Blood Vine

by Amber Belldene

  “I’m fine. This is Pedro’s blood.” He took a sip from his too hot mug.

  Holding her mug steady, she inched back the bed and sat cross-legged. “You look like you’re in shock. You haven’t blinked since you walked in the room.”

  “Really? Well, my father tried to kill me and I watched Pedro get turned into a vampire. It’s been a shocking day.”

  “But you knew that they would kill him, right?”

  “Zoey, they planned the kidnapping without me. It was a test of my loyalty. I failed.” Zoey blew on her coffee and looked at him expectantly. “I watched and waited for a moment I could rescue him. They guarded him non-stop. It finally came, but it wasn’t a clean exit.”

  “Does Pedro know that?”

  “I tried to tell him I was sorry without giving myself away to Ethan. But I’m not sure it matters.”

  Zoey bit her fingertip while her eyes bored into him. Her scrutiny made his face burn. Finally, she said, “Lucas, Ethan’s nuts—he’s like a psychopath, or something.”

  “Not like. I’ve been worried he’s exactly that for a long time. I’d hoped his feelings for you meant I was wrong. But when I saw him torture Pedro I was sure.”

  “He tortured Pedro?”

  “Yep, right out of a manual from the Inquisition or something.” He spared her the details.

  “Jesus. I’d never have thought he could do something like that. He’s good at pretending he cares.”

  The words hit him harder than they should have. Ethan had been pretending to care since they were kids, and he had taken every bone Ethan had thrown him. Zoey watched intently. Could she guess what he was feeling?

  “What are you going to do, Lucas?”

  “Run. They’ll be hunting me now. I have some savings and I can get a new identity. I’ll be fine, I think.” Even to his own ears, he sounded tired, lonely, and unpersuasive.

  “I guess that’s what’s in store for me too.”

  “You’re not going stay with Andre?”

  “I don’t want to be a vampire, Lucas. And besides, he hasn’t asked me to stay.”

  “And if he asked?”

  “He hasn’t.” In other words, end of discussion.

  “We can stick together for a while, if you want.” God, he sounded desperate, like he was asking her on a date.

  “Lucas, I—”

  “Zoey, you don’t have to—”

  “How can I trust you? I mean, you’re not who I thought you were.”

  “Well, if it makes a difference, I’m not who I thought I was either.”

  Kos perched on a wooden stool next to where Pedro lay on the bed. It was uncomfortable. Pedro used it to pile clothes; he’d probably never sat on the damn thing.

  The new vampire was awake, but quiet. Physically, he looked great. Kos had seen a number of turnings in his life, but it was always surprising to see a person’s youth restored. He hadn’t even noticed the signs of aging that Pedro had acquired in ten years, until becoming a vampire had erased them.

  “How do you feel?”

  “My body feels amazing. Better than new. My head’s…more messed up.”

  That was to be expected, so Kos waited. Pedro needed to go at his own pace. The young vampire squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears. Kos listened for the new sounds Pedro would hear. His own pulse and breath would be loudest, aside from the occasional roar of an empty stomach. The sounds of the house would be deafening too. For the first week of Kos’s vampire life, every time a door slammed he dropped to the floor and took cover, like a battle-scarred veteran, which he was not. Kos stood up and turned off the light.

  “Thanks, man…”

  Pedro had begun to tremble on the bed.

  “Pedro, are you messed up about being a vampire, or messed up about being kidnapped?”

  “Fuck, I don’t know. Both.” His shakes were getting worse. “I feel like a shiny new sports car with a frazzled motherboard.”

  “Turning will definitely fry your motherboard. All your wires will be crossed for a while.”

  “And torture…what does that do to your motherboard?” Pedro whispered. In his newly sensitive ears, it probably sounded like he was shouting.

  “Christ, Pedro. I’m so sorry we—”

  “Can this not be about you feeling guilty?”

  Ouch. “Yes. Whatever you need. I’ll listen, if you want. Or I’ll just sit.”

  It was a slow five minutes before Pedro said, “I thought I was going to die, but now I’m sitting here looking at eternal life. And all I can think about is what that asshole would have done to me next.”

