by T. A. White
Theo held up his hands in a placating gesture as he stepped between the two as they glared at each other. "That's enough. This isn't a conversation we should have in front of company."
All eyes came back to me. I gave them a small smile and set my spoon back in my now empty bowl.
Sheila watched me with an amused glint in her eyes. "Is it true that your sire had no idea of your existence until you declared it at the selection ceremony?"
I cocked my head as I considered. It had been less of a ceremony and more of an outright brawl, but perhaps blood sport was what passed as ceremony with these people.
"That about sums it up."
"What was it like waking up a vampire with no prior knowledge of this world?" Deborah asked, forgetting for a moment her disagreement with Pierce.
I looked down at my bowl and wished more ice cream would magically appear in it.
Seeing the discomfort on my face, Deborah said, "I'm sorry. That's probably an insensitive question. You don't have to answer if you don't want."
I studied her. She looked sincere. It was the only thing that convinced me to speak. "It was difficult. I thought I was going crazy at first."
"How did you survive the bloodlust that takes all the newly turned?" Theo asked, his gaze intent. I looked around to find all of them looked interested in my answer, even Pierce.
Their fascination made sense. If they were companions hoping to make the change, they would want to know what was in store for them. I doubted they'd learn anything from my experience. It had been far from the norm, based on what I’d heard.
"I had a little help from someone in my old command. They were familiar with this world and got me through the first few weeks. Once I stabilized, that person helped me get out of the military and set up a life here." It was a heavily sanitized version of events, and I made sure not to mention any details that might be used to identify the Captain. They probably weren't bad people, but their loyalty would be to their patrons first. I didn't want something I said being used to hurt the Captain later on.
I owed a lot to that man. I didn't like to think about what might have happened had he not been on duty that night.
"Impossible," Pierce scoffed. I fixed him with a stare, arching one eyebrow. He didn't let my look phase him, secure in his own convictions. "You're lying, or at least concealing the truth. There’s no way it only took a few weeks for you to rejoin the world. A vampire's bloodlust is near uncontrollable in the beginning. Some human, or even another spook, would have no chance in controlling you."
I gave him a grim smile that held little humor in it. "You've been turned into a vampire, have you? You have first-hand experience in what it's like?"
Deborah allowed herself a small smirk as Pierce's mouth snapped shut, even Theo looked slightly aggravated at the other man. It seemed I wasn't the only one who disliked him. He mistook the power and position of his patron as his own. I hated people like that, and I especially hated when they called me a liar.
Pierce didn't have a ready retort.
"I didn't think so." To the rest, I said, "Once in Columbus, I got a job with Hermes and have been working there ever since."
"How did you know what to do to survive?" Sheila asked.
I shrugged. "I figured it out and picked up tips here and there."
I left out the fact that my knowledge of spooks was seriously lacking. Every one of them probably knew more about vampires than I did. As companions, they had an all-access pass to the vampires' habits and traits, something I hadn’t had much exposure to. I'd learned more about my own brand of spook in the past twenty-four hours than I had in the last year.
"It must have been tough," Theo said with a sympathetic glance.
I inclined my head.
Pierce scoffed. "She got an easy pass to the top of the food chain. Some of us have been waiting years for an opportunity like that, and she had it dropped in her lap."
"Pierce," Sheila said with gentle reproach in her voice. “You know Thomas, because of his power, has an exemption from those rules.”
He grimaced but didn't challenge the small, gentle-looking woman.
I pushed back from the island, being sure to hold Pierce's gaze with my own. "Some opportunity. I would gladly give it to you if I could."
I gave the rest of them a small nod before leaving the kitchen without another word. Their voices trailed behind me.
"Pierce, that was rude," Sheila said.
"What? We were all thinking it. Sarah said she won't even claim a clan. Spoiled bitch. Any one of us would have killed to be in her shoes, and she's just throwing it all away."
"Pierce, you can't say things like that." Theo's voice was a quiet rumble.
"Aren't you mad?" he asked. "You can't even get a proper patron. They pass you around like you're a whore."
There was a long pause. "It's not her fault. She didn't choose this. We did."
Their voices faded as I continued out of hearing distance. They'd given me a lot of food for thought. From the sound of it, the patron/companion relationship wasn't quite the symbiotic give and take that Nathan and Rick had portrayed it as last night. At least from the companions' perspective, the vampires seemed to hold all the power, controlling who claimed a companion as their own, and who was turned, and when.
I could understand their resentment. I'd be resentful too, if I’d toed the company line for years only to find someone had not only skipped to the front of the line, but also turned around and given the finger to all of the traditions and rules that came with the lifestyle.
The glimpse into their thought processes was useful, and I made a note to talk to Theo about his attack at a later date. Maybe when he wasn't surrounded by the rest of the companions. I also needed to track down Catherine and get her perspective on what happened. I still stood by my assertion that it wasn't Caroline, but in case I was wrong, I needed all the facts. Finding out who, or what, was responsible for their attack would get some of the heat off Caroline until I could locate her.
