“So how is Dee doing?” I asked while I pulled my jeans on. “She thought she was coming down with something when I saw her the other day.”
“She seemed fine when they came to dinner,” she said as she assembled her implements. “Let’s get this blood drawn first. I can do a couple of panels here but will need to send the rest to the state lab.” She approached with a syringe and large bore needle and I looked away. I stuck out my right arm and she swabbed it. “Have you eaten today?”
“I only had a sip of coffee, nothing else.”
She stuck me. “Good. Fasting results are more accurate.” She filled two tubes, stuck a ball of cotton on the puncture, bent my elbow and said “hold pressure for a couple of minutes.” She wrote on the tubes, laid them on a tray with my chart, turned and put a Band Aid on my arm. “Let’s go to my office. It’s cozier in there.” She led the way, stopping briefly at the centrifuge to deposit a vial of my blood and set the timer. The rest she stuck in the fridge.
Her office was at the end of the hall. The wall of bookcases was filled with medical books, trophies and photos of her boys. One was Jimmy in typical quarterback stance, football poised for the throw. Every girl with a pulse had the hots for Jimmy, including sad to say, me. Jimmy on the other hand, had eyes only for Dee from the moment they met. I plopped into one of the two chairs in front of her desk and waited for her to sit. She left to go check the blood work, leaving me to ponder.
“Okay, more good news. You are one hundred percent not pregnant.” She smiled. “I assume we want you to stay that way. Do I need to write you a prescription?” She added notes to my chart.
“I don’t think so.”
She looked questioningly over her glasses at me. “Connie, you’re sexually active — ”
“Vampires can’t make babies, right?” I cut her off. It was bad enough she knew I was having sex.
“I’ve never heard of a single case — dead man, dead sperm. So if you’re seeing a vamp?” She didn’t need to finish her question.
“I had a short fling with an incubus.”
“Oh dear! Then we are certainly glad the tests were negative. No telling who the father might have been.”
“So I was told after the fact. I’m not seeing him anymore, ever. So if vamps aren’t a problem, I guess the script won’t be necessary. So what’s your diagnosis? Not that I miss the cramps … ”
“Let’s wait until we get your test results back before we discuss it. My tests say you’re not anemic, if anything your iron levels are a little high.”
I bit the bullet. “Could ingesting vampire blood cause that?”
“I wouldn’t think so, but I won’t rule it out.” She finally got her eyebrows back in their normal position. “Let’s see what the tests say. Then maybe I’ll need a blood sample from him. We’ll see.” She stood.
“Okay. Thanks Doc. When should the results be in?”
“I can’t send them until Monday, so Wednesday at the earliest, but I’m figuring Friday. You know how the lab is. I’ll call.”
“I’d appreciate that.” I left her making notes.
As I drove down the freeway it hit me. How did Nancy know about incubi?
CHAPTER 25
Raf, was up by the time I reached the apartment, and being Raf, immediately sensed something amiss. I unsuccessfully tried to sidetrack him with small talk. His sidelong glances made me very nervous. So in the end the conversation went like this.
“So what else did you do?” His eyes accused me of hiding something.
“My period is late, so I went to the doctor. She did some tests. Happy now?”
“So?” Raf raised an eyebrow.
I shrugged. “She sent most of them to the state lab. The ones she did in the office were fine. I’m not anemic, so you can stop worrying.” He glared at me. “Oh all right! I’m not pregnant either, one hundred percent sure.” Relief rushed through me as I told him.
“Don’t you feel better?” Raf commented smugly.
I plopped down on the floor. “I think I’m embarrassed.”
“Honey,” Raf sat down beside me. “You’re being silly.”
“I still can’t believe I was seduced by an incubus. Actually, I can’t believe half of what I’ve done this past month. It’s like I entered an alternate universe or something.”
“Do you want a do over?” Raf asked quietly.
“No. Well, the thing with Randy maybe. Speaking of him, and I’m almost afraid to at this point. I remember. Your whammy didn’t hold.”
