by C. L. Quinn
“Sarah, Park has an excellent lab. Better than that little one you put together at my stronghold.”
Xavier had insisted that they go to Park’s home with the rest of the group when they arrived back in France.
Less comfortable in a crowd, Sarah hadn’t agreed at first. “My lab has all that I need, sir.”
“Bullshit, my dear. That place that Bas built for Park will knock yer skirts off. She’s got everythin’ and she can help with the tests. Sarah, ye’re gonna love Park.”
Reluctantly, and because he was her boss, she agreed.
Climbing the steep hill that led to Park’s home, their big SUV passed by Koen’s villa. Xavier waved a hand.
“I’ll see me brother tomorrow night. It’s gettin’ a little late now.”
“What if Park doesn’t have room for all of us?” Sarah had always been the most practical woman Xavier had ever known.
“Nay, that isn’t possible. Bas’s villa is bigger than Koen’s. He promised his mate that he’d plant a first blood child in her belly every few years, so he had many chambers built to house all of his children. So far, they’re expectin’ number two.”
“That’s lovely,” Sarah replied.
“Yep, lovely.” Dez glanced toward Olivia, who sat quietly next to Zach. “Right now, first blood kids are coming out of our asses. That includes us too. Won’t mum be surprised to meet you?”
“You never reached her?”
“I only tried the one time. She said she’s busy, so fuck her. Now, I like the idea of shocking her crazy ass.”
“Dez, try to behave civilized, okay?” Zach took her hand.
“Sorry. Everyone here knows that I can be a bitch.”
“Everyone knows that you can be a sweetheart, too.”
Dez’s snort filled the silence in the car, and Xavier began to laugh.
“Ya know how to put on a show, kids. Here we are, this is Bas and Park’s home.”
The three humans and four vampires walked up to double doors in the front of a villa that looked at least four stories high, lit with solar lights rotating in primary colors all around the perimeter of the villa. The door swung open immediately. Bas stood there with his hands up and out.
“Whoa, where did you all come from?”
“Siberia, if ya can believe it. Good evenin’! We’ve come a long way, we’re a weary bunch, hungry, tired. We’ve business with yer wife, but first, we need yer hospitality. May we enter?”
“No, Xavier, no! We have kind of a situation here. Go back down to your brother’s home. I’ll phone and let him know that you’re coming.”
“Aye…” Xavier said, confused. “And what might the situation be that ya turn us away, friend?”
“Contagion, Xavier, one that infects vampires. We’ve logged six human deaths, and now, a vampire has succumbed to it. He’s dead forever.”
“Och, there’s no illness that’ll do that, Bas.”
“This one can. It has. Xavier, it’s serious, and while I’m likely not exposed at this point, it’s still possible, so please, you guys go to Koen’s.”
A voice spoke suddenly from the back of the group.
“I may be able to help. I’m a physician with decades of experience with vampires.”
Bas saw a woman thread her way through the small group. She came around Zach so Bas could see her.
“You’re a physician?”
“She’s my blood-bond,” Xavier said. “Sarah just finished her schoolin’ two months ago. She’s brilliant.”
“Maybe she can help at the lab. Let me speak with Park. In the meantime, go back to Koen’s.”
“Aye, then, we’ll do it. But I still think ya must be overstatin’ the danger. Vampires do not get sick.”
“It’s a new world, Xavier. Some of what we think we know, we’re finding out we don’t.”
Xavier thought of the samples Sarah carried.
“Aye,” he said with a sigh. “Truer than ya even know, brother.”
Bas closed the door and the travelers went back down the hill to knock on a similar door of a similar villa.
This time the door slammed open to a loud welcome.
“Brother of mine! Last I heard, you were at the top of the world in a hole!”
“I crawled out with the help of three lovely women, that’s motivation enough. And now I’ve come to drink all yer fine whisky!”
“Please, you are all welcome. Bas just rang off. How many of you are here?”
