Lily slept through the following day, waking up just as the sun was
setting. She'd been driving for days before she stopped in Santa Carla and
her body had taken advantage of the chance for real rest. Yawning, she
explored her father's house. She found some fruit in a bowl in the kitchen
with a note promising to get more food for her. She smiled and picked up an
orange before heading back up to her room.
Lily flopped back on her bed, tossing the orange up into the air. She sighed and let her thoughts drift back to the boys on the beach and their leader, David. His eyes had captivated her, a bright Cerulean blue. Definitely gorgeous and probably dangerous. Lily shook her head, smiling to herself.
Not wanting to deal with the chore of unpacking yet, she decided to go back to the boardwalk. Lily dug out a pair of shorts and a tank top and went into the bathroom to shower. Half-hour later she was on her way into town.
The boardwalk was full of end of summer revelers. A concert was going on at one end of the boardwalk. Lily watched for a few minutes before heading toward the carousel.
It had been restored recently, the horses' paint still bright and colorful and the brass of the poles still shiny. She waited for the carousel to come to a stop before stepping on and finding a bright blue painted horse with a gold saddle. Lily climbed onto the horse and waited for the carousel to start.
"Hi Princess." The soft voice was right next to her ear and she jumped, almost falling off her horse. A hand went to her waist to keep her on.
She turned and was surprised to see the vampire named Dwayne standing next to her. "Hi."
"Didn't think we'd see you again." His dark eyes watched her carefully. She shifted in the saddle so she was half facing him.
"Why?"
"David thought we scared you." He leaned in so his mouth was against her ear. "Did we scare you?" She shook her head, unable to speak properly. Dwayne pulled back. "Good. We like you Princess."
Lily smiled. Dwayne leaned against her horse, head cocked to the side watching her. "How'd you fall in with my father?" She asked eventually.
"We're David's children. There's history between David and Max. David brought us here."
Lily sensed that Dwayne didn't want to talk about it and changed the subject. "It's nice here."
"If you don't mind the crowds."
She looked at him in surprise. "Do you?"
He shrugged noncommittally. "Overload on the senses. Good for hunting but not much else." The carousel came to a stop and Dwayne helped her down from her horse. "Where to now?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not much for rides other than the carousel."
"Sit on the rocks?" He gestured toward an outcropping of rocks a little ways down the beach.
"Okay." Lily let Dwayne lead her off the boardwalk and onto the beach. They walked down to the jetty, climbing up onto the rocks and finding a large flat boulder to sit on.
"So why'd you come to Santa Carla?" Dwayne trailed a finger down her bare arm, causing her to shiver.
She cast a sidelong glance at him. "To live with my dad."
"Where were you before?"
"My mom's." Lily looked out at the surf. "She's dead."
They fell silent. Dwayne put an arm around her and she let him. They watched the bonfires down the beach grow smaller. Lily leaned against Dwayne, content to sit by the ocean, the tide coming in slowly.
After a while, Dwayne looked around. "Tide's coming in."
Reluctantly, Lily sat up and looked over her shoulder. The water on the sides of the jetty was already a few inches deep. She stood up and held out her hand. With a smile, he placed his hand in hers, letting her help him up. He jumped off the rocks, landing with a splash in the water. With a wave, he held his arms open for her and she jumped down into them. Dwayne carried her to dry sand and set her down softly.
"Need a ride?"
She shook her head. "I've got my car."
"I'll walk you."
She looked at the water lapping at the sand for a moment and nodded. "Yeah."
Dwayne walked beside Lily, his hand at the small of her back to gently guide her. The crowds had lessened in the early hours of the morning and they easily navigated the boardwalk to the parking lot behind Max's Video. Lily's little blue coupe was the only car left in the lot.
"Thanks Dwayne." Lily fished her keys out of her pocket as they approached her car.
He cocked his head to the side. "For what?"
"Hanging out with me. It was nice." She unlocked the car door and opened it.
"I wanted to." He nodded at her car. "Drive careful."
Lily smiled. "I will. Good night."
"Night." Dwayne leaned down and kissed Lily on the cheek before disappearing. Lily shook her head and climbed into the car, starting it up and pulling out of the lot.
