We both avail ourselves of the shower and dress for the evening. Sebastian hands me a cup of blood. "Drink up. You're going to need it."
I eye him suspiciously. "Why?"
"The church won't hurt us. But it will drain us a bit. Best to go after a feeding."
I down my drink quickly, no longer grossed out at the pleasure I take from blood, and hand him the cup. "We should hide our bag somewhere," I say.
He nods and stuffs it in the back of the guest closet behind a few boxes. When we hear the front door open and Jared announce his arrival home, we make our way down.
I remember Jared as being a frumpy guy who loved playing Dungeons and Dragons in the basement, and probably still does, for all I know. So I have to do a double take when I see him in the living room, hugging Mallory and examining her bandaged hand while she tells him what happened.
His skin is clear, though pale. His hair thick and shiny, with more chocolate undertones than I remember, and his physique has improved considerably. No wonder Shelly thinks he's having an affair. He looks like a whole new man.
Or rather, a whole new vampire.
"Ember," he says, smiling, though his eyes are concerned as he looks from me to Sebastian. "So good of you to come."
"Hi Jared. This is Sebastian, my husband."
They shake hands, and Sebastian catches my eye, confirming what I already knew.
Shelly's husband is indeed a vampire.
Which means he likely knows we are as well. Or at least, he knows Sebastian is. Their touch would have confirmed it.
Sebastian doesn't let Jared's hand go right away, as he locks eyes with him. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Jared," my husband says, with so much subtext the mood turns awkward. "I anticipate we will have a lot in common."
Jared's eyes widen and he looks like an animal stuck in headlights. I'd almost feel sorry for him if it weren't for the fact that he might be killing young women for fun. I mean, how many vampires could our small town have, after all?
But before anything more can be said, Shelly comes in, decked out for the evening, makeup applied perfectly, smiling like the perfect hostess. "Hello, honey. Home just in time. Shall we go? Mom and Dad will be meeting us at the church."
The girls cheer and run to the front door as Shelly chases them with jackets and mittens.
The dog barks as we leave, and I worry for the safety of the gifts under the tree. Hopefully they'll all still be in one piece when we return.
A light snowfall dusts the earth as we pile into their Yukon. The girls sit in the very back, leaving the middle seats for Sebastian and myself. Jared drives, and Shelly fusses with her lipstick, more out of nerves than need.
The tension between the two of them is thick enough to slice. My heart breaks for her. They were a match made in heaven, I thought. To see it all fall apart like this is awful, especially with two young girls in the mix.
The drive to the church is slow and quiet. Shelly puts on Christmas music and attempts to sing along to lighten the mood. The girls join in a rousing rendition of Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, and I smile at the memories it pulls from my mind.
The church is crowded with holiday Christians who only attend once a year. I suppose I would fall into the category, if you can call me anything at all. Sebastian and I have talked about religion, of course. He was Catholic as a human, but then so was everyone in his village when the plague ended his mortal life. Now he's agnostic.
The church bell rings as we make our way over crunching snow to the worship hall. As we enter, I feel a pressure building in my head, like a vice is squeezing my skull. I suck in my breath and Sebastian puts a hand on my lower back. "Breathe. It'll pass."
I glance at Jared, who looks as freaked out as I feel. This is probably his first time in a church, and he has no one to walk him through it. I wonder again about the circumstances of his turning. I suppose I'll find out soon enough.
We take seats in the back pews, none of us inclined to head closer to the front, and Shelly's parents join us.
Her mom squeals when she sees me. "Well I'll be! Ember White, you look amazing. Marriage suits you, my dear."
"Thanks, mom," I say, hugging her and introducing her to Sebastian. She gives him an appreciative stare, then pulls her husband forward. "Look at them, Howard. Remember when we were like that? Young love," she sighs wistfully.
I hug Howard and he kisses my forward. "Good to see you, kiddo." He shakes Sebastian's hand before we all take our seats again. "Take care of our girl, you hear?"
Sebastian nods solemnly. "I intend to."
