She looked down and ran her hands down its length. ‘Mmmm. I like it, too. Pity it’s not mine.’
‘Who’s then?’
She crossed her arms and looked at me. ‘You sleep naked all the time?’
I knew Jenny’s evasive tactics. ‘Please don’t tell it’s Terens’s.’
She laughed. ‘You know you can be such a prude sometimes?’
‘I’m just ... concerned. That’s all.’
Jenny sat back down on the edge of the bed. ‘I haven’t slept with him. He lent me this when I mentioned I forgot to pack my PJs.’ She paused. ‘He’s a nice guy.’
Who also happens to be nearly two-thousand years old and probably had just as many women in that time. Does he remember any of their names? I thought it best not to voice that thought. No woman liked to be considered one among many. At least I knew Alec’s exes. Both were dead. ‘Don’t fall in love with him.’
She chewed the inside of her bottom lip and glanced out the window. ‘I love daytime, too.’
We sat in silence for the next few minutes.
Jenny suddenly exclaimed. ‘Hey, it’s Christmas Eve.’
Chapter 26 - Serum
LAURA
With the yacht moored at Darling Harbour we couldn’t go back into the house, so Judy ordered Christmas decorations online. They arrived at the wharf within twenty-four hours, while the presents I ordered arrived soon after.
We’d spent the day stringing fairy lights above and around windows, and along the outside railings. Kari joined us at sunset, and she and Jenny hung mistletoe from just about every doorframe they could find. It wasn’t hard to guess which two men they aimed to pin beneath those plastic green sprigs. We’d erected floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree in the main stateroom and draped its green boughs with crystal, and delicate, beaded glass ornaments; some shaped like snow flakes, others as glittery bows, balls or tassels. A pearl garland of lights created a jewel-like effect when Judy pressed the switch and the tiny lights blinked into life.
‘My first Christmas with my family.’ Judy took my hand as we stepped back and admired our handiwork, her face alight with joy.
I kissed her cheek.
We had just finished dinner – take away Thai – and cleared away the empty containers from the coffee table around which we sat, when Alec appeared. He picked me up and spun me around. ‘We’ve got it!’ His eyes shone.
‘The antidote?’
‘Not so much an antidote, as a serum. It’ll counteract the poisonous effect of white-oak; a kind of immunisation.’ He lowered me to the floor. ‘Plus an extra surprise, and something we weren’t expecting. Jake’s telling Luc and the others about it now. Our results revealed you and I, although not immune, have a high tolerance to white-oak.’
I was stunned. ‘How?’
‘As far as I can tell, it must be the Ingenii mutation. It’s overriding your vampire blood. All previous Ingenii were immune.’ He glanced at Judy.
‘We don’t need a serum, but,’ I turned and looked at Kari, ‘what about —’
‘I didn’t say we don’t need it, darling. You and I may have a high tolerance, but it can still make us very sick. We need the serum, and what we’ve got looks promising.’ He took a deep breath. ‘We used samples of our blood – mine, Jake’s, Luc’s and the others – with the isolated compound added, then put in a tiny amount of crushed white-oak, enough to kill the most ancient of our kind and,’ a broad smile lit his face, ‘there was minimal reaction.’
‘Minimal?’ Kari asked.
‘The sample didn’t crystallise. In fact, the blood liquefied and then thickened again about fifty-five minutes later.’
‘That’s good?’ I said.
‘Yes.’ He hesitated. ‘I tested it on myself.’
I gasped. ‘What if it hadn’t worked? Alec, the risk you took!’
He placed his finger over my lips. ‘I’m all right, as you can see. It was the only way to test the compound – see if there were side effects. We don’t have the luxury of time to put it through all the necessary tests. That could take weeks, even months.’
I wasn’t convinced and lightly nipped the tip of his finger. Alec only smiled, which infuriated me all the more. ‘Laura, I was confident there was no danger. I would never risk leaving you alone. Never.’ His face sobered and as his gaze bored into mine, his arms about me tightened.
I hugged his neck, and the sick feeling slowly receded.
