Mixed Blood

Chapter 6

Rhia pulled up the long drive of an old mansion that was as extravagant and luxurious as the Royal Palace of Versailles a few miles away. Stepping out of the car and looking around, she couldn't help but wonder if Bastian had made a mistake. This couldn't be Nolan's property. So much unnecessary extravagance was Constantine's style.

Lavish was the only word that came to mind. Hedges grown in pristine patters and maintained to sharp edges and corners to line the paths and create a natural barrier to keep walkers from stepping on the perfectly maintained lawn and hundreds of flowers and other plants grown in strictly defined areas. A pond at the center of the drive was lined with white marble, creating an easy U-turn for cars. Just under the surface were several fountain nozzles turned on low to keep the water flowing, but could easily be turned up for an impressive display. She could only imagine what it would look like in the daylight.

This was the address he sent her, right?

She walked up the double staircase, seriously wondering if she'd taken a wrong turn somewhere, and pressed the doorbell. The chimes echoed beyond the door in a beautiful chords and patterns. A few minutes later, Bastian opened the door, his skin pale and blue eyes wide in shock. "How in control are you right now?" he asked.

"I am uncomfortably sober, so I think that's going to depend on what you have to tell me. Are you going to invite me in?"

"Just... try not to light anything on fire, please."

He turned and started down the hall, leaving Rhia standing at the open door, torn between running the fuck away and following him in. Taking a breath, she took a careful step forward into the mansion. She quickly forgot about the hallowed look on his face, and her jaw dropped. "What the hell...?" she muttered.

The house was as beautiful and grand on the inside as it was outside. Everything was painted white with gold trim. An enormous, antique chandelier hung low over her, casting crystalline reflections over every surface. "He never told you about this place, did he?" Bastian called from the end of the foyer.

"No," she breathed, doing a slow circle and trying to take it all in. "Never. He didn't even mention it. Neither did Constantine when he was trying to torment me. Why?"

"I'll show you."

He nodded for her to follow him into what could only be described as a ballroom. High arched ceilings with a renaissance mural taking up most of the open space. Portraits lined the walls between decorative burgundy curtains. At the far end of the hall, right in the middle, Bastian drew back a set of curtains that had been closed.

Rhia stared up and enormous oil portrait. Instantly, she recognized Nolan dressed in a tuxedo that would have been at the height of fashion in the nineteen-thirties. As always, he was pristine. Not a single hair out of place, and the artist perfectly captured the intense, yet kind look in his bright blue eyes.

The woman next to him was just as beautiful. Tall, slender, blonde haired with porcelain skin, and eyes as red as fire. In her arms, was a boy no older than a year old with his father's eyes. "Who is she?" Rhia's breathed in awe.

"Valentina Catrinel Lisandra Dracula," Bastian whispered.

"Nolan's wife." All at once, her lungs felt heavy and tight.

"And Cameron's mother. She was a powerful, proud woman." Bastian smiled up at the painted woman. "You would have liked her. She had one hell of a wild streak. The only thing that ever scared her was motherhood. You never got the chance to meet the Dracula's, but 'parent material' would be the last thing that came to mind in describing them. Her father was an absolute nut-bag, and I think it's fair to say she had one or two screws loose herself. But she loved Cam and Nolan more than anything in this world. It really broke him when she was killed. I don't think he ever came back here."