A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

turning me into a creature of the night, shunning
daylight. I slept through most of the day, only waking twice to eat and call my
parents to tell them I was all right. By late afternoon, I found myself refreshed
enough to take a hot shower and go around the house, waiting for the big event.
Tonight we’d retrieve the book—whatever that might involve—but that
wasn’t what worried me. How would Aidan react to seeing me after the previous
night? Was he still mad?
    The wind howled outside, rattling the
shutters. I grabbed a soft drink from the kitchen and made myself comfortable
on the sofa in the living room with several cushions propped up behind my back.
Soon it’d be time to leave everything behind. After just a few days, I realized
I felt at home and couldn’t imagine myself living somewhere else. I could
almost pretend the mansion was mine, forgetting that a few days ago I was a
mere employee. Albeit, not a very good one, but I’d tried my best—sort
of. Working for a vampire hadn’t been an easy task, what with all the strange
things happening and Aidan probably able to smell the dust I’d overlooked on
occasion. Even Dallas hadn’t failed to get Aidan’s hints. But I hoped Aidan
would consider all those things in my reference, because with my employment
history I’d be lucky to land any crappy position. For a moment, I regretted
quitting my job—my heated head was causing more harm than good these
days—but asking him to take me back was out of the question. He’d ridiculed
my cleaning skills in front of the others. He was probably searching for a
replacement already.
    A car stopped in the driveway, gravel
crunching under its tires. I pulled the curtains aside, but the visitors had
already moved out of my line of vision. A second later, the entrance door
opened and I heard Cass’s chatter, assuring someone they were welcome. I sighed
and plopped down on the sofa. So much for seeing Aidan before we commenced our
mission.
    Cass peered in and switched on the lights,
looking around the room. “Gee, Amber, we need to evacuate, like, right now.
There’s a hurricane amidst us.” She chuckled. “I thought my place was bad.”
    I glanced from Clare’s stacks of magazines
gathering dust in the corners to the half-empty glasses I hadn’t bothered to
pick up after Dallas’s visit. For a moment, I felt guilty. Then again, I realized
my bad conscience wasn’t warranted. Although I basically still lived here, free
of charge, I wasn’t Aidan’s employee anymore.
    I peered around me. It didn’t even look that bad—just a few things thrown
here and there, which helped give the house a homely touch. Really, where was
the charm in stacking away anything that might give away someone actually lived
here? I shrugged and looked back at Cass, only then noticing Devon and Angel
standing in the doorway, hesitant whether to enter. With a flick of my hand, I
motioned them to come in and grabbed Angel in a tight hug.
    “I’m sorry I left you behind,” I whispered
in her ear so Devon wouldn’t hear. Cass raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment.
    Angel blushed and sat down on the sofa with
a shy smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” Why wouldn’t I be? And then it dawned
on me. The girl believed what that eerie child queen spoon-fed her and didn’t
question the Shadows’ actions. Angel continued, “They asked me to come along so
you wouldn’t feel all alone among these people.”
    No doubt, by ‘people’ she meant the
vampires. I cringed inwardly, biting my tongue so I wouldn’t make a snarky
remark. Unlike the Shadows, the vampires hadn’t threatened and kidnapped me. I
could see a friendship developing between Angel and me, but not when her only
purpose of being around me was to earn my trust in case the Shadows could get
rid of the vampires to use me for their own wants. I shrugged. Well, straying
from Aidan’s pack wasn’t going to happen.
    Devon’s smile looked fake. His unnaturally
black eyes betrayed reproach, as though he held a grudge that I escaped. I
stuffed my hands in the pockets of my jeans and averted my gaze, lest he talk
to me.
    Cass inched closer and whispered, “Someone’s
irritated tonight. What bit your butt?” Her green eyes creased with laughter as
she leaned forward, peering closer. “On second thought, the answer’s right
there on your neck.”
    Raising my hand to my throat, I blushed,
the heat spreading across my skin at lightning speed. “I was attacked