  Kos had no words of wisdom. He endured more silence with all the patience he owed his new brother.

  Pedro seemed to get his shakes under control. Then, he continued. “I was going to hang myself in the shed, but I missed my chance.”

  Kos’s gut twisted. It was their fault that Pedro had to make a choice like that, but he kept his guilt to himself. “I’m glad you missed it.”

  “Yeah.” The response came too quick.

  “Pedro, it will get better.”

  He let Pedro have more of the silence he seemed to need. Then he looked at his watch; the warning was due. “Listen, any minute now the blood hunger is going to take you over. It’s frightening. Not as bad as the shit you went through today, but bad.” He looked into Pedro’s alarmingly gold eyes, and saw his pupils twitch. “I promise you’ll get through it. I’ll make sure you get enough blood.”

  Pedro nodded. Then there was more silence.

  “Kos, I didn’t tell them anything about the wine.”

  “I know. I didn’t have to ask.” The line of Pedro’s mouth softened, showing Kos how much his trust meant. “How are you feeling? Cold? Weak? Empty? Thirsty?” It was impossible to describe what the hunger would be like, but he needed to know if Pedro was beginning to sense it.

  “No, man, I’m good.”

  “Nothing? Skin tight? Eyes dry?”

  “Kos, if I could turn my brain off, I could run a frickin’ marathon. My body feels that good.”

  “That’s weird.”

  Chapter 30

  ANDRE SOUGHT OUT THE PEACE and quiet of his office. Leaving the lights off, he walked straight to his desk and put his feet up. Once again, Zoey had been the stronger and more disciplined one. He had nearly declared himself, but thought better of it just in time. She was certain she did not want to be a vampire and it was a dangerous business to try to sway her—Mila had taught him that lesson well.

  Thank the gods that Pedro was safe. But soon, terrifying and painful blood lust would overtake him, and he would fear losing himself to the craving entirely. And his escape would only inflame the Hunters. What would they try next to escalate their attack?

  Andre tried to breathe deeply and be in the present moment, but he wasn’t good at all that New Age claptrap. He needed Kos and a deck of cards. However, at that moment, Pedro needed Kos far more than he did.

  A glass of wine…now that might help. All the wine glasses in his wet bar were dirty; he filled a pint glass and drank the wine in two long swallows.

  The sound of footsteps caught his attention—fast and heavier than Kos’s. That meant it must be Bel. His son opened the door and strode in, already speaking. “Perimeter’s clear. It seems like the shield really threw them; they’re completely gone.”

  “That is good. At the very least, Kos’s friends will arrive unseen when they come to feed Pedro.” The Hunters would regroup and return. They always did.

  “True,” Bel said. “About the shield—Trys says she can extend it around the vineyards too, but it will be weaker.”

  The vines had to remain safe. His jaw locked and forcing it open took all his concentration. “Surely it will hold?”

  Bel poured himself a bourbon from the decanter on the bar and drank it down as smoothly as Andre had the wine. “We had the element of surprise. And it blocked their weapons, but Trys thinks they could walk right through unarmed.”

&
nbsp; “Why?”

  “Because Zoey did.”

  “Right.” And damn it if he wasn’t glad she had. He licked his teeth. “How does it work, Bel?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. She refuses to explain it to me.”

  Andre squinted at Bel. He had been inquisitive as a boy, had wanted to grasp how everything worked. But since Mila’s death, he grown obsessed with learning how his mother had done the impossible—conceived a vampire’s child.

  He couldn’t imagine Bel putting up with all the cobwebs and arcana of witchcraft. “Does she cast spells and make potions?”

  “No. Somehow she unleashes and manipulates the natural energy in the air and the earth.”

  A hint of peevishness tinged Bel’s scientific explanation. Clearly, he resented that he didn’t understand. He had become such an angry boy, and Andre wished once again that he could wipe away the decades of misunderstanding between them. But some secrets had to remain hidden and some magic was far too danger—

  “By the way, Trys has already gone through gobs and gobs of chocolate to fuel the shield. We’re almost out, and she’s very particular.”

  “You must be joking.”

