The Mortal One (The Mortal One Series) (11 page)

Chapter 10

“DOESN’T THIS LOOK cozy,” a strange voice sounded several feet away.

I was trying to figure out who this intruder was and why he was bothering us. It didn’t seem like Nico to react so quickly to someone unless this wasn’t just any intruder. I was waiting for something to happen because I was convinced that our not-so-friendly intruder was a vampire, too. It was the only reason Nico would get so tense so quick.

“Dylan, it’s good to see you again, though I must say, I’m a bit jealous.”

He peered over at the same moment I mustered the nerve to glance in his direction. His dark blonde hair hung loose in a tousled mess, parted slightly to the side. He had sideburns that extended down his high cheekbones and then disappeared into a close-shaven beard. A white t-shirt clung to his chest and let me know that he was muscular. His chocolate brown eyes stared at me intensely as I fought to look away.

Nico jumped to his feet and pulled me up as well. “Do you know him?” Nico asked, glancing from me to our fair haired guest.

I shook my head. “No.” I wanted to make it a question because while his voice sounded vaguely familiar, I stared at the tall vampire with black tattoos covering his forearms and saw only a stranger.

“The girl is mine. Please leave and we won’t have to argue about this.” Confidence resonated from the stranger and he spoke matter-of-factly.

Nico stood up in a single movement. “I don’t know who you are, but no, she does not belong to you. I have already claimed her.”

“She is yours then?”

“I have already said she is.”

The over confident stranger took a few steps towards us and crunched the dry grass as he walked. “Then you wouldn’t mind me looking for a mark?”

My mind raced. A mark.
The
mark. The one I didn’t have yet – the one coming any day…if only I had insisted a little more. If only Costin had insisted a little more. Who was this guy, anyway?

Nico took a step forward. “I said she was mine.”

The voice laughed arrogantly. “You haven’t marked her yet.” He made this a statement, not a question. He didn’t need to step any closer because he knew he wasn’t going to find a mark.

I was certain that I had never laid eyes on him before. I would have remembered a face like that. Still, I couldn’t shake a feeling of déjà vu. His eyes remained focused on me and the hair on every part of my body bristled. I knew him from somewhere, but the face staring back at me was completely foreign. I kept going through the different people I met at the bar the other night. Could I have served him a drink? How could he possibly want to stake claim on someone he’s never even met?

“Dylan.” The accent was familiar, but it wasn’t Italian. As I played the sound back in my head repeatedly, I finally realized where the accent was from. Paris.

He watched my face as my mind worked to solve the puzzle. “Ahh, then you do remember me,” he stated, stepping towards me, a smile curving out of the corner of his mouth.

Nico stepped in between the two of us to block my view of this man. “She doesn’t seem too thrilled about it, either.”

“We’ll see about that,” the voice sounded again. He peered around Nico to look at me. “The name is Olivier.” He extended his hand out to mine in greeting. I just stared at it. “We hadn’t had a chance to meet properly at the Place de la Bastille.”

My attention focused on at Nico, wondering how to proceed. Did Nico understand this is what scared me into leaving France early and Olivier had stalked me across several countries?

Olivier began to close the gap between us. “You smell of him,” he announced, almost surprised. He glanced at Nico and back at me as he contemplated his previous statement. “Impressive. I’ve yet to have a human survive my efforts. You must be stronger than you look.”

It took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about until I saw the way he was sizing me up. My breath caught in my chest and my pulse sped.

Nico caught my eye and mouthed, “Run.”

Before I could make sense of anything or ask questions, like where was I supposed to go, my mind took hold and I ran. I darted across the lawn to nowhere in particular. The streets of Santa Croce seemed like a logical place to start. I heard snarling behind me and knew that they were fighting. I wanted to turn around to see who was winning. I couldn’t risk it, so I kept running. I raced past the looming trees of the park and into the quiet streets.

I had to have faith Nico would take care of Olivier, the very man who had stalked me in a street in Paris and scared me to the very core. I knew I hadn’t exaggerated my fear that night. I just couldn’t see anything. It was one thing to think you’re being followed and another to have it confirmed.

I thought about what Nico had said about mind control and not knowing about being a vampire victim and shuddered. Olivier could have attacked me without me ever recalling it. Despite knowing that my safety had remained intact while in Paris didn’t allow me to forget that it was gone now.