When she arrived home, Lily decided to do some unpacking. She put all her clothes in the armoire and toiletries in the bathroom. Books went on the shelves on either side of the windows and she set up her radio and put the box of cassettes on top of the dresser. She arranged her art supplies on the desk and set her sketchbook next to them. When she was finished, she tucked her bags under her bed.
Finally, she gathered her pajamas and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Closing her curtains, Lily climbed into bed and was soon asleep.
A loud roar from outside woke Lily up. She heard a singsong whispering, the words almost too soft to hear.
Lily . . . Lily.
She turned at the sound of her name but there was no one there.
Come with us, Lily.
Lily climbed out of bed and went to the window. Throwing open the huge bay windows, she leaned out. Three floors below her, the four Lost Boys were looking up at her.
"Wanna go for a ride Princess?" David called up to her.
"Love to but I just got up." She chewed her lip. "If you guys want to wait, I'll be ready in about fifteen."
Paul laughed. "We'll wait for you, girl." He launched himself upward, landing in a crouch on the wide ledge. "Rather wait for you inside though. Invite me in?"
Shaking her head, Lily stepped back to let him in. "Come in."
"It's like rescuing the princess from the tower. Cool." He said as climbed off the ledge.
"Let me get dressed." Lily crossed in front of him to go to her closet and he grabbed her arm.
He made a deliberate inspection of her boxers and camisole before slipping his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. "I like what you're wearing." He grinned before leaning his head down to kiss her.
"I thought you were rescuing the princess, not corrupting her." David's stern voice made them turn their heads.
"Hi David." Lily could feel a blush rising over her face.
"Lily. Invite me in?" His ever-present half smile quirked into a full smile for a moment.
Lily sighed and threw up her arms. "Sure, come in. Why don't we just invite the whole gang inside while we're at it? Boys, you wanna come up too?" She called out the window to Dwayne and Marko. A moment later they too were standing in her room.
Rolling her eyes, she pulled free of Paul and went to the dresser. She found a pair of black pants and a maroon tank top in her closet before going into her bathroom and shutting the door. When she emerged fifteen minutes later, she found the four vampires exploring her room. David and Dwayne were pulling the books that she'd arranged last night off her shelves, flipping through them and putting them back. Paul was perusing her tape collection, still in its cardboard box and Marko was looking at her sketchbook.
"Make yourself at home Boys." Lily remarked sarcastically, tossing her pajamas on the bed. She twisted her damp hair up into a messy French twist and pulled on black boots before she was ready to go.
They all looked at her. Paul put down the tape he was looking at and Marko set her sketchbook back on the desk but David and Dwayne each finished looking over her bookcases before turning to her.
"Well, do I meet your approval?" She pirouetted for them. They nodded watching her.
"Ready to go?" David stepped to the window and held a hand out to her.
"Yeah." She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her into his arms.
"It's just like jumping off a chair. Hold on to me and you won't get hurt." David spoke in her ear as he helped her onto the window ledge. "Ready?" Lily wrapped her arms around him tighter and nodded. He chuckled and launched them off the ledge.
Lily kept her eyes tightly closed during their short flight. She felt the jolt of their landing and opened them gingerly.
"Don't worry, you're still in one piece." David murmured to her as the others landed around them. "You ride with me."
"Sure."
A small smiled graced his lips. "Good. Let's go." He made a sweeping gesture toward his motorcycle.
Marko stepped forward, holding out his elaborately embroidered jean jacket to her. "You're gonna get cold." He gestured to her bare arms and back shyly.
She shrugged on the jacket. "Thanks." David was waiting for her on his motorcycle. She climbed on behind him and slipped her arms around his waist.
"Hold on tight." He warned her before starting the bike and speeding off. The trees sped past her in a blur as they roared down the street. The bike jolted as they left the road and Lily clung to David tighter. The Boys rode through the trees at breakneck speed, more than once Lily thought they were heading straight for a tree before swerving at the last moment. Emerging from the trees they pulled to a stop at the edge of a cliff. They dismounted the bikes and Lily looked around.
"Where are we?" Lily gathered Marko's jacket around herself tighter. The ride had left her chilled.
It was Paul who answered her question. "Home." He and the other Boys headed down a rickety looking staircase, disappearing from sight.
David turned to Lily. "Coming in?"
