Curse of Night

by T C Galinari

  Me: Thanks.

  Closing out of Luke's messages, I open the next.

  Me: Vlad, I'm heading toward the East Coast by way of home. I'm going to meet up with Giselle. Once I get settled, I'd like to chat with you about your offer.

  I start to close out of the message when a new one pops up.

  Drac: If you arrive at Giselle's before mid-March, I will still be there. After the fifteenth, I will be back in Romania.

  Me: I'll try to make that deadline. I'd really like to discuss that offer in person.

  Drac: Then, I will see you soon.

  Moving out of Vlad's message thread, I open up Giselle's.

  Me: I know you've already given me an invitation, but I wanted to make sure it's still ok for me to come out and stay for a couple of days? I need to talk to you and Vlad.

  I wait for a second or two before getting out of the app in order to open up my GPS. Now that I have places to be and a time table, I can no longer let the open road dictate where I'm going. Entering my home address, I set the phone on the cradle and strap it in.

  As soon as I finish getting my gear on, I situate myself on the hog and give it a little gas as I shift into gear and take off.

  It takes me three full days to make it home. Once I arrive, I do some laundry and gather what I want to take with me to Charleston. Before heading over to Don and Kristy's, I drop by the restaurant to check in and see if they need anything from me before I head back out.

  "Hey, John,” I greet the manager. “How's everything going?"

  "Hey, Ian," he draws out the word hey before saying my name. "Things are good. We can't complain. How long are you in town?"

  "Just for a day or two. I need to meet up with some friends on the East Coast. Why? Whatcha need?"

  “Some of the chefs and I were wondering if we could make a couple of changes to the menu?” John winces as if he expects his question to anger me.

  Brows furrowing, I take a minute to really think it over before I answer.

  “What, exactly, are you wanting to change?” I might be at peace with the loss of my parents now, but I’m still unsure whether or not I’m ready to change Dad’s menu. That almost feels like a betrayal.

  John gestures for me to follow him into the kitchen, where three of my dad’s best chefs are prepping the kitchen for the dinner rush.

  “Gentlemen, John here was just telling me that you’d like to make some changes,” I announce without much greeting.

  One by one, each of the chefs come over to me, wrapping me in a hug.

  “Ian, it’s so good to see you again,” Tom, the head chef, tells me.

  “Damn, man. I didn’t know if we’d ever see you again,” Tim, the lead saute chef, admits.

  “Let me grab what we found,” Todd, Dad’s pastry chef, says before heading to the office.

  Todd comes back within seconds carrying a small leather-bound book. It’s the one that my dad used to carry with him when he was perfecting a dish he wasn’t ready to test yet.

  “Holy shit! I haven’t seen that notebook in years!” I exclaim. “You want to add these dishes to the menu?” I clarify as Todd rejoins our little group.

  “Yes,” John responds a bit hesitantly.

  Grinning, I make eye contact with each person that made up Dad’s work family, now my work family, before giving them an answer. I never should have doubted that they would want to keep my Dad’s legacy alive as much as I do.

  “I think that’s an amazing idea. You have my full support. Do what you need to do. Now, I need to get over to Don and Kristy’s for dinner. I’ll try to check in more often to see how things are going and to see if you need anything from me,” I promise before taking my leave as they put their heads together and begin discussing which recipe they want to try first.

  I make it over to Don and Kristy’s ten minutes later. Everyone’s already there by the time I arrive, and we sit down for dinner. Kristy made one of my favorites––spaghetti with meatballs in her delicious red sauce. It’s one of the dishes Dad never even tried to make. He’d always argued, “Why mess with perfection?” And he had a good point. How she’s always had time to make it while working all day has been an ongoing mystery.

  “Ian, how was the rest of your ride?” Don asks as we dig in.

  “Really good,” I answer, twirling my fork in the noodles for my first bite. I swallow before continuing my explanation. “I think I needed it more than I realized at first. It gave me time to think. Time to really process losing my parents and to make peace with the fact that they are gone but never forgotten. It also gave me time to make some decisions that I want to discuss with you.”

  “You’re going to ask Vlad to change you, aren’t you?” Luke confirms.

  “Yes, and no. I want to finish school first, but now I know what I want to do with the rest of my life, so that helps. I’m heading to Charleston in the morning to talk to Giselle and Vlad,” I add, taking a drink of water.

  “You sure this is what you want?” Don asks.

  “I’m sure,” I reply, giving Don my full attention. “Being this half-human, half-creature isn’t so great, after all. I don’t have any of the cool abilities vampires have, and that’s the biggest con since I still have to drink blood about every five days, anyway. If Giselle will let me, I’m going to stay with her while I finish school. That way, I’m not freaking everyone out here in town when I’m asking for blood at the butcher shop.”

