Come. Bécquer’s voice, distorted and unreal, resonated inside my head, a command I couldn’t ignore. And again a vision overtook me. This time I saw Ryan swimming, fighting the churning waters that rushed toward the opened gates of a dam.
I’ll get Ryan. But you must come. Again Bécquer’s voice, sounding far away yet pressing, was in my mind. Then nothing.
I swerved off the road, braking hard until the car came to a halt.
“What’s wrong?”
“Didn’t you feel it?”
Matt stared at me.
“Never mind,” I continued, for the answer was clear in the puzzled look in his blue eyes, which I noticed were the exact shade of Beatriz’s.
I returned to the road, made a U-turn, and headed northwest.
“Bécquer is at Peace Valley,” I explained to Matt.
“How do you know?”
“He just told me.” Showed me would have been more accurate for I had recognized the dam in the image Bécquer had sent me as the one closing the southwest side of Lake Galena. But I didn’t feel like explaining my vision of Ryan drowning, afraid, perhaps, that saying it aloud would make it real.
“Bécquer talked to you?”
“Yes.”
“You two are connected?”
I nodded.
“Is that why my mother took Ryan, to get back at you for taking her place?”
Like Federico had before meeting me, Matt concluded that I was to become Bécquer’s blood giver.
“No,” I said, too loud to sound convincing, for the assumption irked me more than it should have. “I don’t want to take your mother’s position.”
“But you’re connected to Bécquer,” he repeated.
“Yes and no. He gave me some of his blood today. The effects will wear off soon. There will be no further exchange between us. But you’re right,” I continued, feeling slightly guilty for screaming at him. “Your mother thought Bécquer meant to replace her.”
“Mother has big plans. She wants to help people. That is why she wants to be immortal.”
A part of me understood Matt’s need to excuse his mother’s behavior. But if the image I had seen was real, Ryan’s life was in danger at this very moment because of Beatriz, and that made her my enemy. So I kept my eyes on the road, luckily empty at this late hour, for I was going well over the speed limit, and didn’t answer.
We reached the lake by its southeastern shore and followed the road that surrounded the water. In the last parking lot, the closest to the dam, a car I recognized as Bécquer’s BMW stood dark and alone. And empty, I confirmed after getting out of mine. Where was Beatriz’s car? I wondered. Was she gone or was her car on the other side of the lake? I pushed the question from my mind. What mattered now was to find Bécquer and Ryan. I’d worry about Beatriz later.
“Let’s go,” I said. Without looking back to see if Matt was following, I ran toward the lake where I could see two figures emerging from the water. Two shadows in the moonlight, Bécquer and Ryan, both standing, both alive, I told myself to assuage my fears, even if one of them, the shortest one, stumbled as I watched and fell to his knees in the shallow water. The other, Ryan, stopped. Holding Bécquer by the waist, he helped him to his feet then dragged him further ashore.
Matt reached them first. He set Bécquer’s right arm over his shoulders, wrapped his left around Bécquer’s body, and after nodding to Ryan to indicate he could let go, started toward one of the wooden benches that dotted the lake.
I called out to Ryan, who looked up and came to me. I took him in my arms or, more accurately, he took me in his because he was almost two heads taller than I was now, which made it difficult for me to hug him.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“It’s all right,” I said, and meant it. Everything was all right, for he was alive.
“What happened?” I asked him as he pulled away. “Where is Beatriz?”
Ryan pointed at the upper ground that closed the lake. “She threw me in the water from up there. Why would she do that?”
“I don’t know,” I said, because I didn’t, and because I didn’t know what else to say.
“Why did she take me? Why here?” he asked, question following question as if they were just crossing his mind. “She told me Bécquer was my father. Can you believe it? She must be mad,” he concluded. “For how could … ” He frowned. “He’s not.” A note of concern crept into his voice as he added, “Bécquer is not my father, is he Mom?”
