Chapter 9

Remy's Ford Bronco easily held Ephie's luggage. She watched him load it into the back, holding on to her computer case. She wasn't going to work in the car, but she felt better having it close by. Her whole life was on this laptop.

She tipped her chin at the large stainless-steel container that spanned the back of the vehicle. "What is that? A cooler?"

"Not exactly. It's more of a self-preservation unit."

"So it's full of … Nope. I don't get it." She'd been about to say protein bars and bottled water, but he was a vampire. He could eat food, but to survive, he needed blood. That much she did know.

"It's not full of anything other than the padded interior lining. It's completely empty in case I can't make it to shelter before the sun comes up."

"Oh," she said softly. She'd forgotten how vulnerable vampires could be. It was a good reminder that the man next to her, for all his strength, speed, and power, had a significant weakness. She was very glad he'd made allowance for that.

Regardless of their past, she didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

Jean-Luc's head popped up over the row of seats. He meowed at them.

Remy laughed. "I think someone's ready to get on the road."

"Then let's do it."

They got into the SUV. He started it up, took a good look around, and got them moving.

She buckled her seatbelt, then decided to adjust the seat. "You don't mind if I move this back a little, do you?"

"Nope. Make yourself comfortable. It's a long drive. Although we'll probably only get about five hours in before we need to stop."

"Or I could drive." She didn't mind. She didn't do a lot of highway driving, but as long as there was navigation telling her where to go, she'd be fine.

"You're sure?" He made a face. "I don't know…"

She cut her eyes at him. "I'm a good driver. I'm actually a very good driver. I've never had a ticket or been in an accident."

"It's not that."

Sure, she thought. She knew how men were. Or at least, she'd heard enough about them from her mother.

"It's just that my SPU isn't the most comfortable thing in the world."

"SPU?"

"Self-preservation unit."

"Ah, right. The UVPC."

He laughed. "UVPC?"

"Ultraviolet protection chamber."

He was still grinning. "Clever. Might have to change its name. Anyway, it's really for emergencies. Not for long stretches of time. If possible."

"I can understand that. Personally, I don't know how you could get into it at all. I have a little claustrophobia."

"Yeah, I remember that."

"You do? From when?"

"That time we slipped into that janitor's closet in Blessey Hall, for one."

"Oh, that." Her cheeks got warm. She'd specifically been trying not to think about what a good kisser he was. Now it was all she could think about.

Maybe this trip hadn't been such a good idea. She'd only done it to show her mother she was her own person and could do what she wanted, but now, faced with the reality of it, she was getting a little worried she'd bitten off more than she could chew.

Which sounded like a vampire pun.

"Um, listen," she said. "We should probably establish some ground rules."

"Ground rules?" She could hear the amusement in his voice. He stopped at a red light. "Okay, what are they?"

"I just think you should know I didn't come with you to have some wild fling. You and I are … Well, we tried being together and it didn't work, so this isn't about that. It's not about rekindling anything. It's just me getting away for a bit and us being friends. And me showing my mother I can do what I want. That's it."

He nodded, but the movement seemed exaggerated to her. Like he was just humoring her.

"I mean it."

"Fine with me. Seriously, no argument. I'm sure that's what your mother would want, too."

Ephie stared at him. Was he messing with her? "If that's supposed to be some kind of reverse psychology, I don't appreciate it. I get that enough from my mother."

"What?" He frowned. "No, I was just— I only meant that I know your mother doesn't like me and I'm sure she thinks I'm going to put the hard press on you. I'm not. That's all."

She suppressed a smile. He was extra cute when he was flustered. "If you know my mother doesn't like you—and you're right, she doesn't. She doesn't like any kind of vampire—why do you think she was okay with me coming on this trip?"

He let out a sigh. "I guess … she just respects your decision-making skills?"

Ephie snort-laughed. "You clearly don't know my mother."

"No, I don't. Not well. Okay, well enough to be sufficiently intimidated by her, but that's it."