“Really?” Raf grinned like a fox, which for some reason, made me blush like crazy. “Look into my eyes.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Very funny. Ha-frigging-ha.”
“What?
“What did you do last night?”
I changed the subject. “Did Bianca call? I left her a message.” Raf raised an eyebrow. “She didn’t? Call I mean.”
“I haven’t checked. The phone hasn’t rung since I’ve been up,” he said all “I don’t give a shit.”
“What crawled up your butt and died?” I stomped to the phone to find it flashing. Giving Raf a killing look, I picked up the handset and entered the code. Bianca’s voice said, “I can drop by around six if that’s okay. If not call and leave a message. I’ll check in before I drive over.” I turned to Raf, hands on hips. “So, you still plan on going with me to get Willy or are you going to stay here and be pissy?”
“I’m not being pissy!”
“Uh-huh. If you say so.”
“It’s about time!” Raf yelled toward the staircase.
I followed his gaze to see Tom, foot poised to take the first step. Thinking better of it, he put his foot back down. His wide smile started to evaporate.
“Did I miss something?” Tom asked.
“Not anything interesting,” I assured him. Raf glared at me. I glared back.
“Apparently Raf doesn’t share your assessment.”
“Apparently.” I walked past Raf and up the stairs. Hanging my arms around Tom’s neck, I whispered in his ear. “Did I hurt you?”
Tom roared with laughter. He chuckled often enough, but this was a full-throated belly laugh. I liked the sound, but couldn’t help wondering aloud, “What’s so funny?” It took him a couple of minutes to compose himself enough to answer.
He hugged me close and returned the whisper, “You didn’t seem overly concerned with my wellbeing last night.”
“I was drunk okay? Give me a break.”
“I wasn’t sure you would remember any of it. And no, I can say with certainty you didn’t hurt me.”
A warm rush started at my feet and moved upward to my hairline. Red was my color, which was good since it was becoming a semi-permanent skin pigment.
“How are you, Darlin’?” The big smile was back. “Any side effects?”
“Yes, she remembered Randy,” Raf answered.
Damn vampire hearing!
“Is that all?” Tom didn’t seem to understand Raf’s problem either.
Was Raf jealous? Did he think Tom had abused me somehow? Should I ask? No.
“Bianca is going to come over and scope Raf out. Spell wise,” I told Tom. “I need to call Dee and let her know we may be late picking up Willy.” I snatched my cell from my pocket and dialed. Dee said she wasn’t expecting us until later anyway since sunset wasn’t until almost nine. “What’s going on you two? Did I grow a second head?”
Tom stared at Raf, Raf stared back at Tom. I stared bug-eyed at them both. Waiting … “Will someone tell me what is going on?” I demanded, stomping my foot.
Raf shook his head, “Your little sip last night may cause you some problems.
“O-kay. So you’re mad at me?” Sip?
“You took a nip from lover boy last night,” Raf stated. “The result is you remembered something I erased from your mind. You may find yourself remembering other things you had forgotten. There might be other changes as well.” Of Tom he asked, “How much did she dri
nk?”
“Very little, it was only a flesh wound, not arterial.” The big smile snapped back in place.
“Geeze Louise! I gave you a little love bite you jerk. Get over it already.” His smile broadened. “You’d think no one ever bit you before.”
“No one who counted,” Tom replied.
“Hey! What about me?” Raf squealed in mock rage.
Tom rolled his eyes, “I was feeding you back to health. Another was when I was turned. That doesn’t count either as I had little choice.” He positively beamed. “As you said, a love bite freely offered and willingly accepted.”
“So this is a big deal?”
Just like that, snap, Raf’s mood changed back to happy camper. Did I miss something?
“Tom is all slap-happy because you like him. You really, really like him!” Raf said.
“Well duh! I don’t go around sleeping with people I hate.” I didn’t understand why my taking a sip was such a big deal; right up there with a girl giving away her virginity apparently. Not that I would know. I frowned. No, I wouldn’t know. “Damn!”
“Uh-oh.” Raf shook his head. “And so it begins. You okay?”
