Page 79 of Vampire's Cupcake
It wasn't the same, but he couldn't argue with her logic.“Okay.Let's go to my place."He didn't think any of the crows had a kitchen.
“Lark is already there waiting."
Great, now he'd have a house full of crows.
* * * *
Chapter 18
The hollow feeling in Eli's chest was still there when he woke the next morning.He spent a few minutes staring at the ceiling in his bedroom.Maybe he could borrow a boat and row over to Fisherman's Lake.He needed to talk to Joshua, and it wasn't fair to have him pay a fee to moor when it was Eli who needed the meeting.
With Ciar and Draven no longer hunting for him, he'd have to buy more meat from Fisherman's Lake.They'd made do before.It was only this last year that he'd had venison and wild boar.Before, all he'd had was beef and sometimes pork when he could get hold of it from Fisherman's Lake.
Throwing the cover off, he padded into the kitchen and froze.
On the kitchen table on a small plate was a cupcake.It didn't have any frosting, and it didn't look like a cupcake from Romeo's book since it had been baked in an old can, but it was close enough.
Had Thano been here?Was he here?“Thano?"
No reply.
Should he eat it?Cupcake, or maybe it was called a muffin when there wasn't any frosting, for breakfast.A smile stretched his lips before he could stop it.
“Thank you."He looked around.“If you're here."He put some water to boil before heading for the bathroom.When he reentered the kitchen, the cupcake was still there, and the room was still empty.
“Do you realize how creepy it is not knowing if you're here or not?I feel like I'm being watched, but I'm not sure."And if he was alone, he was an idiot for talking out loud.Would Thano hang around to watch him?Why would he?On the other hand, why would he break into his house to place a cupcake on his kitchen table?
Maybe it wasn't Thano who'd been here.
“I was thinking I should try to get hold of Joshua.I need more meat now that Ciar and Draven can't sell their venison to me."
He made himself a cup of tea and reached for the cupcake.“Okay, here we go."He tore a piece.It was sunshine-yellow and moist.It smelled sweet.He popped a piece into his mouth and groaned.“It would've been better with vanilla or lemon, I think.Blueberries."He ate another piece.“It's good, but something to conquer the egg flavor."
He sipped on his tea and ate more of the cupcake, muffin, whatever.He hadn't had any kind of cake in years.“You should put up a market stand off the paved road and sell these.Or trade, I guess."Though maybe they could trade it for money.
Right as he put the last piece into his mouth, there was a loud knock on his door.It didn't sound friendly, and he looked around the kitchen.“Are you here?"Fear slithered down his spine.“Thano, if you're here, please let me know."
The knock came again, and Eli went to open.His legs were unsteady as he reached the hallway and tried the lock only to find the door unlocked.Had Thano unlocked it somehow?Would he leave it unlocked when he left?
Eli's heart was blocking his throat as he opened the door.Outside was a flushed-looking Elijah.His eyes were wide and frantic.“Eli."He breathed his name as if he hadn't been sure he'd ever see him again.
“What's going on?"
“They've...eh...evicted you."
Eli stared.Evicted?He owned his house.It had been his mother's, and he was the only one who had inherited it.“Evicted?"
“It says...The notice says you have three days to clear out, and it was issued yesterday."
His words didn't make sense.“Clear out?"No one could make him leave.Or he was sure they could, but not legally.He owned the property--the house and the garden.It was all his.He had the deed.Or the bank did.Shit, they hadn't stolen his paper in the bank, had they?What about his business?What would happen if they'd stolen his ledger?
Fear gripped him.It was Sunday.The bank was closed.He wouldn't be able to check any of his papers today.
Elijah looked pained.“I guess you can try to sell as much as possible.I'll buy as much as I can afford.I can stock up on dried goods.Ambrose will move out in two days, so maybe I can ask him to pay in advance."
Eli still couldn't make sense of his words.“Where will he go?"It was the least important question right now, but part of him was glad to know he'd be out of Elijah's hair.He didn't trust Sheriff Ambrose.He wasn't sure if he was behind everything that happened in Last Hope or if he was only the person who carried out the changes, but Elijah wouldn't stand a chance if Ambrose got him in his crosshairs.
“Don't know.He said he'd found an apartment."Elijah held out his hand, and Eli stared at it.Then he realized he was trying to hand him a key--the shop key.“Do you want me to help you carry things?I've already served breakfast, so I don't need to be back at the hotel until it's time for me to start cooking lunch."
