Midnight Sun, page 15
part #1 of Mortal Heat Series
THE LOST BACHELORS
AN HOUR LATER we had claimed our baggage and were leaving Innsbruck Airport. The day was overcast, as Mick had predicted. The passenger pick-up area was covered as he had described, and with the gloomy day it was practically night under the overhang. The car waiting for us was a gleaming black SUV of some sort, I didn’t recognize the badge on the front. Mick walked straight to the vehicle and climbed in the back seat. He left the luggage on the sidewalk for the driver to load. I paused to offer the driver a half-hearted smile by way of greeting, to which he stared in response and gestured frantically for me to get into the vehicle. I obliged and climbed in, hearing the door slam behind me.
Once the driver had the luggage loaded, we pulled away from the airport into a small stream of traffic. I was excited to get my first look at Austria, but I was quickly disappointed. The tint on the windows was so dark very little light filtered in, making shapes outside impossible to distinguish. Mick had raised the partition between us and the driver before we departed so I couldn’t even look out the windshield. Frustrated, I leaned back against the seat with a sigh.
“Everything okay?” Mick asked, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just my first time in Austria, I was hoping to see… something.” I finished lamely. The truth was, I knew nothing about Innsbruck or the surrounding areas. For a trip overseas, I would typically spend weeks researching before we left. Em and I had done a few trips together over the years, and the planning was my favorite part. Aside from ‘the Alps’, I didn’t even know where we were going until we arrived at the Philly airport and checked in for the flight.
“I understand,” Mick answered. “We aren’t going very far, only about ten kilometers. It’s a charming town called Hall in Tirol. I’ll give you a tour tonight, you’ll love it. It’s very medieval in the historic district, and they have a lot of festivals and fairs in the marketplace.”
“So, how does that work, with it being a ‘hidden community’ and all?”
“The town itself is an actual village filled with humans, it’s been around since the twelfth century. When we first arrived on this planet, we hid our ship deep in an uninhabited area of the mountains and emigrated to Hall in Tirol. We established ourselves as a wealthy family, and with some hefty bribes to the right people landed ourselves the lordship of the town.”
“How did you establish yourselves as a wealthy family?” I loved the intrigue of historical dealings.
“There’s a nearby silver mine, in Schwaz, that was discovered shortly after we purchased the land from the previous owner.” Mick grinned. “Once we discovered what had value here, we appropriated it. With a silver mine in our back pocket, we maneuvered our way to the lordship here.”
“But I don’t understand, why here? Why did you want this town, when you already owned another?”
“Hall in Tirol has a famous salt mine, one of the largest in the world for many centuries.”
“So you wanted… salt? Or was it for the money?”
“Neither. The salt mine, being so large, was an easy place to hide our ship. We waited until they hollowed out a suitable cavern, then concealed our ship within it. We declared that cavern closed for mining and sealed it off, aside from a hidden door we use to access it. The ship has been there ever since.”
My mind boggled with the scale of this operation. “So your people, do they live in the salt mine, then?”
Mick’s answering laugh was loud. He guffawed enthusiastically while I waited for an answer. When his chortles tailed off, I added dryly, “I take it that’s a no, then.”
“That’s correct, they do not live in the mine. They live in houses like everyone else, Lucy.” Mick’s voice was slightly condescending, and my responding tone was acerbic.
“Well, how am I supposed to know,” I said defensively. “You said you lived underground on your home planet, why would I assume it would be different here?”
“You paid attention,” Mick remarked, his eyes gleaming. “Yes, our home planet was too cold to be above ground, but here the weather is warm, and it was a very long trip. Those that remain in Hall in Tirol live in houses that hug the mountainside, keeping them out of most sunlight. Of course, we have very good shutters,” He winked. “A few homes are built on the mountainside that houses the mine, and they have passages into hidden areas underground. We built a community area in there. And some families live on the ship, preferring to be in familiar and safe surroundings. But mostly we stay above ground.”
