“What?” I jumped up from the armrest of the couch, where I had been sitting, watching Henry. “You’re wrong!” I said, panic setting in. “Why would you even say something so stupid?” I spat out at Lucas.
David remained eerily quiet, his mouth hanging open in shock and disbelief.
“It’s true, Aurora,” Nicholas said in a low voice.
I spun towards him. “You, too?” I screamed. “What is wrong with you guys?”
“We realized it as soon as we got to the Gates,” Nicholas said. “Vampires sense human blood, and we both immediately knew that Henry had been turned. That’s probably why Henry insisted on driving himself there. He didn’t want us to find out until after everything was over.”
“Oh God, what have I done? I could have been there for him, could have stopped this!” David Matthews buried his face in his hands as his body shook uncontrollably. I almost, almost, felt sorry for him. But I was in too much shock. And really, Mr. Matthews didn’t deserve any sympathy.
“That’s ridiculous!” I tried again. “It’s illegal to turn a human. And neither of you would do it! So who? Who?” I screamed, my voice reaching a fever pitch.
“There’s only one vampire I can think of,” Lucas said grimly. “Jet.”
“The head vampire?” Mr. Matthews asked incredulously. “You’re telling me my son was turned by the head vampire?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know,” Lucas replied. “And yeah, at this point, that’s my best guess. I knew I didn’t like the guy.”
“Well I’m going over there right now,” I seethed.
“I’ll go with you,” Lucas replied.
“No!” Nicholas said firmly. “Lucas, with all due respect, brother, your head’s not screwed on straight about this. I get that Jet owes us answers – if in fact he is Henry’s maker – but I’ll go with Aurora.”
“I want to give him a piece of my mind,” Lucas argued.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. You can’t kill Jet.” Lucas started to protest but Nicholas held up his hand. “You can deny it all you want, but I know you, I know your thought process. And, fuck, I get it. But you can’t stake him. You’d have a target on your back so big that you might as well just commit suicide before they got to you. You’re not thinking clearly. Which is why I am going with Aurora to get some answers. And besides, someone needs to stay with Henry. He should be waking up soon,” Nicholas said.
“I can stay with my son,” David countered.
“Uh, you do realize you’re still human, right?” Nic asked. “I’m not sure hanging out alone with a newly turned vamp is the smartest thing to do. It takes some practice in self-restraint to resist human blood. You want Henry to wake up and decide he needs a snack?”
David didn’t answer.
“Fine,” Lucas said angrily. “Just go, before I change my mind.” I had never heard Lucas so furious before.
Nicholas grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door. “We’re taking Henry’s car,” he said as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“How come you’re not angrier about this?” I demanded, getting into the passenger seat.
At first Nicholas didn’t answer, and I could tell he was weighing his next words carefully. “It’s just…ultimately, it’s Henry’s life. If he made the decision on his own – without Jet forcing him – then I’m not sure what there is to be angry about.” He paused. “You’ve got to remember, I turned Lucas without his permission. Sure, it was a different time and a different place, but I just can’t judge the situation until we have all the facts.”
“I guess,” I grumbled.
“Lucas doesn’t believe that vampires should ever turn humans, but I know it’s not that black and white,” Nicholas continued. “Nothing ever truly is.” His words hung in the air as I fell silent, brooding, watching out the window, until we left the residential streets and turned onto the deserted road that led to Jet’s isolated house.
I had managed to calm down a little during the drive, but when his ominous lair came into view, I could feel myself bubbling with renewed anger. It had to be Jet who did this to Henry. There was no one else. And Nicholas was wrong; there would never have been a good enough reason.
Nicholas had barely stopped the car when I jumped out, stormed up to the tall gate that surrounded the front garden and rang the buzzer. A moment later, Jet’s voice came through the intercom. “Aurora! I didn’t expect you tonight. I hope everything is okay. I’ll be right out.”
I stood impatiently tapping my foot while we waited on Jet.
