Bloodstone Heart

by T. Lynne Tolles

  Chapter 7

  Unlike the previous day, Josh noticed that Melanie kept her distance from him. He missed her not holding him tight, laying her head on his back, not to mention, he missed her warmth. He had hurt her somehow, that was obvious. Had she been jealous of the waitress who was being so rude to her? He had wanted to defend her and demand the girl take her order, but he didn't want to draw attention to them. And for God's sake, why did you kiss her on her head? You had her in your arms minutes ago and you kissed her on the head the way you'd kiss your kid sister. Everything he did seemed so stupid, like having two left feet on a dance floor. Geez, what a dimwit.

  Now her hands were on each side of his waist and the cool frigid air whooshed between them as they flew down the I-5 towards San Francisco. On the way, they passed Shasta Dam and crossed over the Sacramento River several times. Once they were past Redding, the hills leveled out to the flat lands of the central valley. It was pretty in its own way with the farms of green crops and orchards of different kinds of trees, but very flat. On the left and in the far distance, the Sierras could be seen. Very near Sacramento, they veered off to the West on 505 and then onto 80. They went through Oakland and headed for the Bay Bridge. It was a clear day and they could see the Dumbarton Bridge in the distance to their left and the Richmond Bridge to the right. Once off the Bay Bridge they wiggled on the outskirts of San Francisco and then onto Highway 280 for a little bit, then lastly, west to Highway 1.

  Highway 1 was a gorgeous ride, with its rugged cliff edges and sweeping views of the steel gray-blue ocean. They saw the famous Devil's Slide where the rocky cliffs give way to the relentless wearing of the sea a tiny bit every year. There were quite a few turnouts for sightseers and Melanie wished she had her digital camera. She knew she'd never remember all the beautiful scenery and wished she could paint it all. If things had not been so tense between her and Josh she would have liked to have stopped at some of the turnouts just to take in its beauty for a while, but she remembered they were being chased and Josh's life was in the balance – no time for sightseeing. She hoped that some day she and Josh could come this way again on the bike.

  There was something amazing about being on the motorcycle in all this splendor and sun. It made her feel closer to nature, being a part of it with the wind and the sun and the pavement moving like a blur beneath them. She could smell the sea and the greenery all around her. If she reached out with her hand she could touch it, although that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. The sun was warm and glorious and sparkled on the water like thousands of diamonds. It was truly an unforgettable ride.

  It was only about an hour to their destination, once they got on Highway 1. They turned off towards the mountains at Pescadero and headed into Oljone. They stopped at a bar in town and asked a friendly guy behind the bar named Kyle how they could get to O'Rielly's bookstore. Melanie couldn't remember the proper name of the store, but the bartender seemed to know what she meant.

  Kyle said, "Just take the street you're on, up about 3 blocks and make a right. It's on the left side up about a block and it is called the Cauldron, Book and Candle. I'm not sure Darby is there, but Rowan should be there."

  "Thanks so much, Kyle. You've been a great help," Melanie said as they left.

  Josh followed Kyle's directions and within minutes they were getting off the bike again in front of the bookstore. Melanie was pulling off the leather jacket and the helmet as Josh took the duffle bag from her and slung it over his shoulder.

  A tiny bell rang when they stepped inside the bookstore. Almost instantly, they were greeted by a gorgeous woman with come hither green eyes and long, beautiful auburn hair.

  "Welcome. I'm Sally. Can I help you with anything?"

  Melanie stepped closer to her and said, "I hope so. We are looking for Darby O'Rielly."

  "Oh! Well, maybe I should get her sister for you then."

  "Why? Has something happened to Darby?"

  "Um, sort of, but I think it should be her family that explains it," Sally said as she headed back to the storage room.

  "Oh no. I hope nothing has happened to her," Melanie said very worried as she spun around to look at Josh. He didn't say anything, but stood there looking stoic.

  A few minutes later, Sally returned with a petite woman with long, wavy, strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes the color of the Caribbean Sea. She smiled at Melanie and said, "Hi! I'm Rowan O'Rielly. Sally said that you were looking for my sister, Darby?"