"No I thought I'd walk back home now." She smiled sweetly at him.
He shook his head and gave her a half smile. "Wise ass. Come on." He held out his hand to her and she slipped her hand in his. "Watch your step." He helped her down the rickety looking stairs.
"Welcome to our home." David reached up and put his hands on her waist to help her down onto the cave floor.
Lily looked around at the cave. A broken fountain was in the center of the room; Paul was walking around the edge of it, singing to himself. Dusty furniture was scattered around and several oil drums provided light. Further away, Dwayne was already seated on a flat rock, machine parts scattered around him. A huge four-poster bed hidden in a dark corner was shrouded in panels of gauze and velvet. "What is this?"
"Big hotel they built on the fault line. Collapsed into the ground when the big one hit in 1906." David explained, guiding her to one of the dusty couches. "Hungry?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Marko, food." Lily handed him back his jacket and the short vampire headed out of the cave without a word. "So what do you think?"
"Its cool. I like it."
She said the right thing. David's face lit up with a rare full smile. "Good. Have a seat." He gestured to a couch.
Lily stopped and looked at David for a moment. "Did my father ask you to keep me company tonight?"
He shrugged. "You have better plans? I can take you back home."
She shook her head and sat down. "No. I was just wondering if I had him to thank for your company."
"Maybe. We were gonna come see if you wanted to come out anyway. He just reinforced the idea." He offered her a cigarette.
She shook her head. "I don't smoke. It's bad for you." At his look she amended her statement. "Well, not bad for you. Bad for me."
Paul made one last lap around the fountain before jumping down and sprawling onto the couch near Lily. "What brought you to Santa Carla girl?"
"My mom died. I came to live with father."
For a moment, he looked as if he was going to say something meaningful. Then he shrugged. "That sucks."
She smiled sadly. "Certainly does."
"But hey, look on the bright side," He grinned widely, "you got to meet us."
"Saints be praised. I was wasting my life away before now." She sighed, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "You boys shall give me purpose."
David fell into the easy chair next to her. "It's what we were put here for." He looked over his shoulder at the dark haired vampire. "Dwayne, come join the party. You're being anti-social."
Dwayne raised an eyebrow at David but stood up and came over to the group, wiping his hands off on a bandana before he sat down. "Sorry, Lily."
Lily shook her head. "Its okay Dwayne."
"You want a beer or anything, Lil?" Paul asked, getting up to get beers for the guys. Lily shook her head no thanks. He shrugged and got the beers before collapsing back on the couch.
Marko appeared with a box of Chinese take out cartons a few minutes later. David saw what he brought and smiled.
"Nice choice." He murmured. He was suddenly feeling particularly cruel tonight. He ignored the warning glances Dwayne threw at him and picked up a carton, checking its contents. "You like lo mein, Lily?"
"Yeah, its fine." She accepted the carton and a pair of chopsticks from him and settled back on the couch. The lo mein was particularly good and she was hungry. The other Boys settled around the room with their own food, waiting to see what David was planning.
After a little while, David spoke up. "So how're those worms, Lily?" He asked.
Lily looked down at her lo mein in alarm but saw only noodles. "What are you talking about?" She tipped the carton so he could see the contents. "Lo mein, see?"
Paul and Marko exchanged glances over her head. She shook her head. "Next you'll be trying to tell me the rice is maggots or something. What are you in junior high?" David was dumbstruck. "Mind games don't usually work on me David. And I don't like them."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry Lil."
She nodded and went back to her food.
After a few quiet minutes Marko spoke. "We've never met a real half before. You know, one nobody made."
"So you do this to all your guests."
Paul smiled broadly. "Naw, girl. Just the one's we like."
"Good to know." She stood up, suddenly uncomfortable. "I think I'd like to go home now."
"We're sorry Lily." David stood up. She nodded and started toward the cave entrance. He turned back to the Boys. Dwayne stood up and waved their leader back down.
"I'll take her home, David."
He looked hesitant. "All right."
Dwayne found Lily standing at the cliffs edge, her arms wrapped around herself. He slipped off his coat and set it on her shoulders. She looked up at him but didn't speak. "He didn't mean anything. Its just a game."
