by P. A. Lupton
A sudden knock had me practically jumping out of my skin. Cautiously, I moved to the door with my guards down, prepared to fight. Easily, I recognized it was Morrison on the other side. I was becoming almost as accustomed to his aura as I was to Nathan’s. Opening the door, I saw Morrison standing there holding a box. The minute he saw my dazed expression, his broad smile disappeared and he dropped the box, rushing over to me, “Reece, what’s wrong. Has something happened?”
“He just called me.” Still trembling from the shock of the call, my voice cracked.
Morrison’s face grew deadly serious, “What did he say?”
“I think I screwed up” I blurted, realizing what I’d just done.
“Why, what happened?”
“He called me and told me I had two days to undo the spell or he would kill someone I cared about. He threatened to kill you or Nathan.” Giving him a moment to digest this information, his expression never wavered. He simply waited for me to continue.
“I provoked him. I was just so upset at the thought of him hurting you or Nathan. I called him weak, and then I told him the only way he would get a power boost was from my vein.”
“Reece! What the hell were you thinking?” Roughly, he plopped down onto the couch, huffed out a breath and ran his hands through his sandy blonde hair. His grim expression probably mirrored my own.
“Listen, I’m not going to apologize, I didn’t like him threatening the two of you.” Wearily, I sighed and threw myself onto the sofa. “I’m afraid I might have just made it worse, though. What if he doesn’t take the bait and comes after either of you instead? I’m sorry Morrison.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m more concerned that he does take the bait and attacks you.”
“This is stupid. There’s absolutely no point in worrying about it. He called from a private number so I can’t call him back, what’s done is done. I think we should speak to Nathan about you staying here for a while until its safe.”
Picking up my cell, I dialed Nathan’s number. When the smooth, dulcet sound of his voice said “hello,” I relayed the conversation to him.
Silent for so long I wasn’t sure he heard me. Eventually, he let out a harsh sigh and said, “that mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one day.” His tone told me he was only half joking. “I think you are correct though, Todd should stay at my house. It is the safest place for him until this situation is resolved. We should all remain together as much as possible.”
“I agree.”
“Do you want me to come up?” he offered.
“No, we’re just going through the news footage. I promise we’ll stay inside. Besides, you’re only one floor down if I need you.” I paused, remembering the killer’s threat. “Please be careful”
“You, too. I’ll be up in a few hours, stay inside. I am posting a guard outside the apartment door.”
“Do you really think it’s necessary for a slumber party? I can take care of myself.” Morrison said indignantly after I hung up.
“Morrison, you have no idea how strong a vampire is. They have vastly superior senses. Their strength, speed, smell, and hearing are all immeasurably greater than ours. They are extremely difficult to kill, and they can heal instantly.”
“How do you know so much about vampires?”
I relayed what Nathan had told me about the evolution of vampires and witches, explaining how vampires came into creation. “You know, the more I learn the more I wonder if I’m going to wake up and discover this was all just a crazy dream.” He shook his head in astonished disbelief.
I snorted, “You and me both... Why don’t we get started on these videos?”
We viewed the news articles and videos in chronological order. The first publication, written in the Santé Fe Times, was an article about the bone marrow drive. The article explained details about leukemia, highlighting the desperate need for bone marrow donors. The journalist did a great job of impressing on the public the importance of being tested, and the cost involved in testing potential donors. Displayed alongside the articles were pictures. Since it was a large special interest piece spanning an entire two-page spread, there were numerous photos. The snapshots depicted patients undergoing chemotherapy at various stages of the disease. Some patients had hair, some didn’t. As I picked up the fifth photo, my body stiffened when I recognized Susan Marcone. Caught naturally, she was unaware of the camera. It was a good picture and showed a realistic likeness.
“Morrison, look at this.” I called excitedly.
“That’s Susan Marcone. Nathan was right. This could be how he found her.”
“I still want to take a look at the news footage.” Reaching for the disk, I loaded it into my computer.
We listened to the newscaster describe the hardships of some of the patients with leukemia, and explain the statistics of finding a bone marrow transplant. Many of the women would never find a match (the highest success for a match was within a person’s family). A few patients even allowed the woman to interview them while they were getting their chemo treatments. I was touched by their stories, barely able to stifle the urge to cry. I was so absorbed in one woman’s plight that I wasn’t paying attention to the background of the video clip.
“Reece, go back to that last part and look behind the woman speaking. Look in the background,” he pointed eagerly to the screen.
I reversed to the previous clip and watched Morrison move closer and closer to the screen. “There... pause it.”
Narrowing my eyes, we both scrutinized the film clip. I could vaguely make out the image of Susan Marcone talking to a woman, but because of the angle I couldn’t identify the woman. “Who do think that woman is? It’s definitely not a nurse, and it’s not her daughter Sherri either.”
“I’m going to call the hospital security and see if they have surveillance video in that area, maybe they have a better angle that we do.” He flipped open his notepad and retrieved the phone number for the head of security at the hospital. He spoke quickly to the security guard giving him details about the time and date of the recording we needed. Unsure of the exact location in the hospital, he requested the film for all areas they treat the cancer patients. The guard assured Morrison that he would start looking immediately and if he found what we wanted he would send it over priority courier.
