A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)(60)

Four Imen servants—two males and two females—came out, waiting at the base of the stairs with blank expressions and dull brown eyes. They seemed accustomed to their roles but unable to look us directly in the eyes.

“I must retreat to my quarters upstairs for the rest of the evening,” Rowan said, then waved at the servants and Vincent. “But please take full advantage of Vincent and our servants for whatever you may need. I hope you find whatever could help find my daughter. I have a feeling she might still be alive.”

“Are you just hopeful, or…?” Heron asked, and got instantly slapped over the shoulder by Avril.

“No, I can feel it in my soul,” Rowan replied, unaffected by the young Mara’s bluntness. “A mother feels these things…”

She then gave us a polite nod and went up the stairs, vanishing behind a set of walnut double doors. I glanced around the salon again, my gaze instinctively settling on the Imen servants.

“Did you know Sienna well?” I asked them. Vincent moved closer to my side. I could’ve sworn he was doing it on purpose. Maybe he’d noticed that I found him attractive, which could prove to be a problem for my mission here. I shook the thought away and focused on the Imen instead.

“We did, milady,” one female replied in a neutral tone. “She was the light of our eyes, our joy to live, in many ways.”

“She was soft, and sweet, and kind,” said the other female, “and always had a good thought for anyone she crossed paths with.”

“She was—” one male started to say, but Heron cleared his throat loud enough to interrupt him.

“How about we go see Sienna’s room,” Heron said, “instead of standing here and hearing about what a wonderful person she was? Don’t get me wrong, she sounds great, but we’ll never find her like this.”

“You are right.” Vincent gave him a weak smile, then walked up the stairs, motioning us to follow him. “This way, please.”

We went after him, and I gave the Imen a sideways glance as I passed them. They didn’t even bother to look. They seemed almost catatonic. I pulled Heron to the side for a brief second, while Avril moved up, following Vincent.

“Can you try to use your mind-bending on them when you get a chance?” I whispered.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely try,” he replied. “They seem fishy to you too, huh?”

I nodded, then quickly joined Avril’s side. We reached the first floor and were taken to Sienna’s bedroom. There was definitely something off about those Imen, but we all knew we had to be careful not to piss off our hosts. There was a lot we’d yet to understand about their way of life, so we had to be smart and discreet if we wanted to look into it.

Sienna’s bedroom was beautiful, its walls clad in emerald-green silk wallpaper with gold details, and a gorgeous canopy bed in the middle, its white organza curtains moving gently in the evening breeze. The windows had been left open, and the temperature was a little lower than the comfortable average. The furniture was mostly warm chestnut with brass accents, and the wooden floor was polished and laminated to perfection, the overhead chandelier’s reflection almost a mirror image.

“This is beautiful,” I murmured, gazing at the painted ceiling.

“Yes, my sister decorated it.” Vincent smiled. “She’s very good at this kind of thing…”

“You know, there’s no point in all of us checking one room,” Avril said. “Are there other rooms that Sienna used frequently?”

“The study.” Vincent nodded. “It’s the room next door. It’s open.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed Heron by the wrist and walked out.

I took a deep breath, trying not to laugh at Heron’s mischievous smirk.

“You know, you remind me of her, just a little,” Vincent said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Of whom?”

“Sienna. Though your hair is brighter, and your eyes are… different.”

“Different?”

“Stunning.” He blinked once, slow enough to make that message clear.

I nodded politely, then proceeded to scan the room, paying attention to every detail.

“So, you said nothing is missing from her personal effects.” I changed the subject, slightly alarmed by the tremor in my voice.

“Absolutely nothing,” he replied, also looking around. “It’s like she simply vanished.”

I reached one of the chests of drawers, pulling the first handle and revealing a plethora of lingerie articles, all fine laces and satins in a wide range of pastel colors. I couldn’t help but stare at them, wondering whether Sienna was wearing such sensual articles for herself or for someone else. Perhaps a lover.

“Do you wear these where you come from?” Vincent’s voice sent chills through my limbs. He’d moved so close to me without me noticing, I was beginning to think he really was doing this on purpose.

“What do you mean, where I come from?”

“I don’t know… Where do you come from?” He grinned. “My mother says you and your vampire friends are not from Eritopia. Neither are the fae and the dragon.”

“Let’s just say I’m from another planet.” I smiled politely.

“I see. And are there vampires as pretty as you on that other planet?”