Virgins and Vampires: Blood Falls (The Blood Falls Book 3)

There was no time for personal lives but we made time anyway. We needed somewhere to escape to, somewhere few knew about. That was the biggest reason we kept our house a secret. Everyone else assumed we lived in my enchanted quarters at the House of Gatlin. And we did stay there from time to time. Especially when I was busy with Shoshanna.

But the rest of our spare time was spent here, amongst the gutted rooms and half-renovated kitchen. It was cozy and ours. Besides, the most important features were the roof and the fireplace, and both of those worked just fine.

“I don’t understand,” my mother said. Again. “Why live like this when you have a perfectly lovely room. If the house were ready, I’d understand. But it’s not.”

The house had enchantments just like my room. As well as wards on the perimeter. With the help of Saoirse and some magic, the house was essentially invisible unless you knew how to find it.

“Because, Mother, there might not be a tomorrow. So if I’m going to live the life I want, I better do it now.”

She blanched. As usual, my mother was exceptional at putting thoughts she didn’t like out of her mind. “There will be a tomorrow, and a tomorrow after that. I refuse to believe my daughter won’t have a full, long life.”

“And while I appreciate that, I can’t live that way. I have to live in the moment. This is my home. I live here.” In my rocking chair in front of my fire.

Now that the house had electricity and water, thanks to some off-the-grid innovations, there was really no excuse. We had a working fridge that would eventually get replaced with something more suitable, a microwave, a large griddle, and various other small appliances that would tide us over until there was a functional stove and oven.

The primary focus of Kris’ and Dad’s work was our master bedroom. After that suite was finished we’d be able to move out of our makeshift downstairs bedroom and really start on the first floor renovation. After that was the porch, and then finally, the rest of the upstairs. It sounded a little convoluted but it wasn’t.

My mother sighed and sat in the other rocking chair, her teacup in hand. “You’ve been through a lot in your short life. I guess I should let you live it as you see fit.”

I tried not to giggle at the word choice. I was a fully mature samhain. There was no letting me do anything. But I suppose parents always feel like parents, and I was grateful to have both of mine. “Kris and Dad are really getting along.”

Mom smiled. “They are. He’s enjoying having another male around. And you know your father, he’s a natural caretaker. He’s right at home having a son to love.”

And that was the thing. My mother could be difficult, but it mostly came from her enormous capacity to love and protect. Both my parents had that. It was part of what made them a good couple. Perhaps the perfect couple to raise a child who needed so much care.

But I wasn’t a child anymore. “I know we’ve had a rocky go of things lately.”

“I truly don’t want to fight.”

“Things have to change.” I winced at how forcefully I said that.

“I know. I do. I know you can take care of yourself. I know you’re grown. I know you have a Destiny that I have no say over. I’m trying.”

“And I appreciate it. I see it. But I think we’ll be stuck like this until we find a new way forward. Your life has changed dramatically as well.” Losing her sister but gaining her husband was a huge life change.

“A new way forward?”

I set my tea aside and leaned on the wooden arm of the rocking chair. “I’ll always be your daughter. That will never change. I will still need your advice and wisdom and fierce protectiveness.”

“But? There’s a but coming. I can hear it in the tone of your voice.”

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe we weren’t compatible in any configuration other than overprotective mother and overprotected child. I took a chance anyway. “But…we could be more than that. We could be…friends.”

The idea startled her. Perhaps confused her. Her eyes unfocused and she stayed frozen long enough I went back to rocking and thinking. A friendship with Malynda would never look like my friendships with Cass and Bridge. And would I always call her Mom or Mother, or would Malynda slip out? It was hard to imagine truly being friends if I always called her Mom.

Of course she could come out of this laughing at the ridiculousness of the idea.

“What do you do for fun?” She frowned. “And why don’t I know that?”

Because you’ve been focused on arranging every aspect of my life except what I do in my room. “I bake with the twins. We swim at Blood Falls. I love to hike because it’s quiet when I get far enough away from the Houses. And Kris has recently introduced me to off-roading and motorcycle riding.”

Her eyes rounded more with each item I ticked off my list. “We are very different. Although I do enjoy a little baking from time to time. Mostly bread.”

“Now see, I’m awful at breads.”

She nodded, a little smile lighting up her eyes. “It’s all about the ingredients. The best ingredients and the perfect proportions. We can bake some together.”

“I’d like that.”

“And of course there will be wine.”

“Of course.”

