by C.M. Owens
"Mom, wait." But she was already gone.
Tessa watched her scuttle into the next room before turning her frustration on Cody. "Now look at what you've done. She's going to think I have some kind of special talent, and you and I both know how stupid my jumping is. Hardly a talent…more like a handicap."
"Stop knocking yourself. You could have all sorts of talents. You're at the right age for them to show up. Who knows? Maybe being a throwback means you're more like the originals."
"Whatever that means," Tessa muttered. Serus and Goran were arguing. She raised her voice, calling out, "Is anyone going to do anything about Jared? Or do I have to go back out?"
Cody straightened, automatically placing a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Whoa. Hang on there. You're not going anywhere. I didn't bring you home so you could take off again."
"Then you should have left me there. If they'd taken me prisoner, then maybe they'd have kept me with Jared and maybe I could have found a way to get both of us free." She stared down at her long fingernails in disgust. She'd been so concerned earlier about the right color to put on them. That part of her life seemed so long ago. It all seemed so frivolous now, so useless. "I feel like I'm deserting him."
"Don't talk like that," he snapped. "They'll help."
Tessa stared around the room at the small groups of vampires sitting around and talking like this was a social visit. Enough already. She stood up.
"No, they won't. It might put them out somehow. If they don't acknowledge there's a problem, then they don't have to feel guilty about not doing anything about it." She studied the various close and distant family groups. Not one of them was likely to help. She wondered about her human friends. They'd all want to call the police. And what about them? Was that such a bad thing to do? Could they help?
Or would the vampires eat them alive? She wandered in the direction of the kitchen in search of water. That room was full too. Sighing, she stared out the open doors to the large back patio. As expected, the patio was jammed with other people gossiping the time away. No one cared. Jared was only a human, after all.
She poured herself a glass of water and took a long drink. She rinsed the glass and turned to leave––
Dr. Taz stood in her way. Her mother and Sian, Taz's partner, hovered nearby. From everyone's positions, Tessa assumed they thought she'd try to run. Rolling her eyes at the gorgeous hunk of doctor grinning at her, she said, "Honest, I'm fine."
"Then let me check you over and everyone will feel better about it."
Tessa nodded at his words. "Fine. But I'm not going to lie down. You can check my head here in the kitchen." She pulled out a chair and, with a long-suffering sigh, she sat down and accepted his ministrations.
While Taz checked her over, her mind spun off in a dozen different tangents. Her own injury reminded her that Jared could be in worse shape.
How could she find the assholes that had taken him? They had to have some help. Surely that house belonged to someone important. It was a huge estate. How could she find out who owned it or who was living in it? Was there a housing registration office for vampires or some such thing? Did they have to report in as to where they lived? Not likely. Humans did, though. Or at least a certain segment of them did, like criminals or half criminals. She didn't really understand how that worked, but didn't think there was a vampire equivalent.
She hated that the entire subject of Jared had become a non-issue. That just might be one of the biggest downsides to the vampires she knew – their lack of willingness to get involved. All vampires lived in a secular world, one that revolved around them.
She couldn't just sit and do nothing. Jared had to be scared out of his mind.
***
Jared drifted in and out of consciousness. He could no longer tell if it was day or night or how long he'd been there. Time had become meaningless. Had to be from the drugs. He'd thought he'd heard Tessa's voice earlier, and now her voice wove in and out of his consciousness. His life would end soon – he knew that. He hadn't seen anyone else die, but the prisoners here would probably prefer death.
On his way to this holding cell, he'd been led through the warehouse full of hundreds, maybe thousands of suspended humans. They were in some sort of stasis while their bodies pumped out valuable blood.
Reality hadn't been long in coming. That was the fate awaiting him.
How sad. He'd planned on studying engineering after high school. Jared didn't want to spend the rest of his life in this half-alive state like the others.
