by T. A. White
I yawned, my jaw cracking with the force of it. Sleep tugged at me. I resisted, knowing I'd lose the battle soon.
"You lasted almost an hour past dawn. Congratulations." Liam stood.
"Better head to bed before you fall flat on your face again," Nathan said with a wicked grin. "Next time you might wake up with a few things drawn on your skin in permanent marker."
I pulled a face at him before I frowned and stood. He had a point. I had no idea how long I had before sleep became less of a choice and more of a reality.
"I'll escort you," Rick said, jumping to his feet with an energy I was jealous of.
Despite the power boost Thomas’s blood had given me, I was starting to drag, every movement taking a little bit more effort than the last.
Rick was quiet as we walked up the stairs, humming under his breath. I plodded next to him, grateful for the silence. Much of the night had been depressing. I still had no clue what to do and was too tired to think of something at this stage.
I was grateful when the door to my room came into sight. Rick touched my elbow, drawing me to a halt. His gaze was unfocused when I turned to him, and I hesitated, not sure if I should ask questions or leave him to his thoughts.
"Remember that the shadows can be your friend in times of desperation," he said, his vague words not making any sense.
"What does that mean?" I asked as he moved down the hall.
He turned around and gave me a drowsy smile. His eyes still had that same unfocused look. "You'll figure it out, or maybe you won't, and you'll die."
What the—was he high? Could vampires even get high?
Left in front of my door with more questions than answers, I shouldered it open and headed for the bathroom. The night called for a hot shower before I crawled between the sheets, and I had just enough energy left for one before I entered slumber land.
Hair still wet and wearing a pair of sleep shorts and tank top I’d found in the dresser, I crawled into a bed that was more comfortable than any I'd ever had before. I closed my eyes and drifted off in moments, for once grateful for sleep’s cool, dark protection.
*
A soft tap came from the door as I entered the kitchenette in my suite, my stomach growling and my fangs aching. I eyed the door with disgruntlement before calling, "Come in."
I didn't wait for whoever had disturbed me to respond, heading for the fridge and the cold meal that awaited me there.
I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and a bag of blood from the refrigerator, already dreading forcing the stuff down.
"Hello," a soft voice called from the doorway.
"Over here," I said, frowning at the blood. I'd never had this problem before being exposed to the stuff in Liam and Thomas’s veins. I threw the bag on the counter and looked up, surprised to see Sheila dithering in the doorway. "Sheila, what’re you doing here?"
"Since Theo is gone, the companions have been asked to provide blood meals for you until a replacement can be found." Her voice stumbled over the word “gone”, and her eyes moved around the room as if searching for a place to alight. One that would shield her from the implication of that word.
"Ah." I didn't know what else to say as I stared at her, nonplussed. After a long moment where I tried to frame my refusal in polite terms—ones meant to cause little offense even though the offer repulsed me—I settled on saying, "I thought you already had a long-term companion. I was under the impression you only provide blood to that vampire."
Her smile was troubled and didn't reach her eyes. "That's correct, but we have no other uncommitted companions. We were asked to draw lots to see who would provide for your needs."
A laugh escaped me. "Draw lots? Am I so repulsive?"
She didn't answer, her eyes dropping to her feet.
"Ah, guess that answers that." I popped the top of the blood bag, pouring it into the glass. Good to know the companions were so scared of me they needed a lottery to determine who got the duty of feeding me.
"It's just that all of us were close with Theo. He was well liked here," she said, looking uncomfortable.
The blood pouring into the glass paused as I hesitated. "And you blame me for his death."
She flinched and jolted back a step. "No."
"I suspect as a companion you know vampires have heightened senses and can tell when the human body reacts with indicators of a lie," I said in a conversational tone. We could hear when a heartbeat sped up, the slight rasp of an inhale and see the beads of sweat that were all signs someone was uncomfortable. It could sometimes be used to discover lies. Not every time. I suspected a sociopath would be able to fool the enhanced senses, but Sheila didn't fall into that category.
Her stricken expression told me she did know that. She fell quiet, her big eyes watching me as if I was a snake about to strike. I sighed. Way to go, Aileen. You've terrified the poor girl into a stupor. I became more and more the vampire every day.
"It's fine, Sheila. I understand. You can go."
She jolted, betraying her wishes by glancing at the door. "But, I'm supposed to provide blood."
I gave her a humorless smile. "Sorry, I don't plan to drink from someone who is visibly afraid of me. You might stab me with a stake by accident."
"Um, that doesn't actually work." Her words were hesitant.
I sighed and closed my eyes, praying for patience. "I know. It’s just an expression. Go."
She looked chastened as she turned to leave. "You should stay away from Deborah. She had a crush on Theo."
"Did she now?" I asked, not really caring.
Sheila nodded. "Not that she had a chance. He and Catherine were never far apart, even after Catherine gained a patron."
That was interesting. I spoke before she could leave. "I thought vampires and their companions had an intimate relationship."
She hesitated by the door, the call of freedom visibly pulling at her. She swallowed the urge in a display of bravery I hadn't thought her capable of. "It can be, but not always. Sometimes it's just a friendship or akin to a parent-child relationship."