“So how does that work, living this closely with humans when you never age?”
“We keep to ourselves. There aren’t many of us, remember, so it’s easy to go unnoticed. However, for the benefit of neighbors, some will periodically alter their ‘human’ form so they appear to have aged. Eventually, they take on a new appearance and claim to be a relative of their previous self. And so the tradition continues.”
“That’s… wow. That’s a lot to take in.” I had so many questions I didn’t know where to start. I chose the easiest route. “So, have you always chosen this form? Like, do you just move before people notice? Or have you been in Philly for a hundred years, just changing your face every once in a while?”
“I’ve kept this appearance for quite a while. I move frequently, so it’s never been an issue for me.” He grinned again. “I’m kind of partial to this look. I change my hair occasionally but I’m very fond of my nose. What do you think?”
“Your nose?” I regarded him speculatively, genuinely assessing the appendage before I realized the mouth below it was curled in a wicked grin. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
Mick’s answering chuckle was lighthearted. “Yes, I’m sorry. I am not particularly attached to this nose, it was just as good as any other. Seriously, though, I have moved around for a while, and it’s been too long since I’ve been home.” The excitement on his face was obvious, I didn’t need his sparkling eyes or perma-grin to show me his enthusiasm. His attitude, exemplified by the jokes, was such a departure from what I was used to seeing I couldn’t help but note the change. It happened as soon as we got into the car. Speaking of…
“Mick, is the driver human?”
“Yes.”
“And does he know about you?”
“Oh, yes. Well, sort of. There are a few families, human families, that date back to our lordship of this town. They have worked for us for centuries. They don’t know the whole story—we suspect they have their own legends about it—but they know our limitations with the sunlight. They help us with things that have to be handled during the daytime hours. In exchange, they benefit from our prosperity.”
“Interesting. How many of you are there, exactly?”
Mick hesitated, and after a split second, I understood. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re worried about secrecy. I was just curious.”
He relaxed slightly, shaking his head. “No, I’m sorry, I know I have nothing to worry about from you. There are roughly a hundred of us that live here full time. Five times that number are out in the world.”
“And the ones out in the world, those are the Lost Bachelors you told me about? The guys who will never have mates?”
The smile slid from his face, and his answer was short. “Yes.”
“Wow,” I breathed. It was tragic. Five hundred of his people were doomed to be alone for the rest of their unbelievably long lives. I almost didn’t blame Todd for risking it all on Emily—at least it was a chance for happiness, however long it would last.
A low whirring sound drew me from my contemplation. The driver had lowered the divider, and from what I could see through the windshield we were inside a garage of some sort.
Mick’s grin returned, and he gestured to the door just as the driver opened it from outside. “Ms. Blake, welcome to Hall in Tirol.”
***
My first impression was nothing spectacular: We were in a dark underground garage that appeared to be made entirely out of concrete. Completely unremarkable. Once Mick exited the car, he led me to a stairwell, and after climbing several flights we entered a room that was remarkable.
When Mick mentioned the town had a medieval history, I was picturing tiny, cramped houses with exposed beams and uneven wooden floors. Where I now found myself was so different from my expectations I had to pause and take it all in.
The room was enormous, with fifteen-foot high ceilings and dark grey stone floors. The opposite wall was windows that were tightly shuttered against the late morning light. However, the entire room was suffused with cool light, the source of which was difficult to locate. It appeared to be emanating from the walls, which, when I examined them more closely, were some kind of light grey crystal. The crystal was rough and unfinished but glittered softly. The furnishings suggested we were in a living area, because of several off-white couches and chairs in various groupings throughout the room. An absolutely massive fireplace stood to my left with what I supposed was not a genuine bearskin rug laid out before it. To my right a long hallway stretched into the distance, fading into a darkness that prevented me from seeing the end. Between the hallway and the windows stood a modern, brightly lit kitchen with cool grey cabinets and shining brass hardware. The island and counter were covered with quartz that coordinated with the crystalline walls. I felt like I’d just stepped into the pages of some fancy European interior design magazine.