My guess was that Beatriz had told Ryan Bécquer was his ancestor, but now was not the moment to explain.
I shook my head. “Of course not, Ryan. I only met Bécquer last week.”
Ryan sighed. “He saved my life,” he said, looking over my shoulder. “I have to thank him.”
Without waiting for me, he started toward the bench to our right, where Matt had taken Bécquer. I followed him.
When we reached them, I saw Bécquer sitting back, his eyes closed while Matt bent over him.
“Is he all right?” Ryan asked.
Matt’s back straightened and turning to face us he pointed at Bécquer’s neck. “Did my mother do this to him?” he asked me. His voice was close to panic.
“Yes. Back at the house. But, don’t worry. He’ll be all right,” I said. I lied to calm him down, for I had no idea what was wrong with Bécquer, and the fact that his mind was closed scared me.
Matt said nothing.
“Let me see him,” I said.
As Matt stepped back, I moved closer and sat by Bécquer’s side.
The blue scarf Federico had wrapped around the wound was gone and the glass left an ugly, swollen wound, clearly visible. It was not bleeding now, but the collar of Bécquer’s white shirt was stained with blood, as was probably his waistcoat also, although the blood was invisible against the vivid scarlet of his vest.
“Bécquer,” I whispered and took his hand. It was cold like winter rain. I shivered, not only because of the cold that settled on me now with the rush of adrenaline gone and I was not wearing a coat, but out of fear that he might be dying — “We call ourselves immortals, but that name is a misnomer,” Federico had told me. “We can die.”
The intensity of my fear must have reached his mind, because his eyes flickered open and his voice was in my mind. Tell them to leave.
“He’s all right,” I told the two young men staring at me, “but he needs a bandage. Ryan, do you have a clean shirt in your bag?”
Ryan frowned.
“I drove your car here. Can you bring me a clean shirt?”
“Sure.”
Ryan turned to go.
“Change into dry clothes, first, or you’ll catch a cold,” I called to his back.
“I’ll do it later.”
“No. Do it now. Matt can go with you and bring me the shirt.”
Matt hesitated for a moment, reluctant to leave Bécquer. But Bécquer nodded at him, flinched at the pain the movement must have caused him, and whispered, “Your mother is all right, Matt. Do as Carla says.”
Matt smiled, a quick smile of relief that make him look even younger. “I’ll be quick,” he said to me and started after Ryan.
Bécquer followed him with his eyes, and then winked at me. I thought they’d never leave.
Chapter Ten: Ryan
I felt relief at first upon hearing his voice. Relief that he was well enough to play games. But soon my relief gave way to anger, because I had been worried about him.
“So you were pretending,” I said aloud.
“Pretending I’m half dead? No. But I wanted them gone so I can talk with you alone.”
“About Beatriz?”
Your mother is all right, he had told Matt before dismissing him. Maybe Beatriz was badly hurt and Bécquer had not wanted to tell Matt.
Bécquer stalled. “Beatriz? What about her?”
“Did you ki — hurt her?”
“No. We talked. Then she left.”
“You let her go?” I asked
in disbelief.
“I didn’t let her. She didn’t ask my permission.”
“You could have forced her to stay.”
“Force her? Beatriz is immortal, Carla. Probably stronger than I am right now. And she had Ryan. How on earth would I do that?”
I said nothing. I could see his point. Yet I was still upset that Beatriz was free.
Bécquer bent toward me. “Why are you so difficult to please? I promised you I’d get your son back. And I did. Could you at least be thankful for that.”
I blushed under his deep stare. And looked down, embarrassed at the truth I recognized in his words. “Thank you. I mean it, Bécquer. I’m grateful. Very, very grateful.”
Bécquer took my hands in his. I shivered at the contact for they were still cold, even colder than I remembered. “Yet you’re upset too. Why?”
“I thought you could read minds.”
“Feelings. I sense feelings. No motives. No reasons. And in your case, your feelings are puzzling. So please, explain.”