  “Son, as long as you keep in touch, come visit often, and of course, keep yourself safe, I’m going to support your decision. This can’t be easy, and it’s not like the people the hospital called aren’t still looking for you. I think this is the best idea we could’ve come up with,” Don admits as everyone else nods in agreement.

  “That really means a lot to me. I was worried you’d be upset with my decision.”

  “Ian, we love you as if you were our own. David and Sarah were our family, as are you,” Kristy pipes in. “And like Don said, we will always support your decisions. As long as you don’t follow in my footsteps, that is,” she adds, and we all crack up laughing.

  “I have a favor to ask, as well.” I turn my attention to Luke, James, Seth, and Marc. “I’d like it if you’d take care of my parents’ house for me. I can’t sell it, but I don’t want to leave it vacant, either,” I explain before taking my next bite.

  “What are you asking, exactly? For us to move in or just check on it weekly?” James asks.

  “Really, dumbass? He just said he doesn’t want it vacant,” Marc interjects.

  “Language!” Kristy scolds as Luke, Seth, and I snicker.

  “I’d like at least you, Luke, to move in, and I’d appreciate if you three would too,” I add, pointing my fork at James, Seth, and Marc. “Also, I’d love it if you’d do a little updating to the house. Mom had some upgrades she wanted to ask you two to make before they passed. I think it’s time to do them like she wanted. It could become a show property or the office if you wanted,” I suggest, glancing between James and Marc.

  “Are you serious?” James drops his fork on his plate with a loud clatter.

  “Yes, I’m serious. I wouldn’t bring any of this up to you guys if I wasn’t,” I tell him solemnly.

  “That’s freaking awesome! We’re in!” Marc calls out without waiting for James to agree.

  “Even if these assholes don’t want to live there, I will,” Luke replies.

  “Great. That takes a load off my shoulders,” I confess, beyond thankful for my family. “Let’s finish eating before my favorite food gets cold.”

  The rest of our dinner conversation is filled with light banter. After a few more hours visiting with my favorite people, I head home. The following morning, I get up at the ass crack of dawn and start my journey to Charleston.

  Ready or not, here I come.

  Giselle

  A knock sounds at the door and I dash out of the kitchen, positive Sebastian has arrived. I unlock it, not even pausing to check to see
who it is. As I start to open my front door, I’m knocked back a couple of steps as it is shoved open, and I quickly realize my mistake.

  Anthony.

  Are you kidding me?! After months of hiding, now he decides to show his face in my city? And he actually waltzed up to my front door like a dumbass?

  I rush to block his entry when my uncle forces himself into the foyer, stabbing me in the process.

  Holy hell, that hurts! Where did that freaking knife come from?

  The silver knife protruding from my chest, just inches above my heart, burns like hell as it makes contact with my blood. The sizzling sound and smell of burning flesh cause my stomach to lurch. Swallowing down the bile, I pull the knife out with my right hand.

  Son of a….

  The pain is excruciating, and I can’t fight back the tears forming in my eyes, but I manage to blink them away before he notices. There’s no way I can give him the satisfaction of seeing my pain or my tears.

  “How do you like that, you little half-breed bitch?” Anthony growls, lunging for the knife in my hand.

  “My dear uncle, is that any way to talk to your one and only niece? You should be ashamed of yourself,” I quip, steeling my resolve.

  “After tonight, I won’t have a niece,” he yells, trying to land a punch as I duck out of the way.

  With my blood seeping from the wound, I grapple with Anthony. Using his own knife, I slice his arms and chest, making him as bloody as I am. When he darts out of knife range, I use my legs to land a couple of roundhouse and front kicks, mostly hitting his legs and sides, but I do land two good kicks to his head and chest. That is until he’s able to block the kicks quicker and finally catches my leg on the last one.

  Holding my leg tight enough that I can’t get away, Anthony slams his elbow down onto my thigh, causing me to crumple to the ground. As soon as I fall, he moves in for a cheap shot and punches me in the chest where he’d stabbed me. The hit knocks me on my back, giving Anthony the upper hand. He straddles my hips, making it difficult for me to knock him off as he bangs my right hand––the one still gripping the knife––on the marble floor. After several hits, my hand finally gives, and the knife skids across the floor.

  Without the weapon in my hand, Anthony tries to wrap his hands around my throat, but I hold him off, landing a few punches and blocking his attempts. With my heightened hunter’s senses, I vaguely register another presence in the room with us, and my instincts tell me it’s a friend and not a foe.

  Sebastian, thank God!

