In Memories We Fear

by Barb Hendee

  “Don’t be afraid,” Eleisha said, turning off the water, but still ready to make him freeze if he bolted. Now that she had him, she was not letting him out of here.

  Eleisha?

  Rose’s voice sounded inside her head.

  Blessing Seamus’ name, Eleisha flashed back, Where are you?

  I’m just outside the opening. Should I come in?

  Turn your gift on first . . . as high as you can.

  Just the thought of having help from Rose made Eleisha feel better, more confident in their chance of success, but she kept her focus sharp, ready to stop Maxim if he charged at Rose.

  She slipped into his head.

  A friend is coming inside. She will not hurt you. She’s come to help.

  His expression shifted to panic, and she knew he’d understood some of what she’d just related.

  Long, brown hair with white streaks came through the hole near the ground, and in spite of the bizarre circumstances, Eleisha could not help thinking how strange it was to see Rose crawling through a hole into an abandoned building and hiking her long skirt with one hand. Both her gloves were soiled.

  Maxim dropped onto all fours again, moving nervously on the balls of his feet from one side to the other, nearly dancing in agitation, but a feeling of calm spread through Eleisha as Rose stood up and smiled gently.

  “It’s all right,” she said.

  When she spoke, Maxim stopped shifting, and Eleisha could hear the power of Rose’s words, hear her wisdom, and could know indeed that everything was all right. Shaking her head, Eleisha tried to focus again, to shake off the strength of Rose’s gift, but she found herself in a haze of awe at Rose’s wisdom.

  “Turn it down a little,” she said. “I can’t think straight.”

  The feeling faded, but thankfully, Maxim still watched Rose in wonder.

  “Oh my God,” Rose whispered, staring back at him.

  Eleisha suddenly remembered this was the first time Rose had seen Maxim. His appearance could be quite shocking at first.

  “Don’t get too close yet,” Eleisha warned. “He startles easily, but he’s getting better by the hour.”

  “Look at the state of him.”

  “I know.” Eleisha hesitated, not sure how to broach her next idea. “That may be part of the problem where Philip’s concerned.” She wished Rose could see some of Maxim’s memories right now, but they had no time. “I brought some clothes and soap . . . a towel. I thought the first thing we should try to do is improve his appearance. He seems to react to how others react to him.”

  Rose was still absorbing the situation, but she held up a small drugstore bag. “I bought a toothbrush and a mirror.”

  “Good.” Then a hint of worry struck Eleisha. “But you gave Philip the slip? He has no idea where you are?”

  “None,” Rose said with resolution. “Seamus led him toward the south side of the city, then teleported back and brought me here.”

  Well, that was something. They needed to get Maxim clean, dressed, and a great deal more coherent before Philip or Wade saw him again.

  However, good intentions were cheap. Achieving them was another matter. Eleisha took off her coat and dropped it on a crate.

  “Um . . . okay, Rose, you keep him here for a few minutes. There’s a sink in the back, but I need to run the water for a few minutes to get it clean. Don’t try to touch him or move toward him. Just talk to him and keep your gift on.”

  This was not going to be easy.

  She grabbed the backpack with the clothes and shampoo, and she hurried to the sink, turning on the faucet and letting it spit until the air pockets were cleaned out and the brown water began turning clear.

  Turning the faucet off, she went back to Maxim and Rose.

  “See if you can coax him to follow. Don’t worry. I won’t let him rush at you if he panics.”

  Rose nodded and smiled at Maxim. “Come with me,” she said. “Come this way.” She stepped toward the sink, and Eleisha remained poised and ready, but the strength of Rose’s gift flowed out, and Maxim followed her like a child all the way to the sink.

  Eleisha stepped around him. She took the mirror from Rose’s shopping bag and held it up for Maxim to see. “Look in here. This is you. This is what you look like to other people.”

