by Jaye Wells
I leaned forward, ready to smack this asshole back to kingdom come if necessary. Who the hell did he think he was anyway?
“Look, dude, underneath this pink twinset and sensible khaki pants, I am still a bitch. I suggest you back off.”
Before he could respond, another voice spoke.
“That’s enough,” Kira said from behind me. Her voice, while quiet, oozed authority.
Alaric took a step back and grimaced. “Sorry, Kira.”
I turned to look at her. She stood at doorway of the dining room, her hands on her hips and a massive frown on her face.
“Hey, Kira,” I said, resolved not to apologize when I had been defending myself.
“Alaric, you have no right to attack her. Logan agreed to give her the Lifeblood.”
“But—" he protested.
“Hush,” she said. “I wasn’t finished. It’s time we put the past behind us and move on. Raven is here to learn. We don’t want to teach her that we are unable to forgive.”
I raised my eyebrows and smiled at him. He looked like he wanted to speak but knew better than to contradict the older vampire.
“And you,” she said, focusing her laser gaze on me, “need to learn some restraint. You can’t go around threatening everyone who says something you don’t like.”
I didn’t say anything. What was the point?
“Now, Alaric, please bring the cases into the kitchen.”
He nodded and went to grab the two large cases from the floor next to the front door. The contents of the boxes clanged together as he walked. I followed them to the kitchen, curious to see what was in the crates.
Alaric deposited the boxes of Lifeblood on the large center island in the kitchen with a thud. He opened one and stepped back.
I peeked into the box. My eyes widened when I saw that two dozen glass bottles rested inside. A cloud of gas from the dry ice lifted from the box and hovered around us. Alaric waved it away and reached in for a bottle.
“The dry ice is just to keep it cold for transport. You can just store the bottles in the fridge from now on,” he explained, handing Kira the bottle.
I reached in and picked up another bottle, which prompted Alaric to glare at me. Tough noogies, I thought, holding the frosty glass up to the light. The container was shaped like an old-fashioned Coke bottle. Only, the contents were deep red instead of bubbly brown.
“So you drink it cold?”
“Actually, we designed it to be consumed warm. You just pop it in the microwave for thirty seconds.”
I stared at him with wide eyes. “Microwave the blood?”
Gross, I thought. I knew a lot of vamps heated bagged blood, and it made me want to barf. Real blood should be warmed the natural way—by the human body.
“It’s not real blood, dear,” Kira said.
“Yeah, but it still seems odd,” I replied, shaking the bottle. The liquid inside had a viscous quality. “It’s thick.”
“Yeah, that’s because of the cold. It thins when it’s heated.”
“Hmm. Can I open it?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said, his tone still unfriendly.
Twisting the top caused a loud popping sound. I looked at Alaric in confusion.
“That’s just the seal popping. It’s airtight to preserve it until it’s opened.”
I nodded and placed the metal top on the counter. Lifting the bottle to my nose, I took a tentative sniff. Hmm. It sure smelled like blood. My mouth started watering immediately. My fangs even started to descend. I hadn’t had any bagged blood yet this morning.
“Why don’t we heat it up so you can try it?” Kira asked.
They both stared at me expectantly as I argued with myself. My appetite said go for it. My brain resisted though, apprehensive about trying something so foreign. I knew that one sip probably wouldn’t harm me, but that same sip would wash away years of resistance to progress.
Finally, Kira grew impatient and made the decision for me. Taking the bottle from me, she placed it in the microwave and set the timer for half a minute.
I watched the glass spin on the turntable as if it moved in slow motion, the timer counting down the seconds until I became a hypocrite.
The ding of the microwave made me jump. It was time. I knew they wouldn’t let me out of this room until I tried it.
Kira removed the bottle and poured it into a glass. She handed it to me with a smile.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve tried it myself, and it’s delicious.”
She obviously thought I was worried about the taste. I didn’t bother correcting her. I’m sure she’d dismiss my misgivings as silly.
I took the glass from her and looked at it. I swirled the liquid around. I sniffed it again.
“Raven, it’s not wine. You don’t have to test the bouquet.”
I narrowed my eyes at Alaric’s sarcasm. I wish he’d just leave. But I knew he’d never miss this. I was glad Callum wasn’t there too. He’d have teased me even worse than Alaric.
Finally, I made myself lift the glass, which tapped against my fangs. Closing my eyes, I took a sip. The warm fluid slid smoothly across my tongue, making my taste buds come alive.
My eyes shot open in surprise. It tasted exactly like blood fresh from the source. I couldn’t believe something synthetic could taste so authentic. It sure as hell beat bagged blood, too.
I looked at Alaric and Kira, who stared at me expectantly. The room was dead silent as they waited for my reaction. The only one I gave them was lifting the glass again. Only this time instead of a sip, I gulped down the rest of the liquid.
Kira laughed when I finally took a breath and slammed the glass down on the counter.
“Alaric, I do believe she likes it,” she said.
I licked my lips. “Can I have another glass?”
Alaric joined Kira’s laughter. “You’d better slow down You only have two cases.”
