by Chloe Garner
Tina’s hands were getting heavy anyway, so she closed her laptop and tossed it across the bed, then she rolled onto her side.
“Should we talk about that?” she asked.
“Hmm?” he answered.
“What happens after I figure out the cure? If I do, but… And…” She flopped back onto her back again. “I’m not going to. It’s all too much. It’s just way too much. I don’t have the technical knowledge.”
“Wouldn’t bother me a bit if you failed,” Hunter said cheerfully. “You being a human is like dating a marshmallow. I mean, it’s simpler, sure, and the fountains do just fine because mostly people respect that you don’t mess with a man’s food, but even if you did, it’s not like he’s going to give you a king’s ransom for it. Actually being together, with me as a vampire and you as a human? None of this is going to be easy, but that way at least you have a lot lower chance of getting dead unexpectedly.”
He kissed her cheek.
“If I’m going to give up sex with fountains for you, though, you’d better believe that the human-vampire thing doesn’t show up on my list of deal breakers.”
She was still looking off into space, not seeing anything but the images from off of her computer.
“It’s so much,” she said. “So much I don’t know.”
“And that bothers you,” he said. It wasn’t a question, and he wasn’t mocking her. She wasn’t sure what his point was.
“Yes,” she said. “I have to get through all of it in order to figure anything out.”
“Why?” he asked. “Why not just go around?”
Tina snorted.
“Right. So, I’m just going to skip over all of the data and the research and the variables and pluck the answer out of the void.”
He laughed.
“Just saying. You have this direct-line from A to B going on, and maybe that’s not the only path.”
“I could go to Ginger’s house and steal her research,” Tina said. “She’s a long way ahead of me.”
“Oh, no. No, no, no,” Hunter answered. “That would be an example of a bad idea.”
“Only one I’ve got, other than learning how to read an MRI.”
“They make schools for that,” Hunter said. “Hire someone.”
“She said I was the one who could figure it out,” Tina said.
Hunter sat up slightly.
“Who did? Who said that?”
Tina remembered abruptly that she wasn’t supposed to tell Hunter about Ella the witch.
“Secret,” Tina said. “I think it’s because of Ginger.”
“Screw Ginger,” he said. “It’s time to tell me.”
“Not my secret,” Tina told him. “You should ask Tell.”
He got up and Tina watched after him, wondering if she’d just pulled the pin on a grenade. Shifting back into a position that she’d be comfortable in the rest of the day, she listened hard as Hunter went downstairs.
“What have you got her tangled up in?” he asked.
“Lots of things,” Tell answered.
“Who told her that she’s the one who could figure out a cure?” Hunter asked. “You two have been cloak-and-dagger about this the whole time, but someone told her that she could do it?”
“That’s a very old secret that’s best left buried,” Tell told him. “I’m not interested in discussing it with you.”
“Like hell,” Hunter said. “She’s taking risks for this.”
“You think that I’d let her do any of this, if I didn’t believe that this was a credible assessment of her skills?”
“Who even knows her that well?” Hunter asked. “Who have you had her around that would say something like that?”
There was a long pause.
“Ella.”
“You what?” Hunter demanded. “You took her… You know where she even is? She’s here?”
“She’s here,” Tell said evenly.
“And you took Tina to see her?”
“I went to see her,” Tell said. “The last time I was human. I needed her to read me and she did. Tina was a vampire so she was watching over me at the time, so, yes, she was there.”
“And the witch told her that she could cure vampirism? You know that that’s just setting her up as a weapon against Ginger, right? Has nothing to do with a cure. It’s trying to get someone to finally knock Ginger off.”
“I do, and I think Tina knew it, too,” Tell said. “She’s not doing this because she wants to go to war with Ginger.”
“I know that,” Hunter said. “But it’s going to put her at war with Ginger, anyway.”
“No, sleeping with you already did that,” Tell said. “It’s contained right now, but you think she isn’t going to eventually find out?”
“Don’t you dare,” Hunter said. “This is a completely different level, and you know it.”
“I do,” Tell said. “But as long as you’re acting self-righteous about keeping Ginger out of it…”
“If you weren’t human and dying, I’d level you for that,” Hunter said. “You’re going to have the entire world coming after her, if she does this, and she’s going to have to defend herself. Ella hates us. You know that. The idea of a nuclear war among the vampires would make her pee herself.”
“We’re being careful,” Tell said. “Right now, it’s possible that she could just cure herself and leave it quiet how she did it, and that would be that. But I have this in me, brother. It’s been a part of me since the beginning. Ella told me so. And I need to know what it is.”
Blood.
It had to be in his blood.
Blood that he’d used to turn her.
She needed to check her blood.
She needed to check his blood, from while he’d been a vampire.
How could she do that, look for smallpox, without bringing the world down on her own head?
They were still talking downstairs.
“… thinks she’s doing something because she has to, because of fate or whatever, and it’s just that witch trying to trigger a war.”
