain in the ass, taking me almost forty-five minutes to finish my shower. When I was finally done, I wrapped my wrist back up, slipped on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, then stepped back into my bedroom.
“What the hell?” I hollered.
She looked up. “Oh, hi.”
Celeste was lounging on the bed, painting her perfect nails with my new copper nail polish.
“How did you get in here?” I snapped.
She smiled. “You left your balcony door unlocked. That’s very dangerous, you know. There are things out there….” She shuddered.
I crossed my arms under my chest and glared at her. I was still irritated that she was making herself at home. “So, what… you fly, too?”
“Not very often,” she answered, blowing on her tips. “Tonight, I drove. Flying is a killer on the hair.”
The image of someone like her flying through the darkness was almost comical. Tonight, she was definitely dressed to party in a shimmery silver dress and dark stiletto heels. Her fiery red hair was piled high above her narrow shoulders and she wore silver cross earrings on her lobes.
“Don’t those earrings bother you?” I asked incredulously.
She touched her ears, then threw her head back and laughed so hard, I saw a hint of fang. “Why, because they’re ‘cross’ earrings?”
“Well, yeah.”
She waved her hand at me. “No, not at all. I like garlic, too, by the way. And don’t get me started on holy water. I’d bathe in it if I had to; wouldn’t bother my skin one bit.”
Obviously, my knowledge of true vampires was crap. I’d already learned that they could survive in the sun. Because of their extremely sensitive eyes, they just preferred… not to.
I sat down across from her on an oversized lime and pink beanbag chair. “So, did you hear about Duncan?” I asked, gauging her reaction.
Her eyes softened. “My dad told me about it. It’s tragic.”
“Tragic?” I looked at her in horror. “It’s a nightmare. Ethan showed up last night, I ended up in the hospital, and Duncan is missing,” I grumbled. “Tragic is even an understatement.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she answered. “Obviously, if Ethan got his hands on him and he’s missing, he’s… dead.”
“What if he isn’t dead? You have to help me find him,” I begged, hating myself for having to do it.
She sighed and stood up. “I’ll do what I can – because we’re almost family now. Plus, I really like Duncan. He’s a cutie.”
Cringing, I ignored the “family” comment. “Have you or any of the others seen Ethan around?” I asked.
She turned to me. “No, but Ethan will be found only if he wants to be found.”
Just then, my mom knocked on the door and opened it. “Nikki, Caleb’s here already. Oh, hi, Celeste,” she said, smiling. “I didn’t know you were in here.”
“I decided to drop by to see if I could help in any way.”
My mom walked over and gave her a hug. “Oh, you’re such a sweetheart.”
As sweet as a ghost pepper, I thought.
We followed my mother downstairs, where Caleb was lounging in the great room. As soon as he saw us, he stood up and gave us one of his electric smiles.
“Good, you made it, Celeste,” he said, stepping towards her. He hugged her close and I caught him whispering something into her ear.
She nodded.
“Anne, sweetheart,” asked Caleb, after releasing his daughter. “Do you have any coffee? I’m simply wiped out.”
My mother smiled at him adoringly. “Of course, I’ll fix you a cup. Black, right?”
“Yes. Thanks, hon.”
She nodded. “Anyone else?” she asked.
Celeste and I both shook our heads.