Hm.
She waited, fidgeting in place as I stared at her blankly for a long moment before realizing what she wanted. I flicked my hand in dismissal.
I took another long gulp of the blood after she was gone, choking down the stuff and wishing for the days where this actually tasted good. Now, it tasted rancid—like milk three weeks past its expiration date. At least it would keep me fed for another night.
The visit with Sheila had unnerved me more than I wanted to admit. It wasn't only the enforcers who saw me as being partially responsible for the deaths last night. Seemed the companions felt the same way. It added to the guilt and sense of wrongness that I was already dealing with.
I sighed, setting the glass on the counter. It was only half drunk, but I couldn't force any more of it down. Perhaps in a little bit. Even telling myself that lie didn't work. I put the glass in the fridge to keep it from going bad, just in case.
My elbow bumped into something on the counter as I turned, the book that followed me around like a pet dog lying innocuously face up. I leaned next to it, staring at it with repulsed fascination. I liked books as much as the next person, but it was disturbing when one could just move around under its own power. A witch had told me it was an item of power that did not mean me harm. That could change, and I suspected I would never see it coming.
"Don't suppose you have an answer to my problem?" I asked it, only half joking.
It had provided semi-decent information about the demon taint before. Feeling slightly stupid, I waited a moment but nothing happened. Didn't think so. I turned away, somehow bumping the book and knocking it to the floor, though I could have sworn I was nowhere near it. I squatted next to the open book, frowning at it in consternation. That wasn't creepy or anything.
It'd fallen so it was lying open, face down, practically asking for me to pick it up and see what it had to say. I shook my head, knowing I should just walk away. I
t had tried this trick before, and until now I'd made a point of ignoring it. Not this time.
"This had better be good," I warned it. "Or I'm going to find a lighter. I'm sure a place like this has a fireplace—or a dozen."
Before I could talk myself out of it, I picked it up and glanced at the text on the page. What I found was unexpected. Instead of something that might help me calm a werewolf, or a weapon that might force an angry one to sleep, the book had a hand-drawn picture of a room. I bent closer. Books. Lots of them.
I recognized that room. I'd been in it during my ill-advised excursion to the supernatural bookstore, and I was pretty sure I'd been lucky to escape with my life and this book.
There was no other text on the page, just the drawing and another page with a picture of the bookstore keeper and an empty spot next to him.
"That's not helpful," I told the book before shutting it and tossing it back on the counter.
I didn’t understand. It had always been semi-helpful in the past. Yes, the information was often vague, but it had at least gotten me pointed in the right direction. That picture must mean something, but I had no idea what.
Not ready to leave the room and chance encountering some of the now unfriendly inhabitants of the mansion, I settled on the couch in the living room section of my suite. Nathan, Liam, or whoever they appointed as my babysitter for the night would be around soon. I was actually slightly surprised they weren't already here.
Maybe they figured little Sheila would keep me occupied for a bit, or perhaps they were enjoying a blood-filled companion of their own. Either way, it left me some breathing room. Fat lot of good that did me.
I still had no idea where Caroline was or what I was going to do when I found her. My little chat with Lisa last night had shed some light on why Caroline had pulled her disappearing act, but it didn't change the fact that she was waist deep in shit and sinking fast. The dead bodies complicated things even more. I wasn't even sure what the right thing to do was anymore.
It had all gotten so fucked up, and in such a short time. I'd been here before. Only thing left to do was put one foot in front of the other and hope you were moving in the right direction. Standing still. Questioning yourself. Dwelling on your failure would not solve any problems. Action solved problems, and I'd get to it as soon as I figured out what I should be doing.
My cell phone rang from the bedroom, distracting me from my thoughts. Not that they were good thoughts anyway.
I thought about leaving the phone unanswered but hoisted myself off the couch with reluctance. It could be important. Only way to find out was to see who it was.
I'd put the battery back in last night. The vampires had caught me, so it was pointless to try to keep them from tracking it. The phone was no help, showing a number but no name to go with it. I clicked answer and waited.
"Aileen, are you there?" Caroline's scared voice came down the line.
"Caroline. Where are you?"
Soft sobs filled my ear, making my heart sink even further. "I screwed up. I need your help."
"Okay, Caroline, just stay calm," I said, fighting for that state myself. "I can help you but I need you to stay calm."
"Yeah, you're right. I need to stay calm."
I pressed my palms to my eyelids trying to ignore the prickling behind them.
Caroline started speaking before I could say anything. "It's just, there was so much blood. I've never seen that much blood before, and the bodies—they were both dead. I don’t know what happened. There were so many pieces." Her voice was ragged, and she sounded like she was on the verge of a panic attack.
"Let's not think about that right now. We're staying calm. We can deal with that later." I waited a beat as her breathing slowed, still fast, but she didn't sound like she might pass out or turn into the wolf at any moment. "Where are you? I'll come get you, and we can figure this out together."
Her breath rasped in and out. "Yeah, you're right. I don't think I can do this alone. I need help."
"Yes, you can trust me."
