The sky was overcast and stifling.  Warm rain splashed down irregularly, drizzling one second, pouring the next.  I had an umbrella in my hand, one of those huge ones that you see at the beach, but it wasn’t for my own comfort.  It was for keeping the rain off of Gabriel as he dug.

 

    “Do we really have to do this in the rain?” I complained, my arm was getting tired holding out the umbrella, and I was pretty sure Gabriel wasn’t enjoying shoveling mud.  “We can come back later, at night.”

 

    “The cemetery will be closed by then.” he replied, pushing his shovel deftly through the mud.  He dug tirelessly at a speed that would take three humans to accomplish.  A more well-fed vampire than Gabriel would have been finished by now, but he subsisted mostly on pig’s blood, which made his strength somewhere below monstrous.  “I really don’t feel like breaking into any more cemeteries, do you?”

 

    “I will admit past experiences have been less than ideal.” I assented.  “You do know that this is insanely illegal, right?”

 

    Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the words on the small, flat tombstone at the head of the grave: Katrina Riley.

 

    “Police, I can handle.” he answered ominously, not pausing in his digging.

 

    “We’ve barely been back from Paris a week.  Are you really going to let what Kieran said bother you?”

 

    “As much as I hate to admit it, he was right about one thing.  I won’t believe she’s dead till I see her corpse with my own eyes.”

 

    “Ugh.” I said queasily.  “As long as I don’t have to.”

 

    Gabriel’s shovel made a thunk! sound and he stopped digging.  He tossed the shovel up beside me, not even looking to make sure it didn’t hit me.  I sidestepped a little, so the mud wouldn’t splash my clothes.  He knelt down and began clawing at the mud with his hands, clearing it away from the casket.  I turned my head away before he opened the lid, holding out the umbrella precariously.  Katrina had been in her nineties when she had died, she probably hadn’t decomposed well.

 

    I heard the creak of the lid, then a long silence.  I fought the urge not to look for myself.  “Huh.” Gabriel said after a while.

 

    “What, what’s the matter?”  Alarm spread through me, I opened my eyes, but turned them up to look at the umbrella.

 

    He pulled himself nimbly out of the hole and picked up his shovel again.  “It’s okay to look, she’s not in there.”

 

    I peeked cautiously, suspecting a trick.  Even though I knew Gabriel couldn’t lie, I also knew that Great Aunt Katrina was buried here.

 

    What I saw was bare white satin.  There was no trace that anything human or otherwise had been inside.  “Huh.” was all that came out of my mouth.  Gabriel shovelled the mud back into the grave, the coffin still wide open.  “Well, if she’s not buried here, where is she?”

 

    Gabriel’s profile was grim.  “That’s what I’d like to know.”

 

2: 1 - My Basket is Empty

“Have you managed to get in touch with David yet?” I asked as I came down the stairs and into the living room.  

 

Gabriel was sitting the couch, game controller in hand.  “If I had, I would tell you.”  His expression was sour; he wasn’t doing well in the game.

 

I paused on my way to the kitchen.  “You would?”  Gabriel paid very little attention to me on a normal day.  Even though we were forced to live together, and we’d been through quite a lot, we still didn’t get along.

 

“Katrina was your great aunt, wasn’t she?  Wouldn’t you like to know where her corpse is?”  He mashed a few buttons on his controller, eyes narrowing.

 

“I am curious about that.  She probably made a lot of enemies when she was alive, perhaps David felt she shouldn’t be buried somewhere out in the open.”  David Lucien was Gabriel’s son, as well as Great Aunt Katrina’s lawyer.  While Gabriel kept his appearance fairly youthful, David preferred to look perpetually in his early forties.  Vampires were strange like that.

 

Changing my direction, I put my hands on the back of the couch, checking out what was so vexing on the TV.  “Didn’t you already beat this level?  Why do you keep crashing into the wall like that?”

 

Gabriel’s grip on the controller made the plastic squeak.  The TV went black and the GAME OVER screen came on.  He tossed the controller aside.  “Damned thing must be defective.”

 

He pulled out his cell phone, probably to call David again.  I decided it was best to head into the kitchen now.  The disappearance of Katrina’s body was irking him more than he would admit.

 

The kitchen table was crowded with cardboard boxes of various sizes.  My heart sank a little when I saw it.  “Do you really have to leave?” I said softly.

 

“I’m sorry!” Callie called up from the basement, the stairs to which were hidden behind a false wall in the broom closet.  She climbed up into the kitchen, another box in her hands.  “It’s time for me to stop leeching and get my own place.”

 

Something had happened while Gabriel and I were in Paris, something that had changed Callie.  She and Chris wouldn’t talk about it though.  Vampires weren’t clingy by nature, in fact as a general rule they were antisocial.  Callie had been a refreshing exception.  I would miss her.

 

“You weren’t leeching.” I pouted.  “You just weren’t paying any rent.”

 

Callie gave me a sympathetic look and set the box down on the table with the others.  She walked over to me and wrapped both arms around my shoulders.  “Are you sad to see me go?”

 

“Of course!” I exclaimed.  “You’ve become one of my best friends.  Besides, it’s nice to have someone around that doesn’t despise me.”

 

“Gabriel doesn’t despise you,” she assured me.  “He’s just a very unpleasant person.”

 

I sighed heavily.  “Can’t you stay a little longer?  I won’t yell at you when you sleep in my bed any more, I promise.”  Since I had been back, she hadn’t once snuck into my room.  That should have been the first tip off that she was distancing herself from me.

 

Callie’s smile was gentle.  “Thanks to you I was able to heal.  Both physically and mentally.  I’ve put Callisto to rest.  I can go on now without her.  Besides, it’s getting too crowded around here.”

 

“We’re still going to hang out, right?” I asked hopefully.  “Movie nights, I’ll even let you drag me shopping.”

 

She drew her arms back, cupping my cheeks with her hands.  “Angie, why do you have to look so cute?”  Her eyes drifted closed and she kissed my lips gently.

 

She had meant it to be brief, but I reached up and gripped her wrists with my hands.  I wasn’t attracted to her the way she was to me.  I couldn’t fall in love with her.  But Callie was my friend, she was there for me when I needed her.  If she wanted a goodbye kiss, that’s the least I could do for her.

 

She pulled away from me, smiling.  “I only did that to see the expression on Chris’ face,” she said mischievously.

 

I turned and saw my brother at the door to the laundry room, plastic hamper in his hands, eyes narrowed.  He set the hamper down on the floor and pointed to the front door.  “I don’t care if you’re a girl.  Outside.  Fisticuffs.  Now.” he said.

 

Callie laughed and I sighed in exasperation.  “Chris...”

 

“No, as your older brother it’s my duty to defend your honor.  Even from psychic lesbian vampires,” he said stubbornly.  I rolled my eyes and walked away.

 

“Can you load up the car for me?”  Callie batted her eyelashes at him.  “I wanna leave as soon as the sun goes down.  Thanks, bye!”  She hurried back down to the basement.

 

“That’s right!  Retreat now before I wipe the floor with you.”

 

I wandered back into the living room to get away from the commotion, but that was a mistake.  Gabriel was back at the game and looking grouchier than ever.  “You’ll kiss anyone, won’t you?” he said without taking his eyes off the TV.

 

“You’re just jealous of my popularity.”  I struck a haughty pose.  “You’re still pining for the woman who locked you in a box for fifty years.”

 

The plastic controller in his hands squeaked again from the pressure of his grip.  “I’m not pining.  And I’m definitely not jealous of you.”

 

I leaned over and braced one hand on the arm of the couch.  “Oh yeah?” I asked.  “When was the last time you kissed a pretty blonde?  Or anyone for that matter?” I pressed the tip of my pointer finger to his temple and pushed lightly.

 

The next thing I knew, the controller was on the floor, and his hand was wrapped tightly around my wrist.  Our positions were reversed, with my back pressed into the couch and he standing over me.  His head blocked the ceiling light, turning his form into a dark silhouette.  “Unlike some, I happen to be choosy about who I kiss.”

 

“You’re paying the hospital bill when you break my wrist.” I said firmly.  I wasn’t going to let his cranky moodiness intimidate me.

 

He leaned closer, his eyes glowing red.  “Don’t tempt me.  I will max out my gold card.” his voice lowered to a hiss.  I opened my mouth to retort, but was interrupted by a beeping sound under me.  “What’s that noise?”

 

“The house phone, I think I’m sitting on it.”  I shifted, using my free hand to feel between the couch cushions.

 

“Is it Lucien?” he asked urgently, completely forgetting his death grip on my wrist.  He sat on the couch next to me, listening intently while I answered the phone.

 

“Is this the Riley residence?” a male voice asked on the phone.

 

“Technically, yes.” I answered.  “Who’s calling?”

 

Chris walked into the living room then, took one look at Gabriel and I and threw his hands up in the air.  “I can’t turn my back for one minute in this house!”

 

Gabriel dropped my wrist and glared at him.  “Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”

 

“Both of you shut up!  I’m trying to listen.”  He turned back to me.  “It’s not David, now go away.”  I shooed him with a wave of my hand

 

He tsked and stood up.  “I’m going to go take a shower.”

 

“I’m sorry, can you please repeat that?” I said into the phone, plugging my other ear with my finger.

 

“I said ‘can I please speak to Katrina Riley?’”

 

“I’m afraid she passed away last year,” I answered.  I knew I was going to get a call like this eventually.  I had expected Katrina’s friends and acquaintances to start calling after her months ago, but this was the first.  “Were you a friend of hers?”

 

At the bottom of the stairs Gabriel paused.  He didn’t turn back to me, but I could tell he was listening in.

 

“No, I’m a legal representative of the ‘Better Care’ fertility clinic.  I have pressing information about the materials she was storing there.”

 

“Great Aunt Katrina was using a fertility clinic?”  My brows scrunched together in confusion.

 

“The best way to do this isn’t over the phone.  I’m on my way to the house now but I got turned around.  I know that it’s late, but can you give me directions?”

 

“Yeah sure.  What road are you on now?”

 

********

 

A black town car pulled up the white gravel driveway just as the sun was going down.  I stood on the porch, waiting.  The man that stepped from the car was young for a lawyer, perhaps in his early thirties.  He moved with confidence, but it wasn’t the oily superiority I felt from David.  Perhaps it would come with experience.

 

“You are Miss Statton?” he asked, climbing the steps, briefcase in hand.

 

“I am, and you would be Mr. Miller.”

 

He held his hand out to me.  “You may call me Charles.”

 

I shook his hand.  “Likewise, Angie.”

 

“May we step inside?” He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and patted his forehead.  “The air conditioning in my car stopped working this morning.”

 

“Of course.” I led the way into the house and held the door open for him.  “Summertime out here can be brutal.”

 

“Indeed.”  He stopped in the kitchen, giving the place a quick once over.  He placed his briefcase on the now empty table.  “You inherited the entire estate?” he asked.

 

I nodded.  “I have the paperwork with me.  The deed’s in my name.”  I walked over to the counter, picking up a thick manila envelope.  “I guess I also have control over the rest of Katrina’s assets as well.  Even the ones I don’t know about.”  I turned back to the lawyer.  “Please have a seat.”

 

He sat down at the kitchen table gratefully and popped open his briefcase.  “It is unfortunate that I have to be the one to bear this news, but the materials that Katrina Riley was storing at ‘Better Care’ have been stolen.”

 

I sat across from him.  “What happened?”

 

“Last night, ‘Better Care’s’ security was compromised.  While several client’s materials were damaged or destroyed, Katrina Riley’s was the only one confirmed missing.  The clinic is taking full responsibility for the incident and has instructed me to compensate you for all damages.”  He pulled out a thick stack of papers, sliding them and a silver pen across the table to me.  “Once you sign these waivers, I am authorized to give you a full refund of every payment Katrina Riley had ever made to ‘Better Care’.  As well as a small stipend for emotional duress.”

 

I flipped through the paperwork, impressed by it’s sheer size.  “Which means, I take the refund if I agree to not sue.”

 

Charles’ expression turned pained.  “That would be the general idea.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m not interested in a lengthy legal battle.” I assured him.  “My lawyer’s gone missing, anyway.  I am extremely curious about what Great Aunt Katrina was storing at the clinic, though.”

 

“I don’t know the details personally, but there is a full report included.” He gestured at the paperwork.  “There is a separate copy for your files.”

 

I pulled out the attached copy, which was about three pages.  “And this all went down just last night?”

 

He nodded.  “Much of the equipment was destroyed, I’ve heard.  It will be difficult for ‘Better Care’ to remain open after this.”

 

“Well I won’t cause any further trouble for them.”  I picked up the pen and scrawled my name in four different places and slid the papers and pen back.  Charles Miller spirited them away into his briefcase and then handed me a five figure check.  We shook hands again and both stood up.

 

“I’m sure you have more people to visit, so I won’t keep you.”

 

“I hope they all go as easily as this.”  He said as I showed him to the door.

 

When the lawyer was gone I walked into the living room, looking over the check in my hands.  Gabriel was standing on the stairs, his back against the wall dividing the kitchen and living room.  His arms were folded.

 

We were alone in the house.  Chris was driving Callie to her new place as his jeep was big enough for all of her stuff.

 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked.

 

“That the robbery at the fertility clinic might have something to do with Katrina not being in her grave?”

 

“I was going to say ‘let’s get a bigger TV’ but yeah, that too.”  I lowered the check and looked over at him.  “The robbery was last night, I bet the police still have the area cordoned off.”

 

He glanced over at me, his eyes reflecting red.  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

 

I reached in my pocket and pulled out the car keys.  “I’ll drive.”

 

“I want to get there before sunrise.” He walked over to me and took the keys out of my hand.  “I’ll drive.”

 

I held up the papers and check in my hand.  “I guess I’ll take care of this, then.  Should provide some interesting reading for the trip.”

 

“Hopefully it has the address.” Gabriel said as we headed for the door.  He grabbed his long coat, hat, and scarf from the closet.  With the nights at their shortest, it was a good idea to bring along some protection from the sun.  Who knew how long we might be out.

 

“Got the address right here.”  I held up the first page.

 

“Then what are we waiting for?  Let’s go break into a fertility clinic.”  I unlocked the front door and we both stepped out into the early night.  “By the way, what is a fertility clinic?”

 

I laughed.  “I’m not sure you want to know, but I think I’ll tell you anyway.”

 

3: 2 - Blind Alley

“Okay, it says here that Katrina was storing cryogenically frozen eggs at ‘Better Care’ since the sixties.” I put the paper down and looked at the screen on my cell phone.  “Which according to their website, is around the time the clinic first opened.”

 

Gabriel kept his eyes on the road, but I could see his brows furrow.  “Eggs?” he asked.

 

I ignored the obvious question in his voice, enjoying how lost he was.  Perhaps it was more than a little petty, but I liked him being the confused one for once.  “Well, I’m guessing they were her own.  If I’m doing my math right, she would have been getting close to menopause.”

 

“What is menopause?”  His voice was impressively patient.  He must have calmed down some since we were actually out doing something.

 

With a sigh I said, “It’s when a woman can’t have children anymore.  Her body runs out of eggs.” I mused for a moment.  “Perhaps she didn’t want to let go of the possibility of one day having a child.”

 

Gabriel snorted.  “That woman as a mother?”

 

“Oh look at you, father of the year!  Doesn’t even know where his own son has run off to.”  I put down the phone and stared out the window.  We were in the city now and the buildings whizzed by, but my eyes were on the dark sky.  “It’s just sad that she never felt ready to become a mom.  She started up a school with Ms. Brun and she saved Kieran’s life when he was little.  Even when she was younger, she protected her little sister with everything she had.  She probably wanted kids of her own for a long time, but her life just wouldn’t let her.”

 

I turned my eyes over to Gabriel and narrowed them.  “What?” he asked defensively.

 

“You and Nora crashed her wedding and burned down the church,” I said.  “You couldn’t just let her try to have a normal life, could you?”

 

“I did read about that in the diary,” he said.  “But I don’t remember it.  I don’t know why Nora and I were there that night.”

 

“Don’t think you can weasel out of the blame just because you have amnesia.  Is that another vampire thing? Convenient Amnesia?”

 

“I guess lying in a box for fifty years changes you.”  His voice was becoming heated.

 

I looked away.  “Yeah, well I guess you both hurt each other over the decades.”  This was the reason I usually didn’t begrudge Gabriel his past crimes.  He had orchestrated the murder of Katrina’s family, in fact her whole village, and had set her on the path to being a hunter.  He had probably done worse things when he was married to Nora, as well.  But... he had lost his oldest son, and had been locked in Katrina’s attic for fifty years until I unwittingly let him out last year.  Right after he regained his freedom, he had been forced to kill his own wife, whose sanity had frayed considerably in the decades he had been missing.

 

It wasn’t my place to say the scales were balanced, but I was able to start with almost a clean slate with him.  The past kept coming back to haunt him, but I judged him mostly on his personality now.  As long as he subsisted on pig’s blood and tried not to cause any trouble, I would continue to be Caretaker of the house.

 

“You don’t act like you miss having human blood.” I commented aloud.

 

“Where is this coming from?”

 

“I dunno, I was just thinking out loud.”  I lifted up the papers from the fertility clinic again, focusing my eyes on the printed words.  “Don’t mind me.”

 

After a long moment Gabriel spoke.  “Truth be told, it’s not really something to miss.”

 

I continued to look at the paper.  “It’s fine, you don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

 

“It’s the truth.”

 

“I know it is, I just don’t want to pry.  I’m not even that interested.  Really.”

 

He gripped the steering wheel more tightly.  We were stuck in a spot of traffic and the light was taking forever to change.  “When I was young I hunted humans all the time, but after a while... well, there really isn’t that much difference between human and pig’s blood.  I started challenging myself, choosing more dangerous prey.”

 

Other vampires.  I had seen Gabriel kill and drink from vampires before.  Right after he killed Montblanc in Paris, he had gained the ability to move things just by looking at them.  It was probably a bit more complicated than that, but that was how it appeared to me.  He didn’t do it often, probably because he didn’t have much control over it yet.

 

“Except when you’re starving, then you’ll just go for whatever’s convenient.”  I will admit I was still sore about when Gabriel almost killed me during his fight with Nora.  It’s not the kind of thing one gets over easily.

 

“As long as the refrigerator is stocked, you’re safe.”  Gabriel’s son, David, had hooked us up with a supplier of Pig’s blood from a butcher in the city.  We received a disposable cooler of plain white bottles about once a month.

 

I looked at him over the papers, one eyebrow twitching.  “Was that a joke?”

 

“Only half of it was.”  His phone was sitting on the dash, and as we came to a corner it beeped.  He glanced at it, then turned right.  “It should be at the end of this block.”

 

I sat up straighter, looking out the window.  “There it is.  There’s a cop car still parked out front.”

 

“There’s nowhere to park.” he complained.

 

“We’re in the city, what do you expect?  Let’s find a parking garage and walk back.”

 

We drove past the clinic and wandered a little till we found a garage a few blocks away.  The prices were exorbitant, but Gabriel paid for the whole night.  I left the papers and the check in the glove compartment, exchanging them for my silver glove.  I thought about taking the silver gun as well, but decided against it.  I didn’t want to be discovered by a cop with an unregistered firearm in my pocket.

 

    As we approached the clinic on foot I decided to outline our game plan.  “I’m guessing you’re going to influence the cops somehow?  Maybe make us invisible to them?”

 

    “Invisibility would be really easy to break.  One loud noise from you and it would fall apart.”  He was staring intently at the police cruiser as we walked closer.

 

    “Then, what do you plan to do?” I asked, ignoring his glaring insult.

 

    “There’s only one, and he’s asleep.”  He walked right past the car and up a small set of steps leading to the clinic.

 

    I peered into the car and saw that, indeed, the officer behind the steering wheel was snoozing soundly.  I turned back to Gabriel and followed him.  “Hey, did you do that?”

 

    “He was already tired to begin with.”  Gabriel steered away from the door, instead heading to a large window that was covered with cardboard and duct tape.  Yellow caution tape surrounded the pavement for ten feet around the window.

 

    The ground under the window was covered in gravel, with some shrubbery.  It was still littered with broken glass and bits of metal.  “What happened here?” I wondered aloud.

 

    “That much is obvious.”  He pointed to the next window, which was covered with a metal security grate.  “They ripped that useless thing off, then smashed the window.”

 

    “Those things aren’t useless.  They keep out human thieves just fine.”  My eyes widened.  “Wait.  You think a vampire broke in here, don’t you?”

 

    “Naturally.  Who else would be after something that belonged to Katrina Riley?”

 

    I thought it over, twisting my mouth as I did.  “Maybe another hunter?”

 

    He pushed the cardboard barrier into the room and climbed through the broken window.  Jagged bits of glass still clung to the edges, which looked likely to tear my skin into ribbons.  Gabriel on the other hand didn’t even notice them.

 

    His feet landed silently on the floor on the other side, then he turned and looked at me expectantly.  I stared at the glass doubtfully.  “You’re kidding, right?”

 

    He sighed in exasperation, then held his hand out the window to me.  I grabbed his lower arm and braced my foot against the wall.  I doubted highly that even my sneakers would survive the sharp glass, but before I could share that thought he grasped my arm and hauled me up.

 

    He placed his other hand on my ribcage, preventing me from just landing on the shards outright.  The next second I was on my feet on the inside of the building.  I let go of his arm and stepped away from him quickly.  “You know you could have just unlocked the door for me, right?”

 

    His expression darkened, declaring that he hadn’t thought of that.  “Let’s just get this over with.” he turned and looked around the room.

 

    The room reminded me of the lab at my old High School instead of something, say, one would see on a TV crime show.  Black counters lined with lab equipment, large glass-fronted refrigerators along one wall.  Only my old science lab didn’t look like a bulldozer had run through it.

 

    “This wall is being held up with duct tape and prayers.” I commented, observing the wall between the two windows.

 

    Gabriel stood in the center of the room, right between two rows of countertop, his expression unreadable.  “What is it?” I asked him.

 

    “It’s too clean in here.” he replied cryptically.

 

    I could feel my eyebrows shoot up at that.  “Clean, really?  This place is a mess.  Half of the equipment is completely destroyed.”

 

    “But there are no traces, fibers, stray hairs.  No evidence.”

 

    “Ah, someone’s been brushing up on their noir.  Well, anything that was here would have been taken to the police lab.  They don’t leave that stuff just lying around, or have you not watched any CSI?”

 

    “So then, how do we get to it?”

 

    I shrugged.  “It’s over at the police station by now.  I was hoping we’d find something the cops missed.”  I started looking around again.

 

    Gabriel headed back over to the window and nimbly let himself out.  I sighed in exasperation.  “There’s a door here!” I called to him.

 

    I walked to the other side of the lab, opened the door and went out into the hall, then I unlocked and exited the front door.  By the time I got to the street, Gabriel was at the cop car, talking to the officer behind the wheel, who was now awake and alert.

 

    As I walked up, Gabriel said goodbye and headed towards me.  “I’ve got the address.” he said, then walked past me up the block.

 

    I hurried after him.  “Wait, where are we going?”

 

    “The precinct, the officer said it was only a few blocks from here.”

 

    Things were happening to quickly for me to catch up.  “Wait, he told you where the evidence was being kept?”

 

    “Of course.  He thought I was his superior.”

 

    I sighed.  “Of course.” Under my breath I mumbled, “god damn vampires.”

 

    We got to the station in minutes.  As we made our way up the steps I asked, “So, you plan on voodooing everyone in here till you get your way?” I asked.

 

    “I told you it’s influence.  Not voodoo.  Not magic.” he said irritably.  “And hopefully I’ll only have to influence one person.”

 

    As a person who had never been inside of a Police Station before, I was instantly fascinated by it’s lack of glamour.  It was plain and efficient, with light walls and a linoleum floor, and nothing like the stations I saw on television.

 

    The woman behind the front desk was elderly, but dressed in full uniform, so I knew not to take her lightly.  She gave Gabriel a tired, frank look as he walked right up to her and spoke, his voice edged with influence.  “I’d like to see the evidence file for the ‘Better Care’ fertility clinic case.”

 

    Her expression didn’t change.  “Badge.” she said, her voice as dry as parchment.

 

    Gabriel took out his wallet and showed her his forged driver’s license.  “The file, please.”

 

    She turned to her computer and began typing at the keyboard.  “Do you know your case number?” she asked.

 

    “Not offhand.”

 

    “One moment please.”

 

    I was quickly getting bored of standing around and being a shadow, so I continued looking around.  I didn’t know how many opportunities I would have in the future to check out an actual Police Station.  Though if I continued associating with Gabriel, it would probably occur more often than I liked.

 

    One wall near the front desk was lined with chairs.  A few people were sitting, waiting for who knew what, but I thought I recognized one of the people, so I walked over.  “Excuse me.” I said to the tallest, darkest woman I had ever seen.  She was dressed in a style I could only call elegant punk.  She wore ripped jeans and her hair was bright pink and wild, but she also wore a black corset and black lace gloves.  “Are you Lacie Green?”

 

    She turned her dark eyes to me, looking confused.  “Yeah, who are you?”

 

    I held my hand out to her.  “I’m Angie Statton, we’re Facebook friends.  I used to go to school with your sister, Madison.”

 

    She recognized me then, and her eyes widened.  “Angie, hi.”  She took my hand and shook it.  “What a place to meet.  Small world, huh?”

 

    “I know, right?”  I took a step back and appraised her.  “And here I was thinking your photos were all ‘shopped’.”

 

    She stood up to her full height, gesturing to herself.  “Nope, this is all me.  Were you and Maddie in High School together?”

 

    “Nah, Junior High.  I had braces back then, if it helps.”

 

    She thought for a moment, then shook her head.  “Maddie has so many friends.  So... what kind of trouble are you in today?”

 

    “Nothing like that.  I’m here with a... friend.” I gestured to Gabriel, who was still at the counter.  “What about you?  Your last update said you were breaking into the music biz.  Are you singing or did you mean literally?”

 

    Lacie laughed, but it was a short laugh.  “I’m doing back-up vocals for Desyre.  It’s my turn to post bail.”

 

    The name was familiar, but it took a moment to think of where.  I didn’t listen to her, but Cassie’s mp3 player was full of her songs.  “She likes to get into trouble?” I asked.

 

    “Just a bit.”  She pointed behind me.  “There she is now, cozying up to your ‘friend’.”

 

I turned as saw Gabriel standing with a beautiful dark-skinned woman.  The clothes she wore were more ‘elegant goth’ than Lacie’s, though there were a few hints of punk.  Especially the boots, which were a rugged, black leather pair that went up her calves.  “What the hell is that?” I asked, the words slipping out before I could catch them.

 

    “Looks to me like she’s getting under his skin.” Lacie commented slyly.

 

    Desyre was indeed getting a little too comfortable with Gabriel, leaning close to him and putting a hand on his arm, but what inspired my outburst was the look on his face.  I had seen Gabriel confront death on the rooftop of a thirty story building, and yet I had never seen him look as terrified as he did right now.

 

    I didn’t think it was possible for his face to get any paler, but he was literally white as a sheet.  His skin glistened under the fluorescent light, like he was sweating, which was another thing I’d never seen him do.  Desyre leaned her face up, closer to his and he actually leaned away.  His eyes darted to the exit, but he didn’t move towards it, probably because he would have to push Desyre aside in order to do so.

 

    “Okay, I’m going to go find out what’s going on.” I decided aloud.

 

    “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Lacie said, following after me.  She pulled out her cellphone.  “She’s out of the drunk tank for a second and she’s already getting into trouble.  I am so tweeting this.”

 

    I stood behind Desyre, facing Gabriel.  “Anything wrong, Detective?” I asked.

 

    He looked genuinely relieved to see me.  “Angie, there you are.” he said weakly.  “I was looking for you.”

 

    Warning signals sounded off in my brain.  Gabriel NEVER called me by nickname, preferring Evangeline.  He had once explained to me that a vampire could better utilize their influence over a person if they used their full name.

 

    “Now I know what it feels like to be in the Twilight Zone.” I looked around, making sure I hadn’t been teleported somewhere, like an alternate dimension.

 

    Desyre turned away from Gabriel, to his intense relief, and faced me.  I was struck dumb for a moment by just how beautiful she was.  Her face was full in her cheeks, but her chin was delicately pointed.  Her skin was the color of cocoa and completely flawless.  She wore makeup by her eyes, heavy black eyeliner and hot pink eye shadow.  Her eyes were what stunned me the most though, they were a clear bright red, and they seemed to glimmer like jewels.

 

    After a moment, I managed to collect myself enough to speak.  “Nice contacts.”

 

    Her face twitched ever so slightly, as if quickly burying surprise.  “I don’t wear contacts.” she replied, and then I felt it: the heavy power of influence in her voice.

 

    Being around Gabriel, I was always on guard against his influence, a vampire’s ability to hypnotize and control their prey.  Vampires used it for all sorts of things: changing a person’s mood, making them see things that aren’t there, and even masking a vampire’s very nature, the physical things like fangs and claws, so that they looked human.  Desyre was using her influence to hide the color of her eyes.

 

    The way to beat influence was to know about it.  A mind that expects it can break it easily, hence why I was always on my guard around Gabriel, to the point of it being subconscious.  Desyre’s influence was different than Gabriel’s, where his was forceful and direct, hers crept around from the edges of awareness softly.  I found that I could see both what was real, and what she wanted me to see.  Chocolate brown eyes, shifting to glittering red and back again.

 

    “My mistake.” I said flatly, keeping my gaze straight.  “Must have been a trick of the light.”

 

    Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.  “Must have.”

 

    “I didn’t realize you and Gabriel were alike, my bad.”

 

    “Gabriel?”  Her eyes widened a little.  “Is that the name my Angel goes by now?”

 

    Now it was my eyes that widened.  Behind Desyre, Gabriel looked like he wished for all the world that the floor would just open up and swallow him whole.  “Oh, so you two know each other.”  I tried to keep my voice flat, but it was becoming harder to achieve.

 

    “My Angel and I go way back, but I’m afraid that I am at a disadvantage, because I do not know you.”

 

    I held out my hand to the vampiress, bringing my gaze back to her face.  “I’m Angie, as Gabriel mentioned.”

 

    “I meant your full name.”  She took my hand in hers and leaned a few inches closer to me, as if inspecting something interesting under a microscope.

 

    “Angie is fine.” I pulled the corners of my mouth up, trying for a smile.  I was pretty sure it was more of a grimace, though.

 

    Desyre half turned back to Gabriel.  “She’s adorable, Angel, I see why you keep her.”

 

    Strong emotion bubbled up inside of me then, unexpected, it ripped through my throat and out my mouth as a spluttered laugh.  “Him?  Keeping me?”  I pointed at Gabriel, the other hand on my side, where a stitch was threatening to form.  I laughed again, harder.  Finally I struggled to pull myself together, wiping a tear from my eye.  “That’s great, the freeloader is keeping ME.”

 

    “Hey, that is MY house!” Gabriel snapped.

 

    “Not according to the deed.” I shot back.  “Besides I tried to move out, remember?”

 

    “Worst mistake of my life was not letting you.” he grumped.

 

    “Oh yeah, and what was marrying Nora?  A slight oversight?” I jeered.

 

    He looked ready to push Desyre out of the way and start towards me, but she held up one hand, like a referee.  “This is no place for catching up.”  She gestured to the door.  “Perhaps I could invite you two for a ride around the city in my town car?”

 

    “No thank you.  We have other things to do.” Gabriel said, stepping forward first.  He grabbed my hand as he passed me, but didn’t look at me, and pulled me along with him.

 

    We exited the station, Desyre and Lacie heading in one direction, but Gabriel went in the other.  “Gabriel, where are we-” my words were cut off as he suddenly pulled me down an alley.  “What the hell are-” I started again, angrily, but I was cut off.  He grabbed me around my waist and jumped upwards.

 

    The world jolted sickeningly and we were standing on the roof of the building next to the station.  I pushed his chest hard, separating myself from him.  “Are you insane?” I exclaimed.  “You can’t just do something like that in a city full of people!”

 

    “I know that.  That’s why I went into the alley.”  He ducked down, peering over the ledge.

 

    “What is wrong with you??”

 

In response he grabbed my hand and pulled me down next to him.  “Get down you idiot.  She’ll see you.”

 

I looked over at him, he stared down at Desyre and Lacie as a limo pulled up in front of the station.  “Dude, you know she’s a vampire, right?  How can she not know we’re up here?”

 

As if she heard me, Desyre looked right up at us.  She kissed two fingers and waved at us before stepping into the limo.  When it sped away, Gabriel bowed his head in relief, his shoulders slumping.

 

    I was really feeling alarmed now.  “Gabriel, what’s wrong?  Who was that?  She’s dangerous, isn’t she?  Is it ‘regular dangerous’, or are we looking at Nora levels here?”

 

    “I knew her a very, very long time ago.  Before I met Nora.” he answered, but didn’t lift his head.

 

    “Oh...” I said, understanding dawning.  “Old girlfriend?”

 

    “No!”  His head whipped up and he gave me a horrified look.

 

    “Okay, now I’m all confused again.”  I stood up and placed my hands on my lower back, stretching.  “Don’t grab me like that ever again.  You almost threw my back out.”  I pulled my arms up over my head.

 

    Gabriel stood up as well and turned away from the ledge.  “I wasn’t going to leave you in her clutches.”

 

    My arms dropped to my sides.  “You were worried?” I asked in surprise.  Most of the time, Gabriel begrudged my existence, but there were a few occasions he went out of his way to rescue me from danger.  Of course, I wouldn’t have gotten into those situations if he wasn’t around, but that was beside the point.

 

“Of course!” his tone was indignant and his hands clenched into fists.  Heat flared up in my cheeks.  “Who knows what you would have told her.”  He gave me a stern look.  “I do NOT want her finding out where I live!”

 

The small kindling fire that had started inside of me was quickly dowsed.  “...oh.” I said blandly.  “Where’s the fire escape?  I’m going back to the car.”

 

“I’ll take you back, it’ll be faster.”  He walked over to me and lifted me up again, slinging me roughly over his shoulder.

“Hey! Personal space!” I yelled, kicking uselessly.  I gave up and just hung limply while he sprinted across the rooftop, then jumped the gap to the next one.  “I hate you, so much.”

4: 3 - Family Matters

As I bounced and jostled over Gabriel’s shoulder, my view of the surroundings was fairly limited to the back of Gabriel’s pants.  “You have something sticking out of your back pocket,” I informed him.

 

He stopped, but I grabbed the slips of paper before he set me down.  “Don’t just take things out of my pockets,” he warned, snatching the papers from my hands.  He looked them over, then dropped them on the ground and walked away.

 

Curious, I bent down and picked them up.  My eyes widened as I read the colorful font.  “These are concert passes.”

 

“So?”

 

“There’s going to be a free concert at Central Park later this month.  It’s like, all Callie was talking about.  These passes let us go backstage.” I was getting more and more excited as I read the tickets, my words tumbling over one another.  “Some people would kill for these.”

 

“Then sell them on eBay, I don’t care.”

 

“You don’t want to see Desyre that bad, huh?”  I ran up and walked beside him.  We were back on the sidewalk now and close to where we parked the car.

 

“If possible, I never want to lay eyes on her again.” Gabriel’s profile was grim.

 

“She seemed to like you, though.  She was a little strange, but nice.  She doesn’t strike me as an enemy.”

 

“She’s not my enemy.”

 

“Then if she’s not an ex-girlfriend, and she’s not your enemy, why do you hate her so much?”  None of this made any sense.  Why was he acting this way?  Desyre didn’t seem all that threatening or sinister.

 

I had met vampires that wanted me or Gabriel dead on sight, like his ex-wife Nora or Callie’s sister Callisto (both of whom were deceased), and I had also met vampires that were helpful and even nice, like Callie and little Nora.  I assumed that vampires were just like the humans they originally came from.  Some were good, some were bad, and some were just batshit insane.

 

Desyre struck me as one of the good-ish, but slightly insane, types.

 

Gabriel sighed in annoyance, clenching his hands at his sides..  “I don’t hate her.”

 

“Well, you’re certainly exuding some serious dislike over here.” I observed.  “Who exactly is she?”

 

We were at the parking garage now.  “I don’t want to talk about it.”  His voice bordered on a snarl.

 

“Fine, I won’t press.”  I pocketed the passes.  If Gabriel wasn’t going to use them, Callie and I would.  “So what’s our next step?”

 

“I don’t know.”  He opened the car door roughly, stepping in and closing it loudly.  I hurried into the car before he decided to drive off without me.  Gabriel was looking at his phone, the glow from it’s LCD turning his pale skin a sickly green.

 

“David still hasn’t gotten in touch with you?”

 

“No, and it’s starting to bother me.”

 

“Starting?  You’ve been on edge for days.”  He shot me a look and I held my hands up defensively.  “If he won’t answer his phone, why don’t you go and see him yourself?”

 

“You think I haven’t thought of that?”  He glared hard at me, then looked away.  “I don’t know where he lives.”

 

I relaxed a little.  “Is that all?  He has a condo on the other side of the island.  I know where it is.”

 

Gabriel set his phone on the dash and started the car.  “Tell me where, we’ll go now.”

 

“Now, like right now?  It’s the middle of the night.”

 

“He’s a vampire, he’ll be up.”

 

I sighed.  At this rate, I was never going to have a normal sleeping schedule.  “All right, but only if I drive.  You’re going to get us a ticket with the way you drive.”  I scooted closer to the front seat.  Gabriel glared at me again, but I was unperturbed.  I made shooing motions with both hands.  “Go on, get out.”

 

His eyes narrowed, but he opened the door and got out.  I slid into the driver’s seat as he walked around to the passenger’s side.  I buckled my seatbelt and waited for him to do the same.  “Seat belt.” I said when he just sat there and looked at me.

 

    He gave me an exasperated look.  “...why?”

 

    “Because it’s the law and I don’t want a ticket, so shut up and buckle up.”

 

    He sighed again, but obeyed.  I entered David’s address into the GPS on my phone, then I started the car and pulled smoothly out of the space.

 

    **********

 

    We arrived just under an hour later, which was good considering the traffic.  Just because it was the middle of the night didn’t mean that the streets weren’t completely clogged with cabs, limos, pedestrians, and buses.

 

    There was free parking under David’s building, which was lucky.  Especially since there was an empty space.

 

    Gabriel looked up at the tall apartment building.  It was clad in black glass that perfectly reflected the bright city lights.  “Lucian lives here?”

 

    “Yep.” I answered.  “Up on the 17th floor.  I think he owns the whole building, his practice is on the top two floors.”

 

    “It’s going to be another fifty years before I’m not surprised by how much things have changed, isn’t it?”

 

    I punched his upper arm.  Lightly, so I didn’t bruise my hand.  “Just go with the flow and you’ll do fine.”

 

    We took the elevator up, and it opened out to a short hallway leading to only one door.  I guessed David’s apartment covered the entire floor.

 

    I rang the buzzer and we waited.  Ten seconds later, the door was opened by a rather frail looking young woman, who appeared to be only a few years older than I was.

 

    “Can I help you?” she asked in a soft voice.  She had straight brown hair that hung limply over her shoulders, and gentle gray eyes.

 

    “We’re here to see David Lucien.” I said politely, taking charge before Gabriel could say something that would get us kicked out.

 

    Her gray eyes looked over both of us, then turned to the side.  “David is not home right now.” she said.  Her pale, thin hand clutched the doorknob.

 

    “Do you know where we might be able to reach him?” I asked, carefully keeping my voice bright and casual.  There was obviously something troubling the woman, and I didn’t want to exacerbate her worries.  “We tried his cell phone, but didn’t get an answer.  It’s fairly important that we see him right away.”

 

    She hesitated, then shook her head slowly.  “I’m afraid I can’t help you, you should try upstairs at his office.”

 

    She started to close the door, but then Gabriel spoke up.  “You’re his wife?” he asked, his voice laced with influence.

 

    She paused, turning her eyes to Gabriel.  “Yes, that’s right.”

 

    “What is your name?”  His eyes scrutinized her face, but in a sad way.  I felt sorry for him.  He and David weren’t that close, Gabriel didn’t even know his son’s wife’s name.

 

    “Alice, Alice Lucien.”  She looked up at Gabriel and her eyes narrowed slightly.  “And you are?”

 

“My name is Gabriel, everything else is unimportant.”  The influence in his voice was stronger.

 

Alice was unshakable in her curiosity, however.  “Are you related to David?  You look very much like him.”

 

“I’m his brother.” Gabriel lied smoothly.

 

Alice shook her head.  “David told me Lucifer was dead.”

 

“I’m his younger brother.” he replied, without even so much as blinking.  It was true that Gabriel kept his appearance in his early twenties while David looked perpetually in his early forties, so this answer made more sense than the truth.

 

    She opened the door wider and stepped to the side.  “I’ll put on a pot of tea.”  She sighed.

 

    Soon, Gabriel and I were occupying in a love seat opposite a large sofa chair.  Alice set a cup of tea in front of each of us and took a seat in the chair.  I picked up my cup and blew at the steam curling over the rim.  I mulled over various conversation starters in my head, but Alice beat me to it.  “I have not seen my husband in nine days.” she stated clearly.  “I do not know where he is or how to reach him.”

 

    “Oh.” I said, trying to cover my surprise.  “Has he done this before?”

 

    “Not in the five years we’ve been married.”

 

    “Have you contacted the police?”

 

    Sitting across from us, Alice looked less frail.  Her shoulders were squared and her gray eyes were steely.  Her cool expression was somewhat out of place against her fragile beauty.  “I have not.  David is fine, and he will come home when he’s done.”

 

    “How do you know?” Gabriel asked, ignoring his tea completely.  He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together.

 

    “Because I know my husband better than anyone else.” she answered confidently.  “I gave him everything that he has now.  When he is bored, he will come back to me.”  She lifted up her teacup and took a delicate sip.

 

    Gabriel narrowed his eyes.  “You think he’s cheating on you.”

 

    “Of course he is, I’ve seen her with my own eyes.  She’s beautiful, in an exotic way.  All men, even great ones, grow bored eventually.  It is a primal need.  He knows that I’m the one who loves him and will be here when he’s done with her.

 

    “This woman, what was she like?” Gabriel asked softly.

 

    Alice’s eyes narrowed.  “It doesn’t matter what she was like,” she snapped.

 

    “Of course.”

 

    “Is this all you wanted to talk about?”

 

    “No, actually.” I cut in.  “We wanted to ask David about a grave site.  My great aunt wasn’t buried where we thought she would be.”

 

    “There might be a record in his study.” Alice said, standing.  “It’s this way.”

 

    Gabriel and I stood and followed her through the apartment.  The outside of the building was covered in black glass, but this apartment had no windows.  Of course David would not want the threat of sunlight in his own home, but I wondered how he explained it to his wife.  I would have to wait for another opportunity to ask though, since there were more important questions at the moment.

 

    “Won’t David mind us going through his files?” I asked hesitantly.

 

    “He’s not here to stop anyone.” Alice said easily.  “You’re not planning on taking anything, are you?  Or leaving a mess behind?”

 

    I shook my head.  “No Ma’am.”

 

    “Then it’s not my concern.”

 

    “I like you.” Gabriel said.  “I wish my brother would have introduced us before this.”

 

    “I didn’t know you existed before today.” Alice threw a skeptical look over her shoulder.  “You weren’t at the wedding.”

 

    I felt a force emanating from Gabriel, his influence washing over Alice.  “Five years ago I was incapacitated.  I regret not being able to attend.”

 

    Alice stopped at a door and opened it for us.  “Please keep it tidy.”  She met my eyes and held my gaze for a long second.  I nodded obediently.

 

    Gabriel and I stood in the doorway, taking in the layout of the study.  It was a large room, bookshelves lining one wall, filing cabinets on the other.  Everything was done in warm oak and mahogany, even the filing cabinets were clad in wood paneling.  The desk was a wooden monster, dominating the center of the room.

 

    “I call the computer.” I said at once, hurrying over to the desk with it’s leather executive’s chair.  Gabriel turned towards the filing cabinets, looking over the gold colored faceplates.

 

    “Of course it’s password protected.” I said in annoyance.  I had read an article about the four most common passwords a couple of weeks ago.  I quickly tried all of those with no luck.  “Any ideas?”

 

    Gabriel tested the handle on one of the filing cabinets and found it locked.  He gripped it more firmly and gave it a quick, controlled pull.  The lock snapped easily, making a cracking sound.  He leaned his head back, looking out the door, probably to see if Alice was coming to investigate the noise.  Then he turned back to the cabinet and slid the drawer open fully.  “Lucien has always been an enigma to me.” he said.  “I don’t know what word he would choose to secure his computer with.”

 

    “I don’t think David’s all that complicated.”  I started typing in names.  Nora, Gabriel, Lucien, Alice and Katrina were no good.  “He doesn’t talk about himself too much, but that’s because everything else about him speaks for him.  He wears his status, in his clothes, his hair, that gold watch, those Armani shoes.  He has style, but not a loud one.  He wants you to know he’s successful, without blaring it in your face.  He’s also a cunning, slimy weasel.”

 

    “Do you say that because he tricked you into inheriting the house?”

    

“Before I met you, I thought I had worries, problems even.  I can’t believe I’m starting to miss them.”

 

Gabriel cracked open another drawer, while also checking to see if Alice was observing.  “Problems?  What kind of worries could you possibly have had?  You’re practically still a teenager.”  He pitched his voice high.  “School is so lame, Mom never lets me have any fun.  She keeps making me dress like a girl.  My life is so tough.”

 

“Hey, I had real problems.  Real crap to go through.” I felt my blood start to heat up.  Just because he’d lived a few hundred years, it didn’t mean he could treat what I’d been through so lightly.

 

“For instance?”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”  I replied, glaring at the screen.  Clamming up was my usual response, it was automatic now.  It didn’t matter anyway, it wasn’t as if any of that stuff was going to show up here.

