by Susan Illene
Over the last few days Aniya had awoken several times screaming. I’d had to resist the urge to run outside and escape the agony I could feel in her voice. As it was, there were a couple indents in the wall where I’d punched it in frustration.
Nik had “recruited” a group of humans to donate blood, as it was the only thing that could relieve the worst of the pain for her. She wouldn’t complete the change until tonight, but her body had begun needing human blood within the first twenty-four hours. Somehow, as Aniya’s sire, Nik could control her enough to keep from killing her donors, but it took a lot of them to get her through the transition. I hadn’t liked using innocent people, but he promised they would be returned to their homes after their donation, none the wiser as to what happened.
It had been a touch and go process. I hadn’t eaten or slept much with all the guilt tying me in knots. Nik had assured me she would survive now that she was past the worst of it. We were waiting for her body to rest on this final day before she woke up fully transitioned. He promised her personality wouldn’t be any different. I hoped he was right.
After showering and changing into a pair of jogging pants and a loose sweatshirt—for Nik’s benefit—I headed downstairs and grabbed a cup of coffee. Someone, probably a werewolf, had made a pot already. The kitchen was on the opposite end of the house from the living room, forcing me to walk some distance before reaching the “meeting”.
My previous visits to what was Variola’s home had been so limited I hadn’t seen how many rooms there were until we re-took control of the place. I’d also discovered a security room filled with monitors. As it happened, several cameras were pointed in various directions outside. It explained how they’d known I was out there a couple weeks ago. A few vampires and werewolves were still here when we arrived, younger ones who wouldn’t have been much good in the battle. They must have been watching for us because they fled as soon as we got close.
Nik had them all tracked down and “dealt” with, except Emily’s mother who I insisted be allowed to go. He hadn’t liked it, but for the girl’s sake he didn’t argue the point. I didn’t like Stephanie either, but I couldn’t have that death on my conscience. She didn’t stick around or even ask to take Emily with her—not that I would have let her. She packed a bag and left in under fifteen minutes.
Now many of Nik’s followers were staying here, though some had already relocated to nearby houses and cabins. Others planned to find their own homes soon so that only a small contingent would remain before long. There had to be at least twenty bedrooms in the house, if you counted the ones in the basement, making it ideal for a vampire leader’s needs. We’d had to do some clean-up that first day, but it was comfortable to stay in now.
Emily slept in her own room next to mine, and loved the attention everyone gave her. She hadn’t seemed upset about her mother running off, but she refused to talk about it when I first tried prodding her. Sometimes we needed space to work things out on our own. I’d made sure she understood she could talk to me anytime, but I chose not to push her too hard.
The living room turned out to be more crowded than expected. Hanging around sups all the time had numbed me to the point I didn’t pay as much attention to their movements as I used to. Nik sneaking into my room this morning had made that clear.
Almost all the key players since arriving in Fairbanks were waiting on me. Charlie sat across from Nik, both seated in high back chairs near a window draped with blood red curtains. They spoke in hushed tones. Felisha giggled with Emily where they sat next to the fireplace. Luc stood alone next to an empty book shelf, drumming his fingers on the dark wood. I missed seeing Derrick, but he’d gone back to his own home after the battle and hadn’t been seen since. He had promised to visit me sometime soon, but I guessed that day wasn’t going to be today.
Every head turned toward me as I made my way in. Something was up. Everyone’s eyes watched me a little too closely. I leaned against the wall near the room’s wide entryway and sipped my coffee. At least I could make a quick getaway if needed. Throw the coffee and run. That was my plan.
“Want to tell me what this is all about?” I asked.
Nik stood and moved over to me. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
He grabbed my elbow and tried to prod me over to a stuffed leather chair. I didn’t budge. When he pulled harder I let my coffee slosh a little. He blanched. All it took was a glance at his new furniture and rugs, delivered just yesterday, to make him back off. Nik liked nice things, but he hadn’t wanted any reminders of Variola and her gang. Everything in the room had only been there for a day or two. It must have cost him a fortune.
“I hope you aren’t going to make this any more difficult than necessary,” he said.
“Stop the delaying tactics and tell me.”
“We want you to stay here in my home on a permanent basis.”
I lifted my brows. “We?”
He swept an arm toward the others gathered around the room.
“Yes, everyone here.”
Well, that explained Derrick’s absence.
“No.” The word popped out of my mouth without a thought. I wanted to go home as soon as Aniya was ready to make the trip. There was no need to consider it further.
Emily spoke up, imploring eyes bored into mine. “Please, Mel. You said I’d be staying with you, but I don’t want to go anywhere else. I like it here.”
I could understand she didn’t want to be uprooted, but that didn’t mean I wanted to stay in this place. Enough bad things had happened here to last me a lifetime, and there were way too many supernaturals. My senses had begun to get used to the constant deluge of their signatures and power, but it still gave me headaches if their moods ran too high. Plus I didn’t think it was good for Emily.
“Doesn’t it bother you?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “It did at first, but I’ve been around them long enough it doesn’t anymore.”
