A Vampire's Hunger

by Carla Susan Smith

  “Very well.” Ryiel narrowed his eyes and stared at me. “He came there to kill you, but changed his mind.”

  “Why?” Both Gabriel and I said the word at the same time.

  “Why kill you, or why the change of mind?”

  I was too busy reconciling myself to the notion that, after one brief meeting, I was on an Original Vampire’s hit list, so it was Gabriel who answered. “Both.”

  “He sincerely believes you’d be better off without her,” Ryiel told Gabriel, “and he was fully prepared to dispose of her.”

  “So how did you dissuade him?”

  “I didn’t. He’d already decided his intervention was unnecessary.”

  “Why?”

  Ryiel let out a sigh. “He thinks Rowan is incompetent.”

  “He thinks I’m what?!” I bristled with rage.

  “In a way, he’s not wrong, Rowan.”

  I hoped Ryiel wasn’t trying to be kind because his delivery sucked.

  “If you hadn’t acted so rashly in asking Gabriel for his protection, your friend wouldn’t be plagued with visits from the Dark Realm. Your behavior may not be incompetent, but it was careless, and it has put both you and Gabriel in a precarious position.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” I muttered.

  Chapter 20

  “Um . . . does anyone know where my daughter is?”

  I had been so focused on the conversation at the table, I hadn’t noticed the soft pad of feet from the hallway. I was, however, sitting with two beings gifted with extraordinary hearing, and I was sure both of them had heard her.

  “Could’ve given me a heads-up,” I told Gabriel in a low voice as I slid back my chair.

  “Oh yeah . . . Laycee’s awake.” He grinned.

  Ryiel pulled out the chair next to him and motioned for Laycee to sit. Seeing her hesitate, he said, “Please, I’m tired of the two of them ganging up on me.” His outrageous lie worked because she sat down, accepting the cup of coffee he poured for her.

  “Jenna?” She looked at me over the rim of her cup.

  “Perfectly safe with Tomas and Stavros—”

  “Who?”

  “Ah, they’re um . . .” How to explain a sentinel?

  “Tomas functions as my valet and personal assistant,” Gabriel told Laycee, “and Stavros works for Ryiel in a similar position.”

  Laycee put her cup down. “Why am I not surprised you guys both have valets?”

  “I don’t know . . . why aren’t you?”

  She laughed. Clearly Ryiel didn’t understand about sarcasm. Or perhaps he understood women better.

  As if on cue, Tomas appeared with a bundle of pink in his arms. “She heard her mama’s voice.” All maternal anxiety disappeared the moment Jenna was in her mother’s arms. “She’s been fed and burped and bathed and changed,” Tomas added.

  Laycee, completely absorbed by her child, murmured her thanks, and for a few moments we all enjoyed the Madonna-and-child tableau we were given, until it was ruined by the loud grumbling of Laycee’s stomach.

  “Tch, lass,” Tomas fussed in his best Mr. Rogers voice. “When was the last time you ate a proper meal?” Her frown was all the answer he needed, and he began to fill a plate, determined, it seemed, to give her a selection of everything on the table.

  “Tomas, you’re not feeding one of these guys,” I protested.

  “Actually, all of this looks great, and I am hungry.” She expertly moved her baby to the opposite arm, allowing her to demonstrate a skill all new mothers quickly learn. Eating with one hand. “Did I interrupt something?” Laycee said, watching as Ryiel poured syrup on a waffle for her.

  “No, we were just discussing what happened at your house,” he said.

  Laycee flushed. “I’m sorry about how I treated you, especially after you went, you know.” She made an arcing motion with the fork in her hand.

  “What did you do?” Gabriel asked, puzzled.

  “He tried to cross a threshold uninvited,” I told him.

  “You did what?”

  Ryiel stared at the salt-and-pepper shaker. “What’s that phrase humans are fond of using? Ah yes, it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  For a moment there was absolute silence, and then Gabriel began to laugh. “Oh my God, I wish I’d been there to see it,” he chuckled.

  “It was quite impressive,” I told him.

  “But what on earth compelled you to do such a thing?”