 

“Have you tried Lucifer?” Gabriel asked.

 

“What?”

 

“For the password.  Lucien looked up to his brother, try Lucifer.”

 

I typed in the letters, and the password screen blinked away, revealing the desktop.  “It worked.  Looks like you know him better than you thought.”

 

Gabriel retrieved a thick file out of the drawer and dropped it on the desk.  He pulled another chair over and sat down across from me.  He began quickly scanning through the files, reading them much faster than I could.

 

David’s computer was conveniently organized, with folders clearly labeled.  I browsed through them, pulling up everything that looked like it would be related to Katrina Riley.  There was a lot of information, so I grabbed a silver pen and cream colored notepad from the drawer and began jotting down names, addresses, and phone numbers.  “Looks like David was the one who kept up the payments to the fertility clinic after Katrina died.  Why do you suppose he would do that?  She’s dead, so it’s not like she can use their services.”

 

“I’m sure he had his reasons.” Gabriel replied.  “Did you know there is another property under Katrina’s name?  It’s right here in the city.”

 

“Cool beans.  Write down the address.”  I slid the paper and pen over to him.  “I found the payment information to the cemetery.  He got the most expensive casket and a prime plot, but he didn’t have a funeral.  Well it’s not like anyone would have shown up, she alienated herself from her relatives quite effectively.”

 

“If anyone did show up, it wouldn’t have been anyone Lucien wanted to see.”

 

“I don’t see any records of another burial location.  Nothing he paid for anyway.  I guessed he could have buried her body somewhere else.  Not at a cemetery.”  I looked over at Gabriel, who was staring into space, his expression darkening.  “What is it?”

 

“What if she’s still alive?” Gabriel said softly.

 

I blinked in disbelief.  “Are you kidding me?  She’s older than Grandma Alice, and she’s been in a home for a decade.”

 

Gabriel focused his dark eyes on me.  “Alice?”

 

“Great Aunt Katrina’s little sister.  She was just a baby when you razed her village.”

 

His eyebrows pulled together in a frown.  “You said she was in a ‘home’?”

 

“Yeah, a retirement home, a place that takes care of old people.  Like a hospital crossed with an adult daycare.”

 

“We should drop by, ask your grandmother when was the last time she saw her older sister.”

 

“Grandma Alice’s mind isn’t what it once was.” I told him.  “I don’t think we’ll get anything useful out of her.”

 

“It won’t hurt to try.”

 

“Just how much of my family are you going to meet?” I asked irritably.

 

“I don’t know, where do your parents live?”

 

“My mom lives in Queens, outside your range of haunts.  And you’re not getting the address.”

 

“You mention your mother specifically.  What about your father?”

 

“No idea.  I never met him.”  Gabriel opened his mouth to posit another question, but I cut him off.  “Looks like another fertility clinic was interested in Great Aunt Katrina’s genetic material.  They actually offered to buy the eggs from David.  Several times.”

 

“They must have wanted them for some purpose.”

 

“Dude, some of these figures goes into six digits.  They wanted those eggs bad.”

 

“Badly enough to perhaps break into a lab and take what they wanted by force?”

 

I peered at him around the edge of the monitor.  “Could be.  It’s a more viable lead than harassing my Nana.  I’m sending the info to the printer now.”  I looked around the office.  “Wherever that is.”  I heard a whirring sound under me and look down.  I opened the bottom drawer and discovered a small printer chugging out a sheet of paper.  “Never mind, I found it.”

 

Gabriel closed Katrina’s file.  “Good, let’s depart.  I don’t wish to overstay our welcome.”

 

“Yeah, David’s wife seems like more than she appears to be.”  I folded up the paper and stuffed it into the back pocket of my jeans.

 

“Lucien would not have chosen her if she wasn’t.”

 

We tidied up, pushing the chairs back into place.  Though Gabriel couldn’t repair the locks on the drawers he had broken, they still closed.  Alice met us in the hallway.  “I’ll see you out.”  She escorted us to the door, drifting across the plush carpet as quietly as a wraith.

 

“May we meet again under better circumstances.” Gabriel nodded his head to her.

 

“Or else not at all.”  Her mouth was thin, and her eyes were stormy.

 

“Touche.”

 

We were about ten feet away from the door when it burst open with incredible force, spraying splintered wood in all directions.  A dark haired woman stood in the doorway, wearing a long coat, fingerless gloves, and steel-toed boots.  “Who do you think you are?” Alice exclaimed indignantly.

 

The woman’s eyes were locked on Gabriel, who stood next to me.  She raised her arm, revealing a sawed-off shotgun in her hands.  She deftly smacked Alice in the cheek with the butt of it and the woman crumpled to the floor.

Instinctively I rushed towards Alice.  The woman raised the shotgun level to Gabriel’s chest.  “Die.” she said, and fired.

5: 4 - Bleeding Edge

I clutched Alice, holding the both of us close to the ground.  The shotgun blast left my ears ringing.  I looked frantically back at Gabriel, who had taken the brunt of the blast.

 

He had brought his arms up to protect his face and chest, but the buckshot had ripped his shirt ragged, leaving the skin underneath torn and bleeding.  He was gritting his teeth against the pain so hard, one of his fangs had cut his lip.  It was a miracle that he was still standing.

 

“Tch.” the woman sucked at her teeth, pumping her shotgun for a second try.

 

“Silver buckshot, really?!” I shrieked in terror.  “What the hell is wrong with you!?” My ‘flight or fight’ instinct kicked in and I opted for the latter, kicking out at the woman’s calf.

 

She turned on me at once, aiming the butt of the gun for my head.  I raised up both hands, grabbing the wooden handle, trying to force it away from my face.  Her eyes were covered by dark glasses, but her mouth was twisted in frustration.  “Just settle down.” she said in a husky voice.  “You think you love him, but you don’t.  Wait for the glamour to wear off.”

 

Alice lay on the floor, her hand covering her cheek, whimpering softly.  Blood oozed from between her fingers.  I moved away from her so she wouldn’t get hurt again.  I grappled with the armed woman in the narrow hallway.  “I’m not under ‘glamour’.  Gabriel’s influence doesn’t work on me.”  I tried to disarm her, but her grip was strong.  I sure as hell wasn’t letting go of the shotgun, so we were deadlocked.

 

“And she sure as hell isn’t in love with me.”  Gabriel stepped forward then, kicking the woman strongly in the side.  The shotgun was ripped from her hands and she flew out into the hallway.  She clutched her side, gasping for breath.

 

Gabriel walked over to her slowly, clenching his teeth against the pain in his arms and chest.  I followed behind him, looking over the shotgun.  I had never seen anything like it before.  It had a huge revolver like chamber where the bullets went, and it certainly looked homemade.  Carved into the grip were the initials A.S.  “Is this thing part magnum?” I asked incredulously.  “I’ll hazard a guess and say you’re a hunter.”

 

As Gabriel reached the woman, she frantically tried to scoot back, reaching into her coat.  I aimed the shotgun at her and she raised her hands in the air.  “You have two broken ribs, you’re better off than I am.” he said bitterly, and stepped over her.

 

She blinked in surprise as he pressed the button for the elevator.  She visibly shaken and probably wasn’t used to a vampire just ignoring her.  “You’re not going to kill me?” she asked in surprise.

 

“Don’t tempt me.” he snarled, jabbing the button again.

 

“I would let him get away with self defense, too.” I said.  I don’t think I would really let Gabriel kill her, but it was best if she didn’t know that.  “Alice, you okay?” I called back without taking my eyes of the hunter.

 

“I’ll live.” she said faintly.  “I’ve already called the police.”  I could see a small remote in her hand, her thumb over a red button.

 

There was a ding, and the elevator doors slid open.  “That’s our ride.” I said, walking around the hunter, keeping the shotgun aimed at her.  Gabriel entered first, pressing the button for the garage.  I stepped in next to him, keeping the shotgun ready until the doors closed.  Then I lowered it with a heavy sigh and turned to him.  “Lemme see.” I said, reaching for his arm.

 

    He pulled his arm away from me, and grimaced in pain.  “Leave it.”  He kept his eyes on the decreasing numbers of the LCD panel.

 

    I leaned the gun against the wall and grasped his shoulders with both hands, leaning him back against the wall.  “Let me see.” I repeated more sternly.

 

    His white shirt was soaked in red.  I pushed the tatters aside, revealing the skin underneath.  The wounds were small and angry, pulsing red as the silver continued to burn him.  “God, you’re not going to be able to heal this.  These’ll all have to be pulled out.”

 

    “I’ll probably bleed out before then.”  His voice was getting weaker, and what little blood he had in his face was draining away.  “Fresh blood would help.”  He focused his eyes on me, and they flashed red briefly.

 

    “There’s a cooler in the trunk.  You’ll live till then.” I told him.  “I don’t have to remind you that if you kill me, David will never let you have the house.  It’ll just go to Chris and my Mom.”  I had signed the paperwork not too long after I had met Gabriel.  He would inherit the house free and clear after I died.  As long as it was from natural causes.  It had been originally his house, before Katrina Riley had stolen it from him, so he was rather determined to get it back.

 

    It was late, so the elevator went straight to the parking garage without any other stops.  I picked up the shotgun as it let us out, not one to pass up a particularly sweet piece of loot after a fight.  If anyone approached us, I was hoping Gabriel would still be able to use his influence to obscure his wounds and the shotgun.

 

    “Do you remember where we parked the car?” His voice was sounding hazy.  He stumbled into my shoulder and leaned his weight on me.

 

    “It’s this way, come on.”  I wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him.

 

    I went to the trunk first.  “Hold this.” I thrust the shotgun into his hands and fumbled in my pocket for my keys.  I popped the trunk one handed and pulled out the cooler.

 

    Gabriel buried his face in my neck, and electricity shot down my spine.  My body stiffened in fear and, to my chagrin, excitement.  “I’ve got the cooler, hold your horses.” I muttered, my cheeks heating up.  I removed my arm from around his waist and propped the cooler up on the rear bumper so I could open it.

 

“Something... is wrong.” his voice grew stronger as alarm spread through it.  He wrapped his arms around me, pinning my arms to my body, then jumped away from the car as hard as he could.

 

That was when the car exploded in a ball of fire.

 

A high pitched whine filled my ears, but Gabriel had gotten us away from the heat of the blast.  The cooler slipped from my hand and slid across the floor, bursting open, white bottles scattering.  A couple broke against the concrete, splattering it with blood.

 

Gabriel hadn’t really planned before he jumped, and we had landed on another car.  He had shattered the windshield into thousands of tiny cracks, and dented the hood.  Since he was holding me, I was relatively unscathed.  He let me go, turning to a new threat.  My ears were useless, so I just followed his lead.

 

A man approached us from behind a different car.  He wore a long coat similar to the hunter upstairs, but his was worn and tattered.  It appeared to have not been washed in a while, either.

 

He was an older man, his grizzly facial hair graying to white.  Sharp brown eyes glittered from under intimidating eyebrows.  He was speaking, but I had no idea what he was saying.  The shotgun/revolver hybrid in his hands made his intentions clear, though.

 

Gabriel pulled himself off of the car, standing straight and facing the older man, who was aiming his shotgun right at him.  Gabriel thrust the other shotgun into my hands and jumped up high.

 

The hunter fired into the air, but missed Gabriel.  I scrambled off the car and onto the floor, ducking low behind it.  I searched around, looking for the closest bottle of pig’s blood.  Gabriel was strong, but with his wounds sapping all of his blood.  He was going to burn out fast.

 

I found two bottles nearby and grabbed both of them.  I stood up, getting ready to toss them to Gabriel.  He was continuing to jump away from the hunter’s shotgun blasts, leading him around till the hunter was facing away from me.

 

I lifted up one of the bottles, waving it wildly to catch his attention before I threw it.  The hunter turned quickly, firing at the projectile.  Blood splattered everywhere, much to his surprise.  I threw the other bottle while he was distracted.

 

Gabriel caught it, opened it, and drained it in mere seconds.  Then he advanced towards the main threat.

 

The hunter got over his surprise quickly, bringing up his shotgun again.  Gabriel moved in too close for him to fire, and the fight began anew.  Gabriel launched quick but graceful kicks and swipes from his claws, while the hunter parried and blocked with his shotgun.  For a man of his apparent age, he seemed able to keep up with Gabriel with little trouble.

 

Meanwhile, the car was flaming energetically.  The heat from the fire damaging the cars on either side, which had been pretty much totaled from the initial blast.  I scrambled around, hunting for more intact bottles.

 

“Gabriel!” I shouted before hurling another bottle his way.

 

The hunter turned to me as Gabriel caught the next bottle.  He shouted at me angrily, but I had no idea what he was saying.  “What did you say?  I can’t hear you because you blew out my eardrums when you exploded my car!” I shouted back just as angrily and threw another bottle.

 

Gabriel had enough strength now to disarm the hunter.  He wrenched the shotgun from his hands, then kicked him in the abdomen.  The hunter fell on his back, fetching up against an undamaged car.  Then Gabriel rushed up to me, grabbing me around the waist roughly.  He then ran for the exit just as red and blue lights flashed in the distance.

 

It wasn’t till we were safely away from the parking garage that my hearing started coming back.  “What the hell was that just now?” I asked as we rested on a nearby rooftop.

 

“Hunters.” he answered, shrugging.  “I’ve dealt with them for years.  Though they’ve updated their approach a bit.”

 

“They exploded our car, how are we supposed to get home?”  Horror dawned on me again.  “Our check was in the car!  And Katrina’s gun!  And the glove!”  I rushed towards the edge of the roof, but Gabriel grabbed the back of my jeans, preventing me from getting far.

 

“I am not going back there.” he said with finality.

 

“But I loved that glove!”  I sat on the rooftop heavily, crossing my legs and huffing.

 

“It’s gone.  Get over it.  Nothing could have survived that fire.”

 

“How the hell are we supposed to get home?” I grumped.

 

“Call your brother.  Maybe he’s still in the city.”  Gabriel leaned against the brick railing lining the rooftop, too tired from his wounds to do much else.

 

“I suppose.”  I pulled out my cellphone and hit Chris’ picture on my speed dial.

 

He picked up on the third ring.  “What’s up Evie?”

 

I could hear traffic in the background.  “Are you driving?” I asked incredulously.  “That’s illegal in this state.”

 

“No worries, I’m good.  I have my headset on.”

 

I would argue about his driving habits later.  “Are you still in the city?”

 

“Yeah...”

 

“Good, I’ll make this quick.  Please come and pick me and Gabriel up.  Our car was exploded by hunters.”

 

There was a long moment of silence, then “Text me the address.”

 

Chris pulled his yellow Jeep up to the building we were perched on.  He had to climb up the fire escape and help me with Gabriel, who had passed out just minutes before.  He lifted him up and over his shoulder easily.  “Damn vampires.” he muttered.  “Does he get messed up like this a lot?”

 

“At least three times while we were in Paris” I answered as we carefully made our way down to the car.  I wrapped the shotgun up in Chris’ jacket before carrying it down.

 

“You were only gone a week.”

 

“...yeah.  Stuff happened.”

 

“At least YOU came back unhurt.”

 

    “I dunno, my ankle bothers me a bit sometimes.”

 

    “Get the door.” Chris said.  I hurried and opened the door to the back seat so he could put Gabriel down.  “I’m seriously having my doubts about letting you consort with vampires, little sister.”

 

    “Except, you don’t tell me what to do anymore.” I reminded him.  “Not since you went overseas and left me behind.”

 

    Chris climbed out of the car and turned to me.  He towered over me and was at least twice my mass, but I never found him intimidating, least of all now.  I had known him as a scrawny boy with freckles who stuttered a lot.  I crossed my arms over my chest and stared back at him.

 

    We stood like this for several moments.  “I’m telling Mom.” he said at last.

 

    “You wouldn’t.”

 

    “Oh hells yes, I would.”

 

    “She won’t believe you.  She’ll think you lost your marbles.”  I made jazz hands at the sides of my face.

 

    “Then she’ll just have to put me away in the loony bin forever and it will be all your fault.”

 

    I narrowed my eyes.  “You fight like a baby.”

 

    “I know what you are, but what am I?”

 

    I sighed, dropping my arms.  “Can’t we just get back to the house?  I’m tired and Gabriel needs me to save his life.  Again.”

 

    He sighed too.  “Fine!  It’s always about you, isn’t it?”  He pulled out his keys and shut the door to the back seat.

 

    I climbed up into the passenger’s seat, shutting my door firmly and pulling on my seat belt.  I knew Chris was half joking around with me, like always.  I also knew that he was worried about me, but I didn’t know what I could do to put him at ease.

 

    I had been drawn into Great Aunt Katrina’s world, and getting out of it now now would be impossible.  I was invested in the house, Gabriel, and Callie.  Besides, if I let Gabriel out of my sight he’d end up dead in a ditch within a week.

 

The drive back to Long Island was silent and I dozed for most of it.  When we got back to the house, Chris got out of the car first and went to check on Gabriel.  “He better not have bled on my seats.” he warned.

 

I shifted in my seat, unbuckling my seatbelt while I figured out which parts of my body were still asleep.  Pins and needles were attacking both legs so far.

 

“Evie, he’s not breathing.”

 

“He’s a vampire.”

 

“Oh yeah, duh.”  There was a moment’s pause.  “Is he supposed to have a heartbeat?”

 

“A slow one.”  I turned in my seat, starting to feel worried.  Had Gabriel expired on the drive home?  Then again, he had survived in a box without blood for fifty years, he could deal with some silver buckshot.  Right?

 

“I’ve got nothing here.” Chris said, two fingers on Gabriel’s neck.  “Wait, there’s one.”

 

“He’s still alive, then.”

 

“Funny thing for a vampire to be, aren’t they the undead?”

 

“Don’t let Gabriel hear you say that, he’s sensitive about that sort of thing.”

 

Chris hoisted Gabriel’s limp body out of the car and carried him to the house.  I unlocked the door for him and he headed into the living room.  He dropped Gabriel unceremoniously on the couch.  “Okay, you take over from here.  I’m hungry.  What do you want for dinner?”

 

“Aren’t you tired?” I asked, fighting the urge to yawn.

 

“Nah, in Germany I was on thirty-six hour days, I’m good for another four hours.  Do you have anything frozen?”  He opened up one of the fridge doors and started rummaging inside.

 

“All my food is fresh, because I actually cook instead of eating MREs all the time.”

 

“These white bottles are filled with blood, aren’t they?”

 

“Yeah, can you get me a bowl of warm water?” I asked while I hunted around for a pair of tweezers.

 

“Tell me it’s not human.  Tell me it’s not yours.”  Chris started the tap running.

 

“It’s not human.  I told you already, the vampires in this house drink pig’s blood.”

 

“How do you know that Gabrielle’s not running out and snacking on humans while you’re sleeping?”

 

“Well, it’s not like I watch him 24/7, but he...” I started, then paused.  Gabriel couldn’t lie, to me or to anyone.  I didn’t know why, just that he couldn’t.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell that to my older brother, though.  It was Gabriel’s weakness, and I had learned in Paris that he was pretty unhappy when I televised it.  “I just trust him.”

 

I sat on the floor next to the couch and unbuttoned Gabriel’s shirt.  I surveyed the wounds on his chest and arms, which were numerous.  Some were large, but many more were impossibly tiny.  This was going to take a while.

 

Chris brought the bowl over to me and set it down on the coffee table, which was low enough for me to reach comfortably.  I picked up my tweezers and started digging the first piece of buckshot out of Gabriel’s arm.  “Do you have another pair?  I’ll help.”

 

“Nah, that’s okay.  You go make some food.  I’ll need some energy before this is all done.”

 

“Sure thing, Evie.  Do you have any mac & cheese?”

 

“Third cabinet, bottom shelf.”

 

Chris set about boiling a pot of water, while I worked on Gabriel’s arm.  Some pieces came out as silver slivers, while others were tiny nubs.  Once a wound was completely empty, the redness went away and it slowly began to heal.

 

About half an hour later Chris set two blue bowls on the table, as well as the shotgun still wrapped in his jacket.  “Was it this that did that?” he asked, nodding towards Gabriel.  He picked up his bowl and dug in.

 

I dropped another silver piece into the bowl and cleaned off the tweezers, then I grabbed my own food.  “Yeah.” I said between bites.  “We were visiting David, when these hunters showed up.  One shot him, and the other blew up the car.”

 

“Were they killed?”

 

I shook my head.  “We just focused on getting away.”  I put down my half empty bowl and got back to work, my stomach feeling much better.  “I’m pissed about the car though.  My silver weapons were in there.  I’m not a hunter, but I feel uncomfortable being unable to protect myself.”

 

“You got this now.” Chris nudged the shotgun.

 

“Not really inconspicuous.” I said.  I was done with Gabriel’s right arm, so I switched to his left.  “The glove I could fit into my pocket.”

 

“I might know a guy.”

 

I shook my head.  “Not Danny, last time I asked him for something it took him forever to follow through.  I don’t feel like bothering him any more anyway.”

 

“No, a different guy.  We can go see him while we’re in Queens tomorrow.”

 

My brow furrowed as I dug out a particularly stubborn piece of silver.  “Queens?  Why are we going to Queens?”

 

“To visit Mom?” he asked, as if it was obvious.

 

My frown deepened.  “I don’t feel like seeing Mom right now.”

 

Chris set his bowl down on the table and folded his hands together.  “You forgot tomorrow’s Mother’s Day, didn’t you?”

 

I paused in my work, horror dawning on me.  “Holy crap!” I turned to my brother.  “Tomorrow’s Mother’s Day!”

 

“No... really?”

 

“I didn’t get Mom a present!”

 

“We can pick one up on the way.” Chris shrugged.  “Get her a toaster, she’s always breaking hers trying to make quick grilled cheese.”

 

“No, I can’t go!  I’ve got a vampire to look after now, people want to kill him.”  Maybe it because of all my panicked yelling, but Gabriel chose that moment to regain consciousness.  He stirred slightly, groaning in pain.  “Quick, get me one of those white bottles.  Nuke it for three minutes on high.”

 

Chris jumped up and grabbed a bottle from the fridge.  “Do I have to open it first?”

 

“No.”

 

He placed the bottle in the microwave and pressed a few buttons.  “You’re going to Queens tomorrow.” he said sternly from the kitchen.

 

“What am I supposed to do about Gabriel?  If the hunters find him here it’ll be a disaster.”

 

“Bring him along.  Mom will love him.”

 

“Oh yeah, they’d have a blast together.” I rolled my eyes.  Gabriel started moving more, his eyes still closed.  Sweat was forming on his forehead, and his lips parted, showing his fangs.

 

The microwave beeped and Chris hurried over to me.  I shook the bottle a bit before opening it so there were no hot spots, like one would with a baby bottle.  I held the side of Gabriel’s face and tipped the bottle to his mouth.

 

He drank the blood greedily, finishing the bottle before opening his eyes.  His expression was confused.  “How did we get here?” he asked weakly.

 

“I carried you.” Chris said.  “You’re welcome, princess.”  He walked back into the kitchen to wash the dishes.

 

I picked up my tweezers again and started working on Gabriel’s chest.  “You almost died.”

 

“That must be an exaggeration.”  He lifted up his arms, watching the tiny tears shrink and heal over.  He looked down at his chest.  “What are you doing to me?”

 

I pulled out a particularly long sliver of silver, causing him to hiss in pain.  “I’m de-buckshotting you.”

 

“Stop it, I’ll take care of the rest.” He reached for the tweezers, but I pushed his hands away.

 

“I’m almost done.  It’s becoming kind of fun, pulling silver out of you.  Like a life sized version of Operation.”

 

“You look exhausted.”

 

My eyes started to burn and droop heavily.  “Stop that.  You’re making me more tired.”

 

“You just enjoy seeing me without my shirt.”

 

I dropped the tweezers on his chest and stood up abruptly.  “I’m going to bed.”  I turned and headed for the stairs, but paused before climbing them.  “Oh, we’re visiting my Mother tomorrow.” I told him.  “And you’re coming along.”

 

“Why?”

 

“It’s Mother’s Day.”

 

“So?  Why am I going with you?”

 

I narrowed my eyes.  “Because I hate you.” I said venomously, then climbed up the stairs to my room.

 

6: 5 - Silver Arcade

“Chris, why are we at an arcade?” I asked, looking up at the brightly lit awning.

 

“I told you I knew a guy.”

 

“I thought you meant a guy that could get me some silver weaponry, not silver dollars.”

 

“I did mean weapons.  Come on.”  He pushed the door open and my ears were immediately assailed with ringing bells, sirens, whistles, and the clinking of coins.

 

My ears were still a bit sensitive to noise, and I could feel a headache coming on.  “Let’s get this over with.”  I clutched the white shopping bag containing Mom’s present to my chest, freeing both hands so I could massage my temples.

 

    Every inch of wall space inside the arcade was taken up by posters large, small, and everything in between.  There were movie posters, comic book posters, and video game posters.  Some were new, others yellow and peeling from age.  It seemed like every time the owner got a new poster, he or she just covered up an older poster with it.

 

    The place was packed wall to wall with games.  Video poker, pachinko, pinball, DDR, the latest shooters, racing, and even claws games lined the walls and created aisles on the floor.  There were so many games there was almost no room for the players, of which there were a good number.

 

    The heat inside of the arcade was easily ten degrees higher than outside.  I fanned myself a little, but it didn’t really help.  “You’re seriously not hot at all?” I asked Gabriel, who was in his usual daytime wear: long coat, fedora, scarf, and sunglasses.

 

    “No, I’m perfectly fine.”

 

    “God damned, cold-blooded vampires.” I muttered.

 

    “You two wait here, I’ll be right back.” Chris said as he disappeared into the depths of the store.

 

    I spotted a display near the door and elbowed Gabriel in the ribs.  “Look at that.” I pointed.  “Friends of yours?”

 

    The poster on the wall was from the latest vampire movie in theaters, which had been bland at best but had made enough money to ensure two more disappointing sequels.  Next to a poster was a claw game themed after the movie.  It was filled with plushes of the main characters as well as key chains, temporary tattoos and various other merchandise.

 

    Gabriel walked over and scrutinized the poster.  The three male vamps in the poster all looked at the camera with the same brooding expression.  “Why do they all look constipated?” he asked.

 

    “Women find the hooded look alluring?” I walked up and stood next to him.

 

    “One thing I’ve noticed since I’ve woken, teenage girls are fascinated with vampirism.  In my time it was more the men looking for tales of heroism, mothers telling tales to their children to keep them in their beds.”  His brows came together in a frown.  “And the Church.  The Church absolutely loved us.  Teenage girls, I just don’t understand.”  He looked at me.  “You’re probably a girl, can you explain it to me?”

 

    I bristled at his insult.  “I’ll have you know I’m all girl.” I said, heat in my voice.

 

    He let out a short, impatient, sigh.  “Then why are you always wearing pants?”

 

    “In THIS decade, women can wear whatever the hell they want.  They don’t have to be confined to breezy skirts and murderous heels.”

 

“Are you going to answer my question or not?”

 

I turned back to the poster, reluctantly, and tilted my head to the side.  “I think that... teenage girls nowadays want something... safe.”

 

“Safe?  A vampire is safe?”

 

“The ones in the media are.  Books, TV shows, movies, all the same.  A man who is eternally young, strong, wealthy.  A hundred year old virgin,” Gabriel snorted at that. “who’s never shown interest in any girl till he meets ‘that one’.  That one special girl who sees herself as so plain and average, but in his eyes she’s absolutely perfect.  A first love that is forever.”

 

I kept my eyes on the poster, but Gabriel was watching me intently as I spoke.  “And a vampire is different, special, strong.  Deadly, oh, but he would never hurt her, the only one in the world he would never hurt.  So absolutely safe, simple... perfect.”  Finally, I tore my eyes from the poster and looked at the floor.  “Real guys are flawed, first love is never perfect in real life.”  I had learned that lesson all too well.

 

I could feel Gabriel’s eyes on my face, as if they were boring a hole into my brain, revealing my thoughts, my secrets.  “That’s delusional.” he said at last.  “Life is pain, you learn from it.  If it was perfect the first try you wouldn’t appreciate the little bit of good you had.”

 

“There are some truths you can’t expect a fourteen year old girl to face.” I replied wryly.

 

“Is this why you have that stack of books under your bed?”

 

I turned to him quickly, my eyes widening.  “I only got those for research.” I protested.  “And they were useless.  They said nothing about how much irritating bastards vampires were.”  I looked him up and down huffily.  “What were you doing in my room, anyway?”

 

He shook his head.  “I’ve never been in your room, I was just making a guess.”

 

“God I hate you so much!” I lifted up Mom’s present, ready to strike him with it.  The only thing that stopped me was knowing that I’d have to run out and buy another toaster oven if I broke this one.  “You’re lucky you’re indestructible, or I would so kick your ass right now!”

 

“Yeah, you’re a force to be reckoned with.”  He walked over to the claw machine, looking over the contents

 

    My ire peaked at that little jab, but then sputtered out as I wondered if his inability to lie was also true when he was obviously joking.  Did he actually mean what he said, even though his tone was mocking?

 

“Do you have any quarters?” he asked, derailing the subject entirely.

 

“What?”

 

“Quarters.  This machine takes fifty cents.”

 

I dug into the my pockets.  “Only three.” I held them in my palm.

 

He took them from me without so much as a thank you and plugged two of them into the machine.

 

“You know those things are rigged, right?” I asked as he carefully guided the metal claw over his prize of choice, which appeared to be a keychain.  It was a metal four-pointed star, the logo from the latest movie.

 

“Shh.” he quieted me as he lowered the claw.  The claw opened up, encompassing the keychain perfectly.  It rose up, closing over the prize, then slipped off and returned to it’s starting point.

 

“See?  Looks like vampires can’t do everything.”

 

He frowned deeply, then held out his hand.  “Give me another quarter.”

 

“I’m dry.” I told him.  “You took my emergency payphone money.”

 

Gabriel was examining the machine.  “Never mind, there’s a credit card reader on the side.”  He pulled out his wallet and selected his gold Visa.

 

    “Well, there goes the savings account.”  I jerked a thumb behind me.  “I’m going to go check on what’s keeping Chris.  I can’t take my eyes off of either of you in a place like this.”

 

    Chris was on the absolute other side of the store, talking to a boy behind the prize counter.  “Where’s your dad?” he asked.

 

    “He’s in the back.” the boy replied.  He appeared to be around thirteen years old, with pale orange hair and more freckles on his cheek than skin.  “Hands off the glass.”

 

Chris was leaning both hands on the glass display case, and removed them quickly.  He turned and saw me standing next to him.  “Cool, there you are, let’s go.”

 

He led me past the counter, to a door marked ‘Employee’s restroom’.  Inside was not a toilet, however, but a set of stairs leading down.

 

The staircase was narrow even for me, Chris had to turn his body sideways so he didn’t get stuck.  At the end of the steps was another door, which Chris opened and stepped through.

 

The basement was completely open, bare support beams showing instead of dividing walls.  Metal shelves ran along all the walls, dirty plastic bins were stacked up on the floor, an ancient workbench sat in the center of the space.

 

    “Ash, you down here?” Chris called.

 

    “Chris, is that you?” a muffled voice came from the corner of the basement.

 

    “Yeah, where are you?”

 

    “Over here, help a brother out.”

 

    We went in the direction of the voice and discovered that one of the shelves had collapsed, the boxes and bins it was holding piled up on the floor.  Underneath the pile, lying on his stomach, was a red haired man.

 

    He was trapped, unable to move the heavy boxes by himself.  I grabbed both of the man’s hands while Chris pushed the boxes off of his legs.  Together we helped him to his feet.

 

    The man, whom I’m assuming was Ash, dusted off his faded black jeans.  “Nothing’s broken, thank goodness.  I’m lucky you guys found me, I thought I was a goner.”

 

    “Trying to make your boy an orphan?”

 

    Ash frowned at that.  “Not intentionally.  It’s a dangerous business I’m in.” He gave the shelf a rueful look.  “In more ways than one.”  He turned back to Chris.  “What’cha need this time?  You still owe me money from last time.”

 

    My brother placed his hands on my shoulders.  “My sister is your customer today.”

 

    Ash gave me a once over.  “I didn’t know your sister was military.”

 

    Chris sucked his teeth a little.  “She’s not.”

 

    “NYPD?”

 

    “Uh, no.”

 

    Ash turned and walked away.  “Sorry, can’t help you.”

 

    Chris let go of my shoulders and followed after him.  “Come on, please, just this once?”

 

    “I’m not losing my license for you, C.B.  Civvies don’t get guns in this city.”

 

    “There are extremely extenuating circumstances.”  My brother pleaded with the man.  “My sister is in terrible danger.”

 

    Ash turned and looked me over again.  “I’m not buying it.  She doesn’t look like she’s fighting off the mob or something.”

 

    Chris held up his hands in defeat.  “Okay, no firearms then.  Do you have anything more... creative?”

 

    Ash rolled his eyes.  “Fine.”  He looked at me.  “What are you at war with?”  I blinked at him.  “What do you need?” he asked in frustration.

 

    “What do you have in... silver?” I asked hesitantly.

 

    Ash’s eyes widened, I could see clearly that they were a pale blue.  His body went completely and unnaturally still.  “Follow me.”

 

    He grabbed a bin from a shelf and set it down on his workbench.  He opened it, taking the contents out one by one, each one wrapped in a greasy cloth.  “Vampires are the fastest, meanest things alive.  The only way to survive against one hand to hand is to be just as fast,” he paused and looked me in the eye.  “and nothing human is that fast.”

 

    He unwrapped the bundles, revealing a wide array of firearms.  “Vampires?  Why would you think vampires just from her asking about silver?” Chris laughed nervously.  “Why not... uh... werewolves?”

 

    Ash paused again and looked at my brother seriously.  “Dude, werewolves don’t exist.”

 

    “Are you sure this is okay?” I asked, looking over the gun array, which ranged from a tiny derringer, through the 9mm range, magnums, and ending with a massive 12 gauge shotgun.  “I don’t want to cause you to lose your license.”

 

    “Vampires are serious stuff, and hunters don’t advertise their arsenal.”

 

    “I’m not a hunter.” I told him.  “I’m just interested in self-defense.”

 

    “I can tell by looking at you.  If you were a hunter, I wouldn’t be selling to you.  Hunters trend towards the absolutely insane end of the spectrum.  After a while, they forget who’s human and who’s not.”

 

    I spotted a revolver in the group that looked familiar.  “This looks just like Great Aunt Katrina’s.”  Great Aunt Katrina owned an amazing array of silver weapons, including a katana.  Besides the silver 9mm that had been destroyed in the car fire, there was an antique revolver with a silver rose carved into the barrel.  I wasn’t comfortable using it in a fight, because it looked extremely old and fragile.  “This one looks much newer though.” I traced the rose on the barrel with one finger.

 

    “Came all the way from Paris.” Ash answered.  “I know a guy there.  He’s ancient, but he still makes the best firearms against vampires.”

 

    “Does he have anything against alcohol?” I asked, remembering a strange old man I had met in a bar while I was in Paris.  He had been incredibly interested in Katrina’s 9mm, which sported the same design as the revolver.

 

    “I dunno, maybe?  I’ve never met him in person.”  He picked up the revolver.  “It definitely makes a statement.”

 

    “I’m not looking to make a statement.” I told him firmly.  “Do you happen to have any gloves?  I recently lost a beautiful silver glove that had been very good to me.”

 

    “Let me check in the ‘Unconventional Weapons’ bin.”

 

    “You seriously call it that?” Chris asked dryly as Ash went to a large bin at the bottom shelf.  He slid it out and popped it open.

 

    “I have this.”  He pulled out a large silver gauntlet.

 

    Chris’ eyes widened.  “That thing looks wicked awesome.”  He took it and tried it on his right hand.  The thing was massive, and looked as if it belonged with a suit of armor.

 

    “You don’t have anything more... delicate?” I asked apprehensively.  There was no way I was going to be inconspicuous carrying that thing around, even if it was small enough to fit me.

 

    “Not in the glove department.”  Ash continued to rummage around.  “Oh, check this out.”  He pulled out a black umbrella and handed it to me.

 

    “An umbrella?” I asked quizzically.  It was a nice umbrella, with a sturdy shaft, unlike the collapsible ones that always broke on me.

 

    “Yeah, twist the handle to the right.” he encouraged me.

 

    The wooden handle was large enough for both my hands to grasp.  I twisted it to the right and the bottom part of it came off, revealing a silver stiletto hidden inside.  “That’s... wow.” I said.  “How much?”

 

    “I’ll give you a good deal.” he grinned at me.

 

    “Do you have another one of these?” Chris asked excitedly, punching the air with his silver fist.

 

    “Yeah, why?”

 

    “I’ll take ‘em.”  Chris let out a short laugh.  “Gabrielle won’t be such a wise-ass once I’m armed.”  He pulled off the glove and flexed his fingers.  “So to speak.”

 

    Ash grabbed the glove from his hand.  “Nuh uh, no way.  You still owe me money.”

 

    “Aw, come on Dude, not cool.”  My brother turned to me, his eyes wide.  “Evie...” he began pleadingly.

 

    I sighed.  “How much does my brother owe you?”

 

    “More than the gauntlets cost.”

 

    “Fine, then I’ll buy the gauntlets.”

 

    “Yay!” Chris rushed over and hugged me.  “Best. Sister. Ever.”

 

“Do you take check?” I wheezed as the air was squeezed from my lungs.  Chris released me and I inhaled gratefully.  “The umbrella and one of your nine millimeters as well.”

 

“You can take the gloves and the umbrella now, but you’ll have to wait on the gun.”  Ash got up and headed back to the workbench.  He knelt down and hunted around till he found a clipboard and pen.  “I need to do a background check, it’ll take three to five business days.”

 

“Okay then.”  I took the clipboard and began filling out my personal information.  After I was done, Ash gave me a hand-written receipt.  I wrote a check for the full amount.

 

He wrapped up the gauntlets and placed them in a canvas shopping bag, the umbrella he just handed to me.  “All right.  I have a mess to clean up, so get out of here, you two.”

 

We obeyed, heading back up the stairs to the cacophony of game machines.  As we passed the prize cases Chris said to the boy behind the counter.  “You keep an eye on your dad, A.J, he’s going to bury himself one day.”

 

The boy nodded.  “Most likely.”

 

    I looked around for Gabriel, but he was already walking over, white plastic bag in one hand.  In the other, he was twirling the keychain on one finger.  “Can vampires do pretty much everything?” I asked him.  “Is there a written rule?”

 

    “Probably.” he answered smugly.

 

    “So what’s in the bag?” I pointed at it.

 

    “The rest of the prizes that got in the way.  The kid behind the counter was kind enough to give me a bag for them.”  He rummaged through the bag for a second and pulled out a plush doll.  “Here, I have two of these.”

 

    “My, so generous.” I exclaimed mockingly.  The doll was of the movie’s main character, complete with black pants and a torn open white shirt.  “He looks a little like you.” I said, tilting my head to the side.

 

    Gabriel looked over at the poster by the machine and snorted indignantly.  “He looks nothing like me.”

 

    Chris shrugged.  “All you pretty boy vamps look the same to me.”

 

    “The actor doesn’t look like you, but in doll form a lot of the distinguishing characteristics get simplified.”  I held the doll up to Gabriel.  “Honestly, when are you not wearing a white button down shirt?”

 

    He twisted his mouth, trying to hold back a barb.  “The eyes are the wrong color.”

 

    I pulled the doll back.  Gabriel had reddish brown eyes and the doll’s were gold.  “You’re absolutely right, lemme fix that.”  I reached into Chris’ jacket pocket and found red and black sharpies.  I used the red on the eyes, then the black to make the eyebrows sharper, giving the plush a scowl.  I held the doll back up next to Gabriel, who was frowning at me.  “Wow, that’s eerie.”

 

    “Give me that.” He reached for the doll.

 

    I pulled it away.  “No, you already gave it to me.”  I tucked it into my shopping bag so that the head and hands stuck out of the top.  “I like it.”

 

    “Maybe you can use it as a voodoo doll.” Chris suggested.

 

    “Ooo, good idea.”

 

    “I hate you both.” Gabriel said.  “Are we done here?”

 

    “All done, now it’s time for the real challenge.”

 

    “Which is?” he asked dryly as we headed to the door.

    “Introducing you to my mother.”

7: 6 - Mother's Day

    It was a short walk to Mom’s building.  She had a small apartment up on the fourth floor.  I pulled out my old set of keys and unlocked the door to the building.

 

    Gabriel headed for the elevator.  “Don’t bother,” I told him, going for the stairs. “It’s a death trap.”

 

    “This building is amazingly well-aged,” he commented as we climbed the stairs.  “Is that all original molding?” he asked, pointing along the walls.

 

    “Probably.  The owner hasn’t updated anything in decades.”

 

    “This banister is brass.”  It was strange, hearing something close to awe in his voice.  I had never heard it there before.  “The tile work on these stairs is beautiful.”

 

    In the back, Chris called up to him jeeringly.  “Do you wanna see the carpets and drapes, too?”

 

“You’re making a joke at my expense, aren’t you?”

 

“Settle down, you two.” I said.  “We’re here.” I pushed open the door to the hallway.  Mom’s apartment was right by the stairs.  I knocked lightly.

 

The door opened a crack, my mother peered at us under the chain lock.  “Evangeline, what are you doing here?”

 

I sighed.  “It’s Mother’s Day, Mom.”

 

“Last time I spoke to you, you said you were never stepping one foot into this building again.”  The one eye I could see narrowed.

 

“I brought you a toaster oven.” I held up my bag.

 

Mom shut the door and undid the chain.  She opened it all the way.  She beamed when she saw my brother.  “Chris, you’re here too!”

 

Chris brushed past Gabriel and kissed Mom on the cheek.  She smiled softly at him.  “Are you expecting rain?”

 

Chris held up the umbrella we had just bought.  “Lately, we’ve been expecting everything.”  She stepped aside and let him in the apartment, and then blocked our way again.

 

She looked over at Gabriel.  “This isn’t one of mine.  Who is he?”

 

“A friend of mine.  My housemate.  Gabriel.  Is it alright if he comes to dinner?”  I looked over to Gabriel, waiting for him to say something.  Instead, he just stared at my mother in disbelief.

 

“Is he broken?” Mom asked.

 

I elbowed him in the side.  He gathered himself quickly.  “My apologies, you look just...” he trailed off, then snapped out of it.  “You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago.”

 

“Uh huh...” Mom raised one eyebrow.  “Well, you’re welcome to dinner.” She stepped to the side and let Gabriel pass.  She barred my way though, giving me a sharp look.

 

I knew I was going to have to deal with this eventually.  My mother and I had a... mercurial relationship as best.  “I’m sorry for storming out the last time I was here.” I said meekly.

 

“And?”

 

Here I held my ground.  “That’s it.  That’s all I’ve done wrong.  I’m not going to apologize for not agreeing with you.”

 

My mother and I were a lot alike, on the outside.  We were the same height, had the same color hair (though Mom’s was shot with gray now), and had the same body structure.  Mom had bright green eyes, as opposed to my soft brown ones.  Her facial features were more defined as well, her chin pointier, cheekbones more pronounced.

 

On the inside, we were complete opposites.  Where I was lenient, Mom was harsh.  Where I went with the flow, Mom resisted every change.  She had been through a lot, and always reminded me of that.

 

Her expression was forbidding, but after a moment it cleared.  She held out her arms and I hugged her gratefully.  “You’re always welcome back.” she said.  “You’ll always be my baby.”

 

“I know.” I said, breathing in her smell.  It was warm and a little like peppermint.  It was Mom.  “That’s why we fight so much.”

 

Mom pulled away from me, chuckling.  “Just look at you.”  She held my arms away from my sides as she inspected me.  “Have you lost weight?”

 

“I’ve been working out a bit.” I told her.  “Even though I look thinner, the number on the scale is actually higher.”

 

“I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself.”  I stepped into the apartment and she shut the door, locking it firmly.  Then she hooked her arm through mine as we walked down the narrow hallway to the kitchen.  “I’m especially glad you’ve finally gotten over that Eric fellow.”

 

“What do you mean?  I haven’t...”  I wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence.

 

Mom pointed discretely to Gabriel, who was turned away from us.  He and Chris were looking at the photographs Mom displayed in the china cabinet.  There were so many now, that they covered up the good plates.  Chris was speaking low to Gabriel while pointing at one of the pictures.

 

“Hey!  Are you two talking about me?” I asked indignantly.

 

“No.” said Chris.

“Yes.” said Gabriel at the same time.

 

“You better not be telling him any stories, Chris!” I warned.

 

“I’m not telling him anything too embarrassing.” Chris reassured me.

 

“Did you really wear braces all through High School?” Gabriel turned his head and asked me.

 

“Dammit, Chris!”

 

Mom leaned her head close to mine.  “He’s adorable, Angie.”

 

My stomach tightened.  I set the bag on the table nervously.  This was the last reaction I expected, but I should have.  “You’re talking about Gabriel?  Adorable is the last thing I would call him, Mom.  You’ve got the wrong idea.”

 

    Mom peered at the bags on the table, mine and Chris’s, and then started to open them.  She pulled out one of the silver gauntlets and gave it a skeptical look.  “Chris, sweetie, what’s wrong with you?”

 

    “I was born too awesome.” Chris answered.

 

    She put the gauntlet back and went to my bag.  She pulled out the plush doll and held it up.  She looked at me out of the corner of her eye, raising that eyebrow.  

 

I glanced at Gabriel.  He didn’t appear to be listening in, but I couldn’t count out a vampire’s sensitive hearing.  I grabbed the doll out of her hand and pulled her into the living room.  “Seriously, Gabriel’s my housemate, and that’s it.  I don’t even like him.”

 

Mom gave me a sympathetic look.  “Then why did you bring him here to meet me?”

 

I knew I couldn’t very well tell her the truth, even if I thought she would understand.  “It’s really complicated.  Let’s just say that some creeps have been following him and I want to make sure he’s safe.”