A pastor I recognize as the same man who has led this congregation since I was a child stands at a podium, a thick black Bible opened. He begins with a prayer, and then the choir sings a few songs, inviting us to join in.
I'm surprised to discover Sebastian singing along, and with the voice of an angel. I lean over and whisper into his ear, "I didn't know you could sing."
He shrugs. "One can develop a lot of skills with enough time and patience."
That opens up a whole other thought stream that I tuck away for later. What might I accomplish with an immortal life? Anything is possible.
The pastor speaks for a bit about Jesus's birth, his death, and calls any sinners to repent and come to Christ. Our group stays put, and the pressure in my head fades. But I still feel queasy and am anxious to leave the church when the last hymn is sung and we are dismissed.
"That was beautiful," Shelly says, looking at us with a quizzical expression. "You three look ill. Are you catching something?"
"I'm fine. We're fine," I say, speaking for me and Sebastian. "Jet lag."
Jared shrugs. "Was a bit warm is all," he says. "They had the heater cranked."
Mom and Dad join us out front. The girls are yawning and shivering, and Mallory holds her arms out to Sebastian. "Carry me, uncle?"
"Oh Mallory, don't bother our guest," Shelly says, but Sebastian waves her away and lifts the girl easily into his arms. She leans her head against his shoulder and is nearly asleep by the time we get to the car.
My uterus aches at the site, as I imagine him holding our child like that someday.
The drive home is… awkward. Shelly clearly knows something's up, but doesn't know the right questions to ask. So instead, she talks about the plans tomorrow.
"I was thinking we could take the kids on a hike after presents and breakfast," she says cheerfully. "Have a snowball fight or two, enjoy some nature before everyone arrives for dinner?"
I glance at Sebastian, knowing this was his exact concern when I told him about this trip.
"Um. We've actually been traveling so much lately, I was hoping to spend a day relaxing. We're still pretty jet-lagged," I say, giving an exaggerated yawn. "Maybe we could watch some holiday movies and drink cocoa and catch up?"
Shelly's face falls for a moment, but then she nods. "Yes, sure. That sounds great. Where have you two come from anyways?"
"We've been staying in a rural village in Istanbul," I say, reciting our cover story. "It's been quite an adventure. We're on a world tour for our honeymoon."
Jared whistles. "That must take a big bank account."
I shift uncomfortably. Money is always a tricky topic with friends and family.
"What do you do for a living?" Jared asks Sebastian.
"Investment, mostly," he says, which isn't actually a lie. Sebastian got rich with investing and now lives on interest. At least in the human world.
We arrive back at Shelly and Jared's none too soon, and Sebastian carries Mallory up to her bed, while Shelly tucks in Monica.
After the kids are handled, Shelly hugs me goodnight, gives a pointed look at her husband, then retires. Once the three of us are alone downstairs, Jared makes to leave. "Nice seeing you. I'll be back by morning," he says.
Sebastian blocks him at the door. "Not so fast. It's time you explained yourself."
Jared's eyes dart between him and me. "I don't know what you're
talking about," he says unconvincingly.
I step forward, flanking him. "Jared, we know what you are. How were you turned?"
His chin drops to his chest and he looks ready to piss himself. "I don't know," he says, his shoulders shaking with sobs. "I was robbed one night coming home from the grocery store. The guy was masked and had a gun. Shot me and left me for dead. And then…. Then I wasn't dead. But I wasn't me anymore either. I don't know who did it or why, but I nearly died the first few days when I went out in the sun, not knowing what I was becoming."
"How did you figure it out?" I ask.
"It was pretty obvious once I drained a rat of its blood," he says with disgust. "I've seen movies, you know? I was so scared. So worried I would hurt Shelly or one of our kids."
"But… why are you killing prostitutes?" I ask in a hushed voice.
He looks up at that, his eyes wide. "What? No. That's not me. Are you nuts? I've been trying to stop whoever's doing it. Every night I go out there and hunt, trying to find the vampire who is killing those girls and who maybe turned me. But I've made no progress. He's local, that I'm sure of. And he hates women."
