Take Courage, My Heart

Chapter Twenty-Five

Five hours later the door at the front of the house opened and Ezra and Annerose came into the penthouse. They both seemed out of breath and in a hurry, Ezra pressing a quick kiss on Kei's forehead and then starting to bring some of the suitcases we had packed down to the parking lot.

"Where's Leander?" I asked Annerose, helping her pack the weapons into suitcases. Keisuke and I didn't have access to the glass case they were kept in so in the hours while we waited for them we had packed everyone's clothes as well as other belongings like books, consoles, and the bottles of blood from the fridge.

"Downstairs. He didn't want to use the elevator and alert anyone to his presence here yet," Annerose told me. "You'll be driving with him, I'll take the sports car, and Ezra and Kei will get the van, to transport all their computer stuff."

"And the weapons? How are we passing them through the borders?" I asked then, moving onto the knives, and dutifully giving her each and every single one of them to stuff into the suitcases that were open before her.

"Unless they ask for you to open the suitcases you should be fine. Leander has his way with dogs," Annerose explained, and I narrowed my eyes. I had seen his way with dogs, it was him quite literally staring them down threateningly while his eyes glowed red. I don't know whether they sensed his age or whatnot, but for some reason, they just froze up. The border patrols grew wary and hesitant as well when they noticed that Leander was a vampire.

We finished packing up everything and took the suitcases down to the parking lot, where Kei and Ezra were pushing suitcases in the van. Leander was also helping them, tension evident in his body and it didn't bleed out when his eyes landed on me.

"I'll go bring down more suitcases," I said when Annerose and I dragged out what we had brought out of the elevator. Leander opened his mouth but didn't say anything as the door closed between us.

Vincent didn't know I was alive. This place was going to get swamped by reporters and hostile vampires, seeking revenge on Leander after so many years of him ruining nests and hunting rogues. It wasn't a stretch to imagine Vincent might come seeking revenge. As far as anyone knew, Vincent had never gone hunting for Leander but so far Leander had tried being discreet about his homes and safe spaces.

I rolled the suitcases in the elevator and sent it down without me in it. Instead, I returned to the penthouse, looked at the ripped-apart computer room, and wandered into the large living area, eyes going over the emptied-out fridge. Then with heavy steps, I walked up the sun-kissed steps, looking out at the view. I went into the bedroom I shared with Leander. The closet was wide open and bare. The bed was now sheetless. I leaned on the glass-pane wall and exhaled.

It was bizarre. I had barely called this place home –had only lived here for a couple of months– but this was the first time I had felt like I belonged somewhere. The moment I opened my eyes in this room for the first time my life changed for the better. I grew stronger. I became better. I met Annerose with her contagious smile and Ezra with his inspiring drive. I met Keisuke who felt like just another brother of mine. And I met Leander.

Steps echoed up from the stairs and I didn't move an inch, continuing to look outside at the still soft morning light. Leander came into the room and walked up to me without saying a word.

"Everyone else took off. Whenever you are ready we can go as well," he said after a couple of moments of throbbing silence. "Are you okay?"

"Where are we going?" I asked instead of answering.

"I have a cabin. It's... quiet and remote and nobody will bother us there. It's not under my name," he said.

"Under whose name is it?"