 

Mom arched a brow.  “Safe?”

 

“Come on, mom.  I may not like him, but I don’t want him dead.”  I was going to have to explain this in some way she could understand.  Something that would definitely put her off this scent.  “Look, Gabriel is way too old for me.”  I crossed my palms, making an X.

 

Mom’s expression turn incredulous.  “Are you really getting hung up over a few years?”

 

“Trust me, he’s a lot older than he looks.  He’s been married once already, that I know of.  He’s had kids, Mom, plural.  Compared to him, I’ve not even left the starting gate.”

 

Now her face turned shrewd.  “I guess you’re right.  Though a guy with more experience could be good for you.”

 

I laughed nervously.  “I’ll think I’ll be safer if I find someone with a little less experience.”

 

“As long as you’re not so hung up on the past, that you don’t see the things in front of you.”  Mom said gently.  That had always been her thing, when life handed you lemons, you just moved on to something else.  You went and brought oranges to lemonade’s party.

 

“Mom, I would know if there were anything in front of me.  I’m looking at a desert.”  Relief loosened my stomach, which had been tying itself into knots.  Hopefully she wouldn’t bring up my love life again... tonight.

 

“Well, dinner is in an hour.  I made salmon, so he’d better not have a fish allergy.  I’m not making something else.”  She wagged her finger at me.

 

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just smiled weakly as we went back into the kitchen.  Gabriel and Chris were still looking over the photos, Chris talking animatedly while Gabriel listened silently.

 

Seeing Gabriel standing in the middle of Mom’s kitchen, surrounded by the relics of my childhood, it fully hit me just then how different he was.

 

His expression was politely interested, but he did not fit into these surroundings.  This warm and happy kitchen, full of family memories.  He was an outsider, sure, but also alien in how different he was.

 

Gabriel’s own family had been shattered, by time, by greed, and by ruthlessness.  He had struck me as the only one who really cared about the dynamics of his family, but that interest paled next to my mother’s museum.

 

    Life for him was by no means normal.  Going out to to ask your son where your old enemy was buried, then being interrupted by hunters and having your car go up in flames was what was normal to Gabriel.

 

    It was becoming normal for me was well.  I was starting to feel separate, removed from this peaceful setting.  Since the last time I was here, everything had changed so much.  I hadn’t been concerned then with protecting someone else, only concerned with myself, trying to work through my own issues.

 

    A pressure built up inside of me as I watched him, I could hear my pulse in my ears.  “Gabriel?”

 

He turned his head, his expression questioning.  “Yes?”

 

“Are you allergic to fish?”  My throat tightened, as if it was trying to strangle the question.  “Mom wanted to know.”

 

He shook his head.  “I’m sure whatever your mother makes will be wonderful.”  He smiled at Mom charmingly, though I could see that it didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“I like you.” Mom said cheerfully.  “You can call me Vivian.”  She pulled her apron down from the hook by the fridge and pulled it over her head.  She grabbed an oven mitt and headed for the stove.

 

The table was set and dinner was served before I knew it.  “We’re going to need an extra chair.” Mom mused.  Chris brought in the living room armchair and set it at the head of the table like a throne.  We all sat down and started plating food.

 

Chris dug into his fish right away, while I chose to eat at a human pace.  Gabriel pushed his food around on his plate, but of course did not eat anything.  “What would happen if you actually ate solid food?” I asked him, low so Mom did not hear.  Not that she could hear me even if I shouted, as Chris was regaling her with stories from his latest mission in Germany.

 

“Violent and immediate vomiting.” he said just as low.  Mom glanced over at us and Gabriel smiled at her.

 

“Goodness Gabriel, you’re nearly finished.  Do you want any more?”

 

    I blinked in disbelief, Gabriel’s plate was still full.  His smile broadened.  “I couldn’t eat a bite right now.” he said.  Mom returned his smile, then went back to listening to Chris.

 

I narrowed my eyes at him.  “Stop voodooing my Mom with your trickery.” I hissed.

 

“Here, you look like you could use a little more.”  He tilted his plate towards me and pushed his piece of salmon onto mine.

 

I glared at him, wanting to make an outburst.  I refrained, knowing that it would ruin Mom’s day.  I did the only thing I could do.  I stuck my tongue out at him, then turned away from him, moving my plate as well.

 

Ignoring Gabriel was pretty easy, as Chris then told a hilarious story that involved three members of his platoon, a stray MPG, and a portable toilet.

 

I managed to finish my piece of fish and about two bites from Gabriel’s, but no more, or I wouldn’t be able to have desert, which was always a Tiramisu from the Italian bakery on the corner.

 

“Who wants to go get the cake?” Mom asked.

 

I immediately raised my hand.  “Me!”  If I went, then I would be able to get a couple of rainbow cookies as well.

 

Mom laughed.  “Fine then, lemme go get a twenty.”  She started to stand.

 

“No, I got it.”  I felt in my pockets for my wallet, but couldn’t find it.  “Shoot, left it in the car.”  Chris’ car was parked a good five blocks away, at the only spot we could find in early afternoon on a weekday.

 

“I’ll go with you.” Gabriel offered.  “I didn’t buy your lovely mother a gift, after all.”

 

My mouth twisted into a sour expression.  “Give me your wallet and I’ll go by myself.”

 

“Let him go with you Evangeline, don’t go by yourself.  The neighborhood has gotten so rough lately.”  Mom rubbed her upper arms and shivered.

 

“It’s only the corner, Mom.” I exclaimed, turning to her.  The look on her face sapped my energy.  “Ugh, fine.” I sighed.  I pointed towards the hallway.  “Go get your coat.”

 

“She acts like I can’t take care of myself.” I complained as we made our way down the stairs.  Gabriel quickly donned his fedora and tied his scarf around his neck while he followed me.  “I’ve fought vampires, for crying out loud!”

 

“She’s only worried about you, there’s nothing wrong with that.”  He slipped on his black gloves.

 

I reached the bottom landing and whirled around.  “Don’t you take her side!  You’re the worst, you know that?  Giving her smiles and acting all obnoxious and charming.”

 

He blinked rapidly at me, looking genuinely surprised.  “I was only being courteous.  She’s your mother.”

 

“What does that matter?”  I threw my hands in the air.  “You’re the most antisocial person I know!  Can’t you just act like your annoying self?  Stop getting all cozy with my Mother!”

 

“Evangeline, this IS the way I am with everyone.”  He said seriously, his eyes glinting under the light of the one bulb in the hallway.  “YOU’RE the only one who ever sees differently.”

 

“Well, that’s just great!  So I’m the only one you act awful to?”

 

“You’re the only one I can be myself around!” he answered angrily.

 

I snapped my mouth shut, stymied.  My stomach was in utter turmoil, roiling and tightening at the same time.  “Whatever.” I said tightly, turning away from him and towards the door.

 

“Evangeline!” Gabriel called to me, but I wasn’t listening to him right now.  I pushed open the door aggressively and stepped outside, immediately barreling into a man on the other side of the door.

 

“Sorry!” I said automatically, holding my arms out in case he fell over.  He was an older man, with white hair that was grown unnecessarily long.  He wore a long coat that was extremely dirty.  I recognized him a moment later...  as the man who had tried to kill us at David’s building!

 

In the next second he recognized me.  His brown eyes widened and he stepped back quickly, reaching into his coat.

 

Gabriel rushed out the door after me and it was all over.  The man drew a silver 9mm, he didn’t hesitate, firing immediately.

One bullet caught Gabriel in the shoulder, who hissed in pain, clutching the wound.  Another bullet hit the door very close to me, shattering the glass.  The third hit the brick wall next to the door.  A sharp pain in the side of my head followed right after.  Then the world tumbled into a black pit.

 

********

 

I had very little time to react as searing pain ripped through my shoulder.  I saw Evangeline fall and caught her instinctively, sending fire up my arm.

 

The maniac in the coat paused to reload and I brought Evangeline into the building and sat her down on the floor, her back against the wall.  Blood trickled down the side of her face from a wound on her temple, dripping onto her t-shirt.  I pressed my fingers to her neck, checking her pulse.

 

She was still alive.  Relief washed through me.  I pushed her hair away from the wound, and saw the silver bullet sticking out.  It hadn’t broken through her skull.  Still, pulling it out would be painful to me as well as dangerous to her.

 

The sight of her blood made my wound burn all the more fiercely.  My lips parted and I bent my head towards hers.

 

I stopped short, struggling to control the intense hunger inside of me.  If I drank from her like this, my venom would enter her brain easily.  She might never wake up again.

 

My legs were as unyielding as rusted iron doors, but I got to my feet.  I heard another shot, the bullet tearing through the window again, missing me by a hair.

 

I focused on the hunter, the blood in my veins sang for retribution.  Here was someone I could kill, and Evangeline didn’t have to know.  She wouldn’t see me kill this bastard because he had shot her.  Even if she did find out, she would let me go for defending the both of us.

 

Blood pounded in my head, power surged through me.  I held up one hand as the hunter fired again.  The silver bullet stopped, hanging in the air in front of me.  I moved my hand to the side, the bullet went past me and the gun flew out of the hunter’s grasp.  I stepped outside, my eyes locked on his form.  “You tried to take something away from me.  You won’t live long enough to regret that.”

 

“That’s what happens when you stalk a hunter, demon.” the man growled.  “Try to take what I have left and you’ll regret it sorely.”

 

He was talking nonsense, and I wasn’t listening anymore.  I sprang at him, claws ready to slice through his weak skin.

 

He sidestepped my attack, pulling an aluminum baseball bat from the depths of his coat.  As I passed him, he rammed the head of it into my ribcage, knocking me off course.

 

I was fairly certain that the bat was coated in silver, but thankfully it couldn't burn me through my thick coat.  Fighting out in the sunlight was seven shades of dangerous though, so instead of fighting back, I ran into an alley.

 

He followed close at my heels.  Once I was in the shade, I turned to attack again.

 

For a man of his obvious age, his reflexes were swift.  He swung the bat, this time aiming for my head.

 

I ducked down, grabbed the front of his coat, and flung him at a dumpster.  His back hit first and he slid down to the ground.  “I’m tired of this.”  He reached into his coat once again, pulling out a strange looking gun.  It was large, with a wide, rectangular barrel.  I watched him warily, waiting for him to make the first move.  “Let’s dance, blood thief.”

 

“Ladies first.” I replied.  I reached down into the depths of my mind, pulling up my power.  I readied myself to deflect another bullet.

 

What came from the gun was not a bullet however, but a metal cable, tipped with sharp needles.  My telekinetic power was random at best.  I had been expecting a bullet and could not deflect this cable.  The needles pierced the exposed skin just under my jaw.

What followed was a fire that crackled in my veins.  My body seized as lightning ripped through me.  I screamed, but couldn’t hear it over the roaring static in my ears.  I blacked out then, grateful in it’s peace.

8: 7 - Dead End

I awoke to a dull, throbbing, pain that filled my head.  I opened my eyes and the world wouldn’t stay still.  What had happened to me?  I remembered the hunter and I was instantly alert.  “Gabriel!”

 

“Evie, calm down!” Chris’ hands were on my shoulders, forcing me back.  “The ambulance is almost here.”

 

“I’ve got to help him, he’s in danger.”  My eyes were wide and the room started spinning.  I tried to get up but the floor tipped crazily and I lost my balance.  Chris held onto me and helped me gently to the floor.

 

“They’re both gone, Evie.” Chris said slowly, making sure I understood.  “When I came down here it was only you.  The hunter isn’t here, try to relax.”

 

“Hunter?”  Had I said hunter?  How did Chris know there had been a hunter?

 

“Evie, you have to stay still.  Wait for the ambulance.  "You have a concussion."

 

"How do you know that?"  The room lurched again, preventing me from getting up.  "I'm perfectly fine."

 

"This is the second time you've come to." His voice was firm.  "You're just repeating yourself.  You scared the crap out of mom, too."

 

"Mom!"  I grasped his shoulder tightly, even though I could see three of them.  "Where is she?  Don't let her go outside."

 

“I sent her upstairs, after swearing I was gonna take care of you.  You’re not moving until the ambulance gets here.”

 

Dark clouds loomed around the corners of my vision.  I could feel myself drifting away again.  “What... about... Gabriel?”  My voice was fading as the clouds covered my eyes.

 

“Evie!  Hang on, stay awake!” he cried, but it was too late.  The clouds swallowed me whole.

 

********

 

I was being dragged, I could feel old wooden boards moving under my skin, large splinters eager for purchase on my skin, but sliding off.  I breathed in and the smell of dust filled my nose.  Something cold and metallic bound my arms and legs.

 

I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings quickly.  The room I was in was old and in heavy disrepair.  The windows were all smashed and part of one wall was missing.

 

I looked down at myself.  My coat and shirt were missing, and a heavy metal cord was wound around me, holding my arms to my sides.  “You undressed me?” I asked in confusion.

 

“You’re not going to burn very well in a heavy coat.” the old hunter replied.  He gave one last pull on the cord binding me, then stopped.  He turned his face to the ceiling, where a large hook dangled from a short, thick, chain.

 

We were right in front of the broken wall and I saw that this building was taller than most of the others.  In the far distance lay Manhattan.  The sky was dark blue, the edges tinged amber.

 

“Going to let the sun do your dirty work?” I asked tauntingly.  “Too squeamish to just shoot me in the head?”

 

“Oh no, your trickery won’t work on me.  I know that head shots don’t work on the old ones.  It’d take you a while, but you’d heal.”  He tossed his end of the cord over the hook, then began hauling me up.  I summoned up all of my strength, straining against the cord.  It creaked, the metal groaning, but did not snap.  The hunter laughed.  “You’re strong, but not that strong.”

 

“What is this?” I asked in frustration.

 

“Steel, you prolly didn’t have that around when you were a young one.”  He kept his grip on the cord, pulling me up slowly, hand over hand.

 

“You’re convinced that I’m ancient, aren’t you.”  It seems brute strength wasn’t going to get me out of this.  It didn’t hurt to keep him talking, hopefully another way would present itself.

 

“You’re beyond ancient, I can see it in your eyes, the way you fight, the way you carry yourself.”

 

“You call two centuries ancient?  I supposed to a human...”  He laughed harshly.  “What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

 

“Is that what you told your ghoul?  You’re only a ‘couple of centuries’?  Do you actually believe that yourself?”

 

“It’s the truth.”

 

He secured the cable to a large hook on the wall.  I was left dangling helplessly.  He walked around till he was facing me.  “This is rich.  It’s absolutely hilarious.  I’ve slayed many young ones, but only one other old one.  He didn’t realize just how old he was either.”

 

“Obviously I would know how long I’ve existed better than you.”

 

“You think that’d be the case, but your wrong.  See, the human brain can hold a lot of information, vast amounts, but as time goes on, trying to recall everything at once is just too much.  That’s why so many senior citizens are senile.”

 

“Like you?” I asked, but he ignored me.

 

“A vampire’s brain is a bit different.  It can hold just as much as a human’s brain can, but instead of trying to recall every little thing, after a while it starts burying the unimportant stuff.  This way it can quickly access all of the important data.  Your long, dark past is all in there, buried under the new stuff.”

 

“The only thing I’m convinced of is that you like hearing yourself talk.”

 

The hunter reached into his coat, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.  “Perhaps so.” he said, tapping on the bottom of the pack before opening it.  “But dawn is still a little ways off, might as well be civil.”  He lit up and took a long drag.

 

I tried wriggling out of the steel cord, but it was wound too tightly.  “You are a frail and pathetic man.  You think that you’ve won, but that is fleeting.  She will find me.  She will not stop or rest until she does.”

 

He didn’t ask who I meant, he knew.  “And what about the sun?  It’s due any minute.  What if your ghoul merely finds a crisp corpse?”

 

Ire rose up inside of me, strong, powerful, spurred by my frustration.  “For the last time, SHE IS NOT MY GHOUL!” I roared.  The floor trembled at the thunder in my voice.

 

The hunter’s eyes widened in surprise.  He looked around the room, and back at me.  “Then what is she, then?” he asked, his voice a little shaky.  “Only ghouls run themselves ragged for their masters.”

 

“She is something far more dangerous than a ghoul, more formidable than any vampire you’ve ever fought.”  I kept my eyes locked on the hunter’s, pouring all of myself into my voice.  “She does not need a vampire’s blood, it would only dim her strength.  When she has a goal, she becomes tireless until it is accomplished.  Her strength lies not in raw power, but in an iron core, and she will overcome any obstacle, no matter how insurmountable.”

 

“She’s stubborn, then.”

 

“More so than anyone on this planet.”

 

“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me her name, then?”

 

My glare turned suspicious.  “Not a chance.”

 

“You in love with her then?”  He took another long drag from his cigarette, recovering from his nervousness.  “I’ve heard that happens, sometimes.”

 

I bit the inside of my cheek, drawing blood.  I spat on the ground at the hunter’s feet.  It was the gravest insult I knew.  “Love is a weak, foolish word.  It could not live inside of me, when it tried, it shriveled and died.  I feel something that is far stronger.  Respect.”

 

He nodded, dropping his finished cigarette on the floor and crushing it under his boot.  “That I can understand.  I’ll have to be on my guard.”

 

I focused my most basic power on him, the one that used the least amount of blood, the one every vampire is born with.  Influence.  “What is your name?”

 

“What kind of hunter do you take me for?” he scoffed.

 

“The kind that initials every weapon he modifies.”  I poured persuasion into my voice till it dripped with it.  “You want to be recognized for what you do.  You want vampires to run in fear at the very mention of your name.”

 

“What does it matter, knowing my name?  The sun’s coming up, you’ll be dead in a few moments.”

 

I didn’t look away from him, to check and see if he was right.  I could feel the sun’s course through the sky, I knew it was close.  “Then there is no harm in telling me.  Call it a dying request.”

 

“Fine, you monster.  Rest in peace knowing that Arthur Statton slayed you.” he said smugly.  Then he turned away, heading for a flight of stairs leading down at the opposite wall.

 

My body seized in shock.  “Statton?” I breathed.  My eyes were so wide I felt as if they would bulge out of their sockets.

 

“Ah, so you’ve heard of me.”  He paused by the stairs.  “Looks like word does get around.”

 

Realization struck me like a thunderbolt.  I recalled easily the photographs in the china closet, while Chris had droned incessantly in my ear about school, and braces, and picnics at the beach.  The pictures were of Chris and Evangeline throughout their lives, only a few had Vivian in them, as she was the one who held the camera most of the time.  There was no one else in those pictures.

 

I recalled Evangeline’s remark about her father.  “...No idea, I never met the man.”

 

I focused my attention on the man before me, taking in the details with new eyes.  The nose, which was somewhat sturdier than Vivian’s gentle slope.  The brown eyes, dull on this man, but warm on Evangeline.  “That’s why you were at the apartment building.”

 

“What of it?”  His eyes narrowed suspiciously.  “Where exactly have you heard my name?”

 

It was a struggle to bring myself back under control, to pull up my poker face.  “It seems it truly was pure coincidence that we ran into each other.”  I turned my eyes to the side, mumbling now.  “No... I suppose it was inevitable.  Eventually.”

 

“That may be so, but coincidence or not, I’m not letting anyone, vampire or human, stand in my way of destroying David Lucien.”  He grasped the battered railing and carefully made his way downstairs.

 

“Lucien?” I whispered.  The hunter’s goal all along had of course been Lucien.  He had probably been staking out his building, when he spotted Evangeline and I.  “Wait!” I shouted after him, struggling against my bindings frantically.  “Come back here!”

 

The first rays of sunlight crested the horizon then, and it was too late for me.  White hot fire seared my skin, turning it to ash immediately.  My blood boiled in my veins and I screamed in agony.  I was conscious only a few seconds, but it felt like eons as I burned.

 

********

    I reached around blindly in the darkness, unable to tell where I was.  There was something I had to get back to, something important, but I could not remember...

 

    In the distance I spotted a pale figure, I hurried towards it.  As I got closer, I began to recognize him.  He was tall and very pale, with sandy blond hair.  His frame was bony, his arms and legs long and thin.

 

    I stopped quickly, falling over myself.  “Dimitri.” I whispered.  “What are you doing here?”

 

    He looked down at me, his eyes a deep violet.  His mouth spread into a charming smile.  “I’ve been here a long time, Evangeline.  In fact, I never really left.  I’ve met with you many times, in your dreams, but you never remember.”  He placed on hand on his chest.  “That hurts.” he said mockingly.

 

    The last time I had seen Dimitri, he had his eyes covered with a cloth.  “Your eyes.” I said softly, feeling panic rise in my chest.

 

    Kieran, a hunter I met in Paris, had one blue eye and one violet eye.  A vampire had taken his real eye from him when he was a child.  Great Aunt Katrina had rescued him from the vampire, taking one of it’s eyes in return, and somehow giving it to Kieran.

 

    “How did you...?”  My mouth went dry and words left me.

 

    “You can see my eyes?” Dimitri asked.  “That’s very interesting.”  He walked over to me and knelt down, looking into my face.  “That means... you know who has my eye.”

 

I shook my head violently.  “No, I don’t.”  I tried to move away, but my body was frozen where it was.

 

He lifted his hands and cupped my face, staring into my eyes.  “I cannot project images into your mind.  You can only see what you’ve seen on your own.  You’ve seen my missing eye before, and, subconsciously, you know it’s mine.  That’s why you see me with both of my eyes.”

 

I looked away from him, though I couldn’t move my head.  “Where is this place?”

 

He scrutinized me for a moment, then answered.  “This is your mind, of course.  You’re unconscious.”

 

“How did... I don’t understand.”

 

“You were injured, which resulted in a concussion.  You consciousness has buried itself deep, down to where I’ve been hiding.”

 

“I’m...” I licked my lips, trying to bring some moisture back to my mouth.  “I’m comatose?”

 

He nodded.  “But not for much longer.  Your ‘brother’ won’t let you go that easily.  He hasn’t left your side even once.”

 

“What happened?  How did I get like this?”

 

“You were shot.”  Dimitri smiled, as if the idea was very funny.  “Gabriel was dragged off while you were lying unconscious.”

 

Suddenly I remembered the hunter, and panic jolted me.  “Gabriel.”  I pushed away from Dimitri.  “I have to get to him.  I’ve got to wake up.  He’s in danger!”

 

“Oh no, it’s far too late for that.” Dimitri stood up.  He held his hand out to me.  “It’s already a little after noon.  He’s been dead for about... six hours.”

 

I pushed his hand away, getting to my feet on my own.  “I don’t believe you.” I scowled at him.  How would he know anyway?  It was MY brain he was invading.

 

He shrugged.  “You don’t have to believe me, but you’re setting yourself up for some serious hurt later on.  It’s better to accept it now, than after a long, fruitless search.”  He tapped the side of his head.  “I can’t invade his sub-conscious the way I can yours.  Human brains are much weaker, more susceptible.  But, I can focus on him, keep track of his movements.  And now?  He’s completely gone, not a trace left.”

 

“You’re lying!” I shouted.  I turned away from him and marched in the opposite direction.

 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” he called after me as I began to run.  “Though you’re not really going to remember this anyway!”

 

I had to get out of here.  I had to wake up!  Gabriel needed me and I was just sleeping!  I had to-

 

********

I gasped as I awoke, blinking at my surroundings.  I focused on the drip IV by my bed, the clear tube snaking down to my arm.  I was in a hospital.  Why was I in a hospital?

 

Chris was at my side in an instant.  “Evie!  Thank god.” he breathed.  He got to his feet quickly.  “I’ll go tell Mom you’re awake.”

 

I held out my hand to stop him.  “Wait.  What’s going on?” I asked, deeply confused.  “What am I doing here?”

 

He sat back down and took my hand in both of his.  “You were attacked, right outside of Mom’s building.  When I got there, Gabriel was gone, and you were saying something about a hunter.”

 

I tried to remember, and frowned at the effort.  The memories stubbornly refused to surface.  “The last thing I recall is the arcade.  Where is Gabriel now?”

 

He shook his head.  “I don’t know.  I haven’t seen him since.  Don’t you worry, though, he’s tough, he’ll turn up eventually.”

 

I smiled at him, laughing a little.  “Chris, you don’t have to act nice about Gabriel.  I’m not worried.”

 

There was sympathy in his pale blue eyes.  “Evie, you’re crying.”

 

I blinked in surprise, then felt the hot tears rolling down my cheeks.  I reached up with my free hand, gently touching my cheek, which was very wet.  “Why am I...?” I asked in confusion.  I didn’t understand, why did I feel an ache pulse deep inside of my chest?  “I don’t know what’s going on.” I said helplessly.

 

Chris wrapped one around around my back and pulled me close.  I leaned my head on his shoulder as the tears spilled endlessly down my cheeks.  I shut my eyes, but even that did not stem the tide.  “You’re still confused.” Chris said gently.  “You’re getting over a concussion.  Once you get better, I promise I’ll help you find him.”

 

“All right.” I said, my voice hoarse.

 

9: 8 - Blind Fate

The hospital stay was a speedy blur.  A few doctors examined me, poked me with needles and prodded my head.  I was placed in a very large, very loud machine several times, pictures of my brain were recorded, scanned, and peered at.

 

The food was both horrendous and awful.  Picking at it did little good, Mom insisted I eat some and even threatened to feed me herself.

 

Chris bought some magazines from the gift shop, not wanting to stray any further away from me.  He kept a tender, smothering watch over me at all times.  To make sure I was eating and to make sure no hunters stormed my room, guns blazing.

 

It was the worst three days of my life, but not because I was there, because of what wasn’t.  One thing kept repeating over and over in my head, spilling from my lips.  “When can I go home?”

 

Mom sat next to the bed.  Chris was out of the room, raiding the vending machines for something I could stomach.  She had brought an old shoebox with her, it sat in her lap, the white cardboard faded and yellowed.  “I wanted to talk to you about that.  I can see that things are rough for you, I’m not blind.  Just tell me how much.”

 

“I don’t know sometimes, Mom.” I put a hand to my head.  A thick bandage covered my temple, protecting the slow to heal wound underneath.  “I think it’s really bad right now, but most of the time, things are good.  Life is pretty normal, except for these... things... that happen every now and then.”

 

It was undeniably true.  Gabriel and I had our differences, sure, but we had managed to live together for half a year.  It was insane, but I was starting to miss arguing with him.

 

Mom lifted her hands up, stopping me from continuing.  “That’s not what I meant.  How much money do you need?”

 

Now I was lost, and this time it didn’t feel like the concussion’s fault.  “I don’t need any money, Mom.  I inherited Katrina’s whole estate.”

 

She placed a hand on my own.  “It’s okay honey, I know you don’t want to tell me the details.  That’s fine, I won’t ask, but I have something that can help.”  She lifted the lid off the shoebox.  It was filled to the top with bundles of wrapped envelopes.

 

“What’s all that?”

 

“It’s all yours, sweetie.”  Mom cleared her throat.  “From you father.”

 

My father?  I had never known the man, never really even thought about who he was.  Mom had been the only one I attached to when I was younger.  Other kids in school had single moms as well, so his absence was never perceived as a loss.

 

Nevertheless, the shoebox stuffed with envelopes called to me.  I lifted one hand, reaching out, then paused, hesitant.  “What’s going on, Mom?”

 

Mom ducked her head a little, as if she was embarrassed, an expression I had never seen on her before.  Perhaps I was hallucinating again after all.  “I’m afraid I’ve lied a bit to you, about your father.”

 

“Lied?  You never talk about him.  When did you lie?”

 

“I lied when I told you he’s never contacted me after he discovered I was pregnant with you.  That’s not true.  He’s been sending these.”  She lifted one of the bundles out of the box and slid off the rubber band, then she handed it to me.

 

My hand shook as I grasped the papers, I tried to hand them back quickly, but Mom wouldn’t take them.  I wasn’t ready for this, I definitely wasn’t ready for this.  “Mom, I can’t do this right now.  I have other things to worry about, I don’t have the energy to open up another Pandora’s box.  I need to get home, I have to check on Gabriel.”

 

She brought her hands to my face, shushing me gently.  “I know sweetie, and this can help.  I’m sorry I kept them from you so long, my pride kept getting in the way.  I promise I’ll let it all go, if it can help you be safe.”

 

I dropped the stack into my lap and picked up the top one.  It was postmarked over a decade ago, Mom’s name and address a handwritten scrawl.  There was no return address.

 

The envelope had never been opened.  I tore the flap messily, revealing only a single slip of paper.  I pulled it out and looked it over.  “This is a five hundred dollar savings bond.” I said hollowly.  What had I been expecting?  And explanation?  An apology?

 

Mom nodded.  “He sent one each year on your birthday, and then again at Christmas.  Every mother’s day, he sends another one for me.  Sometimes there are postmarks, sometimes I guess he just sticks them in the mailbox.  I never cashed them, even when they matured.  There was never a letter of any kind, so after a while I just stopped opening them.”  She shrugged in defeat.

 

I stared at her in disbelief.  “Are you serious?” I exclaimed.  “With all we’ve had to struggle...”  My breathing became faint as the memories overwhelmed me.  “What about when the apartment flooded?  Or when we lost the electricity for THREE days?  You made me eat an entire bottle of ketchup!”

 

Her head was bowed.  She gripped the box tightly, till her knuckles were white.  “I was determined to take care of you on my own...”

 

“You PAWNED Nana’s good necklace when we were three months behind rent!”  My blood was rising up, making my face feel flushed.

 

Mom turned her jade eyes on me.  “That doesn’t matter right now.  What matters right now is making sure you’re safe.  There should be enough in this shoebox to pay off the nasties that have been following you.  You might even get Gabriel back mostly intact.”

 

She was utterly crazy, I was sure of it now.  “You think I borrowed money from THE MOB?!”  My voice rose to something close to a roar.  I felt like I was spiraling down a drain pipe.  What the hell was happening with my life?  Wasn’t ANYTHING the way I had thought it was?

 

“Of course not sweetie, I know you’re too smart for that.  I know it’s all your housemate’s fault.  I also know that you care for him, so whatever trouble he’s in, I’m going to help you both out.”

 

I dropped the papers into my lap and covered my face with my hands.  “The whole world’s gone insane.”  My voice was muffled by my hands.  “I just want to go home.”

 

“The doctor is writing up your discharge papers now, then I’ll be taking you back to the apartment.”  She patted my knee comfortingly.

 

“What?!  No.  I’m going back to my house.  Gabriel might be there.”

 

“If he is, he’s not answering the phone.” Chris said, entering the room with his cellphone in hand.  “His cellphone is going straight to voicemail, too.”

 

I massaged my uninjured temple.  “Do you have any good news for me?”

 

“The doctor is just down the hall, he’s got your discharge papers.”

 

I threw my sheet off of me.  “Good, I’m getting dressed.  I’ve spent far too much time laying around here, being useless.”

 

“Sweetie!  You were unconscious for most of it.” Mom objected.

 

“Then I was being extra useless.  Gabriel needs me, I can feel it.  He’s probably gotten into piles of trouble while I’ve been here.”

 

Mom looked over at Chris, who shrugged helplessly.  “I’ve never been able to stop her from doing something she’s set her mind on, have you?”

 

Mom gathered the envelopes back into the box and covered it again.  She stood up.  “All right, then, but whatever happens is all on you.”

 

“Understood.” I gave her my best determined look.  It was rather difficult in a hospital gown with my head bandaged, but I think I pulled it off.

 

“You got a head full of cement, you know that?  Dense and hard as a rock.”

 

“I know, I get that from you.”

 

********

 

    It was strange, Mom standing on my porch, looking out at the sea of white gravel surrounding the house.  “Did Aunt Katrina not like plants?” she asked.  She kept rubbing her upper arms as if she was cold, but the pre-summer night was warm.  “Or... grass?”

 

    “She was getting on in years.” I said as I unlocked the front door.  Chris was waiting in his jeep, ready to drive Mom back to the city once I was settled in.  “Most likely she couldn’t look after a big yard.  This was just easier.”

 

    Of course, I couldn’t tell her the real reason for the metric ton of gravel, with salt underneath, blanketing the land.  Great Aunt Katrina had Gabriel locked in the attic for fifty years, and since he could absorb life energy from plants, she had sterilized the surrounding area for a quarter mile.

 

    I got the door open and turned on the porch lights.  I grabbed the handle of rolling suitcase Chris had loaded up with my things from the hospital.  Mom’s shoebox was in there too, but I would think about that later.  “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” she asked me, looking doubtful.

 

    “She’ll be fine.” a new voice said from the side of the house.  To my surprise, Callie was walking up to us, her footsteps making no sound on the gravel.  She smiled at me warmly.  “I’ll look after her till Gabriel comes back.”

 

    “Callie!” I cried happily.  “You have no idea how happy I am to see you!”  If anyone in the world could help me find Gabriel, then it was definitely Callie.

 

    “I don’t know how I feel about leaving two young women alone in the middle of nowhere.” Mom said sternly.

 

    “Angie will be perfectly safe with me.” Callie said, laying her influence on thick.  “You should go home and get some rest.  Angie will call you as soon as anything changes.”

 

    Mom’s expression cleared instantly.  “I guess you’re right.”  She wrapped me up in a big hug and kissed my cheek, then headed back to the jeep.

 

    As soon as Chris pulled the jeep out of the clearing and to the road I turned the Callie, who tackle-hugged me at the same time.  “Angie!” she cried.  “Thank goodness you’re okay!”

 

    “Callie, are you crying?” I asked in disbelief.

 

    “Of course I am!  You have no idea how close you were to death.  If the bullet hadn’t ricocheted before hitting you... a silver bullet can kill a human just as effectively as it can a vampire.”

 

    I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.  “I’m sorry I worried you.” I said softly.

 

    “It’s not your fault.”  Callie pulled away from me and gave me a once over.  Her hand went to the bandage on the side of my head, but she didn’t touch it.  “It’s all his fault.”

 

    “Who?  Gabriel or the hunter?”

 

    “Neither.  This is all David Lucien’s fault.”  Callie’s blue eyes were as hard as sapphires, and her voice was icy.  “I didn’t see it at first, but after what’s happened, it’s becoming more and more clear.”

 

    “We’d better get inside so we can talk.” I told her.  “There is a lot to go over.”

 

    ********

 

    “David has been pulling a lot of the strings behind everyone’s backs.” Callie said once we were settled in the living room.  “I’m still not even sure about the full extent of it.”

 

    I sipped from a cup of lemon tea gently.  “Isn’t that his job?  He is a lawyer.  Don’t they do all the dirty stuff behind the scenes?”

 

    “Except he’s following his own interests now.”

 

    “What’s he been up to?”

 

    “I won’t be able to see the precise details until I see him personally, but he’s been getting rid of your Great Aunt Katrina’s memories.”

 

    “Memories?  How so?”

 

    “After you and Gabriel went to the empty gravesite, he sold it.  Then after you went to the Fertility Clinic with Gabriel, I saw that he was the one who attacked it.  Your line keeps crossing his.”

 

    Of course Callie knew I had gone to the Fertility Clinic.  There was little she didn’t know about me.  Her future telling and clairvoyance bordered on scary sometimes, and I still wasn’t sure how it worked.

 

    “Selling an unused grave doesn’t sound terribly suspicious, but why would he attack the Fertility Clinic?” I asked in confusion.  “Why would he steal frozen eggs?”

 

    “The line is a dead end, so my guess is that he destroyed them.” Callie replied.  “I won’t know for certain until I see him in person, though.”

 

    “It doesn’t make any sense.  He was the only one who knew about them, and he was the one keeping up with the payments.  He could probably just go there and claim them any time he wanted.  Why bust in and smash up the place?”

 

    “I still don’t know that.  His line zigzags all over the place.  It crosses your line, my line, even your mother’s.  He’s everywhere and I can’t keep track of it all.”  Callie gave me a long look.  “You have no idea how I felt when I saw your line split.  I saw two futures, at the same time, one of you in the hospital and one-” she stopped, her eyes shadowed.

 

    “And the other in the morgue, I’m guessing.”

 

She nodded.  “Angie, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here.  You were the only person other than my sister who ever took care of me.  I’m trying to live on my own but if something ever happened to you, I don’t think I could take it.”

 

She pulled me close and we hugged for a long moment.  I was the first to pull away.  There was something pressing on my mind and if I didn’t get it out I was going to go crazy.  “Can you tell me where Gabriel is now?  He’s not answering his cell phone, and I’m worried he’s got himself kidnapped or trapped or something.”

 

Callie gave me a long look, her blue eyes wide.  She looked to the side when she said, “I don’t know where Gabriel is.”

 

“What do you mean?  Can’t you... uh... follow his line or something?”

 

Her shoulders sagged.  “No, I can’t.  I’ve lost his line.”

 

Foreboding drew over me like dark clouds.  “I’m not going to pretend I know what I’m talking about, but how did you lose his line?  He lived here with you like I did.”

 

“I can follow it up to a certain point, then I can’t see it anymore.” she said.  “I don’t know how to explain it.”

 

My gut twisted painfully.  “Is he...”  My mouth went dry and I tried again.  “Is he...”

 

She shook her head.  “I’m not sure. I’ll try to explain it as best I can.  Usually when someone dies, the line is cut, dead.  Gabriel’s doesn’t end.  I just can’t see it any more.  It’s shrouded in darkness.  I’m not sure if it continues or not.”

 

“That’s bad, isn’t it?” I asked nervously.  Dread was filling my legs with cement.  My teacup felt heavier by the second.  “Something happened to him.”

 

She looked back at me, her eyes sad.  She nodded slowly.  “Even if he’s still alive, the Gabriel we both know... doesn’t exist any more.”

 

My teacup slipped through my numb fingers, hit the coffee table, and shattered.

 

Callie put a hand on my shoulder, both to steady and to comfort.  “I’m so sorry, Angie.”  She cleaned up the broken cup, and the spilled tea while I sat there numbly.

 

“Callie, I think I need to be alone for a bit.” I said softly.

 

She was in the kitchen, but she still heard me.  “If that’s what you want.” she said.  “I do have to get back to my room mate.  She’s almost as trouble prone as you are.”

 

“Take care of yourself.”  I rose from my seat and walked Callie to the door.  “Come by tomorrow night, if you can.”

 

She nodded.  “I’ll be here to check up on you.  Chris will be here before me though, even with traffic.”

 

“Thank you, Callie.”

 

“You’ll feel better in the morning.  I know that for certain.”

 

I didn’t answer, opening the door and seeing her out.  I leaned against the door for a moment, concentrating on breathing properly.

 

The house was utterly still, absolute silence ringing in my ears.  During the daytime it was only like this while Gabriel slept, before Chris had moved himself in.  Other days I savored this time, some peace and quiet away from Gabriel’s abrasiveness.  Now I just felt hollow.

 

I should probably lay down, I could tell I was tired in a very distant way.  I still needed plenty of bed rest to heal fully.  I couldn’t just down a pint of pig’s blood and regenerate.

 

The staircase went up a mile high.  It was forever before I reached the top.  My bedroom door was the closest to the stairs, but I didn’t want to go in there.  It was insufferably normal in there.  I passed the door to Callie’s old room.  It would probably go to Chris now.

 

I stopped at the door at the end of the hall, the one that led to the master bedroom.  I put my hand on the knob and opened it slowly.  The room was dark, and my hand went to the switch by the door automatically.

 

The doorway led into a short hallway with closet doors on both sides.  Knowing Gabriel, both of the walk-in closets were full.  The vampire loved his expensive button down shirts.

 

The windows lined the two walls opposite the door.  They were all covered with thick black garbage bags, and duct taped in place.  There was a massive desk in the corner, with an impressive leather chair.  Gabriel’s laptop sat in the middle, closed.  

 

The door to the master bath was to my right, the king-sized bed to the left.  I turned left.

 

The bed was neatly made, in fact the whole room was neat as a pin.  I hadn’t really thought about it before, but Gabriel was rather fastidious and tidy.  That was one of the good things about living with him.  I was never cleaning up after him.

 

I lay down on on my stomach, tucking my hands under the pillow.  The blanket was cream colored and soft.  The mattress was firm, yet yielding.  It was a nice bed.

 

I breathed in slowly.  Gabriel didn’t have a scent of his own, but I could smell his cologne, mixed with whatever it was that he put in his hair.

 

I turned to my back, looking up at the ceiling.  He was still alive, wasn’t he?  Surely Callie would feel it if he had died, wouldn’t she?

 

You have no idea how vampire powers work.

 

My hands clenched, the nails digging into the pillow.  He was hurt, most likely.  The hunter had probably injured him and he was laying low while he made his way back to the house.  He’d probably broken his cell phone again, or lost it.

 

It’s been three days.  Surely he could have made it home in that amount of time... if he were alive.

 

“Dammit, Dimitri!  Knock it off!”  I sat up quickly, hurling my pillow across the room.

 

It bounced off the desk and fell to the floor.

 

I looked at it stupidly.  Dimitri?  Why had I-

 

Startled, I turned to the side and saw him leaning against the bathroom door.  His violet eyes glittered in mirth.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

 

He spread his arms out and gave me an elaborate shrug.  “I’m not here.” he said simply.

 

“Who do you think you’re fooling?”

 

“It’s the truth.”  He stepped towards me, lifting on hand and touching my forehead with the tip of his finger.  “I’m right here.”

 

I brushed his hand away irritably, but he was gone before I touched him.  I turned back to the desk and he was seated in the chair, Katrina’s diary open in his hands.  “Where did you get that?” I demanded.

 

He shook his head and sighed.  “It’s not the real one.  This is your memory of the book.  It’s all very interesting I must say.  Who knew Gabriel had such a bitter, yet graceful enemy?”

 

“Close it right now!” I shouted.  “That’s not for you to read!”

 

“As you wish.”  He snapped the book shut and held it out to me.  I crawled to the end of the bed and reached for it, but he let it go.  It vanished before it hit the carpet.

 

I narrowed my eyes at him.  “Stop trying to break my brain.” I warned.

 

His long fingers closed over my outstretched wrist.  He leaned his face close to mine.  “Oh, it was broken a long time before I ever came here.” he whispered.

 

“I don’t get your crap, Dimitri.” I said irritably, trying to free my hand from his vise-like grip.  “Why are you so obsessed with me?  Didn’t your dad send you in my mind in the first place just to spy on Gabriel?”

 

“This is true, but as so often happens once I was in your mind, seeing the ordered disarray that was available.  Well, I just have to disturb the peace.”

 

“You’re sick, Dimitri, you’re one of those guys that can’t pass a crystal unicorn without smashing it to pieces.”

 

“You’re probably right about that.  Now that Gabriel is dead, your mind is in a terrible state.  You’re ripe for... consuming.”

 

I pulled on my arm, straining to get as far away from him as possible.  “So, what?  You were just waiting around for Gabriel to leave the picture so you could make your move?  Sounds cowardly and lame to me.”

 

“I was planning on killing him myself, but I will admit you’re not my top priority at the moment.”

 

“Cowardly, lame, and opportunistic.  I see...”  I tried to grab his arm, hoping I could at least pry his fingers off of me, but he disappeared before I touched him.

 

I fell back on the bed and Dimitri was over me the next second.  “You’re so cute when you’re frustrated.” he smiled at me.

 

“Get off of me.” I said, my teeth gritted together.

 

“Perhaps... if you beg.”

 

“Ugh, get over yourself.”

 

“Hmm?  Perhaps you’re biased towards the way I look?”  One second Dimitri was over me, his legs straddling my waist, and in the next second, it was Gabriel.  His eyes glowed bright red and a smile I had never seen before crossed his lips.  “Maybe you prefer this?”

 

My eyes widened.  “Stop this, right now.” I said, my voice little more than a gasp.

 

“Why?  This is the only way you’ll be able to be with him, now.”

 

I buried the heels of my hands into my eyes.  “Leave me alone.”  Sudden tears burned down my cheeks.  “NOW!” I screamed.

 

After a long moment, I uncovered my eyes.  The room was empty, calm and still.  I reached under my head and pulled down the pillow, burying my face into it.  My whole body shook as I cried.

********

 

    Pain was like the sea; vast, flowing and ebbing.  Stormy one second, still as glass the next.  It was always there and I was drowning in it.  Death’s weight did not pull me under.  I merely continued to drown endlessly.

 

    I had no sight.  The pain had robbed me of it.  It had scoured my voice away till there was nothing left.  It bound me so I could not move.

 

“Don’t play with dead things.”  A haughty voice.  Tiny and unmistakably feminine.  It was a blessed skiff in my sea of hurt.

 

    “I think it’s still alive!”  A young boy’s voice.  He sounded very excited that I was still attached to the mortal coil.  I was... less so.  “Hey, are you alive?” he asked tenderly.

 

    I was in too much pain not to be, but when I tried to express that feeling, all that came out was a distressed groan.  I think it was mine, but I wasn’t completely sure.

    

    “Oh, don’t move.” the boy’s voice filled with concern.  “You’ve been burned very badly.  Were you out in the sun?  You should really have known better.”

 

    The sun!  I recalled instantly a scorching white hot flame engulfing my body.  No wonder I couldn’t see, my eyes were gone.

 

    “You don’t have much skin left, and your arms are gone.  Lucky you were wearing pants, or your legs would be gone, too.”  How could he sound so cheerful right now?  Was he really so happy that I still somehow managed to keep my legs?  It didn’t matter, I couldn’t feel them anyway.

 

    “I’m going to get you out of here.” he said.  “We’ll rescue you.  We know a very good doctor that can help you.”

 

    “Speak for yourself.”

 

    “We can’t just leave it here,” the boy pleaded.

 

    There was a long silence, in which I contemplated how easy it would be to just expire right here.  The only thing I could recall was that burning, searing, blistering light.  Would I be able to forget it if I just let myself die?  Would it finally let me?

 

    “All right, just stop looking at me like that,” the girl grumbled.  Her voice came from a little distance away.  “You’re carrying it back by yourself, though.”

