by Cate Farren
It was a girl.
A hand grasped her shoulder, making her jump.
“I think that’s enough for now,” said Loki. “You need to rest.”
Her lips felt dry and her stomach rumbled. How long had she been doing this? She’d lost track of time some hours ago. She’d been adrift in the act of creation.
“How long?” she asked.
“You’ve been at this a day,” said Loki. “And you’ve done well. You can tell me the reasons for your choices later.”
“Reasons?”
“Is there a reason you made it a she? Why the blue eyes or the shape of the ears?”
“It was just random I guess.”
“Hmm.”
Loki walked away, leaving her to think. She examined the face of the shapeshifter more carefully, wondering what he meant. She was sure she’d chosen features at random, but perhaps she hadn’t. Perhaps she’d unconsciously chosen a form that meant something to her.
She shook her head, suddenly seeing it. “It can’t be.”
The nose and hair belonged to her, but the ears and eyebrows belonged to Jared. The eyes were random. She just liked blue eyes. This was what she imagined her daughter with Jared would look like, all grown up. She was beautiful. She was perfect.
“What are you called?” she whispered.
The shapeshifter stared into her and said, “My name is Jessica.”
Chapter 22
"Are you sure Dracula is expecting us?"
Adrian nodded. "I got Gable to tell him we were visiting him on a diplomatic mission. I asked him to keep our reason for the visit vague. The vampire wasn’t too pleased, what with the vampire summit due and everything, but..."
They were eating croissants at a small bed and breakfast. After their long flight they decided to grab a room somewhere and rest up. Adrian had been on edge, despite his nap on the plane, and he needed sleep before they made their next move. She'd needed sleep too after what had happened to her. He was surprised Lovisa hadn't conked out on the train from Manchester to Whitby.
"What do we say to him?" Adrian asked.
"We tell him the truth," said Lovisa. "Dracula likes to keep the peace as much as possible."
"I keep forgetting that you know him."
She shrugged. "We met once or twice when I lived in London. It was no big deal." She noted Adrian's unamused expression before adding, "We didn't date, nothing like that. It was more like a one-night stand kind of thing." She sighed, staring into her coffee. "I don't do one night stands. I'm not that kind of girl. But Dracula has a charisma that's hard to ignore, and one thing lead to another, and..."
"I don't want to know the details."
He tried to keep his jealousy in check, but it was hard. Dracula had a certain reputation with the female, and occasionally male, members of the supernatural world. He was the oldest vampire. He was rich and had connections with the British royal family and the British government. He was sexy and commanding and wielded a lot of power and influence. When big decisions had to be made Dracula was the one to make them. He could literally decide the fate of the world.
And I run a bed and breakfast.
Lovisa smiled and took his hand from across the table. "You're jealous."
"Dracula is the unofficial ruler of the supernatural world," said Adrian. "And I'm just a bed and breakfast owner."
"You're also a volunteer fireman," Lovisa added. She raised her eyebrows suggestively and added, "And the sexiest man on planet Earth may I add.”
“Flatterer.”
Adrian was about to take another bite of his croissant when he noticed a familiar face walk by outside. He ran up to the huge windows that overlooked the bay, looking out, but they were gone.
And that smell...that familiar smell...
“What are you looking for?” Lovisa asked, joining him by the window.
He paused before saying, “I just saw Sutton.”
“She’s supposed to be incognito, not sightseeing.”
“No. That’s not it. I...I could smell Jared.”
"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" Jared whispered. “Why all the cloak and dagger?”
They'd entered a local fish and chip shop. The smells enticed the both of them, but they knew what human food would do to their insides. It wasn't worth the risk, even for the heavenly taste of battered cod.
Sutton walked up to the counter and said, "I'll have fourteen battered sausages and a blueberry muffin shake."
The Greek man behind the counter nodded. A large wooden door appeared behind him on the opposite wall next to a giant rolling kebab. Sutton smirked and pulled Jared after her. They passed through the door as if it weren't there and straight into what seemed to be a trendy wine bar.