‘What does it do to you exactly?’ Jenny said. She sat cross-legged on one of the sofas, chin resting on one hand. ‘Can someone fill me in on that?’
Jenny had learnt much about the Brethren in the last twelve hours, but not this. Perhaps she hadn’t come across the fatal effects of white-oak on vampires in her research.
‘You haven’t heard of that?’ I asked.
She thought a moment. ‘Well, yes and no, hon. It’s hard to know what you read on online is fact. But I worked out it must be bad by the way you reacted when Rasputin had Kari.’
‘Most wood has little affect on us,’ Alec said. ‘Only there’s something in the structure of white-oak that reacts with our blood. Kills us instantly.’
‘So the wooden stake through the heart bit?’
‘Still effective, but not as instantaneous as that particular wood,’ Alec emphasised.
I explained its effects on a vampire’s body, having seen it happen to Russell.
‘Well, what do you know.’ She looked at me and shook her head. ‘This has been an education.’
She had no idea.
‘We’re still in the early stages. Jake injected himself first. Wouldn’t let me try it on myself till he was sure.’
Kari gasped. ‘He’s—’
‘He’s all right, Kari. Only experienced a few side effects. Flu-like symptoms – high fever, aching muscles and weakness. Lasted just under an hour. For me, about half that.’
‘And that’s all?’ she asked.
‘That’s all. But,’ he emphasised, and he looked back to me. ‘I’m not sure how long the serum lasts. There hasn’t been enough time to check. It could be a day, a week, maybe a month. Plus I’m not sure if our blood’s a representative sample because of the witch’s curse. I need to test this on one of the Brethren transformed by a regular vampire, to know for sure.’
‘So that counts me out?’ Kari said.
Alec nodded. ‘Anyone changed by any of us. Jake and I came up with someone who would be perfect. We’re just not going to tell him beforehand.’
‘Who?’ Judy asked.
‘Dawson.’ Alec replied.
Kari laughed. She must know him, and why did she find it funny? They were considering risking a man’s life.
‘Who is this guy?’ I asked.
‘A temporarily-reprieved criminal; a former dealer in white-oak. We promised him his life in return for information, and ... he’s doing a little job for me.’ A wide smile graced his face.
Jake and Cal came in. ‘Ready?’ Jake asked. They each had a sword strapped to their side. Jake also a small black bag tucked under his arm.
Looks like they were planning to go out again and test it on the poor guy. ‘Criminal or not, is that fair, Alec? What if it doesn’t work on him?’
He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. ‘We’ve got little choice and I don’t want to ask for a volunteer. So far, we know it only works on us. Jake’s injected the others.’
‘What?’ Judy asked, her face creased with concern. ‘Luc too?’
‘He’s all right, Judy,’ Jake called after her as she ran from the room. Presumably my father was somewhere on the upper deck.
‘Kari.’ Jake beckoned her over, placed the bag on the coffee table and opened it. ‘Your turn.’
Kari skipped over to Jake and extended her arm in blind trust. Could I do any less with Alec?
A cold shudder swept through me as Jake lifted the syringe and plunged it gently into Kari’s arm. I had an almost phobic fear of needles, which was ironic considering that I wa
s the superfood, the Goji berry, of the vamp world, and sharp and pointy fangs were now part of my existence.
But, they were Alec’s fangs, and that made all the difference.
I fought back my fear, disengaged myself from his embrace and bared my arm. ‘Me too.’
‘I know how much you hate these things.’ He kissed me as a sudden burning sting tore through my upper arm.
‘Ouch!’
He raised his head and smiled down at me. ‘All over.’
‘That was sneaky.’ I rubbed the spot.
‘But it worked.’ He placed the syringe back into the black bag and sat me down on one of the sofas.
‘Glad I don’t need one,’ Jenny said and grimaced.
‘You’re lucky.’
She turned her head in the direction of the stairs. Was she expecting to see Terens?
‘How do you feel?’ Alec crouched on the floor in front of me. ‘Any weakness, aches and pains, soreness?’
‘Fine.’ I shrugged.
‘Let’s give it a few minutes.’ He watched me, then after five, maybe ten minutes, he took my pulse and temperature. ‘Humph! Normal. Still feeling okay?’