“Have you ever known Tina to do something because fate told her to?” Tell asked. “She wants a door to go back to human. You just don’t like it that she doesn’t love being a vampire.”
“I don’t care… I do care what she wants. And if she finds a cure and can take it without people coming and trying to kill her, that’s great. I’m happy for her. But it’s practically suicide.”
“You’re welcome to explain your views to her,” Tell said. “And she can make up her own mind. The same way she always has.”
“She doesn’t know,” Hunter said. “She’s never seen what they’re capable of when they’re threatened.”
“How convenient of you to give her a demonstration with Sophie, then,” Tell answered. “Look. I didn’t ask her to do this. I didn’t ask Ella to tell her that she could. I just wanted to know if it was still there. And Ella said that it is. It’s dying, but the key to curing vampirism is in my human blood. My human body. And Tina wants a shot at figuring it out. I’m not going to tell her no, and I wouldn’t recommend that you try. She doesn’t take well to that.”
“You don’t have to tell her no to keep them from killing her for this,” Hunter said. “You could just fail to go along with it.”
“You’re welcome to express your views to her,” Tell said again. “I needed to know, and I’m not going to do anything but help her in her quest to find a way back to mortality. Because I think she deserves the best chance she can get.”
“How long have you been going behind my back with the witch?” Hunter asked after a moment. His voice was dark.
“Almost since the beginning,” Tell answered. “I knew you didn’t like her, but it was all about Ginger. They’re destined to destroy each other.”
“Thought you didn’t believe in destiny,” Hunter said, his voice moving as he started back toward the stairs.
“No,” Tell answered. “That’s not what I said. I told you
that Tina doesn’t.”
“Did you tell Ella your name?” Hunter asked, hours later, as the weight of the sun pressed down from straight overhead.
“No,” Tina whispered.
“At least there’s that,” he answered.
“I got your message,” Tony said. “I can meet you whenever you want.”
“You don’t have classes or studying or anything?”
“It’s… It’s dark out,” he said. “They don’t usually hold classes after dark. Sometimes in the morning, I guess, but… No. I can be wherever you like, whenever you like. You actually have images to look at?”
“I do,” Tina answered, checking her watch. “Can I meet you at diPalma in an hour?”
“Sure. I’ll be there.”
She hung up, looking over at where Tell had fallen asleep on the couch.
She wasn’t going to touch him. Wasn’t going to touch anything he’d touched, as far as she could smell, and she was going to shower last thing before she left.
This would be the last time she left the apartment before he was a vampire again.
She went down to Vince’s desk and put her elbows on it.
“Do you think the Mendez brothers would be interested in a meal on me, tonight?” she asked. “I’m hoping to have caught them before dinner.”
“I think that the Mendez clan will always take you up on free food,” Vince said. “You liked them, then?”
“I did, actually,” Tina answered. “But this is mostly about the fact that they came in very useful, last time, and I should probably try to take them with me again, if I can.”
He frowned and nodded.
“Very well. I’ll contact them now.”
Tina stepped away from the desk for the sake of courtesy as he dialed the phone, not as though she couldn’t hear both sides of the conversation.
“They’ll be down shortly, Miss,” Vince said after a moment. “It’s my understanding that Ricky and Tommy are unavailable tonight, but Georgia and William are in and would love a free meal.”
“Georgia,” Tina said. “Is she as big as her brothers?”
“She’s the eldest, Miss,” Vince said. “She’s as big as Ricky and even tougher. Keeps the lot of them in line, if you’ll forgive me saying it.”
Tina grinned and shook her head.
“What an interesting family. Thank you, Vince.”
“I live to serve,” he answered.
“You ever going to tell me your secret?” she asked, and he gave her a polite smile.
“No, Miss. Not ever.”
She nodded, going to wait at the elevator.
When they opened, she took a step back.
Georgia had to duck to get under the elevator door. She wasn’t as wide as her brothers - built more like a basketball player than a football player - but she had deeply-cut muscles everywhere her skin showed, and eyes that seemed to dare a fight. Behind her was a boy, maybe fifteen, who was twice as wide as his sister, though he hadn’t yet overcome his boyish features.
Tina hesitated.
“Did Ricky and Tommy tell you what happened last time?” Tina asked.
“Four times,” Georgia answered. “In excruciating detail.”
“Are you going to buy us ice cream, too?” William asked.
“Fair enough,” Tina said. “I’m meeting a friend for dinner, and we’ll want to sit on our own.”
“Where?” Georgia asked.
“DiPalma’s,” Tina said. “The pizza place? They’re open late.”
“We don’t eat at human establishments,” Georgia said.
“Georgie,” William whined. “We can order it all to go and eat in the car. I don’t mind.”
Tina watched the young woman, who might have been in her very early twenties. Georgia nodded.
“All right. I can agree to that.”
Tina nodded.
“Good. Then I’m ready to go if you are.”
She walked down to the garage, unlocking her car and getting in.
