by Tinnean
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Ty, you got aspirin in there?”
“Uh… there’s Tylenol in the medicine chest.”
“Good enough.” He got to his feet, swayed for a moment, then walked out of the room, gently probing the back of his head.
“Adam?”
“Tell me quickly what happened here.” He touched my face gently, and I couldn’t help flinching. My eye hurt like a son of a gun. “My poor sabor.”
“I’m okay. A vampyr came. I wouldn’t let her in. She wasn’t happy about that.”
“I can imagine. Did she strike you?”
“No.” My eye felt as if it was swelling shut, and I poked it with cautious fingers. “Jimmy did, and that was freaking weird!”
“Oh?” His voice was like ice, and I shivered. “He dared to touch you?”
“He never did anything like that before. I don’t think he knew what was happening.”
“That is not an acceptable excuse.”
“Will you listen to me?” I grabbed the front of his jacket and shook him. Or tried to. Of course he didn’t budge. “That isn’t an excuse. Jimmy looked totally out of it. All he wanted to do was get to the door, and when I got in the way, he….”
“I… I see.”
“So you’re not going to blame him, are you?”
“No.” He looked deflated. “This was my fault.”
“How do you figure that?”
“I knew you needed to have a friend visit, and I knew no one would be able to find your home unless they were shown the way.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll explain another time. I… went into his mind and planted the image of him talking to a helpful stranger who told him how to get here.”
“Okay. So how is it your fault Jimmy hit me?”
“By doing that, I opened the way for another, less powerful vampyr to influence him and thereby get to you.”
“So fix it. Go back in there and put up a barrier. You can do that, can’t you?”
“Yes, of course I can.”
“Okay, then, there you have it. And she didn’t get to me.”
“Only because I got here in time.”
“My hero.” I batted my eye at him—the other one was swollen shut by this time.
“Not amusing, Tyrell.”
“No, I guess not.” And I supposed he didn’t want to hear all was well that ended well. “I guess she did a number on Jimmy’s van. Oh my God, what am I going to tell him?”
“A tree branch fell on it.”
“But there’s no tree there.”
“Your friend will remember a tree being there.”
“You’re going to mess with his mind?” Somehow that was different from him putting a barrier in place to protect my friend. Adam’s expression told me yes, he was. “Have you… have you ever done that with me?”
“No. As my—as a sabor, I can’t do that to you.”
I liked hearing that, and I went to him and wrapped my arms around him. “Thank you.” I turned my head and kissed his throat. Then I licked it. Oh, wow. He tasted good!
Adam gave a soft groan and shuddered, and I licked him again.
“Ty, now isn’t the time….”
“Later?” I whispered. “I need you to feed from me.”
“So, Ty. This is the creep who broke your heart?” Jimmy was back. He stood with his hands on his hips, and he looked pissed. “You’re touching him! You’re letting him touch you! Listen, you!” This was directed to Adam. “You better not screw around with my friend, because if you hurt him again, I’ll take you apart with my bare hands!”
“Did I hurt you, Ty?” There was fondness in Adam’s gaze.
“Of course you did!” Jimmy snarled. “He hasn’t been able to go out on a date since you broke up with him!”
I cleared my throat. “Didn’t you want to get home?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to leave you with this bozo.”
“I’ll be fine. Have you got your jacket?”
“Yeah. Ty, who the fuck gave you a black eye?”
That startled me. He didn’t remember? Well, obviously he didn’t remember. I glanced at Adam, but he was looking inscrutable.
“Tyrell, you’d better visit the bathroom as well. As I said, it’s going to be a long drive. We’ll take your car, and then you can drive me home.”
I knew he meant this house, and I swallowed and licked my lips. My dick was getting hard; I needed him to feed from me so badly.
“Ty won’t be able to drive—”
“Yes, I will!”
“—not with his eye all swelled up like that,” Jimmy growled at Adam. Then he yelled after me, “And get some ice for your eye!”
“I’m right here,” I muttered. “You don’t have to yell!”
I was almost in the dining room, but I still heard Adam say to Jimmy, “Now, James Black. Let me tell you how things are between your friend and me.”
Mina had followed me. “Do me a favor, pup. Go back in there and make sure they don’t kill each other.”
She gave me a doggy grin, obviously uncaring blood might be spilled.
“You’re a blood-thirsty pooch!”
She woofed and trotted back into the living room.
“WHY’D I park under that tree? Talk about bad luck!” Jimmy groaned when he saw the condition of the van. All the windows were shattered, the hood was crumpled, the passenger doors were crushed beyond belief and hung off their hinges, and the roof was caved in. Oil, transmission fluid, and gasoline puddled underneath. “What am I gonna tell my mom? She’s gonna kill me! I promised her nothing would happen to it!”
“I’ll have my people take care of it.” Adam took out his cell phone and spoke quietly into it.
He had people who could do things like that? Were they… were they minions? Like Renfield in Dracula? Adam smiled when he saw how wide my eye had gotten, and he rested a hand on my shoulder and rubbed his thumb back and forth over it.
