Page 7 of Investigation of a Quest

“You okay?” Eamon grabbed her hand, and by the pinch of his brow, he’d caught her staring at the princess brigade.

“Yup.” She smiled, and it wasn’t a lie. They needed a conflict-free night, and she wouldn’t ruin their date over something she wasn’t certain about. “Let’s go try not to get eaten!” She raced for the drooling zombie, and sensing the truth in her words, Eamon charged after her, snarling at the actor as he geared up to frighten Bel. The poor man fell backward at the surprise, and Bel burst into hysterical laughter as she dragged her boyfriend into the dark home, the flashing red alarm lights their only guide through the rooms.

After Bel got her screams out, Eamon grabbed her waist and pulled her into a concealed corner, kissing her until she shoved him away.

“We can’t have sex in a stranger’s house,” she hissed, pulling her skirt back into place.

“What? Don’t like the idea of zombies catching us?” He winked, and she slapped his chest.

“Focus. You wanted to scare someone, and I vote for those teenage boys. They aren’t being very sympathetic to their girlfriends.”

Eamon’s demeanor shifted when he realized the teens were bullying the girls for their fear, and, clearly understanding why Bel had chosen them, he pulled himself to his full height and slipped into the shadows. They swallowed him whole, welcoming him home. He became one with the darkness, utterly invisible, and the teenagers passed him just as one girl burst into fearful tears. She wanted to leave, but her boyfriend refused to listen, mocking her trembling with his immature friends.

So, with a low growl that shook the house, Eamon detached from the shadows. He didn’t roar. He didn’t yell or lunge. He simply stepped behind the teenagers, leaned down to their ears, and whispered something Bel couldn’t hear. The movement was so simple, so harmless, yet she felt the threat even from across the room. It was as if the devil had entered this home; the air burning cold, and she couldn’t peel her feet off the ground. That one whisper froze her in place as her heart rate spiked, but the boys didn’t share her reserved reaction.

The teens screamed at his sudden appearance, and not just a startled yelp. They screamed with such fear that death curdled the air. They sounded like they were being ripped to shreds while still alive, and they bolted so fast that they tripped over one another. They didn’t stop screaming as they scrambled over their own bodies, their actions almost a slapstick comedy if not for the bloodcurdling noises ripping from their throats, and then they were gone, their terror seeping into the walls to infect the house.

“Well.” Eamon smirked at the teenage girls, who were cemented to the floor in both fear and awe of the towering god before them. “That should teach them to disrespect women. Shall I escort you outside?”

“Okay!” All three girls jumped at the chance to walk with a man that gorgeous, and Eamon let them take his arms as he escorted the blushing teens back to safety.

“I would hate to see you actually be scary,” Bel laughed when he returned. “What the heck was that? You whispered, and I thought we’d have to get a defibrillator in here. It would be hysterical if I hadn’t experienced a mild panic attack too.”

“What can I say?” Eamon shrugged. “I am the master.”

“Those girls seemed to enjoy the show. Although teenage girls shouldn’t be interested in a man who looks forty. They were too excited to have you escort them outside.”

“It’s the vampire in me,” he said. “They were the most beautiful creatures to walk the earth. Age didn’t matter when confronted by their beauty.”

“That I have to agree with,” Bel teased. “I am a very pretty vampire.”

“I’ll say.” Eamon snatched her waist and kissed her. “The only one I have eyes for.”

“I know. You make it obnoxiously obvious.”

“Obnoxiously?” Eamon’s hands started to wander, but Bel stopped their exploration when footfalls reached her ears.

“Someone’s coming.” She pushed him deeper into their hiding spot.

“Should I scare them?”

“Not like those teens.”

“They were bullies who needed to be taught a lesson.”

“Agreed, but we can’t have you going around doing that to—oh my god, you have to scare him!” She jabbed her finger at the intruder, and Eamon’s smile turned wicked.

“Oh, yeah,” he agreed. “Perfect victim.”

Bel giggled, but she grabbed his hand before he could leave her side. “Please don’t give him a heart attack.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Eamon kissed her before slipping into position, and just when Sheriff Griffin stepped into his trap, he lunged. He roared like a hellion—his approach far more tame than the teenagers’ scare—but his restraint didn’t matter. Griffin screamed like a little girl, his voice so high that Bel burst into such a convulsing laugh she started crying, but then he shocked everyone by whirling on his heels and punching Eamon in the mouth.

Only Eamon was faster, and he leaned to the right just enough to let Griffin’s knuckles sail past his face unharmed.

“Holy sh—what the hell?” Griffin froze when he recognized the cackling couple. “What on earth is wrong with you?” he shouted. “I could have killed you. I’m armed! You don’t scare an armed sheriff like that. God, you’re an idiot.”

“What’s a bullet going to do to me?” Eamon teased, which only made Griffin’s cheeks burn brighter.