“Absolutely,” Ian echoed. “And Gavin is obviously on board too.”
“No,” I said calmly. “Gavin is going to stay here. I just got him back and I can’t risk losing him again. I won’t endanger his life. I’ve wronged him enough already and I won’t have his blood on my hands if anything goes wrong.”
Ian Huffed. “Well, good luck stopping him from coming with us.”
“I’m not going to stop him, Ian. You are.”
“What? Rachel he hates me enough already.”
“I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I am. I need you to blood influence him and force him to stay in Cape Breton until I come back. I don’t want him anywhere near Halifax. Alexander that’s where you’ll come in. I want you to keep an eye on him and if he so much as makes a move for the causeway I want you to let us know.”
Alexander nodded.
Duncan spoke up. “The child cannot even speak, let alone warn us. How do you propose he does that?”
“He can text us,” I said.
“Ah, yes that he could I guess. Can’t keep up with all this new-fangled technology.”
Duncan’s revulsion toward modern times was both annoying and charming at once. I turned my attention back to Ian. “Can you do this for me? Can you blood influence him and make it stick for an extended period?”
After a long moment of silence came the answer. “Yes, I think so, if that’s what you want,” he said slowly. “It should hold as long as I get out of here before it can have a chance to wear off. I’ll do it, Rachel. For you.”
“Good. As soon as he comes back I want you to do it. We have to leave as soon as we can.”
Chapter Two
“Here he comes,” I said spotting him from the window. Gavin was crossing the backyard and making his way to the door. Ian went into the living room and took a seat on the couch while Duncan and Alexander each took a chair at the kitchen table where they casually sipped their tea, Duncan slowly stirring his with the spoon and making soft clinking noises.
Maggie barreled up to him as the door opened, wagging her tail so hard that her entire body snaked around with it. Gavin bent and gave the dog a ‘hello’ pat and touched his forehead to hers briefly before looking up. “Hey,” he said seeing me. “You left without me. I hope seeing Holly didn’t upset you too much.”
“It was just a shock is all. I mean, you told me she was in rough shape but I wasn’t expecting that. How is your mother?”
“Running herself ragged. She’s exhausted but she won’t admit it. I got her to eat a little something at least. Once Holly is well again everything will be set right.” Gavin peered over my shoulder glancing at Ian in the next room. “Oh, he’s still here.” His teeth gritted together slightly in annoyance as he spoke.
“He’ll be leaving soon. Never mind that.” I put my arms around his waist and drew him close to me, turning him to face the opposite way as I did. “Are you ok? I mean everything that’s happened, your burial, the blood bond, how are you feeling?”
“I’m not going to lie, it’s been rough. All I want to do is get everyone out of here and then lay in bed with you and sleep for days. Now that you’re home I know everything will be alright.”
“Yes, it will,” I said. “Everything will be alright. You just have to trust me, ok?”
A confused look crossed his face and Gavin opened his mouth to speak, but before he could ask what I was talking about, Ian drew up behind him, placing his hands on either side of Gavin’s head. He knew instantly what Ian was doing and in the half a second before Ian had him under control he screamed, “No!”
Ian’s eyes darkened over and Gavin entered into a calm state, his mind completely under Ian’s spell as I spoke to him. “Gavin, I’m going away with Ian and Duncan. I have something to take care of. I want you to stay here. You can’t come looking for me. Do you understand?” Gavin nodded mechanically. “Stay here with Alexander and stay calm. Everything is alright. There’s no need to panic. Just stay put until I get back. Keep busy and don’t worry. Everything is fine.”
Gavin nodded again and Ian turned him around reiterating everything I’d just said. Then, he led him to the couch where he sat and stared straight ahead. Alexander joined him looking worried. “He’ll be ok,” I said. “Go everywhere with him and if he tries to leave the island you text me right away.”
I’ll do my best, I heard him communicate to me.
“I know you will.” I grabbed the car keys from their place on the wall and threw them at Ian. “You drive. Let’s go kill this bitch.”
Ian smiled and Duncan placed a firm hand on my shoulder. “That’s my girl,” he said.
***
Somewhere between Port Hawkesbury and Auld’s Cove Duncan fell asleep. The sight of the thousand year old vampire snoozing in the backseat with his head pressing against the window, his body swaying back and forth with the motion of the car was comical. “I can’t believe he’s actually sleeping,” I said.
“Well we all gotta do it sometime, and right before you pick a fight is always a good time to get it in. It wouldn’t hurt you to go down for an hour or so either.”
“I’m good. I’ve been unconscious for enough time I think. I want to stay awake and alert as much as I can from now on.”
Ian smirked. “I know the feeling. Can’t say that I blame you.”
We drove on in silence for a time. As I peered out the window into the darkness I noted the houses along the way, quite separate and apart from their neighbours and a good amount of them decorated for Christmas. This year was certainly going to be one for the books. The December before I had spent Christmas day with my Aunt in her little house, just the two of us. Now I had a huge extended vampire family and Gavin. It seemed like a million years ago. Suddenly I wanted more than anything to bolt back in the direction of home and just cuddle up with my husband and get ready for the holidays. This year I felt like celebrating.