 

    “I know.” the boy answered cheerfully.  “I wouldn’t want you to mess your dress anyway.”

 

    Why did they keep calling me ‘it’?  Was I so badly burned that they couldn’t recognize my gender?  What was my gender?  Who was I at all, except for a vessel for agony?

 

    “I’m going to cut you down now.  I’ll be careful, but it’ll probably hurt a lot.  I’m sorry for that.”  The world lurched and fire pulsed.  The pain surged again, an echo of the blistering heat, but still enough to send me back into the depths of unconsciousness.

 

10: 9 - A Small Miracle

Callie was right, I DID feel much better in the morning.  I was filled with new vigour, my head finally clear.  I moved about the house with energy, preparing everything I would need.

 

Chris had arrived back at the house sometime while I slept.  “You weren’t in your room last night.”

 

“I was in Gabriel’s room.”  I tensed up, waiting for him to say something about that.  Instead he stepped up behind me and placed his hands gently on my shoulders.

 

“How are you holding up?” he asked gently.

 

I wasn’t used to Chris being like this.  Tenderness wasn’t normally in his nature.  His concern was making him act out of character.

 

“I’m fine.” I replied, shrugging away his hands.  I had placed a long duffel bag on the coffee table.  I unzipped it now and began packing it with the supplies I had gathered.  Right on top went Katrina’s silver katana and her old revolver.

 

“What are you planning now?”

 

“What do you think?  I’m gonna find Gabriel.”

 

“That much I can gather.  What I meant was ‘how’?”

 

“I’ll have Callie point in the right direction and figure the rest out on my own.”

 

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “What time are we leaving?”

 

I paused, but didn’t look at him.  “We?  You’re coming along?”

 

“If you’ll have me.”

 

I wasn’t used to Chris being so... complacent when it came to Gabriel.  “You’re the one with the car.”

 

He tossed his keys on top of the bag.  “It’s yours if you need it.”

 

“The last car I owned was blown up, if you remember.”  I reached my hand out and clutched the keys.

 

“I don’t care.”

 

I picked up the keys and held them back out to him, my head bowed.  “I need you with me more than the car.”  My voice was suddenly hoarse.  I cleared my throat.

 

He took the keys from me.  “I’ll always be whatever you need, Evie.  Even a getaway driver.”

 

“Thanks Chris.” I said softly.  “You’re the best big brother ever.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

Suppressing a smile, I asked, “You want me to spell it out?”  I looked up at him, but he was turned towards the kitchen.

 

There was an expression of intense concentration on his face.  “What’s that sound?” he asked.

 

I listened intently, my ears straining.  The house was silent.  “...what sound?” I asked.

 

“You don’t hear that?” his voice had a faint, faraway quality to it.  “It’s so... beautiful...”

 

“I don’t hear anything Chris, and you’re freaking me out a little.”  I sidestepped in front of him, trying to look into his face.  His eyes were focused past the kitchen, to the front door.

 

“You seriously don’t hear that?” he asked, his voice filled with wonder.  “It’s filling up the whole house...”

 

“Honestly?  No.”

 

Without turning his head away from the door, he pointed to my bag.  “Shotgun.” he said.

 

I pulled the shotgun out of the bag and held it close.  “I’m not giving this to you when you’re like this.” I said firmly.

 

“No, I can’t be trusted.  Point it at the door.”

 

“Why the door, what’s going-” It was then that I heard a sound, a sound that chilled my blood.  It was not a beautiful sound.  It made my eyes go wide and I whirled around to face the door.

 

The sound was a slow, metallic, grinding noise, followed by a very loud click.  It was the sound I heard every time I unlocked the front door, and right now, my keys were still in my pocket.

 

I held the shotgun level with the door as it burst open, slamming into the coat closet.  A figure stood in the doorway, curvy as an hourglass under the moonlight.  Her hair frizzed out all over her head in wild black curls, going down to her waist.  Her three inch stiletto heels clicked softly on the tile as she stepped inside.

 

“You thought you could hide from me, didn’t you Angel?  Well, I’ve found you now.”

 

Chris visibly relaxed.  “Thank god it stopped,” he whispered.

 

“Desyre?!” I asked incredulously, recognizing her unique voice.  “What the hell are you doing in my house!?”  I kept the shotgun pointed at her.

 

She walked into the kitchen, and I could see her better.  She was wearing a black vinyl catsuit and matching knee high boots.  Her eyes were heavily made up, as always, and her full lips were a bright gold.  Her milk chocolate colored skin was bronzed due to the copious amounts of sparkly powder applied to her face.  She was lucky vampires didn’t sweat, or her face would be a horrible, caking mess.

 

“My Angel come out, come out wherever you are...” she said in a singsong voice that would make real angels weep.  A shiver went through Chris.  “Don’t make me come and get you...”

 

“Gabriel’s not here.” I said firmly.  “How did you find out where he lives, Desyre?”

 

“Desyre?  Wait, I know that name.” Chris mumbled to himself, closing his eyes as he tried to recall.

 

“She’s the singer.”

 

His eyes flew back open.  “The singer?  THE singer?  Desyre?  The one with three platinum records?”

 

“That’s her.”

 

“What the hell is she doing here?!”

 

“She knows Gabriel,” my voice was tight.  “...apparently.”

 

Desyre ignored the both of us, instead turning her eyes to the stairs beyond the kitchen.  Her voice lowered to a sultry purr.  “Your pets are adorable Angel, but I don’t have time to play.  I’m late for a gig.”

 

“That’s it, I’m shooting her.” I aimed the shotgun carefully.

 

She turned to me finally.  “That’s a heavy weapon for such a small pet.” she remarked.

 

“I can handle it just fine.”  My eyes narrowed.  “I said already, Gabriel is not here.”

 

“Well... where is he then?”

 

“How did you unlock the front door?”

 

“You first.”

 

“I don’t know where Gabriel is.”

 

“Then I’m not telling you how I unlocked your door.”  She shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Oh, I am so shooting you now.”  My finger gripped the trigger, but I didn’t pull it.

 

“If you could, you would have done so already.”

 

The shotgun felt very heavy in my hands.  I lowered it gratefully.  “God damn influence.” I moaned.

 

“I thought you were immune to vampire magic?”  Chris asked.

 

“When I can see it coming, yeah.  I don’t know how she’s doing this.”

 

“Fear not, I mean you no harm.” Desyre announced, walking over to us.  “Not unless you do me harm that is.  Otherwise I can see us getting along quite nicely.”

 

“Gabriel didn’t look like he wanted to get along last time he saw you.” I pointed out.

 

Her mouth twisted into a small pout.  “My Angel is a bit of a coward when it comes to me.” she admitted.

 

“Just how much stronger than him are you?” I asked warily.

 

“Oh, I’m a weakling compared to him.  If I were stronger I wouldn’t be rid of him.  He fears me for another reason.”

 

“Which is?”

 

She put a finger to her lips.  “I don’t give out my secrets for free.  Tell me where he is.”

 

“I already said I don’t know.” I hesitated for a second, glancing at my bag.  “But... I am going out to look for him now.  You’re welcome to join us, if you want.  We could use all the help we can get.”

She reached into a glittering gold purse and pulled out a clamshell cell phone.  She opened it up and pressed a number.  “Alejandro?” she said sweetly into the phone.  “I’m cancelling.”  She snapped the phone shut and stowed it away.  “When do we leave?” she asked brightly.

 

 

********

 

“Do you think it’ll live, Doctor?”  The boy’s voice came drifting back, filled with worry.

 

    “I’m not certain, Ciel.  I’ve never seen a subject this badly burned before.”  This was a new voice.  Older, masculine.  “I’ll give him a thirty percent chance to survive.  No... twenty five percent.”

 

    “It’s a male, then?” the girl asked.  She was trying to mask the curiosity in her voice, but it eked out of the edges.

 

    “Judging by the size and shape of the shoulder bones.  See here, Anais?  Even without the primary sex characteristics, you can judge gender based on skeletal formation.”  He sounded like he was teaching.  Had I become a lesson while unconscious?

 

    “Doctor, how can he still be alive?  So much of him is... well... missing.”

 

    “His ribcage managed to protect his heart.  As long as that is intact, everything else will regrow.  He must possess great strength and ability, to have survived a full day in the sun.  I’ll have to run a marrow test, but I will hazard an age estimate of about five hundred years.”

 

    “That would make him almost our age, Anais!” Ciel exclaimed excitedly.  “I can’t wait till he’s healed.  I wonder what he looks like.”

 

    “Now, don’t get attached.  There is a very good chance he won’t make it.” the doctor said sternly.  “I’ve got to get back to the patients.  I’ll leave you two here tonight, but tomorrow you must go back to work.  The patients need you.”

 

    “All right.” Ciel and Anais said together.  There was a sound of a door closing softly.

 

    “He’ll live.  I’ll make sure he does.  I’ll heal him myself if I have to.”  The boy sounded optimistically determined, an odd combination.  “Then he’ll be alive because of me, because I saved him.  I’ve never done that before.”

 

    “We save humans all the time, Ciel.” Anais pointed out.  “It’s our job.”

 

    “That’s different, they don’t matter.  This is one of us.  I’ve never saved one of us before.”

 

    “They’re our food, dummy.  Humans matter the most.”

 

    “We can always get food somewhere else.”

 

    “Not as good as this.  I don’t know if I want to share with someone else.”

 

    “Of course we should share.  We have so much, anyway.”  The boy’s voice grew closer.  “You should drink, you won’t heal until you do.  Here.  It smells vile, but it’s really good for you.  You’ll get better in no time.”

    My sense of smell was like my sense of sight: non-existent.  Liquid touched what was left of my mouth and I drank, not caring what it was.  Swallowing hurt enough to make me pass out again, but I held on stubbornly.  I didn’t know how long I had been like this, but I knew that if I drank, I would heal.  I had to heal.  There was something important I had to get back to...

 

    *********

 

    “Are you sure this is the place, Evie?” Chris asked, pulling up in front of the apartment building.  Storm clouds gathered overhead, giving us the perfect backdrop for my situation and mood.

 

    I finished typing into my phone before answering him.  “Callie says this is the last place he was at before she lost him.” I answered.  “The hunter’s line crosses here too before she loses it.”

 

    “Well, it looks condemned.” he remarked, looking up at the building through the windshield.  “It’s the kind of place I would bring a body.”

 

    I narrowed my eyes at him and he quickly looked away.  “Sorry.” he said, then busied himself with unbuckling his seat belt.

 

    Desyre sat in the back seat, her legs crossed.  “He’s been here, I can smell him.”

 

    I twisted around in my seat till I faced her.  “You can really smell him from inside the car with the AC on?  Even when vampires don’t sweat?”

 

    Her eyes went to the side.  “I can feel him.  That’s almost the same thing.”

 

    I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the jeep.  “Well, let’s do this.”

 

    Chris shouldered the bag while Desyre exited the car gracefully.  We all looked up at the building.  It was derelict and abandoned, with broken windows and part of the wall on the upper floors collapsed.

 

    Plywood walls had been erected around the building.  A large work order and license posted up, but incredibly aged by sun and rain.  Two pieces of plywood were chained together, supposedly marking the entrance to the site.

 

    Thunder flashed overhead and rain began to fall.  Desyre hissed, glaring up at the sky with exposed fangs.  She tried to pull the collar of her expensive leather jacket up over her hair, but nothing on earth could confine that force.  Chris pulled the umbrella out of the bag and passed it to me.  I handed it to her.  “Don’t twist the handle too hard.” I cautioned.

 

    “Danke.” Desyre said, opening the umbrella gratefully.

 

    We walked up to the makeshift doors.  Chris set the bag down and pulled out a pair of chain clippers.  He handed them to me and I quickly dispatched the chain barring our way.

 

    We entered the site as the rain poured down.

    

    ********

 

 

    “Okay, I think he’s shed all the ash he’s going to.” Ciel said cheerfully.  “Sister, pass me the gauze, I’m going to wrap him up until he regrows his skin.”

 

    “I’ll help, he’ll look like one of those mummies at the museum.  You know, except without arms.”

 

    “Be careful with him, he’s very delicate.  Do you see the tube system I hooked up?  This way he’ll have a steady stream of nutrition, even while we’re working.  He goes through food so fast, I don’t want him to starve and die while we help the patients.”

 

    “He drinks so much because he’s regrowing his internal organs.  He’s lucky we have so much extra.”

 

    “When do you think he’ll grow his eyes back?”

 

    “Probably not for a few weeks.  What worries me is the right side of his face.  He suffered more damage here than on the left, probably due to the way he was hanging.  The skull cracked under the pressure inside of his head.  The brain tissue will regenerate, but he’ll be missing some memory, possibly skills he’s learned and who knows what else.  We won’t find out until he wakes up.”

 

    “Do you think he’ll remember what happened to him?”

 

    “I hope so, I’m curious about that.  He was hung up like a Christmas tree ornament and left to die.  Looks like hunter’s work.”

 

    “We’ve already got the protesters, are we going to have to deal with hunters too?” Ciel groaned.

 

    “Hunters are worse than protesters.”

 

    “Protesters are louder.”

 

    “Hunters are more dangerous.”

 

    “They’ve both been known to employ fire bombs.” Ciel pointed out.

 

    “Touche.”

 

11: 10 - Tiny Heart

    I reached down, till my fingers touched the pile of ash.  It clung to the tips, my trembling stirring particles into the air.  A drop of water fell, sending up a puff of ash.  It nestled in the pile, a single bead of moisture.  Another tear fell and I turned my head away.

 

    Desyre looked out the broken wall at the nighttime skyline, completely oblivious to my emotion.  She looked at the pile of ash on the floor, then back outside.  “I don’t get it, where are the bones?”

 

    I sniffed loudly.  “Bones?”

 

    She knelt down across the pile from me, raking her fingers through the ash.  She rubbed it between her fingers.  “There’s not enough here.”

 

    “Is that Gabriel or not?” Chris asked from the other side of the room.  He was going through some of the furniture there.

 

    “Not all of him.”  Desyre crossed her arms over her chest.

 

    “Not all of him?  What does that even mean?”  He tossed a broken wooden chair to the side.

 

    She looked up at the ceiling.  “He was hung up here, see part of the chain hanging up there?”  She frowned.  “Someone cut the body down afterward.”

 

    “Th-there...” I paused, swallowing.  “There’s n-no way he could have done it himself, is there?”

 

    She shook her head, closing her eyes.  “You say he went missing four days ago?”

 

    “Yeah, I was in the hospital for three days.”

 

    “Well, the body was only cut down less than a day ago.  I can smell the hunter, but it’s faded.  There is a new smell, two people that have the same smell, actually.  That’s much more recent.”  She turned her eyes to me.  “That means he at least two days hanging in the sun.  My Angel is powerful.  Maybe he could have lasted one day, but no vampire is strong enough to last a second.”

 

    My outstretched hand closed into a fist.  I stood up, my shoulders shaking.  “We were attacked without warning.  Gabriel didn’t deserve it.”  Both my hands clenched.  “He made a promise to me... that he would not kill while I was alive.  He kept that promise... even when defending himself.  These hunters... they had no reason to go after us.”

 

    “Evie...” Chris walked towards me slowly, his voice cautious.

 

    “I’ll kill him.” I said, my voice hard as steel.  “That old hunter, I’ll kill him myself!  Gabriel didn’t kill him at the car garage, and that led to his death.  So I’ll kill that hunter for him.”

 

    “Evie, no.” Chris put his hands on my shoulders and whirled me around.  “Killing is not easy.”  His voice was stern.  “It’s heavy, it’s the heaviest weight there is.  Even one life is enough to break a person.”

 

    “But it’s not fair!”

 

    “No, it’s not fair.  It hurts so much you feel like you’re going to explode.  Don’t stoke that flame, it’ll temper you into something you’re not meant to be!”

 

    I pushed him away roughly.  “What do you expect me to do then?  Go back home and forget all about Gabriel?  Like he never existed?  He’s not allowed to have justice?”

 

    Chris shook his head.  “Of course I wouldn’t ask you to forget him, but killing isn’t the answer.  Killing the hunter will just send more after you.”

 

    “Then I’ll kill them, too!” I screamed, tears burning down my cheeks.  I pointed my finger at the floor as my emotions overflowed.  “I’ll kill every damn hunter in this city if I have to!”

 

    Chris closed his mouth and just looked at me, his blue eyes filled with so much sympathy.  His shoulders slumped and his arms hung from them lifelessly.

 

    I wrapped my arms around myself as the fire of rage faded, leaving me cold and empty.  There was nothing to hold back the hurt as it threatened to break through my ribcage.  “He’s so stupid, getting killed like this.” I gasped between sobs.  “He’s so stupid.  He’s always telling me what to do, and criticizing the way I dress.”  I took a deep, shaky breath.  “He was sarcastic and... and annoying... and always had to have his way.  He tried to kill me a week after I met him, and... and... I got dragged all the way to Paris for a stupid blood feud.”

 

    My tears were making my head throb and ache.  I pressed the heels of my hands to the sides of my eyes, trying to hold the pain back.  My voice lowered to a whimper.  “He was smart, and funny, and tidy.  He always took me seriously when I needed him to.  And the last thing he said to me... was that I was the only person he could be himself around.  And... I miss him.”  I squeezed my eyes closed.  “I don’t want him to be dead.”

 

    Arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly to a cold chest.  It wasn’t Chris, but I didn’t care.  I wrapped my arms around Desyre and sobbed into her shirt.  “There there, sweetie.” she cooed softly in my ear.  “I miss him, too.  I’ve missed him for a long time.”

 

    She started humming then, soft and sweet.  It was a pure, golden sound that flowed into my ears and down, warming the icy shards growing in my chest.  It was more than just her beautiful voice.  There was a warmth beneath it that healed, easing hurts and smoothing over scars.

 

    She opened her mouth and sang wordlessly, a haunting aria that spoke of pain and loss.  It evoked a deep and tireless loneliness, of never grasping the unreachable, of losing the unwinnable.

 

    My heart bled in my chest, pulsing hurt that was warm with memory, dispelling the jagged ice of loss.  When she stopped singing, she said to me: “We’ll carry on, that’s all we can do.”

 

    I pulled away from her and rubbed my nose on my shirt sleeve, sniffing loudly.  “Thank you.” I said weakly.  “Sorry about your shirt.”

 

    “I never wear the same ones twice anyway.” she smiled, her voice still kind.

 

    “What was Gabriel to you?” I asked.  “Why did he mean so much that you tracked him down to his front door?”

 

    “I think I’ll share that with you.  A short answer, because right now our feelings are so similar.”  She put one hand over her heart.  “I wouldn’t be here without my Angel.  He is the most important person to me in the whole world, because he literally made me who I am.”

 

    Understanding peeked it’s head around a corner of my mind.  “You mean, he...?”

    She nodded.  “Your Gabriel, my Angel, was the one who turned me into a vampire.”

 

 

    ********

 

    February 1648

 

    I was going to die, there were no two ways about it.  Tonight was my last night in this world.

 

    I strained against the chains binding my arms and legs, they groaned in protest, but did not snap.  I had wanted them strong, hadn’t I?

 

    Right now the memory of my arrangements leading to this predicament was a faded blur in the face of overwhelming terror.  The boat tipped again, sending the icy ocean water crashing against the hull.  I screamed, renewing my struggles.

 

    It was no use, I wasn’t getting free, not until we docked anyway.  What had possessed me to take this trip?  Was I that desperately bored of England?  There were still towns and villages I hadn’t been through, right?  Surely there was still some viable quarry left?

 

    Maybe I could go back, we were only out a day at sea so far.  How far could that be?

 

    My insides shriveled a little at the thought of how much seawater was between myself and the shore.

 

    “I’m going to die.” I moaned aloud.

 

    “With the way yer thrashin’, you’ll wear yer heart right out.” a small voice said.

 

    I turned my head to the sound.  Across the cargo area was a ladder that led up to the deck.  A slim finger stood next to the ladder.

 

    “What are you doing down here?” I demanded.  “I specifically ordered that I not be disturbed until we reach port.”

 

    “The Cap’n sent me down, sir.  He said I was ta feed ya.”  She stepped closer, a covered wooden tray in her hands.

 

    “He sent you down with a tray, did he?”  Even in the state I was, I could appreciate the humor in that.

 

    “No, sir.  I fetched it from the Galley myself.”  Looking at her, I could tell immediately she was a slave girl.  Her dark skin and hair, her thin, starved limbs, and of course the manacles binding her ankles together so she didn’t run away.  Or, in this case, swim.

 

    I looked back up to the ceiling.  “I’m not hungry right now.”

 

    She set the tray down on the floor.  “Can I ask ya a question?”

 

    “By all means.”

 

    “Why in blazes have ya chained yerself ta the bottom of the ship?”

 

    “Because I’m recklessly foolish.” I answered honestly.

 

    “Lost a wager?” she asked sympathetically.

 

    “I am not a gambler... most of the time.”

 

    “Then what are ya?”

 

    I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.  “You would not believe me if I told you.”

 

    “As long as it’s the truth, I’ll believe it.”

 

    “Fine then.  I am a monster.  I paid the fine captain of this vessel a large sum of money to chain me to the bottom of this ship so that I do not tear it apart board by board out of sheer terror.”  I wasn’t sure exactly why, but talking to this girl was helping me to forget my fear of the water.  It was still very much present in my mind, but I was able to push it to the side and have a somewhat normal conversation.

 

    She was quiet for a long while.  “Are you still there?” I asked.

 

    “Still here.  Just wonderin’ how much seawater ya drank.”

 

    I laughed, a strained laugh, but still a laugh.  “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

 

    “Well, how could I?  Rippin’ apart the whole ship, indeed.”

 

    “I could do it.” I assured her.

 

    “That would be sumthin’ to see.  I’d give anythin’ for it ta happen, too.” she said with vigour.  “I’m not lookin’ forward to reachin’ land so much, ya see.”

 

    “If it’s any consolation, you won’t reach it.”

 

    “What’s that supposed ta mean?”

 

    “The captain sent you down here to feed me.  He didn’t mean for you to bring down food.  You’re the meal.”

 

    “Ya can’t be serious.” she scoffed.  “What kind of folks ARE Englishmen, anyways?”

 

    “I told you already, I’m a monster.”

 

    “If ya are, then why are ya scared?  If ya could tear the whole ship apart, what could scare you?”

 

    “Isn’t it obvious?  I’m scared of the water.”

 

    She stared at me a long time.  “Ya really are daft, ya know that, right?”  Instead of retreating away from me, she drew closer.  She looked down at my face with sympathy in her dark brown eyes.  “Yer white as a sheet, yer so scared.”

 

    “Actually, this is how I normally look.”  The boat lurched to the side and my whole body tensed.

 

    She placed a hand on my forehead and shushed gently.  “Poor thing.” she said softly.  She began to hum softly, a beautiful sound that grew from her chest.  My body slowly relaxed as she started to sing.

 

    It was a song in a language I did not recognize, most likely originating from the home country the slavers had ripped her out of.  It was deep and earthy, and when I closed my eyes I could almost feel firm ground under my feet.  The rocking of the boat faded into periphery and with it, my fear drained away.

 

    When she stopped I opened my eyes again, feeling almost calm.  “Are ya ready for food yet?” she asked.

 

    With my terror banished, I could feel the familiar desire for blood returning, but it was still dim.  “I think I’ll wait a bit more.”

 

    “I’ll wait here with ya, wouldn’t want ya ta starve.”

 

    “I won’t starve with you around.” I smiled faintly.

 

********

 

I drifted back to consciousness.  What had all that been?  A dream?  A memory?

 

    “Anais!  Anais!  Look, look!”  The boy’s voice ripped through my thoughts.  “His arms are growing back!”  Ciel sounded unbearably excited.

 

    I picked up the sound of light running, then Anais’ voice.  “Let me see.”

 

    “Look, right here.”  I felt my shoulder lift up off the bed.  “See the bone jutting out there?  I measured it, it’s an inch longer than it was yesterday.  He’s growing his arms back!”  The boy’s voice was practically giddy.

 

    “His face is looking a little better, too.”  She commented.  “Have you checked to see if his eyes were growing back?”

 

    “Not yet.  I want to wait a week, just to make sure he has eyelids, in case I damage them.  This is all so fascinating.  Can you believe how much we’ve learned while taking care of him?  I wonder how we can repay him for teaching us so much.”

 

    “Wasn’t saving his life repayment enough?  You’ve been getting awfully excited, Ciel.  I hope for your sake that he’s everything you imagine him to be.”

 

    “What do you mean?  I’m not THAT excited.”

 

    “You can’t lie to me, I know everything about you.  You’re expecting someone worth having saved, someone worth having to go through all this trouble, but, not everyone is like us.  Farm life has made us soft, we are not as vicious as most of our brethren.”

 

    “Only the young ones are like that, Anais.  He’s at least as old as we are.  The doctor said so.”

“Age does not always bring wisdom, Ciel.” Anais said softly.  

12: 11 - Death & Rebirth

    February 1648

 

    “How’re ya feelin’ now?  Hungry yet?”

 

    I was growing hungry, but not quite ready to slay the young slave girl, not that she knew what was going to happen.  She still thought she was supposed to feed me human food.

 

    “I’m not starving, and would like to hear your singing again.”

 

    She shook her head.  “Ah nearly kill’d my voice just now.  Ah should’na dun it, but ya looked so scared.”

 

    “Is something wrong with your voice?” I asked.

 

    She laughed a hoarse laugh.  “There’s somethin’ wrong wit all of me.”  She pulled up one of her sleeves and I could see dark oozing welts marring her chocolate colored skin.

 

    “You’re beaten pretty badly.”

 

    “That too, but these’re from the sickness.”  She smiled widely.  “Ah’ll prolly be dead afore we reach port.  The cap’n got a sore deal when he bought me.”

 

    “He doesn’t expect you to make it to port, if it’s any consolation.”

 

    “Then he’s as daft as ya.”

 

    “I know him personally.  Trust me, he’s much more daft than I am.”

 

    She wrapped her arms around her knees.  “Tell me about ‘im.”

 

    I scrutinized the ceiling, barely noticing the ship’s rocking now.  “He’s the same as me, but our personalities are completely different.  The sea is in his blood, has been for as long as he can remember.  I joke with him often that he must have been born on a ship.  He does not fear the water as he should.  He respects the sea, but somehow the fear does not take hold of him.”

 

    “So, he should be scared of the water, like ya?”

 

    She laughed again, coughing at the end of it.  “Yer so daft.” she said, with a sort of fondness in her voice.

 

    “Not any more so than most.  The Captain is the daft one, who’s ever heard of a vampire pirate?”

 

    “Ah don’t believe a word yer sayin’.”

 

    “You should.  I never lie.”

 

    This surprised her, making her eyes go wide.  “Wut, nevah?  That’s rich.”

 

    “Never.  A lie is the ugliest thing in the world.  It taints a person down to their soul.  Tell a lie long enough, and even the liar will believe it.”

 

    “Sounds like a lie hurt ya pretty bad.”  I stayed silent.  She was right, but if I confirmed it, she would only ask for details I wasn’t willing to share.

 

    “Where did you learn to sing?” I changed the subject, a skill I had perfected ages ago.

 

    “My mama taught me.” she answered cheerfully.  “Ah miss ‘er so much.”

 

    “She was a good mother?”

 

    “The best tha’ she could be.”  She shifted uncomfortably.  “The slavers killed ‘er a few years back, when they tried ta take me.  Ah was too little ta stop them.”

 

    “That’s why you wouldn’t mind being strong enough to rip apart this ship, isn’t it?”

 

    She shrugged.  “Better’n dyin’ ere.”

 

    “I suppose anything would be better than that...”

 

    She smiled a wide, crooked smile.  I could count the gaps in her teeth, but it wasn’t an unattractive smile.  “Not much ah kin do about tha, though, is there?”

 

    “Nothing you could do, but maybe I could help you.”

 

    “Wha kin you do, chained ta a crate?”

 

    “You’d have to unlock me, of course.”

 

    She shook her head.  “Ah’m supposed ta feed ya, not free ya.”

 

    I sighed in exasperation.  “These are my chains, I’m restricted by my own free will.  The keys are in my coat there.”  I gestured awkwardly with my face.

 

    She crawled over to where my coat lay over a barrel and reached into the pocket.  A set of three skeleton keys hung from her fingers.

 

    “Those are them, bring them over.”  I added a layer of influence to my voice, and she obeyed.

 

    ********

 

 

    “I’m taking off the bandages now.”  Ciel said

 

    “His skin has grown back already?”

 

    “His chest and torso, yeah.  He’s still regrowing his arms though.”

 

    “Ciel, I thought you got all the ash off his legs?” Anais asked impatiently.

 

    “I did, last night.  That’s not ash.  His body is trashing the dead cells so it can make new ones.”

 

    “Ohhhh.  That makes sense, then.  That way his arms and legs will match.  He still hasn’t regained consciousness yet?”

 

    “Look at the monitor, no sign of conscious brain activity.”

 

    “He must be pretty deep under then.  I wonder what he’s dreaming about.”

 

    ********

 

February 1648

 

    The heavy locks soon thudded on the wooden floorboards.  I sat up at once, turning to her in one motion.

 

    It was at that moment that the ship rocked violently, waves crashing against the hull.  Terror blinded me briefly and I clutched the girl’s shoulders.

 

    “S’all right.” she said softly, putting her hands up to my face.  “This ship is good and strong.  Tha water’s not gettin’ in.”

 

    My fear subsided almost at once.  “How are you doing that?”

 

    “What am ah doin’?”

 

    “When you talk to me, the fear goes away.” I said.  “It’s like I don’t even notice the water, the whole ocean of water... just a few yards away...”  I started to shake and she gripped my wrists calmly.

 

    “Ya’ve never been soothed before, ‘ave ya?” she asked, sympathy in her voice.  “Look at me, ah’ve lost everthin’ tha was ever important.  But... ya never had it in the first place.”

 

    ********

 

    

    “His arms and legs have grown back.”  Ciel’s voice, soft and happy.

 

    “That’s the last of the bandages.  Should we dress him?” Anais asked.

 

    “Sure, get him some of my old clothes, they should fit him perfectly.”

 

    “I’ve always admired that dark blue suit of yours...”

 

    “Anais, when do you think he’ll wake up?  He’s been healing this whole time and he’s not woken even once.”

 

    “He’ll wake up when he’s healed.”

 

    “Don’t you think it’s strange though?  Healing doesn’t usually leave someone unconscious like this.  I hope nothing’s wrong with him.”

 

    ********

 

    February 1648

 

    “Do you want to live through this voyage?” I asked her seriously.

 

    “More than anythin’.” she answered just as serious.

 

    “Even if it means never seeing the sun again?”  That was important to humans, I remembered.  Why, I hadn’t a clue.

 

    This made her think a moment.  “‘ow could ah see the sky anyway, if ah’m dead?”

 

    “I don’t mean not going outside again, not seeing the sky.  If I change you, the sun would burn you, you wouldn’t be able to go out in daylight.”

 

    She shrugged and gestured around.  “Wha’ do ah have to live for?”

 

    “I’m not going to kill you.  I’ll change you.  There is a distinction.”

 

    “Yer a madman.” she said calmly.  “You’ll kill me, but ah don’t care.  Ah’m sher ya kin give me a better death than illness.”

 

    ********

 

“He’s been healed almost a week, what’s taking him so long to awaken?”  Ciel asked impatiently.

 

    “He might only appear to be fully healed.” Anais answered practically.  “Most likely his internal organs are still regenerating.”

 

    “But he’s healed, inside and out.  Fully.  I had the doctor run an x-ray.  Everything is intact.”  Ciel was silent a moment, contemplative.  “Maybe you’re right and his brain has been affected negatively.”

 

    “What?  You think he’s forgotten how to wake up?”

 

    “The healing was drastic.  He’s changed so much since we found him.  Maybe in the end it’s not enough.  Maybe he’ll just stay like this: alive, but unresponsive.  Look here, I touch him with silver.  His skin burns but there’s no response on the monitor.”

 

    “Just wait a little longer Ciel, before you dismiss him as permanently comatose.  I know saving him means a lot to you.  You want to be a great doctor, too.  And you will be... the best doctor our kind has ever had.”

 

    “Anais, you’ve always had a cool head to temper my emotional heart.  Where would I be without you?”

 

    “Staked and probably hung up like this guy was.”

 

    ********

 

February 1648

 

The boat rocked mightily, but I kept my perch on the crate, holding the lid down with my weight.  The water’s threat had diminished significantly.  We were finally at port.

 

The hatch opened almost immediately and my old friend dropped lightly down to the floor.  “The sun’s just set and we’ve finally docked.  Time for some revelry!”

 

He was a daft old fool, that Captain Donovan Blackswell.  He wore a long, garish, red coat trimmed with gold thread.  Underneath that was a garishly frilly white shirt and black waistcoat.  The only sensible thing he wore were his long, black leather boots.  He carried a sword at his side who’s blade was pure silver and who’s hilt was of gold.

 

“Paris awaits us, my friend!”  He grinned at me under a mop of ragged, dusty blond hair.  He saw me sitting on the crate, alone and his smile turned to a look of confusion.  “I could of sworn I sent a meal down to you a fortnight ago...”  He ran a hand through his hair, pulling it out of his eyes for a brief second.  “Did you consume her flesh and bones as well?”

 

“Her clothes were too tough for my teeth.” I grinned back at him.  I rapped the box under me and it lurched forward, the lid nearly coming off with me still on top of it.  I managed to force it back in place, with some effort.  I perched back atop it again.

 

Understanding dawned in Donovan’s eyes.  “I see...”  He put his hands at his waist.  “So you turned her, eh?  Why would you do a daft thing like that?”

 

I shrugged.  “I wanted to save her voice.”

 

Confusion clouded my friend’s eyes once more.  “How’s turning her gonna do that?”

 

“She was half dead when you bought her.” I said in exasperation.  “How else was she going to make it to port?”

 

Donovan arched a brow at me.  “You’ve never turned anyone before have you?”

 

********

 

My eyes flew open.  I sat up, reaching my hands under me, pressing down firmly with all my weight.  Fear and horror clutched at my chest.  I had done something so terrible, so unforgiving.

 

I blinked and the small white room came into focus.  I sat perched atop a plain white bed.  The ship was gone, merely a fever dream.  A memory long passed.

 

I was not alone here.  I turned to the girl who sat at the other end of the room, a large book in her hands.  She was a small girl, with short black hair done in large, wavy curls that covered one eye.

 

She wore a pale pink dress with black lace accents, pale white tights covering her calves, the tops ending just under her knee and edged with more black lace.  Large rocking horse shoes covered her small feet, tied with pale pink ribbon.

 

She stared at me, the one blue eye that I could see wide with surprise.  She dropped the book on the floor and ran out the door.  “Cieeeeel!”

 

Footsteps converged on the room.  A boy entered first, his blue eyes wild with excitement.  “You’re awake!” he cried, rushing over to me.

 

I scooted back on the bed as the boy placed his hands on the mattress and leaned towards me.  “What’s your name?  I’m Ciel, I saved your life.”

 

He was a small boy, with straight, jet black hair and alabaster skin.  His hair fell over one eye, covering it completely.  He wore a black suit jacket and black shorts, as well as a white shirt that was particularly fancy, tied at the neck with a thin black ribbon.

 

“I- I’m...”  I looked around the room.  “Where am I?”

 

“You’re at the doctor’s clinic.  I brought you here after Anais and I found you tied up in that old building.”  His black eyebrows scrunched together.  “What were you doing there?”

 

“I don’t know, the last thing I remember...”  The ship’s interior flashed before my eyes and I flinched.  “I don’t know.”

 

“What’s your name?”  Ciel reached into his pocket and pulled out a stethoscope.  He put it on and placed a hand on my back with a practiced air, pressing the stethoscope to my chest.

 

I blinked in confusion.  “My name?”

 

“Do you remember your name?”  The girl asked, peeking around Ciel’s frame.

 

“Of course I do!”  Anger burst out of my chest, unwarranted.  It vanished just as quickly.  “It’s...”  I looked back at Ciel.  “What are you doing?”

 

“Recording your heartbeat.”  He put the stethoscope away.  “Ten beats a minute, perfectly normal.”  He leaned his face close to mine again, peering into my eyes.  He shined a light quickly into my face.  I squinted against it.  “Pupil response is normal.”

 

“I’ll go fetch the doctor.” Anais declared, running lightly out the room.

 

Ciel put the light away and I stared at him.  There was something strange about this boy, but I couldn’t quite place what.  “Are you alright?” he asked, pressing his forehead against mine.  “You don’t have a fever.”

 

I was starting to understand what the problem was.  “You’re small.” I said bluntly.

 

He stepped back and smiled, showing off his pointed fangs.  “Yeah, I am.”

 

I slid off the bed, standing in front of him.  We were eye to eye.  “We’re the same height.”

 

“You’re a quick one.”

 

I looked down at my hands.  They were tiny, like that of a child’s.  “I wasn’t this small before.  I remember that much.  What happened to me?”

 

“You were out in the sun.” Ciel answered gently.  “You lost sixty percent of your body mass.”

 

I recalled a blinding light and the feel of burning, and flinched again.  “How am I still alive?  I’m dead, aren’t I?”  I looked around the plain white room.  “This is hell, isn’t it?”

 

“This isn’t hell.  Now listen to me.  I brought you here and fed you till you healed.  You killed all of the houseplants in the entire clinic by the way.  The doctor was not happy about that.  Things like that are bad for business.”

 

I put my fingers to my face, feeling the smooth, slightly chubby cheeks.  “The doctor?”

 

“Doctor Gregory Smythe, he owns the ‘Gentle Skies Birthing Clinic’, our home.”  He spread his arms out grandly.  “Welcome.”

 

“You saved my life?” I asked.  “Why would you do that?”

 

“I couldn’t just leave you there without trying to save you.  I’m studying to be a doctor, like Doctor Smythe.  He’s the only vampire doctor in the entire city.”

 

“I’m having trouble remembering what happened to me.” I admitted.

 

“You suffered a lot of cranial trauma.  Your skull split from the pressure of the sunlight.  Anais said it looked like a squished grape in there.”  He made a face.  “You’re bound to have lost some memory, but hopefully most of it is just temporary.  In the mean time you can stay here.”

 

“It looks like I’ll have to.” I said helplessly, dropping my hands to my sides.

 

“How are you feeling?” he asked sympathetically.

 

“Like I’ve lost something very important.”

 

He placed his hands on my shoulders.  “I understand.  The memory loss must be very frustrating.”

 

“It’s something else.  Something I was supposed to get back to.  It’s extremely urgent.”  It was barely a feeling, more like an echo in my chest.  What was it?

“The things that affect us the most are written in many parts of our brain.  If it’s really that important, then it’ll come back to you.”

13: 12 - Waiting to Remember You

I sat on my white bed in my plain room, staring at nothing.  Just how had I ended up in this situation?  It was so hard to remember, and what I could recall was a jumble of random thoughts and feelings.  I couldn’t even put it all together coherently enough to think about.

 

I needed something to do.  Something to keep me busy until my thoughts organized themselves.  Ciel visited my room frequently, so I was able to express my desire for work.

 

His mouth twisted a little, doubt furrowing his young brow.  “I guess you could help us with the patients.” he said uncertainly.

 

“I feel fine.” I insisted.  “Better than fine, I’m not hurt anywhere.”  I spread my arms out, as if to show him I was without injury.

 

“It’s not just that though.  I don’t know how you’re going to be around humans.  They give us our food, so you absolutely can not hurt them or else they won’t come back.”

 

Now it was my turn to be confused.  “How do you get food from them without hurting them?”

 

“Farming.” Ciel answered simply.  “I can show you, if you like.”

 

We exited the room and I was grateful to leave it and it’s blandness behind.  Ciel took me to an elevator and we headed down.  I stared around the inside of the elevator, highly perplexed.  “I know that this is an elevator,” I said, running my hand along the mirrored wall.  “But I can’t remember ever seeing one before now.”

 

“It’s your memory still acting up.  You’ll get some of it back.”

 

“But how much?”

 

“I wish I knew enough so I could tell you.”

 

I studied the pair of us in the mirror.  We wore similar suits.  Mine in blue and Ciel’s in black.  We were the same height, but Ciel was slightly thinner in the cheeks.  His blue eye not hidden under his hair contrasted my deep red eyes.  Our suits were done in an old Victorian style, with shorts instead of pants.

 

The elevator doors opened and there was Anais.  She wore a pale blue dress that was more ruffles and lace than satin.  She wore long white gloves on her fingers and shiny black Mary Janes.  A small, pale blue top hat was attached to the side of her head due to the clever use of bobby pins.  “Ciel, what are you doing?” she asked.

 

“Our new friend is interested in what we do here.” Ciel replied.  “I thought I would show him around the clinic.”

 

Her expression turned worried.  “Do you think that is wise?  The patients are very fragile.”

 

Faced with the thought of going back to my dull room I dropped down to one knee graciously, taking the girl’s gloved hand in my own.  I looked up into her eyes imploringly.  “I vow to be on my best behavior around your patients.”

 

She stared at me in shock for a moment, then turned her eyes to the side.  “I suppose it’s all right, but only if you watch him, Ciel.”

 

I looked over at the boy, who was positively glaring at me.  He walked over to us and pulled our hands apart.  “Anais is not to be charmed by you.” he announced.

 

I stood up.  “I was only expressing my sincerity.” I assured him.  “I have no intentions towards your sister.”  I looked down at myself.  “Especially like this.”

 

Ciel held onto Anais’ hand firmly.  “Anais is not my sister.” he said firmly.  “She is my wife.”

 

It was my turn to be surprised.  “My apologies, again.  You look so similar I just assumed...”

 

Anais put a hand on her husband’s shoulder.  “Ciel, calm down.  You’ll upset the patients if they see you like this.”

 

Ciel relaxed immediately.  “I’m sorry, Anais.  You know how jealous I get.”

 

She reached up and straightened his tie.  “Yes, yes, I am all too familiar with your emotional outbursts.  My shift is done now and it’s your turn.  Go and do your job.”

 

He put both hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead gently.  “I will do my best, and I will take care to keep an eye on our new friend around the patients.”

 

“I know you will.”  She pulled away from him and stepped into the still open elevator.  Ciel and I exited.  The silver colored doors slid closed and Anais was gone.

 

“I apologize for my outburst.”  Ciel bit his lower lip, one fang peeking out.

 

“I apologize for over-stepping myself.” I replied.

 

The boy’s face cleared.  “Then we are even.”  I nodded.  “Good, well, let me show you around.”

 

“What exactly is a Birthing Clinic?” I asked was we made our way down the hall.

 

“A Birthing Clinic is a place where human women go to have their babies.  Doctor Smythe employs a full staff of midwives to assist mothers-to-be with their most important deliveries.”

 

Now I was confused.  “Wait, small humans are born in hospitals. I’m pretty sure I know that.”  We paused in front of a Nurse’s Station.  The women behind the counter smiled radiantly at Ciel and let us pass.

 

“Most infants are born in hospitals, yes.” Ciel wrinkled his nose.  “Hospitals are dismal, functional places.  We offer a more natural and caring environment to help assist with natural birth.”

 

The hall we were walking through certainly did look cheery.  The walls were painted pale coral and the floors were plushly carpeted.  The entire right wall was glass, showing the stunning cityscape outside.

 

I shivered unconsciously as I looked at the skyline, glad it was night.

 

The walls were decorated with large prints of kittens and puppies, as well as bulletin boards jammed with photos of infants.

 

“This is the Maternity Ward, where new mothers and their children rest after birth.” Ciel explained.  “The actual birthing rooms are downstairs.”

 

“So, what is it that you and Anais do, exactly?” I asked.

 

“We make the Mothers comfortable, in any way that we can.”  He smiled.  “I’ll show you.”

 

He took my hand in his and led me into one of the rooms.  Inside was a single bed, a bassinet, a huge picture window, a rocking chair, a large flat screen television, and a desk with a lamp and laptop.  A nurse was in the process of helping the woman in the bed to her feet.  In the bassinet was a pink, fleshy bundle wrapped up tightly in blankets.

 

“Good evening Mrs. Avery.” Ciel said warmly.  “Are you headed for your bath?”

 

The nurse nodded.  “I was just helping her, Ciel.  Look after the little one while we’re in the bathroom please.”

 

“Oh no.” the woman said faintly, obviously exhausted.  “They’re too young, can we get another nurse?”

 

“Mrs. Avery.” the nurse scolded lightly.  “Ciel knows exactly what he’s doing.  Look at you, you haven’t slept, you must be exhausted.”

 

“I just want to make sure... he’s so small, anything could happen to him...”

 

“Nothing will happen to your child, Mrs. Avery.” Ciel swore, hand on his chest.  “I promise to look after and protect him while you have your bath.”

 

The woman looked at him a moment, then sagged against the nurse in defeat.  “All right then.”  The nurse led her to a door next to the desk.

 

When they were gone, Ciel walked over to the bassinet and peered inside.  He smiled warmly at the bundle.  “You’re so big and chubby.  You’ll grow up very strong.”  The bundle squirmed a little and Ciel lifted it up out of the bassinet, cradling it tenderly.  He sat in the chair and rocked slowly.

 

He looked over at me and smiled.  “You still seem confused.”

 

“Well, yes.” I admitted.  “This is your job?  Looking after newborns?  Why?”

 

“The humans give us our food.” Ciel said simply.

 

My eyebrows pressed together.  “Then, you feed on the children.”

 

Ciel shook his head.  “No never.  The mothers give us our food.”

 

“So, you feed on the mothers?”

 

“Not exactly.”

 

“Then I’m extremely confused.  Where does your, our, food come from?”

 

Ciel looked back down at the baby in his arms.  “We collect the amniotic fluids expelled during childbirth.” he answered simply.  “It tastes awful, but it’s superior to blood in many ways.  It’s rich in nutrients and even has stem cells.  It helps our bodies regenerate faster, move swifter, and become much stronger.”