“Do you like it?” Mick’s voice was warm, betraying a note of pride in our surroundings.
“It’s beautiful,” I assured him. “Is this your… house?”
“Sort of. It’s my section of the house, anyway. My family all have our own spaces, but we’re close.” He shrugged and smiled, declining to expand on what he meant by, ‘close’. “Are you hungry? The kitchen is stocked so there should be plenty to eat.”
I snorted in response. “After everything we ate on that flight? Hardly. I could probably go a week without getting hungry.”
Mick chuckled in response. “Okay, then why don’t I show you to your room. It’s right this way,” he led the way down the hall, and I watched the walls light up in response to his proximity.
Mick stopped at the first door. It was a solid, rich grey and appeared to be made entirely out of metal. Despite that fact, it swung in easily when he pushed the bronze handle.
The walls began to glow in the room as soon as the door opened, revealing a modern, minimalistic bedroom. The king-sized bed was topped with a cloud of fluffy down comforter, and the furnishings were simple and clean in shades of grey, white, and the occasional black accent. All the hardware was bronze, continuing the eye-catching accents from the living space. A doorway to the left revealed an en-suite bathroom, decorated similarly to the kitchen with bright quartz counters and grey cabinets. There were no windows, but the diffuse glow from the walls was more than enough to light the entire space.
“I hope this will be comfortable for you,” Mick said softly, his eyes faintly glowing.
“It’s wonderful, thank you,” I replied, my voice suffused with warmth.
Just then the driver appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, hauling my suitcase and backpack with him. He positioned them carefully on a low couch, then gave me a short nod and departed.
“Well…” Mick paused, “I suppose you ought to get some sleep. I’ll wake you in time to clean up and get something to eat before we head out. If you need anything, there’s a button just there,” he indicated a small white disc on the wall next to the bed. “You can ring the staff, they will bring it to you. Sleep well,” he smiled again and ducked his head, pulling the door closed behind him.
Something occurred to me at that moment. “Mick, wait!”
He pushed the door back open, his expression confused. “Yes?”
“How do I turn the walls off?” I gestured to the impossibly glowing crystal surrounding me.
Mick’s laugh was deep and rich with amusement. “They’re motion-sensitive. Once you settle down for a few minutes, they will darken automatically.”
“Oh, okay then, thank you,” I replied in a small voice. I didn’t want him to leave, for reasons I didn’t quite understand myself, but I couldn’t think of an excuse to make him stay.
“You’re very welcome, Lucy. Rest up: Tonight I’ll give you the royal tour of Hall in Tirol.”
After digging out the boxers and tank top I use for pajamas, I snuggled into the luxurious bedding. My mind wandered, speculating about the meaning behind his use of the word ‘royal’ as the glowing crystal walls gradually dimmed to black.
EARLY RISERS
WHEN I EMERGED from my glowing bedroom following a deliciously hot shower, it was to the scent of peppers and spices cooking in the kitchen. Rounding the corner from the hallway, I noticed immediately that the window shutters were open, revealing breathtaking scenery I never imagined they concealed.
The floor-to-ceiling windows spanned the length of the house and looked out across the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. The sky was purple in the distance with fading hints of pink, the sun’s last few rays playing across far-away clouds. Stars were out in abundance; the day’s clouds had cleared away to reveal their sparkle in the gradually inky sky. As I approached the windows, I could see the twinkling golden lights of the town below. We were very high, five-hundred feet or more up the mountainside from the village. The entire town was swathed in velvet layers of shadow, making each tiny pinprick of light that much brighter compared to the surrounding darkness. I stared, entranced, trying to discern the shapes of buildings.