***
Nathan arrived after work as I set the table for dinner. I hadn’t been expecting the rush of relief I felt at the sight of him. The force of it stole my breath. I hadn’t realized the extent of my fear for his safety until I saw him walk through the door.
“Thank God you’re okay.” I rushed into his waiting arms and sank into his embrace, my voice barely above a whisper. Burrowing my head into his chest, I let out a gusty sigh.
“I was about you, too.” He brought his lips to mine.
The kiss was tender as he grazed his lips back and forth against mine in a teasing, sensuous motion that sent shivers zinging up my spine. My arms wrapped tightly around his neck in as I pulled myself as close as possible. My mouth parted allowing his tongue to dip inside, gradually increasing the intensity of the kiss until his desperation echoed my own.
“Ahem...Don’t mind me, I’ll just go and get dinner.” Morrison said with amusement.
Nathan pulled back gently from the kiss, ignoring Morrison. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve had better days, but I’m all right now that you’re here, safe.”
After dinner we decided it would be best if the three of us stayed together to go to Morrison’s apartment and gather his belongings. His apartment was on the third floor of the building, and it was a pigsty.
“Morrison, you’re a slob.” I said, barely concealing my censorious tone.
“I’m a guy,” as if that should explain everything. “I live on my own, and I work all the time. What did you expect?” he arched an amused brow at my reaction, and then he pointed toward Nathan who wore a similarly appalled expression. “He’s the neatest bachelor
I’ve ever met, the rest of us live like this.”
Patiently, we waited while he packed his belongings. It didn’t take him long to finish. With his suitcases in tow he walked towards us at the front of his apartment, and that’s when all hell broke loose.
I could barely process the events through the chaos, it all happened so fast. Glass suddenly exploded with a loud shattering scream, and with it, a popping noise I recognized all too well—gun fire. Morrison fell to his knees, liquid crimson blooming across his shirt. Nathan moved so fast he was literally a blur of motion. My heart lodged in my throat as I saw him cover Morrison’s body with his own. Instinctively, I took cover behind the wall of the kitchen. I couldn’t help anyone dead. When the gunfire stopped, I crawled to Nathan and Morrison praying they were okay.
“Reece, he’s been shot, call an ambulance.” Morrison shouted in panic.
“No, I am fine.” Nathan said calmly as he stood up. “Stay down and stay together,” he ordered, before he jumped off the balcony and ran after the killer at a speed impossible to track with the human eye.
“What the hell just happened?” Stunned, Morrison’s eyes were glued to the balcony Nathan had just plunged from.
“I think the killer just tried to take you out. You’ve been shot.” Concerned, I scanned his injury. “Shoulder wound, the bullet passed right through.” I told him calmly. “You’ll live, but we’ll have to get you to the hospital. This is going to be tough to explain.”
“Reece, I’m fine. Besides, that’s not what I was talking about and you know it. I’m talking about Nathan. Somehow, he moved with inhuman speed. For Christ’s sake, he outran bullets to shield me—not that I’m ungrateful—but then he just stood up after being shot multiple times and jumped out a third story window to chase after a vampire. What is going on?”
I let out a pent up breath, “Nathan is... kind of... well, he’s a vampire too.” I said sheepishly. “I’m sorry that I kept it from you, but it wasn’t my secret to share. He’s a good and honorable man. Truly, not all vampires are bad. I know what you’ve heard about vampires so far says otherwise, but just look at what he did here. He saved your life.”
Quietly, he sat contemplating the news until Nathan abruptly reappeared through the same third story window –sans ladder. Morrison startled slightly at the unexpected entry. Nathan wore an uncertain, wary expression, anticipating the impending reaction. His expression tensed further when Morrison stood and walked toward him. He clapped his hand to Nathan’s back and said, “Thanks, I owe you one.”
“Do not mention it.” Relief had Nathan smiling as he accepted Morrison’s gratitude. “You would have done the same for me. We need to go, now. It was difficult to track him and I was worried about leaving the two of you alone, so I came back. He’s still out there. The car is ready, directly outside the doors downstairs. We will be safer at my place.”
“I never thought this maniac would stoop to shooting at us from a distance. If he’s willing to do that we’re not safe at your place either, it’s covered in windows.” I told him.
“The windows in my condo are bulletproof.” He explained. “We are safe there. You can go out in the daytime, but you should both return by nightfall.”
I was suddenly thankful for summer. The long days made me feel marginally safer—the killer couldn’t get to us during the day.
We returned to Nathan’s, but instead of taking Morrison to the hospital, Nathan used a little of his blood to heal his wound.
Amazed, Morrison stared with a dropped jaw as the wound on his shoulder knit back together within minutes. “Thanks, that beats sitting in emergency for a few hours. You’re a handy guy to have around.”
Weary and tired, Morrison and I were silent on the ride to Nathan’s. Nathan talked on his cell the whole way back, scheduling bodyguards from Donovan Security to be stationed outside his condo every evening. I hated feeling as if I was in hiding, but there was no other choice. This maniac had proven the lengths he was willing to go to tonight.