  “I’m afraid not. She requires an enormous caloric intake to maintain her shields. That’s how I know it’s some kind of natural, rather than supernatural, process at work. Technically, she could eat anything, but she likes chocolate. The good stuff. Where can I get some?”

  “Have Kos ask Lena.”

  “Right. Also, I want to question Lucas about what the Hunters know,” Bel said, refilling his glass. “Kos said Zoey didn’t tell them anything new about the wine. If they aren’t suspicious, then Trys can focus on shielding the house, and the rest of the crew can patrol the vineyards.”

  “Do you think Lucas will cooperate? Or by question do you mean the way they questioned Pedro?”

  “I’m not sure. If it comes to torture, you’re in charge—you have way more experience.”

  Could he even remember how? He hadn’t tortured anyone since his days in the Roman army. “I’m out of practice.”

  “It’s probably moot. In spite of how Pedro feels about Lucas, he wouldn’t condone us torturing him. He offered Lucas protection, and he has more honor than that.”

  Bel’s admiring tone pleased Andre. “You like him?”

  “I do. He’s got balls. And he was cracking jokes when we both thought it was over for him.”

  Laughter erupted from Andre’s chest, surprising him. It had not been over for Pedro, after all. “I would have him be a true brother to both of you.”

  Bel lifted his glass—it was an acceptance of Pedro into the family and it brought out more of Andre’s fatherly feelings. Davo, he was turning soft.

  In the silence that followed, a knock sounded on the oak front door. “Someone’s at the door. Likely Kos’s girls.”

  And just in time, too. Pedro must be losing his mind to blood hunger.

  Andre remained in the shadows behind Bel, who stood in a bright shaft of sunlight when he opened the front door to find two women waiting. Andre took an involuntary step back—they weren’t what he was expecting.

  How odd. He rarely, or rather, never met Kos’s girlfriends. But surely his son did not fancy hippies. Their very long hair hung down over flowing sundresses. They were both pretty enough in a plain way, but neither appeared to shave her legs or armpits. Zoey’s classic, tailored clothes and impeccable grooming put them to shame.

  “Hi. We’re Kos’s friends,” said the one with light brown hair.

  “He called because his brother needs…help,” said the other.

  At a loss, Andre resorted to hospitality. Stepping to the sharp edge of the shadow, he said, “Thank you for coming, ladies.”

  They pivoted to face Andre, and behind them, Bel shrugged, palms up. His shaking head told Andre he found the girls as surprising as Andre did. The women shuffled around, waiting for Bel to introduce himself.

  He bowed his head politely, in a flash of old world manners that made Andre proud. “Yes, thank you. I’m Kos’s other brother, Bel.”

  Andre crossed to the bottom of the stairs. “I’ll take you to them.”

  The women followed, and Bel trailed behind. Andre knocked on Pedro’s doorframe and then strode in without waiting for an invitation. Kos rose to greet his friends.

  “How are you? Hungry?” Andre asked Pedro.

  “I don’t think so.”

  That was odd. Unease blew across Andre’s skin, and his gut tensed.

  “Let’s try this,” he said, nudging one of the women toward Pedro.

  The new vampire showed no signs of hunger in response.

  Andre lifted her hand to his mouth. “May I?”

  “Sure.”

  Pricking her finger with his fang, he held it under Pedro’s nose. Pedro didn’t respond. His breath should have quickened, his eyes should have dilated.

  “I don’t understand,” Kos said. “He should be starving by now.”

  “Ladies, Pedro’s not ready for you. If you don’t mind waiting, I’ll take you down to my parlor and pour you a glass of wine.” Andre took the taller girl’s arm.

  “Thanks, that would be nice,” said the brunette.

  In the hallway, Zoey’s smell reached him from behind her closed door. The tension in his gut melted away, and his stomach growled out its desire for her.

  “Sounds like somebody’s hungry,” the woman said, squeezing his arm.

  “Indeed. But I am not the one you came for.”

  She halted mid-step and faced Andre, putting slim hands on his chest. “But he doesn’t need us. And we would be very disappointed to come all this way and be unable to help.” Lifting and tilting her chin, she exposed soft tan skin and a fluttering pulse. Davo. They were lusty hippies, which perhaps explained his son’s interest. Kos did not desire them anymore than Andre did Lena, but blood was blood and the one whom he desired he could not have.

