Family Secrets (Young Adult Edition) (Davenport Manor (Young Adult Edition)) Read online

  And finally, death came—the pain was gone, the struggle to breathe was gone. But, she still felt present in her body, which was odd because she was certain she would feel as though she would leave her body. She opened her eyes and she was still laying on the ground with Aidan hovering over her. The surroundings looked different, yet familiar to her. She focused her eyes on the trees and realized she was still on the pathway, but her vision was pristine. Even in this dark forest she could see every fiber of every tree trunk and every star in the sky. She looked back at Aidan, whose face looked hopeful and eager. She couldn’t seem to take a breath to speak; it was as if she had somehow forgotten how to use her muscles. It was then that she realized she had not been breathing this entire time. She felt scared, but she didn’t feel that jolt of panic shoot through her gut like one would feel when frightened.

  She managed to find the muscles to use to inhale some air so she could ask him, “What has happened?”

  Aidan replied, “You are like me now. You are vampire.”

  She was too shocked to speak. These hideous creatures of myth and folklore, she certainly couldn’t be one of them. They’re not real. There had to be a reasonable explanation for everything that just happened to her—the pain, the inability to breathe, feeling as though she died. His fangs, he didn’t have those when she was speaking with him before all this happened. He had licked her blood off of them and they were now gleaming white in his mouth. As she tried to wrap her head around the incidents that took place within the past few minutes, she came to the realization that there was no explanation. He was fast, he was up in a tree for goodness sake, he was charming, he was beautiful…and he bit her.

  As she sat up, she realized that she didn’t have a single ache in her body; she actually felt fantastic. It was exhilarating! Everything was so clear—her vision, hearing, and sense of smell. As she inhaled through her nose she caught a whiff of the most decadent scent. She turned her head toward the direction it came from and inhaled again. She suddenly felt her whole body crave the scent. It wasn’t a hunger or a thirst even; it was a physical yearning to satisfy the craving. Much like a smoker who is having a nicotine fit and needing a drag. His head turned in the same direction and he slightly inhaled the scent that was caught in the gentle breeze.

  She got up off the ground without effort and he stood alongside her. She inhaled again, letting the captivating smell fill her nose. She glanced at Aidan for a moment, as if he were a threat to get to the scent first, and she took off in the direction from which it came. She was running so fast that the trees were just a blur past her, but she had reflexes so perfect that she knew she wouldn’t crash. It was amazing! Aidan caught up with her and ran alongside her, guiding her in the direction to take her first drink as a new vampire.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, Emma slipped out of the house to head to Barrington, a large town about twenty minutes from Davenport. Zachariah asked to come with her since he had the day off as well. They normally took her silver Mercedes SLK350 Roadster because it was so much fun to drive, but opted for the Cadillac Escalade instead since they needed the room this time. They set off onto the winding road that led off of the property and came up to the guard shack and greeted Thomas, the guard on duty that morning. After some small talk, he opened the gates so that they could leave.

  Emma and Zachariah chatted while they drove, listened to the radio, and enjoyed the drive on such a beautiful morning.

  “So, what are your plans for today?” He asked.

  “Todd and I are going to go horseback riding around the property when we get back.” She replied without adding detail, too much fuel to the fire.

  “Sounds like a great date,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

  “Oh stop. I’m just having a little bit of fun with him while he’s here. You have to remember, he has been my favorite actor for the past few years. Not many fans would get to actually go on a date with someone they admire.”

  “I understand.”

  She took his hand and pleaded, “It makes me feel just a tad human. I have been on this Earth for two-hundred and twenty-two years…” she shook her head, as if in disbelief.

  “How does it make you feel knowing Aidan is with other women? Does it ever bother you?”

  “Of course, it was especially hard at first. But, it’s not like I’m jealous, it’s more like I want his attention. I know that’s how you feel,” she gently replied. “But, it is what it is and I can’t change anything. Plus, I’d have to say that you’re lucky, it is rare for a maker and offspring to remain so close after this long. You will always be my number one, I can promise you that will never change.”

