She stole a quick glance at Shane when they rounded a corner, and a smile played at her lips. He towered over her by almost a foot, even with the heels on her boots, making her look small standing next to him. Her gaze skimmed over his tall, muscular form and lingered on his profile. He had a strong, square jaw, a perfectly straight nose, and a generous mouth with firm lips that curved into a lopsided smile. Maya’s eyes flicked to his, and she gasped when she realized he had caught her ogling him.
“Wait until you see the new setup in the lab,” Shane said with nod of his head. “Xavier recently had some new doors installed with a security camera, so chances are he’s going to make me buzz into the room.”
“I’ve never been in his lab before.” Maya looked away and kept walking, feeling embarrassed for staring at him so blatantly.
“Really?” Shane stopped when they reached a set of shiny steel doors and shot Maya a look of surprise. He clasped his hands in front of himself and looked her up and down. “I didn’t realize you haven’t visited the armory or the labs before. Looking at you in that sentry uniform, it’s no wonder I find it hard to believe… It suits you.”
“That’s what Trixie and Sadie said.” Maya adjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder and shrugged. “But wearing it makes me feel like a fraud.”
“Why?” Shane stepped closer and leveled a serious stare at her. “Why does it make you feel like a fraud, Maya?”
“Because I’m no warrior or badass ninja like you or Olivia. Okay?” Her voice rose, reflecting her frustration with her own inadequacies. “I’m just some dumb bartender who’s nice to look at. I’m not a fighter.”
“Well, you are partially correct.”
“Which part?” Maya asked warily.
“You are indeed lovely to look at, but contrary to what you think, that’s not the only gift you have to offer. You suffer from the misguided perception that your value lies only in your appearance, and that could not be further from the truth. You are a fighter, Maya, and buried beneath that gorgeous exterior is a strong, powerful warrior waiting to be released. Although, there is one person you beat up every day, and it needs to stop.”
“Who?” Maya asked with genuine confusion.
Shane leaned in and whispered, “Yourself.”
Holding her stare, he stepped back and rang the buzzer along the side of the stainless steel doors. It was unsettling to have someone see her so clearly, perhaps even more clearly than she saw herself, and it was far more unnerving to have him point it out. She clutched the strap of the bag as though her life depended on it and said nothing. Maya faced the door just before it swished open and revealed Xavier’s massive laboratory.
She let out a sound of pure awe and followed Shane into a cavernous space alive with motion, sounds, and lights. The far wall was stainless steel, much like the front doors, and the ceilings had to be fifteen feet high. All kinds of antique weapons dangled from the ceiling, some of which looked positively ancient. There were swords, daggers, muskets, spears, a scythe, and even a few that looked like torture devices.
Several lab tables each held different experiments. Beakers and tubes ran this way and that, and the concoctions inside looked like everything from liquid ultraviolet to some kind of witch’s brew. Maya had met Xavier and spoken with him once or twice, but she’d never seen where he worked. The place was out-of-this-world cool and full of moving parts, which made her afraid to touch anything. With her luck, she’d blow the place up.
“Welcome, my friends,” Xavier shouted from the stool he stood on. Pushing his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, he pressed a button on the remote control in his hand and the doors swished shut behind them. “I have been expecting you.”
He flew across the room and landed in front of Shane and Maya with an enormous grin. His shock of white hair stood out in about a thousand directions, and the clothes and lab coat he wore were equally disheveled. Xavier was a dwarf with a huge personality, and he always seemed to fill the room with his boundless energy.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Maya.” Xavier reached up and offered his hand, which Maya promptly shook. He looked her up and down with a nod of approval. “Olivia told me you would be coming by to stock up on weapons, but I didn’t realize you were training to be a sentry.”
“I’m not, not really,” Maya said nervously as he released her hand.
“Yes, she is.” Shane leaned down and shook Xavier’s hand, but he didn’t miss the surprised look on Maya’s face. “By the time I’m done with Maya, she’ll be able to tangle with the best of them. Sentry or not.”
“I may not be able to show you how to fight,” Xavier said with a wink, “but I can give you some outstanding weapons. I have a new gun that’s so easy to use, even a youngling like yourself will feel like a pro in no time.”
A fluttering noise from above captured Maya’s attention, and she looked up to see where it was coming from. All she could see were the dangling weapons. A few of them wobbled as though something or someone had flown past. Looking toward the ceiling, Xavier chuckled and stuck his hands in the pockets of his lab coat.
“We have guests,” Xavier called. “You should come out and say hello.”
The fluttering noise echoed through the room, but Maya still couldn’t pinpoint the location. Xavier was a bit eccentric, and part of her wondered if he was shouting at nothing at all.
“Come on.” He waved them toward the back of the room. “I have some items set aside for you, Shane, but I thought you’d like to select certain things yourself, like the ammo.”
“Thank you.” Shane followed Xavier and motioned for Maya to do the same. Hands clasped behind his back, Shane glanced briefly at the ceiling before stopping in front of the back wall. “Has Bella been paying you more visits?”
“Who’s Bella?” Maya asked, looking warily toward the ceiling.
“She’s a friend,” Xavier said with a sly smile. “But she’s shy. Probably for the best anyway. She only speaks Romanian. I’ve been working on teaching her English, but so far I can’t get her to say much. Usually she just hangs around and smiles at me while I work.”
Isabella is a ghost. Shane’s voice slid into Maya’s mind with welcoming familiarity and instantly put her at ease. She’s haunted the halls of The Cloisters for years but recently took a liking to Xavier. I’ve never seen her, but he talks about her all the time. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s harmless.
I hope so. Maya eyed the ceiling again. I’ve had all the trouble I can handle.
“Do you know any Romanian?” Xavier asked while fishing the remote out of the pocket of his white lab coat.
“Me?” Maya shook her head. “No. English is my first and only language.”
“You?” He nodded toward Shane.
“Sadly, I do not, but if you need Spanish, French, German, or Japanese translations, then I would be of some assistance.”
“Wait a minute.” Maya stopped dead in her tracks. “You speak all those languages?”
“I have been roaming the planet for four centuries.” Shane frowned. “Actually, it’s rather appalling that I haven’t learned more. Most vampires my age are fluent in many more languages than that.”
“Yeah.” Maya pursed her lips and nodded. “I was just thinking what a slacker you are.”
Shane shot her an annoyed look that quickly faded when he saw the teasing look in her eyes. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
Maya smiled and lifted one shoulder but said nothing because he was right. She was relieved that he didn’t appear to hate her after what had happened. Then, her smile faltered as she realized why he was being so forgiving.