"What is this place?" Jared asked, fascinated.
"This is Whitby's best vampire bar," said Sutton, showing him to a table. They sat down on black leather seats as a Goth waiter wearing nothing but a smile approached them. He was extremely well endowed. "Whitby's largest, and best, gay vampire bar."
Jared couldn't keep his eyes off the waiter's cock. It was practically staring at him.
"Eyes off," Sutton reproached him. "You're in love with Clover."
"I can look," said Jared.
After losing his connection with Clover, and growing increasingly frustrated with being a virtual prisoner in Dracula's lair, Jared had wanted out. He couldn't stand being cooped up any longer. He wished he'd never approached his grandfather and told him the truth. If he hadn't he could be out there now, trying to find the love of his life.
Sutton had suggested they head out for a day trip in town. She loved playing dress-up and going out incognito. Today Sutton was in drag, dressed as a douchebag millennial male with a man bun, beard, skinny jeans, and a pair of wire rim spectacles. She, or he, was eerily convincing.
"Two virgin glasses," Sutton ordered. She grinned and said, "Better make that four. We’re ravenous."
The waiter winked at her and walked away, revealing an ass that could destroy worlds. The two of them inspected it for a moment before sighing and looking back at each other.
"That parlor trick was good work," said Sutton. "When I look at you all I see is a tall, hot blonde woman with bazooka breasts."
"It's the next best thing to being a shapeshifter," he admitted.
Obscuring his external appearance was simple now, but it had taken him decades to perfect. The hot tall blonde she was referring to was the Gable Trent he'd met in the future. It still made him feel uneasy to find her attractive, but he couldn't very well control himself.
He tickled Sutton's beard with his fingers. "This feels real."
"It is real," she said, smiling proudly. "One of Father's witches puts a spell on me. It's great, right? A little itchy, but I think it makes me look cool."
"Whatever you do makes you look cool."
Sutton blushed as the waiter delivered their drinks. Jared was so hungry he downed both his glasses of virgin blood in less than a minute.
"You never talk much about the future," said Sutton. She idly sipped at her drink before asking, "Why is that?"
"It's too painful," said Jared. He used his pinkie finger to work out the last dregs of blood in his glass. It tasted so divine. "Besides, it's not going to happen. That awful future will never even occur. I'm going to change it."
It was his plan. So far he hadn't been able to do much. There'd been some complications with his return from the future that he hadn't anticipated on. Now he was more or less at the epicenter of events, events that would give Loki supreme power, he was sure he could make sure that terrible future never happened. He only hoped he had the power and the allies to stop Loki once and for all and stop Clover from turning against her friends.
Sutton drank as she said, "You said Loki controlled everything."
Jared nodded. "Everything."
"Was I there?"
"You were there. You were older, and a little bitter, but it was you."
Sutton shivered. "I ca
n't imagine living for that long. I must have been bored out of my mind."
"That's the perils of being an immortal."
He could never tell Sutton what happened to her in the future. Never. As long as he was here no harm would ever come to her.
"I die, don't I?" she asked. He tried to reply but she said, "Don't bother trying to deny it. I can tell by the luck on your face."
"I'm not saying a word," Jared stated.
"But it's fine. My very own vampire Doctor Who is going to save me."
They drank more blood, talking about nothing in particular. After a while Jared noticed that Sutton kept staring at a red door behind the bar counter. Men, women, trans, kept going in and out all the time, and all of them were naked and as attractive as hell.
“What’s behind that door?” he asked.
“Behind that door is an orgy that has been going non-stop for over three hundred years,” Sutton answered. She sighed wistfully. “I’ve had more orgasms in that room than I’ve got hairs on my chin.”
“Go in there. You know you want to.”
She shook her head. “No. Believe it or not I’m waiting for Darin. We’re exclusive.”
