Page 21 of Incandescence

I swallowed a groan. Our first time together would be in private, her gasps for my ears only, her nakedness for my eyes alone.

We entered a crowded living room, my stare meeting the older brother’s. He grinned on seeing us and lifted a hand before he turned toward his younger brother and shouted, “Hey, Daryl, look who just showed up!”

Daryl pulled himself away from a knot of semi-adults drinking beers and passing around a bong. A goofy grin lit up his face at seeing us. “Well, fuck me, this is unexpected.”

He approached us in a swaggering and unsteady gait, then leaned down and kissed Maya on the lips. Before I could react, he turned and planted a kiss on my mouth too.

I swiped at my lips and he barked out a laugh and said, “Don’t worry, mate, I might be partial to both.” He grabbed his groin and gave it a gleeful rub. “But my birthday gift left me completely drained.” He twisted around and said, “You’ve met my brother, Rory, and these here are my mates—bozos the lot of ‘em, but I wouldn’t be without them.”

I followed him and stayed polite as he introduced us to one friend after another, one of whom nodded even as he blew a thick plume of smoke our way. I clamped my lips at the bong smoke. How high would we be by the end of the night?

At least it might hold off our blood cravings for a little longer.

“So grab yourselves some beers and enjoy the party,” Daryl ended, somehow speaking clearly while sucking down the last of his own beer and looking as if a breeze would blow him off balance.

When he disappeared through a haze of smoke and music which was louder than tolerable, we grabbed a beer each and walked freely through the house. We needed to check out its layout and try to formulate some kind of plan.

But it was a ground-level house, with nothing to shield us from a vampire who could brainwash possibly everyone in the room—particularly when they were high on weed and numbed by alcohol.

I turned to Maya. “This won’t work—”

My words froze as I watched one of the partygoers lift a hatch that was concealed in the hallway floor, before the man disappeared underground to what I assumed was a cellar.

Maya noticed too, her face relaxing just a little as she twisted back to face me. “Maybe it will work?” she suggested.

I looked around. No one was taking much notice of anyone else. If we could slip inside the cellar and stay there the night, without anyone seeing us, even a vampire’s brainwashing wouldn’t matter. He might sense we were around, but the cloying scents of smoke and sweat might put him off our trail.

I turned to Maya. “See if you can grab some blankets, anything clean. I’ll get the party distracted somehow.”

When she went to do as I asked, I caught her arm and murmured, “Stay where there are people.”

“I will,” she said, before disappearing through the crowd.

I watched her go, reassuring myself she’d be okay, even as the hatch lifted and the guest climbed out, a bottle of rum in one hand and a bag of something else in the other.

I blew out a slow breath and stepped toward the brothers. It was time to make a distraction.

Daryl was now fighting to stand, but I gave him full marks for lasting the distance with so many toxins in his body. I turned to his older brother, Rory. “Hey, great party.”

He nodded. “Fucking oath it is.”

I grinned. “Only one thing’s missing...”

Rory swayed. He looked as though he was catching up to his younger brother in the drinking stakes. His bleary stare focused on me. “Yeah?”

“You had a hooker.”

Rory’s face split into a wide grin. “Yeah, I shared some pussy with my brother.”

“So, where’re the strippers?” I leaned close. “Or is one of these gorgeous women going to put on a show?”

He nodded, a light in his eyes. “You’re fucking right!” He looked around the room, his voice booming over the music. “I need a beautiful volunteer.” Everyone turned to him. “Which sexy woman wants to perform a striptease?” He held up a bag of weed and shouted, “With this as the prize!”

At the cheers and hoots of encouragement, I faded back into the crowd. When the music changed into something hot and seductive, I smiled. No one would notice us disappear into the cellar.

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