"Do you remember our senior trip in high school?" she asked.
My eyebrows furrowed. "We didn't go on our trip."
"Right, where did we go instead?" she asked. "Be there in one hour, and Aileen?"
"What?"
"Come alone."
The phone went dead in my hand as it fell to my side. I sat down hard on my bed and stared at my hands, feeling cold.
"You get all that?" I asked in a soft voice.
Liam uncoiled from where he rested his shoulder against the door frame and crossed the room. "Yeah."
I nodded, feeling like the worst kind of traitor. "You won't hurt her."
His eyes held mine. They were sympathetic even as they were unyielding. "I can’t make that promise as I'm sure you're aware."
A tear slipped free, and I looked away. Yeah. I was aware.
"Where is she?" he asked in a soft voice.
"You'll need me for this," I told him, meeting his eyes with grim purpose. "She'll have more than one exit planned, and she'll stay under cover unless she sees me."
His fangs came out, his eyes fierce. "That will not happen."
I raised my eyebrow, unimpressed. I didn't feel much of anything at the moment. Just numb. As if a different Aileen had taken over my body—one forced to do what was necessary, even while it felt like the worst kind of wrong. I felt defiled to the very core of my being. What was one angry vampire?
"I need to talk to her," I said, holding his gaze and not letting the anger in his eyes phase me. "You'll give me that, or I'll call her back and warn her you're coming."
He was across the room, his hand around my throat as he picked me up and held me effortlessly against the wall next to my bed. "It’s unwise to threaten me. I've given you more leniency and understanding than any other vampire in my command. Do I need to remind you of where you stand?"
My soft chuckle held little humor. "Go ahead. Do your worst. You still won't catch her without my help."
His fingers tightened around my throat, just a small movement, not hurting, just threatening. I let my conviction fill my gaze. I wasn't budging on this one. If he didn't like it, he could pack sand.
He drew closer, his smell wrapping around me as his eyes mesmerized. "Why? This action will only hurt you."
I flinched at the truth. "Those are my terms. Take them or leave them."
His hand loosened. I didn't move, remaining still as he drew closer and rested his forehead against mine. He sighed, his breath tickling my lips.
"You want to bargain? Very well." He drew back, a dark smile playing across his face. "You will owe me ten nights."
I blanched. "For what?"
He tilted his head. "That is for me to decide."
"Fine, but I want her safety guaranteed." I lifted my chin.
He shook his head. "You could not afford the price tag that came with such a guarantee."
"Still." I was willing to risk it.
"No. All I will promise is to try to keep her alive. Brax, and her own actions are the only thing that can guarantee the outcome." His face was serious as his eyes drilled into mine.
I took a deep breath and released it. Fair enough. I didn't like it, and there were too many things that could go wrong, but I could see how his hands were tied.
I looked away from him and stared unseeing at the wall. Moment of truth.
"I got kicked off the senior trip when I accidentally set fire to the chemistry lab during an unsupervised experiment." It was too late to change my mind. All I could do was hope. "Of course, I was covering for Caroline at the time. She stayed behind to keep me company. We spent the entire week on top of the abandoned railroad tracks over near the Scioto river. We told stories to each other as we drank the liquor we stole from our parents’ secret stash."
Liam squeezed my shoulder, his face neutral as he turned to where Nathan leaned against the door frame.
"I'll call Brax and explain what's happening," Nathan said
in response to the unvoiced order from Liam. His eyes came to me for a moment before he turned and disappeared into the other room. His footsteps faded as Liam waited with me.
I didn't look away from the night outside, too drained and tired. What I wouldn't give to be able to roll back into this bed and just go to sleep, let the night pass me by. Sometimes being a vampire sucked.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I'D TAKEN A long, scalding shower, wishing the heat would wipe away some of the emotional grime I felt. Tears cascaded down my face for several moments before I got a hold of myself. Crying wouldn't help things. My decision had been made, my course set. Sometimes being a friend meant doing what was necessary even if it hurt the other person in the short term. I saw no other way that didn't lead to death for someone. I doubted Caroline would see it in that light, but that was something I would have to live with.
There were a lot of things I had to find a way to live with in this life. Someday I feared those things would become more than I could bear, and I would crumple under their weight.
Dressed, my hair tied back in a ponytail and my face free of makeup, I padded into my bedroom collecting things along the way. My phone ringing brought me to a stop. I stared at it for a long moment, not wanting to answer. Nothing good ever came of answering that phone. Evidence—last time I answered I'd ended up betraying one of my oldest friends.
Hermes calling.
Shit, I had a run tonight that I was late for. I grabbed the phone and clicked answer.
"Where are you?" Jerry rumbled, the sound having only the barest resemblance to his normal voice. This version was deeper, like a volcano on the precipice of eruption. You knew when it went it was going to take out everything in its path.
"Not where I'm supposed to be," I said.
"And, are you planning to get to your pickup anytime soon?" he asked, that volcano bubbling ominously.
I stopped putting on my shoes and sat on the bed. My silence was answer enough.
"One day," he said. "You kept your promise for one day."