by Lilly Gayle
“No.” His answer lacked heat or anger, as if he’d expected the question and understood her need to ask. “I loved her. She was my wife.”
Amber felt as if someone had pulled the rug out from under her. The world tilted. Her knees buckled. Gerard pulled her closer.
“Wife?” How could her mother keep something like that a secret? Why had she never guessed Greg was her mother’s second husband?
She’d never seen any pictures of her mother with another man—just that one picture of her father—of Greg—with the mysterious soldier she now knew was Nicolas.
“We eloped right after graduation,” he said with love in his eyes. “I joined the army and we moved to Germany. I was stationed at Grafenwoehr. We lived in Eschenbach, and everything was going great until that explosion ripped open my gut. By the time I got to Landstuhl, I knew I wasn’t going to make it. My one desire was to see my wife one more time. Surratt granted me that wish on the condition that I erase her memory afterward. Neither of us knew until later that I’d gotten your mother pregnant.”
“He turned you into a vampire.” She glared at the musty-smelling old man who looked like a gaunt version of Christopher Lee’s Dracula. “He created the bloodsucking-bastard who killed my mother—your wife.”
The hurled accusations didn’t faze Surratt. He merely inclined his head as if in agreement. “Claus was a mistake. But he was a descendant of sorts. I thought he would be a benefit to the cause. He was an uncontrollable zealot. I’m sorry about your mother.”
Fury mixed with grief prevented Amber from speaking.
Gerard had no problem voicing his opinion. “I don’t know how the two of you found her or why you’re following her, but she doesn’t pose a threat to vampires. At least not to those who don’t pose a threat to humans.”
Again Surratt dipped his gaunt chin. “Precisely why I’m here.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Gerard’s fangs descended. His eyes blazed red.
Surratt smiled. “I had to see for myself that she isn’t a threat to our kind. It’s my job.”
“Your job?” Amber asked, her voice so tight it hurt to speak. “Who the hell hired you? And exactly what is your job?”
“I’m leader of the Shedu, a benevolent breed of what Mesopotamian folklore call the Utukku. Europeans call us Vampire.”
Amber’s pulse jumped. “How damn long have you been around?”
“Since 4000 B.C.”
The truth—if it was the truth—staggered her. Her knees buckled. Nicolas stepped forward but Gerard drew her closer. She felt pinned between the two immortals—drawn to both.
“Jesus!”
“Long before him,” Surratt said with a wan smile. “But not as long ago as some vampires believe. Neither Lilith nor Cain was a vampire, but fear of the wrath of Cain has kept many murderous vampires in line.”
“Is that your job too? Too keep vampires in line or destroy them?” She pulled away from Gerard, stepping in front of him as if she could protect him from the ancient vampire.
Gerard pulled her back, placing her beside him—not behind him. Her heart melted as their minds briefly connected. They were equal partners in the tenuous relationship they’d formed.
“Surratt protects mortals from the Ekimmu,” Nicolas said. “He’s been watching over you since you were born.”
“But I’m not mortal. And he knows it.” Amber looked from Nicolas to Surratt. She didn’t know what an Ekimmu was and she didn’t care. Surratt was the enemy.
But what about Nicolas? If Surratt wanted to destroy her, would he stand in the way? Or stand aside?
“I am not your enemy,” Surratt said. “I am a benevolent Utukku known as the Shedu. I lead the Brotherhood.”
Gerard stepped away from her like an earthbound spirit drawn to The Light.
“You have the answers I’ve been seeking for two centuries,” he said in a voice filled with awe.
Amber wanted to grab his arm and call him back but her feet wouldn’t obey her. She couldn’t move and she couldn’t speak. It was if her voice had frozen in her throat.
Surratt nodded as if granting Gerard permission to speak.
“Is there a cure for what I am? Am I damned?”
“I am not God,” Surratt said. “I can neither redeem nor damn you. But since you have chosen to follow the way of the Shedu, you are in no immediate danger of eternal damnation.”
“I don’t know the Shedu,” Gerard said, his voice as desperate as his desire for redemption. “But I need to know if I’m cursed, or if my condition is the result of a disease the way Megan says.”
