Page 33 of Vampire's Breath

I chuckled. “No, you shouldn’t.” I looked down at my hands. “I don’t think that will happen, even if I want it to. Lorcan has clarified that he will help me with this research, but wants nothing more to do with me.” My voice was more strained than I wanted it to be, and a sadness settled in my chest.

“He doesn’t know what he missed on the flight here.” She laughed lightly, but there was a flicker of something—amusement or perhaps a secret she wasn’t sharing—in her eyes before she pointed at another set of steps. “To the guest chambers. There are also a few rooms for household staff up here, but Cormac has given them some time off.”

We ascended to the third floor, the stairs creaking under us. At the top, Rory opened the first door, revealing an opulent space.

“This should work for you,” she said with a smile. I followed her into the room.

The sitting room was luxurious, the marble fireplace mantel gleaming in the faint light. Thick forest-green velvet curtains framed the large windows. The sitting room had a sofa and a chair in the center. In front of the fireplace, two chairs flanked a small table, perfect for a cozy meal. Through the open door beside the fireplace, I could glimpse the bedroom. The bed rested on the far wall with its intricately carved Victorian headboard and a bench at the end.

“You have a bathroom through that door, which also connects to the bedroom,” said Rory, pointing at a door farther down the wall from the one next to the fireplace. I crept forward, my heart in my throat. How could I stay in this home that was worlds away from my life? I would have to pretend I was in a lavish hotel.

I walked through the door to the bedroom. An armoire matching the bed stood along the wall outside the bathroom.

Rory followed me in. “I’ll see that Paul brings your bags up.” She gestured to the armoire. “If you need anything, check in there first. If it’s not there, let us know. The house is entirely stocked for surprise guests.”

I frowned. “What do you mean, stocked?”

Rory laughed. “Boxing Day takes on a whole new meaning here. Cormac explained it to me because we don’t even have Boxing Day in Savannah.”

I tilted my head.

“Instead of boxing up leftovers, the O’Cillian staff boxes up entire wardrobes. Aine—Cormac and Lorcan’s mother—has given strict instructions that no one should need to bring anything when traveling to an O’Cillian home. Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the staff empties every dresser and cabinet, then purchases entirely new wardrobes. They help themselves to whatever they want before donating the rest.”

“But…”

“Don’t ask. It makes no sense to me, either. Cormac told me once it is her way of showing the utmost hospitality.”

“How strange,” I murmured.

Rory nodded. “But it’s convenient when we travel—we pack light.”

“Except for your private jet,” I teased.

Rory smirked. “Well, there is that.”

I traced a finger along the edge of the bed’s carved headboard, marveling at the level of detail. The opulence was overwhelming, a stark contrast to the simplicity of my life back home. “Was your life like this before you met Cormac?”

Rory shook her head. “Oak Leaf Hallow isn’t nearly this grand, but it is just about as historic. I’d barely left that city when Cormac and I met.”

We returned to the sitting room, and I gestured for her to sit. She settled in gracefully. My gaze fell to the set of silver pendants against her chest, each delicately carved with a large cat. I raised my eyes to hers and smiled. It seemed she never took them off. I wondered about their significance, but I didn’t want to intrude.

She lifted her hand to the necklace. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

I leaned forward, clasping my hands together. “I still don’t understand Lorcan’s issue with his family.”

Rory’s smile faltered, and she glanced at the window as if searching for the right words, her hands smoothing over the fabric of her skirt. “Have you tried asking him about it? There is only so much I can share.”

I frowned, frustration bubbling up. It was a conversation I’d tried to broach with both Lorcan and Rory over the past week. Now, her evasiveness only deepened my curiosity, and I gripped the edge of my seat. “All he ever says is he’ll help me learn what happened to Lady Isobel, but I shouldn’t be involved with his family.” My gaze dropped to the coffee table. “Or him.”

Rory’s smile turned knowing. “And that’s not what you want? You know, you’ve never outright said.”

Heat rose to my cheeks as my fingers curled into the hem of my shirt. “No,” I admitted softly, the weight of the truth catching me off guard. “I just keep hoping…”

“The O’Cillian boys are a little difficult to resist, aren’t they?” Rory’s voice held a hint of amusement. “I wanted nothing to do with Cormac when I met him, but that all changed. Lorcan has more trouble with his family than most. Work with him to find what you need and let him broach the subject of their past. One thing I know for certain—if Lorcan told you he would help you learn the truth, you will.”

I laughed softly, realizing we had spoken little about the journal in our time together. “Did anyone tell you why I insisted he help me?”

Rory shook her head.

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