“Lassie, stay,” Jet instructed as he stepped out into the yard and came to unlock the gate.
“You must be Nicholas Winchester?” he asked as we followed him towards the house.
“The one and only,” Nicholas quipped. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Jet opened the front door of the house and we followed him inside, where he led us to the room that Henry and I had been in during my last visit.
“What happened tonight?” Jet asked, looking worried. “Did it go as according to plan?”
Nicholas sat down on the couch but I remained standing. “Did you do it?” I asked angrily, ready to lunge at Jet if he admitted he had.
Jet’s face registered what looked like genuine surprise. “You mean did I turn Henry? Yes, I did, but why in the world are you so furious?”
Unable to stop myself, I started punching Jet, over and over in the chest. He barely flinched. After a minute, he reached out and grabbed each of my fists with his hands, stopping my assault. “Aurora, what’s gotten into you?”
I half expected for Nicholas to try and intervene, but he didn’t.
With a frustrated moan, I wrenched my arms out of Jet’s grasp and slumped down on the couch next to Nicholas.
“Why would you turn him? Why? I know he didn’t want this. And isn’t it illegal anyway?” I demanded.
Jet gave me an odd look. “Well, yeah, it’s illegal. But that’s why I won’t get caught.” He paused. “I thought Henry would have told you what he was planning?”
“What do you mean?” Nicholas asked.
“Henry came to see me Wednesday night,” Jet explained, sitting down across from us and raking his hands through his dark hair. “He asked me to turn him into a vampire. I have to admit I was intrigued by his request; it was more than tempting, to be the maker of the world’s most powerful warlock.”
“I don’t believe Henry asked you that!” I sputtered. “He would never, not in a million years…” My voice trailed off.
Jet held up his hands in surrender. “Look, you’re going to have to talk to Henry about the how and why – I’m just telling you what happened. I initially said that I wouldn’t do it, not unless he was absolutely 100% certain. I asked him if he was prepared to spend eternity trying to avoid sunlight, craving human blood but being forced to drink the synthetic kind instead, having to learn to control the rage and sheer power when your teeth come out. I didn’t sugar coat it. I said that for all the pros, there were three times as many cons.”
“And?” I demanded.
“Henry revealed the real reason he’d gotten the idea in the first place. The spell to close the Gates required blood from a newly turned vampire,” Jet said.
“So that was why he cut his arm, at the very end of the spell,” I whispered.
“Even then,” Jet continued, “I said there was no reason it had to be him. I offered to turn another human and get the blood he needed. But Henry was adamant.”
My anger with Jet was starting to fade but quickly being replaced by another feeling: intense hurt. How could Henry make a decision like that without so much as asking my opinion?
“But he was at school Thursday and Friday,” I said. “In broad daylight.”
Jet nodded. “He had to be turned within 24 hours of the spell. I advised Henry to think about it, and come back and see me Friday night if he was certain that was what he wanted.”
Nicholas, who had been
silent for most of this, finally spoke. “It sounds like Henry has chosen his destiny,” he said quietly. I knew what he was really saying: I had no right to be mad about this.
“Why are you so upset?” Jet asked me pointedly. “Honestly, I thought you and Lucas were together. I know Henry is a close friend, but is there something more?”
“No, of course not,” I said, a little too defensively.
Jet shrugged. “I assumed, since the four of you were working together, that Henry would tell you what he’d become. He wouldn’t have a choice, really, because Lucas and Nicholas would sense that he has vampire blood coursing through his veins, not human blood.”
“He didn’t tell me anything,” I said, my voice flat.
“That’s all I know. I promise. You’ll have to direct any other questions towards Henry. Speaking of which, why did you storm over here to confront me? Is he hurt? Can someone enlighten me as to what went down tonight?” Jet asked.
“It didn’t exactly go according to plan,” Nicholas said, shaking his head. “But it wasn’t a total failure either.” I let Nic tell Jet what had happened, elaborating on the parts that he and Lucas couldn’t quite see because they were trapped by the markings Mr. Matthews had drawn.