“I didn’t think you knew the meaning of the word,” a voice joked behind them.
It was Darin.
ADRIAN AND LOVISA WERE led down a set of wide stairs from the visitors’ center at Whitby abbey. They were being escorted by a rather officious pudgy Goth vampire called Lance, who made it perfectly clear to them that Dracula was exceptionally busy and their arrival was an inconvenience. Adrian didn’t much care. His sole focus was on lifting the curse from his beloved. He’d cause as much inconvenience as he could to complete his goal.
"We won't take much of his time," said Adrian. He felt impatient to get on with things. “We just need to talk about a personal matter that doesn’t concern you.”
"Hmm," said Lance.
They passed through a door into a lavishly decorated chamber that dwarfed the size of the abbey above. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The carpet was light gold, and tapestries hung from every wall, depicting supernatural history. Historic, antique furniture and vases, paintings, and other objects worth millions were scattered about the place. It was like a museum.
"Please wait here," Lance, ordered, walking away.
Lovisa opened her mouth in shock. "This makes my dentist's waiting room look like crap."
"All this wealth..."
Adrian was half amazed, half disgusted. While he hadn't grown up poor his parents always had to fight for every meal. What did this vampire know about struggling? It was an obscene show, and his respect for Dracula plummeted drastically.
What did I expect? That he’d live in a two-bedroom apartment?
"Here," called Lovisa. She tapped his shoulder rapidly. "Come and look at this."
She was staring at one of the tapestries. This one detailed some sort of epic battle between two opposing armies of werewolves. It was a bloody scene, one that caused the wolf inside him to howl in sympathy for the hundreds killed that day.
What day?
"I don't remember reading about a war between werewolves," Adrian admitted, studying the scene in more detail. It appeared to take place on some desert plain. It looked a lot like California. "This must be a battle from another dimension."
The wolf in him knew otherwise. This battle had taken place in the history of this world, yet for some reason he didn't know about it. The wolf knew, though. The wolf remembered.
The war was bad, really bad.
"Are you okay?" Lovisa asked. "You were gone for a moment there."
He shook his head. "The wolf inside me is trying to access its ancestral memories for information on this battle. It's making me feel sick."
He fell to his knees as the wolf howled and pulled away. It was gone, for now. Still, like the wolf, Adrian’s curiosity was well and truly piqued. He had to know why this werewolf war had been erased from history. The magic used to do that must have been immense. But why? Why would such an important event be deleted?
"What happened?" Lovisa asked.
Adrian got to his feet, feeling light headed, uneasy. "The strain was too much. The wolf's gone to sleep."
"Perhaps that's for the better," said Dracula. "Maybe you don't want to know what happened."
The oldest vampire in the world was standing six feet from them. Adrian hadn't even sensed him approach.
"What can I do for you, Adrian Green?" Dracula asked politely.
Adrian was about to reply when Lovisa stepped forward. "I need your help, Dracula."
Dracula smiled. Adrian felt his hackles rise at the familiarity in that smile. He knew what it meant.
"Lovisa,” Dracula declared, coming in for a hug. He kissed Lovisa on the cheek. “It's good to see you again."
"Let’s cut the pleasantries,” Lovisa snapped. Adrian tried not to laugh at the affronted glare on Dracula’s face. It was priceless. “Your wife cursed me. I want to ask her to reverse the curse.”
SUTTON GRINNED AND pulled Darin into a hug. Jared had never seen his mentor so elated before. She was like a different person. Maybe she really was in love.
"What are you doing here?" Sutton demanded. She kissed him again, this time so forcefully he almost fell over. “Not that I’m complaining.”
"I couldn't live without you," Darin admitted. "I can live without my family, but not you. Never you."
"You're a hopeless romantic and I need to be fucked by you so bad it hurts." She grinned, placing her hand on his crotch. "They have rooms here. Let's go before I burst."
Jared cleared his throat.
"Who's the blonde?" Darin asked, mentally undressing Jared with his eyes. "She's hot."