  She remembered Adalrik showing Maxim his beautiful, slender face in the dining room mirror, and how they’d both studied it. Maxim’s eyes lowered into the mirror in confusion, and then his teeth snapped together. He jumped backward.

  “No,” Eleisha repeated, holding the mirror up and moving after him. “You need to see this.”

  “Look in the mirror, Maxim,” Rose said gently. “See yourself.”

  The power of her gift drifted through the small space, and this time, he focused on the reflection looking back at him. Something flickered in his face . . . first shock and then sorrow. A small noise came from the back of his throat.

  Eleisha knew he was ready.

  Okay, she flashed to Rose, we’re going to have to do this next part the hard way, and you’ll need to do most of the work. Get ready.

  She hated to damage whatever trust she’d established with Maxim, but she just didn’t see any other way. He’d never let them undress him and wash his hair. Not even Rose’s gift would get him to allow that.

  Freeze!

  She drove the command into his brain so hard that every muscle in his body tensed. His face contorted as he tried to fight, but otherwise, he was completely rigid. Eleisha focused all her strength on holding him there.

  Rose did not waste any time or need any instructions. She instantly peeled the tattered remains of his shirt from his body, and then she unfastened his pants, pulling them down.

  Lift your leg, Eleisha commanded.

  Maxim did, and Rose got his pant leg off.

  Now the other one.

  He wasn’t wearing underwear, and his body was crusted with filth. Rose took off her gloves, got the washcloth wet, and soaped it up.

  “Try to get him closer to the water,” she said.

  Step forward and lean down, Eleisha ordered.

  Fear and confusion poured from his mind, but he could not help acting upon her commands, and he seemed to have no mental defenses at all. Apparently, Adalrik had never taught him how to block another telepath. How was that possible? That was always the first thing Eleisha taught.

  However, at the moment, she wasn’t complaining.

  Within seconds, Rose was soaping him up and scrubbing him, and Eleisha couldn’t help but admire the ease with which her friend handled this task. In life, Rose had been a midwife, and the human body was no mystery to her—although how many naked men she’d seen was uncertain.

  Eleisha, however, had seen naked men before, but only a few. In both her mortal life and after she’d been turned, she’d cared for Julian’s father, including helping him to bathe. She’d seen Philip naked a number of times, but only when he stepped from the shower or changed his clothes.

  Rose washed Maxim and then rinsed him with her hands as if such an act were second nature. She washed his hair with shampoo, scrubbing his scalp with her fingers while his eyes stared wide with panic, and he continued trying to fight Eleisha’s control.

  Rose dried him thoroughly with a towel and then said, “Perhaps we should wait to brush his teeth. I think he’s had enough.”

  “No,” Eleisha managed to get out, still holding him with her mind. “I don’t want to put him through this again for a while. Do it now.”

  With a small frown, Rose picked up the toothbrush. “Don’t let him bite me.”

  Eleisha kept Maxim leaning over the sink, and she held him there hard. Although she agreed with Rose that he’d had enough, his teeth were so yellow (even brown) in places that no matter what else they did for his appearance, his teeth would give him away.

  Rose parted his lips with her fingers and began brushing. This was by far the most difficult task she’d attempted.

  Open your mou
th, Eleisha drove into his mind.

  He did, but his eyes widened even more.

  This went on for a while until Rose said finally, “That’s all I can do with a brush. I’m going to get him dressed.”

  Eleisha did not object as her strength was beginning to wane. Holding him like this was growing more and more difficult.

  Following the same pattern they’d used to get his clothes off, Rose put a pair of Philip’s jeans on Maxim and then pushed his arms into the sleeves of the sweater before pulling it over his head. The clothes were too large, but at least he was dressed. She combed his hair until it hung in long, damp, clean layers around his face.

  While he did not yet fully resemble the beautiful young man in his memories, he did look much improved and good enough to walk around in public.

  “These shoes will never work,” Rose was saying as she slipped on her gloves. “They’re too big, and we’ll have to roll up the bottoms of these jeans.”