I didn’t answer him as I mentally assessed the damage. “I’ll live, unfortunately. My head hurts.” I moaned. Raf moved in behind me, nudged Tom out of the way and began to rub my neck and shoulders. At first it was so painful I bit my lip to keep from screaming. But little by little, the tension eased and my shoulders dropped into a more normal position.
“I’m sorry, doll,” Raf whispered. “You’ll try anything.”
“Yeah, I’m a real daredevil.” The pressure in the base of my skull began to ebb, thanks to Raf’s talented fingers. I could see how people thought he possessed healing powers. My neck made squishy sounds as I turned my head slowly from side to side. Eww! “Are you saying that little taste of Tom’s blood did this?
“Stop that!” Raf ordered holding my head in place. “You’re not loose enough yet.”
“Opinions vary.” I held my head still as ordered and closed my eyes but couldn’t block out the images following the thought.
“Only one opinion matters. Remember what you said?”
“You know?” I turned so I could see him.
“I’ve been in your head. It all came pouring out and I got swept along with it.”
“Oh God! Now I know why you were acting so strange.” Raf saw those things I hid in the dark closet of my mind and was appalled. Sickened, I drew away from him. He wouldn’t want to touch me. The look on his face was so frightening, I turned away.
He took my chin in his hand and made me face him. “Don’t turn away from me … ever. It wasn’t your fault Connie — none of it. Don’t ever think that way.”
“Then why … ?”
“Why am I so pissed? For the second time in my life I wanted to kill someone. As a matter of fact, I think I’d get a real kick out of it. You need to talk to Tom … ”
“No!”
“Honey, you shouldn’t keep this stuff bottled up. Don’t you watch Oprah? I don’t know how you managed this long. Your mind can make your body sick. That’s how it works.” He took my hand and rolled it over, kissing my wrist. “If you really care for someone, you don’t keep secrets. I’ve told you mine. Tom’s told you his. Don’t you think it’s your turn?”
Ah shit, Tom! He hadn’t said a word. I was so wrapped up in my own private hell I’d forgotten he was even in the room. I steeled myself for the inevitable and went to him. He looked as confused as I’d ever seen him. “I went to the doctor today.” Tom’s eyes filled with concern. “I’m fine, really. Don’t worry. I’ll fill you in. We need to talk. There are some things about me you should know.”
Tom looked relieved. “It can’t be all that bad, darlin’.”
“Better wait ’til you hear it before making any decisions. Can it wait until Bianca leaves and we get Willy?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
Okay, never. But I knew better than that.
• • •
“We think he may have been cursed a very long time ago by a real bad ass. Is there a way you can tell?” I asked after bringing Bianca up to speed.
“I dunno. I never tried it on a vamp before. Let’s see what we get?” Bianca started digging in her bag, which I was beginning to think of as the bottomless pit. She brought out several crystals, the pink one she’d used on me, among them.
“I want you to hold each of these, one at a time,” she told Raf. “Tell me if you feel anything.”
Raf took the first, a clear one with twin spires in his hand for a moment, set it down and moved on to the next. It was clear as well, but only a single spire, nothing. The next was a small mound or nest of tiny spires in pale yellow. He put it down with a shrug. He tried several more.
Bianca’s bag must weigh a ton!
Finally there were only my pink single spire and what appeared to be a geode filled with tiny, perfect deep violet crystals. He picked up the pink spire and held it a moment.
“Okay, I feel something, a slight vibration?”
“Try the other one,” Bianca urged.
He picked up the geode and held it. The longer he held it the more he grinned, “Must be the one. It’s buzzing away.”
“You can hear it?” Bianca quizzed. “It’s not vibrating?”
“Oh it’s vibrating all right, and buzzing or maybe more of a hum. You can’t hear it?”
“Sweetie, we don’t have vampire ears remember?” I reminded him.
“No, but she has cat ears. Don’t you hear it?” He looked at Bianca who shook her head, and then to Tom, who did likewise.