A few minutes ago, he'd been asked a series of medical questions about his health and that of his father and mother. Some sort of selection process, he presumed, to check on his family history. Hooked up in that warehouse, a young human would easily live fifty, sixty, or maybe…given the lack of wear, a hundred years. Just the thought of his life being lived out in this blood factory made him want to vomit.
He'd rather kill himself first. Only he didn't think he could anymore. He was no longer chained. That was a good thing. Then again, restraints were no longer required. They'd given him drugs, strong ones. Drugs that tugged at him even now, pulling him back under. His last thoughts were of Tessa. Where was she? What was she doing right now?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Cody leaned back against the wall and wondered again how his vampire clan had survived.
He felt they played at the game of living. They had no vengeance left in them, no fight – and for most of them now, no flight. Few chose to have children and of those that were interested, fewer than half were capable. Their ability to reproduce was being bred right out of them. Maybe they were becoming obsolete. But when you could live forever, why would you choose to overcrowd your living conditions by reproducing? There were so few youngsters that they tended to stick together.
He frowned, thinking about what Tessa had said. It couldn't have been easy on her if she'd been shunned by the others. Not with such a small group her age. No wonder she'd turned to humans for companionship.
She had learned compassion and caring at their hands. Vampires were more selfish – hence the lack of action tonight. Unless their vampire way of life was attacked, they'd do nothing. Unlike the old days, when vampires were the aggressors.
Tessa, on the other hand, appeared to have more fight in her than all her vampire family put together.
And where had she gone, anyway? He'd seen Sian and Taz arrive a while ago. Surely checking Tessa's head wouldn't have taken that long… Glancing around, he found both fathers in conference with several other elders. And no sign of Tessa.
David was joking with Jewel, the girl he was sweet on, and Ian, another good friend to both of them. He walked over and spoke to David. "Hey, where's your sister?"
"I thought she was with you?"
"Nope." The two spun around, searching the crowd.
"She might have gone to bed on Taz's orders."
Cody slid him a sidelong look. David shrugged. "Okay, so maybe not. Then where the hell is she?"
"I'm concerned she'll take off again."
David glanced over at him and shook his head. "I doubt it. And what's with that, anyway? I've never known her to be so intense about humans." He looked down at Jewel, who lifted her shoulders in a shrug.
"They accepted her when her vampire peers wouldn't." Cody watched as David internalized that. "She feels responsible for what happened to this one."
David frowned and said. "That's dangerous. We have to have the Council on board to accomplish anything on a large scale. There's little she can do on her own."
Ian had yet to speak, but at David's comment he nodded in agreement.
"She believes the Council won't do anything until it's too late and someone else gets killed." Cody searched the area. He was unable to shake the worry that Tessa could be planning to take off again.
"The problem here isn't that no one will do anything, but that they can't figure outwhatto do. The vehicles have been seen around, although no one seems to know who owns them," David said.
"Some people know of the house but said it changed hands a couple of decades ago, and they don't know who owns it now."
Cody grinned as Wendy and Jacob joined them. Wendy was cool. Good in school and didn't have quite as much attitude as many of their peers. She was a glider. Jacob was too. He was okay – a bit arrogant, but then weren't they all.
"Hey, like this is so messed up." Jacob grinned, his excitement lighting up the place. Jacob could always be found in the center of any trouble brewing.
Jewel stepped closer to David. "Cody, did you really see a dead person?"
At Cody's nod, horror filled her gaze, and she slid closer to David. "That's so terrible."
David grinned and winked at Cody.
Cody tried not to smile. David had been panting after Jewel for a long time now. About time he made some headway. Jewel was a decent sort. Not critical and harsh like many of the other women. Cody was happy for his friend. And damn, that brought Tessa right back into his mind.
"What are we going to do about this?" Soberly, Ian jammed his hands deep into his pockets while he waited for an answer.
"That's what we're trying to figure out." Cody turned around, looking for Tessa. "Has anyone seen Tessa lately?"
"Outside," Jewel answered. "I saw her go out a moment ago."
"Shit." Cody bolted out the closest door. "Tessa, where are you?"