  "Yes. It's very important that I talk with Darby." Melanie glanced over her shoulder at Josh shyly and continued, "We have a...situation I think she might be able to help with. I'm Melanie Harper. Darby and I went to school together."

  "Melanie? Oh my God. It's so nice to meet you finally. Darby talks so fondly of you." Rowan pointed to the love seat and chairs in a cozy corner of the bookstore, inviting them both to sit.

  "Thank you. Darby talked about you all the time too. Has something happened to her?" Melanie said as she sat on the love seat and Josh sat on one of the chairs, listening intently.

  "Well, she's not here in California anymore. She's moved to the east coast - Massachusetts to be exact. She sold the bookstore to Sally, here, a good friend of ours. I haven't seen Darby since December when she came back to sign the papers and grab some items from home."

  "What is she doing in Massachusetts?"

  "It's kind of a long story."

  Melanie looked down for a moment.

  "Is there something I can help you with?" Rowan asked.

  "We couldn't possibly bother you with this. We actually have trouble tailing us and I don't know how long it will be before that trouble catches up with us. I was really hoping I could speak with Darby."

  "I'd never feel right not helping. I'm sure that whatever the problem is, we, Sally, Dean, our neighbor, and Blake, my boyfriend, could help."

  "That's sweet, Rowan, very sweet, but I don't really know you and this situation is a little unusual. No, actually it is very unusual. Maybe we should just head to the east coast and try and find her there," Melanie said looking for confirmation from Josh who wasn't sure what he should say.

  "Melanie, even if you do decide to go to the east coast, why not at least stay with us tonight? Tell us what the trouble is and if we can't help, you've only lost a few hours. I'm telling you though, there is a pretty good chance that whatever you have to say won't surprise any of us in the slightest."

  "I don't know. What do you think, Josh? Do we have a few hours?"

  "I'm not sure? He's found us pretty quickly two times already."

  "True, but I don't know how he would find us here as long as we don't turn on your iPhone again."

  "Oh, please stay. If this guy does show, at least you have more people to back you up against anything, supernatural or not."

  "What makes you think it has anything to do with the supernatural?" Melanie asked.

  "Why else would you seek out a friend that helped you with a supernatural problem before, who owns a supernatural bookstore, and happens to be from a long line of ancestral witches?"

  "I didn't know about the witch thing, but I guess I should have guessed." She wasn't getting any kind of feedback from Josh when she looked for an answer in his eyes. "I guess a night couldn't hurt."

  "Good. We were about to close up anyway. You can follow us back to my house. Blake is there and Dean should be home from work very soon."

  "Thank you, Rowan. I'm still not certain you can help us, but I appreciate your offer."

  Rowan and Sally closed up the shop and headed for Rowan's black SUV. Josh and Melanie got back on the bike and followed them a few blocks to Rowan's house. It was a cute bungalow, craftsman style, with a wide porch, grey-blue paint trimmed in white and a deep wine colored door. Josh pulled the bike in behind Rowan. Rowan went to the back of the SUV to gather some things into a box, yelling over her shoulder, "Go ahead and knock on the door. Blake's home."

  Josh and Melanie headed up the porch steps shedding hel
mets as they did so and Melanie knocked on the door with her gloved hand.

  A very handsome man answered the door, which Melanie assumed must be Blake. He must have been at least 6'4" as he was taller than Josh by an inch or two. He was lean, obviously muscular, but not quite as big as Josh. He had straight brown hair, flawless skin, gorgeous dark brown eyes and a smile that could knock the socks off any girl. Before any hellos were said, Josh sprang into defensive mode. He swung Melanie behind him in a whirlwind and with both hands outstretched like a basketball player guarding his basket, he slowly and carefully backed up keeping Melanie safely behind him.

  Blake was astonished at Josh's reaction and Rowan was just turning to go up the steps when she saw what was going on. Melanie's hands were on Josh's waist as he backed her away from Blake. She looked at Rowan for some explanation.

  "It's okay, Josh, it is Josh, right?" Rowan said.