I heard more noises behind me and I turned around to see them wrestling through the park. A picnic bench was knocked over and if they weren’t careful, trees were going to be next. Their movements were so fast it was difficult to make out the blurs. While I was able to catch the blue of Nico’s shirt and then the white of Olivier’s, it was impossible to know who was doing the most damage. I turned around to ensure no one was witness to what was going on. The crash of their bodies sounded into the night. To anyone who was listening, it would simply sound like thunder. They pushed through the park, rustled foliage, and continued to beat on each other. I sensed that each was taking their turn giving and receiving blows and knew there would be residual damage in the morning.

There were no bystanders. I was alone with the battle behind me. There was nowhere to run. While I knew Olivier would find me eventually, I couldn’t stand around and wait for him.  I ran in hopes of coming up with a plan to save myself and help Nico.

Olivier could take me because I wasn’t marked. I kept running but my legs were quickly defying me, cramping at the calf and slowing me down. I cursed and doubled over on the street, huffing in an attempt to secure my breathing. My lungs were burning and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run anymore. I could still hear the thunder of the fight yet it was too far back to see it anymore.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand, closing my eyes to think. Where was I going to go? How far could I get before the two of them were done? Even if they could go on for hours, dawn would show up eventually. They would have to quit soon, whether they were done or not. My hotel was an option, though I didn’t know if it was truly safe. I needed a safeguard and thought about what would protect me. Holy water? A cross? These were questions I should have been asking a while ago.

I wondered how to get ahold of Costin. He would know how to get Nico and me out of this mess. Slowly, I stood up again, stretching my legs to give them some relief. I wanted to shout his name, hoping he’d hear me and come to my aid. Common sense told me I couldn’t do that. Someone would hear me and wonder what the hell I was doing.

Then I remembered Nico wasn’t the only one who could read my mind.
Costin…Costin…Costin…
I walked through the city repeating his name in my head in hopes that he was listening. I felt ridiculous being unable to let anything else cross my mind except for his name. He would have to hear it eventually, even if I had to cover every inch of this city. Even if he didn’t hear the message, one of the others would and tell him that I needed assistance.
Costin! I need to speak with you!

I strained to hear the quarrel. It was no longer audible and knew it wasn’t a good sign. I knew Nico was strong, though that came with the territory of being a vampire. Olivier could be just as strong or stronger. Olivier could be older or younger than Nico, too. Visually, he couldn’t have been more than a few years, but in vampire years it could be a hundred years or more. I didn’t want to lose him for so many reasons.

***

I was tired and my legs were barely able to keep me moving. I’d been walking and running off and on for what seemed like hours with no sign of anyone. I had crossed the bridge and was now closer to my hotel, which was drawing me in because exhaustion was setting in.

Neither vampire had come looking for me, for which I was thankful at least one of them hadn’t found me again. What was going to happen to Nico? I needed some help with this situation. I felt as if I were in unchartered waters.

I continued down the roads ultimately leading to the hotel and passed a late-night pizzeria. I paid the few college students sitting outside eating pizza no mind and continued around the next bend. A door to a pub swung open and nearly hit me.

“Get in here,” a voice laced with irritation commanded.

I stopped short and looked up to see Costin holding the door. The pub was crowded and the loud music was drowning out all conversations.

“Now,” he said prior to walking into a back room beyond the layers of smoke without waiting for me. I followed at once. No one from the crowds of people tore attention away from their beer bottles and cigarettes. At last, he sat at a tall bar stool in a semi-quiet corner.

“Why have you been looking for me tonight and where’s Nico?”

I took a deep breath. He certainly didn’t make it easy to talk to him. He was pretty intimidating. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know who else to turn to. Another vampire apparently had seen me when I was in Paris. He found Nico and I at the waterfront park earlier.”

“And…?” Costin asked, trying to get me to make my point faster.

“Well,” I continued, trying to figure out how to say all of this. Costin wasn’t the easiest person to talk to, but I had no choice since Nico was the only other person I really knew here. “This other vampire is trying to claim me.”

“But he can’t.”

I didn’t want to tell Costin that I wasn’t marked. After the first meeting with him, I knew it was important. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t as important to Nico for one reason or another.