“That’s amazing!” Jet said when we had finished. “If you ask me, this went better than you could have hoped. Tobias is dead, which means that we won’t have to deal with him ever again.”
“The spell is supposed to seal the Gates forever,” I reminded Jet.
“Right, but even forever has an expiration date,” he replied. “We’re immortal. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no imminent danger of the Gates being thrown back open tomorrow, but there’s also no guarantee that someone – or something – won’t figure out how to open them in another thousand years.”
“He’s right,” Nicholas said. “Tobias dead is even better than him going to Hell. At least Magnus, although he’s pure evil, isn’t a crazy evil.”
“What about Leon?” Jet asked. “Is he locked in Hell, too?”
“Everything was so, uh, chaotic when we got back to Lucas’ place that I didn’t get a chance to ask Matthews about Leon,” Nicholas said. “But I have a sinking suspicion that David warned him to get out of Hell. His true loyalties have always been with Leon, not Tobias, and he suspected something big was happening tonight.”
“You killed Tobias – if Leon’s on the surface, you’ll kill him, too,” Jet said confidently.
“We need to get back,” Nicholas said.
“I’m surprised you came here instead of Lucas,” Jet commented. “He must be even more furious than you, Aurora. I know how Lucas feels about breaking the rules – especially when it comes to turning humans that weren’t selected by the lottery. I don’t even think he approves of the lottery, to be honest.”
Nicholas shrugged, unwilling to give Jet any further information.
After we were back on the road, Nicholas asked if anyone had contacted Emmett. “You know he’s got to be worried sick,” he said.
I picked up my phone and sent a text message to Lucas asking if they’d been in touch with Emmett. He immediately responded that Emmett was at his apartment.
“Apparently, Emmett is there now,” I told Nicholas. “This ought to be one big fun party.”
Nicholas laughed. “Now why do I have the feeling you don’t really mean that?”
Chapter 13
When we got back to Lucas’ apartment, Henry was awake. I vowed I wasn’t going to show any emotion – at least not in front of everyone – but I knew the hurt and betrayal I felt at his decision was written all over my face.
Henry looked away, unable to meet my gaze. The tension was so thick you could cut the air with a knife.
“I’m glad you’re okay, man,” Nicholas said, trying to lighten the mood.
Henry managed a faint, appreciative smile. “Uh, is there somewhere Aurora and I can talk? Alone?”
“The bedroom,” Lucas answered. He had calmed down from when Nicholas and I left; now he just looked tired, resigned.
I led the way to Lucas’ bedroom, vaguely registering how weird it was to be in there with Henry.
“Look, I don’t want you to hate me,” he started.
“But, Henry, why?” I broke in, unable to stop myself.
He sighed and sat down on the edge of Lucas’ bed. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me,” I said gently, sitting down next to him.
“Remember how I told you my eyesight became perfect after I was bitten by Bartholomew?” Henry asked.
I nodded.
“Well, I didn’t say anything, but there was other stuff, too. It’s hard to explain, but for the first time in my life I truly felt alive. More powerful, physically stronger than I’ve ever been – even when I spend hours every day in the gym.”
“Yeah, so vampires have a lot of strength,” I said quietly. “That seems like an awfully small reason to do something so drastic. Is that really why you made this decision?”
“When I saw that the spell needed a newly turned vampire’s blood, I got the idea in my head that it should be me. It started consuming me to the point where that’s all I thought about. I debated telling you guys, but I knew everyone would try and talk me out of it. And besides, the only vampires I knew were Lucas and Nicholas. Neither of them would have been on board. So when you took me to meet Jet, the whole thing just seemed perfect. I knew then and there it was my fate. My destiny.”
Henry paused. “Say something, Rory,” he said softly. “I’m not used to you being at a loss for words,” he teased.
“I’m just…sad,” I said honestly. “This is why you made me promise that nothing would change between us?”
