Mickie was happy to find a small house in the
exclusive Historic French Quarter of New Orleans. She thought nothing of
guarding the ancient building she'd purchased, protecting it from the many
tourists that might try to break into the famous “Vampire Monastery,” as it was
called. What she didn’t expect was to fall in love with the man who spent the
evenings restoring the ancient paintings in the attic.
Nicandro has spent the last three hundred years in the monastery hiding from demons that have invaded his realm and taken many of his kind prisoner. He had resigned himself to the fact that he would be alone for the rest of his life until he met Mickie. Now he needs to find a way to let her know that not only is he a fairy, but that demons are hunting him for his blood. Time is running out, and unless he finds a way to stop them, he risks losing not only his life and his love, but his immortal soul.
Nicandro has spent the last three hundred years in the monastery hiding from demons that have invaded his realm and taken many of his kind prisoner. He had resigned himself to the fact that he would be alone for the rest of his life until he met Mickie. Now he needs to find a way to let her know that not only is he a fairy, but that demons are hunting him for his blood. Time is running out, and unless he finds a way to stop them, he risks losing not only his life and his love, but his immortal soul.
He took a step back from the doorway not
wanting her to see him just yet. He needed to regain control of his body, to
appear as uninterested as he led Brother Thomas to believe he was. He walked on
silent feet to the small bathroom that had been installed a few years ago after
they opened the monastery to tour. He slid his hand against the wall feeling
for the light switch. Turning on the overhead light he crossed to the sink, turning
on the cold water he began to splash his face.
“Get yourself under control Nic,” he muttered to himself. “Don’t think about how those long lean legs end at a nice heart shaped ass.” He shook his head splashing more water on his face. “Think of something else, Thomas in his underwear. Little old women blowing kisses at me. The twins appearing on my door step when I’m about to make out with a woman.”
He looked at his reflection a moment longer. Reaching over he grabbed a few paper towels. Drying his face and hands he gave a decisive nod of his head before he turned off the light and walked more confidently to the office where Mickie was still working
“Are you planning on working all night?”
She jumped, a small scream escaping her lips. She turned to look at him, a small smile on her lips, her hand over her heart. “You scared the crap out of me.”
He chuckled and walked further into the office. “Not making the progress you wanted to?”
She looked around the room, her shoulders slumped with defeat. “I tried the piles like you suggested but to do that I needed to clear an area. I figured if I was clearing an area then I should sort that pile of paperwork and before you know it I am doing everything but sorting. I cleaned the office, emptied the trash can, filled it again with empty envelopes and candy bar wrappers. I swear does that man throw anything away?”
Nicandro shook his head. “It is the main reason I told him to hire an assistant. Thomas needs someone to keep him in line and I just don’t have the time to be his personal maid.”
“What time is it?” She glanced out the window. “I hadn’t realized how much time passed.”
Nicandro looked at his watch, “About five after nine. Did you walk to work or catch a bus?”
“I walked, I hadn’t planned on staying so late.” She looked around for her purse.
“Why don’t you let me walk you home?” he asked as she located the item and slung it over her shoulder.
“I don’t live that far, just a few blocks,” she assured him.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t mind really. I’d feel better if I knew you got home safe.”
She nodded. “All right, if you wish.”
Nicandro turned off the office light as she exited the room. “It’s a beautiful night out actually.”
Mickie walked to the back exit. She stepped outside and waited for him. “The first time I visited it was in August, and I couldn’t believe how hot it was.”
“Yet you still moved down here,” he smiled, locking the back door.
“Yes, I did,” she agreed. “You never did say, are you from here?”
“No, I commute,” he teased her.
She rolled her eyes. “I mean were you born here?”
“No, actually, I’m not from here originally but I’ve lived here for a while.”
“I thought you had an accent that didn’t quite fit in with the area,” She commented. “So where are you from originally?”
“Scotland,” he answered not wanting to get into the whole ‘I’m a Fairy and from another realm’ discussion.
“Scotland? What brought you here?”
He shrugged. “I’d guess the same thing that brought you. I fell in love with the Quarter.”
Mickie looked around as they walked down the side street and headed toward her house. “I’m surprised we haven’t seen the tour yet.”
“Give them time, most of the tours come down this street. That hotel was once a civil war hospital and people claim to see the ghosts of surgeons working on patients.” He gestured to a second building. “That one has a woman in old, southern clothing trying on the hats of the guest.”
Mickie smiled at him. “See what I mean, the town is full of wonderful stories.”
Nicandro looked both ways as they crossed the street. Even though most of the streets were one way you never knew when a tourist would run a stop sign or drive down it the wrong way. “How many tours have you taken?”
“Only a couple. One of the guides was talking to a few of us between story sights. He said if you are to suddenly find yourself alone on a street and the hairs on your arm rise, turn and run the other way because dark creatures are around.”
Nicandro glanced at her. “Do you believe in such things?”
Mickie shrugged. “I think there are stories of things that go bump in the night in every culture known to man. Many of them are the same creatures so I figure there has to be some truth to them. I live in the next block.”
“Interesting thought, we may have to discuss it sometime.”
“Can we discuss you wearing body glitter and telling everyone you’re the vampire from the attic?” she teased.
“You’re as bad as Thomas,” he laughed.
She stopped in front of her gate. “Would you like to come in?”
He shook his head. “It’s late. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
She punched in the security code. “Yes, and I promise not to stay so late you have to walk me home.”