  Blake interjected, "His telepathy is extraordinary. I didn't even have a chance to shield myself. Truly Josh, I'm no threat to you and your friend. You've obviously sensed what I am. From what I've sensed from you, I think we might be able to help you. That is why you brought them here, Rowan, right?"

  "Yes. This is Josh and Melanie. Melanie and Darby were college buddies and she's come here looking for Darby in hopes that she could help them. I suggested she explain to us what the problem is and maybe we could help since Darby is in Massachusetts."

  "Please, come in," Blake said, but mostly he was directing his plea to Josh who still looked unsure about him. Melanie peeked out from behind Josh, whose arms were starting to relax to his sides. She held one of his arms with both her hands, almost hugging it. He kept Melanie close as he made a wide berth around Blake and entered the house with Rowan and Sally trailing behind them. Blake closed the door.

  "Should I call Dean over?" Blake said. "Or should we explain first, so Josh doesn't have another adrenaline rush."

  Rowan said, "Maybe we should wait. Please, Josh, Melanie, why don't you make yourself comfortable and we will explain." Melanie sat down and Josh sat next to her on the couch reluctantly, never taking his eyes off Blake.

  Rowan started, "Josh, I should have forewarned you about Blake, but I had no idea you'd be able to read him. Josh, this is Blake Bloomington, my boyfriend, but more notably a vampire. I know that may be shocking and I forget sometimes just how shocking it can be to some. I don't know if you know much about vampires?"

  Josh shook his head but said nothing. Rowan continued, “Maybe you should give him some details, Blake.”

  "Right. Okay. Let's see, I guess we should start with the two different kinds of vampires. There are vampires that are born from vampires, and there are vampires that are made by vampires in a very delicate exchange of blood between the vampire and the human. Made vampires are more what most humans think of when they think of vampires. They have an incredible thirst for blood and if they are not taught to control it, they can be deadly. They also need to feed daily which makes it hard for them to live in a small community without being detected. A born vampire, like myself, only needs to feed once every two or three weeks and in much smaller amounts. We don’t kill unless in self-defense as a human might.

  "As for Hollywood's projection of vampires, most of it is nonsense. Vampires can be out in the daylight, and garlic, holy water and crosses have no effect on us. We are extraordinarily strong, and fast. We heal quickly and we can read and control human thoughts. I think that sums it up for the most part."

  "Thanks, Sweetie,” said Rowan. “Do you have any questions before we go on?" She looked at Josh and Melanie.

  Melanie looked to Josh for a reaction, but he seemed dazed. She figured he was letting it soak in so she said, "I don't at the moment, but we may have some questions later, if that's all right?"

  "Sure. It's a lot to take in. We understand completely. Now since we have opened the can of worms regarding vampires, I suppose it would be a good time to explain something about myself and Dean, before we get to your story. Early this past summer, when Darby and I met Blake and Devon, Blake's vampire brother, we ran into some trouble. In an attempt to trap Devon and Blake, a man named Terrance Paine kidnapped me and injected me with several doses of werewolf’s blood, hoping to kill me. Much to everyone's surprise, what happened was that I was turned into a werewolf and the change happens a couple of days out of the month. Talk about your PMS," Rowan joked hoping to lighten the mood. Blake chuckled, but Melanie and Josh just stared. Melanie seemed to be taking all the information much better than Josh, who looked like a deer stunned by the headlights of an oncoming eighteen wheeler.

  Melanie said, "So you and Blake are living together, right? But aren't werewolves and vampires mortal enemies?"

  Rowan answered, "Well, that is what the folklore says, but we've found that the two races are actually quite similar. They both are very fast, very strong, and heal very quickly. Normally I can't read thoughts, but when I am in wolf form, I can telepathically communicate with Blake, Devon, and Dean. Dean was born a werewolf and I thought, after seeing Josh's reaction to Blake, that bringing him over without an explanation would be a little much. Since you had already met me, I figured it was easier to tell you my tale and ease into Dean."

  "That was very thoughtful of you," Melanie said. "So Sally, where do you fit into this picture?"

  Sally smiled and said, "Well, that's a long story too, but let's just say that I'm a witch."