 

“This is also why you and Anais resemble children?” I guessed.

 

“You as well.  It was the only thing I fed you while you healed, and is probably why you’re still standing there now.”

 

“So, all of this, this whole place, just to collect amniotic fluid?  How many births do you get a night?”

 

Ciel smiled proudly.  “Over a dozen.  Enough to keep Anais and I healthy for a very long time.”

 

“What about the doctor?” I asked.  “He can’t be young like you two.”

 

“Doctor Smythe drinks pig’s blood, and sparingly at that.  It gives him an older appearance, much more trustworthy for a doctor.  He sells his share of the fluids to other vampires.  He also makes a good deal of money with the clinic.  Food isn’t everything, you know.”

 

I crossed my arms over my chest.  “That is true, I suppose.  I guess you have an interesting setup going on here.”

 

“And you’re a part of it, while you work to regain your memories.” Ciel stood up and walked over to me.  He stepped very close and held the tiny human out.  “Here, hold him.”

 

I looked down at the child, who was back to sleep.  I dropped my arms to my sides.  “No, I’ll drop him or something.”

 

“The doctor insists that you do work while you’re staying here.” Ciel reminded me.  “You won’t drop him.  Here, I’ll help you.”

 

Soon the infant was in my arms.  Ciel’s hands hovered under my elbows as I cradled the child against my chest.  “Oh hey, you’ve done this before.” he said cheerfully.

 

“Have I?” I asked, my voice hollow.  I could feel a stirring in the corners of my mind.  A flutter of wings against a birdcage’s door.

 

This was familiar.  I had done this before, held a tiny life in my arms ever so gently.  The nervousness sprang up in my chest and a voice echoed in my head.  “Of course you’re not going to drop him...  He’s your son...”

 

“Lucien...” I whispered softly.

 

“Close, his name is Luke.” Ciel said.

 

“I remember.” I said, looking up.  “I remember my son.”

 

Ciel smiled broadly.  “That’s excellent!” he exclaimed.  “Do you remember anything else?  How old is he?  Where is he now?”

 

I shook my head.  “The rest is jumbled and confusing.  Like everything is trying to come at me all at once.  All I know is that something is wrong with him.  We’ve grown apart, almost worlds away...”

 

Ciel put a hand on my shoulder.  “The rest will come back to you.” he assured me for what felt like the millionth time.

 

“I hope so.  There’s something I know I have to get back to, but I don’t know what that is.  I keep feeling that I have to hurry, because time’s going to run out.”

 

********

 

After Ciel’s shift was done, he took me to Dr. Smythe’s office.  He tapped on the door lightly and was immediately answered with a gruff “Come in”.

 

Gregory Smythe looked exactly like my impression of what a Senior Doctor would look like.  He was thin and his pale skin was wrinkled, but not sagging.  His hair was white and he was balding at the top.  His eyes were stone gray and surprisingly alert behind a pair of black rimmed glasses.  He wore a trim black suit, whose style was much more modern than Ciel’s, over which he wore a long white lab coat.

 

“This is our guest, then?” he asked, scrutinizing me carefully from behind his huge black walnut desk.

 

“He doesn’t remember his name, or I would introduce you properly.” Ciel explained.  “I showed him around Ward 1 and he’s expressed interest in the work.”  The boy smiled at me briefly before turning back to the doctor.  “Also, we discovered he has experience with infants.”

 

Dr. Smythe bridged his fingers together over his paperwork.  “That is alright with me, then.”  He looked over at me.  “Ciel has told me of your rather extensive memory loss.  With your permission, I would like to run a few tests, to see if we can uncover the mind’s secrets.”

 

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get my memory back.” I told him.

 

“We can begin whenever you like, then.”  The doctor looked back down at his paperwork, picking up his pen.

 

“Well, what are you doing right now?”

 

Dr. Smythe set his pen down and looked back at me for a moment.  He stood up and straightened his lab coat.  “Right this way.”

 

********

 

I looked into the tub of water doubtfully.  “What is this?”

 

“It’s a Sensory Deprivation Tank.” Ciel explained.  “The water is filtered and distilled, so it shouldn’t hurt you.”

 

“How is this supposed to help me regain my memories?”

 

“By blocking out all external distractions, we focus the mind inwards.” Dr. Smythe said gravely.

 

“It’s very relaxing for the mothers.” Ciel smiled at me.  “You can change into your shorts behind that curtain.”  He pointed towards the other end of the room.

 

I stepped behind the curtain and disrobed.  After I pulled on a set of black swim trunks I took a second to inspect my new body.  My skin was pale of course, and I was on the thin side, but I was dismayed by how little shape I had.  My arms and legs were soft sticks dangling from my flat torso.  I had no definition, no musculature.  This body was not right for me at all.  I would have to switch to pig’s blood like Dr. Smythe, but then I ran the risk of looking aged like him.  Wasn’t there a happy medium?

 

“Are you alright?” Ciel asked, stepping towards the curtain.

 

“I’m ready.” I pulled back the curtain, dodging his question.

 

Dr. Smythe levelled his stony eyes on me, his expression dour.  “Before we begin I must warn you that the things you might see or hear inside of the chamber are not real.  Once the mind is starved of external stimulus, it begins to create it’s own.  You will peer into the depths of your unconsciousness, and you may not like what you find there.”

 

“If you want to get out, we won’t hear you.” Ciel explained.  “So I’m going to open the tank after fifteen minutes no matter what.

 

I nodded, understanding.  “I’m ready for anything my brain can give me.  Ever since I woke up I’ve felt like I’m trapped in the desert, now I just want to see something on the horizon.”

 

“As long as it’s not a mirage...” Dr. Smythe said ominously.

 

Ciel helped me up into the tank.  I lay on my back and the purified water just covered my ears, leaving my face dry.  The water made my skin tingle, but did not burn.  Ciel slid the heavy cover easily into place and darkness fell over me.

 

********

 

“You’re terrible at this.”

 

“I am not.  I’m hitting all the notes perfectly.”  I stared at the screen in rapt concentration, watching the colored disks fly down their rows towards me, hitting the corresponding keys on my guitar-shaped controller.

 

“You lack style.  You just stand there all stiff.  You’re supposed to be having fun.”

 

“I have to watch the screen!  There’s like, fifty notes a second coming at me.”

 

“Then stop playing on ‘insane’.”

 

I glanced over sourly, but there was no one standing next to me.  The mike stand was set up, but no one stood at it.

 

I wasn’t startled, I didn’t look around.  I just went back to playing, not even noticing that no one was with me.

 

There was someone singing, terribly but with feeling.  Perhaps the most dangerous combination in a singer.  It reminded me of a much different voice, from a long long time ago.  Different sounding, but with that same feeling.  A feeling I had wanted so much to preserve, but had only succeeded in making things worse.

 

I closed that door before it could open fully, shutting the memories behind it.  Ancient history wasn’t important now.  I needed to remember what I had to get back to.

 

I sat across the table from an empty seat.  A mug sat in the center.  I poured a little something into it from the bottle in my hand.  “Lucien told me today... that he has a human wife.”

 

Why was it that whenever the world started to make sense to me, it went and turned itself right on it’s ear?  Was it a concentrated effort by fate, or was it all coincidence?

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I’m de-buckshotting you.”

 

“Stop it, I’ll take care of the rest.”  Why was I always being fussed over?  As if I wasn’t looked after, I’d be dead in a week.

 

    Who?  Who felt this way about me?

 

    There was no one on the floor next to where I lay on the couch.  The tweezers lay on the coffee table, untouched.

 

    No one.  There was no one there.

 

    No annoying voice in my ear, no awful nagging to put up with.  No one to carry out of a mausoleum in the dead of night.  No one to complain about my driving.  No one to assault me with their weak, useless, sobbing.

 

    No one to care if I get hit with a pound of silver buckshot.  No one to cover me with a blanket to protect me from the sun when I was so weak I could barely move.  No one to give a crap long enough to infiltrate an entire building of vampires in order to rescue me from my estranged wife.

 

    No one was in front of me, blocking my way.  No one was behind me, constantly following me around.  No one was beside me, with a shoulder to lean on and a silver revolver in hand.

 

    I was alone.

 

    ********

 

    When Ciel cracked the chamber open and peered in at me, I stared up at him, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes.  “Are you all right?  What’s wrong!?”  He reached into the tank and pulled me up by my shoulders.

 

    “I don’t remember.” I gasped, hating how small and weak my voice sounded.  “I can’t remember.”  I clutched blindly at Ciel.  When was the last time I had cried like this?  I couldn’t recall that, either.

    “Calm him down and bring him, Ciel.” Dr. Smythe said.  “It’s time he had an MRI.”

14: 13 - Reunion

    “Hey, your shift is downstairs with me today.” Anais said, pulling on a long white glove.  “We’ll be doing greetings.”  She looked over at me briefly.  “Are you still looking at that?  Your test results were normal.”

 

    I looked at the sheet of paper in my hand one last time, then placed it on the white table next to my bed.  “My brain is healed, does this mean I’ve remembered everything I’m going to?”

 

    “No one fully understands the brain, human or vampire.” Anais scoffed.  “You can sit in here and mope about it, or you can get out and do some work, and maybe trigger some memories.”

 

    “What if I don’t trigger any memories?”

 

    “Then at least you’re earning your keep.”

 

    She had a point.  I slid off the bed and pulled on my tiny black shoes.  “This will be my first day downstairs, please guide me.” I said politely.

 

    “Of course.”

 

    She took me all the way downstairs via the elevator, briefing me as we travelled.  “The weatherman says it’s going to be in the nineties today.” she sighed.  “The front office does not have any windows that go outside, so we’ll be safe from the sun.  You do have to be careful of the doors, though.  They are glass and face the windows in the hallway, allowing some sunlight to come into the room later in the afternoon.”

 

    I nodded in comprehension.  “Is it wise to work so close to sunlight?”

 

    “It’s fine as long as you’re careful, as with anything.” she replied.  “Be especially courteous to the new patients.  It’s going to be hot outside and they are already carrying up to thirty pounds of extra weight.”  She scrutinized me a bit.  “You’re an inch taller today than you were yesterday.”

 

    “I’m not drinking as much as when I was healing.” I admitted.  “I don’t think looking this way is right for me.”

 

    She shrugged.  “Suit yourself.  Hopefully you’re not still here when you hit puberty again.”

 

    “Should be interesting, since I don’t remember the first time.”

 

    “Ciel tried it a couple of decades ago, nearly drove me insane.”  She sighed heavily.  “Never again.”

 

    “But, marriage is just no fun till you’ve hit puberty.” I said teasingly.

 

    “Oh?  And you’d be an expert on marriage?”  She arched one black brow.

 

    “I was married for over a century.” I laughed.

 

    “You were?  Was it happy?”

 

    “It started out fun, but then she tried to kill me.”

 

    “There you go, puberty ruins it every time.  Ciel and I have been together for five hundred years.”

 

    “And you’ve never once wanted to break away from him?”

 

    “Of course not.  You can’t separate two sides of the same coin.”  She smiled at her reflection in the elevator door.

 

    I fell into deep thought.  “Hmm.”

 

    “What is it?”

 

    “Nothing, I was just realizing that I remembered I had a wife.  Except, I don’t know anything about her.  I can’t remember her name, or what she looked like, or how exactly things went wrong.  I don’t even know if we’re still married or not.”

 

    “It might not come back, what will you do then?”  Here Anais differed from Ciel.  Where her husband was overly positive and emotional, Anais was critical and practical.

 

    “Something has to come back.” I said, my hands clenching.  “Until then, I guess I’m stuck bothering you.”

 

    “If you’re not feeding, it’s no problem of mine.”    

 

The elevator doors slid open and a voice tugged at me ear.  A disagreeable, nagging... wonderful voice.  I rushed out of the elevator.  I recognized that voice!  “Look, I’ve been here five times in the last week.  Either Doctor Smythe doesn’t actually work here, or he doesn’t exist.”  A woman leaned against the admissions desk, one finger tapping the top firmly as she spoke.

 

My chest filled with powerful emotion, enough to close up my throat and smother my words.  I stared at her, my mouth gaping a little.  Anais leaned close to me and whispered in my ear.  “She interests you?”

 

    “I need to talk to her.” I choked out.

 

    “I’ll cover for you, just don’t let Ciel know.  He’s very sensitive about the clinic’s public image.”  She adjusted her hat casually.  “Don’t leave her in the dumpster behind the building, is what I’m saying.”

 

    I stepped forward without a word, towards the girl.  She looked young, late teens to early twenties.  She had soft brown hair that was done up in a ponytail, which seemed odd to me.  Shouldn’t it be down?  Her skin was pale and she was slender under her loose jeans and black tank top.  Sweat clung to her skin on the back of her neck and down her spine.

 

    I stood very close to her, but she still hadn’t noticed me yet, as she was continuing her argument with the desk clerk.  I reached my hand up slowly, my fingers brushing her elbow.

 

    She whirled around, startled, then looked down at me.  The clerk behind the desk was smiling politely, but her eyes met mine and had a desperate look to them, as if to say “Please get her out of here.”

 

    “Doctor Smythe is currently not in.” I told the woman politely.  “You’ll have to come back later.”

 

    The woman growled in frustration, a noise that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  This woman, this girl, everything about her was so familiar, and yet everything seemed just a little bit... off.

 

    She stared at me for what felt like an eternity, while excitement built up in my chest.  She recognized me!  Oh please let her know who I am!

 

    She turned back to the desk clerk.  “Sic-ing your adorable dogs on me won’t work.  Is this what you call Security?  Please just tell me when he’ll be in.  Or give me a phone number where I can reach him.”

 

    “I don’t have any of that information.” the clerk explained helplessly.

 

    The girl dug into her back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.  She scrawled on it and thumped it down on the desk.  “Please give that to Doctor Smythe, IF you see him.”  She placed both hands on the desk and pushed herself away from it, turning and walking for the door.

 

    “Excuse me, Miss, wait.” I said, following after her.

 

    “I’m done for today.”  She waved one hand behind her, dismissing me.  “I have better things to do than wait for some night owl doctor.”  She pushed through the glass doors and was gone.

 

    I wanted more than anything to run after her, to grab her, to make her look me in the eyes, to see some recognition in her face, but the late afternoon sunlight pouring through the glass doors kept me at bay.  I stood at the absolute edge of it, unable to go any further.  I watched her disappear.

 

    Anais put a hand on my shoulder.  “Are you going to be okay?”

 

    “She didn’t recognize me.”  I bowed my head.  “I need some time to myself.” I said.  “Is there any place where I can be alone?”

 

    “If you can wait a few hours, the roof is very nice.  Ciel goes up there to think sometimes.”

 

    I nodded.  “Thank you, Anais.”

 

    “You’re welcome.  You know, you don’t seem too bad.  I was worried about Ciel getting too attached to you and then you wake up into this horrible monster.  I’m glad that’s not the case.  You remind me a little of Ciel, in your attitude.  I hope you can get your memory back.”  She held out a slip of paper to me.  “That girl left her number, if you want to follow up later.”

 

    I took the paper from her gloved hand.  “Thank you again.”

 

    My eyes widened a little as she leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.  “What would your husband say?” I asked her, a little teasingly.

 

    She put a finger to her lips.  “Don’t tell him so you don’t have to find out.”  She ruffled my hair fondly.  “I love Ciel with all my heart.  You feel more like a baby brother I have to look out for.”

 

    I laughed.  “Should I call you ‘sister’, then?”

 

    “Only if you want to.” she winked at me and smiled.  “Glad I could cheer you up.”  Her expression then changed back to mild disapproval.  “Now, it’s time to get to work.  You can brood by yourself after the shift is over.”

 

    “Yes, of course.” I agreed.

 

    ********

 

    The building I was now living in wasn’t the tallest in Manhattan, but the roof still had a breathtaking view.  I spent my first half hour looking down at the glitzy neon hub that was Times Square.  The streets were crammed with cars as well as foot traffic.  Didn’t anyone in this city sleep?

 

    How many decades had I spent drifting through darkened towns and villages, doors barred and the windows shuttered?  But this, this was amazing.  So many people, doing whatever they wanted.  Walking and talking, wheeling and dealing, smiling and laughing.

 

    I looked and stared, trying to absorb it all in at once, but I just couldn’t!

 

    “I need to get a house near here.” I said excitedly to myself.  “Not in the city, but close by.  That way I can have peace and quiet, and still come here whenever I want.”  I turned my eyes to the far horizon, to the dark land on the other side of the water.  “Maybe over there, across that bridge.”

 

    I was so absorbed in my sight-seeing, that I didn’t notice the extra presence on the rooftop until it was too late.  “Excuse me, little boy, perhaps you can help me find something.”

 

    It was a throaty female voice, full of malevolence.  It was also much too close behind me.  I turned around quickly, though I knew I wouldn’t be quick enough to fend off an attack.

 

    A tall woman stood over me, staring down at me from vibrant green eyes.  Red hair fell down to her waist in tumultuous curls, stirred by the wind.  She wore tight blue jeans and half of a black tank top.  Her bare stomach was at my eye level, and it was taut and muscular.  She held a naked silver blade in one hand, ready to strike me down.

 

    Her face was made of sharp, clean lines and put together perfectly.  Her lips were thin, sharp fangs glinting between them.  She was absolutely terrifying to my young body.  She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

 

    “Who are you?” I asked, hoping to sound forceful, but sounded frail instead.

 

    “My name is Katrina.”  She smiled wickedly and bent her face down to mine.  She grasped my chin between her thumb and forefinger, her grip vise-like.  “What is your name, boy?”

 

    “I don’t have one.”  Of course I answered truthfully.  How could I not?

 

    “Oh?  How convenient.” she replied.  “But your name doesn’t really interest me.  I’m looking for someone, and I’ve tracked his scent to this building.  Perhaps you know him?”

 

    “Besides me, there’s only two other children, and Doctor Smythe.” I offered helpfully.

 

    Her mouth turned down in irritated disappointment.  “He would be young, perpetually in his twenties.  He’s a smug bastard that always wants to look his best.  His arrogance wouldn’t allow him to be too old or too young.  He will be badly injured as well.”

 

    I shook my head the bare millimeter that her grip allowed me.  “No one like that is here.”

 

    She drew a deep breath.  “Except that I can smell him.  He’s here somewhere, boy.”

 

    “Why do you want him?” I asked impulsively.

 

    She changed her hold on my chin, grasping my whole jaw in her hand and lifting me up easily.  Her hand was like steel, unmovable.  I struggled as she swung me out over the ledge.  “When I find him, I will kill him.  I will kill him thirty times if I have to, but I will make certain that he is dead.  I will eradicate every trace of him.”

 

    I was holding onto her wrist for dear life.  “What are you doing?” I asked through clenched teeth.

 

    “I’m wondering how many floors this building has.  Forty?  Fifty?  I wonder what would happen to your little body if I dropped you from this high up?  Would it kill you, or just leave you in unbearable agony?”

 

    Struggling was doing me no good, but I still gave it my best shot.  I kicked at her, but my legs couldn’t reach.  “Please don’t do this.”  I had just healed from the brink of death, I wasn’t keen to try it again.

 

    “I just want to make certain if you’ve caught even a small glimpse of the man I seek.” she said.  “If I even suspect that you are lying to me, then I will drop you.”

 

    “I don’t know who you’re talking about.” I said as sincerely as I could, given the circumstances of my life slowly being squeezed out of me while dangling off the edge of a building.

 

    Her bright green eyes narrowed.  She released me then, letting me plummet, while casually turning away from the edge.

 

    For a brief moment, there was the heart catching awe of weightlessness, before gravity grabbed hold of my spine and yanked me down.  My hands were outstretched for something, anything to grab hold of, to stop my descent.

 

    Two small hands reached out and grasped my own.  My fall was cut short quickly as my small body slammed into the side of the building.

 

    Ciel pulled me up quickly, his eyes wide with fright.  “Are you okay?!” he demanded.  I didn’t hear him, as I was absorbed in the scene on the rooftop.

 

    Katrina faced off opposite Anais, they stood just twenty feet apart.  Anais’ face was twisted with rage.  “How dare you pick on my little brother.” she whispered in a dangerous voice.  It was then that I noticed the gun in her hand.

 

    How I could have missed it, I knew not.  The thing was massive, with a long barrel and a chain of bullets feeding into the side.  It looked like it belonged on a tripod, but Anais held it in her small hand effortlessly, even though her short stature made the tip of the barrel touch the ground.

 

    “Don’t test me, little girl.” Katrina said harshly.  “I’m far stronger than anything you’ve ever seen.”

 

    “No.” Anais said firmly.  “You are the stranger here, you are the child.”  Her one visible eye narrowed.  “You do not tell me what I’ve seen.  You do not bring weapons here.  You do not harass the people here.”  She brought the massive gun up, pointed directly at Katrina.  “This is a place of healing!”

 

    She opened fire then, pumping out bullets at an incredible speed.  Katrina was faster than anything I had ever seen.  Her red hair was a blur as she dodged and backed away.  Even still, she was struck several times in her arms and legs.

 

    She hissed loudly and jumped up high into the air.  She brought her sword to bear in front of her, closing in on Anais before she could react.

 

    Ciel was already there.  He stood in front of Anais, one hand on Katrina’s wrist, stopping her in midair.  His blue eye under his hair burned intensely.  “You will leave now.” he said softly, then clenched his hand.

 

    Katrina’s wrist snapped, the sharp sound of it cracking the air.  She looked to be in incredible pain, but she did not cry out.  Instead she dropped the sword and retreated.  She ran to the edge of the roof and jumped off.

 

    I ran after her, looking over the edge, but she had disappeared.

 

    “What did she want from you?” Ciel asked, beside me at once.

 

    My eyes were still frantically searching for even a glimpse of her fiery red hair.  “She was looking for a vampire.  She said she tracked his scent here, and that he was injured.”

 

    He put a hand on my shoulder.  “Was she looking for you?”

 

    I ceased my search and looked back at him.  “If she was, wouldn’t she have recognized me?”

 

    “You’ve changed a lot since we brought you here.” Anais said while she dismantled her gun.  “I bet you don’t even smell the same anymore.”

 

    “You have a whole life’s worth of memories just out of your reach.” Ciel said gently.  “Just like friends and family are lost to you, your enemies could be as well.”

    “Oh.” I said, my shoulders drooping a little.  “I didn’t think about that.”  I looked back out at the skyline.  “I wonder what it is I ever did to her.”

15: 14 - Reaching Out, Fingers Grasping

     I walked back to my room alone.  Ciel and Anais had other things to discuss, work to be done.  I had little to do, or to look forward to.  I couldn’t even protect myself against an attack.

 

    I dragged my feet as I walked down the hallway, my head bowed.  Twice in one day my old life had seeped through the cracks of my mind.  I had seen a girl that I was certain I recognized, and encountered a woman who I didn’t, but who was likely after my head.

 

    So engrossed was I in my own thoughts I didn’t notice Dr. Smythe until I bumped right into him.

 

    I looked all the way up at him, and he glared down at me in mild disapproval.  He didn’t say a word, and instead walked past me.

 

    “Oh, Doctor Smythe, there was a woman looking for you earlier today.”  I reached into my pocket and pulled out the slip of paper Anais had handed to me earlier.  “It looked like she’d been here a few times.”  I held the paper out to him.

 

    Dr. Smythe took the paper and glanced at it.  “Angie Statton?  I don’t know that name.” He handed the paper back to me.  “Just discard that.”

 

    “Are you sure you haven’t heard of her before?” I asked, halfheartedly hoping for some small grain of information about the girl I had recognized, but could not place.

 

    “She’s probably a reporter, or worse, a protester.” he answered.

 

    “Protester?” I asked.  “She did look particularly disagreeable.  But, why would there be protesters for a birthing clinic?”

 

    “No one is protesting the birthing clinic.  It’s about another of my businesses.  I provide free abortions to women who have low income.”

 

    “They ask you for this?” I asked, slightly confused.

 

    “Of course.”

 

    “Then why would someone object?”

 

    Doctor Smythe shrugged one shoulder dismissively.  “It’s not for me to guess the human mind’s secrets.  There are those that simply feel that a fetus is a living thing that deserves life at all costs.  Some are very vocal about it.  It doesn’t worry me, as long as they stay outside.”  He continued walking down the hallway.

 

    “Oh.  Well, good night.” I called after him half-heartedly.  He didn’t answer.

 

    I went into my room and the first thing my eyes fell on was the telephone next to the bed.  It was a beige, wired contraption that belonged to two decades ago.  I looked down at the paper in my hand, then back to the phone.  The next second I was sitting on the bed, receiver in hand.

 

    I dialed the number quickly, excitement building in my chest.  It picked up on the second ring and my heart shot up into my throat.  “Sorry, Evangeline’s phone is off right now, or she forgot to change the battery.” a prerecorded message answered.  “Don’t leave a message, she never checks them.  Call back never.”

 

    A beep followed the message, but I sat unmoving on the bed, clutching the receiver tightly.  That voice, that was my voice, before I shrank!  I recognized my voice on this girl’s phone!  It was true, she did know me!

 

She just hadn’t recognized me... and she probably wasn’t going to while I looked like this.

 

My heart sank.  How long was it going take to grow back to an adult?  I couldn’t starve myself completely, it was too dangerous.  I was still too weak to survive without food for very long.

 

Just thinking about food made my stomach ache.  I slid off the bed and exited the room.  There was a kitchen on this floor that Ceil and Anais used to store their fluids, but I passed it.  Dr. Smythe kept his pig’s blood in a small refrigerator in his office.

 

By the time I reached the refrigerator, I had my hand on my stomach and I was moving slowly.  My encounter on the roof had taken more out of me, emotionally as well as physically, than I had thought.

 

I opened the refrigerator, which was full of unlabeled white bottles.  I was so hungry I drank the first one cold.  Cold pig’s blood is awful stuff, gelatinous and sticky.  It doesn’t so much as slide down your throat as much as it slithers.

 

The next two I tried to microwave.  I put them in the box above the refrigerator and contemplated the button pad for a moment.  I knew how to do this, I just had to remember.

 

‘It’s three minutes on half heat, how many times do I have to tell you?’

 

I pressed the buttons and the microwave hummed to life.  There, I knew I would remember.

 

Before the microwave finished beeping I had pulled out both bottles and was draining one, then the other.  Finally satisfied, I tossed the empty bottles out and headed for the door.

 

As I drew near, I could hear footsteps in the hallway.  Two distinct sets, both trying to move silently.  I paused, listening.

 

“Are you really sure you want to do this?” a male voice whispered.  “If you get caught you’re looking at jail time.”

 

“The most they’ll do is throw us out.” a female voice answered dismissively.  “There’s no guards here, and I haven’t seen one camera.”  The footsteps stopped right outside of the office.  As I watched the door, the knob turned.  “We’re not going to get caught.”  And then, Angie Statton stepped into the room.  She froze when she saw me, her hand still on the knob.

 

A jumble of emotions filled my chest like a balloon.  Surprise, confusion, and joy surged inside of me.  “You’re back!” I cried happily.

 

A blonde man towered behind the girl.  “Who’s the runt?” he asked in mild surprise.

 

“I have no idea.”  She kept her eyes on me, a look of frustration on her face.  “Well, this is just great.  We make it this far to get busted by the chibi police.”

 

    I reached out quickly and took her hand in mine.  “You know who I am, don’t you?” I asked fervently.  “You know my name?”

 

    “It seems like he knows you.” the man observed.

 

    She pulled her hand from mine, her expression pained.  “I met him today in the lobby.  This is what Smythe has instead of security guards.”

 

    “Adorable children?  Not an oft used tactic, but effective in certain situations I will grant him that.”

 

    “No!” I exclaimed.  “You know me.” I placed both hands on my chest.  “I’m different now, younger.  I knew you before I lost my memory.”

 

    She stared at me a long moment, her brows drawing together slowly.  This was it, I could feel it in my chest.  She was going to recognize me now.  She was going to say my name, and once she did the doors in my mind would all unlock and my memories would come back to me...

 

    “I don’t know who you are.” she said finally.  She turned to the man.  “Let’s get out of here before someone else comes along.  This plan is bust.”

 

    They left then, walking back down the hall, with me gaping at them.  “No!” I cried, hurrying through the doorway.  “Come back here!”

 

    The girl turned her head, looking back at me over her shoulder.  “Look, if we do know each other, tell me how.”

 

    “I... I can’t.” I clenched my hands, my tiny claws biting into my palms.  “I told you, I lost my memories.”

 

    “Then, how can you be sure we know each other?”

 

    “Because... I recognize you.  Your name, your face, everything about you.”  My eyes began to well up and I sniffed to clear my nose.  “I can even see that something is wrong with you.”

 

    She paused, but didn’t turn around.  “What do you mean?”

 

    “You’ve changed.” I said miserably.  “You’re too hard now.  You used to be so much softer, too soft for your own good.  But now you’re different, something has changed you, made you harder.  You’ve got a shell around you that wasn’t there before.”  I stared at her back intently.  “Or maybe it’s a shell that was always there, but you never let me see it before.  Not the old me, the ‘before’ me.”

 

    She closed her eyes briefly and let out a small sigh, then turned her head back to the front.  “You don’t even know what you’re saying.” she said dismissively.

 

    I straightened my spine, squaring my shoulders.  Something new was coursing through me, making me feel taller, stronger.  The door in my mind opened a crack.  “Evangeline.” I said, and a different voice came out of my mouth.  Deeper, more commanding.  “Did you forget about me that easily?”

 

    Her whole body stiffened, her shoulders jerked.  She whirled around, her eyes angry and accusing.  We stared at each other for a long time, both of us searching for what was right in front of us.

 

    After a while she composed herself, letting the air out of her tires a little.  “Chris, bring him.” she said quietly and turned back around.

 

    The tall blonde man towered over me again.  It just wasn’t right for someone to be that tall and not fall over.  He was thick too, with broad shoulders and a trunk-like torso.  He reached down and wrapped one of his tree-like arms around my waist, then hauled me up easily.  “Come on, kid.” he said, surprisingly gently.  “Let’s get this all sorted out.”

 

    I hissed indignantly.  “I can walk.” I exclaimed, my voice childlike again.  “Put me down this instant, you behemoth!”

 

    The man, Chris, put his hands under my arms and lifted me up.  He was careful to keep me at arm’s length, as I flailed my arms wildly.  “Evie, I think this kid’s a bloodsucker.  He’s got these teensy little fangs...”

 

    “I know.” Evangeline said quietly, not pausing.

 

    Chris tucked me back under one arm and followed.  “Stop ignoring me!  I can walk on my own!” I hissed again.

 

    “You sound like a belligerent kitten when you do that.” Chris smiled amiably, but did not release me.  “If I carry you, we’ll go much faster.  How fast can you walk with those tiny legs?”

 

    “That’s it, I’ll kill you!” I pounded my fists against his arms, his side, but my blows had no effect.

 

    He lifted me up again, his expression stern.  “You cut that out right now.” he shook me a little.  “I can take your punishment, but if you act this way towards Evie, then I’ll give you such a-”

 

    “Chris.” Evangeline cut him off.

 

    The man’s eyes narrowed.  “I’m watching you.”  He pointed one finger at me threateningly.

 

    I took my chance and lunged, sinking my teeth into the man’s finger.  He let out a string of curses as he pulled me off him.  He promptly dropped me on the floor, where I landed on my hands and feet.  “Chris.” Evangeline warned again.

 

    “But he bit me!” he complained.

 

    I hurried up to Evangeline.  I walked beside her, looking up at her profile.  “You remember me now, right?” I asked anxiously.  “I remember more about you.”  I glanced back at Chris.  “That man’s your brother, right?”

 

    Evangeline didn’t look at me.  “I didn’t forget you.” she said stubbornly.  “I’m just having a hard time believing you are you.  Right now I just want to see Doctor Smythe.  I want this day to be over already.”

 

    “Are you a protester?” I asked, concerned now.  Even if I did know her, I didn’t want to bring trouble to the man who helped save my life.

 

    She looked down at me.  “Protester for what?”  Then she looked away quickly, as if looking at me disturbed her.

 

    “Well, why are you here, then?”  I ignored her discomfort for now.  I was sure it had to do with my current appearance, which I could explain to her later.  “I know you didn’t come here to get me.”

 

    “I’m here to speak to Doctor Smythe about his Fertility Clinic.”

 

    “This is a Birthing Clinic.” I pointed out to her.

 

    “He owns a few businesses, all of them related in some way.”

 

    “Well, he’s usually in the lab, when he’s not in his office.”  We came to a crossroads and I pointed right.  “It’s this way.”

 

    The three of us turned down the hallway, this time I was in the lead.  “So... how long was I gone?” I asked, feeling apprehensive.  “I’ve only been awake for a few days, and I don’t remember much.”

 

    “Three weeks and five days.” Evangeline answered, her voice hard.

 

    I hesitated for a long moment, then asked quietly “What’s my name?”

 

    She pretended not to hear me.  “Is this the lab?” she asked, gesturing up ahead.  I nodded and she quickened her pace till she was ahead of me.  She rapped sharply on the door.

 

    “Enter.” Dr. Smythe’s voice seeped through the wood.

 

    She opened the door and the three of us stepped into the lab.  Dr. Smythe glanced up from the microscope on the counter in front of him, and surveyed our little group.  His eyes fell to me last and he frowned.

 

    Before I could think of what to say, Evangeline stepped forward.  “Doctor Smythe?”  He nodded briefly.  “My name is Evangeline Statton.  I am Executrix of the Riley Estate.”

 

    For the first time, I saw a glimmer of excitement on Dr. Smythe’s face.  He straightened up, standing tall.  “You’ve come to rethink my offer, then?”

 

    Evangeline shook her head.  “It’s my sad duty to inform you that even if I wanted to accept your offer, I cannot.  The fertility clinic that Ms. Riley used was broken into a few weeks ago.  Her materials were destroyed, along with everyone else’s.”

 

    Dr. Smythe shook his head sadly.  “A tragic loss.  Why are you here then?  Surely it wasn’t to decline my offer personally.”

 

    “Well, to be honest, I suspect you of being behind the break in.  You or one of the vampires working for you.”  She had her hands in her pockets, and I was struck with an odd sense of familiarity.  I couldn’t recall it as a habit of hers, but I recognized the gesture from somewhere...

 

    “I see...”  Dr. Smythe’s had his poker face on, which honestly, was his default expression.  “If that were the case, why would I still send repeated offers for the materials?”

 

    “Because if you suddenly ceased your offers, it would look even more suspicious.” she answered without missing a beat.

 

    The doctor’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.  “This is the first I’ve heard of you, Miss Statton.  I was under the impression that David Lucien was handling the late Ms. Riley’s affairs.”

 

    She had a ready response to that as well.  “Mr. Lucien is attending to other matters.”  She paused.  “I’m the only one left in charge.”

 

    Dr. Smythe stepped around the counter, towards our group.  “And you think you can wrap everything up on your own?” he asked.  “One human adrift in a vampire world?”

 

    “She’s not alone.” Chris spoke up from the back.  “I would think twice before you try anything.”

 

    Doctor Smythe stepped forward.  He was so tall, he practically loomed.  I stepped in front of Evangeline, my arms spread out.  “I know her, Doctor.” I said frantically.  “Don’t hurt her, she can help me get my memories back.”

 

    Doctor Smythe looked down at me.  “I have no intention of harming the girl.  If you knew me better, you would not accuse me of such a thing.”  He turned his eyes back to Evangeline.  “Human beings are, after all, extremely precious to us and our kind.”

 

    Chris rolled his eyes.  “That’s the first I’ve heard of this.  Seems to me we can’t go two steps without being attacked.”

 

    “Actions of the foolish, and the short-sighted.” Dr. Smythe replied.  “The young ones, new to the world, are born with a frenzy inside of them.  That tempers over time, into patience.”  He spread his arms out grandly.  “What would the world be, if all vampires succumbed to that frenzy?  To kill indiscriminately, glutting ourselves at whim?  What would happen then, when all the humans are gone?  Would we then turn on each other, till we are all destroyed?”  He lowered his arms.  “No, human beings are precious, and must be cultivated, for everyone’s survival.”

 

    “That’s an... interesting point of view.” Evangeline said carefully.

 

    “One I wish more of my kind shared.”

 

    “I’ll be blunt, then.  Did you have anything to do with the destruction at the other fertility clinic?”

 

    He shook his head.  “I did not, and I am saddened at your loss.  Katrina Riley was a fine specimen.  It’s a shame she never reproduced.  I’m afraid we shall never see her like again.”

 

    Katrina Riley!  The name slammed itself into the side of my head like a physical force, making me falter.  The door in my mind flew open, memories pouring through faster than I could process.  I clutched the counter, trying to keep myself upright, my surroundings fading away.

 

    Katrina Riley, my greatest enemy.  No, the greatest hunter in the whole world.  Her red hair was like a flame, and I a mere moth, drawn to her over and over again throughout the decades.  Our battles were an intricate dance, one where the steps were always changing, growing in complexity.

 

    She was danger and excitement rolled into one.  Glaring green eyes over the barrel of a silver revolver.  She was a hunter of my own making, and the only means by which I ever wanted to die.

 

    I felt the fresh memory of a tight hand on my throat, my feet dangling helplessly, while I stared into bright green eyes that held no remorse.  I had not recognized those eyes, nor that glowing red hair.  I had not recognized Katrina Riley as she held me out from the roof’s edge.

 

    I hadn’t recognized her, because that was no longer Katrina Riley.  She was a vampire now.

 

    A voice cut through the storm in my head, a lighthouse on the rocky waves of memory.  “Are you all right?  What’s wrong?!”  I tried to speak, but gibberish spilled from my lips, a hundred conversations from a dozen lifetimes, thousands of thorny vines crowding my head.  “Gabriel!”

 

    That name, my name, cut through the vines, heralding clarity and union.  The whole mess began to sort itself, puzzle pieces falling into place.  There were fragments missing still, like holes in Swiss cheese, but the framework of my memory was once again sound.

 

    I opened my eyes, and saw the ceiling above me.  Evangeline hovered in my field of vision, the concern in her eyes chasing away the last of the fog.  “You said my name.” I pointed out to her.  “You know it’s me.  And now I remember.”

 

    “I’ve met Nora, so I know that... form is possible.” she answered, looking away.  “I just didn’t want to get- to be-”  Here she faltered.  She pulled herself together, anger taking over.  “You stupid idiot!  How could you go and get yourself killed like that?  I can’t leave you alone for five minutes without something catastrophic happening!”

 

    I gave her a weak smile.  “Were you worried about me?”

 

    Her cheeks flushed.  “Of course not!” she exclaimed, too loudly.  “I thought I was finally rid of you, once and for all!”

 

    I sat up, feeling much better now.  Everything about me had come back, my entire personality was restored.  And I relished in her discomfort.  “And yet here you are, continuing the investigation we started.”

 

    “What was I supposed to do?  Leave everything as it was?  An empty grave, a destroyed lab, David gone missing.”  She folded her arms across her chest.  “At least give me some credit.”

 

    “Well, I guess I could spare you some.” I said graciously.

 

    Dr. Smythe was kneeling over me as well.  He peered at my face.  “Am I to assume now, that you’ll be leaving with Miss Statton?”

 

    I nodded.  “I remember everything now.  Well, almost everything.  I remember enough.”

 

    “No!” two voices sounded in unison from the doorway.  Chris scooted to the side as Ciel and Anais rushed into the room.  Ciel skidded to a halt, on both knees in front of me.  Anais stood right behind him.  “You can’t leave us!” Ciel cried.

 

    “You were going to stay here and work with us.” Anais said, distraught for the first time.

 

    “That nasty lady is after you, who’s going to protect you?” Ciel asked.

 

    “You’re supposed to be our little brother!”

 

    “We’ll miss you if you go!”

 

    “You two, calm down.” I said patiently.  “I’ll come see you guys again, I promise, but I can’t stay like this.  This form isn’t comfortable to me.  I need to be an adult.”

 

    They each pulled out cellphones.  “Give us your number?” Ciel demanded.

 

    “555-6484.” Evangeline answered promptly.  “That’s my number.  I’ll give you Gabriel’s when we get him a new phone.”

 

    Ciel entered the number into his phone quickly, then looked back at me.  “Your name is Gabriel?”  I nodded.

 

    “It’s a gorgeous name.” Anais complimented, shifting back to her normal demeanor.

 

    Ciel grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a tight hug.  Anais wrapped her arms around the both of us.  “You’ve only been awake a few days, but I’ve been taking care of you for weeks.” Ciel explained, his voice rough.  “It’s still such a new feeling.  I don’t want to let go of it.”

 

    When they finally pulled away, Ciel helped me to my feet.  “You two should think about growing up one day, and having a child of your own.” I commented.  “You would make better parents than I did, at least.”

 

    Ciel looked surprised.  He turned to his wife, whose expression was identical.  “We haven’t really thought about it.” he said.  “We’re around babies all day, but it didn’t occur to us to try and have our own.”

 

    “It’s a nice idea.” Anais said carefully.  “Maybe we will, one day.”

 

    “We do like the way we are, right now.  We’re comfortable here.”

 

    I put my hand on Ciel’s shoulder.  “Trust me, I’ve seen you around kids.”  I looked back at Evangeline, who was speaking to Dr. Smythe.  “I think it’s about time for me to go.”

 

    “You better call us when you get home.” Anais said sternly.

 

    “We’ll wanna make sure you’re safe, just in case.” Ciel smiled.

 

    “I will.” I promised.

 

16: 15 - Unwilling Mistrust

     “So, Gabriel is back, and he’s tiny...”

 

    “Shove it, Dimitri!”  I glared up at him resentfully.

 

    I was back in that dark, featureless place, that spot in my mind where Dimitri’s influence lurked.  I never remembered him when I was awake, but my subconscious knew him well.

 

    “This is absolutely delicious, it’s an utter shame I cannot avail myself of such a ripe opportunity.”  He looked so giddy, I thought he would start giggling to himself any second now.

 

    “That’s right, because you’re still all the way in Paris.  You can talk big all you want, while you’re body is safe at home.”

 

    He looked down at me, his violet eyes glaring.  “The trip would be an easy one, if I had time to make it.”  He shrugged.  “Sadly, Father has tasked me with a far more important mission than petty revenge.”

 

    “What’s that?  Babysitting Nora while she’s at school?” I guessed.

 

    His mouth twisted and one eye twitched, and I knew I had guessed right.  “In the end it doesn’t matter.”  He smoothed his face into a calmer expression.  “Because, in the end, I have a far more fitting death for Gabriel in mind.”

 

    “And you’re so sure of your success, you won’t mind running it by me?” I asked, one brow raised.

 

    Dimitri smiled widely.  “If you wish, and only because it’s too late for you to stop me.”  He reached down to me and placed one finger on the tip of my nose.  “Why should I go to all the trouble of flying to New York and ripping Gabriel’s heart out of his chest... when you’re going to do it for me...”

 

    I leaned away from him.  “The hell I will!”

 

    He brought his hands together, bridging his long fingers.  “You’re going to kill him.  It’s absolutely brilliant, isn’t it?”  His smile was gleeful.  “Betrayed by the only woman he trusts, the only person he cares about.  Such a fitting end for the one that destroyed my sister.”

 

    “Except for the part where I’m not going to kill Gabriel.” I said firmly.

 

    “Not yet, no... but soon enough.  Less than a year.”  Dimitri knelt down in front of me.  “Don’t you understand?  Don’t you see how much influence I already have over you?  Why do you think you’re on your knees, right now?”

 

    I looked down at myself, suddenly realizing that I was on my knees, and I had been this whole time.  Also, my hands were handcuffed behind my back.  Why was I just noticing this?  “What the hell am I wearing?” I asked incredulously.  It looked like the black tank top and jeans I had worn today, except the top showed off more midriff than I was comfortable with, and the jeans had somehow cut themselves into very short shorts.

 

    “A visual representation of your mental defense.” he replied.  “There’s nothing but the two of us here, so it’s manifested itself as your clothing.  The more I break your defenses, the less you wear.”  He pondered for a moment.  “That’s accurate to you waking life as well.  You tend to dress down quite a bit, trying so hard not to be noticed.  Your sweatshirts and your baggy denims are your armor, aren’t they?”

 

I didn’t answer, I just glared at him, hating how close his face was to mine.  He reached behind me, grasping the handcuffs.  “These too, are a representation.  Of my control over you.”  With his other hand, he reached up and ran the back of his fingers down my cheek.  “It’s a small binding, for now.  But... the more we have these meetings, these lovely conversations, the more of yourself you hand over to me.  One day soon, it will carry over to your waking consciousness, and you will be little more than an instrument of my will.  I will finally have broken you.”

 

    ********

 

    The weight on my chest threatened to crush me.  Was it guilt?  Had I not tried hard enough to make sure Gabriel was dead or alive?  Had I given up too soon?  What would have happened to him if Dr. Smythe’s pupils had not found him?

 

    Was this weight due to the shock of seeing Gabriel alive wearing off?  Was I now trying to come to terms with the fact that he was radically different than when I last saw him?  Just how much had he changed?  Was he as different on the inside as he is on the outside?  Was the Gabriel I knew gone forever?

 

    As I slowly awoke, I realized that the weight on my chest wasn’t an interpretation of my inner turmoil.  It was an actual weight pressing down on my ribcage.

 

    I shifted on my bed, trying to discern the source of the weight, and my fingers met soft hair.  I moved my hand down to a pair of small shoulders.

 

    Sometime during the day, Gabriel had come into my room while I slept and gotten into bed with me.  I found this to be insanely creepy and to the opposite of Gabriel’s character, but I found it less creepy than I would have if he didn’t have the body of an eight year old boy.

 

    It was at that moment that I felt him turn his head to the side and nuzzle my chest with his cheek.

 

    Electricity shot down my spine as every part of my body said ‘This is not okay!’.  I put my hands under his shoulders and pushed, discovering then that he had both of his tiny arms wrapped around my waist.