My blood runs cold as his words trigger a recent memory. "Pat Duncan," I say, my mouth going dry.
"Pat? From high school?" Jared asks. We weren't close to Jared back then, but we all knew each other. It was a small school, after all.
I nod. "We ran into him at the Dusty's Pub," I say. "I thought something about him looked off. He was too young, too attractive." I turn to Sebastian. "I think it's him. I feel it in my gut."
Sebastian nods, his blue eyes intense. "We'll find him. Now, tell me everything. What did he to do you, Ember?"
And this is the hard part. I sigh, knowing Sebastian would want answers eventually. Tears burn the back of my throat as a mental door I bolted shut years ago is pried open. "Back in high school, Pat and I dated very briefly. It came to an end one night when he… "
I swallow and try to still my shaking hands. "When he tried to push things farther than I wanted. I fought him off, but he beat me up pretty badly and left me on the side of the road. I had a concussion and a broken arm the rest of the summer, and though I reported him, he never faced any punishment. His dad was chief of police, so he had a get out of jail free card. I was the only one who paid for what he did."
Chapter 5
The rage level on Sebastian's face would be epic if we weren't standing in my soul-sister's living room on Christmas Eve with her kids sleeping upstairs.
I place my palm on his chest. "It was a long time ago. I'm fine."
He takes my face in his hands, his eyes piercing mine. "I will never let anyone else hurt you ever again. And I will kill that bastard and drain him of every last drop of his blood."
Then he kisses me, deeply, fiercely, passionately, and I am lost in his embrace, but I pull away, knowing we have very little time to get all this business handled. "We have to be back before the girls wake for Santa," I say.
I glance upstairs, worried what Shelly will think if she finds we've all left, but there's nothing to be done about it. We have to stop Pat and save Christmas, if such a thing is possible at this point.
We travel on foot, using our vampire speed and stealth to stay hidden and move through the town faster than a human could.
"He frequents pubs, looking for girls who are a sure thing," Jared says.
We hit Dusty's first, but Pat's nowhere in sight. Jared asks the bartender if he's been in, but no one's seen him.
There are several other bars in town. Two things you can count on in small town America: bars and churches. We have plenty of both. People are always looking for ways to escape their own misery. God and booze are popular choices, depending on the day of the week.
At our fourth bar stop, we hear the scream. We are long past last call, and the bars are all closed, but someone is being attacked behind O'Flannery's Tavern.
We run around the building and see Pat pinning a young woman to the wall. His teeth are elongated and sunk into her neck, his pants down as he attempts to violate her. She's struggling against him, but he's stronger and faster and she stands no chance.
Rage boils within me and I tear through the alley, screaming like a wild banshee. "Let her go!"
Pat looks up in surprise, pulling his teeth out of the woman's neck. She whimpers, slumped against the stone wall, her clothing torn, her face bruised and bleeding.
Sebastian and Jared stand to either side of me. "It's over, Pat," I say. "Your days preying on vulnerable women are over."
Blood drips down his chin and his hand is still on the woman's throat. "I could kill her before you reach me," he says, squeezing her neck harder. Her eyes widen and she bats at his hand trying to pull him off her to no avail.
"Let her go," Sebastian says, taking a step towards him.
"Or what?" Pat asks.
In a blink, Sebastian pulls Pat off the girl and pins him to the wall by his neck.
"How… how?" Pat stutters, looking scared and confused.
"I have been around much longer than you," Sebastian says. "You are weak and lazy. And you will pay for the women you've hurt."
Sebastian is about to tear Pat's head off when I call out to him. "No! Let the Council handle this."
Sebastian turns to me. "He hurt you. He killed young women. He deserves death."
"You're right. He does. But you don’t need to be the one to mete out that justice. It's Christmas," I say. "Our first one together. Let's not celebrate it with murder."
Sebastian loosens his grip and Pat falls to the ground choking. Jared has already taken the young woman out of the alley and gotten her help, so it's just me, Sebastian and Pat.
