by Deborah Noel
“I’ll have to see if I can manipulate the spell,” he said.
“Okay, let’s say we can erase Brae’s scent from his memory, or whatever it is you need to erase it from,” Sam started. “So how does everyone feel about bringing a vampire on board?”
“Well, according to my father, there’s two half vampires among us now,” I said waving my hand in the air and pointing to Declan.
Sam shook his head, “Good one! You know what I mean. Maybe I should rephrase that to a known bloodsucker on our team.”
Declan smiled. “Seriously, Remmie did have some good points. He knows the vampire world better than we do, he has connections, he knows who to trust and who not to trust and where to find answers.”
I pointed out, “Don’t forget, Jondra has hired us to bring Evelyn’s murderer to justice. Remmie has a firsthand knowledge of Oxmeade and how he works. I personally think he would be a beneficial asset to our team, if we can get past this scent thing.”
We all sat around the table each weighing the options in our own minds.
Sam asked, “Here’s one more thing to think about. If we can get past the scent thing, do we bring him on as a ‘full-time’ employee, on a ‘per-job’ basis, or as a partner?”
“We should give him options, see what he’s looking for,” I offered. “See where his mind is about this. We know he wants to help, since Rage killed his great-granddaughter, but that may be all he is interested in being involved in.”
Sam clapped his hands together. “So we will table this until we can be sure that Brae is 100 percent safe, then discuss all options with Remmie when you get back from Ireland.”
We all agreed.
“Is there anything else we need to discuss?” Sam asked.
No one brought anything to the table.
Sam walked over to me and pulled a chair close next to me. I looked questioningly at him.
“So, how are you feeling about… ”
“Being half-vampire?” I finished his sentence.
“Yes,” he said.
I could feel everyone’s eyes come to rest on me.
“Well, it’s a shock. I don’t know if I believe it. And what do I do about it? I’ve spent all my life believing I was half pixie, so being a half-breed isn’t what’s hard to deal with, it’s the vampire aspect that is hard to grasp.”
Sam patted my hand, “How can I help?”
I looked at Declan then shrugged my shoulders, “I don’t know if you can.”
“Let’s say I might know a way.”
I looked at my uncle.
“You have always known me as Uncle Sam; my full name is Nathan Samual MacDiarmada.”
I knew that last name from somewhere. I searched my mind to make a connection.
“Your grandmother’s twin brother,” my uncle offered.
It didn’t compute in my brain. Then my eyes doubled in size.
“I came across some documentation and made the connection a few years ago,” Sam began to explain. “I knew all along of my heritage, but not very much of my human side of the family. I knew we were related, but I didn’t know that Siobhan and I were twins. I was told that I was the ‘baby’ of the family and all of my siblings were older and fully human. It was a fluke that I even survived.
I was even told that if I were to ever contact anyone, they wouldn’t believe me. They all were told I had died a short time after I was taken.”
“So you are telling us that you are…”
“Yep. I’m no different than you. We share the same blood.”
My head was spinning.
“Did you know my brothers?”
“No.”
“Did you know about Declan?”
“Not that he was like us, but I had my theories. Listen, you haven’t changed. You are the same person you always were. Do you feel different?’
“No.”
“Do you, Declan?”
“No, but I haven’t really given it much thought.”
Declan was so laid back, so mellow. There wasn’t much that rattled him.
“Brae, Shane, do you look at Cianna and see a different person?”
“No,” they said together.
“See, nothing is different, other than what technically makes up the other half of your DNA.”
He leaned in closer, “Trust me, it isn’t that bad. Just depends on what you do with it.”
I mulled it over in my mind.
“I guess you’re right.”
“I know I am. Now, I think you guys should get ready for your trip. You need to pack and get some sleep.”
We shared good-nights as we walked down the corridor to our quarters.
Chapter Forty-seven
Even though I had a million and ten things slapping the inside of my brain from all that I had experienced, and I was extremely anxious to see my daughter, I passed right out. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
I woke up to find Declan gently snoring beside me. I got out of bed and starting packing. I was elated! I was going to be reunited with my daughter. All I could think about was holding Mattie in my arms again, kissing her sweet little face. I couldn’t tell you what I put into the suitcase.
I went to Mattie’s room and looked around. On her bed I found her favorite teddy bear. I grabbed it and hugged it tight. I went through her bureau drawers and gathered some of her clothes. I went back to my room and tucked her things in with ours.
I dragged the suitcase to our front door. In the kitchen I made a nice big homemade breakfast with eggs, bacon, toast and fruits. The smell of it traveled through our home and even down the corridor. Soon I was joined by Declan, Sam, Brae and Shane. I happily danced around serving everyone.
The conversation was light and cheery. It turned serious for a few minutes when the subject turned to Jondra’s case. We decided that after our return we would get serious with our investigation and hopefully Remmie would agree to stay on board to help us. Everyone chipped in with cleaning and before I knew it, it was time to head to the airport.
I said my good-byes to Sam, Shane and Bullet. Butterflies tickled my stomach as we loaded the Jeep and made our way out of the woods to the highway.
The three-hour drive to the airport seemed to take forever. My anticipation level was through the roof. A few times Declan had to squeeze my hand to stop me from wiggling myself out of the Jeep. I felt as if I was going to burst out of my own skin. Quietly from the back of the jeep Brae began chanting a spell. I figured it was a protective spell and let her be.
Before I knew it we had arrived at the airport, made it through security and were boarding the plane. The three of us were seated next to each other with Declan in the window, me in the middle and Brae on the aisle. I kissed Declan and looked at Brae. She looked very nervous to me.
“You okay?”
She half smiled at me and nodded.
I settled back in my seat. Only a roughly eight-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean and a quick drive up the west coast to the Cliffs of Moher was all that remained until I was with Mattie again.