  “He was trying to prove a vampire could not come into my house.”

  “And was quite successful, it would seem, but why would you need to do such a thing, Ryiel?”

  “Because I told him a vampire had come into my house.” Laycee paused, her hand trembling enough to make the scrambled eggs on her fork fall back onto the plate.

  “That isn’t possible,” Gabriel said softly.

  “It is if it wasn’t a real vampire,” I said.

  Gabriel whipped his head around and gave me a long, hard look. “It was him?”

  I nodded. “Can’t imagine it being anyone else, can you?”

  I could feel the anger as it swirled through his blood. “What the fuck is he playing at?” he muttered on a low hiss of breath.

  “I would have thought it was obvious,” Ryiel said. “He knows Rowan made a mistake. My guess would be he’s trying to goad her into—”

  “Doing something else equally stupid and rash and impulsive,” I interrupted.

  To his credit, Ryiel didn’t say “I told you so,” and neither did he look smug. But he didn’t have to. I was prepared to take full responsibility for my own recklessness.

  “So he was telling the truth.”

  We all looked at Laycee, who in turn looked as if she’d just realized she’d thrown out the winning lottery numbers and the garbage men had already picked up the trash. The piece of bacon held in her fingers fell to the plate. Changing Jenna’s position, she now cradled her daughter against her shoulder.

  “What did he tell you, Lace?” It was a pointless question because I knew what she’d been told, we all did. It was written all over Laycee’s face, but I needed to hear her say the words. To be sure, there was no doubt or misunderstanding. “Tell me what he said.” Any doubt on my part vanished the moment I saw how she looked at Gabriel. Her expression was part fear, part not-with-my-daughter-you-don’t.

  “He said you’re going to sleep with her. Her first time would be with a vampire, and it would be Gabriel. He said the only thing giving her his blood had done . . . was save her for himself.” Her face suddenly crumpled. “I wanted to keep her away from vampires, not save her for one . . . not save her for you.”

  “Which distresses you more, Laycee? That it will be a vampire or that it will be Gabriel?”

  I was as startled as Laycee at Ryiel’s question.

  How about the fact Gabriel’s gonna look just as hot then as he does right now?

  If you can’t be more helpful, shut up!

  Aw, c’mon! You expect me to believe it hasn’t crossed your mind?

  “You asked for your child to be protected,” Ryiel continued, “and that is what Gabriel has done for you, regardless of what this supposed vampire told you. And, yes, there is a price to be paid for such protection. It is unfortunate the matter was not discussed beforehand, but you cannot take back what has already been given.” He sighed as Laycee began to rock Jenna gently. “Does it make a difference knowing it would happen only once, and your daughter would never know she was with a vampire?”

  “It will be her first time,” Laycee argued, making it sound like a woman’s virginity was the eighth wonder of the world. “It’s supposed to be a special moment, magical even. Preferably not a one-night stand.” The undisguised bitterness told me more than I ever knew about Laycee’s own experience. She hadn’t lied to me exactly, but she had definitely been looking through rose-colored glasses when it came to sharing the details.

  “It will be special and magical,” Ryiel continued. �
��From what I know of virgins, she will have the advantage of an experienced lover to take her through the process.”

  “But the choice should still be hers,” Laycee said stubbornly.

  “Indeed, but you took that away from her the moment you sought Gabriel’s help.”

  “Except I didn’t know. The whole thing is . . . creepy.”

  Ryiel steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “Explain this creepy.”

  She sighed and moved Jenna back to her original shoulder. Throughout the entire conversation, the baby hadn’t burbled once. Laycee looked at Gabriel. “Having Gabriel sleep with Jenna is the same as Rowan sleeping with Jake, and telling me about it beforehand.”

  “So your problem is with Gabriel.”

  “Yeah . . . I guess it is.”

  “What if he wasn’t the one?”

  Gabriel started to speak. But Ryiel held up a silencing hand.

  “But it would still have to be a vampire?”

  The dark-haired vampire smiled at her. “No getting around that, I’m afraid.”