"Did you turn Jared?" I ask.
Pat spits at me. "I thought he'd be loyal, like a dog. Do my bidding. I wanted a vampire gang who would make me king."
I laugh at him. "You think that's how it works, do you? You have a lot to learn about our ways," I say, as if I'm an expert in all things vampire. But to be fair, I've been doing a lot of reading, and while you might not be able to solve every problem with a book, you can solve most. So maybe I am an expert in all things vampire after all.
Sebastian pulls a mirror out of his pocket and together we take Pat through the portal to The Black Lotus.
Sly is waiting, his long robes shimmering red and green, like Saint Nicholas himself. "And a Happy Christmas to you too. Seems you've brought me a present. How thoughtful."
Pat shrinks back from Sly, whose eyes gleam with ill intent for the renegade vampire.
Sebastian fills him in on Pat's crimes, then adds, "Don't go soft on him. He hurt Ember years ago."
Sly frowns, and with a flick of his finger, Pat screams and drops to the ground, his bones twisting and cracking. "I'll give him the full Black Lotus treatment," Sly promises, then smiles down at Pat. "Welcome to your new home. Allow me to show you to the dungeons."
Sly looks back at us. "Care to join me for a holiday nightcap when I'm done? I would love to catch up with the two of you."
"Thank you for the offer," I say, "but we've got to go play Santa in Ohio."
Sly raises an eyebrow. "Intriguing. Very well. Come visit soon."
Sebastian and I turn back to the mirror. "The pub again?" he asks.
I shake my head. "Let's go back to the bathroom in our guest room. We're running out of time."
"Won't that raise questions with Shelly?" he asks.
I shrug. "She already has questions. And a vampire husband. I think she deserves some answers."
I touch the mirror and we travel through the portal into the guest bathroom with a thud.
A muffled cry alerts us to the fact that there's someone in our room, and when we open the bathroom door, we see Mallory sitting in front of our closet, holding a wine bottle full of blood.
Chapter 6
"Mallory!" I rush over to her and take the wine bottle from her hand. "What are you doing in here?"
She smiles and holds up the hand
she burned yesterday. "It's all better. Uncle fixed me right up."
"Have you been downstairs?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "We're not allowed until mommy and daddy get up. Otherwise Santa won't come."
Sebastian takes the girl's hand and walks her toward the door. "How about you snuggle in bed just a wee bit longer, and I'll come get you soon for presents, okay?"
She smiles, nods and then yawns. "Okay, uncle."
I put our blood away, hoping we can explain it away as wine if Mallory says anything, then pull off my clothes and step into a hot shower. "Care to join me?" I ask my husband through the steamy bathroom as he returns.
He doesn't waste time, and the two of us enjoy the warmth of each other, naked and wet. He washes my hair and I rub soap over his hard body. When we are both clean, he presses himself against me and kisses me deeply as his hands slide down my back to cup my ass. Heat builds in my abdomen, spreading throughout my body like little jolts of lightning as my need for him grows.
My breasts brush against his chest as he lowers himself until his mouth can trace a trail of fire down my body. When he reaches his destination, my body tightens with unreleased waves of pleasure building within.
At the height of my passion, he raises himself and joins with me, in me, filling me and surrounding me. We ride the waves together until they crash within us.
The shower goes cold, and I turn it off as Sebastian gets a towel and rubs it over my skin to dry me, then we collapse in bed, enjoying a few stolen moments of rest before Christmas morning events take over.
A soft knock on our door wakes us from a light slumber. We dress quickly and find Mallory at the door, all smiles. "He came!" she says giddily.
We follow Shelly, Jared and the girls downstairs to the living room, where more presents are piled high and stockings are overflowing with holiday treats.
Shelly eyes the three of us suspiciously as the gift giving commences. Everyone loves their presents, and once the girls are off playing with their new toys, Shelly confronts the three of us. "Okay, what gives?"
Sebastian turns to Jared. "You need to tell her."
Vampire Girl Page 3
