As soon as the guys were out of earshot, even for vampires, Rowan said, “Darby...I know this is overwhelming. I was shocked too when Blake told me.”
“Aren’t you scared or worried?”
“No. Not in the least. I was a little freaked, but I thought it was really cool. I’m dating a vampire. Not that I could go around saying that, but well, you know. I mean come on, Darby. You just risked your life for this guy, so you must feel pretty strongly for him and it’s obvious he’s stuck hard on you. That’s obvious to everyone.”
“You think? It’s not obvious to me. I mean, I adore him, but what kind of future can a vampire and a human have?”
“Look, Darby. There are complications, yes, I will agree to that, but all relationships are complicated. You told me yourself once that’s what makes them exciting. I haven’t seen you so happy since, well, before…well, just in a long time and it’s because of Devon.”
“Yeah, I know, he’s wonderful, but he’s a vampire, for crying out loud. Have they ever killed anyone?”
“Oh, come on. Aren’t you always telling me that you wish you could be more spontaneous?”
“Yes, but this isn’t like taking an unplanned road trip here; our lives could be at stake.”
“Why? They’ve never killed anyone.”
“How do you know that?”
“I asked Blake.”
“Really? You just asked him?”
“Yeah. How else would I find out?”
“But I want children, Rowan. You know that. I’ve always wanted children. I don’t want to get involved with anyone I might not be able to do that with.”
“You can have children with him. I asked that too. Humans and born vampires can have children, usually with a very good success rate. A made-vampire and a born vampire tend to have a pretty good success rate too, but two made-vampires cannot have children. Oh, and just a note, two born vampires can have children, obviously, but for some reason they have a lot of difficulty conceiving. Having two children, as in Blake and Devon’s family, is very, very rare.”
“But what about the child? Would it be a vampire or a human?”
“Obviously, two born vampires would have a born vampire. A born vampire and a human would have a child that may or may not crave blood, and may or may not have vampire strength. A made-vampire and a born vampire would have a vampire that would crave blood but not as much as its made parent. A made-vampire and a human would have a milder version of the made-vampire parent. This can sometimes get tricky if the human is the female and she has to carry a vampire craving blood inside her, but it’s been done before, many, many times and for many centuries.
“Darby, I know you are tentative, to say the least, but you just risked your life to save this guy. I think that should tell you something. You can’t always rationalize things, especially matters of the heart. Sometimes you have to go with what your heart tells you not your mind. My heart tells me I can trust Blake and I didn’t reveal magical powers to make sure I could have a future with him. I think your heart knows Devon is worth a leap of faith.”
“I know he’s worth it. I’ve known since we first spoke. And you are right; all relationships are complicated in their own ways. Thank you, Rowan. You’ve really helped.” She leaned over and hugged her sister tightly and just as she was pulling away, Devon and Blake were back.
Devon handed her the sweater that she had left in the car and sat back down where he had been seated before. She leaned over and raised both her hands to each side of his face with such gentleness, his heart leapt.
“I’m sorry I freaked a little before. You kind of caught me off guard. I’m the one who’s always looking out for Rowan and everyone else around me, so sometimes I can be a bit pessimistic until I’ve had time to think things through. Rowan has helped me fast-forward through some of that but, Devon, I don’t care what you are, or even what you’ve done in the past. I do know that when you were hurt last night, something I can’t explain came over me like nothing ever before, and all I wanted was for you stay with me forever, smile, and be happy. The rest will work itself out.”
Devon leaned in to her and kissed her. First, he grazed her lips with his, and then followed with an amazing and truly intimate kiss. They smiled at one another still in their own little world until Rowan and Blake clapped, cheered, and cat- called, “Woo Hoo!”
“Wow. That was pretty spectacular,” Rowan said.
“I think I saw fireworks and maybe even heard a little background music playing. Didn’t you hear it?” Blake asked Rowan.
“I think I did,” she agreed. Devon and Darby blushed.
“Okay! Okay! Well, I guess Darby is up to speed now.”
“I’ll say, and then some,” Rowan said. Everyone laughed.
Rowan continued, “So now that we’re all good with the vampire thing, we still need to deal the guys after you two. So what do we know?”
“Well we know Terrence Paine has some kind of vendetta against your family. I think we should find out what that is and deal with him. If he goes away then the thugs go away,” Darby said.
“Darby had suggested last night that maybe we should go through Mom and Dad’s things and see if there is anything that might be of use in finding what got Terrence Paine’s boxers in a twist,” Blake said.
“Well, I don’t think I said that exactly, but yeah, that is the gist,” Darby said.
Rowan asked, “Where are your Mom and Dad’s things?”
“Everything is in Ireland in a storage locker. That’s where Mom and Dad had settled. At the time, there was no need in bringing the stuff here. Blake and I moved around so much and it was just one more thing to move. I figured we would keep it there until one of us settled down,” Devon answered.
“I would have done the same if we hadn’t wanted to live here when our parents died. Our family has been here so long, Rowan and I just couldn’t see any reason for leaving. We did put some things up in the attic though, items that were too hard to see everyday; plus, in order for it to be our home, we needed to have something of our choosing in it. Otherwise it would be like living in someone else’s house,” Rowan responded.
