We dressed in a hurry and I went into the kitchen to see Holly standing outside. I let her in and Ian came out of the bedroom a few seconds later. If she had been in her right state of mind she probably would have realized what we’d just done, but she was too anxious to deliver what was obviously bad news.
“They found a body in town,” she said. “Bite marks all over and the throat torn out.”
“Oh no,” I said.
“Too many people saw,” she continued, “there’s no way we can blood influence everyone. He left it right in the grocery store parking lot.”
Ian ran his hands through his short hair and then leaned on the kitchen counter for support. “He’s going to expose us all.”
“But how do we stop him if we can’t find him?” I said.
Ian grabbed his jacket and the truck keys, “I don’t know,” he said heading for the door, “but I’m going into town to see what I can find out. Maybe that will give us some clue as to where he is.”
“I’m coming with you,” I said.
Chapter Seventeen
The grocery store in St. Peter’s on a weekday afternoon was usually a busy spot with lots of people coming and going, getting their usual purchases. Today it was busy as always, but not with customers. Police tape had been put all around the perimeter and practically everyone in town was there watching the show. Word travels fast in these small communities and so folks had driven from all the smaller places, partly to partake in the morbid curiosity of what was definitely a rare occurrence, and partly just because it was something to do.
I was getting some curious looks myself, appearing in town with a new man after having just recently been married. I could hear it in people’s thoughts. They were wondering where my husband was, and who this guy could be.
“Very sad isn’t it?” someone said from behind. I turned to see Mrs. Cavanaugh, my old English teacher, standing there. Mrs. Cavanaugh had always been somewhat phony and stuck up. She came from what was considered one of the better families in town, and you could always tell she resented having to teach and spend time with the kids from families she considered less than worthy of her social stature, as if there really was such a thing in such a small place.
“It sure is,” I said putting on my best polite facade. “Do you know what happened? Who was it?”
“It was Tracy MacPherson,” she said shaking her head. “So young. The Constable said it looks like some kind of animal attack.”
“Tracy MacPherson?” It was all coming back to me now. I remembered Tracy from high school, and from my run in with her in this very store the day after my Aunt had passed away. She finally got to have her encounter with my husband, although certainly not in the way she would have liked. “Animal?” I said.
“Yes, although for the life of me I can’t figure out why or how an animal would drag the poor girl into the middle of a parking lot, or why she’d even be in the parking lot when the store was closed.” There were no flies on old Mrs. Cavanaugh that’s for sure. Her mind had stayed just as sharp in retirement as it had been when she was teaching. I wondered if the Constable really believed that, or if it was just the story they were passing on to the town’s people for now.
“Well I’m sure there has to be some kind of explanation for that.”
“If you say so dear,” she said.
“Will you excuse me?” I said pretending to spot someone I knew on the far side of the perimeter.
“Sure dear, nice to see you.” I wasn’t sure if I detected sarcasm there or not, but it really didn’t matter considering what was happening, so I put it out of my mind. I made my way over to the other side to get a little closer to where the police were working. The body had been covered up with a yellow plastic tarp. There wasn’t much to see except for Tracy’s shoes sticking out from beneath it. Looking through the crowd I recognized a few people from the St. Peter’s vampire clan, they had come to help us when Samuel had tried to retake Soldiers Cove. We had been on friendly terms since then but they were eyeing me with suspicion and some disgust now. One of them marched over and stood right next to me, bold as brass.
“Lots of excitement here today Rachel, isn’t there?” it wasn’t hard to pick up on the condescension in the young woman’s tone. “How do you think it happened? Any ideas?” I didn’t say anything, which seemed to make her more annoyed.
“No idea huh?” Leaning in close she put her mouth to my ear so only I could hear her. “You had better hope they find him soon. That woman was my cousin, and if I find out that you’re covering up for him I’ll be coming for one of yours.” Then she quickly left my side without waiting for a response. I knew she meant it. My hands were shaking; the last thing I wanted was for anyone else to die. As much as I still loved Gavin I would never hide him. These violent acts were going beyond what love can ask a person to do.
I shook my head to clear it and focused in on the Constable who was furiously making notes. He was human, not a vampire, so he had no sweet clue what had happened here. He was going to call the department of lands and forests as soon as he was done. Surely there was some type of animal that had been responsible, but none that he had ever heard of, certainly none that would tear out a throat, and bite a hole clear through the cheek giving Tracy MacPherson a permanent grotesque smile. He was busy convincing himself they would give him a reasonable answer and this would all be resolved by supper time. Unless the lands and forest people were vampires he was going to be disappointed.
Ian was talking with another RCMP officer who was standing guard in front of the police tape. They were chatting like old friends, but I could tell it was his blood influence he was using. People seemed to turn a certain shade of pale when they were under it, as they transformed into walking ghosts for a few moments while being compelled to do whatever the influencer wanted.