“Thanks,” Jimmy said morosely. “That still doesn’t help. My car’s in the shop. Mom’s van will be in the shop. I’m so dead meat.” He eyed the way Adam was touching me. “Y’know, I still can’t believe you’re letting him….” He shook his head. “Just take me home, okay?”
THE DRIVE to Jimmy’s house didn’t seem to take that long. In spite of his words, I’d had no intention of letting anyone else drive. And the ice had helped, because I’d had no problem with depth perception.
We pulled up in front of the house, and I turned off the ignition. Except for the light above the door, the house was dark.
“We’ll walk you to the door, James.”
He scowled at Adam. “I’m not some chick, y’know.”
“I know. Indulge me, all right?”
“Yeah, well….” He yawned. “Geez, I’m exhausted. You won’t mind if I don’t invite you in, will you?”
“Do you want Ty to go in with you? I can wait in the car with Mina.”
“Doesn’t matter what he wants,” I said. “I’m going in. Mina…. Oh, fine watchdog you are!”
She was asleep in Adam’s arms. She’d become not only very vocal but almost frantic when she realized I was going out onto the porch even though I wouldn’t be alone, and finally I’d had to snap on her leash and let her come along. She’d been tense for the first couple of miles, but had finally relaxed and settled down on Adam’s lap.
I’d have liked to have been on Adam’s lap myself, but someone had to drive.
He grinned, got out of the car, and set her on the passenger seat. She raised her head, blinked and woofed softly, then laid her head down on her paws and went back to sleep.
“Yeah, well…,” Jimmy started to protest.
“You’re repeating yourself.” We stood before the door. “Get your key out and move your butt. It’s not getting any warmer out here. Adam….”
“Take as long as you need.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Jimmy kept fumbling for the lock, an
d I wound up taking the key from him and opening the door.
“I can’t understand why I’m so tired.” He took off his jacket and tried to hang it in the coat closet. It fell to the floor, and I picked it up and put it on a hanger.
“How’s your head?”
“It’s fine. Why?”
“Well, you were complaining about a headache before.”
“I was? Oh, yeah, I was. Well, it’s fine now.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I think.”
“Do we need to get you to the ER?”
“For what?”
“Concussion?”
“No, thanks, I already have one.” But he grinned to show he was kidding.
“Jimmy, don’t bust my chops.”
“I’m sorry. Listen, you go on home. I’m going to bed.”
I was right behind him as he walked through the living room to the part of the house where the bedrooms were. There was a nightlight on in the hallway, but all the doors were closed.
Jimmy went to his door, and I followed him into his room.
“Are you planning on staying?”
“No. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Seriously, I’m fine.” He saw I wasn’t going to budge. “Okay, Jeeves, turn down my bed while I brush my teeth.”
“I live to serve.”
“I know you do.” He grinned and shucked off his jeans and shirt. I didn’t take much notice. His maroon boxer briefs were bland compared to the Star Wars underwear we used to wear.
I went to his queen-size bed and started tossing aside the pillows his mom liked to pile on it. As soon as he closed the door to the adjoining bath, though, I stopped what I was doing and pulled out the garlic bulbs I’d stuffed in my pockets before I’d joined Adam and Jimmy at my front door. Adam had given me a puzzled look, but I’d pretended not to notice.
I wasn’t sure if the garlic would work, but Uncle Phil had believed in it, and he had more experience with hostile vampyrs than I did.
I tucked the garlic behind the curtains and on the window sills, then blew out a breath. That was all I could do for now. I just hoped being my friend hadn’t put Jimmy’s life in jeopardy.
When he came out of the bathroom, he was wearing a pair of black-and-red-checked pajama pants and a white undershirt, and the bed was ready for him.
“Thanks, Jimmy.”
“For what?”
“For coming over and cheering me up. That means a lot to me.”
“Hey, we’re friends, right?”
“Right.”
He took a step toward me, and I backed away. I knew he just wanted to hug me, but even for him, I couldn’t tolerate it.
“Shit. It really sucks being your friend, Small.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You gotta lighten up, man. I was teasing! You’re my best friend.”
“And you’re mine.”
We stared at each other for a minute, and then he said gruffly, “Okay, enough of this mushy stuff. Go on home. I’ll give you a call tomorrow after class.”
“Sounds like a plan.” And if I hadn’t heard from him by then… I had no classes myself. I’d come looking for him. “Just do me one favor: don’t let any strangers in.”
“Are you kidding? Who’d come this time of night? Vampyrs?”
I shrugged.
“Seriously? You have been watching too many horror movies, my friend.”
“Humor me?”
“Geez, Ty. Okay, fine. Now I’ll have nightmares.”
“Thank you. G’night, Jimmy.”
“Yeah, yeah. Night, Ty.”
I left him getting into bed. We’d been friends for so long and were so familiar with each other’s houses that he didn’t need to see me out.
I made sure the door was locked behind me and went straight into Adam’s arms.
“Thank you for coming when I asked you to.”
“Of course I came. Did you doubt it?”
“I… I wasn’t sure.”
