“Juliana, you are in no condition to be taking Christian anywhere. I’ll bring him home and call a feeder for you while I’m out,” Ana said bracing for an argument.
I knew she was right though, I was barely keeping myself upright on the couch.
“Fine, just do me a favor and make sure to bring his inhaler back with you. I told him I would look at it for him. His asthma has been acting up since working out with Will.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Christian jumped down the last of the stairs ready to get out of the house as quickly as he could. He gave me a quick hug and nodded goodbye to William, which was an improvement over how he was acting toward him earlier. He stopped in front of Victoria as if he wanted to say something to her before he left, but thought better of it considering his audience.
“I’ll see you later, Victoria,” Christian said quietly then turned to face Ana ready to leave.
Ana and Christian left out the kitchen’s side door, letting it clap shut behind them. The rest of us were left sitting in the library surrounded by an uncomfortable silence. This entire operation had quickly dissolved into an us versus them scenario, and with all of us distrusting each other no wonder the Coven was so far ahead.
“I don’t know about everyone else, but I am beat. I think I’ll go ahead and call it a night,” Victoria started sauntering off toward her room. I was grateful she spoke up first, I knew if I brought up going to bed no matter how drained I was Martin and Sebastian both would have denied me.
My head felt heavy, I was having trouble focusing. I couldn’t remember why I was having trouble trusting Sebastian or was it Martin? All I really knew for sure was that I was only going to get better if I had blood, human blood and a full day’s sleep.
“I’m taking her to her room, send the feeder up when they get here,” William said lifting me into his arms.
“I believe her feeder just left,” Sebastian replied lazily through a thick foggy haze so I couldn’t be sure he really said it.
“Excuse me?” William asked sharply.
“Her feeder. He just left, we can’t have the coven asking questions if they hear that another feeder was sent to the house for her can we? She’ll survive I’m sure.”
“And just who would tell the Coven that a feeder was here, Sebastian? Why don’t you find one that isn’t spying and send them over. Should you need to discuss with Michael our every movement, lie and tell him the feeder was for me.”
“Are you insinuating something, William? Don’t forget your place because of a woman!”
“Just send the feeder up when they get here, the door will be open.”
William took me up to my room and laid me on the bed curling up beside me. I didn’t dare close my eyes; I knew if I did I wouldn’t wake up again until tomorrow night.
“Do you think it worked?”
“Do I think what worked?” William was running his hands through my hair, brushing it out of my eyes.
“You know, compelling all those humans. I sorta passed out at the end, do you think it worked? Will Christian be safe?”
His mouth tightened until his lips became a long slash, his brows furrowed creating lines in between his eyes as he seemed to really be thinking about what had happened.
“To be honest, Jules, I don’t think Christian will ever truly be safe, but the scariest part of tonight was that I do think you were able to compel all five humans at once. Is what Christian said true, did you compel Michael’s vamps tonight?”
“Yeah, I had too. I believed Victoria when she said I wouldn’t be able to control Michael and I had a small window where he left the house. There were three vamps in the room with Christian, if I compelled only one of them then the others would know what I was doing and call me out on it.” I looked over to William seeing him think through what I was telling him, “you see my problem right? It was all or none of them. We’re desperate and it was a risk I was willing to take. Michael had just told me about the production centers and I couldn’t get a hold of Sebastian, I needed to find out whatever I could--”
“Wait, you had tried to get in contact with Sebastian tonight?”
“Yeah, Michael had just started telling me about the production centers when he got a call and went outside to take it. I thought if I went running back to you it would look bad, I didn’t see Ana or Victoria anywhere, so I ran upstairs and tried to call Sebastian twice. I finally gave up and called Martin. He said he was going to send some Council vamps our way to track where the Coven vamps went after we left, this way we could see if they led to more meeting houses.”
“When the mob broke out I tried to call for backup, but Sebastian told me that there weren’t any other Council members in the city. That was why I was shocked when help arrived. I didn’t realize that vamp next to you and Christian was Council right away, otherwise I might not have thrown Christian that stake. If I had waited, Michael would be dead and we could be done with all of this.”
“Yes or the Council vamp could have killed Michael then turned on me because he would have thought I was Coven.”
“I suppose it doesn’t matter now either way, what’s done is done. We just have to convince Martin and Sebastian that there was no subterfuge on our part.”
We continued to lay there waiting for Ana to return, hopefully with a feeder in tow. My gums started to ache from the tension of my fangs yearning to spring. The earlier fatigue I was experiencing had been replaced by complete and utter weakness, I don’t think I could walk across the room let alone go out and hunt if it was required.
“Can I use your blood again? It helped me last time.”
“It’s been too long since you’ve had human blood, you need to feed properly now. Once you are strong again you can use me any way you want though,” he finished on a laugh.
“I don’t think it matters what type of situation we are in, you will always be ready and able won’t you,” I couldn’t help but laugh back with him.