  Zachariah smiled and he completely understood where she was coming from. They adored each other; they were in love with one another. But, when you know you’re going to be alive forever, being with the same person can get incredibly boring. Unlike other makers, she couldn’t let him go because she absolutely cherished him. However, every now and then they needed variety—to have their cake and eat it, too.

  They pulled in to the parking lot of Miller Funeral Home, which was luckily empty this morning, and drove around to the back entrance. They went up to the door and rang the bell. Patricia Miller, the owner, answered the door and gave both Emma and Zachariah a kiss on their cheeks. She welcomed them inside and they took the stairs down to the lower level of the building.

  A little known fact amongst humans: several funeral homes in major cities were owned by vampires. They often became licensed embalmers, so while embalming a body they wouldn’t let the blood just go down the drain. Instead they pumped it out into jugs, which they sold to other vampires; like a vampire super market. It was easy access to human blood without having to bite anyone. Patricia had owned Miller Funeral Home for decades and Emma and Zachariah had been loyal customers for just as long.

  “How have you two been?” Patricia asked. She was a lovely woman—turned in her early forties, but looked younger than her age. She had shoulder-length, dark blonde hair with big, bouncing curls. Her smile was infectious and could easily pass as a happy, suburban mom.

  “Great! They’re filming the fifth Ticking Through Time movie on our property, so we have had a full house. It’s been a lot of fun,” Emma replied enthusiastically.

  “It’s nice to be able to just go home at the end of the day instead of a hotel room for once!” Zachariah added.

  “Oh how fun! Any big names there besides you and Daniel?” Patricia asked while opening the walk-in refrigerator.

  “Vivienne Conrad, Declan Fitzgerald, and the usual cast of the films,” Zachariah told her.

  “Oh, Vivienne is such a classic beauty! Wasn’t she turned during the 1920’s?”

  Emma nodded, “She was. She was a chorus girl for the Ziegfeld Follies back then and got her feet wet in some silent films. After disappearing long enough for people to forget her she decided to return to the big screen. She’s so talented.”

  “How many cases do you need, hun?” Patricia turned to Emma. Each case held four jugs of blood.

  “I’d say ten, don’t you think Zach?”

  “I think ten is good, if not we’ll just come and get more.”

  The three of them were able to carry all ten cases in one trip and piled them into the back of the SUV. Patricia took cash only for blood sales, so Emma handed her the amount for all ten cases. They each gave her a peck on the cheek and set off to head back home.

  “Now we gotta hope there isn’t anyone in the kitchen when we get home! No way we can explain ten big boxes going into a hidden refrigerator,” Zachariah pointed out.

  Emma agreed and decided to give Daniel a call to ask him if he might be able to clear everyone from the kitchen. They would be able to use the back entrance without anyone seeing them come in.

  They pulled in to the driveway and went around back. Emma called Daniel one more time to make sure that the kitchen was clear of humans and they carried in the cases before they could be seen
. They restocked the hidden refrigerator, shut it, and looked at each other as if to say “mission complete”.

  Emma and Zachariah made their way into the parlor where some people were hanging out, including Daniel.

  “Hey Dan, thanks,” Emma quietly said as she approached him. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “And good morning!” she exclaimed with a smile.

  “Good morning!” he said as he hugged her back. “Get everything you needed?”

  With a grin she replied, “Yup, we’re all good,” and leaned close to his ear to add, “so no one will get bitten.” She winked and he laughed. “Have you seen Todd yet? I have a date with him; we’re going horseback riding today.”

  “He was down at breakfast, but went back upstairs. He’s probably up in his room,” Dan replied.

  “Alright, I’m going to go find him,” she turned to Zachariah and added, “I’ll see you later, okay?” She touched his arm as if trying to console him.

  “Okay, have fun.” He responded, managing a small, but forced smile.