  But Eleisha was beginning to tremble from effort, and she was only half listening. “Turn your gift back on. I’m going to let him go.”

  Rose tensed, stepping away, and Eleisha released him. The instant he realized his muscles were working, he darted across the room until Rose called.

  “Maxim.”

  The sound of her voice and the power of her gift caused him to stop and look back at her. He was still traumatized by the personal invasion they’d just inflicted upon him, but Rose picked up the mirror and walked over, holding it out for him. “Now look again.”

  He looked down, taking in the reflection, and he touched his damp hair. Eleisha took this as a good sign—a normal response. That was what anyone would do.

  But then Maxim looked over at Eleisha and back to Rose, and his expression changed to sorrow and confusion again.

  “Braaaaaandeeen?” he croaked.

  Rose jumped slightly. “He’s speaking! What is he trying to say?”

  Pity washed through Eleisha. Poor Maxim. He’d forgotten everything for so long, and she was forcing him to remember. Perhaps he had no idea how much time had passed.

  “He’s asking for Brandon,” she answered softly. “Someone who loved him. Someone who took care of him.”

  Mary had no trouble zoning in on two clear signatures—and on one faint signature. She materialized just off Pentonville Road and looked at the graffiti-covered, abandoned building.

  Had Philip located the crazy vampire so soon? Perhaps this would all be over tonight. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. It seemed almost . . . anticlimactic. Afterward, Julian would go back to Wales and order Jasper back to San Francisco, and Mary would simply be waiting for the next vampire Eleisha and Wade managed to find.

  It was rather a disappointing adventure on the whole.

  Mary often enjoyed this part of the hunt, and although, of course, it would please Julian to have it finished so quickly and easily, without even having to show himself, she wasn’t looking forward to just hanging around the church, watching and waiting again.

  Maybe . . . maybe she could talk Julian into letting her and Jasper stay in London for a little while? Didn’t they deserve a reward of some kind? Jasper hadn’t done anything this time around, but there’d been nothing for him to do. That wasn’t his fault. And Mary had worked her ass off.

  Yes, she’d tell Julian he’d better give them a little vacation. After all, he needed her, and although they never talked about it, they were both well aware he was blind without her.

  She floated a little closer to the abandoned building, making sure she kept to the shadows. Nothing seemed to be happening in there—no noise, no crashing sounds at all . . . no screaming.

  And since she was picking up two strong vampire signatures, that meant if Philip was inside, he wasn’t alone. Would Eleisha or Rose just let him take this crazy vampire’s head? That didn’t seem likely, not after some of the things Eleisha had said to Philip back at Westminster Hall.

  Frustrated, Mary realized she had to find out who was in there and what was going on. But how? Could she blink herself inside and somehow stay hidden? Probably not.

  “What are you doing here? What do you want with us?”

  Mary froze at the deep voice and the heavy accent. Slowly, she half turned to see a six-foot, transparent Scottish Highlander standing right beside her.

  He didn’t look happy.

  Seamus had waited outside the abandoned building. He knew the sight of him agitated Maxim, but he remained poised and ready, in case Rose called him. As he was still torn over whether they were doing the right thing, it bothered him to pick sides against Wade, but in truth, Wade hadn’t voiced a side yet. He simply hadn’t disagreed with Philip.

  Having Rose along on this journey had been an unexpected relief, and Seamus had remained at full strength most of the time. She was handling the journey far better than he’d anticipated, following him through the dark streets of London without question until they’d reached Eleisha here. Perhaps her belief in the mission was overriding her phobias.

  So he’d remained outside and waited . . . until the air wavered near the low, open hole leading inside, and he watched the magenta-haired girl materialize. He froze, just observing her for a few moments. This was the first clear look he’d ever had. The only other time he’d seen her was in an outdoor parking lot in San Francisco when she’d attempted to terrify Eleisha. In turn, Seamus had scared her off that night, and he’d tried to follow when she blinked out, but he’d lost her signature too quickly.