  There’s a slight scrape on the floor that I can only guess is from Sebastian picking up the knife. Hard-soled shoes thud on the floor, becoming louder as they near. Anthony is so focused on our struggle and his overwhelming desire to kill me that he doesn’t hear Sebastian’s approach. Over Anthony’s right shoulder, Sebastian’s figure comes into view, and before my uncle registers that I’m not the only threat in the room, his silver knife is sticking out of his chest right through his evil, black heart. Blood spurts in my face as Sebastian twists the knife in Anthony’s chest. With an unholy screech, Anthony stops fighting me and topples to the floor. And just like that, Sebastian has sent my uncle exactly where he belongs. Straight to Hell.

  “Need a little help?” asks a voice I’ve barely even heard over the phone these past few months as he reaches out to pull me off the floor.

  “That would be nice,” I accept, struggling to get out from under Anthony’s legs.

  As Sebastian hauls me to my feet, I watch my uncle’s life fade from his eyes, and I can’t help myself from getting in one last verbal jab. “Looks like you were wrong again, Uncle. You still ended up with a niece, after all.” I don’t miss the irony of this situation, either. My big, bad uncle was taken down by someone nearly human.

  Take that, and burn in hell, you evil bastard. Hopefully, Mom and Dad will kick your ass too while you’re there.

  Epilogue

  Giselle

  It's been several years now since Sebastian arrived on my doorstep, taking out my uncle and saving my ass after his months-long ride to find himself.

  Talk about an epic night.

  Two months ago, after finishing his Ph.D.s in Genetic Engineering and Medicine, he left on yet another motorcycle ride. This time he’s accompanied by a few friends––both living and undead. It's been kind of his send-off. His last hurrah as a near-human. While he's been gone, I've been preparing for his surprise party. Don and Kristy are flying out since James, Seth, Luke, and Marc are all on the ride with him.

  After this weekend, Sebastian will forever look twenty-eight. On his last ride, he'd decided that after he graduated with his Ph.D., he'd have Vlad fully change him. At the time, none of us could have imagined he’d decide to do it on the anniversary of his parents’ fatal accident and the week of his birthday.

  I’ve continued hunting when I’m not slaving over dead human bodies, and the occasional undead body, in the morgue. However, Anthony’s death managed to send a very loud and very clear message to the unruly vamps out there, and my hunting days are fewer and farther between. With Sebastian’s pending change, maybe we’ll be able to work together to keep those rebellious––What did Luke call them? Oh, right!––pulse-impaired individuals in line a little bit easier.

  Tonight, we're celebrating Sebastian’s life once he returns, and in two days, we will celebrate his change. I just hope I'm ready.

  Please let me be ready.

  Because tonight, after the party, I plan on telling my best friend, and quite literally the man of my dreams, that I'm in love with him.

  And hopefully, that will top even his first night here all those years ago.

  The End

  Note from the Author

  Dear Reader,

  So many times, we let other people convince us that we’re not normal. Just as Giselle was called a freak even in her own world, we allow negative words like that define us. But I’m here to remind you that no matter the circumstances, your uniqueness––whatever you feel makes you not normal––is exactly what makes you special.

  And let me tell you one more thing that I truly hope you’ll remember. There’s no such thing as normal.

  We all have our own looks, thoughts, desires, and abilities that set us apart from one another. Because if we were all “normal,” how boring would the world be?! So embrace what makes you, you, and just like Giselle and Sebastian, figure out what makes you happy and pursue it with purpose.

  T.C. Galinari’s Curse of Night Playlist

  https://amzn.to/2qFSTDU

  Acknowledgments

  Big thank you to my parents. You guys have loved and supported me through it all––love you guys.

  Lucas, love, what can I say? You’re my rock. I couldn’t do this without you.

  Jeff, I never would have thought vampires bowling would be so funny. Thanks for making me add it to the book. I hope it’s everything you wanted.

  Frankie, thank you for the inspiration for what Curse of Night became.

  Annessa, thanks for keeping me sane. Thanks for listening to me when I need to vent.

  My editor needs a big thank you. Steph, what can I say that I haven’t said before? Though I feel I needed more of your brain for medical details this go-round.

  Kristen, thanks for all the advice…and drinks! Girl, next time you get to write the vampires.

  L. Woods PR, and specifically Veronica, thanks for everything you do day in and day out to help me keep my shit together.

  About the Author

  An aspiring writer from the time she was a child, T.C. Galinari pens young adult romance and fantasy with a thrilling twist. She also writes dark supernatural fiction and contemporary romance (all for adults!) as Teresa Crumpton.

  Stay Connected:

  http://tcgalinari.com

  t.c.galinari@tcgalinari.com

  YA Titles from T.C. Galinari

  Little Boy Blue

  se of Night