Maybe with her youth she could adapt faster, but that didn’t make it any safer for her. I gave her my most stern face. “Emily, it’s dangerous for you to be living in a place like this. I don’t like exposing you to so much on a long-term basis. It’s bad enough you’ve been here for as long as you have.”
Nik stepped forward. “I would protect her. You’ve proven yourself resourceful, but neither of you would be safe on your own. You have to know that.”
I set my coffee cup down and moved closer to him. “What guarantees do I have that you would protect her?”
A flash of hurt crossed his eyes. “That’s not fair, Mel.”
I turned my head away; not liking the idea a vampire could make me feel guilty. That had to be a first.
Charlie spoke next. “I’m in agreement with him, Melena. Both you and Emily will be far safer here. I would watch over both of you as well.”
“Why?” I asked him.
He cleared his throat. “Sensors are rare, but important. There are things you can do that no other race can; things that can protect the world from great harm by forces even more powerful than those in this room now. Whether you like it or not, you are one of the ones in a position to help the weak and innocent and should be willing to do so. Sometime in the near future you will find this to be true, but you must be alive to discover it. Go back to California now and your chances of survival will be slim.”
His words rang as true, the same as Nik’s had. Felisha stood up and walked over to me next, putting a delicate hand on my arm. Their “intervention” was beginning to wear on me. I gazed into her beautiful green eyes and tried not to be affected by her pleading expression.
“Melena, we would all be here for you and Emily. No one could harm you without going through us first. I know you’ve had some bad experiences in the past, but at some point you have to learn to trust.”
Unfortunately, Felisha was too nice to argue with so I nodded and said nothing. She gave an encouraging smile before stepping back to give me room. My eyes sought out Lucas. His emotionles
s mask revealed nothing.
“What about you?” I asked. “Why are you here? Somehow I doubt you care what happens to me.”
His golden eyes flashed for a moment before he answered. “I’ve made your safety my concern. That is all you need to know.”
“That’s a half-truth and you know it.”
He moved forward until he was almost standing on my toes. “Little sensor, I’ve told you before. Don’t push me.”
I clenched my fists.
“Or you’ll do what?” Might as well try and get him to spell out the truth.
He put his hand on my chin and tilted my face up. A cold smile spread across his face.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I grabbed his hand and yanked it from my face. He let me. “Actually, I would like to know.”
“Better you don’t, sensor, better you don’t.”
The others stood in tense silence. If Lucas made a move against me, none of them were powerful enough to stop him, even with their combined efforts.
I put my hands on his chest, which might have been a mistake because the touch gave me a certain degree of pleasure it shouldn’t have, but my goal was to get his attention. He jerked. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. His emotions only revealed annoyance.
“Lucas, for once, give me a straight answer. Why are you with the others in wanting me to stay here?”
He gazed down from his impressive height. “My reasons are my own. Don’t bother to keep asking.”
That pissed me off. I was sick of his evasive tactics.
“Coward,” I spit out.
Anger broiled inside of him. He took a step forward, making me take a step back with my hands still stuck to his chest. My heartbeat picked up as he continued maneuvering me until my back hit the wall. Maybe calling him a coward hadn’t been such a good idea.
Lucas grabbed my head and held it between his large hands. My gaze locked with his. I almost could have sworn sparks flew from him.
“Little sensor, you demand an answer, so I’ll give you one.”
I swallowed, unsure what he meant as he stared down at me. So many emotions crossed his face that it was impossible to make sense of them.
“The one thing you need to know, above all, is that I will protect you. I will always protect you until the day comes when your time on earth is meant to end. Do not try to leave this town or I’ll make you regret it. Count on this, if you cannot count on anything else.”
And with those words, full of cold hard truth, he left. The flash of his light almost blinded me. My hands gripped the wall for support. Everyone else in the room appeared to be as shocked as me.
Emily was the first to break the silence. “Mel, I think he likes you.”
I almost choked on her words. “What would make you say that?”
She shrugged. “In school, when a boy really likes a girl, sometimes he can be really mean to her. But sometimes, he does stuff that gives him away. I think that’s what Luc just did.”
“Luc?”
She shrugged. “He doesn’t like it when I call him that, so I keep doing it.”
I walked over to where she sat near the curtained window and gave her a hug. She meant well in her own way and I had to admit her funny logic had lightened the mood.
“So, are we going to stay, Mel?”
I leaned back to seriously look at her. The hope in Emily’s eyes was almost too much to bear, and maybe a part of me had grown weak by having her around, but her safety was even more important than mine.
Everyone was right. I’d have a hard time protecting the two of us on my own. It hurt my pride to admit it, but we needed help to stay safe. Noreen might be dead, but the minions she left back in California weren’t. They would always be a threat—one I couldn’t fight alone. Here, at least, I stood a chance of survival and so did Emily. There would be other challenges to face, but at least we wouldn’t be alone.
I smiled at Emily. “Yeah, we can stay.”