“Not now. You are not well,” I said for his face was pale in the moonlight. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
“Nothing, really. But I appreciate your asking.”
“Are you sure? You seem weaker than you were when Beatriz … Did she do it again? Did she take your blood?”
“Yes. But this time I offered. The change demands lots of blood. She was thirsty already, so I offered her mine. Enough to carry her through the night. That will give her time to get some from one of the blood banks that deals with us immortals.”
“And you trust she will.”
“I hope she does. For both of our sakes. If she kills, the Elders will hold me responsible. So you see, Carla, it would have been in my best interest to keep her close so I could supervise her. But she didn’t agree. She threw Ryan over the fence to make sure I didn’t follow her. I had to step us out of time to keep him safe while I gave her my blood.”
That explained the shock wave I felt on the road. It also explained why he had fainted. I remembered how weak he had been when I found him at the library. No wonder he was half dead now. I looked up the bank toward the parking lot. Matt was coming down already. But Ryan was not visible. He must have moved behind the car to change. He would not join us for a while. And Matt already knew Bécquer was immortal. He would not be surprised if he saw us. I turned to Bécquer.
“Take my blood,” I said quickly, afraid I would lose my nerve if I thought it over. “Take as much as you need.”
Bécquer smiled. “You said you didn’t want to exchange blood ever again.” As he spoke, he traced the veins of my right wrist with his long fingers. “What made you change your mind?”
“You saved my son’s life.”
His fingers stopped moving. “Is that why?” His smile was gone and his eyes were dead serious.
“Yes.”
He let go of my hand. “That is not how it works. I never take blood as payment.”
“But you need it.”
“Matt will drive me home,” Bécquer said curtly. And his words were final.
I should have felt relieved at his rejection for the idea of giving him my blood scared me more than I could acknowledge. Yet I wasn’t relieved, I realized, but hurt. I pushed back the unexpected feeling for I didn’t want him to sense it.
“As you wish.”
I got up to leave for Matt had already joined us.
“One more thing,” I heard myself saying. “I think it’s better if Ryan does not visit you any longer.”
“Why?” The hardness in his eyes remained, but there was a hint of hurt in his voice.
“Beatriz, of course.”
“Whether Ryan is in my house or in yours doesn’t matter. She knows where you live. She was my secretary, after all.”
“Among other things,” I wanted to say but didn’t, for Matt was listening. And although he probably suspected, or knew, his mother and Bécquer had been lovers, it was not right for me to mention it now. Besides, whatever Beatriz had been was irrelevant, compared with the threat she posed now. For if she knew where I lived that meant she could hurt Ryan any time. Or Madison.
Madison. I had to call her, tell her to stay indoors, not to let Beatriz in. Or did that matter? Did immortals, like the mythical vampires of lore, need permission to enter somebody’s house?
Instinctively, my hand reached for my cell, but I couldn’t find it. I had left it in my purse, and my purse was at Bécquer’s house.
“Madison is safe,” Bécquer said.
“How did you guess I was thinking of her?”
“And Ryan will be too,” Bécquer continued not bothering to answer a question that needed no answer. “I made a deal with Beatriz. If she ever touches you or your children, she is dead. Besides, she’s leaving Pennsylvania tonight, she promised.”
“And you believe her?”
“I do. Beatriz has risked a lot to become immortal. She won’t want to antagonize me further as I am the only one who can protect her from the Elders.”
“The Elders,” Matt repeated. “Federico said they will kill her for stealing your blood.”
“Don’t worry, Matt. I’ll speak in her defense. Let’s hope I’m convincing.” He turned to me, “As for Ryan, I’ll follow your request, Carla. I won’t contact him. But tell him that if he ever needs me, I will always be there for him. Or is that too much to ask of you?”