  Now he studied her profile. She was younger than he’d first thought, maybe sixteen. Her face was sharp . . . intelligent. But whenever she showed up, violent trouble always followed.

  This time, if she blinked out, he wasn’t going to lose her.

  He dematerialized and popped back in only a few steps away.

  “What are you doing here? What do you want with us?”

  Her transparent body tensed, and then she turned to look at him. Her eyes widened.

  “Oh jeez!”

  She vanished instantly, but he’d locked onto the particular “hole in the world” her presence created, and he followed.

  Mary was so panicked that she teleported all the way to a parking lot at Heathrow Airport. How could she have been so stupid? She’d been so focused on the vamps inside the building, she’d forgotten to sense for Seamus.

  To her horror, the second she appeared in a dark corner of the parking lot, he materialized a few feet away. She honestly didn’t know if he could hurt her or not, but she couldn’t go anywhere near Julian until she’d lost him.

  “You stop,” he ordered. “Tell me what you want from us.”

  Wow, he was big. He looked like something from a painting in a museum.

  Her mind raced. She could go anywhere, and he was tied to Rose. That was his weakness. But his colors were bright, and he didn’t seem to be weakening one bit.

  How could she lose him? Maybe distract him for a few seconds and then vanish?

  He was standing farther into the light than she was, and a family pulling rolling suitcases was now walking their way.

  “Ghost!” Mary screamed. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! There’s a ghost!”

  She couldn’t help a moment of glee when his expression switched to surprise, and he jerked his head toward the family.

  A little girl saw him and began to scream.

  “Daddy! Daddy!”

  “Hah!” Mary taunted Seamus, and popped out.

  She rushed back toward King’s Cross Station and rematerialized in the darkness behind the British Library, fairly certain she’d lost him but wanting to make sure.

  The air shimmered.

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” she moaned.

  He appeared directly in front of her. “Stop this!” he said. “You tell me who you are and what you want!”

  She blinked out, and this time, she could think of only one thing that might keep him busy long enough to lose his hold on her signature. Her cover was blown anyway,
and she had nothing left to lose.

  In a flash, she materialized inside the abandoned building, quickly taking in the entire scene. Eleisha and Rose were both crouched on the floor, and they seemed to be trying to talk to the crazy vampire—who looked substantially better. He was still paper white, but at least his hair was clean and he was dressed.

  Eleisha looked over at Mary and stood up in alarm. She was so pretty. Mary would have given anything to look like that back in life. But now wasn’t the time for regrets. Mary waited only long enough for the first hint of Seamus rematerializing, and then she screamed again—loud.

  “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

  She charged the crazy vamp on the floor and watched him shrink in terror as he took in the sight of her magenta hair, nose stud, and transparent form. Hissing and spitting, he darted, trying to get past Rose—who was closest to the exit hole.

  “Maxim!” Eleisha shouted, moving after him.

  And the whole room exploded into confusion. A huge furry orange cat jumped on Eleisha’s back, and a gray tabby leapt up on a box, spitting louder than Maxim. Rose somehow managed to keep herself between Maxim and the escape hole, and she seemed to be trying to say something, but in all the chaos, she was too startled to get much out.

  Maxim charged at her.

  “Rose!” Seamus yelled, blinking over in front of her, trying to herd Maxim away by waving his arms.

  There it was: the perfect moment.

  Mary couldn’t help smiling as she blinked out.

  Eleisha had the presence of mind to ignore the enraged cat clawing at her back and to focus every ounce of energy she had left on Maxim.

  Freeze!

  His slender body jerked to a halt, but his eyes glowed with anger this time. Maybe he was getting tired of having his brain invaded. The cat on her back stopped at the same moment, its mind seemingly connected to Maxim’s—something Eleisha had counted on.

  But her back hurt, and she had a bad feeling her shirt had been shredded.

  Seamus immediately began turning around, casting his gaze everywhere. “Oh no.”