NEVER FALL FOR THE FORBIDDEN (NEVER FALL SERIES) (9 page)

Chapter Fifteen

             
One more portrait and this room is done.
Annasara congratulated herself for being so organized and efficient in categorizing, photographing, and manifesting the artwork that hung in every room of the large centuries old mansion. Carefully slipping a framed oil painting into a shipping crate, she closed the lid and blew out a breath. Working straight through the morning well into the afternoon she just realized she had not stopped once to take a food or bathroom break. Her bladder and stomach suddenly reminded her. It never crossed her mind to bring lunch.
What now?
She thought and wondered out of the study. Promptly stopped in her track, the butler met her. “Lunch is ready in the dining room. The washroom is available through this door.” He said as if he read her mind.

             
“Oh, thank you, I will be right down.”

             
“Very well, Miss O’Fallon.” He said turned on heel.

             
A generous sandwich and diet soda awaited her at the mile long dining table. Holding out the chair for her, the butler seated her. She hesitated to sit alone in the enormous hall. Seemed a damn waste, she could have ate in the kitchen with the staff or the butler since he seemed the only soul in the entire place, except the moving men who carted off the crates she filled earlier. Only the sound of her chewing echoed off the walls as she felt herself desperately alone feeling a little fish in a big pond. She wished Triton could be her to enjoy the old world charm and art of the mansion. Somehow, it felt like a place he would live in. Finishing her sandwich, she went to lift her plate, but the butler was at her side in an instant to clear it.

             
“Everything to your liking?” he asked as she wiped her lips with the fine linen napkin he had placed across her lap.

             
“Yes, I could have ate in the kitchen this seems so formal.”

             
“Quite alright, I haven’t had anyone to serve lunch to in centuries. A nice change.” He set down a plate of fruit and cheese in front of her. “Would you like to join me?” she asked earnestly. He smiled. “No, the master would not be pleased. Enjoy the rest of your meal.”

             
“I thought the owner passed away?” she asked to his turned back.

             
“Yes, old habits die hard. Ring if you need anything, each room has a service bell.” He turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

              Afternoon turned into late, and almost dusk. Making great progress and not feeling a bit tired, Annasara lifted the diet soda the butler had brought her two hours ago and finished off the last slip of warm pop. Holding up a portrait of a raven-haired beauty painting around the 17
th
century, Annasara stared into the eyes. Cold, haunting eyes that seemed to beg to be freed from the posed she had held for hundreds of years. Annasara could not break the gaze from this girl’s, until she snapped out of it as the butler called her name several times. Holding her purse and coat, the butler cleared his throat.

             
“Oh was planning on working a few more hours.” Annasara said putting the frame into the crate.

             
“No.” he said demandingly. She looked up with surprise.

             
“No one else will be here, so it is best you return in the morning, when the sun rises.”

             
“Really, I can let me self out.”

             
“Your taxi is waiting, madam.” He said.

Annasara
rose to her feet, feeling tired now that he mentioned it. She packed up her laptop and let the butler help her on with her coat. “Goodnight, I will be in early tomorrow.”

             
“Eight a.m.” he snapped.

             
“Eight.” She agreed and left.

              “I have to leave for a few days.” Triton said quickly leaving Umbriel a voice mail message.
Thank god, he did not answer
. The last thing Triton wanted was to have to explain that he was heading into enemy territory to meet and protect his human girlfriend. Putting the phone into his pocket, he picked up his sig sauer hand gun, loaded it, stuffed into the holster under his jacket, grabbed the duffel bag full of clothes and head down to the back stair well. Not passing any others, he slipped out of the mansion and into the night. He would have a slight head start by the time the scanner that were at every entrance alerted security or anyone else who was tracking his comings and goings. Anyone meaning Nala. Triton felt Nala’s uneasiness with him leaving the mansion so much these days. He did not think she suspected him of being with a human but with the war brewing; she wanted to keep her biggest asset in fighting Januar nearby. Triton wanted no part of the conflict, which seemed to displease Nala to the point of irritation. She would hold nothing back to get Triton on board with her plans to defeat Januar when he threw down the gauntlet. Triton would do everything in his power to protect his Sara as Nala would to have Triton again.

              Stepping off the train, Triton’s body felt as if every nerve was on fire. The looming sense of oppression and danger made the air thick as if the taste of it could be drunk. Scents and vibes passed through him, as he picked up on vampire’s in short weak bursts. If he was picking on so many vibes, he could only imagine they were noticing Annasara’s humanness just as easily
. I need to get to her and fast. 

             
Hand up in the air, Triton flagged down alone taxi that crept along in the early pre-dawn.

The cabbie spoke, “Where to?”

              “The Ritz.” Triton replied and breathed deep taking in the scent of the driver.
Vampire, damn it.
He thought and noticed the eyes looking at him in the rear view mirror. Eyed widened as the cabbie felt the vibration of Triton’s powers.

             
“Don’t reach for anything and keep driving.” Triton ordered the vampire cabbie.

             
“Who the hell are you? You are giving off a bigger vibe that Januar himself!” the cabbie said with a shaky voice.

             
“Who?” Triton asked pretending not to recognize the name.

             
“Januar, our leader, I know you are an elder. Are you here to kill him?”

Triton
stared back at the vamp who was starting to perspire, tiny beads forming across his furrowed brow.