It was then that Ana came in, pharmacy bag in hand she shut the door behind her, making it known to both of us that she had something to say. I looked her over and for once she wasn’t putting on the cool façade of an all knowing, unworried visage. I could sense her fear trickling through our bond and was worried that something else had happened since she left.
“What is it Ana?”
She held out the pharmacy bag like it was evidence of a crime worthy of cable news.
“Christian insisted the entire way home that he does not nor has he ever had asthma,” she hissed at me in a whisper. I just could tell that she wanted to yell at me, but was afraid of raising any more suspicions.
I smiled back at her which sent a wave of annoyance through our blood bond almost causing me to laugh, except I wasn’t sure she wouldn’t hurt an already weakened vampire.
“He doesn’t,” I told her still smiling.
“Then why did you tell me to bring you his inhaler?”
“Because I knew you would figure out that I wanted you to bring me an inhaler, which I can see you did so thanks.”
I just looked back at her getting to enjoy frustrating her, it didn’t happen often enough in my opinion.
“If you don’t explain yourself right now, I’m going to crush this into particles so small you will never know it was even here.” Now she was the one smiling.
“Wait how did you get an inhaler if Christian doesn’t really have asthma? What am I missing?”
“I’m a doctor remember? I wrote a prescription for it. The question, William, is what are we missing?”
This time they both turned to look at me one set of eyes curious, another ticked off at not knowing what the hell was going on.
“Start talking, Juliana, or I’m sending the feeder downstairs home.”
“Alright, alright there’s no reason to resort to threats. So, you both know I’ve been working on getting silver into Christian’s blood stream, well, I was able to figure out the safe amount of silver for a human and how muc
h it would take to harm a vampire, but not how to get it into him. The solution to administering the silver hit me as I passed out earlier. With the increasing tension I think it’s more important than ever that I finish, but Ana I think I’m gonna need your help.”
The confliction in Ana’s eyes was showing. She was trying to maintain her distance from what I was doing so she could claim ignorance she had no knowledge I were caught, but the truth of the matter was, if I were caught we would all be blamed. All of lives would be at risk whether she really knew or not.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll help you anyway I can.”
“Thank you Ana, thank you so much.”
I could have kissed her I was so happy, but luckily a soft knock at the door broke the opportunity. Ana gave me a small smile acknowledging my gratitude then strode over to answer the door. On the other side of the threshold stood a very tall, very large man. He was so big he had to duck down to miss hitting his head on the door frame as Ana stepped back allowing him into the room. William immediately sat up as the man got closer to the bed; I wasn’t sure if he was threatened by him or if he had just never seen anyone so big.
“Hello,” I said looking up at him.
“Hello, Ma’am.” He was the softest spoken man I had ever heard speak. He stood just at the edge of my bed with his hands dangling at his sides, just patiently waiting, like he could wait for me all night if necessary and he wouldn’t really be bothered by it.
“What’s your name?” I asked him with genuine curiosity.
“John, Ma’am.”
Ana was smirking in the corner watching us with her hip cocked out and hands resting on them. William still hadn’t said anything, but I could feel his eyes glued on me.
“John, do you think you could come down here? I’m feeling a bit out of it tonight.”
He didn’t say anything, but he sat on the side of the bed, his weight pushing the bed down sent me rolling into him and causing me to yell out. William jumped up and pulled me back flashing his fangs at John. I could hear Ana stifling a laugh in the corner.
“Will, relax it was just an accident,” I said pushing off him.
“Are you ready, John?” His heart was beating slow and steady—it was a strong heart.
“Yes, Ma’am,” he said turning his head to the side.
I was sitting next to him on the bed and I leaned over to reach toward his neck, but I couldn’t reach. I stretched higher and tried again, he was too tall for my short stature.
“I could sit sideways across your lap maybe?”
“No,” William blurted out.
“Come on, William she needs more blood than she can get from a wrist. What do you think is going to happen?” Ana asked still staying on the opposite side of the room.
I finally managed to reach John’s neck by sitting on my knees and leaning across John, it was awkward, but it kept William happy. At the first gush of blood from John’s throat I could taste the potency of his strength and knew it was equal to his physical size. I started to feel my own strength being returned to me at once and knew this was why Ana had chosen this feeder for me. I let my eyes roam along the almond colored skin of his face and neck, the long length of his dark eye lashes and as my strength further returned to me I wondered who this quiet man was.
I tried to glean some information from him, but there were no memories to be taken from his blood. I didn’t know if it was because he was like Christian and me or if he was just able to block me, but either way his secret was going to be safe with me. I pulled back from him with a lick to the wound I had caused. He didn’t look at me, but I still hadn’t moved from him and it wasn’t in him to harm a woman by pushing me off him—vampire or not.
I waited until he finally gave me his eyes. They were so dark they could almost be mistaken for black.
“Thank you, John,” I looked him firmly in the eye with my own that were no doubt getting their own green glow back thanks to him.
“You, are welcome.”
I moved off him allowing him to go.