I walked through several more hallways before coming to a stop. I was in the same predicament as I'd been in before I stumbled on the kitchen, lost and with no idea how to get back to my room.
My stomach cramped painfully, and I set a hand on it. That was new. My stomach hadn't given me problems since my change. That it was happening now, concerned me. Was it the ice cream? I'd been careful in the amount I ate, keeping it to just one bowl. While I did get sick if I overconsumed human food, it usually took quite a bit more than what I just ate. I shouldn't be having trouble right now.
It cramped again, my insides twisting and curling in on themselves. Sweat dotted my forehead. Pain. A lot of pain.
Seeing a staircase that looked familiar, I made my way up it and thanked every god I knew when I recognized the corridor. I wasn't far from my room.
Moments later I was lying on my bed and praying that my stomach would just stop hurting. Dawn couldn't be too far off. For perhaps the first time, I wished with all my being for its presence and the blissful unconsciousness that came with it.
My cell phone rang, the sound muffled from where I'd stashed it under my mattress. I hadn't wanted to take the chance that Liam or Nathan would see it and decide to take it—for monitoring purposes.
I answered before looking at the caller ID, my voice tight with pain. "Yeah?"
"Aileen?" Caroline's tinny voice came over the line.
I sat up, wincing as my stomach cramped before forcing the pain away. "Caroline, where are you?"
"I'm somewhere safe."
That was vague.
"Where?" I didn't know how I would get to her by dawn, but I'd figure out a way even if I had to steal one of Liam's goon's cars to do it.
"It's better that you don't know. Just know I'm safe. I'm sorry I got you involved in this. I didn't realize how much trouble it would bring to your door."
"Don't worry about it." The last thing I cared about was the trouble this had brought. I'd find a way to deal w
ith any repercussions one way or another. "It doesn't matter. What matters is keeping you safe." And making sure she didn't attack any humans or start a war between the vampires and the werewolves.
There was a pause as I listened to her breathing.
"Caroline, I think it would be best if you came in. Let me talk to Brax for you. Maybe I could negotiate some type of compromise."
Her breathing became harsher, a hint of a growl creeping in. "Now, you sound like them. You're on their side, aren't you?"
"No, that's not what this is about. Right now, everyone is hunting you. I'm just trying to look out for you."
"Turning me over to them isn't how you help me, Aileen." That was a definite growl.
"I'm not saying I want to turn you over, but they can help you if you let them."
"I don't need help," she snapped. "And that's pretty hypocritical coming from you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"They told me about you. How you refuse to align yourself with the vampires or accept any help from them?"
"That's—"
"So, excuse me if I don't put a lot of stock in your suggestions right now." Her voice was bitter.
I took a deep breath around the hurt blooming in my chest. She was right, but so was I.
"Can you honestly tell me you're not a present danger to yourself or anyone who might bump into you on the street?" I asked, my voice low.
Her harsh breathing was my only answer. That's what I thought.
"Because I only spent a few minutes with you, and you nearly ripped my head off when I challenged you," I said, not showing any mercy. "I'm a vampire, Caroline, and even I was worried about what you would do if I pushed too hard. Can you truthfully tell me that if a human got up in your face or started arguing with you that you wouldn't lose it on them?"
There was a small snarl.
"Listen to yourself right now, Caroline. I've barely started pushing, and you're already losing control. How will you feel if you hurt someone?"
There was another snarl and then a small whine. My heart tugged painfully. It did not bring me joy confronting her on this, but I couldn't let her make a mistake and possibly hurt someone.
I waited as her breathing slowed, and she got a hold of herself. A thought occurred to me. "Caroline, were you anywhere near German Village this afternoon?"
"What are you talking about?" Her questions sounded frustrated and confused.
"Just answer me. Were you near Third Street today?" Did you happen to attack a pair of humans getting into their car? That question went unvoiced for fear I'd lose her. The other fear, the one I refused to admit to myself, was that she'd been responsible for the attack, and even knowing that, she was refusing to come in.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Caroline—"
"No. I know you mean well, but it's not going to work." Her voice held a steely resolve that I knew from experience meant she wasn't going to budge. "There are things about this that you don't understand. I'm sorry I got you involved, and I'll figure this out on my own. Thanks for your help before; I appreciate it."
"Caroline!" A dial tone buzzed in my hand. "Shit."
She was gone.
Moving slowly, every movement precise, I set my phone down on the nightstand. I couldn't afford to break it as it was my only phone and the way Hermes contacted me for jobs. Breaking it would cut me off from the rest of the world, something I couldn't afford right now.
Oh, but I wanted to.
The urge to break, rend, and tear ate at me. Before I could give into it, I threw myself back on the bed and forced myself to take deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Again and again.
When I could think past the rage, I opened my eyes. The pain in my stomach helped bring me back to myself. My sigh was heavy.
That could have gone better. The conversation had revealed Caroline wasn't going to listen to reason, and I didn't know if it was because of the transition to werewolf, or the demon taint Brax maintained still infected her. I was going to need to track her down and force her to be reasonable. Before that however, I needed to figure out what I was going to do with her when I did find her. That problem could very well be more difficult than the other.