“Always be sure. I’m your vampyr, aren’t I?” I could feel his lips stretch into a smile against my temple. “How’s your head?”
“It hurts a little.”
He drew back and looked into my eye. “You’re not concussed.”
“You can tell?”
He nodded.
“Well, that’s good. Nothing like a concussion to ruin a romantic night.”
“Let’s go home.” He touched my hair gently. “We have much to talk about.”
HE WAS quiet until we got on the thruway headed north. Mina slept on his lap, and he stroked her absently. Finally he said, “I apologize for earlier tonight.”
“Huh?” I risked a glance at him. “What are you talking about?”
“You shouldn’t have been targeted like that.”
“She was one psycho bitch vamp. Are there many like her?”
“No. While you were with James, I contacted the rege, and he’s going to have this incident looked into.”
“He’s got minions too? Well, yeah, I guess he would.” He was the rege, after all.
“He’ll also make sure no harm comes to your friend.”
“Thank you. I told him not to open the door to strangers, but I’m still worried about him.”
Adam rested his palm on my thigh, and I spread my legs a bit, hoping he’d take the hint and touch my crotch.
He didn’t. He took his hand away instead.
What was going on? Was he going to tell me he wouldn’t be coming to me anymore?
“Adam, about earlier tonight…. Why did you knock on the door? You started to turn the knob, but then you stopped. Why? Why didn’t you just come in?”
“I thought perhaps it might be better if I waited for permission to enter. I didn’t want to startle you.”
I swallowed. “You didn’t want to startle me, or you just didn’t want me?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“You know you have free entry!”
“Actually, I wasn’t sure I was welcome anymore.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Juan de Vivar—”
“That creep.” Talk about another psycho vamp.
“My mother was the one who turned him.”
“So? You didn’t have anything to do with that. Did you?”
“Of course not. That was before I was born. And stop trying to distract me. He would have hurt you. As he hurt your uncle.”
“But he didn’t. And that was thanks to you.”
“Now you’re confusing me, Ty.”
“You were the one who told me I didn’t have to let every vampyr in.”
“Well, thank Lilitu!”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind.”
“Are you… are you disappointed I let the rege feed from me?”
“Of course not. I always knew you would have to feed other vampyrs. It’s your destiny, and for me to resent it or blame you for doing what you were born to do is unfair.”
“Is… is the rege pissed because I turned away those other vampyrs?”
“He is perturbed.”
Oh, boy. My exit came up, and I flipped up the blinker and took it, then let the car roll to a stop at the stop sign.
Adam put his fingers under my chin and turned my face toward him. “I want you to tell me all about these vampyrs.”
“There isn’t anything to tell. They wanted to come in… I said no.”
“Why?”
“Adam, I don’t know.” It was bad enough I felt like I’d cheated on him with the rege. The last thing Adam needed to hear was I didn’t want another vampyr near me. “There was just something about them that really skeeved me. And Mina went nuts each time.”
Hearing her name woke her, and she yawned and sat up.
“Did she.” It was more an affirmation than a question. He rested his hand on her head. “How many did you turn away?”
“Including de Vivar?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“So this last one—”
“Rhiannon.”
“Excuse me?”
“She said her name was Rhiannon.”
“Blonde, blue eyes?”
“Yes. You know her?”
“And the other vampyrs?”
“The other vampyrs what?” I couldn’t help noticing he hadn’t answered my question.
“Their coloring.”
“Uh… two brunettes, a nun, and a redhead. The brunettes were way weird.”
“How…. Never mind. A nun?”
I shrugged. “She was dressed like one. Although I have to tell you none of the sisters I knew dressed like that.”
“Like what?”
“Um…. That thing on their head? A wimple? And a veil and a long, black dress.”
“You know she wasn’t a nun, don’t you?”
“Well, duh. With the way Mina reacted to her I couldn’t miss it.”
“All right. Now tell me, what was it about the brunettes that bothered you?”
“One of them didn’t want to drink my blood—she wanted to suck my dick.”
“What?”
I felt myself blush. She had to be at least thirty-five, and while I’d have welcomed a blowjob from Adam, the thought of this woman going down on me frankly turned my stomach. “Have you ever heard of that?”
He shook his head, looking a little dazed.
“Should I let a vampyr do that?”
He frowned at me. “Only if I’m the vampyr.”
“Okay.” I didn’t even care if that meant I wasn’t a virgin anymore. “Oh, and she was dressed weird too, almost like she was in costume. If it was Halloween I’d have thought she was trick-or-treating. She looked like a Spanish peasant woman.” Mr. Castile, who taught Spanish our senior year, made us study the whole ball of wax: history, diet, clothing. It had been interesting. He’d asked the Home Ec teacher for the use of the kitchen, and we’d made gazpacho and quesadillas.
And I was letting my thoughts wander.
“Hmm. I’d have thought—” Adam shook his head. “Tell me, what struck you about the other brunette?”
“She kept going on about how I needed a mother and she would take care of me.”
Adam looked as baffled as I’d felt. “And you sent her away.”