Again Surratt nodded, speaking as if he were a sage who knew all the secrets of the universe. “It is no curse, though many see it as such. It is an ancient disease that originated in Mesopotamia.
“The ancient Sumerians ruled Mesopotamia. Their culture brought the earliest cities, civilization, and religions. But war, death and disease were rampant. Young men died suddenly and unexpectedly on the battlefield or from diseases caused by war and destruction. Legend claimed that by dying under such extreme circumstance, the spirits became conscious in the grave, their desire to live so strong they rose up, roaming the night seeking blood to maintain their existence. In truth, it was a deadly virus that killed the body but not the soul.
“The soul survived but the body suffered a wasting disease. Without the consumption of blood, those affected withered and died. They became known as the Utukku—a spirit or a demon that could be either benevolent or evil. They were still men—men afflicted with a disease. Some were good. Some were evil.
“To hide their sickness, the Utukku only ventured out at night. The sun quickly became their enemy, draining them of life and strength. Once they discovered that drinking blood reversed the signs of wasting, they began taking small doses from loved ones while they slept. In the beginning, no victim was murdered. They left their donors with pleasant dreams and a sense of peace to ease the guilt and remorse they felt for taking the blood of those who’d meant so much to them in life. They soon discovered killing the enemy was a more efficient way of getting blood. Some didn’t stop with killing just the enemy.”
“That sounds pretty damn evil to me,” Amber said. She’d found her voice, but she still couldn’t move. Invisible shackles seemed to pin her feet to the ground.
Gerard gave her a look filled with such hurt she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Didn’t he know she didn’t count him among the undead? Didn’t he realize she loved him regardless of what he was?
The chasm between them seemed to open wider—a breach too wide to cross.
Surratt looked at her with pity. “As the Utukku regained life and vitality, they tried to rejoin the living, but the sun scorched their skin and they still needed blood to survive. They’d adapted to darkness and living in the shadows and for a time, they were happy. But then some became lonely, deliberately infecting old friends and loved ones, after which, the thirst became so insatiable, the only way to appease it was to drain a body completely of blood. The division between the Utukku became broader. Much like the divide you now feel.”
Amber wanted to cover her ears and scream. The bastard was in her head, reading her thoughts. But she couldn’t move. Or speak. She felt trapped between the evil Surratt and the man she’d loved and hurt. Nicolas had even taken a step away from her as if he too were abandoning her.
A tear slid down her cheek. Her throat tightened.
“Choices must always be made,” Surratt said, and she didn’t miss his double meaning. She had a choice to make. Did she want to defend vampires or destroy them? She could never hurt Gerard, but would destroying vampires destroy the friendship they’d formed. Could she choose to leave vampires in peace, knowing what they were capable of?
Surratt met her gaze. He looked for all the world as if he understood her dilemma. “Some Utukku resisted killing innocent mortals in order to live and the hunger faded. They learned to control the cravings.
They learned to live in harmony with mortals. Those unable to resist the blood lust doomed their souls to eternal damnation and a thirst that never ceased. And soon, a new group of Utukku emerged. They called themselves ‘The Seven Demons.’ Samarian and Mesopotamian mythology referred to them as Ekimmu. The Ekimmu inspired vampire legends, giving the Utukku a bad name.”
“I don’t need a history lesson!” Her head ached, confusion making her nervous and defensive.
Gerard looked at her as if she’d driven a stake into his heart. “But I do.”
They stood no more than three feet apart. It might as well have been a continental divide.
“And so you shall have it,” Surratt said. “For a thousand years the Ekimmu were feared by the Mesopotamian Empire. The Ekimmu were angry spirits unable to find peace, but they continued to gain strength, youth, and vitality through the lives they took. Their numbers grew beyond the original seven. They recruited more Utukku to their ranks, luring them to the demonic side of their nature. They learned how to deliberately infect mortals and their numbers grew along with their increased powers. But soon, they began to fear the wrath of the gods. They feared even the image of the Sumer gods and the temples in which most of the gods’ images were kept. All churches and temples became holy ground they could not enter. They became afraid of their own images and soon, they no longer cast reflections—or at least none anyone could see.