"I don't like having games played on me." Her eyes flashed green. She was angry with all of them, David for playing the game and the rest for not stopping him.
Dwayne reached up and cupped the side of her face in his hand. "I'm sorry princess."
"Take me home?" He nodded and she turned toward the bikes.
He stopped her. "I got a quicker way." He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Hold on." He said before taking to the air.
Valdeos smiled when he saw the Welcome to Santa Carla sign. He could already sense Maximilian through the shielding he'd placed around the town. His daughter would be here and he felt something else, a pack.
As he passed by the sign, he looked over his shoulder. Across the back of the billboard was written, "Murder Capital of the World." Valdeos began to laugh, the sound growing louder as he walked away.
"Perfect."
Dwayne and Lily dropped easily out of the sky in front of Max's front door. The house was still dark.
"Do you want to come in?" Lily handed Dwayne his jacket.
He put the jacket back on. "Do you want me to?"
"I can't blame you for stupid games David wants to play." She opened the front door. "Come up and talk with me."
"About what?"
"The sun, the moon, the meaning of life." She waved her hand about absently.
He laughed. "You want to talk to a dead man about the meaning of life?"
"Hey, I would have thought you'd have it all figured out by now." She inclined her head toward the door.
"Come on. There's lots of time until sunrise."
"Okay." Dwayne followed her inside and up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened one of the windows to let in the night air.
"I'm gonna put on my pjs. Make yourself at home." Lily went into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she emerged and climbed onto her bed. Dwayne had taken off his jacket and boots and was lounging at the end of the bed. "So, the meaning of life."
"42."
Lily looked at him in disbelief. "You've read Hitchhiker?"
"One of my favorites. Paul's too."
"Mine too."
"I know." She looked questioningly at him. He shrugged. "It was the most worn book on your shelves."
She fell back against the pillows with a sigh. "I still haven't gotten back to normal. I got so little sleep when I was looking for mom's family."
"I'll go. So you can sleep." Dwayne offered. Lily shook her head and curled on her side, so she could see him better. He reached out and captured her foot, pulling her to him. His hand slid up her bare leg.
She giggled and kicked his hand away. Shaking her head, she sat up. "None of that now. I thought you came up here to talk."
He shifted so he was stretched out next to her. "About what?"
"I don't know." Lily sat back against the headboard. "How old are you?"
"57. How old are you?"
"19." A cloud passed over the moon and they were bathed in darkness for a moment. Dwayne could feel Lily's anxiety grow until the moon reappeared.
"How'd your mom die? What are you scared of Lily?" He asked softly. She looked away, down at the blanket thrown over her lap to ward off the nighttime chill. He caught her eye and gently exerted his will over her. "Lily."
She sighed. "She was killed by a vampire."
He broke eye contact and released her. "You escaped?"
"I was at a friend's house. When I came home the next day, mom was dead. I packed the car and headed east, looking for family to stay with but they're all dead."
"So you ended up here." Dwayne finished for her.
Lily nodded. "Yup. Never been here before. If we wanted to see him, Father came to us. Though his visits were rare." She leaned back against him, looking at the ceiling. "It was usually a card and a present for holidays. Sometimes a phone call."
Dwayne watched her. She stared at the ceiling hard, as if looking for something. He looked up to see if there was indeed something there but it was empty. When he looked back down, he saw something shining on her cheeks. Absently, Lily reached up to rub her cheek and he realized she was crying. "Lily?" She rolled into his arms, tears coming steadily now. Surprised, he tightened his embrace, letting her softly cry into his shoulder.
After a while, she pulled away from him embarrassed. She wiped at her eyes and sniffled. "Sorry."
Dwayne grinned. "That's okay princess. I shouldn't have made you talk about it. I wouldn't have," He trailed off, brushing his knuckles against her bare arm.
"But David wanted to know?" He nodded. She let herself fall back against the pillows. "He could have asked me."
Dwayne rolled onto his side, placing a hand on her stomach. "Would you have told him?"
"I don't know. It's none of his business."
"That's why he asked me to ask you." His hand flexed on her stomach, pushing her camisole up a little so he could touch bare skin. He leaned forward, pressing her into the mattress.
"Can I kiss you Lily?" Dwayne whispered the question, his breath mingling with hers, their lips almost touching.
