“That’s because it is,” I said woodenly. “It’s dormant. Hasn’t erupted in centuries.” I should try to be more conversational, but I just didn’t have it in me.
“Well, it better not erupt while I’m here.” Mia huffed. “Volcanoes and earthquakes terrify me. That’s why I live in Texas. Although I’ll have to get over my earthquake fear because I’m planning to move to California when this is over. You live there, don’t you? I mean, when you’re not filmingSecret Shadowsin Vancouver.”
I grunted ayesand wondered which tabloid she’d beenreading. It was true that I owned a condo in LA and split my time between there and Vancouver. Darkaway Islandshouldhave been where I stayed while the show was on hiatus—it was just a short plane ride away—but it hadn’t felt like home in a long time.
Damn. I needed to shake this foul mood.
Maybe Mia would like to see Mermaid Cove. I banked the plane and soon we were flying over the white cliffs and emerald green water of the cove. I expected to get some sort of reaction from her, but all she seemed to care about was taking selfies and asking about my co-stars.
I rubbed my temples and let out a low sigh. If Daphne had come instead, I’d have landed in the cove and we would’ve eaten the fancy lunch my sister packed for us down there on the water. But I just didn’t have it in me with Mia.
According to Jada, the rest of the contestants were having a free day.
What was Daphne doing with her spare time today? What had she done yesterday while I was up in Vancouver? Had she explored the shops and everything Darkaway had to offer? Was she having fun on the boardwalk...without me?
I decided to wrap things up early with Mia then go find Daphne.
Was she was sitting on the beach right now, wearing a tiny bikini? One that would be easy for me to slip a finger under. I’d pull the cabana curtains closed and?—
I shifted in the pilot’s seat, not wanting Mia to notice my sudden erection and think it had anything to do with her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Daphne
George and I had slept late. So, after a light lunch, I headed to downtown Darkaway to kill time before nightfall. I’d browsed through the shops, and bought some cute earrings and another bag of saltwater taffy.
Last thing I wanted was to be on the beach, hear a seaplane, then look up and wonder if it was Travis and Mia. No. I didn’t want to subject myself to that kind of negativity. I had enough on my plate already.
Now, as I passed under the wrought-iron sign to Wickedville with the taglineEnter at Your Own Peril, I felt the temperature drop significantly. Another thing I noticed, other than my goosebumps, was that the cobblestone streets were narrower here, the buildings much older and seedier than in the other part of town.
A gloomy mist swirled in alleyways and dark corners. Streetlights, the ones that were actually working, did little in the way of exterior illumination. I was glad I didn’t have far to go.
At the clip-clop sound of hooves, I looked over to see acarriage being pulled by two enormous black horses. It stopped in front of a pub adorned with stone gargoyles. From this angle, I couldn’t see who—or what—was getting out.
This had better be worth it, because this entire place was giving me the creeps. Before I could change my mind, I set off for Nightmare Alley, which was supposed to be a few blocks down on the left. I’d waited long enough to get some answers about this stupid, mysterious book.
I passed a junk dealer, a pawnshop, a bail bondsman, and a shabby haberdashery that sold “capes and canes for the distinguished vampire gentleman.” It felt as if I’d stepped into another time and place. An eerie version of London at the turn of the last century, perhaps.
The back of my neck prickled a few times, and not just when I passed a shop that sold coffins. I glanced around but saw nothing out of the ordinary—ifordinaryincluded people wearing robes and/or capes, a lion, two panthers, and several dogs that probably weren’t actual dogs.
Sudden movement over my shoulder drew my attention. I turned to see a dark figure darting into a nearby doorway. Another chill raced up my spine. Was someone following me?
I hugged my beach bag tight to my body and quickened my pace, wishing for a parka and a can of pepper spray. Although I didn’t know if the latter would do any good warding off monsters if one happened to be following me.
Up ahead, I spotted a post with crooked signs pointing in various directions: Transylvania (6150 miles), Tower of London (4920 miles) and Nightmare Alley (10 steps).
I proceeded with caution into the narrow alleyway.
Music pulsed from an open door where a couple was locked in a romantic embrace.Wait. That was no kiss, I realized with a shiver, noting the curve of a woman’s neck. Must be a crimson club. I tried not to stare and forced myself to keep going.
I didn’t get more than a few feet when a figure stepped out of the shadows and blocked me.
“Well, hello there.” Despite the high-pitched voice, he was a rather large-girthed man with bleached blond hair, shifty eyes, and a red-lined cape that drug on the ground. Though I didn’t know much about vampire fashion, it seemed a bit long for him. He could easily trip over that thing.
I swallowed nervously, clinging to the hope that what the Sisters had told me about paranormal-on-human crime was accurate. That it didn’t happen often.
Reaching into my beach bag for something I could use to defend myself, I tried not to make eye contact with the vampire and stepped out of his way. However, the man moved with me and wouldn’t let me pass.