‘Same as before. I feel great.’
Alec shook his head. ‘You are an enigma.’
‘Just as well you’ll have eternity to figure me out then,’ I said and smoothed the crease between his eyes with my finger.
Alec snatched it and brought it to his lips. ‘Not long enough.’
‘We need to go,’ Jake said.
Alec rose and took my hand. ‘We’re going out.’
‘To jab poor old Dawson? You don’t need me along for that.’
‘No, not for that. I have something else in mind.’ He grinned.
‘What?’
He wouldn’t tell me and turned to Jenny instead. ‘Jen, I believe Terens would appreciate some TLC right now. It’s a long time since he’s had the flu.’
Her eyes lit up. Uncurling herself from the settee, she said, ‘Where is he?’
Alec indicated with a flick of his head. ‘Wheelhouse. Upper deck. Splayed out on one of the deck chairs.’
She shot me a grin and waved. ‘Have a nice night, you, two.’
I just had time to grab my bag off the settee as Alec led me from the stateroom, Cal and Jake following behind, carrying the little black bag.
My bodyguards.
A delicious array of aromas wafted from the string of restaurants and cafes along the pier as we got into the launch. Alec and I sat on one of the long benches at the back, his arm around me as Jake steered out of the busy hub of Darling Harbour.
The lights from the jetty danced on the waves as we cruised along the dark water towards Circular Quay. A train roared overhead as we passed beneath the dark shadow of the Harbour Bridge. I smiled inwardly – the people within had no idea the kind of beings passing below them.
While Jake moored the launch at a wharf near The Rocks, Cal lifted up the back seat, extracted two dark objects and shook them out – long, black leather coats. He tossed one to Jake, who threw it on as we climbed out. Presumably they were to hide the presence of the swords dangling from their hips. They stepped ashore, and like real minders, surveyed the scene before nodding to Alec.
I had to admit, in those coats, they looked quite intimidating. Several passers-by paused to look but quickly moved on.
The area around the Quay was milling with people, locals as well as tourists. Live bands entertained the crowd. Some listened while others danced, their sweaty gyrations becoming another source of entertainment.
Cal stopped and sniffed the air. ‘There’s a hunting party of four out.’
Alec looked around and murmured, ‘Happy hunting.’
‘Okay, let’s go.’ Jake led the way down Pitt Street, the crowd parting to let them through.
We walked about a block, the music and noise from the Quay receding behind us, until we entered an unlit side lane. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of stale urine and garbage from an open dumpster. A cockroach the size of a rat scurried past my foot, and I squealed.
‘Appearances are deceptive,’ Alec said. He smiled and squeezed my hand as we entered a darkened concrete building. Just inside the entrance, Jake stopped at the elevator. We rode up to the second floor, and the doors opened onto a wide corridor that led to a timbered double door with polished brass handles and an intercom. Apart from a room number, it had no other identification.
My curiosity went into hyperdrive. What on earth was he up to, apart from jabbing the guy who lived here?
Jake and Cal stood behind us as Alec pressed a button. A voice answered. ‘Can I help you?’
‘It’s Dr Munro. I have an appointment.’
‘Please come in.’
With a click, Alec pushed open the door. Hand in hand, we walked into one of the most luxurious jewellery shops I had ever seen. Gleaming glass counters ringed the room, and ceiling downlights shone upon tray after tray of glittering objects. In the centre of the room, perched on top of a polished jade column, stood a small fountain in the shape of a water lily rising from a crystal bowl. Water cascaded over the stem and leaves that appeared to be made entirely of crystal and gemstones, while the lily itself was encrusted with diamonds. More were scattered, like pebbles, in the centre of the bowl.
I was amazed, not just by the opulence, but by the fact that I’d lived in Sydney all my life and never knew about this place. Yet here it was, hidden away in a non-descript building, only reached by elevator and an appointment.
‘How long has this place been here?’
‘Nearly a century, I think,’ Alec said.
With Jake in front and Cal behind us, we made our way through this Aladdin’s cave toward one of the counters. Behind it stood a man of average height. Thick, wiry brown hair curled over the tips of his ears, and a scraggly, uneven moustache drooped over his upper lip.
