from the tone of his voice that he missed it. “I don’t know,” I said. “I was at Golden Falls and then I came here. At least the demons haven’t overrun it.”
“Like they did Vampire Locke? I can’t believe Queen Lanca left it unguarded,” said Cale heatedly.
I quirked an eyebrow at him, surprised by his strong words. “This has been a topic of discussion at the Academy?”
Cale looked sheepish.
“Yeah, it came as a shock to our superiors when they were told that Vampire Locke was gone. It’s really bad news, not just because the demons now have a place where they can consolidate their power, but also because it means we’ll need forces to take it back, and our forces are already spread thin.”
“It’s not like it’s her fault,” I said defensively.
Cale held up his hands. “I know, but for us it’s hard. Vampire Locke was like a stronghold. The Rapier vampires were so much stronger than Raor or Radvarious. . . .”
“They still are,” I gritted out. “Lanca will get it back.”
Cale looked skeptical, but he didn’t argue.
“I thought I heard Charlotte sounding happy,” said Nick jovially, coming through the door beaming. It might just have been my imagination, but I thought he flinched a little when he saw Cale. I grinned at my employer.
“Yeah,” I said, feeling strange that my two very different lives were intersecting, “he’s an old friend.”
Nick came over and introduced himself, and just as Cale was telling him how good the coffee was, the door jingled again and Nicole came in.
“Ah, hi, honey,” she said, smiling at Nick. Again there was a little flinch when she noticed Cale, but she didn’t say anything. Again I thought I must be imagining it.
“Honey, this is a good friend of Charlotte’s,” said Nick, wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulders as she laced her fingers around her husband’s waist.
Nicole smiled brightly at Cale. “Nice to meet you! Would you like another cup of coffee? Any friend of Charlotte’s, after all. . . .”
Cale smiled politely. “No, thanks,” he said. “It’s delicious, but I only need a little caffeine to get a buzz.”
“Well, just let us know,” said Nicole. Then, with a significant look at Nick she said, “Honey? Can we talk for a minute?”
Nick nodded, and they couldn’t get into the back room fast enough. I watched them go, feeling confused. I needed Sip there to pick up on whatever I had just missed.
“Maybe they think we’re dating or something,” I said, turning to Cale. “Sorry, they’re not usually so weird.”
Cale smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Nothing feels normal anymore.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” I said, shaking my head. “Anyway, it’s great to see you.”
“You too,” he said. “But I should get going.”
He started to stand up, but I interrupted him. “Wait,” I said, extra frustrated that I was trapped at the coffee shop. “Will I see you again before you go off on assignment?”
“I hope so,” he said, smiling. “Thanks for the coffee.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets and headed for the door, glancing at the back room once more before he left. I watched him step into the rain, acknowledging to myself that seeing him still gave me butterflies, even though it was nothing compared to how I felt about Keller. And now I would probably never have that feeling again. I sighed and busied myself with cleaning Cale’s mug, hoping desperately to distract myself and knowing that it was impossible.
That night Ricky and I had our first real fight. Carl was off at the bar, and it was still raining, but not as hard as it had been earlier. We had just finished a dinner of pasta and broccoli, which Ricky loved, and were settling in to channel surf when he brought up secrets again.
I threw the remote down and stormed out, hurrying into the warm summer night. It was a week night, but since it was summer there were still a lot of people out and about, and I felt strange not
“Like they did Vampire Locke? I can’t believe Queen Lanca left it unguarded,” said Cale heatedly.
I quirked an eyebrow at him, surprised by his strong words. “This has been a topic of discussion at the Academy?”
Cale looked sheepish.
“Yeah, it came as a shock to our superiors when they were told that Vampire Locke was gone. It’s really bad news, not just because the demons now have a place where they can consolidate their power, but also because it means we’ll need forces to take it back, and our forces are already spread thin.”
“It’s not like it’s her fault,” I said defensively.
Cale held up his hands. “I know, but for us it’s hard. Vampire Locke was like a stronghold. The Rapier vampires were so much stronger than Raor or Radvarious. . . .”
“They still are,” I gritted out. “Lanca will get it back.”
Cale looked skeptical, but he didn’t argue.
“I thought I heard Charlotte sounding happy,” said Nick jovially, coming through the door beaming. It might just have been my imagination, but I thought he flinched a little when he saw Cale. I grinned at my employer.
“Yeah,” I said, feeling strange that my two very different lives were intersecting, “he’s an old friend.”
Nick came over and introduced himself, and just as Cale was telling him how good the coffee was, the door jingled again and Nicole came in.
“Ah, hi, honey,” she said, smiling at Nick. Again there was a little flinch when she noticed Cale, but she didn’t say anything. Again I thought I must be imagining it.
“Honey, this is a good friend of Charlotte’s,” said Nick, wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulders as she laced her fingers around her husband’s waist.
Nicole smiled brightly at Cale. “Nice to meet you! Would you like another cup of coffee? Any friend of Charlotte’s, after all. . . .”
Cale smiled politely. “No, thanks,” he said. “It’s delicious, but I only need a little caffeine to get a buzz.”
“Well, just let us know,” said Nicole. Then, with a significant look at Nick she said, “Honey? Can we talk for a minute?”
Nick nodded, and they couldn’t get into the back room fast enough. I watched them go, feeling confused. I needed Sip there to pick up on whatever I had just missed.
“Maybe they think we’re dating or something,” I said, turning to Cale. “Sorry, they’re not usually so weird.”
Cale smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Nothing feels normal anymore.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” I said, shaking my head. “Anyway, it’s great to see you.”
“You too,” he said. “But I should get going.”
He started to stand up, but I interrupted him. “Wait,” I said, extra frustrated that I was trapped at the coffee shop. “Will I see you again before you go off on assignment?”
“I hope so,” he said, smiling. “Thanks for the coffee.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets and headed for the door, glancing at the back room once more before he left. I watched him step into the rain, acknowledging to myself that seeing him still gave me butterflies, even though it was nothing compared to how I felt about Keller. And now I would probably never have that feeling again. I sighed and busied myself with cleaning Cale’s mug, hoping desperately to distract myself and knowing that it was impossible.
That night Ricky and I had our first real fight. Carl was off at the bar, and it was still raining, but not as hard as it had been earlier. We had just finished a dinner of pasta and broccoli, which Ricky loved, and were settling in to channel surf when he brought up secrets again.
I threw the remote down and stormed out, hurrying into the warm summer night. It was a week night, but since it was summer there were still a lot of people out and about, and I felt strange not
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