 

    “Get off of me!” I yelled.  Thankfully his grip wasn’t tight.  I managed to pry him off rather easily.  The bed was narrow, and the room was pitch black.  The only place he had to go was right off the edge.

 

    He fell to the floor with a thump, letting out a cry of surprise.  “What’s wrong with you?” he whined irritably.

 

    “What’s wrong with ME?  Why are YOU in my bed?” I exclaimed.  “And why is it so dark in here?”  The head of the bed was against the wall next to the door, so I sat up and reached for the light switch in the dark.

 

    “I covered up the windows.  Do you think I want to be caught out in the sun again.”  His voice was heavy with sleep.

 

    “That doesn’t explain why you’re in my bed in the first place!” I leaned over the edge of the mattress and looked down at him.

 

    Gabriel sat on my floor, frowning at me under his messy dark hair.  His brown eyes were flecked with red, which glowed like sparks under the light.  He was still wearing the clothes his new friends had given him, minus the shoes, which sat neatly on the floor next to the bed.  “The more time I spend with you, the more I remember.” he said, pouting a little.

 

    “That doesn’t mean you can crawl into my bed and grope me!” I exclaimed, my voice going high.  I was letting myself get a little hysterical, but after everything that’s happened, I was probably due.

 

    His eyes widened in indignation.  “I was not groping you!” he shot back hotly.

 

    “My chest says otherwise!”  I pointed at the door.  “Out!”

 

    Just then there was a loud banging on my door.  “You two can bicker and shout like old crazy women in another four hours!  Go back to sleep!” Chris roared.

 

    I kept my finger pointed at the door, though I lowered my voice to a hiss.  “You have your own room, get out of mine.”

 

    “I’m not going out there.” Gabriel said, just as quietly.  His eyes darted to the door and back to me.  “Have you seen him?  He’s a bear wearing human skin.”

 

    “Chris is not going to hurt you, just go back to bed.  YOUR bed.”

 

    Before my eyes, Gabriel’s expression changed completely.  His eyes grew wider, almost pleading.  His cheeks looked rounder, cuter.  His lower lip stuck out ever so slightly.  “What I said was true.  The more I’m around you, the more my memory comes back.”  His voice was soft, almost heart breaking.  “I’m sorry that it inconveniences you.  I just want to remember who I am.”

 

    As I stared at him, my jaw slackened slightly.  It was like my heart was being beaten repeatedly with a stuffed animal.  I turned away, before those eyes could suck out my very soul.  “Fine, you can stay here, this ONE time.”  I covered myself with the blanket and faced the wall.  “But no more grabbing onto me.”

 

    Gabriel got to his feet and turned off the light.  Then he crawled onto the bed next to me and immediately wrapped both his arms around my waist.  “What did I just say?”  I half turned, even though I couldn’t see him in the dark.

 

    He was still, his entire body completely relaxed.  He was already back to sleep.  I gave up then, wrapping one arm around his thin shoulders.  He had duped me good, with those eyes of his.  Just how long was he going to be this small?  This was why I hated kids.

 

    ********

 

    After a good six hours of sleep, my body decided it had enough, and kept tossing and turning till I finally rolled out of bed.  Gabriel was gone, and my door was ajar.  I pulled on my robe and decided to look for the little brat.

 

    Chris was on the couch downstairs, controller in hand, eyes on the TV.  “You know, if you got an XBOX, I might never leave.  Ooo!  Or a Wii, can we get a Wii?””

 

    “I’ll keep that in mind.  Where’s little Gabriel?”

 

    “Kitchen.”

 

    I turned and headed into the kitchen.  Gabriel stood in front of the fridge, the door wide open.  He was pulling white bottles out of their drawer and draining them one after another.  I counted eight empty bottles lined up neatly on the counter next to the fridge.

 

    “Don’t you think you’re going overboard?” I asked, a little concerned.  I rarely saw Gabriel drink pig’s blood straight from the fridge.  He absolutely hated it cold.

 

    He finished his ninth and tenth bottle and placed them on the counter.  Finally, he closed the door to the fridge.  “We’re almost out of blood.” he said, his voice strained.

 

    “I’ll bring up the emergency case in the basement.”  I stepped forward and peered at his face.  His eyes were bright red, all traces of brown gone.  “Are you okay?”  I put one hand on his forehead.  “You’re warm, you’re never warm.  What’s wrong?”

 

    He bent down quickly then, untying his shoes and pulling them off.  He placed them carefully next to the counter.  When he stood up straight again I looked at him closely.  Something was different.  “Are you taller?”  He was still pretty short, but I could’ve sworn I looked down a slightly longer distance at him yesterday.

 

    “I’ve been growing.” his voice a hoarse whisper.  “It hurts a little.”

 

    “You’re clothes are getting tighter, that’s why.”  I took his hand in mine, noting that the sleeve now came down to a couple of inches above his wrist.

 

    He shook his head.  “It’s not that.  My bones are growing too fast.  It’s not... comfortable.”

 

    He looked like he was in pain, and my heart went out to him.  “Come on, we should still put you in bigger clothes, or you’ll rip the ones you’re wearing.”

 

    I led him up the stairs, and down the hall to his room.  I sat him on the bed, then pulled open his closet doors.  “Everything in here is going to be big on you.” I called out to him.  “But the good thing is... that you’ll grow into them.”

    

    I returned to the bed with black pants and a white button down shirt, Gabriel’s go-to choice of clothing.  He was starting to look worse, pain much more pronounced on his face.  “Let me help you.” I said gently, reaching for his shirt buttons.

 

    “No!” he shouted, and slapped my hands away.  I blinked at him in surprise.  “I’ll... do it.” he said, his voice growing weak.  “I don’t... want you... to see...”

 

    “I’ve seen you naked before, Gabriel.” I said frankly.  There had been a lot of steam blurring my vision at the time, but it was still technically true.

 

    He shook his head, one hand clutching at his chest.  “Not like this...  You can’t... see me... like this...”

 

    “You’re being silly.” I said.  “Just let me help you.”  Why was he being so stubborn?  Was he really that embarrassed by how he looked?  It wasn’t his choice to look like this, didn’t he know I understood that?

 

    “No!” he yelled again.  “Get out!”

 

    “Fine.” I said, turning away.  “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”  I walked out into the hall, closing the door behind me.  I stayed by the door, listening to make sure he was all right.  He was stubborn, and I couldn’t afford anything else happening to him.

 

    My ears were merely human, so I didn’t hear much of anything for several minutes.  I was about to check on him when the door opened.

 

    Gabriel stood on the other side, his expression sour.  He was wearing the shirt and pants as best he could, but the legs were bunched up at his ankles, and the sleeves of the shirt fell several inches past his hands.  “I hate the entire world.” he announced.

 

    Well, you’re looking better, at least.”  I knelt down in front of him, and started rolling up his sleeves for him.  “It’s only temporary, right?  How long will it be till you get back to your normal size?”

 

    “I’m not exactly sure.  This has never happened to me before.  All I know is that I’m going to need a lot more blood.”

 

    The buttons on his shirt were all uneven.  I re-buttoned them carefully, one at a time.  His collar slipped off one thin, white shoulder, and I fixed it, making sure all the buttons were buttoned.

 

    “You never have any of your quick barbs on you when I am weak.” he said thoughtfully.  “You’re always unbearably nice at these times.”

 

    “You expect me to kick you when you’re down?”

 

    “So it’s just pity, then?”  His voice sounded a little disappointed.

 

    As I was kneeling, I was slightly shorter than his height.  I looked up into his face, placing my hands on his chubbier-than-normal cheeks.  “Oh, Gabriel...” I said soothingly.  “Yes, yes it is.  So much pity.”

 

    He narrowed his red eyes at me.  “I hate you.”  He looked so adorable when he said that, I couldn’t help but smile.

 

    As I stood up, I kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair  “The feeling’s mutual.”

 

    He scrubbed his forehead with the back of his sleeve.  “I’m going to remember this when I’m big again.” he warned.

 

    “Bring it on.”  My smile grew into a grin.  “I’m glad you’re back, even if you are pocket-sized.  Things get so boring when you’re gone.”  I turned to the stairs.  “Let’s have a meeting with Chris, that way everyone can get up to speed on what’s been happening.”

 

    ********

 

    “My memory has mostly come back.”  Gabriel explained once we were all downstairs and seated comfortably.  “There are still holes, though.  I don’t remember how I got to Doctor Smythe’s clinic, for instance.”

 

    “What’s the last thing you remember before that?” I asked.

 

    “Meeting your mother.”

 

    “So, you don’t remember the hunter at all?”

 

    He shook his head sadly.  “Hopefully that is one of those things that will come back.”

 

    I nodded.  “Well, while you were... gone, Chris and I continued investigating.  Desyre was helping us for a bit, but she had to go to L.A for some awards ceremony.  There’s been no sign of David at all.  I called his wife several times, but she’s not worried yet.  We still don’t know who broke into the fertility clinic or where Great Aunt Katrina is buried.”

 

    Gabriel sat in the sofa chair across from the couch Chris and I sat in.  He was so tiny, the chair looked unnaturally huge, like it would swallow him up.  He squirmed uncomfortably at Katrina’s name.  He had his hands thrust between his knees to try to keep from fidgeting.  “Your great aunt isn’t buried anywhere.” he said softly, staring down at his lap.  “She visited the clinic last night.”

 

    “She’s alive?” I asked in surprise.

 

    “Are you sure it was her?” Chris asked.

 

    “She called herself Katrina, and she looks like her.”  His entire body tensed.  “She’s different now, though.”

 

    “What do you mean?” I asked, as gently as I could.  Excitement and worry were ballooning in my chest.

 

    He looked up and focused his eyes on mine.  “She’s been turned.  She’s not human anymore.”

 

    My chest hitched painfully.  “She’s a vampire?” I whispered.

 

Gabriel nodded.  “Due to Lucien’s extended absence and her appearance, I’m going to assume he was the one that turned her.  She might even have been the one that attacked the Fertility Clinic.”

 

The world reeled in my head as I tried to process all of this information at once.  Katrina was a vampire now.  She hadn’t died, she had been turned.  David was most likely the one that had done it.  “That means...”  Thoughts swirled in my head and I grasped onto whatever I could.  “I never really inherited the house.”

 

    “That’s your main concern here?” Chris asked.  “Really?”

 

    I stood up then.  “I should talk to her.” I announced.

 

    Gabriel jumped up.  “No, don’t go near her!” he cried.  “She’s different now, you must not approach her.”

 

    I looked down at him.  “I don’t care if she’s a vampire, Gabriel.  She’s still my Great Aunt.  So many times I’ve wished I could meet her, hoping she could help me make sense of things.  I need to see her.”  She held the secret behind Kiernan’s eye, after all.

 

    Gabriel grabbed both of my wrists.  “You don’t understand, you can’t go anywhere near her!”  He was distraught, intense worry in his eyes.  “If she comes here, I want you to run away from her!”

 

    The boy started to shake in fear.  “Gabriel, what’s wrong?”  I knelt down next to him.

 

    His red eyes pierced me to my soul.  Tears collected in the corners.  “Promise me you won’t go near her.  She’s dangerous, more dangerous than you can ever guess.  Please, promise me.” he begged.

 

    I pulled my hand out of his and rubbed his hair soothingly.  “All right, all right.” I hushed.  “I promise.”

 

    Gabriel bowed his head and I wrapped both arms around him, holding his small body close.  He buried his face in my chest, clutching my shirt tightly.  His body trembled from panic and fear.  I looked at Chris over the top of his head, our faces were identical with concern.

 

17: 16 - The Spring of My Youth

    “Are you sure about this?” Chris asked for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

 

    For the hundredth time I nodded my head, not looking up from the bag I was packing.  “Katrina has a building in the city under her name.  If I can’t find her there, then I’ll come straight home.”

 

    Chris looked over to where Gabriel was sleeping on the couch.  “What do I tell him when he wakes up?”

 

    “Easy, I went out to get him more blood.  I’ll stop by Butcher’s place on the way home.”  I zipped the bag closed and shouldered it.  “Quit making those puppy dog eyes.  If it’s true that Great Aunt Katrina is still alive, then I HAVE to talk to her.  There’s too many questions that only she has the answers to.”

 

    “If she wanted to talk to you, don’t you think she would have come back to her house?”  Chris asked pleadingly.  “Gabrielle says she’s a vampire now.  What if she’s different?  Hell, you’ve never met her before.  What if she’s the same?”

 

    “After everything I’ve been through, everything you’ve gone through with me so far, don’t you think I can take care of myself?”

 

    Chris looked down at his hands and sighed.  “Before I left for Germany...”

 

    “Don’t bring that up right now.  Now is definitely not the time.”

 

    He held up one hand.  “Hold on.  What I’m trying to say is, back then, looking at you, I would say there is no way you could do this.  You were... broken in a way, by what happened with Eric.  You buried yourself deep and didn’t want to climb out.”

 

He took a deep breath.  “Ever since I’ve come back, I’m noticing more and more just how different you’ve become since then.  You’ve grown, Evie, inside and out.  I look at you now, and I believe you can do anything.”

 

“Careful Chris, your big brother is showing.” I teased.

 

“I mean it, Evie.  And as capable as you’ve become, you’re still going up against something supernatural.  I can’t follow you everywhere, so I want you to be careful.  All the time.”

 

He would regret sounding so mushy later on, I knew it.  I’d better leave now while his dignity was mostly intact.  “I’ll call you if anything happens, I promise.  I’ll turn the GPS on my phone so you can even track me if you need to.  Just watch Gabriel for me and make sure he doesn’t get out.  I don’t like the idea of him being outside while he’s so... unstable.”

 

“No letting the tiny vampire snack on people juice, got it.”

 

“You be careful, too.  Don’t turn your back on him, or he’ll surprise you.”

**********

 

 

    There were so many doors available to me, which one should I open next?  So many memories, each one just a step away...

 

    When was it that I became bored with hunting humans?  Several lifetimes ago, it felt like, ever since I had killed that old vampire and taken his abilities.  Who had that been again?

 

    I did not remember his name, or his face, but I remembered the power he had possessed.  The ability to locate the thing I wanted most.

 

    Such a strange power, like an internal compass, the needle tugging at your insides, pointing the direction you needed to go.

 

    How many lifetimes ago did I bury this power, under the weight of so many more that I had collected, so many more dangerous ones?

 

    Humans had no such abilities in their blood, why should I bother killing them, if I wasn’t hungry?

 

    Ah... but which powers should I dig for, out of the monstrous pile?  I couldn’t remember them all at one time, which ones would I need?

 

    Katrina’s cruel expression flashed before me.  Yes, I would have to dig deeply, to survive the coming storm.

 

    So many doors... which to open first?

 

    ********

 

    I awoke feeling quite strange.  The couch was smaller than it had been when I fell asleep.  Or was I bigger?

 

    My clothes were fitting much better than before as well, though not perfectly.  I had grown a fair amount in a short period of time.

 

    I stretched my arms out in front of me, watching as my rolled up sleeves pushed up nearly to my elbows.  A giddy excitement filled me and I didn’t even bother suppressing my delight, smiling wide.

 

    “You awake, Gabrielle?” Chris called from the kitchen.  I could hear water running and the clink of plates and cutlery.

 

    I ignored him, instead heading upstairs to my room.  Was I tougher, as well as bigger? I wondered.  There was one way to find out.

 

    Once my door was shut behind me, I quickly tore off my clothes and hurried to the bathroom.  I half stepped inside the shower and turned the water on, holding one hand out, just in case.

 

    The cold water hit my outstretched hand and steamed, but there was no burning, just a pleasant warmth.  I stepped further in, the water travelling up my arm.  It felt so good I let out a happy cry and jumped under the spray.

 

    Soon that warmth was spreading over my whole body.  I sighed in contentment, my face turned up towards the spray.  How much had I missed this feeling?  Was there a better comfort in the world other than this warmth?

 

I pushed my hair back, water running off it down my back.  Hm?  My hair was longer, a lot longer.  I would have to give myself a haircut.  Later.

 

    Once I had had enough of the water, I turned it off and stepped out of the shower.  I walked back into the bedroom, letting myself drip dry while I inspected my new body in the full mirror in the closet.

 

    I had finally grown out of that child’s body.  I stretched my arms out, relieved that they were nearly as long as my old ones.  They were thin, as was my legs, a product of growing quickly over a short amount of time.  I pinched my upper arm, there was tight muscle just under the skin.

 

    My chest was hairless still, thankfully.  After I matured, there would be some growth which I would have to get rid of, but for now my skin was perfectly unmarred.

 

    It would take longer to age up to a more comfortable level, but I was finding myself strangely pleased with my current appearance.  With my unblemished skin and zero body fat ratio I looked like one of those young men wailing on the TV sometimes.  I think they called it pop music...

 

    As I wondered what Evangeline would think when she saw me, a new kind of excitement began to build inside of me.  Something tugged at my insides, spurring me to action.  I had to show her now!  The look on her face would be priceless.

 

I was at the door before I noticed I was forgetting something important.  I retrieved a comb from the dresser and pulled it through my wet, tangled hair.

 

    I was halfway out the door when I realized that being completely naked was probably not something Evangeline would react well to.  Sure, it would be funny, but nowadays she was armed.

 

    My closet was full of clothing that were still too big for me to wear, though.  I grabbed my robe and hurried out the door, pulling it on as I walked.

 

    She didn’t answer when I knocked on her door, and something told me she wasn’t inside anyway.  I headed downstairs, but still didn’t find her.  “Where is Evangeline?” I asked Chris, who was watching TV on the couch.  “I want to show her something.”

 

    He looked over at me, taking in my be-robed state.  “Whatever it is you want to show her, I doubt she wants to see it.” he commented.

 

    The tugging inside my body increased.  I slowly turned around, till the feeling intensified, pulling me towards one direction.  “She’s not here.” I said.  “Where did she go?”

 

    “You drank your way through a month’s supply of blood in two nights, Evie went by Butcher’s place to pick up some more.”

 

    A powerful odor assaulted me then, like rotting fish.  I covered my nose, but it wasn’t an actual smell.  It was a mental reaction.  I could not protect myself against it.

 

    I turned back to Chris.  “You’re lying.”

 

    Chris, being military, and trained as a spy, knew not to let down his guard.  He pulled out his cellphone and tossed it to me.  “Evie went to Butcher’s place.  Call her and check for yourself.”  He gave me another once over.  “And cut your hair, you look like a girl.”

 

    The smell grew stronger, till it overpowered every other scent in the house.  I tossed the phone back onto his lap.  If I called her, she would just confirm Chris’ lie, since she was the one that put him to it.  “I’m going after her.” I declared.

 

    “Not going to happen.  Evie told me to keep you in the house, and that’s what I intend to do.  She doesn’t want you getting hungry and snacking on humans.”

 

    I straightened my posture, looking down at him.  “Perhaps when I was smaller, you could prevent me from leaving, but I’m much stronger now.”

 

    This made him angry.  He stood up to his full, intimidating, height.  “Listen here, Gabrielle-”

 

    I pushed him hard, cutting off his words.  He fell back onto the couch, his eyes wide with surprise.  “No, you will listen to me.” I said, grabbing him by his hair.  “This is my home and you are the outsider here.  You do not prevent me from doing what I want.  You do not lie to me.”

 

    He was furious now, and threw a punch at me, but I caught his fist in my hand and held onto it firmly.  My influence radiated from me forcefully, overriding his military instincts, paralyzing him.

 

    I leaned over him, forcing him to meet my gaze.  “Also, my name is Gabriel.”  I pulled his head back, exposing his neck.  He struggled, but I was more than strong enough to hold him down.

 

    I sank my fangs into his neck, breaking the skin with no effort.  His blood flowed easily and I pulled in one mouthful, then released him.

 

    His great, hulking frame sagged against the couch, his eyes turned glassy, his mouth slack.  “Don’t worry, you’re not dying.” I assured him.  “My venom will keep you immobilized till I come back with Evangeline.”  He was at least three times the size of Evangeline, so it was unlikely my poison would stop his heart as it had hers.

 

    The memory came back to me, a fight on a rooftop high up in the sky.  I had done something unforgivable then, something other than nearly killing Evangeline.

 

    I brushed the memory aside, not willing to shoulder that burden again.  It was over and done with and I had come to terms with that already.  Now was the time to catch up with Evangeline and find out what was so important that she would have her brother lie to me.

 

    At this point I could guess what that was.

 

    First, I needed clothes, ones that would fit me.  My robe was starting to come undone, slipping off of my shoulder.  Since I had no clothes that fit me properly... I would have to wear someone else’s.

 

    Chris was much too large for me to ever trade clothes with.  That left only one other closet in the house.  Well, it wasn’t as if Evangeline had any women’s clothes anyway, and we were probably the same size now.

 

    The last time I was in her room, I hadn’t looked around much, too intent on the purpose of my visit.  Other than that, I hadn’t been inside.  I took the opportunity to look around now, and soak up the life of the person who slept here.

 

    The room was abysmally small, with only a few feet between the bed and the closet.  The desk was opposite the door, in front of the window.  And that was it.  No posters, nothing decorative.  It was neat, at least...

 

    I slid open the mirrored closet door, revealing a dresser and a few things hung up on a bar.  “This is the most boring room in the entire house.” I remarked dully, sliding open the top drawer of the dresser.

 

    The drawer was filled with rolled up pairs of socks and panties in bland colors.  Nothing I could use in here, I had socks of my own that would fit me.  I was about to close the drawer when a black piece of lace caught my eye.

 

    I debated my actions for all of two seconds before pulling out the panties.  The front and back was comprised of two scraps of black silk, and lace filling out the rest.  The whole thing was tied together at the sides, which was a style I was unfamiliar with.  A small tag hung from one of the strings.

 

    “Why does she have them, if she never wears them?” I asked aloud, examining the tag.  They were more expensive than most of her wardrobe.  “Is she saving them for a special occasion?”

 

    In my mind’s eye, I could picture Evangeline looking down at the floor nervously, her cheeks graced with a delicate blush.  ‘It’s my first time, so can you be gentle with me?’

 

    I shoved the panties back into the drawer and slammed it closed.  I stood absolutely still for a moment, feeling my blood pulsing quick and strong in my veins.  After a second I let out a small laugh.  “As if that would ever happen.”  What was I getting so worked up over?  Evangeline was the complete opposite of everything feminine and graceful, much less delicate.  Still, it took several minutes before my heart rate went back down to normal.

 

    Elsewhere in the dresser I found a tattered pair of jeans and a T-Shirt that read ‘Team Guy Who Almost Hit Bella With His Van’.  The shirt was a little snug, but the jeans fit me perfectly.  I shook my head and sighed.  That girl had no self awareness.

 

    Half of her clothes were men’s clothes.  Didn’t she understand that she was a girl?  Why did she never wear skirts?  Was she hiding a deformity somewhere?

 

    The school in Paris had forced her into one of their uniforms; a pleated skirt and black stockings.  There had been nothing wrong with her shape that I could tell.  Actually, it was rather pleasing.  She was on the thin side, but still had curves in the right places...

 

    I caught my train of thought before it could jump the rails completely.  What was wrong with me?  Ever since I woke up, these strange thoughts were assaulting me.

 

    Hadn’t I grown bored of finding women merely attractive?  Or perhaps that jaded behavior came from being married to Nora for so long?  Or were there other forces at work here?

 

    I looked at the backs of my hands, at the brand new skin I had grown back.  My body was that of a teenage boy, were my thoughts the same?

 

    I decided that I really didn’t have time to waste brooding about it.  I pilfered one of Evangeline’s hooded sweatshirts and paused to examine my reflection, my hands in the pockets.  It was a far cry from my usual style of button down shirts and black slacks, but at least it all fit.  It wasn’t so bad, really, and it seemed to fill me with exuberance.  I couldn’t help but smile at my doppelganger in the mirror, a somewhat mad grin.

 

    I found a pair of sneakers under her bed that had to be much too large for her.  They were very worn, but intact.  I tried them on, finding them to be just about my size.  They would suit me for now, but it boggled my mind why should would even own them.

 

    I checked on Chris again before heading out.  His eyes were closed.  “Are you still alive?” I asked casually, leaning over the back of the couch.  After making sure his breathing and pulse were steady I reached into his pocket and took the house keys.  While I was at it, I took his cellphone.  He wouldn’t be using it for a few more hours at least.

 

    The air outside was fresh and clean, and absolutely amazing.  The moon was high in the sky and the stars seemed just a bit brighter than I was used to.  Having a new nose, new eyes, made all the difference.  I was fresh as well, reborn with a brand new body that I was just aching to use.

 

    I took a moment, turning my attention inwards, to that compass that was pulling me towards Evangeline.  I concentrated, honing in on her direction like a dousing rod.  Once I had it, I made my move.

 

    She had taken her brother’s jeep of course, so I had no means of transport.  Other than my own two feet of course.  It was a crazy idea, but right now I felt like I had enough energy to accomplish any task.

    I set off, running towards the bridge the would take me to Manhattan.  I jogged at first, slowly picking up my pace till I was just under the legal speed limit.  I had to be burning up an insane amount of blood, but right now I was full of it.  I could keep up this pace for days if I had to, until I reached Evangeline.

 

    ********

 

    The building was residential, which struck me by surprise.  It was a five story brownstone in the heart of the city, and appeared to be in very good shape.  Judging by the window decorations, it was lived in as well.

 

    “Well, what was I expecting?” I asked myself, double checking the address on my phone.  “An abandoned warehouse by the docks?”

 

    There was no way to get inside through the front without attracting too much of the wrong kind of attention to myself.  The building was right next to an Italian restaurant on the corner.  I walked past and around, finding a small alley in the back.

 

    It was deserted, so I headed in.  There was a brick wall at the end of the alley, and the fire escape ladder in the back of Katrina’s building was directly overhead.  It was a bit lower than it should have been, if I reached up on my tiptoes I could just reach it...

 

    I pulled the ladder down and climbed up.  I tried to pull the ladder up after me, but it stuck about halfway.  I left it and climbed up the stairs.

 

    On each landing I paused for a moment and inspected the windows.  I didn’t linger too long, as most of the apartments were occupied.  The top apartment was dark, though, and the window was open.

 

    I fell to a crouch and crept over to the window.  The light’s were out, but I could hear someone moving around inside.  I held back from going in, trying to decide what to do.  It was perfectly reasonable that this apartment was inhabited just like the others, but I couldn’t think of a reason why the owner would be fumbling around inside with all the lights off.

 

    Had I stumbled upon a burglary?  What were the odds of that?  A million, no, two million to one?  Should I call the Police?  How would I explain what I was doing up here in the first place?

 

    While I sat on the fire escape, hemming and hawing over my indecision, the person inside of the apartment took that time to exit back through the window.  I recognized the man instantly, with his long, dirty coat and shaggy white hair.

    Standing on the fire escape outside of my Great Aunt Katrina’s building was the man that had nearly killed Gabriel, and judging by the expression on his face when he saw me, he was just as surprised as I was.

18: 17 - Dead Herring

The time we spent staring at each other dumbly was only a split second, but the moment felt like it hung in the air indefinitely.

 

I reached into my bag the same time he reached into his coat.  We paused at the same time.  It was strange how our movements mirrored each other.  Then again, the whole situation was too strange for words.

 

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

 

“Tracking a vampire.  What are you doing here?”

 

“That’s none of your business.” I replied, narrowing my eyes.

 

    This man, this awful hunter was the one that almost killed Gabriel.  The thought of it made my blood boil in my veins.  Yet we were at a standoff, both hesitant to make the first move.

 

    “You’re one of those, aren’t you?” he asked suspiciously, saying ‘those’ like it was something ugly.

 

    “One of what?” I asked, feeling insulted even though I had no idea what he was talking about.

 

    “You’re not under any glamour that I can see.  You seem to have your faculties about you at any rate.  So you must have been hanging around that monster voluntarily.”

 

    “So what if I was?”  My voice was getting defensive.  “Gabriel’s never hurt anyone while I’ve known him.”

 

    “What about that poor girl laid up at home with two broken ribs?” he demanded.

 

    It took me a second to figure out who he meant, then I remembered the other hunter at David’s apartment.  “She shot him first!  With a shotgun!  I spent an hour pulling silver buckshot out of him!”

 

    At the same time, we both made another move towards our weapons, but stopped, eying each other suspiciously.  “You read your silly novels, and watch your vapid movies and think ‘Vampires are just perpetually brooding, misunderstood teenagers.  Does he tell you that you’re special?  That he’s never loved anyone before, but you he can’t seem to stay away from?”

 

    It was then that I could smell the alcohol coming off of him.  “Are you drunk?” I asked incredulously.

 

“It’s kids like you that make my job a thousand times harder!”

 

“What JOB?!” I asked, raising my voice.  “You’re just a nut with a gun, trying to prove a point!  No one’s paying you to do this!”

 

“Oh?  You think so?”  He pulled the lapel of his coat back and reached into an upper pocket, then he flicked a white business card at me.  “There are a lot of people out there that realize what vampires really are; monsters.  Call that number when you’re finally disillusioned.”

 

I picked up the card, but didn’t take my eyes off of him.  I kept one hand in my bag.  I pocketed the card in my jeans without looking at it.

 

What now?  We were at a standstill, both of us heavily armed in the middle of a crowded city.  If either of us fired a shot, the Police would be after us in no time.

 

“I can’t leave you alone for a second, can I?” a voice called down from above.

 

We looked up just in time for a teen-aged boy wearing a hooded sweater to swing down from the roof, plant both feet into the hunter’s side, and push him back through the window.

 

The boy landed on his feet lightly in front of me.  “I saved you.  Again.  You owe me.”

 

“Gabriel?” I asked in disbelief.  Once the surprise wore off I said “Oh yeah?  How many times have I saved your butt from the fire?”

 

He paused to think for a moment, counting on his fingers.  I pushed past him, crawling through the window and pulling a silver shotgun out of my bag.  I stepped over to the fallen hunter just as he pulled a handgun from his coat and pointed it at me.

 

We had another standoff, with me standing over the hunter with the shotgun, and him aiming his 9mm at me from the floor.  There wasn’t a chance either one of us would miss.

 

“Hold on there, you don’t want to do that.”  Gabriel said, following me into the apartment.  “Put the gun down.”

 

“You heard the boy.” I said to the hunter.  “We’ve got you outnumbered.”

 

“I was talking to you.” Gabriel said, poking my shoulder with one finger.  “Put down the shotgun.”

 

“You heard the boy.” the hunter said from the floor.

 

“Oh, so listening to a vampire is fine as long as he’s saving your ass?” I queried, not dropping my guard.  “Such a hypocritical murderer you are...”  My finger ached to squeeze the trigger.  This was the man that had killed Gabriel, the old Gabriel, the sarcastic Gabriel.  The Gabriel that I...

 

“Hey, you’re not really going to kill him, are you?” Gabriel asked, his voice becoming increasingly alarmed.  “You’re against killing, remember?”

 

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to blink, to take my attention away from the man at my feet.  “There’s a first time for everything.” I said bitterly.

 

Gabriel made a move like he would try to take the gun away from me, but hesitated.  I might fire during a struggle, or the hunter could fire at me.  “Please, don’t do this.  You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you do.”

 

“I don’t care.” I said stubbornly.  “He’s not going to quit, Gabriel.  He’ll just keep coming after us, and next time...”  My hands began to shake as my voice broke.  “Next time he might succeed.”

 

“He’s your father.  You can’t kill him.” Gabriel said simply.

 

“What?”  My finger loosened on the trigger.

 

The man on the floor’s eyes widened.  “Evangeline?” his voice came out as a croak.

 

The look in his eyes, Gabriel’s voice, they made something inside of me snap.  “How do you know that name?!” I screamed, gesturing threateningly with the gun.

 

The man shut his mouth and looked away.  He drop the handgun and held up his hands, his face turned to the side.

 

“God dammit, tell me!”  I lifted up the shotgun, ready to bring the butt of it down on the man’s head.  Before I could Gabriel stepped close behind me and wrapped both arms around mine.

 

“Evangeline, stop it.”  His voice was infuriatingly calm.  “You have to let him go.”

 

“How can you say that!?  He tried to kill you, remember?  For three weeks he might as well have succeeded!”

 

“That doesn’t matter to me, not as much as something that I have to believe in.”  He pressed his cheek to my upper arm, looking down at the man on the floor.  “I have to believe that there is no line a father can cross that he can’t come back from!”

 

I stared ahead, stunned.  He was talking about himself of course, about his alienation from David.  The only family he had left.  His son who was still missing.  David’s mother, Nora, had killed his older brother.  Gabriel had killed Nora.  It was no wonder that their relationship always seemed so strained.

 

My arms went numb, hanging from their sockets.  The shotgun fell from my lifeless fingers, clattering on the wooden floor.

 

The hunter scooted backwards, away from us, before getting to his feet.  Gabriel focused his eyes on the man.  “Leave now, and don’t bother us ever again, or I will end you.” his voice dropped dangerously, his eyes glowing red.

 

“You just spared my life.” the hunter pointed out.

 

“I spared you a death by her hand.  If she kills you, it’s a tragedy.  If I do, it’s revenge.”

 

“Point taken.”  He edged around us and headed back out the window.

 

Gabriel held onto me tightly for a long moment while I shook.  Maybe he was making sure I wasn’t going to pick up the shotgun and go after the man.  I was grateful for it since I didn’t think I could stand under my own weight.

 

“Gabriel?” I squeaked softly.  “Is that man really my father?”

 

“His name is Arthur Statton, and he was outside of your Mother’s building.”

 

“That’s the name on my birth certificate.”  My voice sounded so hollow to my ears, completely void of life.

 

“Then I would say he’s your father.”

 

“Then, right from the beginning, this was all going to happen?  I was going to be involved with all this... all of this vampire stuff, no matter what I did?  I never had a choice?”

 

“Honestly?  I have no inkling whatsoever.”

 

I squeezed my eyes shut as tears leaked out the edges.  “Who planned all of this to happen this way, and why do they hate me so much?”

 

He released me then, dropping his arms to his sides.  I turned around, surprised.  He had his head lowered, his hood shadowing his eyes.  “There is no one forcing you.  There is no grand scheme.  If it’s that painful you can walk away at any time.  Who cares if your Great Aunt left you a laundry list of problems to sort out?  Who cares if some man you never met, who has never had any influence on the person you are, hunts vampires?  If you can’t handle it, then don’t, just go somewhere else.  You’re the one who’s always putting yourself in trouble anyway.”

 

I lifted up a hand towards him, but stopped halfway and dropped it again.  “You’re right.” I said quietly, barely above a whisper.  “When David offered me the house and the money, I accepted it without even thinking about it.  I didn’t think about what else I would inherit, because I didn’t care.  I was so busy running away from one life that I kept getting myself tangled up in another.”  I began to tremble again.  “Thank you, Gabriel.  I’m so glad that I didn’t kill him.”

 

    He grabbed my shoulders, holding me upright just before my knees could give out.  His eyes were red as they stared into mine, his expression intensely serious.  “Let’s just finish this, first.  Let’s find out what’s going on with Katrina, and where my son is.  After that, you can take whatever path you want.”

 

    I nodded.  “All right.”

 

    His mouth split into a sly smile.  “Perfect.”  He released me and began looking around the room.

 

    I stood there a moment, staring at the empty space in front of me, wondering what had just happened.  Gabriel found a light switch and flipped it on, pulling his hood down.  I blinked at him under the yellowish glow of the incandescent bulb.  “Wait a minute...” I looked him over more carefully.  “Is that my shirt?!”

 

    He chuckled in reply, mean-spirited.  He put his hands on his waist.  “I’m just lucky that your clothes fit me better than they do you.”

 

    My eyes widened.  “Those are my pants!”  I pointed at him.

 

    “Nice, huh?  I don’t have to roll up the cuffs like you do.”  I looked down at his feet and saw the sneakers that I kept under my bed.

 

    He’d been in my room, in my closet, he’d gone through my things...  Blood rushed to my face and I stomped over to him.  “Take them off!  Take them off, right now!”  I grabbed the front of the sweatshirt and unzipped it.

 

    He held up his hands, mocking helplessness.  His smile turned into a leer.  “Oh?  How bold you are now that we’re all alone.”

 

    “Ha!” I spat haughtily.  “You think I would get worked up over a naked teenager?”  I pushed the sweatshirt off of his shoulders.  He was wearing one of my shirts, too?

 

    He turned his face to the side, pretending to mutter, but keep his voice up.  “Maybe you preferred the way I looked before?”

 

    That made me pause, my face feeling hotter than ever.  I pushed his chest, turning and walking away from him.  “Fine, keep the clothes.  It’s not like I can wear them anymore, anyway.  Not with your cooties all over them.”

 

    “What the hell are cooties?  Did you just make that up?  Who’s the child here?”

 

    “Shut up, just let me finish what I came here for.”  I began looking around the apartment.  It was small, one bedroom, a living area connected with the kitchen.  It had hardwood floors, except for a large area rug in the center.  I didn’t see a bathroom, so it was probably shared with the other apartments on this floor.  Still, it was precious real estate in an overcrowded city, and it had a cozy feel.

 

    “What did you come here for?”  Gabriel asked.

 

    “This is the building Katrina owned.  I guess it’s mine now.”

 

    “I guessed that already, why are you breaking in?”

 

    “I didn’t mean to break in, it just happened that way.  I just wanted to see if she was here.”  I walked into the kitchen area.  It was largely unused.  If a vampire did live here, they wouldn’t be cooking.  I opened the refrigerator.  It was empty and unplugged.

 

    “I told you not to meet with her, remember?”

 

    “Look, I can take care of myself.  I’ve done a good job of it without you, so far-”

 

    “All three weeks...”

 

    “And I NEED answers, okay?  I want to know what Katrina’s been doing this whole time if she’s still alive.  What was the point in me even inheriting the house?”  I walked back into the living area and tripped over a corner of the rug.  I stumbled, but kept on my feet.  I looked down at the carpet in frustration, noticing a corner of it was turned up.

 

    “Katrina isn’t alive anymore.” Gabriel said darkly.  “I’ve been trying to tell you that.”

 

    “Yes, I know, she’s a vampire now.” I said, kneeling down and pulling back the corner of the rug a bit more.  The wood underneath was stained a dark brown.

 

    “Again, you’re just not listening-”

 

    “Shut up and come over here.” I interrupted him.  “Is this blood?”  I pointed at the stain.

 

    He sighed, throwing both hands up in the air.  He walked over and knelt down next to me.  “Yes, it’s blood.”  He said, inspecting the stain.

 

    “Well, something happened here.”  I flipped the corner of the carpet back down.

 

    Gabriel stopped me and pushed the carpet back more.  He stood up, grasping the carpet with both hands and walked backwards till it was pulled up about halfway.  The stain covered most of the floor.  “That’s a lot of blood...” I remarked, stunned.

 

    He knelt down on his hands and knees and pressed his face close to the wood, breathing in deeply.  I turned my eyes up to the ceiling.  “Dude, ew.”

 

    After a moment, he got back to his feet.  His expression was dark and troubled.  “This is Lucien’s blood.” he said.

 

    I looked back at the stain, my eyes growing wide.  “That’s a lot of blood, is he-”

 

    “He could have survived losing this much.” Gabriel said firmly.  “I’ve survived worse.”

 

    “We’ve got to find him soon.” I said.  “Obviously he hasn’t abandoned his wife and his business on a lark.  He must be in trouble.”

 

    “Perhaps he had an argument with whomever lives here.”

 

    “You think he’s the one who turned Katrina?”

 

    “He’s the only one that would have the opportunity.”  Gabriel used his foot to place the carpet back where it was.  “She gave him control over much of her estate.  That says she must have trusted him, at least marginally.  What I don’t know is ‘why’.”

 

    “She was old, obviously he didn’t want her to die.  He must have cared about her.”

 

    “She is dead!”  Gabriel shouted, glaring at me.  “You have to understand that!”

 

    Now I was confused.  “You told me she’s a vampire now.  That she attacked you at the birthing clinic.”

 

    “She did.”

 

    Gabriel took two steps, till he was standing over me.  Looking up at him, he seemed more dangerous than I had ever seen him.  “You don’t know what happens when a human is turned, so stop acting like you do!”

 

    “Then tell me!” I shouted back at him, getting to my feet.  “Ever since Desyre showed up you’ve been absolutely terrified of her!  She TOLD me that you were the one that turned her!  Now Katrina is back and you’re going bonkers again!  And you still won’t tell me what’s going on!”

 

    “Do you know why the girls at St. Katrina’s call vampires ‘papillons’?”

 

    That took me back.  I blinked at him a few times.  “You told me papillon means butterfly.”

 

    “Why do you think those girls would compare a vampire to a butterfly?  Because we’re both pretty?”

 

    “Because you both change?” I guessed.  “Like how a caterpillar cocoons itself and comes out as something else?”  I thought a moment.  “Wait, so does that make humans caterpillars?”

 

    “Please focus on the point.” he growled.  “Do you know how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly?”

 

    “Yes, I just said, they grow a cocoon and change inside.”  This whole conversation was incredibly frustrating.  “What exactly are you getting at?”

 

    “That’s not all that happens,” he answered.  “Once inside the cocoon, the caterpillar dissolves completely, The butterfly is made after that.”

 

    A small feeling of dread settled into my stomach.  “Wait...”

 

    Gabriel held up one finger from each hand.  “The caterpillar and the butterfly are not the same organism.”  He held his fingers two feet apart.  “The caterpillar dies, so that the butterfly can be born.”

 

    “Wait... are you sure?” I asked, the dread in my stomach increasing.  “I didn’t learn about this in science class...”

 

    Gabriel kept going, ignoring my discomfort.  “When a human is changed to a vampire, it too must be cocooned.  Inside of a box or trunk, or even buried underground.  The slightest bit of light that hits it during the change will cause it to burn up.  This is not limited to sunlight.  Candle light, reflected sunlight light, and even electric light will burn it.  Inside of the body, the organs are changed, some are even consumed, for they are not needed.  The skin remains intact, acting as an inner cocoon, keeping everything in place.”

 

    “What about the brain?”

 

    “After death, brain cells are the first to die.  Memories, skills, personality traits, all of those perish.  What’s left of the brain is reformed into a new one, one better suited for a vampire’s survival.”

 

    My legs felt weak, my head light.  “So Katrina, and Desyre...?”

 

    “Desyre is the only vampire I’ve ever turned.  I foolishly believed I could save her from death.  She died because of my ignorance.”  He looked away.  “She would have died no matter what I did.”

 

    “You’re not scared of her.” I realized.  “This whole time you’ve been running from your mistake.”

 

    He turned away, walking towards the window.  “Katrina is Lucien’s mistake.  She’s not the same person anymore.  She died at his hands and became someone else.  Someone dangerous and powerful.  She has a goal in her head, I saw it when she attacked me.”  He put his hands on his chest.  “She’s looking for the older me, even now.  She’s going to erase me, no matter what.”

 

    I hurriedly followed after him.  “If she’s not the same Katrina, then why would she even care?”

 

    “I don’t know, but I’d bet anything that Lucien does.” he answered grimly.

 

    **********

 

    “Do we have to go back home right away?” Gabriel asked as we walked.  He was in front and I was a few steps behind.  “I want to do something fun.”

 

    He seemed different now than when we were up in the apartment.  His demeanor was much lighter, if bored.  Meanwhile I was still processing all of the new information I’d absorbed.

 

    “Do you really think now is the time to go have fun?” I asked him.  “After everything we’ve learned tonight?”

 

    “Yes.” he answered simply.  “Now is the perfect time to do something fun.”

 

    I looked at my phone and sighed.  “We still have a few hours till dawn, what do you want to do?”

    

    “I don’t know yet, what’s around here?”  He looked up at the tall buildings and the flagpoles flying purple colors that dotted the street.  A purple bus passed us, chugging through traffic.

 

    “Ugh, I definitely don’t want to do something in this neighborhood.”

 

    “Why not?”  He turned around, walking backwards while he faced me.  His eyes glimmered with curiosity.

 

    “I used to go to school around here.” I said by way of explanation.

 

    “High School?”

 

    “No, college.”  I kept my eyes on my phone, checking my messages several times so I didn’t have to look at him.

 

    “So that would mean you know the area well.”

 

    I sighed again.  “Yeah, which is why I’d rather not be here.”

 

    He stopped suddenly and I almost walked into him.  I pocketed my phone and frowned at him.  He leaned his face close to mine, that sly smile forming on his lips again.  “Why don’t you want to be here?” he asked.  “Afraid you’re going to run into someone you don’t like?”

 

    I pushed his chest and walked past him.  “Yes, if you must know.”

 

    “Oh?  let me guess, then.”

 

    “Don’t bother.”

 

    “A friend you once tragically back-stabbed and abandoned?” he asked, walking next to me.

 

    I arched an eyebrow at him.  “What kind of person do you think I am?”

 

    “Alright, a friend that tragically stabbed you in the back?”

 

    I looked away from him.  “Whatever.”

 

    “I’m getting closer, I see.”  He thought for a moment.  “A former lover?”

 

    I felt my cheeks go red.  “L-lover?  Who uses words like that nowadays?”

 

    His sly smile turned into a sly grin.  “So that’s it.”

 

    “That is not it.” I said, feeling my face grow hotter.  “I’m just surprised at your antiquated choice of words.”

 

    “That is so ‘it’.” he said, poking my cheek with one finger.  “I can see it written all over your face.”

    

    I flailed my arms, batting his hand away.  “Stop that, don’t touch me.”

 

    “Did the two of you 'hang out' around here?”  He looked around.  “A favorite book store, or a coffee shop?  There’s a park near here, right?  I can smell it.”  He looked back at me.  “Where did you dump him?  Was it at the park?”

 

    I stopped walking, letting Gabriel go ahead.  I looked at the sidewalk, feeling the flames in my face die down.  A cold hollowness crept into my chest.  “What makes you think I dumped him?”