David raced out behind him, their friends spilling out the door in their wake.
"Tessa!"
"I'm here. Stop yelling."
As one, the group followed her voice, craning their necks to find her in the trees above the house.
"What are you doing up there?" David snapped.
Goran, Serus, and Rhia raced outside to stand beside the younger group. The adults looked up at her, frowns settling on the men while her mother gasped in shock.
Rhia stepped closer as if to catch Tessa if she did fall. "Tessa, no! Get down here right now before you fall. You've got a head injury, remember?"
"I'm fine, Mom. I just came outside for a little peace and quiet."
David shifted closer. "Huh…Mom, ordering her around isn't likely to get her cooperation."
"Cooperation? She's recovering from two head injuries. She's liable to fall out of that damn tree any minute." Rhia's voice grew until she was practically screaming. "Serus,please, go up and get her."
"I can get down on my own, you know," Tessa called down.
"And you might fall, too, damn it."
"I'll go." Cody didn't wait for anyone's approval or discussion. He understood how Tessa must feel. She'd want to get out of this on her own; however, should anything go wrong… He couldn't let that happen. There appeared to be a slight improvement in the adults' mindset, but a mishap at this point would destroy that.
With a graceful leap, Cody cleared the heads of those standing close to him before spreading his wings. He reached Tessa's side in one full stroke.
"Come to rescue me again, Cody? Or doing their bidding?"
"Neither. I thought I could give you a graceful exit down. Then maybe we could get some help to go find Jared."
Tessa's eyes widened. "Really?" Hope crept into her voice.
It hurt Cody to see Tessa's doubt and lack of faith. Vampires were clannish and generally their decision-making process took time, but once the decision was made they charged forward. "David and some of our friends have gathered together. I'm sure the elders will want to join the fray, if for no other reason than to keep us younglings safe." He couldn't quite keep the derisive sarcasm from his voice.
He needn't have worried. Tessa grinned. "Isn't it great when everyone thinks you're too young to know anything?"
"That's the truth. Come on. Let's get this show on the road." He held out a hand. She took it and the two jumped to the ground in a graceful leap.
***
Tessa landed in front of her family's shocked faces. She laughed as pride and joy rolled through her. "Not quite the klutz you thought I was, huh?"
Rhia grinned, appreciation of her daughter shining on her face. "Honey, I never thought that about you."
"Right." Tessa turned to her father. "I'm going to find Jared. Maybe with other vampires and maybe without, depending on if anyone wants to come." She raised one eyebrow at the bluster starting to build on her father's face. "And don't bother arguing. It's something Ihaveto do."
She glanced at the crowd collecting around her. "Is anyone willing to go with me?" When several people cried out 'yes,' she nodded and held up her hand. "Just to make sure you understand. We're going to rescue a human. Possibly more than one. And we will be going against vampires. I don't know who is behind this or why they've taken humans, but there's a good chance these are vampires we might know. Don't make this decision lightly."
She offered a grim smile as people did a double take. "That's right. There could be some unpleasant surprises at the end of our journey. I'm not afraid of them." Eyes flashed at the mention of any of them being afraid. She smiled inwardly. A vampire's ego was not something to fool around with. "I don't have a choice. I feel responsible for Jared's kidnapping, and I will do everything I can to rescue him. But for the rest of you, it's a choice. Think about it and think about it seriously."
Several people exchanged glances with their neighbors.
Tessa continued her warning. "The other issue is someone has already died. He may have died from natural causes, or he may have had help. The truth is that being kidnapped and chained up like a dog for an unknown number of hours did not help him to survive. I've been attacked twice. For the rest of you, injuries or even death are possibilities. These are vampires who may know just how to do that. You could be giving up your eternal life."
Silence.
She nodded a second time. "Right. This is serious business."
Turning around to face Cody, she asked him, "In or out?"
"In," he snapped. "There's no option for me. I can identify them, and I was there with you when you were attacked. I'm going."
"So am I." David stepped forward, and that started the surge in the crowd.
