Love Your Entity(10)

“You’re braver than I am,” Daniella said.

Sierra carefully folded the cupcake liner and dropped it in her now empty coffee mug. “I don’t know about that.”

Sierra certainly wasn’t as brave as Nicki Champion, the heroine in her books. Although, the more time she spent writing about Nicki, the more Sierra took up the gauntlet of courage and control. Which was why she hadn’t turned tail and run when she’d seen Naked Ronan.

Those days of being afraid of her own shadow were over. It was time to put down roots for a bit and she might as well start here, with her great-uncle’s house. It would take her seven months to finish the book she’d just started writing. Since it revolved around a bootlegging Chicago Mob plot dating back to 1920s, this was the perfect place to find inspiration.

So, yeah, she didn’t give up easily. To her way of thinking that just made her persistent, not brave. Because if she really were brave, she wouldn’t still want to run sometimes.

Another crash came from the kitchen. “That better not be my Keurig,” Sierra growled.

* * *

Ronan sat on the closed casket on the basement floor. Nick sat beside him. Nick had come in from the tunnels leading beneath the house that dated back to the bootlegging days during Prohibition. That all had happened after Ronan had been turned. When he’d grown up in this house he’d been afraid to come down here. Now nothing scared him.

Not true. The possibility that he couldn’t save his sister’s soul scared him.

“You like the dark,” Nick noted.

“I live in the dark,” Ronan said.

“You won’t have to after tomorrow,” Nick said.

Part of Ronan would always remain in the dark. There hadn’t been any lights guiding him home. Only desperation.

He’d arrived here in the dark. Being able to survive sunlight meant he’d have more opportunity to find the key to breaking Voz’s hold on Adele’s soul. It didn’t mean that his afterlife would be all light and cheery.

Ronan pointed upstairs. “Can’t you get rid of her?”

“I assume you are referring to Sierra?”

Ronan nodded. “You’re in charge here—”

“No,” Nick corrected him. “The council is in charge. I’m not even the most senior member of the council. Pat Heller is. He’s been here in Vamptown the longest.”

“Were there vampires here when I lived here as a human?”

“Probably. You’d have to ask Pat. You could have asked him when he gave you the tattoo. Why didn’t you?” Nick said.

Ronan just shrugged and absently rubbed the back of his neck and the inked fleur-de-lis there. Instead of answering, he changed the subject. “Did Damon tell you that Sierra can’t be compelled?”

Even though it was pitch-dark, Ronan could see Nick nod.

“She’s not the only one. Daniella can’t be compelled either.”

“So human women can’t be compelled here in Vamptown?” Ronan was incredulous. “How does that work?”

“It wouldn’t work. Daniella is a hybrid,” Nick reminded him. “She’s part druid.”

“Then that’s what Sierra must be.”

“She’s not. We already checked her.”

“How?”

“You already know we have surveillance cameras all over Vamptown and in the buildings as well.”

“Right.”

“For some reason, we can’t get them to work well in this particular house. But we used the image we got of her entering the house and put it through our computers’ specialized heat sensor test,” Nick said. “If she had any druid or vampire blood, it would have shown up in those results. She’s human.”

“She’s not a normal human. I’m sure of it. Maybe she’s a witch or something. Do your computers show that?”

“No. But your neighbors are witches and they would know if she’s a witch. Damon checked with them the moment he discovered Sierra couldn’t be compelled. And she’s not a witch. But now that I think about it…”

“Yes. Now that you think about it?”

“Perhaps she can be slightly compelled. It’s not completely logical that she’d agree to let you stay here until her lawyer can be reached. I mean, what did you say your claim was to owning the house?”

Ronan tried to think back. Having a good memory was critical to a vampire but the fact that he’d been around for nearly a hundred years meant there was a lot of stuff in his head. Just as a vampire’s senses of hearing, smell, and touch were heightened, so too was his ability to remember. Which was more a curse than a blessing at times.