 

    Gabriel stopped and turned to look back at me.  After a second he walked back and took my hand in his.  “Come on, show me.”  He tugged on my arm.

 

    “What’s the point?  He probably doesn’t hang around here anymore.  Besides, it’s the middle of the night.”

 

    He tugged on my arm again.  “Maybe, or maybe one of his friends is out and about.  They’d see you with me and maybe even take a picture.  Then they would put it on the internet for all to see and he would get supremely jealous.”

 

    I gave him an incredulous look.  “Really?  Is that your master plan?”

 

    He put a finger to his temple.  “I’ve got the body of a teenager right now, might as well act like one.”

 

    “Why on Earth would I go out of my way to create MORE drama for myself?”

 

    “This is the fun kind of drama.”  He moved closer to me.  I moved back, till I bumped into a wall.  He continued to step closer, till we were much too close for my personal comfort.  “I’ll hold your hand for you, and we can take a walk through the park.” he leaned his mouth close to my ear.  “I’ll whisper meaningless words in your ear and you can smile and blush.”

 

    I shrank away from him, but he still had a grip on my hand.  I was not liking this new Gabriel one bit.  Actually, I was starting to really miss the old, perpetually aloof, Gabriel.

 

    He looked at me expectantly.  “That is not me at all.  I do not smile and blush.” I told him firmly.  “And you would not make anyone jealous, looking like that.  You look like you just hit puberty this afternoon.”

 

    “Earlier tonight, as a matter of fact.”

 

    “Exactly my point.”  I pulled on my hand and he let me go.  “This isn’t my idea of fun.  I'm not a teenager anymore.”

 

    “Then let’s go get something to eat before we head back.  I can hear your stomach growling.  Hunger must be what’s making you so crabby.”

 

    “You can hear my stomach growling?” I asked, my body stiffening.

 

    “You’d be surprised how much I can hear.” he answered.  “I can hear your heartbeat, your blood pulsing through your veins.  All kinds of stomach noises.  It gets very distracting sometimes.”

 

    “Great, now I feel all icky.  Do you make a point of invading my privacy every chance you get?”

 

    He shrugged.  “I can’t not hear it.  I can tune it out, but sometimes you get really loud.  So let’s go get something to eat.  You do know a good place around here, right?”

 

    I shut my eyes, feeling myself giving in.  “Fine, all right.  I know a place nearby.  Let’s just stop off at the car and I’ll get you a bottle out of the back.  I stopped by Butcher’s place before coming here, so you’re all stocked up.”

 

    “Two bottles.  I used a lot of energy getting here.”

 

    “How exactly did you get here?”

 

    “I ran.”

 

    “What, all the way from the house?  Over the bridge?”

 

    “I took the bike path.” he answered defensively.  “No one in the cars spotted me, that I know of...”

 

19: 18 - Starting to Come Together

“What is this place?” I looked up at the green and white striped awning.  Half of the sidewalk was taken up by skinny black tables and chairs, which looked precariously balanced at best.  At least inside there were solid, dark wood furnishings.

 

“It’s a cafe,” Evangeline said smartly.  She walked in without turning back to see if I was following.

 

“I can see that,” I replied.  “We passed by fifty other cafes between here and the car.  Why this place?”

 

“I know this place.  You wanted to go to a place I knew, right?”

 

“I suppose it doesn’t matter, since I don’t have to eat here.”

 

Evangeline snaked through the narrow aisles the tables created, bypassing the booths and beelining for a table close to the counter.  The place was surprisingly deserted.  Even in the dead of night New York City needed it’s coffee fix.

 

A bored teenager sat behind the counter, reading something on her phone.  She looked up when Evangeline sat down and her expression brightened.  “Angie!  I haven’t seen you in forever!”

 

“Hi Renee.  Sorry... I’ve been busy.”

 

“I know, I’ve been reading your Facebook.”  She picked up a white towel off the counter and slung it over her shoulder.  “What do you need?”

 

“Caffeine, lots of it.”  Evangeline put her arms up on the table and rested her head on them.

 

I sat down in the chair across from her.  “What have you been posting to Facebook?” I asked curiously.

 

She attempted to shrug, but her position made her resemble a caterpillar.  “You know... stuff?  Don’t you check it?  I know David set up an account for you.”

 

“I don’t remember what happened to my phone.  Let me borrow yours.”

 

“Too tired to move.  I got you a new phone, it’s back in the car.”  Her voice was getting duller as exhaustion crept in.

 

“Why didn’t you give it to me when we were at the car?”

 

“...I forgot.”

 

“You’re completely hopeless.” I reached across the table and retrieved her cellphone from her jeans pocket.  She was too feeble to stop me, though she did flop one of her arms in my direction.  I flipped through her home screens, looking for the Facebook application.  “This is a mess, why do you have so many screens?”

 

“That way I can find stuff.”

 

Renee returned with two coffees.  She set them both down in front of Evangeline, who lifted up her head to greet them.  “Want anything solid?” she asked, reaching for a notepad at her hip.

 

“Pennsylvania breakfast.”  Evangeline took a sip of the steaming black coffee, grimacing at the taste or the heat.  That didn’t stop her from sipping it again.

 

Just from that first sip, her eyes brightened and color came back to her face.  She pursed her lips into an O and blew delicately into her cup.  She turned her soft brown eyes up towards me and I noticed for the first time just how thick her eyelashes were.  They framed her eyes just so, making them appear dusky through the steam.

 

“Is there something wrong with my face?”

 

    I turned my attention back to the phone.  “I don’t know how you go outside looking like that.  You’re completely oblivious.”

 

    In my periphery I saw her face scrunch up in a scowl.  “Next time I plan on breaking and entering, I’ll bring my makeup bag.”

 

    Renee came back with a plate bearing two half-inch thick chocolate chip pancakes, two strips of bacon, and a fried egg.  “Here you go, every insomniac’s dream.”

 

    While Evangeline was focused on her plate, the woman finally turned her attention to me.  “I didn’t know you had a little brother, Angie.”

 

    “Ugh, Chris is enough brother for a lifetime,” Evangeline muttered.

 

    “Actually, we’re living together,” I said, giving Renee my most charming smile.

 

    She reached up and ruffled my hair, giving me a good natured wink.  “Sure you are.”  Then she turned and went back to her counter.

 

    Now it was my turn to scowl.  “My powers have become ineffective.”

 

    “Your influence is fine.” Evangeline assured me.  “It’s just a different effect when it comes from a fourteen year old.  You don’t have your smoldering eyes and brooding good looks helping you out anymore.”

 

    “Smoldering?  Really?”  I turned back to her and paused in appall.  She had taken the food on her plate and constructed a sandwich out of it, which she was just patting down and preparing to consume.  “That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.  Your eating habits will dig you an early grave.”

 

    She took a large bite from her ‘sandwich’ and I had to look away.  “At least I’ll die happy,” she said, her mouth full of food.

 

    “You’ll change your tune after your second bypass.”

 

    “I won’t get past thirty anyway, not with you around.”  She paused to grab a napkin from the middle of the table.

 

    I reached into my pocket.  “Hold on, I’ve got a moist towelette in here somewhere.”  I tossed her a small packet.

 

    “This is mine, stop messing around in my pants,” she said sourly, getting back to her meal.  She paused right before her next bite.  “That’s a phrase I never thought I would say to you.”

 

    “You checked into the cemetery in Paris?” I turned the phone’s screen towards her.  “Why would you do that?”

 

    She shrugged.  “Because it let me.  The cemetery was on the list of places nearby.”

 

    “Who are all of these people on here?  I’ve never even heard of them.”

 

    “They’re my friends.”

 

    “All of them?  How come you never talk to or see them?”

 

    “They’re Facebook friends, I talk to them on Facebook.  Some live out of state, some are from my old schools.”  She narrowed her eyes slyly.  “Does it bother you, realizing how little you know about me?”

 

    I put the phone down on the table.  “I guess in the end, it doesn’t really matter.  I’m really only curious about one thing.”

 

    She swallowed the last of her food slowly, her expression changed to one of uneasiness.  “What one thing?”  She reached for her coffee.

 

    “I want you to tell me about the one you were talking about earlier.”  I placed my elbow on the table and leaned my head on my hand.  “The one that broke your heart.”

 

    She coughed into her drink, spilling some of it on the table.  “Why do you care about something like that?” she asked in annoyance, grabbing a handful of napkins and wiping her hands and the table.

 

    “Because it’s been a while since I’ve seen you so flustered.”  I gave her my best smile.

 

    She looked to the side.  “No way.  You’ll just make fun of me.”

 

    “Oh?  Now I must know.”

 

    “No.”

 

    “Maybe I’ll ask one of the people on here.”  I looked back to the phone.

 

    She got to her feet and hurriedly reached across the table.  “Give me that.”

 

    I held the phone back,  forcing her to lean in closer.  I grasped her wrist and looked her right in the eyes.  “Tell me.”  I laced my voice with influence.  She was constantly bragging about how she was ‘immune’ to it, but most of the time I wasn’t really trying.

 

    She stared at me for a solid thirty seconds, then sank back into her seat in defeat.  “Have you ever done something incredibly stupid?” she asked.

 

    “I’m sitting here right now.”

 

    “Have you ever done something incredibly stupid for a over a year?”

 

    I leaned both elbows on the table, intrigued now.  “Start at the beginning.”

 

    She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “Part of the reason I chose NYU was because that’s where he was going.  I had idolized him for a good part of High School, and I wasn’t ready to let him go when college sprang up.  There were other reasons, of course.  NYU was close enough that I wouldn’t have to get a dorm, and it had classes I was interested in, but I wasn’t quite foolish enough to think those were the main reasons.

    At the same time, I was hesitant to approach him.  He wasn’t my first crush, but popularity was intimidating.  He was handsome, smart, and funny, a combination that guaranteed numerous friends.  He had a twin brother, Daniel, who was just as popular.  I knew that my own feelings were special though, because I only had interest in him, and not his brother.

    Large crowds are not my thing, but I found myself hanging out in the places that he did, and making friends with his friends.  I became a fixture, and after a while, it seemed strange to them that he and I had never spoken.

    I had spent so much time merely watching him that I was becoming content to just leave it at that.  I was getting absorbed by my classes, as well as my new friends.  I didn’t need him to acknowledge me.”

 

    She pushed her plate away and leaned on the table, her eyes gloomy.  “It happened by accident, one day.  At least, I think it did.  Maybe it was planned by a third party, I don’t know, but we somehow found ourselves alone together.

    It was a short elevator ride, and I don’t remember most of it.  Somehow by the end of it, I was nodding my head, promising to see him again that night.

    After that it seemed like we were always together, even walking to and from classes.  It was easier to talk to him than I had ever dreamed.  He was even more smart and funny up close than when I watched him from far away.  He surprised me with our first kiss, during the fourth of July fireworks.  I was beyond happy,”  Her voice darkened grimly. “I was exhilarated by how perfect everything was.”

 

    “What did you do when you found out he was cheating on you?”

 

    She looked startled, as if she’d forgotten I was sitting here listening to her story.  Her jawline tensed.  “I punched him in the face so hard I broke his nose.”  She turned away from me, looking out the large plate glass windows at the street.  “I guess I should have seen it coming.  He was rather... pushy when it came to physical contact, but he still should of told me that he wasn’t going to wait.”

 

    “Wait for what?”

 

    She squirmed in her seat.  “I dunno.  I just wanted to wait.  I wasn’t ready.”

 

    The air was suddenly heavy.  The weight settled around Evangeline’s shoulders, making them droop.  I could feel a darkness inside of her, painful and massive.  It started at her iron core and radiated outward, threatening to swallow her entirely.

 

    “What else did he do?” I asked softly.

 

    She must have noticed the hint of malice in my voice because she turned to me quickly, her eyes widening.

 

    Just then a fire truck roared past the cafe, sirens blaring, red and white lights spinning.  Two more thundered after it.

 

    I stood up, leaning forward to look down the street.  “They’re going the same way we came from.”

 

    She got to her feet as well.  “It’s probably just a coincidence.  They could be heading anywhere.”

 

    We both looked at each other for a beat, then she reached into her wallet and threw a twenty on the table.  I pocketed her cellphone and we hurried out the door.

 

    I sprinted ahead of her, my keen eyes spotting smoke and the glow of flames far down the street.  She huffed along after me, then stopped.  “Hold up...” she wheezed.  “I just... ate...”

 

    I headed back to where she stood, clutching her knees.  I turned and kneeled, showing her my back.  “Come on, I’ll carry you.”

 

    “What?  No way!”

 

    “I could do a ‘princess carry’?” I suggested.

 

    “Grrr, fine.”  She wrapped her arms around my neck.  I stood up, grasping her legs under her knees and pulling them till she reluctantly hugged my waist.  Then I took off towards the source of the fire.

 

    The building we had broken into was ablaze of course, at least the top floor was.  Fire crews were at work, trying to contain the inferno while Police corralled tenants and bystanders across the street.

 

    “Head back to the car,” Evangeline said urgently in my ear.  Her body was starting to sag down my back, so I moved my hands up to her thighs to support her.  She made an indignant sound that was somewhere between a bark and a squeak.

 

    “Put me down,” she ordered when we reached the yellow SUV.  I obliged, deciding now wasn’t a time to tease her.  The front passenger window of Chris’ vehicle was smashed in, tiny bits of safety glass littering the sidewalk.  Most of the glass was in the seat, and closer inspection revealed the glove compartment had been wrenched open.

 

    “Is the radio gone?” Evangeline asked, peering over my shoulder.

 

    “No, but the glove compartment is empty.”

 

    “You’ve got to be kidding me!”   She pushed past me and opened the door.  She shoved her hand into the compartment, but found nothing.  “All the papers I was carrying about Dr Smythe were in there!”  She groaned aloud.  “And the check from the fertility clinic!  I just had them reissue that from when my car blew up!”

 

    “You still haven’t cashed that?” I asked.  “Were you waiting for a rainy day?”

 

    “I had other things on my mind, okay?” she snapped.  She groaned again, turning it into a growl at the end.  “Chris is going to kill me.”

 

    “We’re not in any desperate need of funds,” I assured her.  “Thanks to Lucien, we’ve enough in our respective bank accounts to sustain us for years, decades if we’re careful.  We can get one window fixed.”

 

    “Yeah, but all of Chris’ stuff is gone, too.  Who the hell did this?”  She glared up and down the street, as if the culprit was still lurking about.

 

    “That’s simple, it was Katrina.  I can smell her scent all over this area.”

 

    “Well, how did she know to attack this car?”

 

    “Elementary.  She followed my scent from her apartment to here.  She is trying to kill me, you know.” I nodded importantly, though on the inside I could feel the cold finger of fear slithering up my spine.

 

    “You really think she set might have fire to her own apartment?”  Evangeline looked doubtful.

 

    “Yes, in all honesty.  I doubt that hunter would have come back after you almost killed him.  Besides, I don’t think arson is his style.”

 

    “Well, why would she torch her own place?  Aren’t vampires attached to where they live?”

 

    “Her hideout was discovered, so she destroyed it.”

 

    She frowned darkly.  “Seems kind of extreme to me.”  She walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door.  “Get in, we have to get back to the house.”

    

Using my bare hands, I brushed the bits of glass off of the passenger’s seat, out onto the sidewalk.  The sharp glass couldn’t make even the smallest scratch on my skin, but I didn’t want it to tear up my new pants by sitting on them.

 

    “Why the urgency?” I asked once we had set off.  Evangeline was going a bit faster than her usual crawl.

 

    “I’m worried about Chris.”

 

    “Don’t.  He was perfectly alive when I left him.  Conscious no, but still breathing.”

 

    She gave me a quick glare.  “Not from you.  Katrina has our address now.  I’m guessing that if she had remembered it before, then the house would be the first place she would have looked for you.  Since she hasn’t shown up yet, she probably didn’t remember where it was.”

 

    “And now she knows where it is.”

 

    “Exactly.”  Evangeline kept her eyes on the road, her profile grim.

 

    ********

 

    The house sat peacefully in it’s ocean of white gravel, it’s lone tower blocking the moon.  Evangeline cut the engine and hopped out quickly, sprinting up the porch steps.

 

    “I’ve got the key.”  I followed her up the steps, key already in hand.  I inserted it into the lock and turned.

 

    The door swung open then, the key sliding out of the lock.  Before I could react a massive fist hit me square in the face, sending me flying backwards.  I landed on my back in the gravel.

 

    “Chris, it’s us!” Evangeline cried.

 

    “I know,” Chris answered her, his voice sounding strained.  “If you ever bite me again Gabrielle, I swear I’ll stake you!”

 

    “He bit you?  Gabriel, you bit him?”

 

    I sat up, unperturbed.  “At least I’m not the one who allowed his car to get broken into.”

 

    Chris was leaning against the door frame, still not fully recovered from my venom.  If he had had his full strength, I might have actually felt his punch.  It was scary how powerful a human could become, especially when angered.  “My car?  What about my car?”  He and Evangeline went back to the car to assess the damage.

 

    I got to my feet and entered the house.  There was a scent in the air, familiar and yet so different.  I first caught it outside, but didn’t recognize it till the door opened.  Quietly, I closed the door behind me.

 

    I slid my hands into my pockets as I casually walked around the house, pausing in each room on the first floor.  I looked up the staircase, but the scent did not go up there.  I headed back to the kitchen.

 

    She stood on the other side of the counter, silver katana in hand.  Her fiery hair tumbling loose past her shoulders.  Her emerald eyes reflecting the rage and hate that her body just barely held in check.

 

    “How did you get in?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.  “There’s only one key, and I’ve got it.”  I pulled my hand from my pocket and placed it on the counter between us.  I moved it to the side, revealing the strange cylindrical house key.

 

    “Shame on you, Gabriel,” she replied.  “Did you forget the secret door in the basement?  Ah, that’s right, I had that installed after I locked you up.”

 

    I brought my eyes to hers.  “It’s time to end this farce, Katrina,” I told her.  “You have a chance right now, to turn around and live your life, instead of wallowing in someone else’s past.  You are not Katrina Riley.  Not anymore.”

 

    Her eyes narrowed.  “That’s not what Lucien told me,” her voice turned to acid.  “Every single day he hammered it into me.  Everything that I should remember.  Who I was supposed to be.  How I was supposed to act!  Right up till the moment that I killed him.”

 

    My heart thudded in my chest, quicker, tighter.  “Lucien?”

 

    She raised up the katana.  “Well, guess what?  I don’t want to be Katrina Riley anymore.  I don’t want her memories, or her vendettas.”  She leveled the tip of the blade, pointed at me.  “But the only way to be someone else is if I kill her, kill every last memory that she ever had, and burn every last trace of her from existence.  Her home... her family... and her enemies.”

 

20: 19 - Final Fantasy

   I stared at her from across the counter, dazed.  I recalled the blood stain in her apartment.  I had recognized it as Lucien’s blood, but I hadn’t want to think that he- he could be...

 

    “You... killed Lucien?” I asked, feeling completely hollow.

 

    Her eyes were emerald slits.  “I had to.  It was the only way I could have my own life.  No matter what I said or did, he wouldn’t back down, he wouldn’t leave me alone.”

 

    I tried to recall Lucien’s face, but the only image that came from my devastated memory was an infant’s face, asleep and peaceful.  I couldn’t remember what my son looked like now.  Did he look like me?  I was never going to find out.

 

    Pain flooded the emptiness inside, quickly converting into rage.  I began shaking all over.  This pain was familiar, this loss echoed deep inside of my chest.  I had felt it before, a long time ago.  Back then I tried to hold it in, to contain the urge to destroy someone I cared about.  This time... this time I didn’t have to hold back at all.  There was no one I cared about before me.

 

    “YOU KILLED MY SON!”  I literally flew into a rage, climbing over the counter and throwing myself at her.

 

    There is a breaking point in every vampire, a moment when the mind becomes so consumed by hatred and anger that the only thoughts are of destroying the object of ire.  No thoughts were wasted on reason or even the vampire’s own safety.  The heart beats faster, to better move adrenaline throughout the body, making a vampire’s terrifying strength massive.

 

    Some called it Blood Rage, or The Berserk.  I had always thought of it as nothing more than mindless fury.  I had only felt it three times in my long, long life.

With every fiber of my being I wanted to hurt her.  It was my only thought, the only thing I focused on.  It made me careless.

No, careless was too tame a word.  My own safety no longer concerned me.  If I were fatally wounded, I would not heed it.  Such things no longer mattered.

 

********

 

Chris let out a sigh that ended in a moan.  “Let’s just go inside for now, I’ll call the insurance company in the morning.”

 

“You’re not worried about leaving the car out?” I asked.  “I can go put it in the garage.”

 

He waved his hand.  “No, leave it.  We’re miles away from anyone.  It’s not like someone’s gonna come along and swipe my stereo.”

 

I put a comforting hand on his back as we turned to the house.  “Come on, I’ll make you some cocoa, you’ve had a hard night.”

 

“The kind with the little marshmallows in it?” he asked hopefully.

 

“Sure thing,” I smiled at him.

 

“Evie, maybe you should stop hanging around this guy.”  His expression suddenly changed, looking worried.  “It’s not just that he’s not safe, not just that crazy things happen the more you’re around him.  I’m just worried about how close you two are getting.  He’s not human, he doesn’t feel things the way we do.”

 

I rolled my eyes.  “Trust me, I’m not getting attached.  I went a little bonkers when I thought he was dead, but I had an excuse, I was recovering from a head wound.”

 

“It’s not you that’s getting attached, though,” he said quietly.

 

I laughed a little, giving him a strange look.  “What do you mean?”

 

But Chris’ face was grim.  “He sees you as something that he owns now.  His property.  I’ve seen it with my own eyes.  Whenever something going on concerns you, he gets this look about him...”

 

“If he does feel that way, then I’ll set him right.  With force, if I have to.”  I pressed the button for the doorbell.

 

“But it’s not going to do any good if you’re still around him.  I’m not sure if it’s because he drinks blood to live, or because he’s so strong, or even because he’s been around so long, but he’s disconnected.  He doesn’t care about hurting or killing the way we do.”  He took a breath and finished.  “And seeing him act so possessive towards you truly is a scary thing.”

 

I rang the doorbell again.  “It’s times like this I really wish we had a second key.”  I sighed.

 

Chris knew I was dodging his worries, and he let it go.  “Maybe he’s asleep?”

 

“Even if he was, he’d still hear the bell.”  I rang it again, twice in succession.  “What the hell, Gabriel,” I muttered.  “This night hasn’t been long enough?”

 

I walked around the porch to the back side of the house.  A large glass window dominated most of the living room wall, but the blinds were closed.  Chris followed me and rapped his knuckles on the glass.

 

“That won’t work, the entire house is sound proofed.”

 

“Are you kidding me?” he turned to me.  “What kind of crazy bat was Katrina, anyway?”

 

There was a tiny slit in the blinds, a sliver of light shining out from the living room.  I pressed my face close to the glass, shading my eyes with my hands.  I straightened up right away, feeling cold.  “You can ask her yourself, she’s in the kitchen with Gabriel.”

 

“Wait, what?” Chris peered through the window as well, but I was already moving, hopping over the wooden porch railing and running back to the car.  “Where are you going?” Chris called after me.

 

“Steven’s.” I called back.  “I’m gonna ask him to help me get another key!”

 

“Just call him!”  Chris shouted after me.

 

“I can’t!  Gabriel has my cell phone!”  I hopped back into the car, fumbling with the keys a bit before I was able to start it.

 

As I drove out of the clearing and to the main road I noticed the sky slowly turning pink at the edges.  Dawn was rapidly approaching.  I’d left the house right before dark, which means I’d been up all night.  With Gabriel around, I could easily forget what the sun looked like.

 

Did it really matter in the end?  The sun was a burning ball in the sky that made me red and itchy a couple of days out of the year.  Gabriel was... Gabriel was...

 

I gripped the steering wheel hard as I drove down the road.

 

********

 

“Please be up, please be up, please be up.” I chanted as I hopped up the front steps to Steven’s house.

 

The house was huge, but for most of the year he had the place to himself.  His parents dropped in every few months, in between long vacations in other countries.  Among my three human friends on Long Island, Steven was the most withdrawn.  I wondered if that was because he spent more time alone.

 

I jabbed my thumb at the doorbell, hitting it repeatedly.  He answered almost immediately, peering at me through a thin crack in the doorway.  “Angie?”  He opened the door wide.  “What’s the matter?”

 

His hair was disheveled and his glasses drooped down his nose, but he didn’t look as if I had just woke him.  He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so he’d probably been up all night like me.

 

“I’ve locked myself out of my house.” I told him hurriedly.  “Please tell me you have another key!”

 

He shook his head.  “Aunt Katrina insisted on there only being one key.  Even though she let me work on the security system however I wanted, she wouldn’t agree to a backup.”

 

“What about the company that made the key?” I pressed.  “Where are they located?”

 

“I made the key.” he answered.  “I used the 3D printer.”  He jerked his thumb behind him, back into the house.

 

“Then you can make me another one!” I nearly screeched with hopefulness.  He shook his head again.  “Stop shaking your head!” I ordered.

 

“I’m sorry, Angie.  Aunt Katrina made me delete the schematic for it.”

 

“Steven, listen to me right now.  I really, really, NEED to get into my house.  Right now.”  I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down to eye level.  His glasses slipped right off his face and clattered on the porch.

 

“Have you tried the secret entrance to the basement?” he asked, nonplussed.

 

I didn’t hear him.  My grip on his shirt fell slack.  A strange feeling came over me, a calm that was unnatural, given the situation.  “You have really blue eyes.” I said softly.

 

“Aw dammit.” he muttered.  He bent down and picked up his glasses, putting them back on.  The effect was broken immediately and I blinked for the first time in over a minute.  

 

“What the hell just happened?” I asked.  That feeling... it was almost like influence.  I narrowed my eyes at Steven.

 

“Sorry about that,” he said while adjusting his glasses.  “I sat on them the other day and now they won’t sit right.”  He gave up and looked back at me.  “I’ve got fey blood,” he said by way of explanation.

 

“I’m sorry... what?”

 

He sighed, looking pained.  “Now’s really not the time for this.  You need to get into the house, right?”

 

Gabriel was fighting vampire Katrina, all by himself.  Urgency sparked inside of me.  “Yes.  Right now.  Immediately.”

 

“Have you tried the secret entrance to the basement?”

 

“There’s a secret entrance to the basement?”

 

“Right.” Steven set his jaw.  “Come on, I’ll show you where it is.”

 

We got back into the car, Steven taking the front passenger’s side.  He looked at the busted window.  “I see you’ve had a rough night.”

 

“Don’t get me started,” I muttered as I turned the key in the ignition.

 

“We can talk about something else, then.”

 

“Fey blood?” I asked as I steered the jeep back out to the road.

 

“Something that’s not that.”

 

“You’re the one that brought it up.”

 

“Well, yes I did, but I was going to eventually anyway.  I figured you were used to weirdness since you live with vampires.  Which I’m guessing is the reason there’s trouble now and you have to get into the house.  I’m just hoping there’s not going to be a lot of blood like last time, because I don’t really do well around-”

 

I hit the brakes sharply, sending us both forward, straining the seat belts.  “Vampires!? Who said anything about vampires?” I asked, my voice high-pitched.

 

“I’m sorry, I should have told you that I knew earlier,” he said profusely.  “but I was afraid Gabriel would probably kill me.  I’ve seen what vampires do to each other, I’m not much of a fighter.”

 

“You- you remember, from last year?” I asked tentatively.  I eased off the brakes and switched to the gas, easing the car forward.

 

Last year Nora (Gabriel’s wife) had broken into the house and kidnapped Gabriel.  In the process, she had nearly killed Callie.  At the time Steven had been hiding in the basement, and after Nora was gone, he helped me nurse Callie back to life.  “Callie told me that she-”

 

“Wiped my memories?” he asked helpfully, then sucked his teeth.  “Yeah, sorry, I’ve learned that anything that involves eye contact really doesn’t work on me.  I can’t control it.  Trust me, I wish I could forget all of that.”

 

“Do Ricky and Cass know about this?” I asked.  Ricky and Cassandra were my other two friends on Long Island, a brother and sister pair.  They both happened to have crushes on Steven, and now I was starting to see why.

 

“I told them, they’re my best friends.  They humor me, but they don’t really believe me.”

 

“I mean about Gabriel and Callie,” I demanded.

 

“I haven’t told them.  I’m not sure if they’ve pieced it together themselves, though.  I mean, it’s pretty obvious when you think about it.”

 

“Yeah, it is pretty obvious.” I muttered.  “Fantastic.”

 

“Well, it’s not much, but it doesn’t matter to me what Callie and Gabriel are.  They seem fairly okay people.  Well Callie is pretty great, Gabriel less so, so I guess it evens out.  In the end, I’m still your friend.  I’m not going to judge you by what they are, or do.”

 

Okay, now I was starting to see why Ricky and Cassandra liked him so much.  “Thanks,” I said.

    

    ********

 

 

    My claws dug deeply into her flesh just as her sword bit into mine.  Her wounds healed within seconds, while mine poured blood.

 

    It was no surprise.  She was so much younger, and so full of blood.  Human blood, vampire blood... Lucien’s blood.  Meanwhile I had been subsisting on pig’s blood for months.

 

    As my body burned, I longed to tear into her with my teeth, but the biting blade always stung, forcing me away.  Taking it away from her had also proved impossible.  She would not relinquish any physical advantage over me.

 

    My mind was a red cloud of pain and rage, my only desire to tear, to rip, to kill.  My heartbeat resonated with it.  Shred, cut, kill.

 

    All of my reserves were being spent, every bit of strength I possessed was pushed to it’s limit.

 

    Things broke around us, furniture smashed to tinder, doors broken in.  The refrigerator would never run again.  The battle went on for an eternity.

 

    It only took one move to finish it.

 

    I found myself on my back, the kitchen table under me.  The silver katana buried in my chest, while she stood over me, bearing it down with both hands.

 

    Her face was a mess, scratched and bloodied, her hair wild tatters.  Her vibrant green eyes full of desperation, terror, and a faint spark of triumph.

 

    I clawed at her arms as the red cloud thickened.  I tore into them, rending muscle from bone, but she did not move, only waiting for the last of my strength to fade away.

    ********

 

     When we got back to the house, Steven hopped out of the car before I had fully parked.  I left the keys in the ignition and hopped out after him.  He jogged to the side of the house past the laundry room.  Chris spotted us and followed.

 

    “Looks like someone’s already been through here.” He studied the ground.

 

    “Why do you say that?”

 

    He shuffled through the gravel with one foot.  “There’s no loose gravel over the door, just what was set into it.”  He bent down, hooking his fingers around a few pieces of gravel, then pulled up.  An iron door swung open, white gravel either glued to or set into it’s back

 

A narrow ladder led down into the basement, and utter darkness. “After you,” Steven gestured to me.

 

“Right.” I stepped down onto the first step, but Chris grabbed my arm, stopping me.

 

“I’ll go first.” he said.

 

“No, you stay here.  It’s too narrow, you’ll never fit.”

 

“You’re not going inside alone.”

 

“I won’t be alone, Gabriel’s already inside.  He’s probably already wiped the floor with Katrina.  I’ll go down and get the key.  Meet me by the front door and I’ll let you in.”

 

Chris glared at me suspiciously, his hand tightening on my arm.  “I’m not letting you go down there.”

 

    Steven removed his glasses and carefully folded them, placing them in his shirt pocket.  He put a hand on Chris’ shoulder.  “Let’s go wait by the door, man.”

 

    Chris turned to him, shrugging his hand off, and paused.  He stared at Steven as if he’d never seen him before.  His grip on my arm slackened and I pulled free.  “You’re eyes are really blue.” he said.

 

    “Yes, I’m aware of that,” Steven answered.  “The porch is this way.”  He pointed ahead and steered my brother by his shoulder.

 

    Quickly, I made my way down into the basement.  Darkness closed around me like a blanket.  I reached the bottom and felt around blindly till I found a doorknob.

 

    I kept my arms outstretched in front of me as I navigated the sea of pitch black.  Despite my efforts I still banged my knee right into something hard.

 

    My fingers recognized it as the bench press.  I was in the gym.  Okay, I knew which way to go now, mostly.

 

    I reached the light switch and flicked it on, listening carefully.  There were no sounds overhead.  Had what I told Chris been true?  Had Gabriel already taken care of Katrina?

 

    Or had it been the other way around?  My stomach tightened.  Only one way to find out.

 

    I made my way through the gym, and then the pantry, reaching the steps that led up to the kitchen closet.  This house had too many secret doors.  This was the third one, by my count.  One could only wonder how many more secrets Great Aunt Katrina had buried here.

 

    Would I ever be able to find them all?

 

    That last thought sent a shiver down my spine that stopped me cold.  I shook myself and continued on, climbing the steps up to the door.

 

    I slid the door open and was greeted with a faint light, coming through the cracks made into the kitchen closet door, after it had been smashed through.

 

    I listened intently, but there was no sound.  Carefully I pushed the broken door open.  It moved a few feet before stopping, something heavy and metal barring the way.

 

    It was our mammoth refrigerator, lying on it’s side.  Thankfully there was enough room for me to squeeze out the door, because there was no way in the world I would have been able to move it.

    Climbing over it would be the only way to get into the kitchen.  I put my hands up on the side and paused, seeing the blood for the first time.  Slowly, and with much dread, I brought my eyes up, taking in the scene before me.

21: 20 - Screaming Bloody Murder

The sight before my eyes was too gruesome for me to comprehend all at once, so I absorbed it in bits and pieces.  The blood sprayed on the walls, pools of it splattered on the kitchen tile.  The chairs were turned over, or in pieces.  A cabinet door hung from only one hinge.

 

Last of all I looked at Gabriel.

 

He was lying on his back, spread out on the heavy wooden table.  His arms and legs hung off the sides, dangling lifelessly.  His eyes were open, his face frozen in shock and pain.  A long silver katana was thrust through his chest, the tip of it coming out the other end of the table.

 

I clutched the edge of the fridge blindly as I bent over and became violently ill right there on the kitchen floor.

 

I kept heaving well after my stomach was empty, my retches turning into sobs as tears slid down my cheeks.  My chest ached as my throat burned.

 

When I was finally done I scrambled up over the fridge, my hands smearing the blood splattered on it.  I made my way over to the table, reaching up and grasping the katana’s handle, tugging hard.  It was embedded securely into the wood, and did not budge.

 

Placing one knee, then another on the table between his legs I climbed up and grasped the handle again, pulling with everything I had.

 

The katana moved slowly, pulling Gabriel’s body up with it.  The blade came free and the body slid off, hitting the table with a sickening thump.

 

I stood on the table and panted with effort, trying to push my tears back, to block any more from pouring out, so I could concentrate on what was in front of me.

 

A loud thump overhead interrupted my thoughts.  I turned my face up to the ceiling.  Someone was in the attic, moving something heavy.  Katrina was still in the house.

 

I stepped down from the table, looking over the sword in my hand.  It was silver coated steel, and looked familiar to me.  It was the sword I had found in the coffin in the attic.  I had brought it with me when I had gone to rescue Gabriel from Nora.  It was the sword he had used to kill her.

 

I remembered Gabriel thrusting the sword through her, then she fell off the roof.  How had the sword made it’s way back here?

 

“Wait here a minute, Gabriel.” I said, my voice hoarse, but strangely calm.  “I’ve got to go take care of something.”

 

I climbed the stairs to the second floor slowly, listening carefully for any sign of attack.  The stairs to the attic were unfolded and the noises above were louder now.  I could hear the sound of metal on wood, and the splattering of liquid.

 

Mounting the narrow steps, I kept alert, my body hunched and ready to strike, gripping the katana tightly.  I spied the red-haired figure before she spied me.

 

Her back was to me, and she was busy.  On the floor beside her were three red gas cans.  She had one in her hands and was pouring gasoline all over the attic.  The smell assaulted me with a new wave of nausea.

 

Katrina the vampire was going to burn my house down.

 

I stepped out onto the attic floor, which immediately creaked, announcing my arrival.  Katrina turned her head and looked over at me.  “Oh, it’s you.” she said and went back to her work.

 

“You killed Gabriel.” I rasped, stepping towards her.

 

She emptied her can and tossed it aside.  “It took a long time, he fought till the bitter end.  He should have known it was inevitable, though.”  She trembled a little as she picked up another can.  Her wrists were badly slashed, bloodied and ripped.  Her hair was a mess, sticky with blood and loose tendrils going in every direction.

 

“I’d just gotten him back.” I whispered.  My hands shook as I held the katana’s handle in a death grip.

 

“What?”  Katrina paused before dumping out the next can.  She looked over at me.

 

“I’D JUST GOTTEN HIM BACK!” I shrieked, lunging at her.

 

Her eyes widened a little and she stepped back, grabbing my forearms with both hands before I could bring the katana to bear.  “Are you really going to try this?” she asked in disbelief.

 

Instead of answering I changed my grip on the katana, bring it downwards.  Katrina pushed me away.  I stumbled backwards, but recovered.  I lunged at her again.

 

I sliced desperately, rage fueling my attacks.  I was faster, stronger than I had ever been.  Adrenaline pumped through my veins.  “The last thing I ever do, Katrina, will be to kill you.” I said through gritted teeth.

 

My cuts were shallow at best, but I was armed while she was not, which kept her on the defensive.  The sword gave me the longer reach, which prevented her from sinking her deadly claws into my skin.

 

She wasn’t going to stay on the defensive for long, as my cuts were getting more and more accurate.  She took a chance and grabbed my wrists with one hand, ripping at my shoulder with her other.

 

Hot blood ran down my arm.  There might have been pain, but it paled in comparison to the ache in my chest.  I fought her tooth and nail even as she ripped the katana from my hands.

 

She leaned the blade against the stone coffin in the center of the attic and brought her foot down on it hard, snapping it in two.  She tossed the handle across the attic, then grabbed me by the front of my shirt and slammed me down on top of the coffin.

 

The impact emptied my lungs in one burst.  My head bounced off the stone coffin lid and the attic blurred.  I lay on top of the coffin, clutching my chest, trying to get air back inside of me.

 

I coughed and the coughs turned to body-wracking retches.  After it passed I lay there weakly, staring at Katrina through a red haze.  “Tch.” she sucked at her teeth, then turned away and went back to dousing the attic.

 

I tried to move, jerking my shoulders, failing to get to my feet.  I tipped over onto the floor.  My hands found the upper part of the katana blade.  It was short, about a foot long.  It would have to do.

 

I took a moment, summoning every last scrap of energy and ability, while my head swam crazily.  Katrina stood by the exit, a gold lighter in her hand.  I pulled myself to my feet.

 

She sensed me immediately, turning, but even her enhanced senses were no match for my last, desperate, lunge.  The last thing I would ever do.

 

Before she could fully turn I was behind her, plunging the silver blade into her back.  The silver seared through her skin and flesh like butter, her spine like string.  The sharp steel bit into my hands, but I didn’t feel that pain either.

 

Katrina’s legs collapsed under her.  She reached behind and tried to pull out the blade, but the silver burned her hand horribly.  I had wounded her grievously, but she could still recover.  I had to make sure she never came back again.

 

I stepped over her struggling form, and picked up the other piece of the katana.  This I buried into her chest.

 

She stared at me, unable to move, her eyes glassy, and so full of pain.  Even stabbing her through the heart wasn’t going to kill her.  Eventually she would be able to pull the blades out and heal.

 

I had to make sure there was nothing left to heal.

 

The gold lighter lay on the floor next to her body.  I picked it up.  It was beaten up, with the initials A. S carved in the side.

 

Once I was at the attic steps, I flicked the lighter open.  The flame flickered and danced hypnotically.  “Good bye Katrina.” I said dully, tossed it up onto the floor.  The gasoline lit immediately, fire spreading throughout the attic in seconds.

 

Stumbling weakly, I reached the next set of stairs and headed down.  Halfway down the stairs I lost my footing and tumbled to the bottom.  I landed on my back and this time I felt agony pounding on my skull.

 

Laying there was useless, it didn’t matter how many bones were broken.  I crawled past the door to the laundry room while my head throbbed and the haze over my eyes grew redder.  It wasn’t till I reached the kitchen that I managed to get back to my feet.

 

I pulled myself over to the table, gripping the countertop.  “I’m back.” I said tonelessly.  “It’s time to go, Gabriel.  I set the house on fire.”

 

I crawled up onto the table and collapsed on top of his corpse.  “If we don’t go now, we’ll get caught in it too.”

 

The vestibule leading to the front door was about ten feet away.  I stared at it while laying my head on Gabriel’s ruined chest.  Ten feet or ten miles, it didn’t matter to me.  The distance didn’t matter when there was no reason to leave.  Even if I did have the key.

 

“I killed Katrina, by the way.”

 

I could smell the smoke now, and hear the roar of the fire above us.  The kitchen grew dimmer with each passing moment.

 

I reached both hands up and grasped the front of his torn shirt.  “It’s time to get up now, Gabriel.  I’m not kidding.  You’ve been shot.  Clawed.  Stabbed.  Buried alive.  Drowned. Burned.  But even this might be a little beyond you.  If you’re going to come back to life, now’s the only chance you’ll get.”

 

There was a tremendous crash overhead as the roof collapsed.  It might have smothered the flames, if it weren’t for the gasoline.  I could hear the fire eating it’s way down the stairs.

 

“I can’t carry you out of trouble this time.  I’m sorry I can’t even drag you.” I said as burning tears oozed from my eyes.  “I used all my strength on Katrina.  So, if you don’t get up now, then we’re both going to stay here.”

 

I turned my face away from the doorway, burying it in his chest.  “I’m not going to leave you here.  Because you’ll just get up and disappear somewhere without me.  It was stupid luck that I found you the last time, I’m not going to let that happen again.”  My body began to shake as I sobbed.

 

There was a pounding, one that wasn’t inside of my head.  It was dull and slow, but getting louder.  I ignored it.

 

Then the world lurched violently.  Black smoke hung in the air so thick it didn’t matter if my eyes were open or closed.  Through the haze I could see Gabriel below me, still lying on the table.

 

I struggled, trying to get back to him, but a strong arm held me tightly.  I reached my hand out weakly, but I was moving further away from the table.  “No.”  My voice travelled over the sandpaper in my throat and came out as a rasp.  “No, I can’t leave him.”

 

My words went unheeded, and the distance between us grew.  I kicked, fighting with  paltry strength.  “Gabriel, get up.” I croaked.  “Get up now.”

 

I was through the vestibule now and his body slid from my sight.  “Please.” I begged.  “Please, Gabriel, get up.”

 

Then I was outside, looking up at the inferno that was once my home.  The upper two floors blazed so brightly that my eyes teared.  Or maybe my eyes were still leaking for a different reason.

 

I continued to reach out as I got further and further away from the house.  As I watched, the second floor collapsed in a shower of embers and burning debris.  Wood and brick rained down, crushing the roof of the laundry room.  The impact-resistant windows shattered and the sounds were like gunshots.

 

Throughout it all, there was only one thought winding through my skull.  If he didn’t get out of there now, this time he would really die.  “Gabriel... please...”

 

“Don’t you think it’s about time you gave up?  You’re only making yourself look foolish.”

 

I opened my eyes and saw only darkness above me.  I lay on my back, the surface under me cold and hard.  I sat up and saw Dimitri, the only thing in this entire space.

 

My clothes were gone, but the realization did not alarm me, nor did Dimitri’s presence.  The cold floor bit into my bare skin, but caring was beyond me.

 

“This time he is well and truly gone.” Dimitri mused, rubbing a finger under his chin.  “Even I am satisfied with this outcome.  Sure, you didn’t rip his heart out... but Katrina did, and really that’s even better.”  He tilted his head in my direction, sliding one violet eye towards me.  “You always did take second place to her, when it came to Gabriel.”

 

“You’re right.” I replied hollowly.  “I wasn’t strong enough to protect him.”

 

Dimitri’s eyes widened ever so slightly.  “Oh?”  Then he smiled slyly.  “I see...”

 

    He walked over and knelt down in front of me, till we were at eye level.  He peered at my face and I looked at him, my weakness, my uselessness bare in my eyes.  “There’s not really much reason for me to even stay here.” he said.  Heavy chains bound my wrists and ankles.  His words conjured them, twining like snakes, binding my arms and legs, as well as my heart.

 

    “Chains?” he asked himself quietly.  “No, too crude.”  The chains became thick black ribbon, wrapping their way over my limbs, binding just as heavily.  His smile became wider.  “I always told you, that you could not be broken with force, as that only made you stronger.  You needed to be worn down softly, from the inside out.”  He put his hand under my chin.  “Was I wrong?”

 

    “You were right.” I answered.

 

    “Good.  Now I want you to tell me something.”  He placed both palms on my cheeks and leaned his face close to mine, so I had no choice but to look directly into his eyes.  “Tell me now, because I know that you know... who has my eye?”

 

    “Kieran.” I answered as a tear slid down my cheek.

 

    Dimitri wiped the tear away with his thumb.  “Who is Kieran?  Answer me now.”  His voice was soft, but there was an anxiety just below the surface that made his hands just a little too tight.

 

    “Kieran Brun, the hunter that protects Saint Katrina’s.”

 

    Dimitri released me, both eyes very wide.  He jumped to his feet.  “The boy!?”  His body shook with barely suppressed fury.  “That witch carved out my eye and gave it to the boy?!”  His face cracked into a deranged smile and he let out a laugh that was almost a giggle.  “I’ll rip his spine out.” he said simply.

 

    He looked back down at me and his smile went back down to it’s usual slyness.  “But first...”

 

    ********

 

    Heat and fire and flame.  So painful and yet cleansing.  How could something so pure create such awful black smoke?  In the end, the only thing it left behind was charred black remains.  It had always terrified me so, would it ever again?

 

    “Where am I?” I asked, sitting up on the white gravel.  The gravel was familiar, the blackened remains of what was once a house was not.  The sun was coming up, but I was in the shade of the trees for now.