Understanding flashed across his face. “Nico hasn’t marked you.” His annoyance at me not being marked yet was evident.

I nodded.

Costin pounded his fist onto the table and caused it to shake back and forth. “Damn it.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” I said dryly.

“So what happened next?”

“I don’t know. Nico told me to run and I heard them fighting….”

I paused, struggling with the words to describe what just transpired.

Before I could go any further, Costin was gone. I glanced awkwardly to see if anyone noticed how he just seemed to vanish, but everyone continued drinking and laughing and carrying on.
Okay, then. I hope that helped.

I stood up and made my way out of the place.

For the second time in one night, I wandered the streets aimlessly without direction. I could return to the park to see what was going on between Nico, Olivier, and now Costin, or I could get the hell out of dodge. Leaving town seemed like a quick fix but I didn’t know where I would go and didn’t want to leave Nico behind.

Olivier would most likely find me no matter where I ended up. I couldn’t go anywhere without knowing where Nico was and if he was safe. Who knew what Olivier was capable of? Nico could be in just as much danger as I was. Costin seemed pissed and he could very well take that anger out on Nico for not following a direct order to mark me.

I knew one thing for sure: I was not safe. Obviously, Olivier had some really good tracking skills to be able to follow me all the way from Paris, so running seemed pointless. After a while of debating, I decided to go back to where it all began.

The park was vacant of any life, or afterlife. Tall grass and the upturned park bench were the only things visible. The thundering sounds from before had subsided and I strained to hear something. I focused every cell in my body, listening for someone, as I approached the waterfront. I saw the blanket we had laid out earlier, which was now just a trampled pile of fabric. Other than that, there was no sign of the vampires anywhere.

“Nico?” I called, just a little over an audible whisper.

Nothing.

“Anyone?” I tried again, just a little louder.

Still nothing.

I wandered the waterside for another hour, waiting for someone to get me. I jumped at every sound the park made, including crickets, birds, and a dog barking in the distance, though nothing else of importance. I finally sat on the bench to sit. I dozed off a few times, waking only to watch the bright oranges and pinks fill the sky as the sun rose and realized no one was coming for me and that I had no clue where Nico was and if he was hurt

I was alone.

Chapter 11

MY SUITCASES WERE packed, standing next to the door of the hotel room. I sat on the bed and held the key Nico had given me as I read the address over and over again. I hadn’t heard from him in over twenty four hours, which wasn’t like him, or from Costin and Olivier. I was thankful for the latter.

There was nothing to do but move into the apartment. At least I would feel closer to Nico until I could actually figure out where the hell he and Costin went. This trip to Florence was scaring the hell out of me because I couldn’t go home and suddenly I found myself very alone. Nico was my only link in this city and he had to turn up sooner rather than later.

A knock at the door broke my thoughts. Room service – a young boy with a cart was letting me know the taxi I had called had arrived, and he would help me down with my bags. I had spent plenty of my money at this hotel, so it was time to give this apartment across town a shot. Nico had paid for it so it was the least I could do.

The hotel attendant was dressed in a ridiculous little red suit, complete with a hat with brass buckles. If I weren’t confident that this was his first job, I would have laughed outright. He loaded my bags up carefully, checking the room to see if I was alone. He was probably wondering why I had come alone, or why I needed all of these bags for one person. I took a quick inventory of the room to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I nodded to him and we worked our way down the hall to the elevator.

The taxi ride was pleasant enough, though traffic was heavy and my driver liked to use his horn a lot. About ten minutes later, we passed the entrance to the Boboli Gardens, where Nico and I had our first kiss.

I placed my hand to my lips and remembered that kiss as if it had taken place just moments ago. Just over a day without Nico had passed and I was already missing him. I wondered if he was okay or if Olivier had hurt him. My mind raced with a hundred different possibilities of what
could
have happened. I had thought the whole idea of tracking Costin down was to get some answers, though he, too, had vanished and left me without any answers at all.