Finishing up his little chat with the man Ian quickly made his way over to where I was standing. “Let’s go,” he said. “We’re done here.” We hopped back in the truck and headed toward Soldiers Cove once again.
“What did you find out?” I asked.
“Not a whole lot, they are busy convincing themselves it was some kind of animal right now. When they do an autopsy and discover she has no blood left they won’t be able to use that. It’s only a matter of time before they have to come up with an alternate explanation,” he sighed. “Did you talk to anyone?”
“The vampires know,” I said, cutting straight to the chase. “One of the clan told me if they don’t catch him soon that she’s going to kill one of ours.”
“A lot of people could die by the time this is over if we don’t find him soon.” The rest of the fifteen minute drive home was silent.
It was almost three o’clock by the time we walked in the door. Alexander’s turning was scheduled for six. “We shouldn’t be wasting our time with a turning,” Ian huffed as he threw the keys on the table, “we should all be out looking.”
“I don’t think we can do anything more than the hunters are doing at this point.” He stood against the counter with his arms spread out. I could see the frustration in the lines on his face.
“I just feel so helpless.”
“I know,” I said. “But we should do it for your parents. They’ve been through a lot, and I’m sure it would mean a lot to Alexander to have you there. You were a great brother to Gavin and you can do it for Alexander too.” He turned around and pulled me close to him. There was something about him that made me feel safe and secure, and for a moment I enjoyed the comfort I felt. It was soon over powered by the sick feeling of guilt in the pit of my stomach. My husband was not yet dead, and already I had slept with another man, his own brother. Only a truly awful wife would do that. I pulled out from his embrace and turned away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said. He knew I was lying.
Placing his hand tentatively on my shoulder he said, “You know, eventually, we’ll have to talk about it.”
“I know
,” I said, “eventually.” It wasn’t a bridge I was ready to cross at the moment. Walking away without looking at him again, I went into my room and shut the door.
I stayed cloistered in there trying not to think of Gavin, or Ian, or Tracy, or the poor young native woman whose name I didn’t even know. I tried not to think of Nina either, but it didn’t work. As I dressed for the turning my thoughts were filled with all of them. At least the woman at the camp ground had been spared. Somewhere out there, walking around, was a tourist who didn’t have any idea just how lucky she was.
I made my way into the kitchen at around five thirty. Ian was already dressed and waiting for me. We arrived at the sanctuary precisely at six o’clock. It was evident that lots of others had been there much sooner, and the room where the ceremony was to take place buzzed with chatter and familiarity. Alexander was in the corner with his parents, his mother was brushing his slightly too long hair out of his eyes. He really was a handsome young man. He had come out as gay a couple of years ago to his parents and there had been many tears on his part, but of course, they had loved and accepted him as he was. Little did he know just how omni sexual they were. Blood and sex were one, and if you had to coax someone into your bed, man or woman, to get what you needed it was of no matter. Just that alone meant they certainly couldn’t sit in judgment of him.
I made my way over to say hi, but Alexander, being true to his sweet disposition, immediately gave me a warm embrace. “I’m so happy you came Rachel,” he said.
“Of course. Congratulations,” I said. “Not too late to change your mind though. You wouldn’t even remember any of this.”
“I know. But I think this will be a good choice for me. There’s so much I want to see and do and I don’t think I can do it all in one lifetime.” It was clear he had given it a lot of thought and that sounded as good a reason as any. I hoped his choice wouldn’t warp him. He didn’t have it in his nature to hurt anyone, but if he started killing uncontrollably like his brother his entire personality would be shattered.
Just then Angus called the room to order and everyone fell silent. “Before we commence this happy night, we do have one order of business we need to attend to,” he said. “In the absence of our brother, who has succumbed to his nature, we have been left with a vacant council seat. I’ve been holding off on filling it, well, because I just didn’t want to face it.” I knew how he felt.
“Therefore,” he continued, “I would like to ask our newly returned brother, Ian, if he would consider serving with us. I feel he has the strength and experience to be a good leader in this clan.” A hum of approval ran through the crowd. Everyone seemed to feel the same way in their regard for Ian. Everyone except Holly that is. Holly and Daniel were standing against the wall and out of the corner of my eye I saw her clench her jaw and eyes darken as if she personally had come under some threat.
Ian took no notice. He turned to Angus and said, “I would be honored.” A round of applause filled the large room and Angus shook his hand. That was it then. Gavin had been replaced by Ian on the council, just as earlier today he had replaced him in my bed. I closed my eyes and pushed that uncomfortable thought out of my conscious mind once more, and focused on what was about to happen to Alexander.