"Hey, I want to come. At least we'd be doing something vampire-ish. It's like we've lost our souls these days."
Tessa, with a question on her face, turned to face Ian, the speaker.
The tall quiet member of David's group explained. "We're vampires, Tessa. We're born to hunt. Denying our basic instinct is like being one of the living dead."
Laughter greeted his words. Jacob, the oldest and most intimidating to Tessa, nodded. "He's right. We all feel we are a kind of living dead. Truthfully."
"Keep in mind," said Cody. "We'll be trying to save the treaty so that our easy life continues."
Goran stepped up. "That's enough. You younglings can't go alone."
David turned to him, surprising everyone. "Well, she tried to get your support and Dad's. Now she's given up and is going regardless."
Rhia stepped forward. "If you aren't going with them, Serus, then I am. Actually…" She thought about it for a half second. "I'm going, regardless. They don't know all the vampires. I do."
"Hey, that's great." Goran smacked Serus on the back. "We haven't had a good rumble in ages."
"Who said I wanted one now? I'm too old for this shit," grumbled Serus.
"Then stay home and tend the fires, Dad. We'll say hello to Moltere for you," David said.
Shock lined Serus's face. "What does Moltere have to do with this?"
"Moltere?" Sian's shocked voice cut through the noise. Sian was so beautiful, everyone instinctively paid attention when she spoke. "Are you sure it'shim?" Her penetrating gaze locked onto David's face.
"No one is sure of anything yet. But he's certainly the first one that comes to mind," responded David.
Taz slid an arm around Sian’s shoulder then dropped a kiss on her forehead. "It's okay. It's not likely to be the same thing again," he said, lifting his head and explaining to the group watching, "I was kidnapped by Moltere's men a long time ago. Sian here resc
ued me." He smiled tenderly at his partner.
Goran stepped forward, understanding dawning in his eyes. "On the other hand, Taz, if you're right, he's been quiet for so long he could have built an army in secret. We assumed he died a long time ago."
"Maybe he did. But think about this. Someone old, with a taste for blood, who has money and the power to create new vampires for his own purposes. Someone of the ancient lines, maybe with ancient beliefs." David stared the adults down.
Tessa stepped forward. "Who it is at this point isn't the issue. We can't jump to conclusions or we might miss seeing the truth." Except if David was right, the fight ahead of them was huge. The more she thought about what little she knew about Moltere, she realized the points David had brought up were all true. And no one had said he was dead. Moltere was one of the originals, along with her father and Goran. There were others, but their names rarely came up. In fact, no one discussed anything from that era. Something big had gone down – so big it split their group apart.
She almost missed the horrified looks passing between Sian and her mom. She barely caught Sian's whispered, "Not again."
Rhia reached out to hug her.
Tessa watched, wondering if they'd all get an explanation – but doubting they would. Adult vampires were great at not sharing. There had to be a mess of hidden history. She saw her father look over at Sian and Taz, one eyebrow raised. Taz reached around Sian, one large hand sliding across her belly as if to comfort. Serus’ gaze widened and he grinned. He smacked Taz on the shoulder. "Congratulations! I hope you'll man the house in case of any injuries and also help coordinate with Sian?"
Taz nodded, his brows pulling together. "Of course, anything you need. Let's not have a repeat of what I went through."
Tessa barely tracked the conversation. Confusing, it jumped from some history that her mom knew about, to the possibility that Sian was pregnant – and that was something to ponder seriously as Taz was human – then to a reference about some nasty event from the past…one they wanted to avoid happening again. Why couldn't adults make things clear?
Sian beamed at Serus. "That we can do. And work out a plan to approach the Council."
Tessa shook her head, wishing she understood the undercurrents. Still, David was right. The issue wasn't just about Jared's abduction, although his kidnapping was a problem. The crisis was bigger. Much bigger. If this rogue group were turning humans into vampires, they had to have a reason. The idea that someone was creating an army for their own purposes to be used against the common good of vampire and human alike couldn't be ignored.