“Ian, and Bryce before him, trained me well. They don’t take it easy on anyone, including — or maybe especially — a half-mortal.”
“Yeah, maybe that’s it.” He was leaning his back against the counter smiling at me with that smile and I could feel my cheeks getting flushed. “Want to grab dinner or catch a movie sometime?”
His abrupt change of subject caught me off guard. I took a moment to let it sink in and think it through. First on the list was that Ian had told me he needed time to figure “us” out. We never said we won’t see other people in the meantime. Technically, I could date whoever I wanted. But… Did I want to? No. No, I did not.
“Um, that sounds nice, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Okay. What about just a cup of coffee?”
“No. It’s nothing against you. I… It’s… It’s complicated.”
“Okay, no problem. Never hurts to try. Well, not too much.” He winked at me.
Wanting to change the subject and because I am always curious how some banshees get their nicknames, I asked, “So, why Flip?” His lighthearted expression turned to one of sorrow. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
He gave me a watery smile and shook his head. “It’s okay. As I said my name is Philip, but my little sister couldn’t pronounce it. It always came out ‘Flip’. It stuck.”
“Oh, that’s adorable! Are you still close with her?”
“I wish. I used to run with Gabriel, before he became what he is now. We were just kids having fun, but then he started to hurt people. That’s when I decided I needed to move on. When I left, he killed my family. I found their remains. The teddy bear I had given my sister was laying in the middle of hers.”
His story was so devastating, it took my breath away. Not knowing how else to respond, I wrapped my arms around him and held him.
I heard a noise behind me, and I turned to find Ian standing at the foot of the stairs.
“Do not let me interrupt. Just passing through.”
“Ian, wait.” I stepped away from Flip to follow Ian out onto the deck.
“Ah… So, I see,” Flip said.
“Yeah… I am sorry about your sister… your family. Would you like to talk more?”
“No. Thank you though. It was a long time ago. I am okay.”
“Well, the offer stands.” I glanced to the door.
“Go after him. I’m fine.”
“Thank you,” I called as I ran after Ian.
When I reached him, I took his arm and turned him to face me. He stiffened at my touch.
“What the hell?”
“I could ask you the same, Qadira.”
“Are you jealous?”
“Jealousy is a ridiculous emotion. If you are interested in Philip, you are welcome to pursue that interest.”
“You are jealous. Listen—”
“You do not have to explain yourself. I told you I was not ready to begin our relationship.”
“Yes, you did, and I respect your decision. And while I am free to do so, I don’t want to be with anyone else. I’m willing to give you as much time as you need to realize we belong together. Until then Gabriel should be our focus.”
He pulled me to him and crushed his lips to mine.
“Finally!” I said as I wrapped my arms around him.
He chuckled.
“Can I assume this means you’re ready?”
“Yes. I was coming to speak with you. I cannot promise I will do well in a relationship, but I will do my best to make you happy. So… no one else?”
“None. Flip asked me out, I said no. I was only hugging him because I had brought up his nickname, he told me where he got it… about is his sister.”
“You were comforting him.”
“Yes, and if we are going to be together, you will have to get used to me having other males in my life.”
He lowered his lips to mine. “As long as I am the only one who can do that.”
“Back at ya.”
“Agreed.”
“So how did it go with the mortals? What was the issue Flip mentioned?”
“They tortured those people within an inch of their lives. Two of the women had been too injured to survive much longer. They had extensive internal injuries. I took care of them the best I could.”
“You did the right thing by ending their suffering. You are a great man, Ian MacBeaghne.” I rose to my toes and kissed him.
“Ah, so I am no longer a bastard?”
“Oh, you’re still a bastard. You’re just a great one.”
********
When I returned to the house, I brought the mortals their lunch. I hadn’t been able to check on the mortals, what with being mostly dead for a day or so myself. I was pleasantly surprised to see they were doing so well.
The woman from the pedestal was sitting in the back of the room by herself. Her long strawberry-blond hair was no longer matted and tangled. Instead, it was shiny and straight, falling just past her waist. The wounds she had endured marked her bronzed skin. Her dark blue eyes were wary when they met my gaze.
I was drawn to her. She placed the book she was reading on the table beside her as I approached.
“Hi, I’m Kadi, I make the meals around here, so if there’s anything you’d prefer or don’t like please let me know.” She just stared at me. “Uh, is there anything I can do for you?”
Her gaze narrowed, and she tilted her head to the side. “You’re not like them, but you’re not human either.”
“Heh?” I knew what she may be referring to, but they had wiped her memory. How could she know anything about ‘them’?
“Don’t play dumb. I know what they are, and I know humans, and you’re neither. What are you?”
I hate that question. Still this woman had been through hell, so I smiled, and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Right, so you’re either pretending to be dumb, or you are dumb. I know they are vampires, and I know you are not, but you’re also not human. There’s a strange vibe coming from you. It’s like the vamps, but it’s different. So, what the hell are you?”
She knew way more than she should. Why hadn’t they wiped her memory? I needed to find Ian and find out what the hell was happening.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Juliana.”