On the raised platform at the center of the room was a decorative table, just narrow enough for one person to lay on, and slightly angled toward the ceiling so the vampire who occupied it would be in more of a standing than laying position. It faced outward to the crowd so everyone could witness the important event. The ceremony began and wouldn’t you know it, the whole thing was in Gaelic. Although I didn’t understand the words that were being said I watched with great interest. Alexander took his place on the table and his mother, who was to now be his maker, stood next to him. She had given him life, and now would give him death, followed by rebirth.
Angus read from an old text and then he asked Alexander both in Gaelic and English if he would accept immortality as one of the vampires of Soldiers Cove. I had been asked that too but at the time it didn’t seem like I had any choice but to say yes. He accepted, and his mother released her fangs. Alexander flinched slightly, but she took his hand letting him know it was alright as she lowered her mouth to his neck. She began to drink, and as his eyes started to flutter, Angus bent down and whispered, “Caide Mille Falte.” Remembering the night they transformed me in the woods it was nice to know they had stood on ceremony, at least a little bit.
Alexander grew paler by the second as his mother drained the blood from his ever slumping body. He began convulsing, and then finally blacked out altogether. His mother stopped drinking and felt his pulse. I opened my hearing to better understand what she was doing, and I listened to the boy’s heart. It was very faint, but steady; the moment it lapsed she bit deeply into her wrist and held the stream of blood over her son’s mouth. She had to hold it open at first, but after about thirty seconds, Alexander, who had been on deaths door, opened his eyes and violently grabbed his mother’s arm, instinctively sucking hard like a newborn baby. He drank so greedily that at times he was choking and sputtering on the blood, but it hardly deterred him.
His eyes turned black and he growled at his mother as if he were angry that she hadn’t more to give. Now she was turning pale. All of his blood had to be replaced with all of hers; she would need a human donor as soon as she put her new creation to bed. This was a dangerous act and sometimes neither maker nor child survived.
Finally Alexander seemed to be sated and as soon as he released his mother’s arm he laid his head back down and fell into a deep sleep. His mother, however, slumped to the floor. As her husband whisked her into another room I found myself wondering how on earth Gavin had carried me all the way home that night.
Then a line formed. I wasn’t sure what to do but Ian motioned for me to join it. Everyone then took turns kissing the sleeping vampire on both cheeks. As they did that, one by one, they left the sanctuary. Looking down on him I had to admit that he looked peaceful and beautiful, like a sleeping child, and in a sense he was, for when he awakened it would be a whole new life. One where he would always be as young and beautiful as he was now. I planted my kisses and left the sanctuary with the others.
Some were milling around outside. I looked around hoping to see Ian. As interesting an evening as it had been I was anxious to get home and will myself to sleep. It had been one of the longest days of my life, and there was still no end in sight to our problem with Gavin.
I was relieved when I spotted Ian and began to make my way over. I stopped in my tracks however when I realized he wasn’t alone. He was having quite a heated conversation with someone, but through the trees where they were standing I couldn’t quite see who. I don’t know if it was my frustration at having to wait for him, or just the stress of the last month, but I decided to say ‘to hell with it’ and eavesdrop. Normally I had strong reservations about doing that, but my patience, as well as my conscience, seemed to be in short supply.
“A seat on the council. That’s very prestigious; you’ve come a long way brother.” It was Holly.
“Oh, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know. This is me you’re talking to.”
“Boy you aren’t ever going to let me live it down, are you? What is it with you? Gavin murdered people for fifty years and you overlooked it, but I made one mistake and you are never going to let it go.”
“That one mistake was a pretty big one don’t you think?”
“I know it was,” his voice broke with remorse. “You don’t know how many times I’ve wished I could take it back.”
“She’s Acadian you know. That woman you’re encroaching on, who happens to be your brother’s wife, and who also happens to be less than a year old. I wonder what she would think if she knew.”
“Are you going to tell her?”
“Do you think I should? Maybe she should know.”
“That’s enough,” he growled, “I don�
�t have to stay and hear this.” He began to turn and leave.
“Do you still hear them? Because I do…all that screaming. It’s like nothing I’ve heard before or since.”
He stopped in his tracks, stunned by her words for a moment as if he were remembering. Then, his head hanging down, he slowly made his way back toward the sanctuary dragging his legs as if they were now attached to cement blocks. I turned and pretended not to notice him coming toward me. A moment later I felt his hand brush my shoulder. “Ready to go?”
Chapter Eighteen
“Congratulations,” I said as we trudged back through the path toward my house. “You seemed surprised Angus asked you.”
“I was. I’m a poor substitute for my brother.”
“Don’t say that,” I said. “Angus is right, you’ve travelled the world, and you can maybe bring us into the twenty first century here.”
“The twenty first century is over rated,” he said, snapping branches off the trees before they whipped him in the face.
The Vampires of Soldiers Cove: One Crow Sorrow Page 11