“So, do all four of us want to go to Ireland to look into this or do we want to have someone hang here as a look out?” Blake asked.
“Well, doesn’t that depend on work for you guys? Blake, are you working? I know Devon said that he was working on a project in Mountain View,” Darby pointed out.
“Good point,” Devon said. “Presently I’m ahead of schedule, so that gives us a little room to breathe and the project is due to end in three weeks, or at least my portion of it. I have about another week of testing and debugging, but I don’t see that there are any huge hurdles to jump. What about you, Blake? Darby? Rowan?”
“I’m on summer break till September,” answered Rowan.
“As long as I can do payroll twice a month and check in, Allison can do everything. She’s been begging me to take a vacation for months, so it’s doable for me,” Darby said.
“I finished my project weeks ago and I haven’t had any nibbles on anything new for at least 2 months,” said Blake.
“Then it’s wide open; if we all want to go, we can, but we can easily opt out too. Well, let’s leave that one open for now and figure out who goes later,” Devon concluded.
“Darby told Blake about our family cabin in Clear Lake too, so if for any reason we need to make a quick get away, that is there as an option,” Rowan announced.
“That is a nice bonus if things get too heated at home,” Blake said.
“What if we just went to Terrence Paine and asked him what the problem was? I mean sometimes the simplest route is the best,” Rowan asked.
“It’s a good point, but our parents have died, Devon was shot last night and almost died, and Max is dead. Once Paine finds out Max is dead he’ll be wanting revenge,” Blake answered.
“But it might be smart to snoop around in his hometown to see if there is more to this thre
at than we think. As far as you know, there is only Paine and his two thugs. What if Paine has combined forces with some other slayer? Or maybe there is more to the vendetta than we think? I say a trip to Maine may be in order. The last thing Paine would expect is our going to him,” Darby argued.
“So Darby, why don’t you go to Maine, and just blast Paine and his cronies with that trick you used last night?” Blake asked.
Rowan looked surprised and Darby, disappointed. “I wish it were that easy, Blake. You know I would if I could, especially if it would keep you and your brother from harm, but like I said last night, I don’t know how I did it,” she said.
“What did you do to him, Darby?” asked Rowan.
“I killed him,” she said rather ashamed.
“Now that is not entirely true. You blew him backwards 30 feet or so, but you didn’t aim for the tree. You merely were defending Devon, who couldn’t defend himself,” Blake added.
“Either way, he’s dead because I threw him. But if the same thing happened again, I probably would react the same. I just wanted him to stop hurting Devon. Going back to your question, Rowan, I don’t know how it happened. I was standing there, Devon wounded at my feet. Shock, I think, put everything into slow motion. Then the sadness was overwhelming. The thought of losing Devon was unbearable, and then pure anger washed over me. Everything that had ever made me mad seemed to form some kind of force and I put up my hand to stop him from coming any closer and he went flying. That’s all I know,” Darby said to her sister.
“Wow, I would have liked to have seen that,” Rowan said.
Devon interjected, “Speaking of what happened, maybe you two have something you should tell us! Like this power you were talking about, and this little pouch of goodies in my pocket. Darby, you had told me that you came from a line of witches, but you didn’t say that you practiced or had any powers.” He pulled out the velvet pouch of healing stones and herbs she had placed under his pillow last night.
Rowan started, “Well, like Darby said, we come from a long line of pretty powerful witches. The O’Riellys have all had powers of some sort over the centuries. Our family fled to Oljone, back in the very late 1700’s, to escape prejudices and persecution. Once our ancestors came out here, they utilized their powers less and less as they didn’t want to go through the persecution again along with moving. Darby and I are the last of the line. Our father didn’t even know of the ancestors and their powers. He may not have even been aware of his power. He sensed things, but because he never realized it was a power, he never really used it. He knew, though, when we were in trouble.”
Darby added, “Rowan and I share that power with each other too, although we don’t know how to use or control it. When we were little girls, Rowan fell out of a tree in the Duartes’ old orchard. Nobody knew it had happened, but I felt it. I could see where she was, I could feel her pain and I knew right where to go. The same thing happened last night with you, Devon. The warmth, then a glow, and I could see into your mind except for this sheer gossamer-like area. That must be where you hid the vampire thing, otherwise, I guess I would have known last night – that might have come in handy. As for the velvet pouch in your pocket, well, last night I went through our ancestral book of shadows and found some herbs and some stones that were good at accelerating the healing process and to help you sleep peacefully.”
“Well, that’s good to know. We have more assets than we thought, Blake!” Devon said. Blake nodded in agreement and the girls smiled. “So with a little practice and a little research, we might be able to use this to our advantage. With your book and our speed and strength, we may just be able to work this out – together,” Devon winked at Darby.
“Together,” they all said.
Devon turned to Rowan and Blake and said, “Why don’t you guys head up to San Francisco, or down to the boardwalk in Santa Cruz? Get out of here. Go have some fun.” He turned to Darby and said, “We are going to go on that first date we were deprived of last night.”
