Page 2 of Midnight Whispers
“Look, sir, I don’t do that kind of work.”
“I don’t understand what… Oh!” He throws his head back and erupts with laughter. “You mistake my kindness, sir. No, I need a farmhand. Just someone to help me with the day-to-day chores and such. It would include room and board, no funny business. You have my word.”
“What do you get out of it?”
“The help I need and friendship, I would hope. I’m new to the area and I don’t really know anyone yet.”
“What’s the pay?”
“Whatever you think is fair.”
I chew on my bottom lip while considering. There’s little prospect of work and this man is offering me not only steady employment, but a roof over my head. Of course, I would have to forgo the month I’ve just paid for at the boarding house.
“Sure.” I stand up, dusting the dirt off my trousers.
“Excellent!” His smile radiates through his eyes. Do you have anything you need to retrieve? I’d like time to show you around before dark.”
“No.”
“Surely you must have clothing or personal belongings? Someone who will notice you’ve moved?”
I shake my head. “I never know where I’m going to be, so I travel light. And I don’t really have anyone in my life, so no.”
He looks at me with an empathetic and pained expression. “Well, we will have to get you some clothing then. What's your name?”
“Finnian Sinclair.”
“Hello, Finnian. I’m Asher Lamont.” He holds his hand out to me. I take it in a shake, the chill of his skin taking me by surprise. “Please, my carriage is this way.”
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The ride in his carriage was long and we remained quiet for most of it. We go around a mountain, following a path that leads to a cottage near the top of a hill along the mountainside.Asher’s smile is warm and inviting as he states, “Welcome home!”
Home.
He walks through the front door and shows me to one ofthe rooms. It’s fully furnished with a large, framed bed, blankets, and shelves full of books. I can barely contain my excitement at the wide selection within the shelves. I try to remind myself not to get too comfortable; typically, when things seem too good to be true, it’s because they are.
“Help yourself to whatever you see, Finnian,” Asher explains as he finishes my tour of the bedroom. “This is your home now, too.”
The use of that word again.
“Thank you, Asher. Do you have a list of tasks or something for me?” He looks at me with confusion, so I clear my throat. “The farmhand jobs?”
“Oh!” Asher huffs in jest and waves a hand dismissively. “We’ll talk about that later. Enjoy yourself. There’s dehydrated meats and fresh fruit and vegetables in the kitchen. Please eat, Finnian, you’re nothing but skin and bones.”
And just like that, he turns and leaves, and I am alone in my room.
Even after six months,Asher never told me what exactly he hired me to do. I brought it up every day for the first few weeks, but eventually stopped when I’d get no answer. There were things I did regularly, like maintaining the garden and tending to the animals on the property, but I was never officially given tasks. I never felt unsafe, so there was never a reason for me to leave, especially when I was being fed and housed to basically do nothing.
Asher bought me the nicest clothes and any reading material I could ever want. There were things here and there that Idid consider odd, though. Regardless of if I were eating or not, Asher would never eat the meals I prepared. He’d disappear for hours at a time, multiple times a week, with no explanation. But nothing could have prepared me for the truth.
This morning while eating breakfast, Asher surprises me. “Finnian, can we talk?” he asks. I nod in response, my mouth full of an apple which prevented me from speaking. “I am going to be leaving Emolyn Cove,” he explains. “You are welcome to join me, but there’s something you must know first.”
“What’s that?” I ask around the last of my bite of food.
Asher’s face remains stoic as he utters, “I’m a vampire.”
“A what?” I practically choke on my apple. Surely, vampires don’t really exist?