This must be Dawson. I wondered if the moustache tickled the skin of his donsang when he fed, presuming he had one. On either side of him stood two others – also Brethren from the colour of their eyes – a man and a woman who looked so alike they could be twins. One stared at Jake, and the other’s gaze never left Cal.
‘Nice to see you again, princeps,’ Dawson said to Alec. His eyes darted nervously from Alec to Jake and Cal before resting on me. ‘And, and is this the young lady in question? The Ingenii?’
‘That’s right. My fiancé, Lady Laura.’
Dawson’s eyes widened just as he bowed his head to me before addressing Alec again. ‘Shall I, uh, bring out the trays or the particular article you admired earlier?’
Alec glanced at me. ‘Show Lady Laura both.’
By now, I was anticipating what he was up to, and it wasn’t only to test his serum on Dawson.
Dawson dipped behind the counter and brought out a tray wrapped in green velvet. His hands shook as he laid it on the counter and unveiled half-a-dozen or so stunning diamond rings. The pleasant butterflies in my stomach went into free fall and my hand flew to my mouth.
‘Here’s the one you thought the lady might like.’ He lifted the tray to reveal another beneath. He picked up a small, purple velvet bundle, slowly unwrapped it, and I found myself staring at a heart-shaped diamond tinged with a subtle pink glow set in a plain gold band.
It was so beautiful, for a second I stopped breathing.
‘Let’s see if it fits,’ Alec suggested.
He took my left hand and gently slid the diamond in place. It fitted perfectly. ‘It’s about time I gave you an engagement ring.’ He kissed my fingertips.
I gasped with pleasure, speechless. The diamond spanned the width of my finger and sparkled like raindrops in a sun shower. Alec had picked it especially for me. I could feel my eyes stinging as my gaze shifted from my new diamond ring to Alec’s smiling face.
That’s why he’d been so mysterious.
‘Would you like to see the others, my lady?’ Dawson pushed the other tray toward me then stepped away, hands be
hind his back.
Perhaps he’s afraid to touch me. Probably thinks even my skin is dangerous. Right then I didn’t care. ‘No. I love this one.’ I threw my arms around Alec’s neck and hugged him.
His arms encircled me. Over my head he said, ‘We’ll take it.’
‘Would Lady Laura like it gift wrapped?’
‘No. I’m never taking it off!’
Alec’s whole body shook with laughter. ‘Don’t worry about the box.’
I lowered my left hand onto Alec’s chest and admired my stunning engagement ring. The fire within seemed to grow and glow the more I gazed at it.
‘You really like it?’
‘How did you know?’ I looked up at him.
‘I didn’t. It just looked the type of ring you’d wear – graceful and elegant.’
His words went straight to my heart and a tear trickled down my cheek. Alec brushed it away, raised my chin and kissed me.
‘I’m happy to have been of service, and since the lady is satisfied—’ Dawson began.
‘Just one more thing.’ Jake placed the black medical bag on the glass counter, and I swung around in Alec’s arms in time to see Cal leap over, and haul the look-alikes aside.
They struggled in his grip. ‘Don’t hurt him! Uncle’s done nothing wrong.’
Uncle? I couldn’t see any similarity, except for their eyes, which had nothing to do with shared DNA.
Dawson’s face paled. He backed away, hitting the wall behind him. ‘I’ve done everything you asked!’ His gaze ranged the room like a cornered rabbit looking for escape.
I felt sorry for him.
‘Calm down. We’ve come to ask if you’d like to be immunised against white-oak,’ Jake said.
Dawson’s eyes narrowed and slowly shifted from Jake to Alec. ‘You’re not here to ex – execute me?’ He swallowed hard.
‘No,’ Alec replied. ‘If we were, would I have brought Lady Laura?’
He looked at me, but remained braced against the wall, wary. ‘Please, release my niece and nephew.’
So they were twins.
Alec said. ‘Not till you answer Jake’s question.’
Jake held up the syringe. ‘This serum will protect you from white-oak.’
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