“Seven this night. Sarah, ye’ve met, and I think ye already know Zach and Dez. This little darlin’ is Olivia, a brand-new first blood.” Xavier pointed to Nikolai. “I’m not sure why we’ve brought this one along.”
Zip tried to stand as tall as possible around all of these huge men. He kept a proprietary arm around Olivia, but she shrugged it off and stepped forward.
“Hello, handsome,” she said, her best smile showing perfect teeth.
“Down, kitten, he’s mated,” Xavier interjected.
“Ah, well, a girl gets her motor revved, she has to let it purr.” Olivia backed up a step and returned Zip’s arm to her waist. She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Don’t worry, you weren’t being replaced. It’s just habit for me to test new waters. You are still my bestie.”
As his arm tightened, Zip thought, For now.
“This human is Nikolai, a long-term Siberian friend of our little Olivia here and he has something disturbin’ to show everyone. Ye have a last meal tonight for we weary lot?”
“Aye, brother, you know it. My chef is cooking away as we speak. Come in, all of you, we’ll get you settled, then we’ll all meet in the dining room.”
Thirty minutes later, all of the travelers made their way to Koen’s dining room, filled with tables and generous trays of excellent food.
Zach remembered how wonderful Koen’s chef was and began filling a plate with a diversity of food like he hadn’t enjoyed in some time. Dez did the same.
Olivia carefully selected several items she recognized and several that she didn’t. Still though, her plate full, she joined Zach and Dez at a table near the back of the dining room, close to the buffet choices. Zip did the same, but with much less volume, and took a seat by her side.
Sarah and Nikolai smiled to each other as they entered the dining room later than the vampires, selected a few delicious dishes, and chose to sit together one table away from the others.
Koen walked in, followed by a beautiful woman holding his arm. “Hi, I’m Alisa, Koen’s mate,” she said to introduce herself, then went to each of the guests to welcome them and let them know that if they needed anything at all, they should let her know.
Watching her confidently taking care of the villa’s guests, his companion, his mate, Koen felt intense joy for the ten millionth time since he’d met her on the streets of Paris a little over a year ago.
“I’m fascinated to hear your story,” Alisa commented as she selected her fare. “Koen tells me there’s a mystery.”
Koen pulled out a chair for Alisa at a third table where his brother sat with three large plates surrounding him.
“I forget how well ya eat here in the country,” Xavier managed to get out in between hearty bites.
Dez suddenly looked up at the doorway, her mind drawn by a presence that insisted on her attention. She noticed that Olivia did the same.
Tamesine stood there, a long flowing summer dress that grazed her ankles above bare feet made her look like an angel. Her eyes were locked, too, on the two women at the furthest table. Slowly, she walked in, gentle nods to the others, and stopped in front of Dez.
Dez and Olivia seemed mesmerized as Tamesine’s eyes bounced back and forth between them, her brows drawn, her confusion apparent.
“Dez, I’m happy you’re back,” Tamesine finally said, her eyes solely on her daughter now. She switched her gaze to Zach. “Zach? It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Zach stood and bowed. Dez shot a look to him as if to say, What are you doing, b
ut he shrugged, smiled at Tamesine, then dropped back into his seat.
Her eyes moving back to Olivia, Tamesine searched her face carefully. “Do I know you?”
Clearing her throat, Dez drew her mother’s attention back to her.
“That is an interesting story and not one we’ll go over tonight. Are you here for second meal?”
“Yes. Marc’s putting the kids to bed, and he’ll join us in a few moments. I’ll just say welcome, then, and we’ll do introductions when we wake next.”
Finally, second meal finished, everyone retired to their chambers, the visitors settled into safe rooms, all amenities provided.
Dez expected things to be strange the next night. She sought solace in Zach’s arms and he was grateful to provide it. He knew she would need him more than ever now that she was faced with the mother she couldn’t forgive for choices made centuries ago.