They all laughed. The girls hugged and the guys jabbed each other in the arm. The couples headed back to their cars, waved, and went their separate ways for the evening.
Chapter 6
Both cars left the Halfmoon Bay beach visitors parking lot at the same time. The black Audi turned north on Highway 1 and the sleek silver Mercedes headed south.
“So what’s the plan?” Darby asked.
“Well, when was the last time you went to the Monterey Aquarium?”
She cocked her head and started to bite her lip.
“I don’t know? I think the last time was with my Dad and Rowan when we were in high school. How about you?”
“Never been. I’ve heard they have a really great sea horse and sea otter exhibitions. I thought we could go exploring there for a while to start.”
“Sounds fun. Will we be staying in Monterey tonight?”
“Could be! I took the liberty of getting two rooms near Cannery Row in case we didn’t want to drive back tonight, but I will leave that up to you to decide.” He reached over and gently clasped her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of it with lips so gentle, she trembled and blushed. Then he dropped it down onto his thigh to rest. He occasionally stroked the top of her hand with his thumb. It was so calming and sweet. His tenderness seemed limitless.
His hand was warm around hers and she worried that his warmth may give her sweaty palms. The nervous excitement was intense enough. What if he thinks sweaty hands are gross? Can I control it? Shouldn’t they make sweaty palm antiperspirant? I mean, isn’t it normal to have sweaty palms on your first date? She was looking out the window and starting to get very tense. She had shorts on, and it could get rather chilly on the coast in the evening, even in the summer. I don’t have a toothbrush either. Yuck, morning breath, she thought.
He picked her hand up kissed it again and said, “Darby, I don’t care if you get sweaty palms.” He turned her hand over and kissed her palm, which was very hot, but not quite sweaty. Then he brought her hand up to touch his cheek and continued, “I’ve also taken the liberty to pack some necessities for both of us and what we don’t have we can get in Monterey.”
She looked at him, eyes focused, as if trying to look into his mind and with a smirk she said, “You’re reading my mind, aren’t you?”
A little embarrassed, he released her hand and put it back on the steering wheel and answered, “Yes! But I can hardly help it. I’ve been able to read your mind from our first meeting. Normally, I can sense things about someone, maybe read a thought or two, but the connection with you, well, I find it hard to define my thoughts from yours.”
“Well, now that is embarrassing. So you heard that whole thing with the sweaty palm antiperspirant and...” Then a realization hit her, Oh my God, have I pictured him naked or….Oh God, this isn’t happening.
He couldn’t help it; he laughed out loud and then quickly tried to stop. He stroked her hair.
“Please don’t be embarrassed,” he said, “If you think I haven’t had some of the same thoughts, well, you are mistaken. Very poorly mistaken!” He chuckled and then he was a bit embarrassed himself.
“But why can’t I read your mind, if mine seems so connected to yours?” she asked.
“I’m not sure! But somehow I think with time, you will be able to. You’ve not really tapped into all your gifts yet. I would guess that there are a few things you can do that you don’t know you can do, just because you have never tried. I’d like to explore that with you, if you would allow me. I mean if you are not interested, that’s one thing, but if you are curious – you and your sister, I think Blake and I can help you. Even test you!”
“Really, you think I have that kind of power...potential?”
“I really do! But let’s get something straight right now – I’m not with you right now because of what you can do. Sure you and your sister may be able to help my brother and me with this Paine problem, but that is not why I’m with you. I can’t speak
for my brother on this, but as for me, I’m in…I mean...I...I can’t breathe or think when I am away from you. Somewhere in the last few days, I’ve come to...hmmm...Let’s say it this way...My life was perfectly fine before I met you. I thought. But now that you’re here and I’ve gotten to know you, I couldn’t go back to my old life. I’ve now seen what I was missing. I’ve touched it, kissed it,” he smiled, “laughed with it, now there is no going back. You’ve become a part of me, like an organ or limb, that I can’t do without. If you didn’t have any power at all, that part would not change. You are my happiness now. I only hope that you feel the same.”
A tear fell and rolled down her cheek as he finished speaking. She hadn’t realized that her eyes had even welled up, and she looked at him as he stared out the windshield of the car and said, “I do feel that way and I have to say that was the most perfect thing anyone, ever, has said to me.” She raised her hand and touched his cheek with her whole sweaty palm and let her hand glide down his face, letting her fingertips run along his jawbone to his chin and then down his neck, over his Adam’s apple to the vulnerable triangular indentation at the base of his throat.
She felt a tiny vibration with her fingertips as he let out an almost inaudible groan. If she hadn’t felt the vibration, she might not have known he had groaned at all.
“Umm, please don’t do that while I’m driving. I want to make sure I get you there in one piece and I’m afraid if you keep that up...ummm...I’ll crash the car at the very least.” With that he gave her a warning look, with a sly, erotic smile.
She bit her lip and smiled, turning back forward in her seat.
“However,” he continued, “just so we are clear, you can do that anytime you like, when I’m not operating any heavy machinery and preferably when we’re alone, because you will definitely get a reaction from me.”
“What kind of reaction?” she asked coyly.
“Try it tonight if you wish, and you’ll get your answer.”
Blood of a Werewolf Page 6