Talisman 2 - The Sapphire Talisman by Brenda Pandos Read Free Book Online

doing, unaware he wasn’t sterile as believed in the vampire world.
    At the same time, Enigma’s words rang through my mind. We needed Preston’s help in order to defeat Alora, and somehow I was supposed to facilitate Nicholas’ asking for it. The thought of just knocking on the door and blurting out what I knew came to mind, until I imagined the outcome. Nicholas would feel betrayed, and possibly mortified I’d begged his father, of all people, for assistance with information I’d kept hidden from him through lies. And Preston might not even want to get involved with our petty situation. He could possibly become upset that Nicholas allowed his initial relationship with my mother to blossom into a romance with me. Not to mention his irresponsibility in giving me the talisman.
    Whatever happened would need to be handled delicately, and possibly without Nicholas’ knowledge. Coming back at another time or writing Preston a letter seemed a more reasonable option. I glanced back at the house and noticed a faint address etched in the cinderblock at the bottom of the stairs. It read 612 Elm. Using Google maps later would give me the city and zip.
    My eyes focused on the nearby houses. They seemed charming, but not kid friendly. I wondered if Nicholas was even allowed outside to play growing up. My assumption was he’d spent a lot of time with Hung and Harry, getting more of a loving upbringing from them on the hard streets of Orange County.
    The door slammed shut and I jumped. Nicholas threw a brown leather satchel in the backseat and started the car. His hands moved so fast I couldn’t register what he was doing until we were zigzagging down a maze of side streets. Once I realized we’d left I sat quietly and allowed Nicholas to process his thoughts all the way to the hotel.
    “If you’d feel more comfortable I can go in and get the keys,” he said when he pulled into the driveway of the Beverly Hills Hilton.
    “I want to stay with you,” I said, feeling like it was my turn to heal his tattered spirit. I grabbed his hand and massaged it.
    Nicholas parked, grabbed our gear, and opened my door in seconds. I only saw a blur. He usually reserved that talent for when we were in danger, but he was clearly rattled from the visit with his dad.
    “You okay?” I asked while searching his eyes.
    “Yeah,” he lied and looked away. He held out his hand to help me out of the front seat. My eyes were drawn to the large padded case that hung over his shoulder.
    “What’s that?”
    “My guitar,” Nicholas said nonchalantly.
    “You — you play the guitar?” In six months he’d never mentioned he played.
    “I’m not that good; I just didn’t want to leave it in the car—it’s special to me.” For the first time I saw Nicholas blush.
    “Will you play something for me later?”
    Nicholas glanced sideways with a coy smile. “We’ll see.”
    We walked hand in hand quietly through the vacant lobby. A preppy college guy at the front desk wasn’t too eager to help us since we interrupted the movie he’d been watching on a DVD player. He suddenly became very professional after Nicholas handed him his VIP Hilton members card.
    “Welcome back, Mr. Kendrick. Would you like your regular room?” Preppy Guy asked after he swiped it through the machine—his nervousness suddenly surged to epic proportions.
    Nicholas nodded. I furrowed my brow as I watched him from the corner of my eye, curious at the use of “regular room.”
    “Very well,” Preppy Guy said while quickly clicking a few keys on the keyboard. He ripped off the printed receipt and slid it forward for Nicholas’ signature. I almost thought I saw a bead of sweat glisten on his upper lip as he handed over the room keys. “Enjoy your stay.”
    Nicholas squeezed my hand, as if to convey there was nothing to worry about, and led me towards the elevator.
    “What was that all about?” I peeked back at Preppy Guy who smiled enthusiastically at me.
    “Let’s just