Chapter 1

1

Ryan turned his collar up against the wind and paused to consider his progress. Lake Tahoe was a calm, blue jewel behind him, and the Lakeview Hotel loomed above with a dozen dark eyes. His lungs burned, unaccustomed to the thinner air and the excursion, and he switched his duffle bag from his left shoulder back to his right for the final dozen stairs. The smell of pine trees filled his head, and though he didn’t exactly enjoy climbing an infinite number of stairs with a heavy bag and an icy wind biting the back of his neck, he had to admit it was a beautiful location. Idyllic.

He heard people behind him but didn’t see anyone until he reached the top. A group of women formed a loose crowd around the door, talking and laughing, their voices carrying far in the thin air. They wore matching black and purple T-shirts, identifying them as members of the officialShadows and Soulsfan club. He had one, too, though he was saving it for the panels on Saturday. He didn’t know any of them by sight, but they weren’t strangers. Not this weekend.

By the time he reached them, he was out of breath but beaming, and he put out his hand to the nearest woman with a boisterous, “Hello! My name is Ryan.”

She turned and looked at him with a pasted on smile, as fake as his was sincere. She barely touched his fingers before dropping her hand back to her side. He didn’t miss the way she wiped her fingers on her pant leg. Maybe his palm was a little clammy but was that really necessary?

“Susan.”

“Susan. Black-Eyed Sue, right?”

Her face softened, her smile turning into something genuine, if not exactly warm. “Right. And you must be…GhostMaster?”

“Got it in one.”

The other women crowded in closer, putting him at ease as they each took a turn shaking his hand. The youngest of the group, Pam (PamaRama) pulled him into an embrace that took him by surprise. She was slight, barely over five feet and probably no more than ninety pounds, and she made him feel like a giant bear in comparison.

“I’m glad you could make it. I want to hear all your theories about the second season.”

Ryan smiled. “I have a lot of theories.”

“They have a bar here.”

“She’s already scoped it out,” Sue said dryly.

“It’s the most important part of any convention,” Pam insisted. “In fact, it’s getting chilly out here and there’s some Bombay Sapphire calling my name.”

“It’s early for me,” Millie protested.

Pam hooked her arm through Millie’s. “You can still keep me company. It was great meeting you all. Ryan, once you get settled in your room, come and find us.”

“Will do.”

Sue held open the hotel door and gestured for Ryan to step inside. “The registration table is just through those doors, in the lobby. They’ve got a goodie bag and they’ll point you to your room.”

“Thanks.”

“Find me at the cocktail party,” she said before turning toward the twin elevators on the other side of the lobby. Ryan stopped short, mouth falling open.

The Lakeview Hotel had begun its life as Lakeview Manor, built by a Hollywood mogul in the 1930s. While most of the country struggled to scrape out a meager existence, Charles Tompkins had hosted the Hollywood elite, the Jet Set, the movers and shakers of the Golden Age. During the sixties, though, it had fallen into a state of disrepair and wasn’t converted into a hotel until the early eighties. On the California side of the border, its lobby was free of the smell of cigarettes and the sounds of slot machines.

On the outside, the hotel was impressive, but the lobby overwhelmed him. Gold leaf stretched as far as the eye could see, reflecting the light from ornate crystal chandeliers, and in the corner was an ebony baby grand piano. Blue and gold oriental rugs covered the polished marble floor, gold veins sliding through the black stone like baby snakes. The black wingback leather chairs looked like the most comfortable chairs in the world, plush and sturdy, and he wanted to sink into one. It was, by far, the nicest hotel Ryan had ever stayed.

“Welcome to ShadowCon 2014!” The volunteer was a young lady with a bright smile and even brighter red hair. Her name badge simply said Cat. He answered her greeting with a smile. He knew the name, though he didn’t interact with her much on the fan forums. “What’s your name?”

“Ryan Jackson.” He showed his ID and accepted his goodie bag and name badge.

“Our first event will be the cocktail mixer tonight at seven. After ten, it’ll be twenty-one and over only, due to the open bar.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “And don’t tell anybody, but there’s going to be a special guest.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “Is hegoing to be there?”

Cat mimed zipping her lips closed. “I can’t say.” She opened her binder to another page and pulled out a color-coded map. “You’ll still need to check in for your room, but I have a master list here, so I can give you an idea of how to navigate this place.”

“How hard can it be?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s built like a maze. I swear, it was designed by somebody who wantedpeople to get lost.” She frowned at the sheet. “Jackson, right?”

“Yes.”

She ran one manicured nail down the sheet. “I don’t see your name here. Perhaps it’s under your roommate’s name?”

“I’m not sharing a room.”

Her frown deepened, and she flipped to the second page, then back to the first page. “You better go talk to the front desk.”

“Did they lose my reservation?”

“I don’t know. Maybe our list is incomplete? Did you just book your room?”

“No.” He wasn’t about to tell her that he booked it four months ago, when the convention was first announced. He didn’t attend fan conventions often, but as soon as the guest list for ShadowCon 2014 was announced, he transferred the money from his savings account, bought his ticket, and made his reservations. “I’m sure it’s just a typo or something, though. I’ll go get it straightened out.”

Her smile returned. “I’ll be here until six, so let me know if you need anything. And if they did mess up your room, let me know. I’m sure we’ll find room for you. We’ll have a better idea tonight after the party.”

Ryan smiled, surprised and more than a little touched by the offer. “Thank you, Cat. I’ll let you know.”

His shoes squeaked with each step, echoing off the bare walls. He passed a mirror on his way to the front desk, grimacing as he caught his reflection. He looked like a tomato with his bright red face and his even brighter hair, sticking up in all directions. He’d heard once that gingers only came in two varieties—smoking hot or ugly as hell. He wished he could say he belonged in the first category, but he had no real reason to believe that was the case. He quickened his step, making a mental note of the location of the bar and the ballroom as he passed the doors.