None of us could sleep. Being shot at tends causes an adrenaline rush, and it takes a while to come down from that. Since we were all up, we sat in the living room for a drink. Morrison excitedly peppered Nathan with questions, and I was happy to see Nathan was comfortable enough to answer candidly.
“Why are we safe in the daytime? You’re a vampire and I’ve seen you out in direct sunlight.”
“It is a Wiccan law.” Nathan began, patiently. “We cannot cause harm without consequences. Whatever we cast into the universe will come back to us threefold. This Law ensures balance. Evil vampires, by stealing blood to fuel their dark magic, turn their back on the light. That comes back on them as a curse, and they are forever banned from the sun. If they step into the sun they will burn and turn to ash.”
“So any vampire that can tolerate sunlight is good?”
“Yes, if they can stand to be in the light it means they live by the rule of causing no harm, and they do not kill in order to feed.”
“So how do you feed then if you don’t kill?” Morrison pried, curiously.
Nathan looked at me, hesitantly. We’d never actually discussed how he fed. “Most vampires find willing men or women, it is possible for us to feed and leave the mortal believing the experience is... sexual in nature. Our saliva affects mortals like an aphrodisiac and causes a great deal of pleasure and confusion. We always heal the puncture wounds, and we never take enough to weaken the donors.
“There’s no pain when you bite someone?” Morrison arched a brow, doubtfully.
“No, it is absolutely painless. That is, unless a vampire attacks violently. It is painfully if the vampire chooses it to be so. In those cases, the victims are usually entirely drained of blood.”
I felt a twinge of jealousy surge at the thought of him feeding off someone else. I decided I would talk to Nathan about it later. The question and answer session between the two continued for a while. I listened to Nathan explain how he was changed, and detail the attack that almost killed him.
“Only a witch can be changed?” Morrison’s eyes shone now with interest.
“Most often it is a witch. However, a person with no Wiccan ancestry can be changed, but it is extremely dangerous. They often die during the transformation.”
“Are there a lot of vampires?”
“You would be surprised at how many there are. Vampires are not just bitten and changed, but they are also born. The curse is spread through blood, infecting each new generation. Most vampires are good, but there are still quite a few… unscrupulous of our kind. They feel superior to mortals, as though they have the right to take whatever they want simply because they can. There is a small group of us who try to police these corrupt few.” Nathan was tolerant and forthcoming the barrage of questions from Morrison. I guess he understood it wasn’t every day a person found out about the existence of vampires. It was liable to spark a few questions for anyone.
“You say that you police them, how do you handle their crimes?”
This was beginning to sound like an interrogation. “Morrison, why don’t you lay off the questions for a while?” I suggested.
“Give me a break Reece, it’s not every day I meet a vampire.”
“I do not mind Brianna.” Nathan tugged me onto his lap and continued.
“The most common crime is killing a mortal, stealing another witch’s power, or allowing the existence of our kind to become public knowledge. Obviously, there are mortals who are trusted with the secret, but we cannot allow our existence to be discovered. If a vampire is guilty of these offences he or she will be executed.” He said matter-of-factly, despite the shocked expression on Morrison’s face.
“Killed,” he echoed, “just for spilling the beans?”
“We can have no evidence of our existence left for humans to discover. There is one among us—an elder—who possesses a powerful gift. He cannot remove a memory, per se, but his gift will render similar results. The mind is a tapestry, every memory a th
read, and he has the ability to unravel the threads and reorganize them in a different order. It causes confusion and doubt. Sometimes he can even intertwine new threads or false memories into the pattern, adding or changing the facts. It is very useful. ”
“But executed,” Morrison’s voice held a note of censure. “I mean, I can understand that punishment for killing, but for telling a secret?”
“What would you have us do, turn them over to the authorities? First, they are not equipped to handle our kind. Second, we cannot risk exposing our kind.”
“Why are you so worried about keeping your secrets?” I asked. “Vampires are stronger than humans.”
Nathan flashed an incredulous look. “What do you think would happen if people knew of our existence? We would never be able to live in peace. Can you imagine the chaos if scientists got their hands on our blood and discovered that it could be the key to eternal life? We would be hunted to extinction, or caged like lab rats. We may be stronger, but we are still greatly outnumbered. Look at the pandemonium that ensued with the discovery of witches. The witch hunts lasted over two hundred years, and it wasn’t just witches who suffered. Many innocent people were burned or hung.”
“I hadn’t considered the ramifications.” Morrison said.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I can see why it’s so important to hide behind myth and folklore.”
Nathan squeezed my waist before I continued. “If vampires are immortal and have the means to procreate and turn humans, are you never concerned about having too many vampires and eventually outnumbering your food source?” Being considered a food source almost made humans sound like cows, but my curiosity outweighed my outrage.
“There are laws for that, too. Vampires are only permitted two children in their lifetime. In addition, we must be granted permission before we are able to sire another vampire. Besides, many vampires do not wish to live forever, even if we can. Not many of us have the stamina nor the desire.”