“But the rest?” She wrinkled her nose. “Not in my wheelhouse.”

“That’s okay. What do you like to do for fun besides bake bread, sew dresses, and read books?”

Her cheeks flushed pink. “That’s about it. You know me better than I know you.”

“I have a lot of time to observe.”

“Do you enjoy any of those things?” The hopeful way she leaned a little closer as she asked told me we just might be able to piece together a friendship.

“Sewing bores me, but reading is one of my favorite things to do. And I never have enough time these days.”

Her eyes lit up. “We should do buddy reads! Get to know each other through our book choices! We can take turns picking the book we’re reading.”

I only ever saw historicals in my mother’s hands. Therefore my very diverse tastes should be a fascinating dive into our different personalities. “Sounds like a plan.”

“We’re about to start cutting!” Kris yelled down the stairs.

I shot to my feet. “I’m coming!”

“What on earth is happening?” Mother—Malynda—asked.

“I love using the circular saw! They agreed to let me cut all the boards today!” I clapped my hands and bounced on my toes.

Malynda waved me away. “Go. Enjoy slicing up wood.” She shook her head like I baffled her.

I bounded up the stairs two at a time. That was another project already completed. The boys made sure the stairs were in excellent working order. They also replaced all the windows.

They were putting every spare minute into the house while they could and it was starting to go very quickly. Especially on the days when Kris’s siblings decided to help out. Today was not one of those days. The twins stayed at House of Wren to help distract Aethel from Ender. Even though they were supposed to be working together they usually ended up fighting. It was at the point where Bridge was looking into swapping with her older sister. But Ender was an alpha wolf and he needed someone as hardheaded as he was. Unfortunately, it was Aethel that fit the bill.

But it gave us a nice family day.

With a saw!

The bedroom walls and ceiling had all been repaired and restored. Dad worked on replacing a few bad boards in the wood floor while Kris worked on the closet.

“Thanks for helping today.” Dad dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “With you cutting, Kris and I can keep working.”

“It’s not a problem. Nope. None at all. I am always available for working the spinning blades of death.” I laughed a little maniacally as I hit the power button and made the blade spin for a split second. Kris’s head popped up and Dad groaned. “What? It’s fun! And cool. And I know it’s dangerous, okay. But—hear me out—what if we modified one to be my weapon in battle?” Knives and daggers were cool, but how much more damage could I make with a freaking saw?

“I don’t think saws have the same effect on beings on another Plane of existence.” Kris chided.

“But they might! We have no idea!” I hit the power button again.

“I’m pretty sure your natural gifts are far more effective than a saw sword,” Dad said and then instantly regretted it when I started bouncing around the room clapping.

“A saw sword! Come on! Do it, do it, do it!”

“I am not making you a saw sword, Rhiannon.” Dad turned back to the flooring.

I puffed out my lower lip and clasped my hands under my chin. “Hey lover boy who happens to be really good with metals and tools. Want to make me a saw sword?”

He shook his head some more, laughing now. “I don’t know what’s more terrifying, the idea of a saw sword, or the look of maniacal glee on your face.”

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a maybe. I’ll think about the logistics and whether I can make anything that you won’t kill yourself with before you hurt a being from another Plane.”

It wasn’t a no, so I accepted this answer. Besides, I didn’t really expect Kris to make me a sword. It was something silly and fun to take our minds off things for a while. In fact, I found myself being silly more and more often. It was partly feeling more comfortable in my own skin, but it was also feeling the burden of what was coming and needing to make the ones I loved smile. I even sang a medley of songs from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers while we made dinner one night because I decided the Wrens reminded me of the play.

Kris was not amused. At first. But then as I got sillier and he stopped taking the comparison so seriously, he started laughing and then didn’t stop until dinner was ready.

“Hey Alan, can you come take a look at this?” Kris stood in the center of our new walk-in closet frowning.

Dad finished hammering something into place and sauntered over like an old cowboy who’d been in the saddle all day. “What is it, son?”

I didn’t really listen to them as they debated something about struts or studs or something that began with an S. I was more focused on how happy the two males in my life were. Dad clapped Kris on the shoulder, laughing about something. Kris nodded quickly, explaining away. Dad offered advice almost daily, something Kris soaked up. Dad was always subtle about it. Waited until he was sure the advice would be helpful, always giving Kris room to be his own male.

They bonded as they built this house for us, sealing their own relationship while infusing our new home with a lot of love.