“Juliana, listen. I can assure you vampires do not exist. You were in a terrible accident and that can be traumatic. It’s possible you hit your head.”
“Oh, don’t give me that shit! They tried to put that crap in my head, and I let them think I believed it, but I know what really happened to us. I remember every second. They are vampires.”
I needed to find Ian. “Look Jul—”
“It’s okay, I know you guys aren’t sickos like the ones you rescued us from. Taking away everyone’s horrible memories was the kindest thing anyone could ever do. I just wish it had worked on me. I don’t understand why it didn’t. Being that I can remember everything, I’m scared that you guys will kill me. I know that big one murdered Brandi and Carrie.”
There was no way to bullshit my way out of this. It was not permitted to allow a mortal to live with the knowledge of banshees, even if they thought the banshees were vampires. The mortal’s mind needed to be erased or the Elders would ensure the mortal, innocent or not, never saw another day.
“He didn’t murder them, Juliana. They were dying. There was no saving them, so he eased their pain and took their memories away so they could die in peace. This way he gave them solace as they went. I promise no one here will kill you. We will do our best to make sure no one ever hurts you again.”
I only hoped I was making promises I could keep.
“Do me a favor Juliana, keep this between us, okay? We’ll figure something out. Can you trust me? Or at least try to believe me? You won’t be hurt, I promise.”
I’d made that promise twice. Now I’d have to keep it.
“I can’t trust you just yet, but I’ll keep an open mind about believing you. I won’t be talking to anyone else about this. They changed these people’s memories, so they’ll think I’m nuts. I’m not telling the vamps, or whatever they are, that I know what happened. I am putting my life in your hands.”
Ah, man, why’d she have to go and say that?
“Okay… I’ll be back.”
I left the makeshift hospital wing to see if Ian had returned yet. I found him sunbathing on the deck out back. He appeared to be sleeping.
“Ian?” I whispered.
“Yes?” He didn’t open his eyes.
“We need to talk about one of the mortals.” Still, he didn’t move. “She remembers everything. She thinks you are vampires, and she knows I’m not mortal.”
That did the trick. He bolted out of the lounge chair and spun to face me.
“How is this possible?”
I shrugged. Not only should someone have wiped her memory, but they should have checked their work to make sure it stuck.
“She knows everyone’s memories were altered. She also knows what you did with the two women. She remembers everything.” I let that sink in for a few seconds before adding, “She’s afraid that you will kill her.”
His shoulders slumped. “It seems I have no other choice.”
“What the hell, Ian? Please tell me you’re not serious. I will not let you kill her or any of those people. You’ll have to kill me first!”
He smiled, and I relaxed. Then suddenly his mouth was covering mine.
“Wh-what was that for?”
“I will not harm the woman, but I will need to speak with her. Bring her to the living area… please.”
“What the hell just happened?” I said to myself as I left to get Juliana.
When I returned to the living room Ian was not there. I invited Juliana to sit wherever she wanted. She chose the hearth of the fireplace. This allowed her to see the entire room and all entry points. Smart.
Neither of us spoke while we waited until my uncle entered.
“Oh, hello there,” he said to Juliana
“Hello.”
“May I speak with you a moment, my pip?” Bryce asked as he pulled me into the kitchen.
“What’s up?”
“I was the one to carry her out of the basement and into the car. She differs from the others; I just can’t put my finger on it. Be gentle with her, but also be careful.”
“I get the same feeling about her. But, thanks.”
“Before I forget, I have reinstated the concealment wards, but I have not replaced the boundary wards around the house. You are free to go on the beach, but please try not to do so alone. The concealments will not work as well now that they know we are in the area.”
“I will be careful. Thank you, Bryce.”
“What the hell are you doing? You left the girl alone!” Ian shouted as he came into the room.
“Whoa! Relax, I only left her alone for a minute.” When I stepped back into the living room to find it empty, I about swallowed my tongue. The sliders were still wide open.
“Shit!”
I ran out the door to the end of the deck to look for her. She was mortal, she could not have gotten far. I saw her running down the beach, and I took off after her. The sand should have made it harder for her to run at a fast pace, but she was doing surprisingly well.
“Juliana, stop!” When she didn’t stop, I sped up to catch up with her. I grabbed her arm, swinging her around, so I took the brunt of the fall when my momentum tipped us over.
“Damn girl, you’re fast!” I exclaimed.
“Why the hell are you faster? You caught up to me way too quickly. What are you?”
“You are going to have to stop asking me that.”
I stood with her, keeping a grip on her arm. Knowing that she couldn’t get away, she did not put up much of a fight on the way back.
Ian was waiting on the deck when we got back. He took Juliana’s other arm and led us back into the house. Ian sat her on the couch, a little too roughly, while he took a seat on the coffee table in front of her. I sat next to her with what I hoped was a comforting hand on her thigh. She tensed when Ian leaned in close. I squeezed her leg as to remind her I was there for her. She shoved my hand away and scooted to the far side of the couch.
I tried. I thought with a mental shrug.