"Yes." She whispered back, her eyes darkening to brown. With agonizing slowness, he closed the distance between them. Lily felt a shock run through her as his lips touched hers.
Lily flopped back on her bed, tossing the orange up into the air. She sighed and let her thoughts drift back to the boys on the beach and their leader, David. His eyes had captivated her, a bright Cerulean blue. Definitely gorgeous and probably dangerous. Lily shook her head, smiling to herself.
Not wanting to deal with the chore of unpacking yet, she decided to go back to the boardwalk. Lily dug out a pair of shorts and a tank top and went into the bathroom to shower. Half-hour later she was on her way into town.
The boardwalk was full of end of summer revelers. A concert was going on at one end of the boardwalk. Lily watched for a few minutes before heading toward the carousel.
It had been restored recently, the horses' paint still bright and colorful and the brass of the poles still shiny. She waited for the carousel to come to a stop before stepping on and finding a bright blue painted horse with a gold saddle. Lily climbed onto the horse and waited for the carousel to start.
"Hi Princess." The soft voice was right next to her ear and she jumped, almost falling off her horse. A hand went to her waist to keep her on.
She turned and was surprised to see the vampire named Dwayne standing next to her. "Hi."
"Didn't think we'd see you again." His dark eyes watched her carefully. She shifted in the saddle so she was half facing him.
"Why?"
"David thought we scared you." He leaned in so his mouth was against her ear. "Did we scare you?" She shook her head, unable to speak properly. Dwayne pulled back. "Good. We like you Princess."
Lily smiled. Dwayne leaned against her horse, head cocked to the side watching her. "How'd you fall in with my father?" She asked eventually.
"We're David's children. There's history between David and Max. David brought us here."
Lily sensed that Dwayne didn't want to talk about it and changed the subject. "It's nice here."
"If you don't mind the crowds."
She looked at him in surprise. "Do you?"
He shrugged noncommittally. "Overload on the senses. Good for hunting but not much else." The carousel came to a stop and Dwayne helped her down from her horse. "Where to now?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not much for rides other than the carousel."
"Sit on the rocks?" He gestured toward an outcropping of rocks a little ways down the beach.
"Okay." Lily let Dwayne lead her off the boardwalk and onto the beach. They walked down to the jetty, climbing up onto the rocks and finding a large flat boulder to sit on.
"So why'd you come to Santa Carla?" Dwayne trailed a finger down her bare arm, causing her to shiver.
She cast a sidelong glance at him. "To live with my dad."
"Where were you before?"
"My mom's." Lily looked out at the surf. "She's dead."
They fell silent. Dwayne put an arm around her and she let him. They watched the bonfires down the beach grow smaller. Lily leaned against Dwayne, content to sit by the ocean, the tide coming in slowly.
After a while, Dwayne looked around. "Tide's coming in."
Reluctantly, Lily sat up and looked over her shoulder. The water on the sides of the jetty was already a few inches deep. She stood up and held out her hand. With a smile, he placed his hand in hers, letting her help him up. He jumped off the rocks, landing with a splash in the water. With a wave, he held his arms open for her and she jumped down into them. Dwayne carried her to dry sand and set her down softly.
"Need a ride?"
She shook her head. "I've got my car."
"I'll walk you."
She looked at the water lapping at the sand for a moment and nodded. "Yeah."
Dwayne walked beside Lily, his hand at the small of her back to gently guide her. The crowds had lessened in the early hours of the morning and they easily navigated the boardwalk to the parking lot behind Max's Video. Lily's little blue coupe was the only car left in the lot.
"Thanks Dwayne." Lily fished her keys out of her pocket as they approached her car.
He cocked his head to the side. "For what?"
"Hanging out with me. It was nice." She unlocked the car door and opened it.
"I wanted to." He nodded at her car. "Drive careful."
Lily smiled. "I will. Good night."
"Night." Dwayne leaned down and kissed Lily on the cheek before disappearing. Lily shook her head and climbed into the car, starting it up and pulling out of the lot.
When she arrived home, Lily decided to do some unpacking. She put all her clothes in the armoire and toiletries in the bathroom. Books went on the shelves on either side of the windows and she set up her radio and put the box of cassettes on top of the dresser. She arranged her art supplies on the desk and set her sketchbook next to them. When she was finished, she tucked her bags under her bed.