She jumped up and let out a whoop before running over to Felisha and exclaiming her excitement. The fairy glowed under the girl’s attention and I had a feeling they were becoming good friends. I might have considered letting Emily stay with her, except she needed sensor training and no one else could do that but me. At least I wouldn’t be alone in figuring out how to raise a fourteen year-old. It was a daunting prospect.
***
A few hours later I sat on one of the new sofas in the living room waiting for Aniya to come upstairs. Nik had insisted on letting her wake up and get oriented first before seeing anyone besides him. He’d amazed me over the last few days at how attentive he was with her. I’d always pictured a more brutal process, but some of the other vampires in the house confirmed Nikolas took his role as sire very seriously. They said it made the transition process much easier and allowed the newly turned to adjust faster.
More than thirty minutes had passed and I began to get worried. My hand played with a mermaid figurine I found sitting alone on the shelf in the living room. I didn’t know how it got there, but was glad for something to keep my hand busy. Everyone else stayed away so I could reunite with Aniya in privacy. It made the room seem almost too quiet.
Footsteps echoed on the wooden floor in the hallway. I put the figurine down and stood up. My senses told me it was her, though she felt different now. During the transition process, her personal signature had been in a flux, but now it had steadied into a regular vampire rhythm. When she came into the room, with Nikolas behind her, I had to admit she looked good. She walked with the grace given to all undead. Despite that, her movements were hesitant and there was a nervousness coming from her.
I took slow steps to close the gap between us, unsure how to behave. I didn’t want Aniya to think I didn’t accept her new status, but the change would still take some getting used to. This was the woman I had always known, but my senses were giving me the warning sirens that came anytime a vampire was close.
It was her spreading smile that did it for me. My behavior seemed ridiculous in the face of all we’d been through together. I stopped acting stupid and gave my friend a hug. After a brief stiffening of her body, she relaxed and put her own arms around me. She squeezed too tight, but I managed to handle it.
We broke apart to look at each other.
She must have cleaned up before leaving the basement because her hair was wet and she had new clothes on—a pair of dark slacks and a red blouse that complimented her complexion. Her eyes had darkened from brown to almost pure black, but her skin remained its normal olive tone. I assumed it took time after turning and being away from the sun before a vampire began to pale.
“I’m so sorry for everything, Mel,” she told me in a tearful voice.
My head shook in denial. “Not your fault. You couldn’t have known all this would happen. I’m the one who is sorry for seeing you end up this way.”
“You’re not mad at me?” she asked, surprise in her voice.
It almost seemed funny, considering all the worrying I’d done about her possibly hating me. She should be angry for getting her killed, well, mostly killed.
“Of course not,” I answered her, “but how do you feel about being changed?”
He face dropped and worry came across her eyes once more. “You want the truth?”
My lips twitched. “If you haven’t learned this already, you should know you can’t lie to me or I’ll know.”
She frowned. “Have you always been able to do that?”
I nodded and her eyes grew round. She covered her mouth as her face began to flush.
“Oh, God. You knew every time Lisette and I…”
“Yep,” I nodded.
“But you never said anything,” she whined.
“I couldn’t. Now you’ll have to learn to keep a lot of secrets too.”
She nodded. Resignation reflected in her eyes.
“So you’re okay with being a vampire?” I repeated.
After a brief hesitati
on, she smiled.
“To be honest,” she flashed her teeth, thankfully no fangs showed, “I’m glad you told Nik to turn me. Remember all those vampire shows I used to watch on TV?”
I groaned. I’d blocked the memories from my head in the hopes she never got any funny ideas.
“Yes, I remember.”
“Well, now I got my wish, even if it didn’t come out quite the way I hoped.”
Her boyfriend, Philip, had been among those we killed the other night. Lucas had recognized the guy right before removing his heart. Nik had said he broke the news to her when she asked about him during her transition. In my mind, it was for the best, but she might not see it that way. Philip had had plenty of time to brainwash her. Time would tell on that one.
“There is one thing I’ll regret,” she admitted. A wave of sadness swept over her.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“There will be no way for me to be a teacher anymore, and my dreams of having children of my own are over. That’s going to take some getting used to.”
I sighed. She might have gained immortality, which she seemed okay with, but losing one’s dreams would be hard to take. Neither of her biggest wishes could come true in any way I could think of. It wasn’t feasible for a vampire.
“I’ll be there for you,” I reassured her. “In any way I can.”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
“I’ll leave you two to talk.” Nik spoke from a few feet away. He didn’t move far, though, continuing to act as the protector.
Aniya and I didn’t waste any more time before moving to sit and catch up.
Epilogue
Five days later I found myself at the airport seeing Aniya off. She was returning to California to pack up our apartment and ship everything to Alaska. I’d had no choice but to stay. Nik and the others had reminded me that Noreen’s supporters remained there and they would be looking for me. The risk would be too great, they’d insisted. That left Aniya, along with two vampire guards, to go back and take care of everything. They didn’t have a reason to attack her.