“I can’t believe it,” I said, sticking my finger in the glass and licking the residue off with my tongue.
“Thanks,” Alaric said, his tone much friendlier than it had been a few minutes ago. He was obviously proud of his part in creating Lifeblood.
“Alaric and Logan subjected Callum and I to taste tests for months. By the end, we couldn’t tell the Lifeblood from the real blood.”
I nodded. “It’s fantastic.”
“So you think you can handle giving up human donors if you have this instead?” Kira asked.
“Let’s just say I can handle it for the rest of my confinement,” I said.
Alaric and Kira looked at each other nervously.
“But Raven, you can’t seriously think you’ll be allowed to feed off humans ever again.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Once Lifeblood is released to the general vamp population, the council intends to make it totally illegal to feed directly from humans. In cases of emergency, bagged blood will be okay. However, Lifeblood will be the main source of sustenance for all vampires.”
I paused. All along I thought the “no human meal” rule was part of my punishment. This was the first I’d heard about the council outlawing feeding, period.
“You’re joking,” I said, my voice serious.
“No. It’s already in the works,” Alaric said.
As it stood now, feeding from humans was allowed only in cases of emergency. Since I didn’t follow the Brethren rules, I ignored that law. But most other vamps didn’t. Soon, almost every vampire in existence would depend on fake blood for survival. It was an abomination.
“That’s bullshit,” I said, my voice rising. “The council can’t completely outlaw feeding from humans. It’s unnatural.”
“On the contrary, they can and will,” Alaric said. “Our kind has no moral right to feed from humans. And with Lifeblood, with bagged blood as a backup, there is no excuse to continue to treat humans like cattle.”
“It figures you’d say that,” I shot back. “It must really irk you that you were onc
e nothing but a fragile human.”
His jaw clenched. “The fact I was turned against my will has nothing to do with this. We don’t need to rely on humans anymore. There’s no reason to.”
“Whatever,” I said with a wave of the hand.
“Raven, are you more mad that times are changing or that your father is the one changing them?” Kira asked.
I flinched.
“Why can’t you see that holding on to the past is dangerous?” she continued. “Our entire population is at risk whenever one of us feeds from a human. It’s common sense that anything that reduces our risk of discovery is a positive step.”
“I still say it’s unnatural. We have fangs for a reason. Oh wait, I know. The council can outlaw fangs next.”
“Don’t be silly,” Kira said.
“Am I being silly? This path is a slippery slope. Today it’s fake blood; tomorrow it’s everyone has to have their fangs removed; next it will be we all have to stake ourselves after ninety years so we have a human lifespan instead of being immortal.”
“That will never happen,” Alaric said with a snort.
“Won’t it? Kira, you’re what—seven hundred, give or take?” She nodded. “Back then did you ever imagine you would be able to go in the sun?”
“First of all, I was mortal until my late-husband turned me. So going into the sun was normal for me until I was changed. Second, I also didn’t imagine people could fly through the sky in steel tubes. It’s called progress, Raven. Welcome to the twenty-first century.”
“If you hate all of this so much, why don’t you just quit? No one’s making you do this,” Alaric said, his voice hard.
“Because I don’t have a choice!” I said, my voice shaking.
Kira smiled sadly and shook her head. “You always have a choice, Raven. And you need to take a long hard look at the choices you’ve made and where they’ve lead you. You’re not a victim here.”
Funny, I sure as hell felt like one. But maybe she was right. I was tired of constantly fighting for something. Maybe it was time I just accepted that I had no control over the council, my father, or anyone else. Maybe it was time I thought about what I wanted out of life. And figure out if there was a way I could find happiness in this brave new vampire world.
“If you’ll excuse me, I think I need some time alone,” I said.
They both looked surprised. I couldn’t blame them. They expected more arguments from me, but frankly I felt weighed down, unable to continue the good fight one more second.
Finally, Kira nodded. “We can continue this discussion later.”
I didn’t bother acknowledging either of them as I walked out. I just wanted to go to my room and get in bed. Hiding wouldn’t solve my problems, but it sure beat trying to figure out my future right now.
I was almost at the stairs when the front door opened, revealing Callum. The sunlight outlined his large form like a halo. When he saw me, his smile faded.
“Hey,” he said, looking uncomfortable.
I lifted a hand in a poor facsimile of a wave and continued my path to the stairs.
“Raven?”
I stopped and looked over my shoulder with one eyebrow raised.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning.
“Callum,” I said, “I think the better question would be: ‘What isn’t wrong?’”
I didn’t wait for him to answer as I turned and trudged up the stairs. He didn’t respond, but I could feel his gaze on me the entire way up.
Chapter Thirteen
The next few days I brooded and moped until I couldn’t stand my own company anymore.
It got so bad I actually started looking forward to my shifts at the blood bank. It got me out of the house and kept me busy. Nancy had me working the check-in desk, thus a lot of my nights were spent working with people and organizing paperwork. I never thought I’d enjoy either of those activities, but it beat wallowing in self pity.
At Kira’s, things were quiet most days. Callum was busy with some big deal at work, and Kira gave me my space.