Finally, she gathered her pajamas and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Closing her curtains, Lily climbed into bed and was soon asleep.
A loud roar from outside woke Lily up. She heard a singsong whispering, the words almost too soft to hear.
Lily . . . Lily.
She turned at the sound of her name but there was no one there.
Come with us, Lily.
Lily climbed out of bed and went to the window. Throwing open the huge bay windows, she leaned out. Three floors below her, the four Lost Boys were looking up at her.
"Wanna go for a ride Princess?" David called up to her.
"Love to but I just got up." She chewed her lip. "If you guys want to wait, I'll be ready in about fifteen."
Paul laughed. "We'll wait for you, girl." He launched himself upward, landing in a crouch on the wide ledge. "Rather wait for you inside though. Invite me in?"
Shaking her head, Lily stepped back to let him in. "Come in."
"It's like rescuing the princess from the tower. Cool." He said as climbed off the ledge.
"Let me get dressed." Lily crossed in front of him to go to her closet and he grabbed her arm.
He made a deliberate inspection of her boxers and camisole before slipping his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. "I like what you're wearing." He grinned before leaning his head down to kiss her.
"I thought you were rescuing the princess, not corrupting her." David's stern voice made them turn their heads.
"Hi David." Lily could feel a blush rising over her face.
"Lily. Invite me in?" His ever-present half smile quirked into a full smile for a moment.
Lily sighed and threw up her arms. "Sure, come in. Why don't we just invite the whole gang inside while we're at it? Boys, you wanna come up too?" She called out the window to Dwayne and Marko. A moment later they too were standing in her room.
Rolling her eyes, she pulled free of Paul and went to the dresser. She found a pair of black pants and a maroon tank top in her closet before going into her bathroom and shutting the door. When she emerged fifteen minutes later, she found the four vampires exploring her room. David and Dwayne were pulling the books that she'd arranged last night off her shelves, flipping through them and putting them back. Paul was perusing her tape collection, still in its cardboard box and Marko was looking at her sketchbook.
"Make yourself at home Boys." Lily remarked sarcastically, tossing her pajamas on the bed. She twisted her damp hair up into a messy French twist and pulled on black boots before she was ready to go.
They all looked at her. Paul put down the tape he was looking at and Marko set her sketchbook back on the desk but David and Dwayne each finished looking over her bookcases before turning to her.
"Well, do I meet your approval?" She pirouetted for them. They nodded watching her.
"Ready to go?" David stepped to the window and held a hand out to her.
"Yeah." She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her into his arms.
"It's just like jumping off a chair. Hold on to me and you won't get hurt." David spoke in her ear as he helped her onto the window ledge. "Ready?" Lily wrapped her arms around him tighter and nodded. He chuckled and launched them off the ledge.
Lily kept her eyes tightly closed during their short flight. She felt the jolt of their landing and opened them gingerly.
"Don't worry, you're still in one piece." David murmured to her as the others landed around them. "You ride with me."
"Sure."
A small smiled graced his lips. "Good. Let's go." He made a sweeping gesture toward his motorcycle.
Marko stepped forward, holding out his elaborately embroidered jean jacket to her. "You're gonna get cold." He gestured to her bare arms and back shyly.
She shrugged on the jacket. "Thanks." David was waiting for her on his motorcycle. She climbed on behind him and slipped her arms around his waist.
"Hold on tight." He warned her before starting the bike and speeding off. The trees sped past her in a blur as they roared down the street. The bike jolted as they left the road and Lily clung to David tighter. The Boys rode through the trees at breakneck speed, more than once Lily thought they were heading straight for a tree before swerving at the last moment. Emerging from the trees they pulled to a stop at the edge of a cliff. They dismounted the bikes and Lily looked around.
"Where are we?" Lily gathered Marko's jacket around herself tighter. The ride had left her chilled.
It was Paul who answered her question. "Home." He and the other Boys headed down a rickety looking staircase, disappearing from sight.
David turned to Lily. "Coming in?"
"No I thought I'd walk back home now." She smiled sweetly at him.