The palazzo where my apartment was stood three stories high. It was a yellowish-gold building with high arches and an unidentifiable charm. I paid my taxi driver and dragged three suitcases up a winding flight of stairs to my apartment.
My
apartment
…it still didn’t sound real. I tripped over a suitcase and cursed the fact that, like so many of these old buildings, there was no elevator. I got to the third level and saw the door to my place. The key turned easily enough and I pushed the door open. I looked around to find it was completely furnished, as promised, in a very modern style. It looked as though it leapt from the pages of an Ikea catalog or a home fashion magazine. I was impressed

If Nico expected me to feel comfortable, he definitely did a good job. There was no way that I would have to do any remodeling. Silver mirrors lined the entry way, which led into the living area where a deep red sofa with over-stuffed pillows sat. Gray-hued frames depicting landscapes of Florence from centuries ago clung to the walls. Striped wallpaper lined the dining room, where a large oak table filled the vast space. Light wood was my style, so I was beyond pleased that he had done so well decorating. I had a sneaking suspicion that Nico had done some research somehow to find out what I liked. As soon as I found him, I would have to thank him for giving me such an amazing apartment to call home.

I walked into the bedroom and instantly fell in love. The bedroom was not only spacious, it had a large canopy bed that filled the room so well. There were tons of pillows stacked against the headboard and I couldn’t wait for nightfall in order to sink into them. I flopped down across the bed for a moment to relax and gather my thoughts.

I was alone again. That wasn’t the part bothering me, since I came to Florence alone. Things were much different than they were two and a half weeks ago. It seemed longer, like it should have been months, but life had been in fast-forward since I met Nico. Even if I wanted to go back to Florida, I couldn’t with all this new information. Life was different…my whole world had been turned upside down and it wasn’t something I was willing to just ignore.

I had met a vampire, which was my goal of this trip, no matter how much I played it off that it wasn’t. I hadn’t figured on falling for one, though. I was to be marked and made into one, since I was allowed to live with the truth. I couldn’t wait for Nico to show up again, though I was thankful that the bar could occupy at least some of the time in between waiting. I had the utmost faith in Costin. He couldn’t have become sovereign without being a responsible leader. It was taking much longer than anticipated, though.

If Nico and Costin didn’t show up sometime in the near future, it begged the question of what would happen next. If another vampire knew about me, would I still be required to be marked? Time would tell. I was sure that other vampires knew of my existence. I seemed to be the only mortal one in the group and word had probably traveled about Nico and I.

One of the vampires had to know how to get ahold of their sovereign, though I had no idea how to get ahold of one of them. I would give it a few more days or nights to see how things played out.

The apartment was quiet. I couldn’t hear the traffic outside or any tourists afoot. A soft hum came from the refrigerator and the bed creaked slightly when I got up and that was it. I followed the humming into the kitchen to see if Nico had remembered that I was human and needed to eat something.

I smiled as I found the refrigerator was stocked more than was necessary. It had a variety of everything, including sodas, waters, cheeses, meats, and snacks. There was so much inside that it was hard to decide what to have first.

I grabbed a bottle of water and a few slices of salami. As I shut the door, I found a piece of paper taped to the front. I hadn’t seen it before, but it was a note, folded over. I shoved the salami in my mouth and sat up on the kitchen counter to read.

Nico’s cursive was scrawled across the paper.

Mia Mortale –

Trust me when I say I am fine. Costin has gone to get the help of some nearby sovereigns as Olivier has proven to be stronger than either of us would have imagined. He is smitten with you and won’t back down. Our only hope now is to get you and I alone long enough to mark you. Not the romantic time I would have wanted, but it is now a matter of keeping you safe. I will contact you again soon.

Nico.

My heartbeat sped up just being able to read something from Nico to let me know he was okay. I read the note several times before folding it back up. Olivier was smitten with me? I wondered how much danger that put Nico into and how they were going to get nearby sovereigns involved. It also concerned me that Nico was leaving out some important information – he tended to do that when he thought it would upset or worry me. I cursed myself for picking Paris to go to first. If I had just come to Italy first, none of this would have ever happened.
But it did, so now what?

I would just have to wait for Nico to contact me again. It started to make sense. That was why the refrigerator was so well stocked. Nico didn’t want me to leave the apartment. I wondered how he was able to get into the apartment without Olivier seeing him. I knew they each probably had their own different strengths or powers or whatever, but still. Mind control didn’t work on other vampires, did it? I doubted it, which means that maybe, just maybe, Costin was able to help throw Olivier off my scent for a little while.