One morning, Hannah stuck her head in the kitchen while I was busy chugging my morning dose of Lifeblood.
“Raven, Sydney’s on the phone for you.”
I frowned and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I’d heard the phone ring but didn’t give it a second thought since no one called me. However, I quickly remembered why Syd might be calling. Sighing, I trudged to grab the cordless phone from the wall unit next to the fridge.
“Hello?”
She didn’t even bother with a greeting. “I am so excited!”
I pulled the phone away from my ear for a second to avoid the high-pitched squeal that followed.
“You are?”
“Yes!” she enthused. “Oh, no. You didn’t forget about our shopping trip today, did you?”
Unfortunately, I hadn’t. Syd had called two nights earlier to set up our girls’-day-slash-dress-shopping extravaganza. While part of me longed to get out of the house, I didn’t relish the idea of spending the day with an excited bride.
“Nope.” I said.
“Oh, good, because I’ll be there in five minutes!”
“Great,” I said and hung up.
After finishing off the rest of the Lifeblood, I grabbed a bagel for the road. On second thought, I grabbed another bagel and put it in my bag. I figured it’d give me something to munch on if the shopping made me nauseous.
Before I even could make it to the foyer, I heard Sydney’s car honk from the driveway.
Five minutes, my ass.
“Raven?” Callum said from the balcony above.
Stopping with my hand on the doorknob, I turned around.
“Yeah?”
“Where are you going?”
“I have that thing with Syd, remember?”
“Oh, right. Hold on a second.” He trotted down the stairs while I waited impatiently by the door. Syd honked her horn again.
“I really gotta go,” I said through a mouthful of bagel.
He reached the bottom of the stairs. As he walked toward me he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his billfold.
“I thought maybe you could use some cash since the council froze your assets,” he said, extending a pile of money my direction. I stopped chewing and swallowed hard.
“Excuse me?”
“You know, in case you wanted to buy yourself something,” he said with a smile.
Here was the thing. Callum and I had barely spoken three words to each other since our argument the other night. I couldn’t believe his first real effort in reopening communication was to offer me money.
“Callum, I imagine you think you’re being magnanimous right now. But honestly, it comes off as patronizing. Do you really believe I am so stupid I wouldn’t have some money the council couldn’t get to? Who do you think paid for the makeover from hell?”
He stood frozen with the money held midair for a moment. Clearing his throat, he slowly withdrew his hand and stuck it in his pocket.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. I just thought—"
“Look, I appreciate the sentiment, okay? But this girl takes care of herself.”
I opened the door and walked away. At Syd’s car, I glanced back at the house. He stood on the porch with his arms crossed, watching me. I waved and got in, glad to be getting away from his censorious glares.
“What’s got Callum so pissed?” Syd asked as I slammed my door.
“I wouldn’t take his money,” I said.
She waved at Callum and put the car in gear.
“Don’t mind him. Murdoch men seem to forget that modern women take care of themselves. They can’t help it. It’s the rescue instinct.”
I gave her a get-real look. “I doubt that was his motive.”
She laughed as she hit the gas. “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”
“What?”
She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye with a smile.
“Oh, co
me on. It’s so obvious you two are hot for each other.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I demanded after closing my gaping mouth.
“I’ve seen you guys together. It reminds me a lot of Logan and me at first. We were interested in each other but didn’t want to admit it. So we fought all the time.”
“Sydney, I agreed to help you find a wedding dress. But if you say one more word about Callum today, you’re on your own.”
She laughed and said, “Fair enough. You’re not ready. But feel free to come to me when you want to discuss the man who shall not be mentioned.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said, slouching down in my seat.
“I’m immortal now. I can hold it as long as it takes. Now,” she said, perking up in her seat, “who’s ready to shop?”
I groaned. “I guess I am.”
“Ah, come on. How about a little enthusiasm?”
“If you want enthusiasm, you ask Jorge to shop with you. If you want wry commentary and a bad attitude, you ask Raven Coracino.”
She slipped a CD in the stereo, and the thumping bass of an upbeat hip-hop song filled the car. She started bobbing her head and said, “Trust me, you’re going to have fun today if it kills me.”
For some reason, watching her sing along to the song with her auburn hair blowing in the breeze of her rolled-down window, I believed Syd’s threat. And it had been so long since I relaxed and let myself have fun that I almost started looking forward to the day.
But I promised myself that no matter what happened, I wasn’t going to even let myself think about that guy.
I hid behind the stall door, holding it shut with both hands.
“Come on, Raven, you have to come out,” Syd demanded.
I glanced over my shoulder at the mirror one more time and tried not to laugh.
“Hell, no!”
“If I could walk around looking like a crazy chicken, you can handle this.”
“Huh-uh.”
“I’ll buy you a mocha with extra whipped cream if you come out.”
Okay, now she was playing dirty. I didn’t know how she had even talked me into putting the monstrosity on my body. One minute we were laughing over some of the most hideous dresses ever to see the light of day, and the next thing I knew she’d talked me into trying some of them on with her. I decided right then and there that Sydney Worth was trouble.