             
“I am not here to kill anyone, I am just passing through. I did not come to interfere or hunt.”

The cabbie scoffed, “There’s little to hunt, well good blood anyways. We feed of willing humans enough to sustain and we let them live until we…” He said and snapped closed his jaw know he said too much. Starting to fidget, the driver’s pheromones permeated the cab,
Triton ordered him to pull the cab into an alley behind the hotel.

             
“Just to let you know I am masking half powers so I suggest you stop dialing the phone in your pocket and listen to me.” Sensing how strong half his power was, the vampire threw the phone on to dash and turned slowly to face Triton. “Tell me what I need to know.” Triton ordered. The cabbie placed and palm on each side of the head to try to squash the painful intrusion of Triton’s mind reading.

             
“Please you said you would let me go.” He begged. Triton fired question after question to him.

             
“Are their vampires working in this hotel?”

             
“There’s vampires’ working everywhere.”

             
“Tell me about Januar.” Triton demanded. Pausing the vampire shrieked out as Triton used more of his powers of the mind.

             
“Okay, please stop, I’ll tell you. He is planning something big, I think he wants to take over a clan, the one with the female elder, she is almost as old as Januar, and I heard her powers match his, maybe even yours. See they used to be lovers, millennia ago; she was his
human
lover, until she was found to be with child, or so the legend goes. She swore to Januar she was not with any human male and he was the father. Januar would not believe her. She refused to recant and ran away. A thousand years ago, there was no DNA; they hardly knew how conception truly worked. Well, she was so distraught at Januar’s doubt; the birth of the child came early. As soon as the child was born, she vowed to hide the child from him forever. She eluded him for a few months, but Januar eventually found her and the toddler, took one look at it and knew she was telling the truth. Januar bit the child, draining the babe. She begged him to turn the child, but he refused. The child died in her arms. Nala pulled Januar’s dagger out and stabbed herself in the heart. Januar only had seconds before she died and turned her into a vampire. They vowed never speak of it to anyone. That is where the diary ends, but hundreds of years later, she broke away from him; they had a falling out over a new lover she turned, so she started a new clan in the east. Or so I heard.” The cabbie finished and realized Triton just happened to be that lover. Triton never knew that Januar and Nala fell out over him. The news was so shocking; he could have fallen over upon hearing this information.

             
“How does a low end vampire such as your self acquire such secret knowledge?” Triton asked.             

             
“Before I was turned, I had been in prison, for safecracking. Well, old habit die-hard and I was left alone in at one of Januar’s mansions to do some maintenance.  I was not going to take anything I just wanted to see if I could still do it, you know. I sort of picked a lock to a bedroom, and found the safe behind a picture of Madonna and Child. The only thing in the safe was a diary. I never told I soul of what I read, I would be killed.”

             
Sitting still Triton reflected for a few silent moments. The cabbie never saw it coming, as Triton pulled the dagger from his boot and cut off the vampires head freeing him from his immortality. Unable to take any chance of detection, Triton ended the vamps short service to the undead. The whole cab ordeal left Triton weak. Unable to bring any stockpile with him, he staggered towards the hotel, planning how he would sustain himself.
Not like I can call up the nearest blood bank and place an order.
He grumbled. He had no choice, the sun would be up in an hour, he would have to sleep, and so he would have to hunt, now.

              The alley was cold, quiet, not even a rat braved being alone out here. Triton stood in the shadows looked at his watch and sighed. Jerking up his head at the sound of a back door opening, Triton straightened up as a lone woman came stumbling out. Her overall appearance would have suggested her to be a working woman; the kind a posh hotel would not let use the main entrance.

             
Wiping her nose with her hand, she steeled her self and held onto a building as she made her way down the alley. Setting down his duffel bag next to a dumpster, Triton followed her closely stopping as she did the rummage through her purse. Producing a cigarette and lighter, she tried in vain to get the lighter to work.

             
“Come on damn it.” she cursed. Suddenly a flame flickered before her eyes.

             
“Thanks.” She said and lit her cigarette. Taking in a long drag, she blew it out with satisfied enjoyment and looked up at Triton. Her eyes grew wide,               “You’re one of them, aren’t you?” She dropped the cigarette, grinding it with her flashy yellow pump. “Listen I can’t do that more than once a week. I get weak and I have to work every day.”

             
Triton stood amazed but did not let it show on his face, she knew what he was but had no fear. “All I want is information.” He said.

             
“Information?” she paused, “That will cost you; I don’t do nothing for free.”

He nodded, “Agreed, tell me how you know about us.”

She squinted, looking him over with a keen eye, “Uh-no money first. I ain’t getting stiffed or becoming someone’s chew toy for free.”

             
Triton pulled a hundred dollars from his wallet and handed it over to her. She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

              “Three hundred and no mind reading. I hate that shit.” With a sigh, Triton pulled another couple of hundred from his wallet and gave it to her, along with a sample of his power.

             
“Okay, Okay I was just testing ya.” She said nervously annoyed.

             
Triton liked her instantly. He smirked slightly, “How many working in the hotel?”

             
“Two or three, the bartender, the night bell hop, and sometimes the maintenance guy. They all pay me, you know, to provide services.”

             
“They drink from you.” He stated.

             
“Yeah, I charge extra for that, a lot extra.” She rubbed her thumb and fingers together. Triton still was not convinced.