I looked at my watch and realized that it was time to get ready for work. Maybe this was the distraction I needed. I thought about calling in, but when I thought about what was waiting for me in some of the stores in Tornabuoni, I realized how badly I wanted the money to get some new things for my closet. I could probably ask Nico to buy things for me, but it would be more satisfying if I took care of it on my own. Walking over to the bar would take me a little longer from here than from the hotel, though.

After getting my makeup on and a gray pin-stripe vest on over my black pants, I was ready to go. Walking there wasn’t bothering me because it was still light out. I wondered if I could talk Matt, Giancarlo, or one of the servers to walk me home after we closed? Would it put them in danger, too?

***

“Ciao,” I said, walking in the employee entrance at Yankee. I saw Giancarlo was working with me again tonight and he was already cutting fruit for the garnish station so I jumped behind the bar to start stocking the beer cooler.

He gave me a nod and kept on cutting limes. He wasn’t very talkative until he took a few shots Matt wasn’t supposed to know about right before the rush hit. I was happy to see Giancarlo tonight because he was as outgoing as I was behind the bar, which was great because it helped fill up the tip jar quicker, too.

Like I suspected, we were getting low on Red Bull, so I added it to the list of things to get from the back.

“So you can pretty much drop a shot of anything into the Red Bull and people will drink it, yeah?” Giancarlo asked.

I laughed. Sounds like he’s been experimenting while I’ve been gone. “Yeah. It’s popular, isn’t it?”

I grabbed my list and headed to the walk in cooler in the kitchen. As I was walking back out with a case in tow, Matt caught up to me.

“You were right,” he said, following me through the dining room. “We went through a case and a half the other night. I got a few more cases in, but they go quicker when you or Giancarlo are here. Are you sure I can’t convince you to pick up a few more shifts? I mean, you can’t tell me three shifts a week is enough to keep your finances afloat, right?”

I could tell the urgency in his voice for me to agree to more nights, but I had enough on my plate right now.

I shook my head. “I’d love to help you out, I just can’t right now.” I hoisted the case on top of the bar and Giancarlo grabbed it to bring over to the other side.

“Okay. Just let me know if you change your mind. The offer stays on the table.” Matt walked back to the dining room and started to gather up some of the servers for a meeting and I went back behind the bar.

I went through a mental list of everything I needed around me tonight. I was ready for the rush and was happy to have the distraction in front of me so I could take a breather from the past twenty-four hours of stress. I watched as Matt opened the doors and pushed vampire politics to the back of my mind as the bar started to fill up.

Giancarlo downed two shots of whiskey and I saw the smile appear on his face almost instantly. He glanced sideways at me and knew he was ready. I gave him a nudge with my elbow and smiled. “You ready?”

“Oh yeah,” he responded, pulling out his lighter from his back pocket. “Let’s do this.”

Within moments, the bar was full with hands waving Euros in front of us and shouting drinks over masses of people.

Matt came over to me after locking the front door. I was perched on the edge of the bar, downing a bottle of water after a crazy night. “Good night?” he asked.

“Very,” I commented. “Thanks.”

He pushed his hair out of his face. “You and Giancarlo make a good team. I wish all my bartenders got into the flair like the two of you. I’ve never seen a show like what you guys do.”

I smiled. It was true. He and I really got a large crowd going. My days of bartending years ago paid off. I enjoyed nights where I reveled in the crowds and just mindlessly poured drinks and twirled bottles. “I’m still not picking up another shift for you.”

“Was I that obvious?” He smiled and attempted to use his schoolboy good looks to charm me.

I nodded, jumping down from the bar. “I’m gonna get out of here. I’ll see you on Saturday.”

Maria, who was one of the servers, was leaving as I did. She was a little flaky but friendly nonetheless. I walked with her a few blocks and talked to her about nothing in particular. I know I shouldn’t be walking alone at night so some company was better than nothing. Her English wasn’t great, but as I looked at the tight shirt across her chest, I knew she wasn’t hired for her great conversational skills.

As I walked the last few blocks in the dark by myself, my heart sped a little more, anticipating something. When a bird chirped, I jumped. My eyes were glued to every moving object and anything that lurked in the shadows. Not that I knew what would happen if something did jump out at me, yet I prepared myself nonetheless.

Luckily, nothing came of it. Costin must have resolved everything as he had promised.