“Yeah. I wanted to tell you myself, I really did. But it would have jeopardized the plan tonight if I’d said anything beforehand. I didn’t realize the spell was going to make me pass out. I was going to tell you as soon as we got out of there. Of course, I knew Nicholas and Lucas would already have sensed it, but I had every intention of you hearing it from me.”
“So Jet really didn’t influence you?” I asked. “I tried to beat him up,” I said. “I thought he had strong-armed you.”
Henry laughed. “Not at all,” he said. “Quite the opposite, actually. I thought he would agree in a flash, especially after he practically offered to turn me the first time we met. But he initially shot me down – and pretty hard. It took some convincing on my part, and even then I was worried he wouldn’t go through with it.”
“What was it like?” I asked, not wanting to picture Jet’s pointy teeth sinking into Henry’s neck, but not being able to get the image out of my mind either.
“At first, a warm, comforting feeling came over me, like I could drift off to sleep. And then, I felt like I woke up, for the first time in my life. I’m still me…but I’m not. In a good way.”
I gulped. “What about the, uh, cravings?”
“Not as bad as I thought it might have been. I’ll be fine. I’ve only had synthetic, and apparently the initial months are the toughest. Jet said I can stay with him, or he’ll get me an apartment. Either way, I know he’ll make sure I keep in line. He’s my brother now. I finally understand the relationship with your maker. I would do anything for Jet. I’ll be working with him from now on, helping him in any way he needs.”
“But what about school?” I blurted out, realizing how ridiculous of a worry that was.
Henry shrugged. “I’ll finish the year out in home school. You know, when I saw my father…” Henry’s voice trailed off.
I looked away guiltily. All this time I had known about David Matthews and kept it from Henry.
“I guess I wasn’t surprised,” he finally said. “It didn’t make sense that I was a warlock, so powerful, without some type of link in my family. I started suspecting a few weeks ago that I got my warlock abilities from him, but I didn’t realize he was working for Leon. I wish you had told me, when you found out.”
“I
didn’t know how to tell you. I thought you wouldn’t believe me, and you’d hate me for even suggesting such a thing. Please don’t be mad at me,” I whispered.
“As long as you’re not mad at me!” Henry shot back.
I mustered a smile. Henry forgives me for hiding his father’s secret while I forgive him for becoming a vampire. It was the last thing in the world I thought could ever happen.
“Emmett and Lucas – and even my father – told me everything after I woke up,” Henry continued. “I guess I can understand, in a way, why you guys kept it from me. I don’t think I would have believed it anyway. And honestly, it makes it easier to accept, now that I’m a vampire. I’ll always care for my parents, but Jet is my real family now.”
Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely sure why I was so upset. Henry seemed completely secure, pleased, with his decision. And he had readily forgiven me for keeping his father’s true identity a secret. So why did I feel like the rug had been ripped out from underneath me? I think, somewhere deep in my mind, the fact that Henry was human had meant I could never be with him. Sure, it might have worked for a few years, but in the long run? No way. Henry would have grown old while I stayed the same. We’d have to hide as soon as the age difference became apparent; people would either think Henry was my father or a pedophile or a sugar daddy.
But now, he was immortal. The playing field had been leveled. I had to make a decision between Henry and Lucas, and there would be no other reason except the feelings I had in my un-beating heart. I wouldn’t be able to play the mortal vs. immortal card.
If that’s even what Henry wants anymore, I reminded myself. No matter what he said, everything had changed. Permanently. Irreversibly.
When we got back out into the main room, everyone turned to look at us. I forced a smile. “At least Tobias is dead and Magnus is in Hell,” I said. “And Leon’s in Hell, too?” I asked, turning to Mr. Matthews. I hoped Nicholas’ hunch about him warning Leon was wrong.
“Well, about that…” David hedged.
“He already told us,” Lucas said, “when you went to Jet’s house. Leon’s on the surface now.”
End Game (Vampire Hunter Book 6) Page 8