Sutton looked jealous for all of two seconds. "Never mind her. She's just a friend."
Darin continued to stare at Jared, confused. "She's making my eyes hurt. Something..."
Darin punched Jared in the face, sending him flying back off his seat onto the floor. Darin stepped back in shock as the glamor on him faded.
"Jared?" Darin cried. His confused stare made him look constipated. "What the..."
Sutton sighed. "I'm not having sex now, am I?"
Jared pulled himself to his feet, looking up at Darin. Gable Trent’s son was so tall...
"How are you alive?" Darin asked, his voice rushing out. "Does Dad know? Does Clover know? Does..."
"I'll answer all your questions later," Jared said. He looked at Sutton's furious face before adding, "You came here to see Sutton. Make her your priority, okay?"
Darin nodded. "Okay."
The two of them were about to leave when the sexy naked waiter approached them again. He was watching Darin intently. Jared felt a little insulted. It was only a while ago the waiter only had eyes for him.
"Hey, you're Sheriff Gable Trent's son," said the Goth vampire. He twittered his eyelashes. “You’re hotter than I was told.”
Darin hesitated. "Why do you want to know?"
"No reason," said the vampire.
The Goth grinned and changed shape into a lion. It lunged at Darin.
Chapter 23
Lovisa felt her pulse race as she faced down the woman who had devastated her life. She wanted to suck the very life out of this witch, watch her scream and decay and explode into dust, but that meant she'd have to touch her. The thought of putting her hands on that thing's flesh made her skin crawl.
But it might be worth it to exact revenge.
"Perhaps we should leave them to it," said Dracula. "I think they have a lot to talk about."
Adrian looked at her and she nodded. He left with Dracula, leaving Lovisa alone with Zelda. The two women glared at each other, each daring the the other to speak first. Lovisa was suddenly dumbstruck. She had no idea what to say. What could she say? She'd been waiting for this moment for so long and now her tormentor was finally in her grasp. What words could sufficiently sum up exactly what this woman had done to her?
; I could just kill her and run.
“Are you just going to stand there and look at me?” Lovisa demanded. She almost choked on her words she was so angry. “Please say something.”
"I'm sorry," said Zelda.
Lovisa was speechless. She was expecting insults and more recriminations, but not this.
"You're sorry?" said Lovisa. “You’re sorry?”
Zelda sighed and looked away. She ran her hands through her raven black hair nervously, her eyes twitching, her body language that of someone with zero confidence. Lovisa suspected some sort of trap. She needed to keep her wits about her. Witches who flung curses were bad witches. They were tricky and cunning.
The witch turned back. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "I believe you. I believe my son tried to rape you."
This had to be some sort of ruse. This couldn’t be real.
“That’s not what you said when you cursed me,” Lovisa snapped. Hatred fuelled her. “You called me a whore and a murderer and...”
“I meant it at the time. At the time I meant everything. I was grieving and I lashed out and I should never have cursed you.”
“So you’re sorry now?”
Zelda nodded. “Yes.”
The caring part of Lovisa wanted to believe her. Nobody was beyond redemption. But what if Zelda was lying? What if the witch was just biding her time so she could unleash another curse upon her, or even on Adrian? She couldn’t take that risk, even if it meant living with her curse for the rest of her life.
She stared at Zelda, who was silent, watching her for a reaction. She didn’t move a muscle, despite the fact that Lovisa was sending murderous vibes her way.
The witch was genuine.
“What made you change your mind?” Lovisa asked.
“Six months ago I was clearing out my old apartment in Bulgaria when I found my son’s hidden stash of illegal black magic artefacts.” Zelda’s hands were shaking and she was visibly trying to stop herself from crying. “There was a flash drive in there too, and on it...Oh God. Even thinking about it now makes me wish I’d aborted that monster before he was born.” She looked away, wiped at her eyes. “He made recordings of the women he raped. There was dozens of them.”