I considered retracting my request, for I could see in his dark stare the pain it had caused him to accept it and he had just saved Ryan’s life. But the incongruity of the implausible events of this long day had finally caught up with me, and I felt too weary to continue the discussion. So instead, I nodded. “I’ll tell him.”
• • •
I asked Ryan to call his sister as soon as I reached the car, for despite Bécquer’s words of reassurance, I needed to talk with Madison to believe she was all right. When Ryan’s cell didn’t work, which was not surprising after its immersion in the water, I drove us home dangerously fast along the narrow, winding road that left the lake.
The possibilities of Beatriz going after Madison were slim, I reminded myself. Besides, even if she had gone to my house looking for her after taking Bécquer’s blood, Madison would not have been there. Abby’s mother was supposed to pick her up at eight to drive her to her Halloween party. It was past ten now. Madison was at the party, she had to be, and Beatriz could not reach her there.
Immortals only sense humans when they are close, Federico had told me. Beatriz did not know where the party was, or that Madison was going to a party for that matter, and she couldn’t trace Madison’s mind, because she had never met her.
But no amount of reasoning could convince me Madison was safe, not even hearing her voice on the phone when we finally made it home. And so, despite her complaints that I had agreed to let her sleep over at Abby’s, I insisted on picking her up.
Madison was not happy to see me. And once the wave of relief at seeing she was unharmed wore off, I wasn’t happy to see her either, for I soon understood why she had been so upset by my change of plans. Madison was wearing the skimpy outfit that, earlier that day, I had strictly forbidden her to wear.
I shook my head in disbelief and motioned her to the car.
“It’s not what you think,” Madison told me after sulking for a while.
“And what’s that?”
“That I planned to wear this dress all along. I didn’t, really.”
“Why did you wear it then?”
“Courtney had the same cat costume I bought at the mall. She posted her picture on Facebook before the party. I couldn’t wear it after that.”
“Of course you couldn’t.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew you wouldn’t understand. Besides, you were not home so I couldn’t ask you, could I?”
“No. But you knew I would have said no. Yet, you ignored my wishes.”
“You mean I’m grounded?”
“Yes.”
<
br /> She thought about it for a moment. “Could we do the grounding in two weeks?”
“Because … ”
“Isabel’s birthday party is next Saturday.”
“You should have thought about that before disobeying me.”
“Please, Mom. I’ll clean my room, I promise. And I’ll keep it clean, if you let me go to Isabel’s.”
We argued still, but we both knew she had won. There was little I wouldn’t trade for seeing the carpet of her room once again. I hadn’t for ages, as it was hidden under the piles of clothes and stuff that covered her floor.
Madison disappeared into her room as soon as we got home. I wished her goodnight through the closed door, and after getting a reluctant goodnight back, checked on Ryan. He was sleeping already in the shirt he had been wearing. His jeans lay in a heap next to the bed, as they frequently had since he was a little boy. I picked them up, out of habit, and set them on the chair.
Then I took the duffel bag downstairs and emptied it into the washing machine. As I suspected, Ryan had thrown his wet clothes in with the clean ones and they were all damp now. They could have waited till morning, I suppose, but I couldn’t. If I couldn’t make the events of the evening disappear, I could, at least, get rid of the mud and smell of the lake from Ryan’s clothes.
I sat in front of the blank TV screen while I waited for the cycle to finish, and revisited in my mind my conversation with Ryan in the car. To my relief, Ryan had not mentioned his intention of moving out and didn’t argue against coming home. Even better, his version of his kidnapping did not include any supernatural twist.
Beatriz had grabbed him from his seat as he arrived at Bécquer’s house, he had told me, and dragged him to her car. When he resisted she had knocked him unconscious.
By the time he came back to his senses, Beatriz was talking on her phone with Bécquer. Which was, I realized, what Bécquer had meant when he said he could track her. After a while, she hung up, turned the car around and, at neck-breaking speed, headed toward Peace Valley.
Immortal Love Page 8
