Page 2 of Help Wanted, Vampires Inquire Within
It was daytime, so all the vampires that might want to kidnap her were safely tucked indoors. That didn’t mean the danger was zero, but being able to do this was worth it.
She could’ve woken Mason, but he was exhausted. He spent all day working, then a good portion of the night guarding her while they interviewed vampires to see if any of them appealed to her. She felt so guilty, but he refused to leave. He even paid for stuff out of his own pocket as her savings account dwindled.
“I’ll pay him back someday,” she swore. Yeah, she thought sourly, lifting up a handful of sand and letting it fall from her partially closed fist. She’d pay him back right after she learned to turn hope into gold.
No, that wasn’t the right attitude. She wasn’t going to let herself spiral. Mason didn’t need her gloom and doom on top ofeverything else. No longer being a burden to him was the first step. Paying him back was the second, so there was no point in thinking about it yet.
Determined to be positive, she took the last few swallows of her coffee and got up. “I come from a long line of nymphs who all found their land. I can’t be the first landless nymph in nine generations. That’s impossible.”
She tossed her empty cup in a trash can. With her head held high, she headed back to the building that housed Joy on the first floor and her and Mason in the apartment above. She’d snuck out without telling anyone, and if she didn’t get back before Mason woke up, he’d worry. He was so kind and gentle to her; the last thing she wanted to do was cause him distress.
She sensed danger only seconds before twenty look-alike men stepped out in front of her.
“I knew my luck was looking up after I caught that damn wolf Carter in the alley the other night,” the guy at the front said. He was the human all the durmin surrounding him were modeled after. He worked for a vampire named McConnell, and this was the second time he’d found her alone and vulnerable.
Last time, she was able to duck into Joy and find rescue. This time, he and all the magical copies were standing between her and the bar.
She didn’t bother standing around talking. Turning, she ran.
The sugary coffee and her time sitting on the beach had recharged her a little. She put everything she had into moving.
“Goddamn it! Fucking bitch,” the guy cussed. “Chase her down and bring her back to me!”
She heard feet pounding behind her. The good thing was that the durmin were only as fast as the human they were modeled after. This human wasn’t fast enough to catch a nymph in flight.
Unfortunately, they would never get tired. She could outpace them for a while, but they could keep going until she was exhausted.
Ducking down a side street, she pushed hard to turn the next corner before they turned the first one. Looking around, she spotted a delivery box truck double-parked. The driver’s door was open, and she hopped in and ducked into the large back. She tucked herself between bags of linens and tried to calm her breathing.
She heard some commotion outside. Someone yelled, and there was a scuffle. The truck rocked, and there was more yelling, but also many feet continuing on.
“Weirdos,” a man grumbled as he got into the truck. She hoped he would settle into the driver’s seat and leave, but instead, he moved into the back where she was hiding. “I don’t need any—what the hell?” he exclaimed when he saw her. He was carrying several bags and dumped them at her feet, and pointed at the still open door of the truck.
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I’m not a damn taxi!”
“Please,” she begged. “I only need to hide for a little while.”
“Not in here you don’t,” he answered. “Call the police if you’re in trouble.”
“You don’t understand,” she said even as he reached down and grabbed her arm to haul her to her feet.
“You’re the one who doesn't understand,” he countered, pulling her to the front of the truck, then pushing her out the door. “I’ve got one more stop before I get to go home and sleep until my second job starts. I don’t have time for some college students playing stupid games.”
She stumbled into the street and saw the durmin ahead. For a second, she thought her luck had changed. They were all facing away, and she might be able to make her escape.
The truck driver leaned out of his window. “Come get your girl, and all of you go sleep it off. Too much partying and not enough studying! None of you know how lucky you are!”
The durmin all turned at once as the truck made a U-turn behind her and drove away. She wasted precious seconds looking around for the best direction to run when the sound of massive wings beating the air made her look up.
Mason, in his gargoyle form, was swooping down. She thought he was going to land between her and the durmin, but instead he grabbed hold of her and beat his wings hard to gain altitude. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, equal parts thrilled and terrified as they went higher. Once they could clear the nearby buildings, he winged around in a graceful arch.
His gargoyle body was much harder than his human form, but still warm to the touch. His powerful arms held her tight against his chest, and she knew even if she let go, she was safe from falling.
Soon, he slowed and descended a little to land on a familiar roof. Anatoly tried to make the space comfortable for Skyler when everyone realized that leaving the building was dangerous. The furniture and the table with a built-in fire pit was nice, but it wasn’t enough to keep a nymph happy.
No matter how comfortable the space was, separating her further from the earth wasn’t going to go over well.
He stopped after a few running steps. She expected him to carry her down the stairs to the studio apartment they shared, but instead, he set her down and stepped back, his expression furious.