  "She's being modest," Rowan said. "She's a very powerful witch, amazing even. She and Dean have hooked up. Dean lives next door."

  "So how did you meet Dean?" Melanie asked.

  "Well, remember how I told you that Terrance Paine had injected me with werewolf blood? In order to obtain that blood, he had killed a werewolf, who happened to be Dean's brother, Benjamin. We were trying to find out all we could about werewolves and found out about Dean. We figured, who better than a werewolf to get the scoop on werewolves. One thing led to another and we all became very close friends."

  "Will Devon, your brother, be joining us?" Melanie asked Blake.

  "No, I'm afraid not," Blake answered.

  Rowan said, "That question brings us back to Darby. You asked why she was in Massachusetts. Devon and Darby fell pretty hard for each other when they met last summer. In November, Blake and Devon's uncle Dominic flew out from the east coast hoping to bring back Devon and Blake to help figure out what was ailing his son, Anton. Blake couldn’t go at that time, so Devon and Darby went instead. While there, Anton's estranged wife Libby showed up. Devon had been in love with Libby years ago, before Anton had met her, but when Anton and Libby met, they ran off and eloped and apparently Devon took it badly and held it against Anton for years. Devon and Libby hooked up while Devon and Darby were in Connecticut and Devon ran off with Libby.

  "Darby seems to have taken the break up badly and just can't seem to come to terms with the fact that Devon left her for Libby. She seems to think that Libby has kidnapped Devon, or is holding him against his will. Darby decided she had to find Devon and rescue him from Libby. She came back here in December and sold the bookstore to Sally, packed up some clothes, and moved to Massachusetts to search for Devon."

  "So you don't think there's any merit to Darby's quest for Devon?"

  "No. I think her heart is broken and she can't see the situation for what it is."

  "What about you, Blake? What's your take on this? After all, this is your brother we're talking about."

  "I don't think Devon made the right choice taking off with Libby, but he's always seen her through rose-colored glasses and I think that once he saw her again, all those old feelings rushed back and she talked him into leaving with her."

  "So Devon isn't a super loyal guy, then? I mean anyone who would dump someone and take off with another, especially the wife of his cousin, can't be very gallant. That's what puzzles me. I just can't see Darby with someone who isn’t all those things since that is how she is."

  "My brother is loyal and gallant.
Sometimes to a fault, truly. Ask anyone."

  "Then maybe Darby's right. Of course, it isn't really my place to say anything of the sort, so maybe we should explain why we are here." Melanie looked at Josh for affirmation. He nodded, but didn't say anything.

  Melanie continued, "Josh has had a run in with two vampires. The first attacked him in an alley and he was very nearly killed. When the vampire came in for the kill, Josh grabbed a piece of wood to defend himself and the vampire came down on it and exploded into ash. A week later, Josh went back to the alley in hopes of finding something that made sense to him about what he had experienced only to find another vampire. We think the second vampire was there investigating the remains of the previous one. We also think that the vampire found Josh's house while he was staying with me.

  “When we went to Josh’s house to get some things, the house had been trashed. We headed back to my house only to find the vampire talking to another tenant in my apartment building, so we ran back to Josh's, jumped on his bike and headed south. We made the mistake of using Josh's iPhone while we were trying to map out how we were going to get here and the next morning the vampire was at the motel office when we came back from breakfast. As soon as he was out of sight, we ducked into the room, grabbed our stuff, and jumped on the bike again. That was this morning."

  Blake asked, "What makes you think the second guy in the alley was a vampire?"

  Melanie said, "When we were at Josh's place and he was packing, I was wandering through the house and found the glass in the back door had been broken. I'm sure that is how the person got in. I have the ability to touch items and sense things about the person who last touched it. So, I put my hands on the doorknob. I felt a very intelligent, strong mind. Some horrible death scenes played out in my head that I'm pretty sure were his victims. When Josh showed me the alley where he was attacked I touched the ashes of the previous vampire, but it had been a week and I couldn't sense much, however, I did get the impression that he had stolen something from the second vampire."