“Those who resisted the lure of the dark side of the Utukku became known as the Shedu.” He stood taller. Prouder. “And I am the leader of the Shedu.”
“Is that why you recruited Nicolas?” Amber asked, unable to call him father. “Are you still fighting a war that started 4000 years before Christ was even born?”
How much hatred and animosity must exist to maintain a battle that lasted so long?
Infinity. A voice whispered from somewhere inside her head. The battle between good and evil was never ending.
“Surratt didn’t recruit me, “Nicolas said. “I was already dying when an Ekimmu showed up in my hospital room to feast on what remained of my blood. The Ekimmu fled when Surratt arrived. He then offered me a choice between a painless death and the chance to see your mother once more. I chose your mother and willingly joined the Brotherhood. The Shedu have taken vows. They don’t kill mortals or the Ekimmu, but I forfeited my membership when I killed Claus.”
Surratt released his mental hold on her. She could move as easily as she could speak, but her feet remained rooted to the floor. “But you didn’t stop Claus from killing my mother,” she said in a voice so raw she could barely get the words out.
Nicolas flinched as if slapped. With downcast eyes he said, “I was too late. I’m sorry.”
“But you let Claus get away with murder. And he killed Andrew. Andrew didn’t have to die too,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
Gerard took a step toward her but halted when she held out a hand. If he touched her now, she’d collapse in a weeping hot mess from which she might never recover. She had to learn the truth. As painful as it might be, she had to know every detail of her mother’s death.
“I was trying to honor my vows to the Brotherhood,” Nicolas said, his voice as raw as Amber’s felt.
“Choices,” Surratt said, in his sage-like voice. “We must all make them.”
“The Shedu are only able to protect mortals from the Ekimmu because they remain hidden. If mortals knew Utukku—vampires existed, they wouldn’t consider if we were Shedu or Ekimmu. They would destroy us out of fear. And if an Ekimmu finds a lone vampire who isn’t a member of a clan or one who has been abandoned by his creator, he will seduce him to the demonic side.”
“Sonja protects Vincent. He protects me,” Gerard said as if he’d been in the dark and someone had just flipped the switch, turning on the lights.
Amber still wasn’t ready to drink the Kool-Aid. “Why don’t the Shedu destroy the Ekimmu?”
“Violence begets violence,” Surratt said. “It is why we must honor our vows not to kill. It is why your father can no longer be a member of The Brotherhood. He killed Claus.”
“And I would kill again,” Nicolas said. “To protect my daughter.”
“Am I the reason my mother is dead?” Guilt sat so heavily on her shoulders that she didn’t resist when Gerard stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms.
“Claus is responsible for your mother’s death,” Surratt said. “Not you. She was protecting you. She knew what you were as did your father. Because Claus and Nicolas shared my blood, Claus knew. Unfortunately, he’d been seduced by the Ekimmu. And there is nothing an Utukku fears more than a dhampir. The Shedu watch over them. Since we have taken vows not to kill, we protect dhampirs so they might one day rid the world of the Ekimmu. The Ekimmu hunt them.”
Chapter 27
Gerard held Amber in a protective embrace, vowing he’d never let her go—vowing he would protect her from the Ekimmu with his last dying breath.
Before he could pledge his heart, she pulled away. Her eyes widened in a look of such horror, it stole his breath. “Reid! And Megan!”
She pulled out of his arms and rushed into the freezer. Vincent had torn the busted door away from the opening and tossed it across the room. Amber rushed inside and knelt beside her partner. He was out cold. His broken arm was secured in a makeshift splint tied to his chest.
“Reid?” She touched his throat, feeling for a pulse. She looked up at Gerard who’d followed her inside the freezer. “Where’s Megan? And who splinted his arm?”
“Vincent took Megan back to the house in New York. Then he returned to splint your partner’s arm.”
“How do you know?” Confusion clouded her storm gray eyes. “You’ve been out there.” She pointed behind him. “With me.”