He shook his head and gave her a half smile. "Wise ass. Come on." He held out his hand to her and she slipped her hand in his. "Watch your step." He helped her down the rickety looking stairs.
"Welcome to our home." David reached up and put his hands on her waist to help her down onto the cave floor.
Lily looked around at the cave. A broken fountain was in the center of the room; Paul was walking around the edge of it, singing to himself. Dusty furniture was scattered around and several oil drums provided light. Further away, Dwayne was already seated on a flat rock, machine parts scattered around him. A huge four-poster bed hidden in a dark corner was shrouded in panels of gauze and velvet. "What is this?"
"Big hotel they built on the fault line. Collapsed into the ground when the big one hit in 1906." David explained, guiding her to one of the dusty couches. "Hungry?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Marko, food." Lily handed him back his jacket and the short vampire headed out of the cave without a word. "So what do you think?"
"Its cool. I like it."
She said the right thing. David's face lit up with a rare full smile. "Good. Have a seat." He gestured to a couch.
Lily stopped and looked at David for a moment. "Did my father ask you to keep me company tonight?"
He shrugged. "You have better plans? I can take you back home."
She shook her head and sat down. "No. I was just wondering if I had him to thank for your company."
"Maybe. We were gonna come see if you wanted to come out anyway. He just reinforced the idea." He offered her a cigarette.
She shook her head. "I don't smoke. It's bad for you." At his look she amended her statement. "Well, not bad for you. Bad for me."
Paul made one last lap around the fountain before jumping down and sprawling onto the couch near Lily. "What brought you to Santa Carla girl?"
"My mom died. I came to live with father."
For a moment, he looked as if he was going to say something meaningful. Then he shrugged. "That sucks."
She smiled sadly. "Certainly does."
"But hey, look on the bright side," He grinned widely, "you got to meet us."
"Saints be praised. I was wasting my life away before now." She sighed, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "You boys shall give me purpose."
David fell into the easy chair next to her. "It's what we were put here for." He looked over his shoulder at the dark haired vampire. "Dwayne, come join the party. You're being anti-social."
Dwayne raised an eyebrow at David but stood up and came over to the group, wiping his hands off on a bandana before he sat down. "Sorry, Lily."
Lily shook her head. "Its okay Dwayne."
"You want a beer or anything, Lil?" Paul asked, getting up to get beers for the guys. Lily shook her head no thanks. He shrugged and got the beers before collapsing back on the couch.
Marko appeared with a box of Chinese take out cartons a few minutes later. David saw what he brought and smiled.
"Nice choice." He murmured. He was suddenly feeling particularly cruel tonight. He ignored the warning glances Dwayne threw at him and picked up a carton, checking its contents. "You like lo mein, Lily?"
"Yeah, its fine." She accepted the carton and a pair of chopsticks from him and settled back on the couch. The lo mein was particularly good and she was hungry. The other Boys settled around the room with their own food, waiting to see what David was planning.
After a little while, David spoke up. "So how're those worms, Lily?" He asked.
Lily looked down at her lo mein in alarm but saw only noodles. "What are you talking about?" She tipped the carton so he could see the contents. "Lo mein, see?"
Paul and Marko exchanged glances over her head. She shook her head. "Next you'll be trying to tell me the rice is maggots or something. What are you in junior high?" David was dumbstruck. "Mind games don't usually work on me David. And I don't like them."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry Lil."
She nodded and went back to her food.
After a few quiet minutes Marko spoke. "We've never met a real half before. You know, one nobody made."
"So you do this to all your guests."
Paul smiled broadly. "Naw, girl. Just the one's we like."
"Good to know." She stood up, suddenly uncomfortable. "I think I'd like to go home now."
"We're sorry Lily." David stood up. She nodded and started toward the cave entrance. He turned back to the Boys. Dwayne stood up and waved their leader back down.
"I'll take her home, David."
He looked hesitant. "All right."
Dwayne found Lily standing at the cliffs edge, her arms wrapped around herself. He slipped off his coat and set it on her shoulders. She looked up at him but didn't speak. "He didn't mean anything. Its just a game."
"I don't like having games played on me." Her eyes flashed green. She was angry with all of them, David for playing the game and the rest for not stopping him.
Dwayne reached up and cupped the side of her face in his hand. "I'm sorry princess."
