The envelope shook slightly in my hand. AURORA SKY was spelled out in clean handwriting.
After rounding a corner and checking that the coast was clear, I stopped and leaned my back against a locker. My heart beat a little harder against my chest. Part of me actually felt relieved. I’d made a mistake saving Giselle. I realized that later. As long as she was out there, I’d always have to worry about whether she’d find me and what she’d do if she did. Now the wait was over. This one was on me to clean up.
I tore open the envelope, expecting a handwritten note, a threat, an “I found you” or “Better watch your back.” But there was no correspondence waiting inside, only news clippings—three obituaries.
Andre, Henriette, and Etienne Morrel.
Each of their supposed ages were listed. Their date of deaths were all the same, as was the cause of death: a robbery gone bad. They were all three survived by their daughter/sister, Giselle.
I slipped the obituaries back inside the envelope and put it into my backpack before continuing down the hall to the parking lot.
Mom was parked in a front row spot, wearing sunglasses despite the fact that the sun had set during my absence. She took them off when she saw me. I walked around to the passenger’s door, and the locks sprung up. Good, she’s listened.
Once I sat down and shut the door, she hit lock again.
“I didn’t hear any gunshots,” she said.
“She wasn’t there.”
“She wasn’t?”
“Nope, but it’s her all right. Giselle tracked me down.”
13
Fight or Flight
Dante opened his front door shortly after I knocked.
“Hello, Mrs. Sky,” he said as my mom followed me inside.
We’d barely entered when Tommy came bounding forward from the living room in a mass of golden fur.
“Tommy!” I cried out.
He panted happily as I patted his head.
“How have you been, buddy?”
Tommy’s tail wagged in response.
Our group moved into the living room—a space with a couch, a La-Z-Boy recliner, and a ginormous flat screen TV. A stack of pizza boxes covered an end table, probably because the coffee table was already too full of magazines.
Dante had tried multiple times to get me over, and now here I was… with my mom under duress. Not quite the romantic rendezvous he’d anticipated. But if there was one thing that could be said for Dante, he was game for anything.
Once I had proof that Giselle had managed to pinpoint my identity and whereabouts, I’d called Dante and brought him quickly up to speed. I could have tried Valerie, but I wanted help from someone who actually cared about me and my family. There wasn’t anyone better for the job than Dante.
“Please excuse the mess,” Dante said, sweeping an arm into the living room. “I would have picked up, but I did a little research after you called. Mrs. Sky, can I get you anything?”
Mom shook her head. “No thank you, Dante.”
“What kind of research?” I asked.
Dante nodded at the couch. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
Tommy followed me over to the end of the couch, settling onto his hind legs. I stroked the soft fur on his head. Mom took the spot beside me and folded her hands in her lap. We looked at Dante, who’d walked around the coffee table and taken a stand in front of us.
“I popped online and did a bit of reading on the Daily Sitka Sentinel. I found the obituaries you were given. I also found an article about the murder investigation.”
I stopped petting Tommy and leaned forward.
“The paper stated that two women were suspected of breaking and entering the Morrel household and killing the entire family except for a teenage girl who got away. It also said that a detective had followed them to Sitka into the Morrel’s household, where he tried to apprehend the women before one of them shot him.”
“What detective?” I demanded, already knowing the answer.
“Detective Jared James.”
“You mean Just Jared?”
Dante nodded. “The one and only.”
“That’s outrageous! So he’s framing Valerie and me.”
That rat! That slime! That spawn of Satan and all that was unholy in the world.
My heart raced inside my chest. I felt like hurling a pizza box across the room. Better yet, I felt like traveling back in time and aiming Valerie’s gun directly at Jared’s cold, black heart.
Dante slipped around the coffee table and sat on the couch’s armrest. He put his hand on my shoulder gently. “Don’t worry, we’ll straighten this out. This is what Melcher gets for employing a vampire.”
Mom’s head snapped up. “You work with a vampire?”
“Only on one mission,” I said.
“But why would Agent Melcher hire a vampire?”
Dante leaned forward, addressing my mom. “I intend to find out tomorrow afternoon.”
“Dante…” I started.
“I have to go in, anyway,” he said. “Time for my monthly injection.” He tapped the inside of his arm with two fingers.
I shook my head. “Melcher’s just going to give you some bull crap answer. When I confronted him after the mission, he told me that Jared was atoning for past sins and that his position within the agency was classified. He referred to the man as a loyal member of the team and top recruiter.” And oh how that praise boiled my blood.
“No doubt Melcher believes that,” Dante said. “The man’s too trusting.”
“Trusting? He’s a liar!” I exclaimed. “I asked him how he got Jared released from police custody in Sitka. He told me the police were informed that Jared was an undercover agent who’d been tracking down a family with terrorist ties, and that when he showed up to question them, they began shooting, and he had no choice but to return fire.” I growled in disgust. “Now we have proof that’s not what he told the police at all. Maybe I should be checking the FBI’s Most Wanted list for my picture.”
“Already checked,” Dante said with perfect ease. “You’re not on their website.”