Olivia lay still in bed, too excited to sleep. She couldn’t wait for a proper introduction to her great-grandmother. Zip rested quietly by her side, although he didn’t sleep much. He was in the company of giants, literally and figuratively, within this vampire world, he didn’t belong there and knew his time was limited.
Nikolai, alone in a room much too big for one person, with unaccustomed to luxury, eventually took his pillow and a light blanket and went to the floor. The bed was overtly enormous, the mattress too soft, and the colors too passive. He was already uncomfortable with the large numbers of vampires around him, so lying on the harder floor was the only thing that felt normal to him today.
In the room across the hall from Nikolai, Sarah slid into her satin nightgown, grateful to be warm again, happy to feel soft sheets on her skin. She wasn’t spoiled, she had no problem with small spaces and cotton, but at this moment, she relished luxurious, beautiful things. Soon, she wouldn’t have anything like this anymore.
Xavier crashed immediately on top of the bedcovers, his arms and legs spread wide, naked as the day he was born, a smile on his face that likely meant his dreams were pleasurable and decidedly X-rated.
Tamesine curled up next to Marc, but slid back out of their bed to spend most of the daylight in an alcove with a plush chair and a lit candle. Her life had changed so much over the past two years and she knew, incontrovertibly, it was changing again.
Morning bled to afternoon, which gave way to evening, and night finally arrived again. Tamesine woke abruptly, her neck aching, her back stiff, her knees locked. She’d fallen asleep in the chair. Sitting up, she scanned the room.
Marc was gone, and so were the children. Aw, fuck, she’d slept through the kids waking up? Her mate had known that she had a rough night, she’d never left their bed before. Her mind busy, exhaustion and the vampire imperative to rest during daylight had finally forced her to sleep.
She winced as she unfurled her legs, and slowly worked out the frozen knee joints.
“Won’t do that again,” she whispered as she went to the bathroom to prepare herself to join everyone at first meal. Hands propped on the countertop, her eyes on the distraught face in the mirror, she dropped her head and fought to breathe evenly.
Her daughter was back, that’s what counted. She still had a chance to make an impression before Dez left again, perhaps one that would make Dez more likely to consider a dialogue. Then there was the stranger who sat staring at her with searching eyes. That lovely woman had bonded with a spirit amulet that could only have bonded with someone who bore Tamesine’s blood. The questions, the changing tides, the new threat to her race…God, she would need some help getting through this day.
“I’ve got you,” a voice said from behind her.
Marc. The three words that had come to mean even more than I love you at times. It was the first thing she’d ever said to him, in a dream when they were both searching for a way home after life had torn them up.
Hands slid from behind her and weaved around her waist. “It’s all right, baby,” he whispered into her hair.
“With you behind me like this, I don’t doubt it. Thank you, my love. The children are at first meal?”
“Alisa has them. She loves playing mom to them. It has become apparent to her that she isn’t Shoazan.”
“I feel for her and Koen, but they were so lucky to have found each other. The universe did right by them.”
“Hungry?”
“Famished. And exhausted. And emotionally spent before any of the emotional trauma begins tonight. Still think that I’m completely sane?”
“Babe, you’re handling this better than anyone else would. Yes, I do.”
“Let me finish dressing and I’ll be down. You go ahead.”
“I’ll wait.”
“No, Marc. I need a few more minutes, so go ahead. I’m fine, really.” Tamesine kissed him lingeringly. “You’ve pulled me back from the brink.”
“It’s my job. Okay, I’ll see you shortly.”
After he’d gone, Tamesine went into her dressing room and opened a drawer near the bottom of a built-in dresser. Lying wrapped individually, two spirit amulets lay nestled in satin pouches.
She lifted one out and slid it from the pouch to rest in the palm of her hand. Within seconds, the stone in the center began to glow softly. “All right, Dez, we’ll try this again.”