  Emma climbed the staircase and went left to head towards the bedrooms. But, Todd’s scent made her look to the right instead. He was standing in the portrait hallway examining the paintings.

  She approached him and greeted, “Good morning, love! What’cha doing?”

  He had a look of worry on his face and she was afraid he might have figured her out. But, as she got closer she realized he wasn’t looking at her portrait, but at Elizabeth’s.

  “What’s wrong? You look confused or something,” she asked.

  “I just…never mind, you’ll think I’m crazy,” he shook his head. She would really start to question his sanity now, especially after the tree incident.

  “What is it?” She urged.

  “Okay, you’re going to think I’ve gone mad, but…” he hesitated and took a breath. “I had trouble falling asleep last night and I swear I felt like I was being watched. You know that weird feeling you get sometimes?”

  “Sure I do,” she answered while thinking, Of course not, if someone was watching me, I’d darn well know it.

  “Well, as I was lying there, I thought I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. When I looked, I saw a girl dressed in period clothing. I jumped of course, but then I thought it was one of the actresses in my room and relaxed for a moment. I asked her what she was doing in my room, but she didn’t respond. She just stared at me,” his brow was furrowed now. She could hear his heart pounding while explaining the events.

  “So, who was it?”

  “Since she wasn’t answering me, I got out of bed and went over to her…and as I approached her I realized she was transparent. But, I got a good look at her face and I swear it was her,” he said, pointing at Elizabeth’s portrait. “Elizabeth Davenport. I think I saw a ghost.”

  Emma’s arms were crossed and she absorbed the story he just told her. She looked at Elizabeth’s portrait and if she could still get the chills, she would have goosebumps on her arms right about now. Not out of fear, but out of utter excitement.

  “So, she never spoke to you?” Emma asked him.

  “No, she just looked at me, but she looked concerned and maybe sad. But, the odd thing was, I wasn’t afraid of her, I physically felt completely calm. I would think that I would have freaked out if I ever saw a ghost, but she radiated a serene energy.”

  Emma nodded, but on the inside her mind was racing. She wished so much that she could see her, too.

  “Is your house known to be haunted?” He asked, snapping her away from her thoughts.

  “I’ve never seen any,” she shrugged. “Our dad, John had mentioned seeing her before.”

  “So, do you think I’m completely mad now?”

  She shook her head, “I don’t think you’re mad at all. I believe you actually. Perhaps if there is a next time, try to talk to her…better yet, yell for me. I’m fascinated with the supernatural and would love to meet a ghost, especially one of my ancestors.”

  He relaxed and gave a slight chuckle, “I will, although I hope there isn’t a ‘next time’!”

  “Come on, let’s go riding and we can talk more.”

  Todd quickly remembered how to ride the minute he got in the saddle. They rode through the property and around the land that they hadn’t explored on foot during his first tour. Todd would occasionally watch Emma, hardly hearing her speak. She looked so divine while riding Phantom, like something out of a film. They made their way around the property, past the cottages, and found themselves at the entrance of the cemetery once again. By this time, the sun had begun to set on the horizon, giving the sky a deep, orange hue. The shadows had already engulfed the area, which gave Todd an ominous feeling as they approached the graveyard. He got a chill up his spine and had the overwhelming urge to turn back, but Emma seemed completely comfortable and he didn’t want to seem like a sissy. There were no crickets or nightlife sounds as it was now November, which made the complete silence even more unsettling.

  Emma heard Todd’s heart rate increase, letting her know that he was afraid. For some odd reason, she enjoyed the fact that he was uncomfortable there and continued to ride on. Todd had slowed the pace of his horse, feeling hesitant about moving forward.

  “Something the matter, Todd?” Emma asked as she turned her body around the face him.

  He gave her a nervous smile and replied, “Ahh, no. I just…I’m just a little uneasy about being in a cemetery at night.”

  “Oh come on, you have nothing to worry about here. No one is going to get you! I like to come here when I need some distance from people, I find it very serene. I like to visit my family.”