This was shaping up to be a fantastic homecoming. Henry suspected me for Marcus’ murder, Giselle had tracked me down, and now, possibly, the police were after me for the murder of the Morrel family.
Just when I thought the worst was behind me.
I straightened my back. “First things first. How do we find Giselle?”
Dante grinned. “I like the way you think—eliminate the biggest threat.”
I would have thought Jared was the biggest threat, but as far as I knew, he had no intention of harming my family. Giselle, however, had posed as their French teacher. Maybe I should convince Valerie to get involved. Evil Red vs. Baddie Blonde. All bets on Red!
At the very least, I needed to warn Valerie. If Giselle had figured out who I was, it was safe to conclude she knew about Valerie as well. I should probably tell Noel, too, in case the She-Vamp came looking for me at the house.
“I need to warn our whole team,” I said. “Valerie, Noel, and Melcher, even though he’s going to say this is my fault for letting her go.”
“I’ll tell Melcher when I go in tomorrow,” Dante said. “And I’ll talk to Harper and Red. You just worry about your family.”
Dante looked so solid and stoic sitting beside me. There were times, like now, when I felt my heart expanding with love for him.
“I’ll call Valerie,” I said. “And I’m spending the night at Gran’s.”
I wouldn’t actually be sleeping. I’d be on night watch. I still had the gun Valerie lent me. I didn’t like guns, but I was beginning to think it would be a good idea to get my own. Giselle could have easily followed Mom and Gran home after class.
I turned to my mom. “You and Gran will have to leave town. It’s not safe here. I can’t stand guard all the timeand track Giselle down.”
Dante nodded. “Aurora’s right. Do you have someplace you can hole up until it’s safe?”
&nbs
p; Mom scratched her chin. "We'll go to Florida,” she said suddenly. “Mom keeps talking about all the things she has to sort out in storage. She hasn’t been through any of it since Aurora’s grandfather died. I told her I’d help her out this winter. I’ll tell her we should go now.”
“She’ll be suspicious,” I said.
“Better suspicious than dead,” Dante said.
Mom nodded. “I’ll find a reason, a tennis tournament or something happening this weekend.” Her face lit up. “Better yet, I’ll tell her I ran into Aurora’s dad and his mistress and need a change of scenery right away.”
I frowned. “Should I be worried about Dad?”
Ever since he walked out of our lives, he hadn’t worried about me. He hadn’t attempted to contact me once. But he was still my father. Better a deadbeat dad than a dead corpse dad.
As I chewed on my lower lip, Mom set a hand on my leg. “If you warned your father, you’d have to tell him everything, and that would only endanger him more.”
I took a deep breath. “He wouldn’t believe me, anyway.”
Dante gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t worry, Aurora,” he said. “We’re going to get her, and everything will return back to normal.”
Normal. There was no such thing, unless you called hunting vampires normal.
Sometime around two in the morning I’d entered slumber land, deciding I wouldn’t be much help to my family if sleep deprivation turned me into a zombie. Vampire vs. Zombie. No-brainer. Pun intended.
“Dana, have you seen my floral shawl?” Grandma called out.
I woke up when Gran barged into her office, where I’d been snoozing a second earlier. I rubbed my eyes with my fists.
“Hello, sleepy-head,” Gran said, giving me a pat on my head. “You didn’t happen to see my floral shawl in here, did you?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, Gran.” She smelled like lilacs. It tickled my nose. I sniffed.
She flicked her wrist in the air. “That’s okay, I’ve got a pink one down in Florida.”
The foldout bed dipped down when Gran took a seat beside me. Once I sat up, Grandma took my hand in hers. “Honey, I know this departure is sudden, but you remember what your mom was like right after Bill left. Neither of us wants to see that happen again.”
I nodded my agreement, black tangles of hair falling forward as I did. “I understand.”
Gran sucked in a deep breath and released it. “She’s been so happy these past six months. I won’t let Bill ruin that.”
I kissed her on the cheek. “You’re a good mother, and a wonderful grandma.”
Gran patted my hand. “And you’re a great granddaughter. I realize we’re leaving you after you only just returned to town.”
“That’s okay. If I’d gone to college out of state, we wouldn’t be having this conversation to begin with.”
Gran patted my hand, silent for several seconds until her eyebrows lifted at the same time as her smile. “I’ve got it! How about Christmas in Florida? Dante’s invited, too of course, but I imagine his own family will want to spend the holidays with him.”
I sighed wistfully. “I’d love to spend Christmas in Florida.”
Grandma gave my hand a tight squeeze. “Then why not?”
I shrugged. “Dante might want me to meet his family.” Or Melcher might want me to stick around to battle vampires in North Pole, Alaska. “But I’d like to come.”
“So come!”
Sunny Florida… yes, please! Relaxing in a tropical paradise would beat boot camp in the high desert any day of the week. I’d ask Melcher. There had to be vacation time, even in the vampire hunting business.
“Maybe,” I said slowly.
“I don’t want to hear another word about it,” Gran said. “I’m buying you a ticket.”
Even better. How could Melcher say no to that? What excuse could he possibly give if my own grandmother bought the ticket? And it wasn’t just a vacation. It was Christmas for crying out loud!