He arched a brow. “We share a mental connection. Remember?”
“But why did he leave Reid? Why didn’t he take him to a hospital?”
“Mortals can’t travel at vampiric speed,” Nicolas said, stepping closer.
“But what about Megan? How did Vincent get her out without us seeing her?”
“You were right about her,” Gerard said, his voice filling with pride. Amber was more than beautiful. She was brave and smart. “Infecting herself with Vincent’s blood gave her vampire-like abilities. When she created the vampire vaccine, she turned herself into a dhampir.”
“A secret no mortal can ever learn,” Surratt said. “A secret The Brotherhood of the Shedu will protect with our lives.”
“Or the lives of others?” Amber challenged, though her voice lacked heat.
“If need be. Special Agent Matheson and his team serve many uses. He’s on his way to collect your friend now and assist with the cleanup of this mess with Dr. Weldon.”
“Carl Matheson? The vampire hunter?” Amber looked at Gerard, her eyes wild with fear. “Oh hell no.” She rose to her feet. “He’s not getting within a hundred feet of Gerard.”
“I agree,” Surratt said. “I need Carl. He can kill the Ekimmu. I cannot. But I’m not delusional enough to think he trusts me or any other vampire.” He looked at Gerard. “You may not be a Shedu but you are no Ekimmu either. Live your life as you have and you should be safe. But if you ever need the Shedu, someone from The Brotherhood will be watching—both you and Nicolas’s daughter.”
A sense of peace settled over Gerard. The constant ache in his chest he’d felt since the day he woke up infected with the vampire virus seemed to fade. He no longer feared eternal damnation. And the vampire vaccine gave him hope—hope that one day, he’d be completely mortal. Then there was Amber.
He looked at her, his heart in his throat. “I’ll keep Amber safe.”
“Not by yourself you won’t,” Nicolas said. “She’s my daughter.”
“I can take care of myself,” Amber mumbled, turning back to her partner.
“You and Nicolas get her out of here,” Surratt said. “Take her home, get whatever personal items she wishes to keep and then get her out of
Asheville. She’s no longer safe.”
Amber rose to her feet, staring down Surratt as if he’d issued a challenge. Her spunk was what had drawn him to her, but it was just as likely to get her killed.
“I can’t just move. I have a job,” she said. “I’m a cop. Even if I want to resign, I have to give notice.”
“You died here today,” Surratt said. “I will see to it that it goes in Carl’s report. A body will be produced and everyone will see your face when they look at it. You are no longer safe.”
“What about my father? And Reid?” her voice cracked, breaking Gerard’s heart. It didn’t matter if she loved Reid. If she would always love him. He only wanted to see her happy.
“Nicolas is your father,” Surratt said.
“But he didn’t raise me.”
The pain in her voice nearly broke Gerard’s heart. He’d do anything for her. Move mountains if he could, change Surratt’s mind if he had too.
“There has to be another way.”
Surratt nodded. “Very well. I’ll see what can be done. In the meantime, do not let her out of your sight.”
If Gerard had his way, he wouldn’t let her out of his life. Unless Amber wanted to be with Reid or refused to be with him,
Amber was his.
For as long as she would have him.
Epilogue
“It’s done.” Amber put her plaque inside her suitcase and closed it. Captain Stratford had given it to her for five years of faithful service with the Asheville Police Department.
After solving the Lifeblood murders and assisting the FBI, she and Reid were ready to move on. Not that that was what had really happened. Sometimes, she still wasn’t sure what had happened. Truth and perception seemed to intertwine until she wasn’t sure what was real and what was vampire glamour. Altered reality was the only thing that counted—according to Surratt.
The leader of The Brotherhood of the Shedu had altered so many perceptions, it was a wonder he knew what the truth was any more. According to police files, Amber and Reid had solved the Lifeblood Murders by finding evidence that linked Dr. Steve Weldon to the crime. Since he’d used stolen government funds to set up a lab to continue his “human” cloning research he’d started for Colonel Timmons, they’d contacted The FBI.