“You always do that,” William commented as John was leaving.
“It’s because I am always grateful, Will. After all, I would be dead without having a human to feed from. I owe that man my life the very least I can do is say thank you.”
We all watched as John walked all too silently for a human of his size. Just as he was about to pass the threshold he turned to face us.
“Ma’am, I would be honored to be your feeder should you have use of one again.” Then he nodded and left without waiting for a response.
“Wow, that’s the most I have ever heard John speak at one time before,” Ana said a bit stunned.
“Man, I feel good! And strong! I didn’t realize the quality of human blood affected how strong we were.”
“It does only to a degree, but if you were to only feed on John, and the occasional vamp you could become incredibly powerful if you continue to hone your powers. It’s like anything else; if you neglect it you lose it.”
“I bet I could stay up even after the sun rises I feel so good.”
I stood up stretching and flexing my muscles, feeling the newly attained power seeping into them. I crouched low and pushed up only intending to feel the refreshed strength in my thighs and accidently propelled myself into the ceiling leaving a sprinkling of dry wall to fall around us.
“Sorry, Juliana, no matter how good you feel no one can out run the sun.”
“We’ll see.”
“Okay, let me know how that works out then. I’ll see you tomorrow night. I was told to inform you two that there will be a full debriefing ten minutes after the sun sets. Martin already called Christian and told him to be here.”
There was no arguing or changing it, and certainly nothing left to be said about it. Ana left to head to her own room leaving Will and I alone for the little time left before sunrise.
“Hey, Ana,” I called out.
She stuck her head back in the room not saying anything.
“Thanks for your help, with Christian and John.”
In the typical Ana way she just gave me a nod of the head and continued on down the hall.
She was right though, the whirring of the shutters came and no matter how hard I tired I couldn’t stay awake. When they opened the following evening though, I couldn’t will them back closed no matter how I tried.
“Do you think we can sneak out before they notice we’re gone?” I whined to William.
“No, I think they’ll hunt us down like humans if we try to skip out on their debriefing.”
“What’s the point, they aren’t going to believe anything I tell them anyway. They should just write down what they want me to say and save us all a lot of time.”
“Jules, just try not to argue okay. Please.”
“I don’t argue.”
“Okay, maybe just try not to talk then.”
“Whatever, Will.”
We threw on some clothes and made our way downstairs. Everyone else was already waiting.
“Nice of you to join us,” Sebastian said starting in already.
“I’ve been awake for five minutes what more do you want? Wait, how long have you all been awake?”
“Let’s just get started,” Ana said interrupting me.
Christian and I took turns relaying the events of the night before, while Martin and Sebastian took turn interrogating us. I resisted the urge to question Sebastian on why I couldn’t reach him last night when I tried to call. They let Christian go relatively early in the evening, and when they were finally satisfied with me they let the rest of us go as well. I really wanted nothing more than to get out of the house, but I had work to do.
Ana and I were locked away in my bedroom, and just about to finish working with the silver when William yelled out for me from downstairs. He had been keeping Martin occupied for the remainder of the night after the debriefing ended and Sebastian left.
“What now? We only have an hour before sunrise.”
“Juliana!” This time we could feel the floor tremble with the strength of his bellowing.
Ana and I shared a scared wide eyed look before bolting downstairs.
At the bottom of the steps we found William and Martin staring up at us each wearing stern looks of their own that weren’t revealing anything. How could two men that were just at each other’s throats be so united now?
“You have a delivery, Gloria,” William said with such tension radiating off him I couldn’t imagine what could possibly cause it. I did know who could cause it though, and the use of that name was a dead giveaway.
“O-oh?”
“Yes, would you care to enlighten us why Michael would be giving you such a lavish gift?” Martin took over the questioning.
“I have no idea and what do you mean by lavish? Where is it?” I looked around but I didn’t see anything.
“Oh, it’s in the garage. You know where my Audi used to be,” William was barely able to grind the words out.
“The garage?”
“Yes. My garage.”
I looked to Ana who just shrugged. I grabbed her hand and pulled her along feeling that I might need her protection on this one. When I got to the garage I stopped short, the door was opened wide and just as William said, in place of his Audi was a piece of artistic machinery I had never seen before. It was amazing. It was all sleek lines and speed defying curves.
“What is it?” I whispered.
I slowly moved forward like I was afraid of the sheer power the thing emitted from its red leather interior and the engine that seemed to be just barely contained under the glossy black hood.
“It’s a Pagani Zonda F Roadster and I want to know why he gave it to you,” Martin demanded.
“I told you I have no idea, and what is that, why haven’t I heard of that?”
“It’s only the fastest, most powerful, most expensive roadster in the world.”
I eased around to the driver’s side door gently opening it and sliding into the seat. Ana jumped in to the passenger seat taking none of the same care that I was. Her fingers roamed along the gear shift and the elegant panel. It was power and beauty merged into one.
Rising Son (The Juliana Lucio Series) Page 22