Last Christmas had been a complete wash. My mind had been absent after the accident until Melcher shocked it back to life during initiation. That’s how I ended last year. How would this year end? In Florida with my family. I was determined.
“Thanks, Gran,” I said, giving her a quick hug.
Mom walked in as I pulled my arms back and smiled briefly before turning to Gran.
“I told you not to wake her,” Mom said.
Gran patted her impeccably coiffed Helen Mirren hair.
“She was already up, and guess what, Dana? Aurora is spending Christmas with us in Florida.”
Mom looked at me with a wide smile. “You are? Oh, honey, we’ll have a great time.”
“Can’t wait,” I said.
Grandma lifted herself off the bed. “I need to finish packing, and I imagine you need to get ready for school. What time’s your first class?”
“Ten.”
“So hop to it.”
I glanced at Mom.
“Chop, chop,” Gran said.
“Mom,” my mother said.
“What? It’s nine o’clock. She needs to get her butt in gear or she’ll be late for school.”
“Don’t say that word.”
“Butt? It’s better than saying ass.”
Mom took a deep breath. “Let’s give Aurora a little privacy so she can get ready.”
“That’s exactly what I was trying to do,” Gran said as she walked out.
Mom shot me an apologetic smile.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I managed to get some sleep.”
“Good. I’ll drive you to campus.”
“I’m not going to school.”
I had promised myself I wouldn’t miss a single class, not at college, no matter what Melcher said. But I wasn’t skipping school for a mission. This was for my family.
Mom clucked her tongue. “I don’t want you to miss class. If you stop living your life, the enemy’s already won.”
I rolled my eyes. “I think you’ve read too many books. Besides, I’m only missing one day.”
“I insist,” Mom said.
“You can insist all you want. I’m not going to class until you and grandma are either in the air or in Florida.”
“Wait here a moment,” Mom said.
That’s exactly what I planned on doing—waiting around until Mom and Gran got the hell out of dodge.
After Mom left the room, I swung one foot after the other to the ground and stretched both arms high in the air, yawning. I turned and set to work folding the blanket, sheets, and putting the sofa back together. Mom returned as I pushed the folded springboard into place. I grabbed the first cushion, glancing at her purse, which she held up as though presenting a corsage to a prom date.
Mom pulled out a small revolver and grinned wide.
“What are you doing with a gun?” I dropped the second cushion.
Mom’s smile wavered like she was disappointed I hadn’t shown more enthusiasm.
“It’s for protection against vampires. I know how to use it, too. I took shooting lessons all summer.”
Between tennis tournaments. Of course she did.
Mom held the gun, barrel pointed up. “The point is, I’m perfectly capable of defending myself and your grandmother should the occasion arise. I also know what Giselle looks like, so she’s lost the element of surprise.”
I gave the last cushion a firm push into place.
“Only she doesn’t want the element of surprise,” I said. “If she did, she wouldn’t have taken over your French class or left me such obvious clues.”
Mom’s forehead wrinkled. “What do you suppose she wants?”
“To scare me,” I answered. “She thinks I’m responsible for her family’s death. Now she’s threatening mine, which is why I’m not going anywhere until I see your plane take off.”
Mom lowered the gun. “Can’t you get a message to her that it wasn’t your fault—that you actually saved her?”
I shook my head. “
She won’t care.”
“How do you know?”
I stared at my mom. “Because this woman lost the only family she’s had for the past two centuries. Because she’s a vampire. A cold-blooded-killer, according to Melcher. The only thing she’ll care about is avenging her family’s death.”
I didn’t need to know Giselle to figure out her motives. Mom wasn’t the only one who’d read and seen enough shows to understand how this all worked.
Mom’s shoulders slumped forward. “Can you at least study or work on a paper or something while I pack so I don’t feel as bad?”
“That I can do,” I said, snatching my backpack off the floor.
I spread my things out on the dining room table with a pot of tea while my mom and grandma finished packing. I tried to block them out and throw myself into my reading, but I had my eyes on my textbook and ears open to everything else.
Shortly after five, Dante knocked on the door to take my family to the airport.
When I was little, Mom and I would see Grandma and Grandpa off at the airport every October right before they headed to Florida for the winter. Back then, we could walk right up to their gate and watch as they passed through the door leading to their plane.
That was before terrorism became a household name in homes across America. A different era. The world had changed, and not only for me. Life by definition had never been safe, but it was the realization of previously unknown dangers that made everything appear under a new light of uncertainty and fear.
I was more afraid to lose my mom than my own life.
I stood beside her in line at baggage check, watching each person ahead of us load their suitcase onto the belt and hand over their boarding pass and ID for the attendant to verify. I couldn’t speak. An empty pit had formed in my stomach. I’d expected to feel relieved.
“I’m actually looking forward to extending the summer,” Mom said. “I won’t mind skipping the snow this year, though I’ve always loved having a white Christmas. But even that I won’t mind missing, since you’re coming down for the holiday.”
I nodded my head, only half-listening. She’d chattered like this ever since we arrived at the airport.
Bad Blood (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 3) Page 17