“You will not attempt to leave here again,” Ian said. “If what Qadira has told me is true, I cannot have you roaming around blathering on about vampires. If that is not enough to keep you here, maybe this will work: the men who held you captive are still out there. They will look for you.”
“So, you’re gonna, what? Just let me leave once I heal? That mind-erasing-voodoo -crap didn’t work on me. I know how this works. I read books. I watch movies. You’re not just going to let me go free!”
“No, I suppose not,” he said with a shrug and Juliana’s face turned an odd grayish color.
“For the love of fairies, Ian, stop scaring her. We are not going to kill you, or any of the other morta… people!” Oops…
“Ah-ha! You were about to say ‘mortal’! I knew it, you’re not human! What are you?”
On second thought, maybe I will kill her.
Ian shot me a look of death before getting up to force Juliana to sit once again.
“You will calm yourself. You will stop insulting, Qadira. It is in deference to her wishes I am willing to change the rules and protect you. However, I will not allow you to endanger her or our fellow clansmen. Understood?”
Juliana nodded in response.
“Good. My name is Ian. I understand that you have questions about who we are and what we do. You may ask what you like, and I will answer those questions I deem appropriate.”
“She,” Juliana began motioning in my direction. I narrowed my eyes at her. “Um, sorry, Qadira—”
“Call me Kadi.”
“Okay, Kadi, tells me that those men who kidnapped me are not vampires, but they act just like them. Although, come to think of it, they never drank our blood. They just seemed to enjoy watching us bleed, seeing us in pain. But they kind of sucked in our breath, not our blood. They were way faster and stronger than humans. You, Ian, have the same type of vibe as they do, and they seemed like vampires… so if you’re not vampires, what are you? And I really want to know what the hell she is. Her vibe is different, not only from humans but also from yours. It’s fascinating and freaky at the same time.”
Well, she lasted about a minute without being rude, I’ll give her that much. I lifted an eyebrow at her but said nothing. How is it I upset her more than the possibility of vampires? And what the hell kind of vibe did I send out? I looked down at myself as though I could see some mystical sign emanating from me. All I saw were my cut-off jean shorts and Pearl Jam t-shirt.
“Vampires do not exist. We are banshee,” Ian said.
“What? Banshees are spirits that wail or something when someone dies, and they’re female. You don’t look like a spirit, and you most certainly don’t look female.”
“I think maybe you read a little too much,” I chimed in with a little laugh. “Banshees can be female or male. That part of the myth stems from the fact that females become crazed while pregnant. The fetus grows about twice as fast as a mortal fetus. This can make the female ravenous, and susceptible to starvation. Starving banshees tend to go insane — literally. So that hunger-craze may explain the screaming banshee myth.”
“Qadira is correct. Let us clarify a few more myths. Banshees do not have an aversion to garlic, sunlight, or silver. We do not turn into bats. We can go to church, though most of us do not see the point. We can eat mortal food, but we do not have to and often do not. We do not feed on blood. With all that said, vampires do not exist — though the Banshee of yore established and encouraged the folklore. They believed that by creating stories of nonexistent creatures, mortals would be less likely to notice those who did exist. Their theory appears to b
e working well.”
“Silver doesn’t kill a banshee? What does?”
“That is information I will not be sharing with you. Nice try, though. Do you have more questions? Ask now as I will not be holding another one of these sessions for you.”
I wanted to ask my own questions. I wondered why the mind altering hadn’t worked and how she was able to read auras — which must be the ‘vibe’ she kept mentioning. Fey are particularly in tune with their auras. Ours are so active and even interact with other Fey’s auras. It’s as though they are their own beings. Still, as connected as we are to our auras, we cannot read them.
“Everything okay over there, Goldie?” Ian asked.
“What? Oh, yes, all good.”
“Goldie?” Juliana asked. “Oh, because of your eyes. I remember that night in the basement, your eyes had a golden glow about them. Kind of like a cat, but it was more than a reflection of light. And… you had no pupils like the vam— ah, banshees, but still you’re different from them. It’s so weird.”
“Weird? Hmm… I have a question for you, Ms. Vibe-detector, what are you? Why can you sense everyone’s vibe, as you call it? We call it our aura, by the way.”
I swear I heard Ian snicker.
“I am mortal. I am not like you.”
“Bullshit. Hate to break it to you, but to do what you do, you must be a little more than ‘mortal’. So, stop being so judgmental and try learning about the Fey.”
I wasn’t going to let her continue insulting me and stay opposed to “what I am.” Prejudice is evil. I will not allow it.
“Goldie,” Ian cautioned.
“No. No, she’s fine. I have been rude to you both. I am sorry for that. If I am going to be here, I should try to understand what… who you are,” Juliana said to me and I nodded in acknowledgement.
“I am a mortal. I just have an extra sense or something. I’ve always been able to sense a person’s mood by the vibe — aura they give off. You can change your facial expression, or tone of your voice, but your aura gives you away every time. The night they abducted me I had been jogging in a park near my apartment in Coral Gables. I sensed my abductor before I even saw him.” She wrapped her arms around herself. She was shaking.
Becoming Banshee Page 6