Vaz held his long hair in his hand as he clipped it back. His eyes shot to Burne, lying next to him, still as marble, and nearly as white. She had been unconscious since he got here just before daylight. Now, nearly sunset, he slid his jeans on and reached for his travel bag.
Although he’d slept some once the sun arrived, he awakened often to walk over to her bedside and take her hand. All of his reassurances, that he was here, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, fell on ears unable to hear him. He continued anyway.
“Hey, Vaz.” A quiet, warm voice came through the intercom.
Vaz looked up and saw Park leaning against the glass that lined the front of the isolation area.
“Hey. Did you rest?”
After he nodded, he elaborated. “Enough. Any news?”
“No. Baron will be in shortly with three of the virologists from Paris. We’ll get a handle on this eventually, but for now, we have to be extraordinarily careful. An idiopathic virus that can kill vampires terrifies me, Vaz. I’m staying here because I was with Bernie when she began to bleed. Until we have a real idea what we’re up against, I won’t risk our community or my family.”
“Understandable. I’ve closed off access and egress from my home in Switzerland until further notice. My security team is keeping the entire household isolated so that whatever this is can be contained.”
He leaned over Burne and touched her cheek, his fingers sliding along the smooth skin. “She’s so cold.”
“Last night she was burning up. Everything about this contagion is counter-intuitive. What it should do, it doesn’t. More important, though, is the fact that what it should not be able to do, which is dominate our vampire cells, it is apparently very efficient at.”
“Park, be straight with me, what are the odds that Bernie is going to lose this fight?”
Resting her head on the dividing glass, Park sighed.
“I can’t say. A day ago, I would have laughed at that question. Tonight, all I can say is that we will do all that we can. When Baron arrives, I’m going to have him give her a blood transfusion with my blood. It has properties that no one has ever seen, so I pray that it will help her to fight off this virus. But Vaz, Baron has tested the virus with my blood, and eventually, it seems to be able to override my cells, too.”
Vaz was quiet as he brushed back Burne’s hair, which was so short it didn’t touch her forehead, but he did anyway. “I understand. Thank you, for whatever you guys can do. Make sure that Baron knows he can use me any way he needs as a lab rat.”
Aware that he could see the sorrow in her eyes, Park turned from the glass. “Sure, Vaz. I’ll make sure you get first meal shortly. I’m going to see if anything has been delivered yet.”
More than that, she needed some fresh air. Things were likely to get so much worse before they got better.
Nine
Everyone was very polite at first meal. Tamesine entered after the entire household had arrived, so there were many sets of eyes on her as she made her way across the room to the table where Marc sat with Koen and Alisa and their children.
Her eyes bounced over to the table next to that one where her daughter and her troupe enjoyed piled trays of breakfast foods prepared by Koen’s chef. After an awkward smile, she sat down and sighed as Marc rose.
“I’ll get your plate, Tam,” he said without her request.
“Bless you,” she responded, as she turned to Alisa.
“Were the kids good for you?”
“Angels. I don’t see how it is fair that you have two and I don’t even have one.”
Tamesine tried to smile. “Go ahead, take your pick. It appears I have children coming out of my hair these days.”
Koen leaned back, a cup of black coffee in his hand. “Tamesine, you’re fine. Take this in stride.”
Koen was right. If nothing else, she had learned that from her crisis.
It is okay, it will all be okay.
“Thank you for the reminder. We’ve a lot facing us now, though. Have you heard from Park?”
“Not tonight. I know that Vaz inserted himself into the isolation ward with Bernie, so he’s isolated now too. Eillia’s compelled genetic researchers should be there by now.”
Eillia looked up from her meal. “For all the good they will do. This is vampire magic, I feel it. I doubt they can do anything to help.”
“I hope they can. Truly, I think we’re out of options if we have a runaway virus that no one can stop. This isn’t just vampires, it’s humans and probably all supernatural beings. A pandemic like this has never been seen before.”