 

    “Oh, thank God,” someone groaned behind me.  I turned and saw Chris sitting on the gravel a couple of feet away.

 

Steven lay on his back beside him, his skin white as a sheet.  “I’ve had it with you people,” he said weakly.  “I’m never setting foot in that house again.”

 

“The house is gone, man.”  Chris said to him.

 

Steven raised up one arm weakly.  “Then my vow has been fulfilled.”  He dropped his arm back down on the gravel.

 

Both men looked completely exhausted.  “What’s going on?” I asked, feeling unusually alarmed.  “What happened to my house?”

 

Memories began to flicker and I looked down at my chest.  The shirt was a ruined mess, and the skin underneath was scratched and scarred.  My arms too, carried many marks and wounds, in varying stages of healing.

 

“Evie set it on fire, I think.” Chris answered.  “I wasn’t in there, so I don’t know what happened.  “I used the jeep to break open the door.”

 

“Where is Evangeline?”

 

Steven raised his arm again.  “I can field that one.  I called Ricky, he’s taking her to the emergency room now.”

 

My stomach felt strangely hollow.  “She was harmed?”

 

Both men looked at me, their expressions grave.  I tried get to my feet, but my legs were weak.  I slipped on the gravel.  Chris steadied me with one hand.  “I wouldn’t move so fast, you were dead ten minutes ago.  Well, you know, dead-er.”

 

“If I was dead, why am I alive now?”

 

“Don’t tell him.” Steven moaned.  “I’m still queasy.”

 

    “After I pulled you out of the house, we, uh... donated some of our blood to you.”

 

    “I can’t hear you.”  Steven covered his ears with his hands, it was then that I spied a makeshift bandage wrapped around his wrist.  Chris wore a similar one, and the bottom of his shirt was torn.

 

    “You saved my life?” I asked in shock.

 

    “I did it for Evie,” Chris said sternly.  “I saw what happened to her the last time you died.  When she wakes up, the first thing she’s going to look for will be you.”  He sounded very unhappy relaying this to me.

 

    I sat there and thought for a long moment.  About Katrina, and the battle I had lost.  About my house, all that was left of it was a pile of charred timber.  About Evangeline, and her words that I half remembered.  

 

‘I’m not going to leave you here.  Because you’ll just get up and disappear somewhere without me.  It was stupid luck that I found you the last time, I’m not going to let that happen again.’

 

    My second attempt to regain my feet was successful.  “Then I shouldn’t keep her waiting.” I said soberly.

 

    “Give me a minute, I’m going to the hospital anyway.”

    “I’ll stay here.” Steven offered.  “Knowing the both of you, the hospital will burn down too.”

22: 21 - The Shadow in My Heart

She lay on the bed, a white sheet tucked up over her chest, her arms resting on top of it.  IVs ran to both arms, one attached to a saline drip and the other standing by, waiting for what would save her.

 

“She suffered a pretty severe blow to the head, and her shoulder was dislocated.  The wound on her arm wouldn’t stop bleeding, even after the stitches... as well as the blood from the head wound.”  The doctor paused, trying to keep her tone delicate.  “She’s lost a lot.  We’re not sure when she’ll wake up.”

 

“So, we’re just waiting on a blood transfer?”  Chris’ voice had affected a calm that was his shield, honed during his time as a soldier.  

 

The doctor grimaced.  “Right now the system is a little backed up.  It’s been a rough night.  There were two major fires in the city.  We’re working as fast as we can.”  She excused herself, going to see about her other patients, the ones that her presence would actually help.

 

“There shouldn’t be any problem getting her the blood she needs.” I said, turning to Chris.  “Since you’re here.”

 

“What do you mean?”  Confusion crossed his face.

 

My hand shot out, centering on his chest, clenching the front of his shirt.  “What?  You’re telling me that Evangeline is lying there and it hasn’t occurred to you to give her your own blood?”

 

Chris didn’t fight me, instead he spoke.  “Of course it has.  If I could give her my blood, I would.”

 

“What’s the matter?”  My voice was deadly soft.  “Are you too weak after force feeding me while your sister was bleeding out?”  I leaned closer to him, feeling malice rise up inside of me.  “I’m sure you have something left to spare.”

 

“Evie and I aren’t the same blood type.” he explained as calmly as he could.

 

Anger flared, bright and fierce.  “You’re her brother, how are you not the same blood type?” I demanded.

 

“We’re not blood related; I’m her step brother.”  His voice remained infuriatingly calm, like he was talking to a very small child.  “Mom married Dad after Evie’s father left.  My real mother died when I was a baby, and my father passed away a few years ago.  Evie and I aren’t related in any way.”  I released him, finally understanding.  “That’s why we don’t look alike.”

 

“I see.”  I didn’t have time to pick through their complicated family dynamics.  I pulled the curtain aside.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Evangeline needs blood, I’m going to go get it for her.”

 

Chris put a hand on my shoulder.  “You can’t kill someone, Gabriel.”  That was the first time he had called me by my name, instead of that infantile ‘Gabrielle’.  “Look, I’d be all for anything that would save Evie, but she wouldn’t want you to do this.”

 

I brushed his hand away, feeling my insides turn to steel.  “She doesn’t have to know.”

 

“No need to kill someone, I’m here now.” a voice said a few feet away.  I looked and saw Evangeline’s mother hurrying over to us, a nurse following close behind.

 

She stepped through the curtain and wasted no time, taking the chair next to her daughter and holding her arm out to the nurse.  There was a non-nonsense expression on her face.  She didn’t spare time or emotion on her daughter’s plight, instead choosing to act as soon as possible.

 

Chris grasped my shoulder again.  “Let Mom take care of Evie.” he said.  “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”

 

**********

 

We had no trouble finding an open bar.  Finding a place to sit was another matter.  The TV was on, showing footage of a building in flames, a reporter quickly giving out details as they were fed into her headset.  Every patron had their eyes glued to the screen and the placed was packed.  

 

    “Do you think the building will go down?” one voice whispered.

 

    Chris pulled me over to the bar, where two seats had just opened up.  He signaled the bartender, who poured two shots of amber liquid for us.

 

    “You do know I have no interest in alcohol right now, don’t you?”

 

    “Yeah, I know,” Chris answered, downing both shots one after the other.

 

    “Good luck finding a designated driver.”  I turned my attention back to the television.  The building on fire was familiar, but the camera was shaking too much.

 

    “This was the scene earlier tonight, when this high rise erupted in flames.”  A female voice reported mechanically.  The camera switched to a new, much steadier shot, of a tall black building spouting smoke and steam plumes.  “Paramedics report that injuries were light, with the exception of one man who lost his life in the fire.  Truly a tragic night.”

 

    “That’s Lucien’s building.”  I sank onto my stool heavily.  I couldn’t look at the television any longer.  I turned away, pulling my eyes to the empty glasses starting to line up in front of us.

 

    “You going to be okay?”

 

    “No,” I shook my head.  “No, I’m not.”

 

    “Well you’d better, because she’s waiting for you.”

 

    “If she is, then she’s the only one left.”

 

    **********

 

    “It’s been a week, when is she going to wake up?”  Chris was agitated, from waiting, from sleeping in a chair, from eating out of vending machines.

 

    “She’s healing.  The doctor says that’s the most important thing.  She’ll wake up when she’s ready to.” Evangeline’s mother, Vivian, sounded calm, but the new creases under her eyes told a different story.

 

    I sat across from her, the hospital bed holding Evangeline between us.  Chris paced back and forth between the door and window.

 

    “It doesn’t feel like she’s here at all.” I said softly.  “Just an empty shell lying in a bed.”

 

    Vivian turned her eyes to me, askance.  Chris swooped in to save the situation.  “I think we could all use another round of coffee.” he pulled gently on his stepmother’s arm.  “All this waiting is just driving everyone batty.

 

    She stood up quickly, her mouth clenched tightly closed, her eyes daggers.  She reluctantly let Chris lead her out of the room.  He glared at me before closing the door.

 

    I turned my full attention to Evangeline.  “Are you still even here any more?”  I couldn’t feel her presence, I hadn’t since she was brought here.  “Where did you go?”

 

    Her hands lay folded on her chest.  After hesitating a moment, I reached over and took one in mine.  I could feel her steady pulse, the blood moving through her veins.  I could hear her heart beating, her lungs moving air in and out.  Where was the rest of her?

 

    I closed my eyes, so as to concentrate that much more, as I pushed out with my influence.

 

    I met no resistance, no other mind to connect with, to influence.  She had retreated far.  Perhaps the damage to her head was more significant than her x-rays showed.

 

    It was then that I felt a thread, burning with pure malice.  Perhaps Evangeline had not retreated after all, perhaps she was being restrained.

 

    I grasped the thread, following it down into the deepest darkness.

 

    The darkness was crushing in it’s depth, and blinding in it’s blankness.  There was nothing to perceive, nothing to behold.

 

    Except for a long, slow clapping.

 

    I turned and he stood a distance away, tall and bony, with pale skin that would never see the sun.  A cloth covered his eyes, not quite distracting enough to draw attention from his self important smile.

 

    “I was wondering how long it would take you to find me here.  You really are slow, aren’t you?”

 

    “You’re of Nora’s family, one of the Manigaults.” I said.  “You attacked the school with Veronique, until Evangeline stopped you.”

 

    He lowered his hands, his mouth twisting like he’d tasted something sour.  “I seem to recall you not doing very much during that battle.”

 

    “At least I lasted until the end.”  My eyes darted around, but still only found more darkness.  “How long have you been hiding here?”

 

    He spread his arms out.  “My name is Dimitri, and I do not hide.  It is Evangeline that hides me, forgetting me each and every time she wakes, pushing me down here so she doesn’t have to remember.  Still, she always comes back.”

 

    “And now you’ve got hold of her, and you’re not letting her wake up.”

 

    He shook his head.  “By all means, no.  While I do enjoy her company, I have no power to stop her from doing anything.  I am a mere visitor, a guest, if you will.  She does not wake because she cannot bear to.  Her world is missing something now, and she will not accept that difference.”

 

    “Well then where is she?”

 

    “She’s right here with us.”  He stepped to the side, revealing Evangeline, though under any normal circumstances I would not have been able to recognize her.

 

    To enter another’s sub-conscious is to see them for what they truly were, all other personas stripped away, leaving the raw soul bare.

 

    Evangeline was completely bound.

 

    Her body was suspended by her arms like a marionette.  Black ribbon bound her arms and legs, their ends taught and blending into darkness.  A black vinyl corset covered her chest and torso, tied up tightly.  Black ribbon covered her eyes and wound around her neck, forcing her head back.

 

    I approached her slowly, keeping one eye on Dimitri.  He graciously let me pass.  I stood right in front of her, inches between us.  “Why did you do this to yourself?” I asked softly, looking her over closely.  She was wearing black silk panties that tied on the sides.  I flicked one of the ties with two fingers.  “Well, those are burned up along with the house.”  I turned my eyes back up to her face.  “Is that why you’re here?  Because the house is gone?”

 

    I reached up and touched the silk ribbon binding her neck.  An icy chill ran down my arm, numbing my fingers.  “No, this doesn’t belong here.  You didn’t create these.”  I looked up, trying to determine where the ribbon lead.  I turned just as Dimitri attacked.

 

    He slashed at me with a thick shard of black glass, slicing the front of my shirt.  Numbness spread across my chest.  “That ribbon is yours.  You did this to Evangeline.”

 

    He continued his attack, slashing wildly while I sidestepped and dodged out of the way.  “You really are simple, aren’t you?  She could have stopped me at any time.  I’m just a seed planted here, but the entire garden is her mind.  She could crush me with a thought.”

 

    “Being tricked into being bound is not the same thing as binding herself up.”

 

    Dimitri laughed harshly.  “I have given her no deception.  She’s the one that cannot bear the truth.”  Suddenly he was right before me, his face a bare inch from mine.  “And it’s all your doing.”

 

    His blow sent me flying backwards.  I bounced off of nothing and struggled back to my feet.  “What are you talking about?”  I pointed at Evangeline.  “How is that my fault?”

 

    He laughed again, going high, and a bit crazed.  He pointed his shard at me.  “You’re the one that bound yourself to her, like a diseased parasite.  Fighting on rooftops?  Almost poisoned by venom?  Getting shot, constantly chased, always in danger?  Those are the things you brought into her life.  I can see into her memory.  She tried to leave you once, didn’t she?”

 

    “I didn’t let her.  I couldn’t.” I answered defensively.

 

    “But why though?  Wouldn’t it have been so much simpler if you had just let her go?”

 

    “She’s the legal owner of my house.  How else was I supposed to get it from her?”

 

    “Wrong!”  Dimitri shouted, holding up one finger.  “She would have handed the deed over for a song, after you almost killed her.  The first time.  What’s the real reason?  Come now, I know you cannot lie.”

 

    “I’m not lying!”  I could feel my ire rising.  What was the point of this?  “If we could just walk away from each other, we would in a second.  Our situation is much more complicated than you-”

 

    “Wrong again!” he shouted, holding up another finger.  “It’s actually quite simple.  You lie so much, every day you do it.  How can you stand the weight of it?”

 

    “I DO NOT LIE!”  Lies were the worst, the absolute filthiest thing in the world.  Lies destroyed, killed, far worse than weapons or force.

 

    “Wrong.” Dimitri whispered, holding up a third finger.  “You lie to yourself.”

 

    A dozen invisible knives slashed me then, tearing my clothes and my skin.  I fell backwards.

 

    Dimitri stood over me.  He pulled away the cloth covering his face.  One bright, violet eye glared down at me in amusement and contempt, the other just an empty socket.  “I had hoped I would be the one to destroy you, but it looks like you’re doing enough damage all by yourself.”  His words were like snakes, worming their way into my head, slithering through my thoughts, tearing them to pieces.

 

“It’s all your fault, the reason that she’s like this.  You dragged her into your life, your issues, your world, and then you left her.  And you left her again.  You made her kill your enemy, destroy her own home.  You’re the worst, the lowest creature.”  I brought my hands to my head, trying to shut his voice out, but it was no use.  “You don’t deserve her thoughts, her caring.  You don’t deserve anyone’s.”

 

“Yes.”  My chest heaved as I breathed, trying to control my voice.  I lowered my hands.  “You’re right.  I caused this whole mess.”  His smile widened and I narrowed my eyes.  “I’ll be the one to fix it.”

 

I got to my feet, calm settling over me.  Dimitri tried to intervene, but could not touch me.  I walked right through him.  I walked over to where Evangeline hung.  I brought my hand to her cheek and leaned my forehead against hers.  “It’s all right,” I whispered to her.  “I’m here now.”

 

The ribbon loosened at once, falling away from her face.  Her eyes flew open, blinding white light shooting out from them.  I backed away as her bare feet touched the ground and she stood under her own weight.

 

The light poured out of her, clothing her in armor like steel.  She stood there, burning with righteous fury.  “This is my mind.”  Her voice thundered, from everywhere, echoing all around.  “Everyone who doesn’t belong here: GET OUT!”

 

“She means the both of us.” Dimitri said just as he faded away.

 

The light increased, too bright to behold.  I brought my arms up, shielding my face.  It pierced right through me, till I had no choice but to retreat or be destroyed.

 

********

 

I jerked awake, finding my face buried in the blanket covering her legs.  My eyes immediately went to her face.  Her eyes were still closed, but now she merely slept.

 

I stood up and leaned my head down to hers, placing my hand on her cheek.  She sighed a little in her sleep, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink.  “I understand now.” I whispered to her.  “All this time that I didn’t, it was because I didn’t want to.  But now I know, I know what to do now.”

 

Footsteps approached the room, Chris and Vivian were returning.  I withdrew, back into my seat.  When she woke, I would tell her.  Such a short amount of time, I could easily wait.

 

23: 22 - Morning Light

I turned in my sleep.  It was as if I hadn’t moved in years.  My body just didn’t want to cooperate.  Oh, why did everything have to hurt so much?  Unable to take it, I opened my eyes.

 

The room was dark, but I knew immediately that it wasn’t mine.  The smell was wrong, harsh and antiseptic.  Was I still in the hospital?

 

That’s right, I’d been shot, hadn’t I?  That old hunter had caught Gabriel and I off guard.  Then some awful things happened...  What was it?  My head hurt so much...

 

“Let me get the light.” a voice said gently, and the lamp next to me turned on.

 

Gabriel sat next to me, looking just the way he always did, though a bit more tired.  The light was dim and the shadows on his face made him seem thinner, as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

 

His outline blurred as tears sprang to my eyes.  “Thank God...” I gasped.  “it was all just a dream.”  None of that terrible nightmare had happened.  I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, letting out a small sob.

 

When I bent my elbow, I felt pain.  I looked at my right arm.  When had I gotten an IV?

 

    “I’m sorry.” Gabriel whispered, taking my wrist in his hand and gently lowering my arm.  “It’s my fault that you’re here again.”

 

    “It... it happened?” I whispered fearfully.  “Th-the house?”

 

    “It’s gone.  There’s nothing left.”

 

    I felt the tears returning.  It was so hard to breathe...

 

    He squeezed my hand, making shushing noises as he reached up with his other hand, wiping my cheek.  “You were hurt very badly, because of me.”  I started to shake my head, but he shushed again.  “It’s going to take more time till you fully heal.  You woke up too soon.  Let your body rest a bit more.”

 

    I shook my head.  I didn’t want to go back to sleep.  I felt like I’d already slept a century.  I wanted to get up, out of this bed.  I wanted to grab him, to make sure he was really here.  I grasped his sleeve weakly.

 

    His voice was so soft though, calming and gentle.  “Go back to sleep, I’ll be here when you wake.”

 

“No...” I whispered as exhaustion washed over me.  “You’ll leave again...”

 

“I promise I’ll be here the very second you wake up.” he assured me.

 

My consciousness slipped away from me, and I heard his voice echo in my head.  ‘I won’t ever leave you.’

 

Did he really say that, or was I dreaming already?  It was wrong, somehow I felt that this shouldn’t be.

 

It definitely shouldn’t be.

 

********

 

Mom just kept crying.  She was smiling, and so relieved, but tears streamed down her face, getting my blanket all wet.  “I was really gone for a second there, wasn’t I?” I asked in disbelief.

 

Chris sat in a chair placed at the foot of the bed, leaning his arms and head by my feet.  “Try eleven days.  You scared the crap out of us, Evie.”

 

“What are you doing all the way down there?” I asked.  “Where’s my hug?”  Mom had hugged me about five times since I woke up.

 

“If I hug you right now, I’m going to break you all over again.” he teased.

 

“I’m not that fragile.”  I pushed myself up more on the stack of pillows supporting me.  The back of my head throbbed, but there was no more pain.  “How much longer am I going to be trapped here?”

 

“They want to do one more MRI, to make sure the swelling is really gone.”  Mom brushed the hair away from my forehead, her fingers tracing the spot I had hit when I fell down the stairs.

 

“You’ll need a cane for a couple of weeks, while you build the muscle in your leg back up.”  Chris said.  Apparently I had also torn a muscle in my calf during my trip down the stairs.

 

“Man, I really did a number on myself, didn’t I?”

 

Mom hugged me again, fiercely this time.  “You hush up right now.  That fire was not your fault.  You were scared, it’s only natural you would slip and fall.”

 

“Have the Police come by?” I asked nervously.

 

“A couple of days after you got here.” Chris answered.  “They spoke to Gabriel.”

 

I glanced at Gabriel over my mother’s arm.  He was facing the window, hands in his pockets.  He had been standing there since I awoke, not saying a word, just looking through the blinds at the sunset.

 

“They’re convinced it was just a gas leak,” Chris continued, he gave me a meaningful look.  Well, of course, a few minutes with Gabriel and they would have been convinced the fire had been started by elves.

 

“Gabriel, when was the last time you changed?” My mother asked him.  “You haven’t been sleeping here, have you?”

 

He didn’t answer her, so Chris spoke up.  “You know that’s not allowed, Mom.  He crashes at Jeff’s place with me.”  I stared at Chris hard, I could tell when he was lying.  Mom let me go, apparently satisfied.

 

My eyes strayed back over to Gabriel.  His posture was relaxed, but his expression was set in determination.  Had he really been sleeping here?  Was it every night or just sometimes?  It was my fault if he had no other place to go.

 

I put a hand on Mom’s arm.  “I’m starving, can you go check when they’re going to feed me?”

 

“I just hope they haven’t forgotten about you.” Mom exclaimed.  She stood up and headed towards the door.  “They wouldn’t have known you were awake at all if we hadn’t told them.”

 

I caught Chris’ eye and jerked my head towards the door.  He got up as well and followed Mom out.  “I could use some caffeine, I think I’m becoming addicted to the coffee here.”

 

Once they were gone, Gabriel turned away from the window.  He walked a few steps towards me, then stopped.  He pulled one hand out of his pocket and ran it through his hair, pausing halfway and leaving it there.

 

I looked down at my hands, which were fidgeting with themselves in my lap.

 

“I understand everything now.”

“I understand everything now.”

 

Our eyes met at the same time.  “You go first.” I told him.

 

He dropped his hand from his hair, gesturing towards me.  “No, you go ahead.”

 

I looked back down at my hands.  “What happened... back at the house...”  I closed my eyes briefly as the memory assaulted me.  “I don’t want to go through something like that again.”

 

“I agree.” he said, his voice tight.  “You shouldn’t have gone through that alone in the first place.”  He held up a hand and strode over to the door.  “One moment.”  He turned the lock on the handle.  “It’s my fault you got dragged into this.”

 

“No, it’s my fault.” I said quietly, my head bowed.  He turned towards the bed, then went very still.  “I went into that house on my own.”  My voice began to tremble.  “When- when I saw what she had done to you, I-I couldn’t think of anything else but to get rid of her.  I did-dn’t care about my own safety, or what was going to happen afterwards.  Without you, there wasn’t anything left for me.”

 

My fingers clenched, grasping my blanket tightly.  “I realize now, that it’s wrong for me to feel that way.”

 

“What do you mean?”  His tone was utterly lifeless.

 

I summoned up my paltry strength and looked up at him.  “I’ve grown so attached to you, and I didn’t realize it, I didn’t want to realize it.  Now that I finally understand, I can’t continue the way we were.  Now that the house is gone, there’s no reason for us to force ourselves into each other’s presence any longer.”

 

His expression was stony.  “If that’s the way you feel.”

 

I nodded.  “We should stop getting in each other’s way.”  I stared at him for a long moment.  “It’s your turn now.”

 

He seemed to visibly collect his thoughts.  “Lucien’s body was found.  His office building was also set on fire, most likely by Katrina.  Only the top few floors were affected, so the building is mostly fine.”  He paused a moment, then continued.  “As his last living relative, I split his assets with his wife 50/50.  I signed the paperwork the other day.  I get the brownstone and a hefty share of liquid funds, and Alice will keep the office.  She’ll be taking over Lucien’s position with his partners.  She was actually a very successful lawyer before she married.”

 

“You don’t have to rely on Katrina’s inheritance any more.” I gave him a weak smile.  “You can finally live by yourself.  With the house and the apartment building gone, I’ll probably move back in with Mom.  Until I can get my own place.”

 

His fingers flexed, clenching into a fist, then relaxing again.  “Now that Lucien’s gone, and Katrina’s finally dead, I don’t have anything else keeping me here.”

 

His dark brown eyes were boring right into me, as if challenging me for a reply.  The pressure was so intense that I turned away, towards the window.  “That means you’re free to do whatever you like.”  I forced my mouth into a broader smile.  “I’m happy for you.”

 

A draft tickled my cheek and I turned back.  The door was ajar and Gabriel was gone.  “I’m glad I won’t be a burden to you any more.” I said to the empty room.

    ********

 

 

I kept my pace to a swift walk down the hallway, even though I wanted to tear right through the hospital and out the closest exit.

 

Chris and Vivian were ahead of me, walking in the opposite direction, back towards Evangeline’s room.  “We’ve just got the best news.” Chris said, his expression actually friendly for once.  He held a small stack of papers in his hand.

 

I ignored him, walking past.  He grabbed my shoulder hard enough to stop me.  “What’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

 

I looked at him, then at Vivian.  “I should have gone first.”  I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and continued on down the hall.

    ********

 

    “Evie, great news!  After you’re done with your MRI, you’re free to go!”  Chris exclaimed brightly.  “I’ve got your discharge paperwork right here.”

 

    “Thank goodness, I’m getting sick of this bed.”  I gave him my most cheerful smile.

 

    His expression sobered immediately as he looked at me.  “Are you all right?”

 

    “Just a little tired,” I lied.

 

    Mom reclaimed her spot next to the bed.  “It’s no wonder, with all the tests and x-rays they’ve put you through.”  She kissed the uninjured spot on my forehead.

 

    “Where did Gabriel go?” Chris asked me.

 

    I shrugged as nonchalantly as my body would let me.  “I dunno, he’s probably got a lot of things to take care of.”

 

    “There’s something strange about that man,” Mom said suspiciously.  “He’s been here every day and I’ve only seen him change clothes once.  He hardly sleeps, and I’m sure he hasn’t eaten a thing while he was here.”

 

    “That’s not too strange.” Chris spoke up.  “He was worried about Evie, we all were.  I know I had a hard time eating.”

 

    “Why are you defending him?” I asked suddenly.  “And what happened to ‘Gabrielle’?”

 

    “Nothing.”  Chris looked conflicted.  “Maybe I found out I have something in common with him, that’s all.”

 

    My eyebrows knitted together.  “What?”

 

    There was a knock on the door and my heart shot up into my throat.  Chris opened the door and Desyre stood on the other side, carrying a large bouquet of blue roses.  “Is there room in here for one more visitor?” She asked.

    ********

 

 

    Even after I had left the hospital, it wasn’t like I had anywhere to go.  I ran for a long time, but didn’t end up anywhere.  I took a break in an alley, wanting some modicum of solitude in this crowded city.

 

    “Stupid.” I whispered harshly.  “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”  I banged the back of my head against the brick wall, hearing a loud crack as it protested such ill treatment.

 

    My phone vibrated in my pocket.  I pulled it out and looked at the screen.  The caller ID was showing ‘Unknown’.  I swiped one finger across the screen and held it up to my ear.  “Who is this?”

 

    “You’re so stupid.” a female voice answered in dismay.

 

    “Callie, how did you get this number?”

 

    “From you, about three months from now.  I hope you’re happy with yourself.” she chided me.

 

    “What are you going on about this time?”

 

    She sighed.  “You’re so stupid.”

 

    “And you’re being cryptic.  Again.”

 

    “I’m talking about Angie.”

 

    “You’re the fortune teller, what was I supposed to say to her?”

 

    “How about the truth?  Running away was the worst choice you could have possibly made.”

 

    “If you don’t have anything useful to say, then I’m hanging up.”

 

    “Go back while you still have a chance.  If you hurry, you’ll make it in time.”

 

    “Make it in time for what?”  There was a click in my ear, followed by silence.  Blast that infernal woman!

    

    Something was going to happen to Evangeline, that’s the only reason Callie would call me.  She sure as hell wasn’t going to call for my own benefit.

 

    I had to get back to the hospital.

 

    ********

 

    I ran most of the way, faster than I really should have been.  No one spared me an extra glance, though.  God, I didn’t think I could love this city enough.

 

    Once I was inside of the hospital I cloaked myself with influence, so as not to draw the much more sharp-eyed attention of the nurses and staff as I raced through the corridors.  I took the stairs, the elevators were much too slow.  I reached Evangeline’s room and entered without knocking.

 

    It was empty.

 

    I blinked slowly in surprise.  Where had she gone?

 

    My phone vibrated again.  I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the screen.  It was a text from Callie.  ‘Too late.’

 

    I shoved the phone back into my pocket as frustration rose up inside of me.  My heart started beating faster and my chest tightened strangely.  It was fear.  For once I was afraid of something happening to someone other than myself.

 

    I began to search the room, looking for some clue to Evangeline’s location.  The bed was made neatly, but there was something sticking out from under the top of the blanket.

 

    I pulled out a small white envelop, my name written on the front.  It wasn’t Evangeline’s handwriting, but I recognized it.  I tore it open, my eyes darting over the contents of the paper inside.

 

    I have kidnapped your princess.

    If you want her back in one piece,

    then come and fetch her yourself.

    If you can.

 

            Desyre

 

    

    I crushed the paper in one hand.  I pulled out my cellphone and brought up the call log.

 

    “Tell me where she is.” I ordered as soon as the line picked up.

    “Oh sure, now you want to talk to me.” Callie replied irritably.

24: 23 - The Other Castle

    Central Park was packed with bodies, moving, writhing, some even dancing.  The concert was free of charge and had drawn crowds that would shame most stadiums.  Somewhere in this sea of people was Evangeline.

 

    The stage was massive, lit up by different colored spotlights and even lasers.  A giant screen was assembled at the back, showing scenes from the crowd, alternating with the musicians, so that even the music lovers in the far back would be able to count each one of Desyre’s false eyelashes.

 

    The current song ended and the screaming applause was deafening.  The noise must be carrying all the way to the Bronx.

 

    I tried centering my internal compass, focusing on Evangeline, but it just kept spinning out of control.  Not only was this place packed with humans, but other vampires as well.  All of the different influences were overlapping and canceling each other out.

 

    Fine, I would do this the hard way if I had to.

 

    Before coming here I had stopped by Butcher’s place and asked him if he had anything better than Pig’s blood, letting him know I was planning on having a fight on my hands.  He couldn’t give me human blood, which was becoming increasingly scarce through legal channels, or Leopard, which was highly illegal in all fifty states.  He said if I was in a fighting mood, then Bear was the best he had.  I bought a gallon.

 

    The blood made me feel strange, hot all over and itching to move.  It pulsed through my veins quickly, making my heart pound.  I was more than ready for anything Desyre could throw my way.

 

    Desyre held up both hands, quieting down her screaming fans.  “Before the next song, I have just one small thing to say.  You’ve all been so great to me.  You’ve given me so much love.”  She grinned her dazzling smile as cheers erupted again.  “Right now, I want to share some of that love with a good friend of mine.  She just got back from a long hospital stay and I want her to really feel alive again.  So I’m going to drag her out here to sing a song with me.”

 

    The screaming climbed back up to deafening levels again.  I kept my eyes fixed on the stage.  Desyre walked offstage for a moment, then came back, Evangeline in tow.  A stagehand was still busy putting a mic and earpiece on her.

 

    Evangeline stood in the middle of the stage, her cheeks very red.  She was dressed in white vinyl.  Her legs hugged tightly by it, long boots going all the way up her calves.  She wore a corset that was the negative of the one she wore in her subconscious.  Long fingerless gloves climbed up her arm, laced up with thin black ribbon.  Her hair was swept up, exposing her neck (adorned with a black collar) and her bare shoulders.  One thick lock of hair covered the bruise on her forehead and fell over one eye.

 

    She leaned on Desyre’s arm for support, since she was without her cane.  Watching her duck her head shyly, I felt my blood heat up for an entirely new reason.  Okay, I would admit that this fighting tactic was one I wasn’t prepared for.

 

    The cheering quieted down incrementally and Desyre spoke again.  “The reason we’re such good friends, Angie, is because we have something in common.”  Evangeline raised her head, looking into Desyre’s face.  “And by that I, of course, mean we have ‘someone’ in common.”  She turned back to the crowd.  “There is an unreachable star in all of our lives.” she declared.  “One so bright you can’t get close without burning up.  And sometimes that star is also dark, and the fire they emit is pure poison.”  Evangeline was completely enthralled by her words.  Desyre’s influence was exceptionally powerful.

 

The music started, a slow, dark swelling.  Desyre began to sing:

“Your cruel device

Your blood, like ice

One look could kill

My pain, your thrill”

 

Her voice was rich and sultry, dark and tempting.  For a moment I was caught in her influence, content to just listen.  Evangeline joined her for the chorus and the spell was broken.  I began to run, intent on my mission.

 

“I wanna love you but I better not touch

I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop

I wanna kiss you but I want it too much

I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison

You're poison running through my veins

You're poison, I don't want to break these chains”

 

Taking the direct route to the stage would take all night with this crowd.  I made my way around, heading towards the group of trailers and tents that made up the backstage area.  My pace was swift, and I met my first obstacle right away.

 

Human security, white shirts and dangling badges.  I wasn’t even going to bother, instead using influence to pass them right by.

 

“Your mouth, so hot

Your web, I'm caught

Your skin, so wet

Black lace on sweat”

 

The area behind the stage was a maze, tents, trailers, and portable toilets haphazardly placed, creating long winding paths with many branches.  Flat screen televisions were set up seemingly randomly, depicting the stage.  Evangeline sang the next part by herself, her eyes closed as she concentrated, and I paused to watch.

 

“I hear you calling and it's needles and pins

I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name

Don't wanna touch you but you're under my skin

I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison”

 

    It was a moment of distraction, and yes, weakness.  I lowered my guard.  In that instant my next obstacle presented itself.

 

    Desyre’s personal security, black suits and sunglasses at night, and definitely not human.  They headed right for me.  She was the one who invited me to this party, so of course she wasn’t going to make things easy.

 

“You're poison running through my veins

You're poison, I don't wanna break these chains”

 

Wisely, they attacked in a group, surrounding me and coming all at once.  I decided to take the high ground and jumped straight up, landing lightly on top of a trailer.  I wasn’t going to waste my time on riffraff right now, they could wait till after I had secured Evangeline.

 

They didn’t agree with that way of thinking though, and followed, blocking the way in front and behind.

 

“Running deep inside my veins

Poison burning deep inside my veins

One look could kill

My pain, your thrill”

 

I rolled my shoulders back, loosening the muscles in my arms.  “Fine then, let’s dance.”

 

I attacked first, with a low kick that swept the first guard’s feet right out from under him.  I followed it with another kick that sent him flying, bouncing off a trailer about twenty feet away.

 

The next one rushed me and I grabbed his arm, flipping him up over my shoulder and crashing into the tent next door.  The entire thing collapsed in on itself.

 

Two more attacked at the same time and I dodged both at once, hopping to the next trailer.  I jumped down to the ground, rolled and retrieved one of the broken tent poles.  It was exactly my height, heavy and sturdy.

 

“I wanna love you but I better not touch

I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop

I wanna kiss you but I want it too much

I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison

You're poison running through my veins

You're poison, I don't want to break these chains”

 

I used the tent pole on the next three, sweeping and thrusting them away.  Without using silver or my claws I wasn’t causing any lasting damage, just keeping them at bay while I drew closer to the back of the stage.

 

The next one to come at me was much larger than the rest, throwing him wasn’t feasible.  I cast the tent pole aside and met him toe to toe.  His blows were powerful, but right now, so were mine.  I caught him under the chin hard enough to stun.  I took my chance and ran.  The song was almost over.

 

“I wanna love you but I better not touch

I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop

I wanna kiss you but I want it too much

I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison

You're poison running through my veins

You're poison, I don't want to break these chains”

 

Behind the stage was a swarm of activity.  The black clad security didn’t follow, lest they got the stagehands involved.  It looked like I was home free, if I could just figure out how to reach Evangeline.

 

Meanwhile, I felt great, the blood Butcher had given me filled me with an energy I hadn’t felt in close to a century.  “I am never going back to pig’s blood.” I swore to myself.  Knowing Butcher, he was going to charge me an arm and a leg, but I honestly did not care.  It was worth it.  I’d get a night job if I had to.

 

The song was over by this time, the cheering rising back to ear-shattering levels.  I was much closer, so I paused and retried my compass.  It whirled crazily, before settling, pointing ahead of me.  It tugged urgently, my heartbeat quickening.

 

I ran on ahead, weaving deftly through the throng of ordinary people that moved much too slowly.  Then I spotted her, and stopped in my tracks.

 

She sat perched on a large equipment container, her cane leaning against the side.  She must have had help getting up there because her boots dangled two feet off the ground.  She was alone, unguarded.

 

I approached slowly, wary of a trap.  She turned her head and saw me, her eyes widening.  “Gabriel!  What are you doing here?”  Her cheeks flushed and she began to stammer.  “H-how did you even g-get back here?”  She darted her eyes to the stage and back.  “Were you listening?”

 

“I came to retrieve you.” I said simply as I walked towards her.

 

“What?  Why?” she asked incredulously as I stopped in front of her, placing one hand on the container next to her vinyl-clad hip.

 

“Because I’m not quite ready for us to part ways just yet.” I answered.

 

Up close, her attire was having a profound effect on my nervous system.  Desyre had also had her makeup done, though it was much more subtle than her own extravagant look.  Evangeline’s eyes were smokier, her lips glossed, looked invitingly pouty.  Her eyebrows were neat arches.

 

Dangling from her collar was a small metal ring.  I couldn’t resist hooking one finger through it as I leaned my head down to hers.  Her lips parted as she took in a slow breath, her eyelids drooping a little.  “...Gabriel?” she whispered.

 

“Yes?” I answered softly.

 

“You do realize that you’re, like, a million years older than me, don’t you?”

 

A silver knife probably wouldn’t have cut me deeper, or jerked me back to reality faster.  I released her, placing my other hand on the container for support, as for some reason I couldn’t feel my legs.  I bowed, leaning my forehead on her bare shoulder.  This was pure Evangeline, she didn’t have a seductive bone in her body.  She was the brick wall I was constantly banging my head against.

 

“Seriously, what are you doing here?” she asked, sounding genuinely confused.  “I thought you hated Desyre.”

 

Without lifting my head, I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.  I handed it to her wordlessly, fearing that the only sound that would be able to pass my lips would be a defeated whimper.

 

She pulled her shoulder away, so she could peer into my face.  “You came here, because you were worried about me?”

 

I shrugged.  “I don’t even know any more.”

 

She raised one eyebrow.  “What’s gotten into you?”

 

“About a gallon of Bear.” I answered promptly.  “It’s having a... strange effect on me.”

 

“Really?  How so?”

 

I needed something for my eyes to focus on.  Looking down was no help, as there was only bare skin and white vinyl.  I couldn’t look into her eyes at the moment, either.  I straightened up, shrugging out of my jacket while keeping my gaze over her head.  “All I’ll say, is that it feels more like rabbit.”

 

“Ah.” she said, turning the paper over in her hands.  I swept my jacket over her shoulders, pulling the front closed before I focused my attention back on her.  She looked up at me, her soft brown eyes framed by extra long lashes.

 

“I want to talk with you seriously,” I told her.  “I said back in the hospital that I understood everything, but I didn’t tell you all of it.”

 

“Well, go ahead.  It’s not like I’m going to run off.”  She kicked her dangling feet lightly, illustrating her point

 

I looked over at her cane and picked it up, just in case.  “I want us to continue living together.  I need to take responsibility for all of the things that’s happened to you because of me.  You convalescing right now, let me help you while you do.”

 

She gave me a skeptical look.  “Where?  We can’t both move in with my Mom.”

 

“We both have access to sizable bank accounts.  We can find our own place.  Without your ‘brother’.”  My expression was stern, there was no way I was going to budge on that condition.

 

She twisted her mouth in thought.  “Chris said something weird back at the hospital.  He said that you and him have something in common.”

 

“We’ve both decided to look after your well-being.”  How did a simple gloss make her lips look so full?  My mind was straying again.  I needed to get back on track.  “Maybe there’s one other thing, but you’ll have to get that from him.”

 

She sighed heavily.  “You’re making things really hard for me.”

 

“I have a feeling that’s only going to get worse.  My apologies in advance.”

 

Her eyebrows knit together, then she shook her head quickly.  “Desyre said I could use her place because she’s heading out of town for a bit.  She and Callie were going to take me clothes shopping since I no longer have a wardrobe.”  She narrowed her eyes.  “They did something with the clothes I was wearing.  Callie won’t give them back.”

 

“Back to the subject at hand.”  I needed to concentrate, the conversation was getting too easily derailed.  “I probably won’t be able to compete with whatever living space Desyre is offering, but I want you to stay with me.”

 

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment.  “I might, but you have to tell me the truth.  Why do you want me so badly?”

 

“The whole truth?”

 

“All of it.”

 

I grimaced, but now was not the time for pride.  I sank to both knees and looked up at her.  “Because, I need you.  You’re the only one left who gives a damn about me.  Without you, I’d be completely alone.”

 

She looked down at me, her expression full of pity.  “Making me feel sorry for you isn’t going to work.  I know that vampires are solitary by nature.  You’ll get by just fine alone.”

 

“Let me finish.”  I pressed on.  “You’re a truly good person, you’re full of kindness, and compassion.  You make me good, just by being around.”  I gestured behind me.  “I just went through about a dozen of Desyre’s security vampires and I didn’t kill a single one.”  I reached up and brushed away that lock of hair covering her eye.  “I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve met a lot of people, good, bad, and in between.  You’re one of the very few that has actually changed something inside of me.  It’s only a little, but you’ve made me better, and I’m not willing to let you go.”

 

“Oh man, if I could cry, I would be bawling right now.” a husky voice said from the side.

 

We turned at the same time, towards Desyre.  I got back to my feet quickly, stepping forward, putting myself in between Evangeline and the vampiress.  “I found your message, and I’m not leaving until I get back what’s mine.” I told her sternly.

 

“Oh?  What about what you owe me?” she asked coyly.  “You’ve spent a very long time avoiding your responsibilities.  How can you say that you’re a better person if you just plan on running away again?”

 

Standing there, I could feel just how powerful she was.  Not in physical strength, but influence.  The air crackled with it, like an electric hum, I could feel it pulling at me, sapping my strength.  It was then that I understood the true nature of her power.  She absorbed energy the same way I did with plants, instead she used people.  Humans, vampires, it didn’t matter.  When she sang in front of a crowd, she absorbed a little of their essence, they gave it up willingly to her.  The bigger the audience, the more powerful she grew.

 

“You’re right.” I admitted.  “If I’m going to take responsibility for Evangeline, then I have to take care of old responsibilities first.”  I was feeling fairly helpless right then, what was I supposed to do?  “It’s been centuries since I turned you.  I don’t know of anything I could do now that would make that time up to you.”

 

“I’ll cut you a deal, then.” she answered slyly.  “Since Evangeline’s good nature does seem to be contagious, I’ll just ask one thing of you.”  She held up a perfectly manicured forefinger.

 

I spread my arms out in defeat.  “Anything except my life.”

 

She approached me slowly, savoring her victory.  Whatever she she tried, I wasn’t going to be able to stop her.  Her influence paralyzed me, hanging on me like a dead weight.  My arms fell to my sides.

 

She reached one hand towards my chest, her nails long and golden.  Her eyes were the same color, hypnotizing me.  She grasped the front of my shirt and pulled me down.

 

Her mouth caught mine hard as she kissed me roughly.  Her tongue invaded my open lips, tasting me thoroughly.  That electricity was there, striking me with lightning force.

 

After an eternity, she released me, pressing one hand on my chest.  “Call me?” she asked softly, her eyes heavy-lidded.

 

“I’ll consider it,” I answered as soon as I found where my voice had run off to.

 

Her smile was positively cat-like.  She looked past me.  “Sorry Angie, looks like I’m not willing to give up yet.”  She turned and walked slowly away.

 

I dragged the back of my hand across my mouth, wiping away a good deal of fuchsia lipstick.  I looked over at Evangeline, whose eyes were wide with disbelief.  That didn’t stop her from taking an opportunity when I was down, though.  “Quick, what are you thinking right now?” she asked.

 

“That I’ve never felt more violated in my entire life.” I answered immediately.

 

“Now that’s saying something.” Desyre called over her shoulder.  “You used to sail with pirates.”

 

“Watch it.” I warned her sharply.  She laughed as she walked back out onto the stage, the sound like bells.

 

I felt a small tug on on my sleeve and turned back to Evangeline.  “I’m tired.” she said in a small voice.  She had just gotten out of the hospital earlier that day, and her stamina was low.

 

I put one hand under her elbow and helped her down from her perch.  She wobbled a bit on her injured leg, but I kept her steady.  I returned her cane to her and offered my arm.  She chose to lean her weight on me, hooking the cane over her arm.  “I should tell Callie I’m leaving with you.  I don’t want to break her away from the rest of the concert, though.”

 

“Here, send her a text.”  I retrieved my phone from my jacket pocket and held it out to her.  “My apologies for losing your phone in the fire.”

 

“It’s okay, Desyre recently got a new one, so she gave me her old one.”  She reached into the front of her corset and fished out a phone covered in pink gemstones.  I stared at her chest, wondering how there had been room for the phone in there.  She wasn’t exactly amply endowed, and the corset was tied tight.

 

“Does it look like I have pockets?” she asked defensively, not looking up from the phone’s screen.

 

“I didn’t say anything.”

 

“I could hear you thinking.”

 

“What else are you hiding in there?”

 

“Just this.”  She reached into the front of her corset again and pulled out a white business card.  “I got this off of that old hunter.  Does the symbol look familiar to you?”

 

I took the card from her, studying it carefully.  There was no name, just a phone number and a picture of a simple black sword over the top.  A black chain was wrapped around the blade.

 

“He told me to call that number when I became disillusioned.”

 

Something nagged the back of my mind, a long lost memory itching to resurface, but that door was locked tightly.  “I’ll hold onto this for you, and you let me know if you become ‘disillusioned’.”

 

    We started walking, keeping to a slow pace.  “That’s fine with me.”  She leaned her head against my arm, yawning.  “I hope wherever you’re taking me has food.  The vampires I was hanging out with forgot that I need to eat at more regular intervals than they do.”

 

    “I’m sure we’ll find something.  This city never sleeps.”  Her pace slowed even more, till she couldn’t continue walking.  I picked her up gently, one arm supporting her back, and the other under her knees.

 

    She leaned her head on my shoulder, her eyelids drooping.  “Gabriel?”

 

    “Yes?”

 

    “Tell me a story.”

 

    I had an inkling she wasn’t going to be awake long enough to get sustenance.  “What about?”

    “About the time you were sailing with pirates.”