The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection(44)

“Just one more, and then we have to get on with learning.” He adjusted himself in the chair and played again. This time, the tune was faster, but my reaction to it was the same. I’d never felt such a pull to someone before, not even Gavin.

That day, he left his guitar in my room and every day thereafter he would play me a song before we started lessons. Alice came into the room for the song as well, and we would both sit like star-struck kids and watch him play.

If, anything, it made the days enjoyable.



Months passed far faster than I expected they would. The wet, colorful days of spring turned into summer, and I was able to spend more time outside. I didn’t like being in the house all the time. It was too confining without any windows to let the light in.

One day in July, after a practice session with my fire power ability, I quietly slipped inside the house and took my shoes off by the front door so I wouldn’t track anything all over the beautiful floors Alice had spent so much time cleaning. I hurried upstairs.

The silence of the house was thick. I had noticed several times recently that I could almost hear the air as it passed by my ears. On my way down the hallway, I heard a slight clanking noise coming from the opposite end of the hall from my room.

Knowing Alice was downstairs asleep and Trevor’s rooms were also downstairs, I decided to check it out. I turned around and crept silently over the carpet, listening as closely as I could.

I was actually a little afraid some random vampire might be roaming around, and I had nothing to protect myself.

Wait, I did have something.

I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes. I flexed my hands by opening and closing them, pulling energy from around me, letting it fill me up. I opened my eyes and continued down the hall. Another sound came from the room Trevor had said not to go in because he used it for his office. I was kind of nosey, but I had never had the urge to go in there. The noise sounded more like a squeak that time.

I came to a stop in front of the door and took a deep breath, wondering if it would be better to try to open the door quietly or to fling it open and storm inside. I flexed my hands again and reached for the knob.

“Stop hovering out there and open the door, Chloe.”

I jumped back away from the door at the sound of Trevor’s voice. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath and my heart was beating rapidly in my chest. I let out a long, slow breath before I grasped the handle and opened the door.

The first thing I noticed about his office was the gigantic desk made of a heavy dark wood. It was littered with stacks of books, and papers were scattered across it. It was a little shocking, because Trevor was normally such a neat freak. The laptop sitting amongst the clutter kind of ticked me off, too.

The next thing I noticed was that the room had a window. It was covered by thick curtains, but they were left open just a crack, just enough to let sunlight stream through, leaving a long strip of light that cut across the carpet.

Trevor sat leaning back in his office chair with his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. He was staring at the stream of light that was only mere inches away from his feet.

“What are you doing?” I asked, approaching him.

He looked depressed. He looked how I felt when I thought about everyone at the community. I missed them something fierce.

His gaze didn’t stray from the light. “I am dreaming of the past and wishing for the future.” He waved his hand toward the chair on the other side of his desk. “Please, sit with me.”

I dragged the chair beside his so we could stare at the strip of sunlight together. Like him, I kicked my feet out in front of me and crossed them. After about three minutes of complete silence, I asked him “Why are you sitting here staring at sunshine on the floor.”

He almost cracked a grin. “Do you know what a vampire most desires, Chloe?”

“Blood?”

He shook his head. “No, most vampires detest having to drink blood. We do love it, and we do desire it, when the bloodlust kicks in, but it is most certainly not what we desire most.”

“Well, I don’t know then.”

He rocked his chair a little bit. “I have not rested my eyes upon a sunrise for almost a thousand years. I rarely see any sunlight, other than shafts shining onto a floor or wall.” He gestured at the floor, “The daylight is my enemy, an enemy I shall never defeat. A vampire most desires what he cannot have, the sunlight. The day.”

I bowed my head. “Oh.”

“What do you most desire, Chloe.”

I thought for a moment before answering. “I’ve never really thought about it. I don’t know… my mother I guess, if we're talking things we want but can never have.”

He ignored my sass, like he usually did. He simply nodded.



About two months later, we were having dinner and Trevor made a surprising announcement. “Chloe, tomorrow night, we are going to entertain some friends. I think it’s time I introduce you.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Why haven’t you asked them over before to introduce me?”

“I’ve asked them to stay away to give you time to adjust.” He pushed his full plate away, looking irritated. “Alice,” he called out. She popped her head around the corner. “Would you bring me a glass of the reserve wine?”

“Yes, Mr. Trevor.” She disappeared.