  Laycee stared across the table, first at Gabriel, and then at me. I gave a slight shrug. I had no idea where Ryiel was going with this particular train of thought. I hoped whatever he was going to propose, and it seemed obvious he had something on his mind, it wouldn’t push Laycee over the edge.

  I recognized the moment she decided to treat the entire conversation as some kind of practical joke. Her smile was slightly off-kilter as she asked, “So who’d you have in mind?”

  “Me,” Ryiel answered.

  “No!” Gabriel exclaimed. “Ryiel, I cannot let you do this.”

  “The choice has already been made, my friend. I summoned Sinisia when I was in the Void.”

  “But how did you know?”

  Ryiel shrugged. “I didn’t. It was an involuntary act on my part, an instinctive reaction, if you will. It wasn’t until my conversation with Kartel that I understood why.”

  “But if you haven’t spoken to her, surely she can be sent back?”

  Gabriel sounded almost desperate. Obviously, having Ryiel take his place with Jenna twenty-five years from now was about more than deflowering a virgin. I didn’t know who this Sinisia was, or how she was connected to the silver-eyed vampire, but I could tell she was a person of some significance.

  “I won’t send her back,” he said, speaking directly to Gabriel. “Don’t fight me on this, Gabriel, and besides, the decision is not yours to make. Not anymore.” He turned to look at Laycee. “Will you accept me as an alternate and agree to my right to claim your child’s blood at the appointed time in return for the protection offered?”

  “You can do this?” Laycee asked Gabriel, looking as bewildered as I felt.

  “If you agree to it, yes, but the window of time allowed for such a substitution is quite small. You must decide now so the ceremony can be completed right away.”

  Laycee looked at Ryiel. “Are you going to make her drink your blood too?”

  He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”

  I hadn’t noticed when she had taken Jenna off her shoulder, but she was cradling her once more in her arms. “Sweet little girl.” Laycee stroked a soft, downy cheek before giving Ryiel a sharp look. “Will I know when you . . . when it happens?”

  “Did you tell your mother?”

  Laycee shook her head.

  “I can let you know after it is done,” he offered.

  “No,” Laycee’s voice was firm. “If she wants me to know she will tell me herself, although I don’t think she’ll need to say a word.” Ryiel’s puzzled look was enough to make her laugh and shake her head in mock exasperation. “You have absolutely no idea what we see when we look at you, do you? Don’t worry, Ryiel, I’m a mother. I’ll know.”

  Her words did little to clear his confusion, but he wisely chose not to pursue it further. “Do you accept me, Laycee?”

  She looked over at Gabriel. “I’m sorry, but I can’t have you doing this. It’s too . . .”

  “Creepy, I know.”

  “But I still need her to be protected.”

  “I know that too.”

  “Then I accept,” Laycee said, looking at Ryiel.

  He smiled. An absolute stunning, knock-you-straight-into-next-week kind of smile. And suddenly I knew why the people in that village in the Himalayas had been more than willing to befriend him. He looked over at Gabriel.

  “Sinisia will need water.”

  “The pool?”

  “Perfect.”

  It was a balmy night, and if things weren’t taking a turn for the seriously weird, I might have suggested to Gabriel we take a dip later. Somehow I didn’t think this was going to be the night for it.

  “You never told me he had a pool,” Laycee said in a low voice as we walked out onto the terrace.

  “Oh, yeah . . . he has a pool.”

  Ryiel said something to Gabriel, but they were talking in a secret language. Tomas and Stavros had come to join us, and from the expression on their faces, it seemed they didn’t understand what was being said either. I didn’t feel so bad. But the pointed looks being thrown in our direction needed no translation. Whatever was going to happen next, Ryiel was showing some major concern about Laycee’s reaction. Whether it was because she was human or a mother I couldn’t say, but if I was going to gamble, I’d hedge my bet and say both.

  The boys’ secret conversation was now over, and Gabriel pulled me to one side. “You’re going to have to help with Laycee.”

  Immediately I was on edge. “Oh shit, Gabriel—what’s Ryiel going to do?”