“Well, we know two things,” Bianca started. “It works differently on a vampire, but it does work. And … ” she pointed toward the geode, “you are cursed.” Although we couldn’t feel or hear the geode, we could all see it glowing like a black light. Mine had glowed, but not like this. “I’m going to need some background … ”
Our Q&A session ended. We hadn’t told Bianca everything, but she had all the pertinent info. The gist of the curse was conjecture on our parts, but made sense. Why else would gay men have ignored Raf’s charms through the ages?
“You haven’t had sex in two thousand years? And I thought I was going through a dry spell!” Bianca whistled through her teeth, blushing when she realized she’d over shared. “We’ve got to fix this. I’ll research and bounce it off my coven, but I promise to get back to you ASAP. You — ” she pointed at me “ — have something in the works. Think color coding,” she added mysteriously. “I’m just waiting for a container to be delivered. You owe me a hundred.”
I nodded. “Is a check okay? Or, I can get cash and pay you when you get bring it?
“I have to write it as a business expense, so a check will be dandy.”
While I admit to having difficulty seeing witchcraft as a business, I do know how determined the IRS can be. I wrote her a check. “Thanks Bianca. I really appreciate your help. Heard any more about the panther in Bryant? There hasn’t been anything else on the news.”
“I think they’re keeping on the down low to keep hunters out of the area. They won’t be able to much longer. Deer season is only a few weeks away.” She rolled her eyes. “I will be doing my hunting in the alleys of Little Rock.”
“Good idea, if you like breathing,” I agreed. Beer and firearms are a lethal combination, add stupid and there you go. “Maybe he is a shifter and he’s laying low. You could bump into him anywhere. You’d recognize him right?”
“Maybe I’ll get lucky … ”
“I’ll hold a good thought. Night.”
The elevator closed. I turned to find my vampire housemates staring at me. Raf apparently, with some unresolved issues. I was too tired to fight.
“Raf is having a hissy because he thinks I need to tell you why I went to see Dr. Andrews,” I told Tom. I closed my eyes and continued, “I missed a couple of periods. I lost track with all the moving, new job, murder
and mayhem. When I realized, I thought I better get checked out.” So far, so good. I opened my eyes to find Tom staring. I gulped. “She didn’t find anything wrong,” I said with emphasis, “but she did do a routine physical and some blood work. We should have the results by the end of the week.”
“Did she give any indication what might be amiss?” Tom asked.
“Well, she thought I might be anemic, all things considered. But I’m not. She did the test in the office. So you don’t need to worry. I’m fine.”
“Did you mention you shared my blood?”
“Yes I did. I didn’t know if it would throw any of the tests out of whack.” I couldn’t read the look on his face. “Not that I’m at all embarrassed. I just think it’s private. But some things you have to tell your doctor.”
“Like having unprotected sex with an incubus,” Tom said, laying his cards on the table.
“Yes, like that. I asked about birth control. Doc told me it was unnecessary with a vampire. That’s right isn’t it?” I watched as a wave of something went across Tom’s face. Regret? Relief? Who could tell? Vampires must be great at poker.
“I have never heard of one of us producing a child. So did you get a prescription?”
“Tom, are you asking me if I plan on sleeping with anyone else or if I’m pregnant?” I waited. He didn’t say a word. The fear and uncertainty on his face cut deep. “No honey, I don’t need birth control.” Before panic set in I added, “I’m not pregnant. So I guess neither of us has anything to worry about — unless Raf turns straight.”
“Keep me out of this!” Raf warned.
It got awful quiet. They stared at each other, which, although better than staring at me, was still disconcerting. Raf looked, well, blank. Tom frowned, his brow wrinkled in concentration.
“What are you guys trying to hide from me?” I asked, successfully breaking their connection — or whatever.
“Ummm … ” Raf looked uncomfortable. “I’ve drunk so much of Tom’s blood over the years, I can tune in if I need to. Luckily, he can’t reciprocate.
“That’s rude,” I told him, miffed, “like whispering in public.” I was so screwed. I waved a hand in an air of dismissal. “I’m tired, let’s go get Willy.”
Midnight Sun, Inc. (Crimson Romance) Page 21