He chuckled. “You say that but you will get back in the office and time will slip away from you. I really don’t mind walking you home. Until tomorrow, my dear Mackenzie.”
“Until tomorrow, Nicandro.” She stepped into her backyard and closed the gate.
Nicandro stood there staring at the gate for a moment, a large dopey smile on his face. It went rather well tonight, if he did say so himself. They could never be more than friends, but it might be nice to have someone to talk to other than Thomas. It would be nice to have a female to talk to. He really hadn’t had much in the way of female companionship. He wondered if she would be interested in a fling, nothing serious, just some sex and maybe dinner.
“Get yourself under control Nic,” he muttered to himself. “Don’t think about how those long lean legs end at a nice heart shaped ass.” He shook his head splashing more water on his face. “Think of something else, Thomas in his underwear. Little old women blowing kisses at me. The twins appearing on my door step when I’m about to make out with a woman.”
He looked at his reflection a moment longer. Reaching over he grabbed a few paper towels. Drying his face and hands he gave a decisive nod of his head before he turned off the light and walked more confidently to the office where Mickie was still working
“Are you planning on working all night?”
She jumped, a small scream escaping her lips. She turned to look at him, a small smile on her lips, her hand over her heart. “You scared the crap out of me.”
He chuckled and walked further into the office. “Not making the progress you wanted to?”
She looked around the room, her shoulders slumped with defeat. “I tried the piles like you suggested but to do that I needed to clear an area. I figured if I was clearing an area then I should sort that pile of paperwork and before you know it I am doing everything but sorting. I cleaned the office, emptied the trash can, filled it again with empty envelopes and candy bar wrappers. I swear does that man throw anything away?”
Nicandro shook his head. “It is the main reason I told him to hire an assistant. Thomas needs someone to keep him in line and I just don’t have the time to be his personal maid.”
“What time is it?” She glanced out the window. “I hadn’t realized how much time passed.”
Nicandro looked at his watch, “About five after nine. Did you walk to work or catch a bus?”
“I walked, I hadn’t planned on staying so late.” She looked around for her purse.
“Why don’t you let me walk you home?” he asked as she located the item and slung it over her shoulder.
“I don’t live that far, just a few blocks,” she assured him.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t mind really. I’d feel better if I knew you got home safe.”
She nodded. “All right, if you wish.”
Nicandro turned off the office light as she exited the room. “It’s a beautiful night out actually.”
Mickie walked to the back exit. She stepped outside and waited for him. “The first time I visited it was in August, and I couldn’t believe how hot it was.”
“Yet you still moved down here,” he smiled, locking the back door.
“Yes, I did,” she agreed. “You never did say, are you from here?”
“No, I commute,” he teased her.
She rolled her eyes. “I mean were you born here?”
“No, actually, I’m not from here originally but I’ve lived here for a while.”
“I thought you had an accent that didn’t quite fit in with the area,” She commented. “So where are you from originally?”
“Scotland,” he answered not wanting to get into the whole ‘I’m a Fairy and from another realm’ discussion.
“Scotland? What brought you here?”
He shrugged. “I’d guess the same thing that brought you. I fell in love with the Quarter.”
Mickie looked around as they walked down the side street and headed toward her house. “I’m surprised we haven’t seen the tour yet.”
“Give them time, most of the tours come down this street. That hotel was once a civil war hospital and people claim to see the ghosts of surgeons working on patients.” He gestured to a second building. “That one has a woman in old, southern clothing trying on the hats of the guest.”
Mickie smiled at him. “See what I mean, the town is full of wonderful stories.”
Nicandro looked both ways as they crossed the street. Even though most of the streets were one way you never knew when a tourist would run a stop sign or drive down it the wrong way. “How many tours have you taken?”
“Only a couple. One of the guides was talking to a few of us between story sights. He said if you are to suddenly find yourself alone on a street and the hairs on your arm rise, turn and run the other way because dark creatures are around.”
Nicandro glanced at her. “Do you believe in such things?”
Mickie shrugged. “I think there are stories of things that go bump in the night in every culture known to man. Many of them are the same creatures so I figure there has to be some truth to them. I live in the next block.”
“Interesting thought, we may have to discuss it sometime.”
“Can we discuss you wearing body glitter and telling everyone you’re the vampire from the attic?” she teased.
“You’re as bad as Thomas,” he laughed.
She stopped in front of her gate. “Would you like to come in?”
He shook his head. “It’s late. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
She punched in the security code. “Yes, and I promise not to stay so late you have to walk me home.”
He chuckled. “You say that but you will get back in the office and time will slip away from you. I really don’t mind walking you home. Until tomorrow, my dear Mackenzie.”
“Until tomorrow, Nicandro.” She stepped into her backyard and closed the gate.
Nicandro stood there staring at the gate for a moment, a large dopey smile on his face. It went rather well tonight, if he did say so himself. They could never be more than friends, but it might be nice to have someone to talk to other than Thomas. It would be nice to have a female to talk to. He really hadn’t had much in the way of female companionship. He wondered if she would be interested in a fling, nothing serious, just some sex and maybe dinner.
Tiffany Ann was born and raised in
America’s heartland. Growing up in a town with no stop lights, she used the
local library to enrich her world and show her places that she could only dream
about. With the encouragement of her best friend Angel, she turned her love of
reading to a love of storytelling. Tiffany loves to travel and often her
vacation spots turn up as locations for her books. She collects vampires,
nutcrackers, and all things Nightmare before Christmas. When not writing you
can find Tiffany in a small Kansas town with her two black cats Midnight and
Maggie.
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