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“I don’t understand you.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Aerin smirked.

Is she as curious about me as I am about her? A vampire falling for a siren, impossible, he thought. We are worlds apart; the universe bringing us together is just a mess of tragic accidents.

“My grandfather named him. We couldn’t keep calling him turtle, and my sister fed him every day before school, so he became part of the family. He disappears from time to time, but always comes back to steal my seaweed,” Aerin explained, picking up the delivery box of seaweed to find Royce had eaten through the corner of the cardboard.

“I’ll be sure to put the next box up higher. I didn’t realize there was another sea creature in the house who snacked on seaweed,” Gideon said, biting back a smile, watching Aerin remove a sheet and place it on her tongue.

“Your family liked taking in strays?” he asked, sipping on his blood, but keeping a careful distance from the turtle. She might believe he was harmless, but that large mouth looks quite strong and sharp.

“Just Royce. And now you.” Aerin opened the back door.

“I’m honored.”

“You should be. Stay in the house today, no roaming down to the blood bank.”

“I’ve some sleep to catch up on,” Gideon said, putting his empty mug in the sink. He wasn’t sure if it was the cool autumn breeze that brightened her complexion or his reminder that they’d spent the night together.

Aerin left without saying goodbye, and the way she hurried out the door made him wonder if their conversations had become a little too honest for her comfort. She was used to being alone, and here he was opening up all her old wounds.

Gideon returned to the basement and spent the rest of the day catching up on sleep. Being around her was proving more dangerous than he’d anticipated; their connection, whether by blood or proximity, was making him feel things for her he shouldn’t. She had saved his life; that was all. He owed her a debt, one he would pay with his coffin. The deal was struck. Once her friend in the antique store came through with information about his origins, he would repay Aerin for her troubles and leave Indigo Cove and her.

Chapter Eleven

Gideon

Aerin advised him not to go to the witches for help, but she did show him another kind of magic: the internet. For the past three days, Gideon couldn’t be pulled away from her laptop, a rectangular device with a colorful screen that held all the world’s knowledge. He’d learned little of note from searching his name, and searches for vampires weren’t very accurate, but given how they protected their own existence with extreme dedication, it wasn’t a surprise.

On the porch, Gideon waited for her to return home as he watched the sun set. With the increased amount of blood he had been drinking, the sun’s kiss at dusk wasn’t as harmful. It wasn’t like her to be late; her daily routine was pretty much set in stone, and he didn’t feel right eating without her. After watching her bring home fresh fish and prepare it herself every night, he thought she would appreciate him cooking. He had watched a video on how to fillet a fish, so he created some rather clumsy sushi from the fish in the fridge.

Tapping his fingers against the table, he checked the kitchen clock; another ten minutes and still no sign of her. What if something happened at the marina? A stroll will help pass the time, and if I happen to find her, then it’s not like I was trying to track her down. He doubted she would want him tracking her, but if something was wrong, she might appreciate someone looking out for her. Perfectly rational to care about one’s host.

Aerin wasn’t at the marina, or the grocers, or the antique store. Gideon was about to head home when he caught a whiff of her scent on the wind as a couple left the pub. He read the sign: Kraken’s Keep. This town really is obsessed with that beast. He stared into the window and saw her sitting at the bar with a half-empty bottle of whiskey. He hesitated by the door, not wanting to intrude, but getting drunk and stumbling up the cliff walk wasn’t the safest idea.

What if she fell off the cliffs? People might think I killed her. A random vampire comes to stay, and she ends up at the bottom of the cliffs? I’d be suspect number one.

“Heading in?” a woman asked, holding the door as she headed inside.

“Yes, sorry. Thank you.” He bowed slightly, then stopped himself when he remembered Aerin’s warning that people didn’t do that anymore. The woman smiled faintly and joined a table of some college-aged students.

“A lady drinking at a bar alone is dangerous,” Gideon said, taking a seat on the stool beside her.

“Still worried about my reputation?” Aerin spun around in her chair to face him. Her glassy eyes and flushed cheeks would’ve stopped his heart if he had a pulse.

“We’ve already slept together,” Aerin whispered, and it was his turn to blush as the bartender cleaning a glass behind the bar winked at the comment. He grabbed her tote bag from behind the stool.

“Let’s get you home and something to eat,” Gideon said, helping her off the stool.

“I want to stay here and have another drink. Why don’t you join me since you’re here?” She beamed.

This isn’t like her. Right now, she should be lecturing me for coming into town without her.

“We can have a drink at home. I think they want to close up. It’s getting late.”

“I’m celebrating with the crew,” Aerin argued, lifting her glass, but there wasn’t any sign of a crew in the bar. He figured they had already left. “They nearly became Kennie’s morning snack today, but I saved their souls from Davy Jones.”

“I’m sure the crew appreciate your help greatly, but you’ve had enough.” He bit back a smile; he’d never seen this side of her before. Aerin glanced around the empty pub. “They left? How rude to leave without saying goodbye.” Aerin got up from the stool. He noticed she was barefoot; she really did hate shoes.