  “I would be very grateful for your assistance,” Andre said without taking his eyes from her neck.

  Behind him, the other women cleared her throat, and Andre sprang into action. He wrapped his arms around each of their waists and lifted them, hurtling down the stairs. The scent of Zoey teased him, even as their hot blood poured down his throat, one woman at a time—their taste was flat compared to the promise of hers.

  In case Pedro needed their blood soon, Andre took only sips from both of them, dulling the sharp edge of his craving. Tactfully, he extricated himself from their lithe arms. The women seemed content to drink wine and giggle on a sofa in the parlor, waiting to be needed again.

  Pedro’s room was silent when Andre returned. Had no one spoken in the minutes he was gone? The same uneasy tension returned to dance up his spine. Pedro looked too good—something was most certainly wrong. But Andre did not want to voice the fear, so he simply contributed to the ominous silence.

  Finally, Bel spoke. “Kos. What is up with your girls?”

  “They’re cute enough.” Kos’s smile was sheepish and it erased more than a century of wasting from his suddenly youthful face. But only for a moment.

  “Yeah, cute in a Woodstock kind of way. Have you bought them a pack of razors? They’re hairy enough for Pedro.”

  “Not by a long shot,” Pedro said.

  Kos blushed. “Leave them alone. They’re very sweet.”

  It had never been his own way, but Andre admired Kos’s chivalry. And the girls were indeed agreeable, more so than Andre preferred.

  “Sweet’s not my style,” Bel said, echoing Andre’s thoughts.

  Bel leaned over Pedro, placing a finger under one eye and tugging the lower lid down. Andre was unfamiliar with the significance of this eyeball examination, but Bel was the expert.

  “So, buddy, not hungry?” Bel asked.

  It happened so quickly, even to Andre’s eye. A door closed across the hall, Bel was thrown to the floor, something crashed, something else shattered. Kos rushed from the room, and Andre f
ollowed. In the hall, Pedro was on top of Lucas again. He pinned him with his hips while pulling Lucas’s head over by the hair to lengthen his exposed neck. Pedro hadn’t bitten him, but his face pressed against Lucas’s skin and he took deep breaths. Lucas went pale and held himself very still, as if afraid movement would provoke Pedro.

  “Why does he smell so good?” Pedro asked. “Do I want him instead of the girls because he’s a guy?”

  “No,” Andre said. “Blood is blood. Perhaps you will prefer to feed from men, but when you are hungry it will not matter.”

  Kos knelt down next to the pair. “You’ve already taken a lot of his blood, Pedro. He probably can’t afford any more.”

  “I won’t. I don’t feel hungry. But I could smell him and my body took me here.”

  Lucas sank into the floor, apparently relieved. Andre felt no such thing. What the hell did Pedro mean?

  Bel’s frown reflected Andre’s thoughts. “Is that what you feel like when you smell blood?”

  “Not unless I’m very hungry.” Kos shook his head. “Then I can hear blood pounding and smell it. It’s hard to focus on anything else.”

  “Is that what you feel, Pedro?”

  Pedro sniffed deeply, running his nose along Lucas’s neck. The Hunter appeared to be listening carefully. With his head cocked at an odd angle, he strained to keep Pedro in the corner of his eye.

  “I can hear his blood…but it’s something else. Smelling him makes the blood in my veins buzz. Like I drank one hundred espressos at once.”

  “I’ve never felt that,” Kos said.

  “Nor I,” Andre agreed.

  “So there’s something different about Lucas’s blood. It’s the only explanation.” Zoey spoke from her doorway, near where Andre leaned against the wall. Startled, he sidestepped away from her.

  “Great, I’m vampire crack.” In spite of the bitterness in his tone, Lucas’s words were laughable, cutting the tension.

  Bel chuckled. “So it would seem. Bennett, you’re not going anywhere for the time being.”

  Lucas nodded.

  Zoey stepped into the hall, circling Andre with her dark brows raised. She wasn’t focused on his face, but his chest. He looked down. Davo. A red droplet of blood marred his rumpled white shirt.