Love Your Entity(42)
“He doesn’t seem very nice,” Zoe noted. “He just broke a mirror inside the house.”
“Uh-oh,” Bruce said. “Seven years’ bad luck.”
“That’s just a superstition,” Zoe stated before asking Sierra, “What about your cut? Are you okay?”
“What’s going on out here?” Tanya demanded as she came rushing down the sidewalk to join them. “I happened to be in the Vamptown security center watching surveillance screens and saw everybody gathered around Sierra. Is something wrong?”
“I’m okay,” Sierra said.
“Then why are you bothering her? I told you, she needs to be writing. Everyone step away from the world-famous author,” Tanya ordered.
“I’m not that famous,” Sierra said.
“And modest too. The sign of a true talent,” Tanya said. “Back up, people. Get a move on.”
“How did you know we were out here?” Zoe said.
“I told you. The surveillance cameras. But there is no audio out here. Why are you all out here anyway?” Tanya tugged her faux-fur coat tighter. “Zoe, were you having hot flashes again? Menopause is a bitch, huh?”
“I am not menopausal,” Zoe growled.
“Trouble?” Damon inquired as he strolled over.
“Yes,” Tanya said. “These … people are bothering Sierra when she needs to be working on her next book.”
“Sierra knows we’re vampires,” Damon said.
“Wait a second,” Sierra said. “Don’t vampires have to be invited in before they can enter a place?”
“Yes,” Damon said. “You invited me and Nick in when you moved in. And Ronan was already there. It’s his house according to Vampire law.”
“I didn’t invite Tanya in,” Sierra said.
“The previous resident did,” Tanya said. “I only need to be invited into a location once within the past six months. What, you don’t believe that I was here and invited before? Check the surveillance tape.”
“The cameras don’t work in the house,” Damon said.
“No, but they work on the front porch,” Tanya said.
Damon checked his smartphone. “Okay. Your story was confirmed.”
“I should hope so,” Tanya said. “Now please leave Sierra alone so she can get back to work on her story. The one she’s writing about her kick-ass ghost-busting heroine Nicki’s adventures here in Chicago. All of you, go away!”
“Not gonna happen,” Ronan said.
Tanya sighed. “Okay, you can stay, but everyone else—”
“Is coming inside.” Ronan’s voice was steely, the look in his eyes daring anyone to contradict him.
Chapter Twelve
Sierra entered her house followed by a bunch of vampires. Yet another surreal moment to add to the growing number of them indelibly imprinted on her mind since arriving here in Chicago … or more specifically here in this house in a neighborhood she’d just learned was known as Vamptown. At least the local vampire residents referred to it as such. She doubted it showed up that way on Google Maps.
“I just want to confirm something,” she said. “I’m guessing that unless you have fangs, you don’t know anything about Vamptown.”
“You don’t have fangs, and you know about it,” Ronan said.
“I don’t have fangs and neither does my grandmother,” Zoe said. “We both know about it.”
“I know about it too,” Daniella said as she joined them for the first time. Nick was by her side. “And I don’t have fangs,” she added.
Sierra was confused. “So tons of people know? I would have thought that its very existence would be top secret and unknown to humans.”
“That was the plan,” Nick said.
“Is it safe?” Zoe asked, looking around nervously. Pointing to the broken shards of glass from the mirror still on the floor, she asked, “Do you want me to clean that up for you?”
“That would be nice but I can do it,” Sierra said.
“Not as fast as I can,” Zoe said with a wave of her hand. Presto, the glass was gone.
Sierra was speechless.
Tanya wasn’t. “Show-off,” she muttered.
“You’re sure that Hal won’t try to bombard us with something else?” Zoe said.
Sierra shook her head.
“You’re not sure?” Zoe said.
“I meant he can’t do that. He doesn’t have unlimited power,” Sierra said. “He’ll have to shut down to recharge, so to speak.”
“Like the electric car I almost bought,” Zoe said.
“You need to invite Pat and Bruce in,” Ronan told Sierra.