  He rubbed my arms, soothing me. “You remember what I did at the hospital?” I nodded. “It won’t be like that, not this time, but I need you to trust me.”

  “I do. You know I do.” My faith was rewarded with a brief sweep of his lips over mine.

  “You’re going to have to make sure Laycee doesn’t try to interfere or stop what’s happening. It’s important that no one but Ryiel and Jenna are in the pool when Sinisia arrives.”

  “Gabriel.” I clutched his arm as I repeated, “What’s Ryiel going to do?”

  His neon-blue eyes shone so brightly they were dazzling. “You have my word no harm will come to Jenna. No matter how it looks.”

  I believed him, but even so . . . “Who is this Sinisia, and why does she need water?”

  “You should be asking what instead of who,” Gabriel said. I made a gesture of impatience. “We need water because Sinisia is a siren.”

  Chapter 21

  Asiren? I had to think back to high school and a substitute teacher who spent her allotted time with a class full of teenage malcontents discussing Greek mythology. Sirens, if memory served, were beautiful creatures with voices that made sailors wreck their ships on the rocky coastline. I never quite got why they did this (the sirens, not the sailors), but we’re talking Greek mythology. A monopoly on tragedy if ever there was one. And now I was going to see one of the fabulous creatures for myself. I just hoped she wouldn’t lure any of us to a rooftop dive.

  Ryiel stood before Laycee with his arms held out. I thought for a moment she was going to refuse and tell him she’d changed her mind about having him, instead of Gabriel, protect her child. But though she hesitated for a moment, she willingly placed her baby in the vampire’s arms. Quickly Ryiel unsnapped the onesie Jenna wore and handed it back to her mother. The diaper came off next, and then he settled her in the crook of his arm and against his chest. A tiny hand waved in the air. If I didn’t know better, I might have said Jenna was fascinated by the tattoos running across his chest. Ryiel leaned forward and, with his free hand, cupped the back of Laycee’s head. He whispered something before kissing her chastely on the forehead. The smile he received in return was decidedly wobbly, so I went over to hold her hand. I didn’t ask her what Ryiel had said. It was private. If she wanted me to know, she would tell me.

  We both watched as Ryiel walked to the edge of the pool. A spark of consternation r
ose inside me when I noticed we were all gathered at the deep end. Unlike most apartment pools with a maximum depth of maybe six feet, Gabriel’s pool made a gradual sloping descent to that number before abruptly dropping to fifteen feet. It was something that had never really bothered me until now, although I couldn’t say why. Laycee wrapped her fingers around mine and squeezed my hand. I think she was looking for confirmation she was doing the right thing. I squeezed back.

  “I like the tile work,” she whispered. I agreed with her. The decorative mix of blues and greens always made the water look inviting, no matter what the air temperature might be.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Gabriel come and stand on Laycee’s other side. Something was about to happen, and whatever it was, he was taking the necessary precautions in case she freaked out. With no idea of what was to come, I couldn’t say if his concerns were groundless or not. We all watched the water. Both Laycee and I seemed to suck in a breath at the same time when the still, glassy surface began to move.

  It was a gentle wave. The type of movement caused by paddling from one end of the pool to the other on an inflatable lounger while enjoying a tall drink. Only there was no lounger, and even if there were, the pool had been cleaned earlier that day and the pump was still shut off. So what was causing the ripple across the surface? The answer was swimming just below the surface. How she got into the pool was beyond me, because I know I never saw anyone get in the water. At least not from above.

  “There’s someone in the pool,” Laycee said, pulling forward slightly to get a better look. I don’t know if it was instinct or seeing Gabriel suddenly stiffen, but I tightened my grip on her hand. “Is that . . . is that a woman?”

  If hair length was a true indicator of the difference between the sexes, then I’d have to agree with her. But I live with a guy who uses almost as much shampoo and conditioner as I do, and I was also staring at another whose hair was even longer. I needed more than that to determine gender. As if aware of our quandary, the creature in the pool broke the surface, launching itself a good six or seven feet into the air, arcing its head in such a way the long hair was flung straight up before falling down behind.