His own father had been killed during the war, brought down by his brother Caleb at first, but Braith had been the one to remove the head from his body. There were many things Jack didn't know about his vampire line, or the power that drove it, but his bastard of a father had somehow managed to survive a stake through the heart. It was possible that Braith, or even he, could survive a stake to the heart as well, but it wasn't a theory he was going to try and prove anytime soon.
Jack would have killed his father himself without feeling an iota of remorse. No, it wasn't his father he grieved for, or his brother Caleb. He grieved for the man who had taken him in and treated him with far more respect than his own father ever had. He'd found a family and friends amongst David and his children. He knew he still had William and his siblings, but he missed the man that had shown him patience, kindness, and a whole new appreciation for the human race that went far beyond the fact that they were a food supply.
Reaching over, he turned the lantern down. Laughter drifted up from below but it did little to ease the melancholy settling into his bones. It's only because the one year anniversary of David's death is a week away, he told himself. That was why the memories and sorrow were haunting him like a poltergeist today, but even as he thought it he knew he was lying to himself. He and William had been running from the memories ever since they'd left the palace behind.
They'd return soon, he told himself, but he knew he was just lying to himself about that too.
CHAPTER 4
Hannah watched as Heath and Ellen walked down the street toward Uncle Abe's small blue house down the road. Ellen led Heath up the stairs to Uncle Abe's porch and opened the door for him. She said something to the boy before closing the door. Ellen walked two houses up and dashed up the steps of her own small faded yellow home. Hannah's hand remained on the shutter as she watched her friend disappear into the home she'd recently built for herself.
Ellen may be older than her at thirty-two, but she was the closest girlfriend that Hannah had. She would have preferred that Ellen stay with Uncle Abe or at the tavern with her and Lucas. It seemed like such a lonely existence in that small home all by herself, but then if it hadn't been for Hannah's and Lucas's respective parents taking her in, Ellen would have been all alone in the world. Ellen's mother had abandoned her here when she was seven. The only knowledge she had of her father was that her mother had told her he was of the house of Hendry. Ellen knew the name was a way for her to locate her father's family, but she had no intention of doing so.
Hannah's family had given her work at the tavern and a place to stay. They'd raised Ellen as one of their own, and they had kept her safe. Until their original home had been hit by lightning when Hannah was sixteen, they'd all still lived together. The fire had not only destroyed their home but it had taken both of her parents, and Lucas's mother, from them.
After the fire they had all lived in the rooms above the tavern for a few years before Ellen had decided it was time for a place of her own, and Uncle Abe had wanted another house. Hannah had contemplated moving in with one of them, but after the death of her parents she had thrown herself into trying to fill their roles at the tavern and spent most of her time here. It had simply been easier for her to remain here; Lucas had decided to stay in the tavern because he enjoyed the freedom that came from being out on his own.
Hannah pulled the shutter closed on the window and slid the lock into place as the last star blinked out of the sky. She looked around at the damage that had been caused during the brawl. They'd have to bring up some of the stored furniture in the basement, and try to piece together what was left up here until they could have some new furniture made, but they should be able to get through the next few days with what they had left.
The dull thud of Lucas's boots sounded against the planks as he pulled out a chair and plopped into it. Hannah winced and ducked away as the chair gave out with a loud snap. With a small thud, Lucas sprawled inelegantly upon the floor in a heap of debris.
"Son of a bitch!" He slapped his hands on the ground before tossing a chair leg off of his lap.
Hannah shook her head and planted her hands on her hips. "It was probably broken during the fight."
He glanced at her from under a lock of wayward brown hair that was five shades lighter than hers. His nose scrunched up as his russet eyes met hers. "Maybe it was just old."
"It was perfectly fine last night," she retorted.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he grumbled as he shoved another broken leg off of him and rose to his feet. "I'll fix it."
"I don't think anyone is going to be able to fix it," the stranger sitting at another table said.
Hannah glanced at the auburn haired human she had spotted amongst the fray earlier. Shadows marred the soft skin beneath his bloodshot eyes but he was still holding a deck of cards in his hand as he gave her a grin that had probably made more than a few women fall in love with him. Though it made Hannah smile in return, she had no romantic interest in the human. She'd been bitten in the ass by strangers before and had vowed years ago not to get involved with them again.
Old man Turner was the only one still sitting at the table with the newcomer. Judging by the size of the pile in front of Turner compared to the one in front of the stranger, Turner was going to get an earful when he finally dragged his butt home to his wife, which was something that Turner would be doing soon if she had anything to say about it.
"He's going to give it a try though," Hannah told the stranger.
The stranger's eyes twinkled with amusement as his gaze drifted back to Turner. Though it wasn't an everyday occurrence, more and more out-of-towners had begun to drift through their town since the end of the war. There had been some travelers in the town during the years before the war, but far less than there were now, and vampires from this town had never traveled beyond its boundaries. This town was the one place that they didn't have to worry about the fear and distrust they often encountered in other towns. This town was their home and none of them were willing to leave the security it had to offer them.