Once more, she found a car following her, but this time when she pulled over, it drove away. It tried to follow her again a few blocks later, and she stopped, turning off the engine.
Georgia looked over at her.
“You know these guys?” she asked.
“You know I live with Tell, up in the penthouse?” Tina asked, and Georgia nodded.
“I do. We all do.”
“They’re related to a case he’s working on. Bad guys, but they’re only human.”
“Got a lot of guts, chasing around a vampire like that,” William said, and Tina nodded.
“Yeah, but they know what I am.”
“Vampires are still really hard to kill,” Georgia said.
“It would seem they’re more afraid of you two than they are of me,” Tina observed. “They know what I am, but they’ve got no clue with you two.”
“And they don’t want to,” William said happily.
“Is that them again?” Georgia asked, indicating. “They’re really curious where you’re going.”
Tina nodded.
“They’re hoping I’ll lead them to a woman they want to kill,” she said.
“Is that who you’re meeting?” Georgia asked, and Tina shook her head.
“Don’t even know where that woman is.”
“Well, if they don’t get close enough for me to punch them, I don’t know what you plan on doing.”
“I don’t either,” Tina admitted. “Last time they just ran off.”
“Is that true?” Georgia asked. “That’s what Tommy kept saying, but… really? They were in a car with a vampire, and they scared the guys off?”
Tina nodded.
“Sorry.”
Georgia grunted.
Tina started the car up again and rolled up to a stoplight, watching as the other car followed her tentatively toward the intersection.
They didn’t want to get close enough to tempt the Mendez siblings.
She went at the green light, accelerating as hard as her car could with the two Mendez’ added loads, turning at the next intersection and following the signs of traffic, trying to get to where she could get more than a couple cars in between herself and the Order men. They weren’t trained at this, and while Tina wasn’t either, she only had to lose them once. She drove around a block, zig-zagging to try to avoid finding them again on purpose, but she couldn’t see them anywhere.
“Keep your eyes open,” she said. “If they show back up again, we’re going to have to start over.”
She made it to diPalma from there, leaving the Mendez siblings at the hostess desk with her car keys as they ordered the whole menu in triplicate.
“I’ve got their order,” she said to the waitress. “Just bring the bill to me. I know it’s going to be enormous.”
“Didn’t make you for the type to be late,” Tony said, looking up.
“Had trouble with another case,” Tina answered. “How are you?”
“Dying of curiosity,” he said. “Give it here.”
Tina powered up her laptop and looked around the restaurant.
“Anyone pay too much attention when you came in?” she asked.
“Nope,” Tony answered. “Who are they?”
“Friends.”
He nodded.
“You have big friends.”
“I do, it turns out,” Tina told him.
“Okay, so I have to ask. How does one get turned into a vampire?”
“I was dying,” Tina said. “It was this or be dead. I chose this.”
He shook his head.
“No. I mean, I appreciate that, but how?”
“Is it actually a secret?” Tina asked. “I thought Tell just refused to tell me.”
“No,” Tony said. “They don’t tell any of us. Kirsten just tells us not to worry about it, because feeding isn’t capable of turning us. But we all want to know. And, well, you can see how you might need to know, given what you’re working on.”
“I
see your point, but I need to know why it’s a secret before I start telling someone else what I do know about it. I was in pitch dark when Tell turned me. I didn’t see anything and, you know, like I said, I was dying.”
“Wow,” Tony said quietly. “That’s… I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about it. You didn’t really want this, then did you?”
She shook her head.
“I didn’t. You were the first one I fed on, actually.” This time. “You were nice. A lot of them…”
She shook her head again, and he shrugged.
“They’re professional party accessories,” he said. “I know guys who are specialists at certain kinds of drugs, and a bunch who can drink a lot more than other people. I mean…”
Tina nodded.
“One of the women I fed off of said that all vampires are use-y jerks. I still think she’s mostly right.”
“She is,” Tony said easily, then dipped his head. “Sorry.”
She shrugged.
“Look at what I’m doing right now,” Tina said. “I’m endangering your life because I can’t read these.”
The first pair of scans opened and Tony shifted over toward her.
“May I?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Vam… Human, non-human,” he said, pointing. Tina nodded.
“How can you tell?”
“I can actually see the heart really clearly,” he answered. “Usually it’s kind of… Well, you know, it’s beating.”
“Your insight is shocking,” Tina teased, and he grinned.
“You did ask,” he said.
“I did.”
He leaned in closer.
“So what am I looking for?” he asked.
Tina thought for a full minute about what she was willing to tell him.
“This one, here? That’s Tell. He’s human again for the time being, though for very little time being, so if we need to re-take any images or do anything else that I haven’t thought of, we need to do it soon.”
“I didn’t know that was possible,” Tony said. “How?”
“They call it magic,” Tina said. “Someday, I hope to be able to tell you the actual answer, but right now I don’t know enough to be useful. Just go with it. This other one is me.”
