Black Sunshine (Dark Eyes 1)

After Solon brought me to his skull storage space, we went our separate ways. He said he had some work to do—whatever the hell that is, perhaps finding another vampire to kidnap—and I decided to spend time in the library, going through the books. It reminded me of being young and my parents plunking me at the San Francisco Public Library where I would spend hours and hours, except this time I was actively looking for books on witchcraft that might help me. Solon seems to think I have a large amount of power in me, so it only makes sense to try and figure out how to use it, even though I find it hard to believe.

It was a good distraction at first. Kept me from thinking about Elle, kept me from thinking about Solon and his past. But after a while those thoughts crept up and overwhelmed me. I cried for a bit, then moved on.

Yvonne made a dinner for me, with Amethyst and Wolf joining us in the dining room. Solon and Ezra were elsewhere. Wolf didn’t even touch his food, a chicken Caesar salad, which made me wonder why he was having dinner to begin with. Perhaps to keep an eye on me, with Solon not there—always the babysitter. Though if he were keeping an eye on anyone it would be Amethyst. I swear that vampire was staring at her every other moment, and she seemed completely oblivious. I guess you have to be impervious to a vampire’s gaze in this house, or you’d never get anything done.

After dinner, I brought a bottle of wine up to my room and drank the whole thing alone. I thought about calling my parents, but decided there was no way I could emotionally deal with them at the moment. Their emotions would be flying high, and I know I’m not stable. One thing at a time.

So I went to sleep in a drunken fit of tears and confusion, hoping that at some point I’d feel Solon’s presence in the room. But that never happened.

This morning I woke up with puffy eyes and a bit of a hangover, but thankfully a long hot shower took care of that. I slowly get dressed into my leggings and a long t-shirt, toweling off my hair, wondering what I’m going to do today before the party starts. The fact that I didn’t see Solon at all after our talk bothers me a little, makes me feel untethered. I don’t mind being in this house, and I do feel safe, but it’s starting to feel a little bit like the hotel in a way. I’m safe, as long as I’m inside. But most of the things I want to do are outside.

I slide on a pair of slippers I found in the closet and head out into the hall.

To my surprise, the roses are alive again, blooming and bleeding. It’s both beautiful and disturbing. I walk over to them, studying them closely.

It’s an incredible feeling to know I brought these back to life.

And the fact that they’re still alive means that Solon hasn’t been on my floor, let alone any other vampire.

I stop on the staircase and look up to where his room is. But as persistent as I have been with him, I’ve been telling myself I need to back off. I’ve been in pursuit of him recently, and I think I need to leave the ball in his court now. He knows how I feel about him. He knows that very well.

Instead, I head down to the kitchen to see Yvonne puttering about. She pours me a cup of coffee and then opens the blinds, making me flinch as the sunlight streams in.

“Sorry,” she says. “You don’t mind, do you?”

I stare at her through pinched eyes. “Not at all,” I say dryly.

“You know, Mr. Stavig told me that since you’re only half-vampire, you’ll adjust to things much quicker,” she says, sitting down across from me with her own cup of coffee, a plate of cookies between us. She flicks the plate with her finger, moving it closer to me. “Eat,” she demands. “I suppose since your mother isn’t here, I have to be on you to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

I hesitantly reach for a cookie, my stomach growling a little. “I think I have a steeper learning curve than the others. At least with a full-on vampire you know exactly what to expect. I have no idea. I don’t think anyone else does, either.”

“Well,” she says after a moment, swallowing her coffee, “that may be true, but there are half-human, half-vampire hybrids. Maybe there will be some at the party you can talk to.”

The mention of the party brings a wave of nausea over me, but I swallow it down.

I stare at Yvonne over my mug. “So, you have to tell me. How did you and Amethyst get roped into all this business?”

Yvonne gives me a quick smile. “It’s a long story.”

“I have all the time in the world.”

“Yes, but I don’t,” she says. “This house, these boys, it takes up more time than I’ll ever have.” Then she sighs, sitting back in her chair, tapping her nails on the oak table. “I’ll keep it short. Perhaps if you find me with some gin some evening, I’ll tell you more.”

She takes a cookie and nibbles on the end thoughtfully. “I’ve always been very open-minded. My mother practiced witchcraft, but she wasn’t a hereditary witch. Just a normal person who had success with herbal remedies and the like. A kitchen and garden witch, if you will. Such a common thing these days. So when Amethyst told me that there were vampires, not just in the Bay Area, but in the world, it didn’t feel impossible to me. If anything, I was worried. I forbade her from going to Dark Eyes, no matter how safe she said it was. She was so fascinated, you see. She didn’t let them feed on her, but she just wanted to be a part of…this life. Your life.”

She goes quiet for a moment, her grey-blue eyes growing cold. “She was walking home late one night from here, we lived just up on Laurel Heights, and she was…attacked.” I gasp. She notes my expression and quickly adds, “Not by a vampire. But by a human predator. She was…assaulted, almost killed, but then…Mr. Stavig showed up. He has a sense, you see, for those in danger. He saved her. He saved my daughter. And for that, I am forever in his debt.”

Whoa. That is a lot to take in. Poor Amethyst. No wonder they’re both so devoted to him.

“That’s awful,” I say. “What happened to the attacker?”

Yvonne gives me a measured look, as if to say, what do you think happened?

I nod. I have a feeling that asshole’s skull won’t be in Solon’s locker.

After that, Yvonne ge

ts back to work, and with my curiosity about her and Amethyst somewhat satisfied, I go into the library for a bit, looking for more books, and secretly hoping that Absolon will find me.