  He sped up his pace to catch up to her since he certainly didn’t want to be left behind. Family or not, all he could think about was that he was surrounded by dead people.

  Emma dismounted from her horse and motioned for Todd to follow. She sat down on a bench located across the path from the Davenport family tomb. Todd dismounted and hesitantly walked over to join her while his nerves were beginning to get the best of him. He sat down next to her and she took his hand.

  “See? Nothing to be afraid of, they won’t hurt you,” she smiled.

  Todd closed his eyes and listened to the quiet breeze—trying to convince himself to relax. They sat in silence for several minutes while holding hands; he was concentrating on listening to the breeze and she concentrated on listening to his heart. She heard it slow while he clearly made himself relax, then it would speed up a little, then slow again. Suddenly, his heart jumped and began racing while he abruptly sat up straight, becoming rigid with his eyes wide open now.

  “Todd, what is it?” Emma asked with concern.

  “Shhh, do you hear that?”

  Emma sat silent for a moment, listening intently. Certainly if he heard something, she would hear it 10 times louder. “I don’t hear anything, love.”

  “It sounds like a woman weeping…faintly.” His breathing was fast and shallow while holding perfectly still to listen.

  Confused, Emma shook her head and looked around, “I don’t hear anything, Todd.” And trust me, I would.

  “It sounds like it is coming from the crypt there…dang, I’m freaking out, please let’s get out of here,” he pleaded with anxiety in his voice. He wasn’t sure if it was real or if his mind was playing tricks on him. But, fear had gotten the best of him and the only thing he knew was that he wanted to be as far away from that cemetery as possible. After the odd encounter with what he believed to be a ghost the night before, he remained edgy all day.

  She gently rubbed his back and agreed to leave. She felt bad that he was so frightened, but honestly couldn’t understand why humans were often so afraid of dead people. If only Todd knew what she was, he would have realized that he would have been protected by the most dangerous predator on Earth and that he had nothing to be afraid of.

  It was dark out when they finally walked into the house. Todd had relaxed and felt like a complete fool for being such
a chicken earlier. There was the usual bustle of people strewn about and they were just getting ready to have dinner.

  “Sit by me at dinner, love? I don’t think we have ever dined together!” Todd asked as he held her hand.

  “Sure, save me a spot and I’ll meet you there.”

  How was she going to get out of this one? She wasn’t used to having to be completely aware and careful of what she said and did. Sure, she could charm him into believing whatever she wanted, but she hated using that tool unless absolutely necessary. Todd went ahead into the dining room while Emma sought out Zachariah. She could sense he was in the kitchen, so she decided to sneak that way to join him. He was leaning on the center island while chatting with Vivienne and Declan; all of them had a glass of blood.

  They all exchanged greetings while Emma went into the secret refrigerator for a bag of blood for herself. She poured it into a glass and popped it into the microwave for a minute, which was the perfect temperature.

  “So, how did your little date with the handsome human go?” Vivienne asked with a smirk.

  Zachariah shifted uneasily and gave Emma a cold stare.

  “It was nice, we went horseback riding. And Zach, you can stop looking at me like that,” Emma replied while shooting Zachariah a threatening glance. “Although, I wanted to talk to you guys, tell me what you think. But, I want Daniel here, too.” Emma whipped out her phone and texted Dan to come to the kitchen. When he walked in just seconds later, she shut the door and locked it, not wanting any human interruptions.

  “So, tell me what you all think…Todd was a bit shaken up this morning—he said he had an encounter with a ghost last night. When I went to fetch him to go riding, I found him upstairs looking at my sister, Elizabeth’s portrait. He swore it was her that was in his room. Then, we ended up riding to the cemetery, which made him totally on edge. Talked about being afraid of cemeteries at night, blah blah blah…” Emma gave a wave of her hand.

  “I don’t understand why humans are afraid of cemeteries, day or night. Those dead folks aren’t the ones to be afraid of.” Zachariah said.