When I glanced at Ian in the driver’s seat I noticed he was zoning out a bit. “Hey, eyes on the road,” I said. “You want me to drive? If you’re tired I can take over.”
“No,” he said “I’m not tired at all.” His voice was low.
“What is it?”
“It’s…nothing, I’m sorry. I just, I’m lost, in my own thoughts.”
“What are you thinking about?”
Ian gave no answer, simply shook his head not wanting to speak. “Ian,” I said, tentatively, “we should talk.”
“Rachel, really, there’s no need. It’s like you said, everything’s ok.”
“You don’t seem like you’re ok. Do you hate me?”
“Of course not. I want only the best for you, and for Gavin, for everyone. I’m a little, well, heartbroken I guess,” he said forcing a smile.
“I’m sorry. I never intended to lead you on, Ian.”
“Rachel, you should never be sorry for being where you want to be. We’re all just looking for that place. The place we were meant to be and the life we were meant to lead, the destiny we were meant for. You’re going to fulfill yours with Gavin. That’s it and that’s all.”
“And what about you? What’s your destiny? Where will you go after this?”
“I’ve never been able to really figure that out. Just when I think it’s one thing, it turns out to be another. I’ve never really been able to pin it down.”
“I hope you find it, I really do,” I said.
“Me too.”
There was another long silence. “Hey,” I said, remembering something Ian had told me the night we met. “You said you knew my mother. What was she like? When she was young I mean. She always seemed so miserable to me. Was she ever happy?”
Ian tightened his hands on the wheel and swallowed. He smiled a big, albeit forced, smile. “She was happy, Rachel. She was very happy. Talented, beautiful, she was all the things you are. You’re just like her, only better.”
It was comforting to hear that. It was only in the last few years since she was killed that I realized how
troubled she really was, she and my father both. I had not been able to admit to myself until recently that they were both alcoholics, their death caused more by their love of consuming scotch as opposed to my mental illness. I had finally stopped blaming myself for their acident.
“Did you know my father too?” I asked out of curiosity. Ian threw a glance to Duncan in the backseat, his head still bobbing and weaving with the motion of the car.
“Yup,” was all he said.
“And him? What was he like?”
“He loved your mother to a fault, and you too.”
“That’s good to hear. I always felt like such a burden.”
“Burden?” Ian seemed genuinely surprised at my revelation.
“Yeah, what with being sick and all. Even though I was never really sick, but they didn’t know that.”
“Oh…no I suppose they didn’t.”
“How could they? If they had known what I was hearing was actually real and not a hallucination that might have caused them to go crazy.” The thought of hallucinations caused me to remember my post death run-ins with James. “Although I guess maybe I still am.”
“What leads you to believe that? I mean, this whole thing you’ve just been through is the fault of Christina, and she’s not even a real vampire.”
“What?”
“Gavin didn’t tell you? Christina is a demon. She’s using a vampire’s body. That’s why she poisoned you. She was gearing up to take over your body and use it. Her old one’s getting worn out I guess. She needs a new one and yours is…” He stopped himself.
“Mine is what?”
“Uh, well, you have things she could definitely use.”
“I suppose,” I sighed. “Well, what now? It’s one thing to go after a very powerful vampire when we’ve got another very powerful vampire passed out in the backseat, but how do we go after a demon?”
“Don’t worry, Rachel,” he said, his eyes hardening. “We’ll get her this time. Duncan and I have faced down this demon before. We lost that time, but we won’t lose again. This time we’ll be ready.”
“What happened last time?”
“Well, let’s just say she had a piece of leverage that she doesn’t have anymore, and so things will be different.”
“What did she have last time that she doesn’t have now?”
“Someone we cared about. She took possession of that body, but that person is gone, she killed her.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Who was it?”
There was an awkward pause and I could tell that Ian was debating whether or not to divulge the next piece of information that was rolling around in his head. I could have opened his mind and taken out the answer myself but if he really didn’t want me to know than I figured I had no business stealing it.
“It was Duncan’s wife,” he said finally. “That’s why he’s been so withdrawn all these years. The loss of the blood bond really weakened him. He was bitter for a long time. He seems to be recovering lately though.”
“Was he her maker?” Ian nodded. “It makes sense now, why he came to visit me that night. He told me to come away with him so he could care for me. He was worried about what would happen to me if the bond between Gavin and I was going to be severed. How long ago was it?”
“Roughly twenty-five years.”
“That’s a long time.”
“Yeah, and he hasn’t exactly focused on healing. Although he does look better than when I saw him in the thick of it. He only looks like a man in his sixties now, not his nineties.” I raised my eyebrows in question. “Well, you saw Holly. She looked very old didn’t she?”
“She did.”
“Duncan looked like that. He’ll continue to recover, looking younger the more he heals. If all goes well he’ll change a lot in the next few years. Once we pull this off I think he’ll finally get some closure. He’ll never get over Phillipine, but maybe then he can go on.”
“I hope so. As much of a beast as he has a reputation for being I think he’s generally good. Phillipine… what a pretty name.”
“Mmm, it is. French name you know.”
“I guess it wasn’t always against the rules to turn the French girls then.”
