Page 9 of Bitten Vampire

Then another thought intrudes—this is too good to be true. Perhaps someone placed a joke advert in the paper to tease the owners; that seems more likely than our being allowed to live here.

Water seeps into my shoes as I ignore Baylor’s indignant howls at being left behind and walk along the pavement, peering around the back. A tall, solid brick wall encloses the rear garden, perfect for Baylor. Safe. Secure.

The naughty Husky will never escape it.

I make my way to the front of the house, slowing to a halt. The wooden gate unlatches itself with an unsettling, almost inviting creak.

Well, that’s creepy.

It must have a faulty latch.

Despite the weather, the front garden remains eerily perfect: bright flowers unscathed by wind or rain, lawn trimmed with near-laser precision. As I look closer, I spot a subtle shimmer in the air. Something compels me to touch it, see if it’s real or my imagination. I wiggle my fingers through it, and a warm buzzing settles over my skin.

Yes, there’s magic here.

It’s a ward.

A magic-user’s house in the Human Sector right next to the vampires? It doesn’t make sense. Some über-rich people use magic to keep their property safe, but those types wouldn’t be renting out a room.

I eye the property with distrust, but my over-sensitive intuition—which should be screaming—is silent.

Well, I promised I’d be braver, so I take a deep breath, and without touching the creepy gate, step through the ward and start up the garden path.

The rain stops as though someone has turned off a tap. I glance back at the street. Water still pours from the sky, but not a single drop falls within the garden’s bounds.

Wow. That is a powerful ward.

I halt on the front step and study the door. It’s a deep teal, its stained-glass panels catching the dull daylight and scattering warm shards of red, gold and green. Bold shapes—diamonds and circles—glint like jewels set into wood.

I knock. My knuckles hardly graze the surface before the door swings inward, soundless, revealing a welcoming hallway floored with black-and-white chequered tiles. Coloured light pools on the tiles, as though inviting meinside. Ridiculously, I think this house might be my first glimpse of a true home. It stands solid and immaculate as if to say,You are home now. Come in.

“Hello?” I call softly. “I’m here about the room.” My voice echoes, and the ward hums in response. I lean to the side, peering into the hall. An empty shoe rack sits off to one side, and a neatly polished staircase curves upwards.

The place seems old-fashioned, yet like the garden, shows no sign of wear. It is perfectly maintained.

That’s when I realise the house itself is magical.

A wizard’s house.

I stumble back. I have never seen one, few people have. I have only heard of them in mandatory magic lessons at school, and if my memory serves me correctly, they are pure magic, able to manipulate matter and relocate at will.

They have powers the Magic Sector doesn’t talk about.

Legend says a wizard’s house preserves its creator’s soul.

They are sentient.

Why anyone would choose to become a house after death, I don’t know. The idea rattles me. It’s not as though they get a second chance. They are just… stuck. Watching. Waiting.

It’s unsettling, like there’s a sinister side to it. I shake off the thought and my overactive imagination.

I came here for a reason. If a magical house is willing to accept my troublemaking dog and me, I’d be mad not to give it a shot. I square my shoulders, lift my chin and step across the threshold.

The door closes behind me with a bang.

Chapter Four

My shouldersnearly meet my ears as fear spikes my pulse, but I force myself to breathe, relax and look around. Apart from the door slamming, nothing has changed.