Gradually, I became aware of noises from the kitchen and looked up to find Mick’s emerald eyes watching me. He wore the ubiquitous black jeans and button-down shirt, but today he had a soft grey sweater over the shirt, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows while he worked. His angel’s face was relaxed, content, obviously comfortable in these surroundings. My pulse increased, a tingling sensation spreading from the top of my head down my spine in a delicate shiver. He was so beautiful like this, happy and open, no hint of restraint or brooding. A smile rested on his face as he rinsed his hands in the sink, pulling out a towel to dry them.
My lips curved involuntarily into a corresponding smile. “What are you cooking? It smells delicious,” I complimented.
“Oh, are you hungry?” He teased. “I thought you weren’t going to eat for a week,” the smile turned into a full grin and my heart stuttered in response. He indicated a seat at the kitchen island, where a place setting was waiting, complete with cloth napkin and glass of wine.
I slid onto the barstool nonchalantly. “Yes, well, maybe I overestimated just a bit.” I picked up the wine, swirling the dark red liquid in the glass to check the ‘legs’, where the wine formed paths as it trickled down the sides to join the pool at the bottom. Raising the glass to my nose, I inhaled deeply, picking up notes of oak and currant in the fragrant fumes. A sip confirmed what I had expected: The wine was an excellent vintage, delicate and flavorful, not too dry, with a rich finish.
Mick watched the entire process, his gaze enigmatic. When I finished he raised one eyebrow. “Are you some kind of wine connoisseur?”
“No, not really. I enjoy it, but I’m not an expert by any means. Em and I did a weekend trip to Wine Country last year for her twenty-third birthday. They taught us how to taste wine properly. Before that it had mostly been boxes of Franzia for us,” I laughed half-heartedly, but then the memory turned bittersweet—I missed Emily. I missed her, and I was worried about her.
Mick seemed to sense my mood change. He raised his glass and reached across the counter. “In that case, once we sort this all out we should sample some bottles I’ve got here. My family has quite a collection,” he winked, tapping his glass to mine lightly. “Let’s drink to Emily’s good health.”
I smiled softly, but the prickly sensation below my eyes and across the bridge of my nose warned me I was close to tearing up. After a small sip, I set my glass back down and turned my stool, staring out the windows into the darkness.
“Hey,” Mick’s voice was warm and closer than I expected. He had circled the island and was now standing next to me, his eyes alive with concern. That caring look was all it took for my pooled tears to run over and streak down my face. Mick’s hands rose to cup my chin, his thumbs swiping gently across my cheeks to dry the wet trails. “It’ll be okay, Lucy. We have the collected history of my race here at our disposal. I’m sure we’ll figure something out. It’ll be okay,” he repeated, releasing my face and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. He pulled me against his chest, and I leaned against his solid warmth, sliding my arms around his waist gratefully. Breathing deeply, I rested there for a moment, enjoying the comfort his embrace gave me. I still felt tiny tingles, little electric sensations from the contact, but it didn’t have the same arousing effect on me at the moment. Instead, it was soothing, soft waves of energy across my skin.
Mick’s lips pressed against my hair, then he released me, backing away and taking my hands into his large, warm grasp. When I glanced up at him again his eyes were alight, dancing with the teal and gold, brighter and more active than I’d ever seen. It was completely mesmerizing, and it entranced me. I could get lost in his eyes. They were like the surface of the ocean, wave after wave of sparkling water, crashing and rising and crashing again...
His voice brought me back to the present, causing me to blink rapidly and turn my focus to his mouth. “Let’s have dinner,” he said softly, “And then I will show you around Hall in Tirol. We have a few hours to kill before everyone else is awake.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “How come they’re not up yet?”
Mick’s laugh was rich and warm, and I loved to hear it even though I knew he was laughing at my expense. “Do you get up at dawn every day?”
I hadn’t thought about it that way. “No, I suppose not. I guess I just assumed that they got up at sunset because you did.”