Until then, I needed to survive the pain in my stomach now that the adrenaline of Caroline contacting me was fading.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SOMETHING PATTED MY cheek. I waved my hand and rolled over, hiding my face against the covers. A hand shook my shoulder, and I groaned, trying to worm under the pillow. So tired.
"Nope, time to get up, baby vampire," Nathan's cheerful voice said from above. The covers were whisked off me, then a pair of hands gripped my ankles and pulled. I gave up after a brief struggle, and let my eyes close as he pulled me across the floor. Fighting him was too much work.
I was almost back to sleep as he dragged me across cool tile, then picked me up and set me down, so I was sitting up, my back supported against the wall. There was a small sound before freezing water rained down on me. I sputtered awake, gasping as the cold stole my breath. There was the sound of a camera clicking as I lurched for the faucet.
Nathan pocketed his phone as I shut off the water and turned to face him, dripping wet and wide awake.
"What the hell?" I snapped.
He shrugged his mammoth shoulders, not looking the least perturbed in the face of my anger. "You wouldn't get up. This seemed like the best way."
My eyes widened. "You put me in the shower and used freezing water on me."
He grinned, unrepentant. "It worked, didn't it?"
He took his phone out of his pocket and flashed it at me. The home screen said 5:24 on it, a full three hours before sunset. I stared at the time and felt a sense of wonder. Except for when Brax had woken me, I hadn't been up this early in years. Unlike yesterday, I didn't have the same exhaustion and mental fog pulling at me. I actually felt functional. It was something I had lost hope of being possible.
"Thought that might shut you up," Nathan said, his smirk satisfied.
I looked back at the water faucet. "All I needed to stay awake was freezing cold water?"
He snorted. "Hardly. Half of this is the blood Liam shared with you yesterday. The cold water helps. Shocks the system."
I blinked at him, and he rolled his eyes.
"Come on, get showered and then dress. If you hurry, you can see daylight before the sun sets." He sauntered out of the room as my heart leapt at the promise. Day. It had been so long.
I was showered, dressed and in the front hall in less than ten minutes. Granted, my hair was still wet and slicked back in a messy bun, my face bare of makeup, I wore a pair of capri yoga pants and a t-shirt with a skull and crossbones on it, but I was ready for the day.
Nathan smothered a smirk at the sight of my eagerness and looked to his right. I followed his gaze and blinked as Liam stepped into the hall, hands behind his back, his eyes warm as they surveyed me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked in surprise. I hadn't realized I'd have an audience for this little excursion.
"I wanted to be here for this."
I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes, considering his statement. Before I could finish questioning it, Nathan opened the doors, sunlight spilling across the foyer floor. I edged back when the light would have brushed me and stared at the golden rays as they danced across the wood. It was so pretty. It reminded me of summer days and cook-outs and chilling with friends by the pool.
I crouched and placed my hand right in the shadows next to where the sun's light faded. So close. All I had to do was move my hand an inch, and I'd be touching the sun for the first time in two years.
For all that I craved the light, wanting it with every fiber of my being—a great yearning that had been gnawing at me for years—I couldn't bring myself to move that last little bit. It was like I was stuck on a precipice, and one wrong move would send me tumbling into the abyss.
My desire for its warmth
was only matched by my fear of its pain. The light had almost killed me once when I was too weak and starved for blood. How did I know it wouldn't hurt me this time? They'd told me repeatedly that I wasn't a typical vampire, my development somewhat delayed. How did I know this wasn't another area where I was seriously lacking?
Liam knelt beside me and set his hand next to mine. He held it there for several moments and then moved it, so it rested on top of mine. With slow movements, each one pausing to give me time to resist, he edged my hand toward the light.
I made an incomprehensible sound of protest and fear as we crossed that threshold between light and dark. Liam gave a wordless sound of comfort, turning his head and pressing his lips to my hair. Then it was over, my hand fully in the light. He released me and sat back.
I stayed there, turning my hand, feeling the sun on my skin. It tingled—the sensation not quite painful but not comfortable either. I could feel the strength I'd begun to take for granted fading and a familiar tiredness beneath it all. It wasn't so all-consuming that I felt like I needed to lie down, but it was enough that I understood why vampires preferred the cover of night for their business.
Liam brushed a tear from my cheek, and I realized they were wet. I brushed the tears away with the hand not in the light.
"Would you like to try standing in the sun?" Liam asked, his voice a quiet rumble.
"Is it safe?" I didn't know what the normal rules for this were. How much protection did I have from the sun? Enough to stand in it unsheltered? Or would that be the piece that sent me into flambé territory?
"My blood has strengthened you. At this time of day, when the sun is weak, you should be safe."
"So, if the sun was stronger?" I asked, turning to him.
His gaze was sympathetic as his eyes roamed my features. "It would mean considerably more pain and possibly death at your stage of development."
I nodded. Still, seeing a sunset again was something I’d never thought possible; reading between the lines, I took that to mean that the sun at midday wasn't necessarily going to always be out of reach. The stronger I got, the more of it I could take.