“Nope it wasn’t. Phillipine was a good soul. She didn’t deserve to suffer the way she did.”
“This thing needs to be put down before it can ruin someone else’s life.”
Duncan stirred in the backseat just as we were making our approach to Burnside Industrial Park to find our way to the Murray McKay Bridge. “Rachel,” Ian said, “truer words were never spoken.”
Chapter Three
At three o’clock in the morning we pulled into a Tim Hortons. Not many things are open all night in Halifax, but you could certainly find twenty-four hour coffee if you really wanted to. We each ordered medium double doubles. Duncan ordered two Boston Cream doughnuts and ate them while he drank his coffee. “How long will that hold a one thousand year old vampire for?” I asked.
“Three to four months. I wouldn’t usually eat this much at one time but I’m fueling up for what’s coming.”
“What exactly is coming?” I said. “I didn’t know Christina was a demon until Ian told me in the car. I just thought we were coming here to stake a vampire. Now what?”
“Oh we’ll stake her when we get her alright,” he said, licking his fingers and then taking the square of wax paper from inside the bag to lick the wayward chocolate off that as well. “As long as she hasn’t jumped bodies yet we should be able to get her with the three of us. Be easier to get her alone though, which she probably almost never is at this age.”
“Joshua is with her most of the time. Others come and go too. Her apartment is a busy place, from what I remember anyway. It’s a bit foggy.”
Ian nursed his coffee slowly as he stared at the young man behind the counter. “We should position ourselves on the roof and listen for a while. If you can hear what’s going on in there we might be able to catch her alone or at a vulnerable moment.”
“That’s a good idea,” Duncan said, not noticing Ian’s preoccupation with the man. “It would be the cleanest way to end this and get you back home, me back to my mountain and Ian…” Duncan finally looked at Ian, noticing his eyes narrow. He looked back at the counter and back at Ian once again realizing what was going on. “And Ian wherever he’s going after this. Hey, young fella.” Duncan snapped he fingers in front of Ian’s eyes bringing him back to reality. “If you’re hungry you best grab something now. There might not be time later.”
Ian looked at us both, embarrassed. I listened in on the counter workers thoughts and got some useful information. “He’s going for a smoke break out back in five minutes.”
“Is that right? In that case I think I’ll get some air.”
Duncan laughed. “You do that,” he said.
Ian headed outside leaving us alone at the table. “Do you feel like you need to feed, Rachel?”
“No. I’m good for now. I took a lot of Gavin’s blood earlier today.”
“We heard,” he winked. “Relax,” he said seeing that I was suddenly uncomfortable. “We left two seconds after it started. I’m too old to hear such things. It hurts my tender ears.”
I laughed, and then immediately thought of Phillipine. “Duncan,” I said softly, “Ian told me about Phillipine.” Duncan stopped what he was doing and stared at me like I’d just said the most shocking thing he’d ever heard. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it and I regretted saying her name the moment it came out of my mouth. There was no turning back now, however. “Don’t be angry with him. We were just talking and he told me this demon took her from you and that you were her maker too.”
Duncan stayed silent, his mouth hanging open in panic. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to cross a line. I just wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me?”
“Yes. That night you came to me and offered to help me through the breaking of a blood bond was so kind of you. I don’t know
why you’d offer me, of all people, that kindness but I’m happy that you did, and I’m grateful you’re my friend.”
All at once Duncan was overcome with relief. “Oh,” he said, “Lass, I’m grateful to have you too.” He squeezed my hand. “You’re very special.”
Ian returned just then, wiping his mouth and sitting back down at the table, chugging his coffee with a zest he’d not had before. The counter worker returned too, looking a little wobbly.
“Feel better?” I said.
“Yeah, wow! That dude drinks a lot of coffee,” he said.
“He gets it for free.”
“And it’s obvious. I don’t think I’ll sleep for a month. You guys ready to go?”
Duncan stood. “More than ready. I want this ended, I want my revenge.”
Chapter Four
Parking down the street from Christina’s building, Ian stopped the car as we sat in silence. “What now?” I said.
“I think we need to get up on the roof. You said she’s in the penthouse. If we can get up there you can listen without having to filter out a lot of other noise and tell us when it’s safe to go,” Ian said.
“You can stay up there until we’re finished,” Duncan said, laying a kindly hand on my shoulder.
“Not a chance. I’m coming in with you. I want my revenge too.”
Duncan shot Ian a questioning look. “I think it’s actually a good idea,” he said. “Miss fire starter here might come in handy.”
I flinched thinking of the night not so long ago when I had used it to help the Halifax vampires clean up their mess back at the hotel. Ian was right. I may have to pull that one out of the deck for us to succeed, but I prayed I wouldn’t have to.
“Alright, let’s get going,” Duncan said.
Keeping our heads down we walked up the street, avoiding eye contact with the few pedestrians we met on the way until we were standing at the base of the complex. It was at least fifteen stories and I was busy trying to think of a way for us to get up there without using the elevator. Duncan and I stopped, gaping up at the structure. Ian just kept walking.
The Vampires of Soldiers Cove: The Unborn Page 17