"Take me home?" He nodded and she turned toward the bikes.
He stopped her. "I got a quicker way." He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Hold on." He said before taking to the air.
Valdeos smiled when he saw the Welcome to Santa Carla sign. He could already sense Maximilian through the shielding he'd placed around the town. His daughter would be here and he felt something else, a pack.
As he passed by the sign, he looked over his shoulder. Across the back of the billboard was written, "Murder Capital of the World." Valdeos began to laugh, the sound growing louder as he walked away.
"Perfect."
Dwayne and Lily dropped easily out of the sky in front of Max's front door. The house was still dark.
"Do you want to come in?" Lily handed Dwayne his jacket.
He put the jacket back on. "Do you want me to?"
"I can't blame you for stupid games David wants to play." She opened the front door. "Come up and talk with me."
"About what?"
"The sun, the moon, the meaning of life." She waved her hand about absently.
He laughed. "You want to talk to a dead man about the meaning of life?"
"Hey, I would have thought you'd have it all figured out by now." She inclined her head toward the door.
"Come on. There's lots of time until sunrise."
"Okay." Dwayne followed her inside and up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened one of the windows to let in the night air.
"I'm gonna put on my pjs. Make yourself at home." Lily went into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she emerged and climbed onto her bed. Dwayne had taken off his jacket and boots and was lounging at the end of the bed. "So, the meaning of life."
"42."
Lily looked at him in disbelief. "You've read Hitchhiker?"
"One of my favorites. Paul's too."
"Mine too."
"I know." She looked questioningly at him. He shrugged. "It was the most worn book on your shelves."
She fell back against the pillows with a sigh. "I still haven't gotten back to normal. I got so little sleep when I was looking for mom's family."
"I'll go. So you can sleep." Dwayne offered. Lily shook her head and curled on her side, so she could see him better. He reached out and captured her foot, pulling her to him. His hand slid up her bare leg.
She giggled and kicked his hand away. Shaking her head, she sat up. "None of that now. I thought you came up here to talk."
He shifted so he was stretched out next to her. "About what?"
"I don't know." Lily sat back against the headboard. "How old are you?"
"57. How old are you?"
"19." A cloud passed over the moon and they were bathed in darkness for a moment. Dwayne could feel Lily's anxiety grow until the moon reappeared.
"How'd your mom die? What are you scared of Lily?" He asked softly. She looked away, down at the blanket thrown over her lap to ward off the nighttime chill. He caught her eye and gently exerted his will over her. "Lily."
She sighed. "She was killed by a vampire."
He broke eye contact and released her. "You escaped?"
"I was at a friend's house. When I came home the next day, mom was dead. I packed the car and headed east, looking for family to stay with but they're all dead."
"So you ended up here." Dwayne finished for her.
Lily nodded. "Yup. Never been here before. If we wanted to see him, Father came to us. Though his visits were rare." She leaned back against him, looking at the ceiling. "It was usually a card and a present for holidays. Sometimes a phone call."
Dwayne watched her. She stared at the ceiling hard, as if looking for something. He looked up to see if there was indeed something there but it was empty. When he looked back down, he saw something shining on her cheeks. Absently, Lily reached up to rub her cheek and he realized she was crying. "Lily?" She rolled into his arms, tears coming steadily now. Surprised, he tightened his embrace, letting her softly cry into his shoulder.
After a while, she pulled away from him embarrassed. She wiped at her eyes and sniffled. "Sorry."
Dwayne grinned. "That's okay princess. I shouldn't have made you talk about it. I wouldn't have," He trailed off, brushing his knuckles against her bare arm.
"But David wanted to know?" He nodded. She let herself fall back against the pillows. "He could have asked me."
Dwayne rolled onto his side, placing a hand on her stomach. "Would you have told him?"
"I don't know. It's none of his business."
"That's why he asked me to ask you." His hand flexed on her stomach, pushing her camisole up a little so he could touch bare skin. He leaned forward, pressing her into the mattress.
"Can I kiss you Lily?" Dwayne whispered the question, his breath mingling with hers, their lips almost touching.
"Yes." She whispered back, her eyes darkening to brown. With agonizing slowness, he closed the distance between them. Lily felt a shock run through her as his lips touched hers.