"She doesn't really intimidate you, does she?"

He glanced over. "She could make my life difficult if she wanted to."

"How?" Ephie was genuinely curious. She couldn't imagine how her mother could do anything that would bother Remy. He was a two-hundred-year-old-plus vampire, after all.

"She could report me to the local vampire council in New Orleans. They're stricter than most because of the tourist industry. I shouldn't have been there."

"You just came to visit the professor."

"Not a good enough reason in their eyes. A vampire breaking a rule for a human? Trust me, they wouldn't look kindly on that."

"I don't think my mother has the courage to go before the vampire council. If she could even find them."

"She does and she could. Your family isn't without its own powers. You come from a line of gifted women. Your grandmother is well-known for her love potions, among other things."

"She is, but my mom's powers are pretty minimal. Her real power is in who she knows and who owes her favors."

"What about you?"

"You mean my powers?"

He nodded.

"They're nothing special."

He scoffed at that. "Come on."

"I mean it. They never really turned into anything. I'm okay with it. I don't need the complication. I like my life. It's low-key and simple, and that's just fine."

Jean-Luc appeared between them, standing on the console. He was translucent, but as he leaned toward Ephie, he materialized fully.

"Someone wants attention," Remy said.

She scooped Jean-Luc up, grateful he was solid, and put him on her lap. "How are you doing, bebe? What do you think about the car ride, hmm?"

"How did you end up with him?" Remy asked. "I want to hear the story."

Ephie smiled as Jean-Luc curled up in her lap. "I was in the cemetery, laying flowers for my Great-Aunt Hester's birthday, and he came running up to me, crying and pitiful. As soon as I spoke to him, he tried to climb my leg."

"So he was fully materialized?"

"Yep. At first, I had no idea he was a ghost. My guess, and I could be completely wrong about this, is that he'd been trying to get someone to take him home for a long time. I was just the first person who could see him. My mom can't."

"She told me. Pretty sure she thinks Jean-Luc is a figment of your imagination."

"Of course she does." Ephie shook her head. "My grandmother's seen him, though. And you, obviously. But you seem to see him better than even I can."

Remy gave them a quick look. "Well, he was solid just a second ago, but right now, he looks translucent to me. I can see your legs through him. But maybe that's because he's sleeping? I don't have a clue how ghost cats work."

"I didn't either. Still don't, in some ways. It just took living with him to understand what he was capable of."

"And he doesn't eat or drink or need the litter box?"

"Nope. He likes the smell of food, I can tell you that. He likes to lie in the sun. And I've seen him chase a bug that got in the house. But he couldn't do anything with it." She smoothed her hand over his silky fur. She couldn't feel it at the moment, but she knew how soft it was from memory.

"He seems happy," Remy said.

She nodded. "I hope he is. Even if he's a ghost, he deserves a good life."

"I bet he's going to love Nocturne Falls."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"For one thing, he won't be the only ghost in town. I know New Orleans doesn't exactly have a shortage, but the ghosts in Nocturne Falls are a lot easier to see. If you want to. And you know the right people."

"Any ghost cats? Or ghost animals of any kind?"

"Not that I know of. But I know someone who might know." He smiled. "I promise I'll ask next time I see her."

"When will that be?"

"Next time I'm at work." He chuckled. "She's the department's receptionist. She's also the sheriff's aunt. You'll like Birdie. She's a real character."

"Didn't you say the sheriff is a werewolf?"

"Yep. And so is his aunt. And his wife. And his sister, who runs the local bar and grill, and his brother, who's the fire chief."

"Whoa. Is the place infested with werewolves?" She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that.

"They're nice people, and you won't be in any danger, I promise. They're wolf shifters, not rougarous."

"If you say so." Once again, she was having second thoughts. But asking him to turn around and take her home would only prove her mother right. Ephie couldn't have that. Her mother would never let her live it down.

She was going to Nocturne Falls, and she was having a good time. Even if that meant being scared out of her mind.