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Stasio and his companions had told her of a number of cases they’d been involved in, yet she couldn’t tell them what she’d done. Part of her wanted to keep her assassin status, even if she felt it was slipping away by the minute and she would never get it back again. Part of her hated to admit she might be a rogue like Stasio and his friends, and like her father had been by turning her mother.
She liked to think of herself as a pure assassin, yet she knew she really wasn’t. She lived by the rules when they suited her. When they didn’t, she played by her own rules. She was just like Stasio and his companions.
“Wouldn’t it be more dangerous if you have one more rogue traveling with you?” Jasmine expected everyone but Stasio to say yes.
“No,” Levka said. “We’ve been doing this forever. Though Caitlin is a new addition to the party. At least, like you said, you are not newly turned, so that gives you an advantage. You are not known in these parts, though neither are we, and you are a highly trained assassin, which could give us an edge, should it come to that.”
Jasmine really was surprised that Levka saw her as an asset. “I’ll go with you for a short while and see how things work out.” Jasmine figured she could do that until she decided where to go from here.
Arman cleared his throat. “Ruric can work magic with computers. If you need airline reservations, or room reservations, he has got you covered.”
She groaned, though she guessed they couldn’t carry around bags of money to travel when they were on the run.
“Levka is the man with the plan, Ruric is the one with an eye on the future—way off future, Stasio is our historian, and I am the one who is the man of reason,” Arman continued. “In other words, I try to keep us from breaking too many laws. Caitlin brings her own special magic to our little vampire clan. What can you do?”
Jasmine cast Arman a wicked smile. “My specialty is eliminating rogue vampires.”
Stasio and the others heartily laughed. “You fell right into that one, Arman.”
When they stopped for gas, Levka took over the driving. Neither Caitlin nor Jasmine wanted to drive on the left side of the road. Levka wouldn’t let Arman drive because he would go too slow. He always obeyed speed limit signs, walked in through the in door at stores and out the out doors. He was a stickler for doing what was right. Stasio had offered, but Levka said he had it.
Then they were on their way again.
“We have no change of clothes or toiletries, you know.” Jasmine was annoyed she’d left her stuff behind and couldn’t return for it. She had a couple of her favorite jeans and boots in her suitcase. Not to mention her favorite leather jacket! Dang it!
“We packed our stuff before we heard you and Stasio were in trouble on the beach,” Arman said. “We’ll stop some place where you can buy some things when the stores are open.”
“This whole trip has been a fiasco. Remind me never to go to Wales again.” Jasmine folded her arms across her chest.
Ruric said, “I’m sure I speak for the others also when I say we don’t plan on returning there anytime soon. On another topic, I’ve made reservations at three different bed and breakfasts. At this late hour, I couldn’t get us all into rooms at the same one. Even then I had to use a little vampiric persuasion to get them to listen to reason.”
“Which means you bumped guests scheduled to be there?” This got worser and worser. She’d never done that ever. Well, there was the one time when she was after a rogue vampire and that was a necessity. He was staying at bed and breakfasts and feeding on the unsuspecting guests. They didn’t have a room for her, so she had to…make one for herself. Suddenly, the guests in one room were told to leave—gas leak in the room, their accommodations reimbursed, and she slipped right in, no trouble at all, no gas in the room either. But nobody was the wiser. Especially the vampire she had to eliminate. She was certain her league would have understood, though she had no intention of telling them, just in case they frowned on her actions.
“That means I’ll be staying at one of the places alone, while Levka and Caitlin reside at another, and the rest of you remain in the other bed and breakfast?” Jasmine asked, not really asking, but more stating how she wanted this to go.
“Levka and Caitlin are a couple. They get their own room with a double bed. The other two rooms have two single beds apiece. You should do fine with one of us. Your choice. Each of the rooms have their own bathrooms also.”
“Maybe Caitlin and I could—” Jasmine began to say.
“No,” Levka said. “If you don’t like the accommodations, you’re free to find your own. Sleep in the van, if you would prefer.”
“Thanks, I will find other accommodations.” Jasmine got on her phone and tried to find someplace else to stay but at this late hour, it was impossible to even get anyone to answer their phones. “Fine. I’ll stay with Stasio.” She glared at him. “You’d better not snore.”
Stasio smiled. She didn’t know if that meant he did or he didn’t. She swore if he snored and kept her awake, she was covering his head with a pillow until he woke and quit it.
They finally reached Edinburgh, Scotland, and Levka dropped Arman and Ruric at their bed and breakfast first, waited for them to get inside, and then he drove to the next location. Caitlin was sound asleep when Levka pulled into a quaint old lodge, an ancient stone wall beside it overlooking a creek.
“We’ll be right across the road at that bed and breakfast. We’ll see you both for lunch.” Levka dropped them off.
“Nothing is open, and I doubt they give out complimentary toothbrushes here.” Jasmine couldn’t help but be annoyed as she left the van.
“I’ll take care of it. Good night to what’s left of it, Levka,” Stasio said. Then they went inside while Levka drove off.
“I’m not meaning to sound so ungrateful, but I’m just dead tired, and I left everything behind.” Jasmine folded her arms.
Stasio woke the owner up, asked for a new toothbrush and toothpaste, using his vampiric persuasion and the woman returned with both and their room keys. Then she silently turned and went back to her apartment.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never used your vampire talents to get something you need.” Stasio carried a small black bag up the stairs as Jasmine led the way with one of the keys.
