I swallow and lift my chin. “My answer is still no. Your thugs don’t scare me.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
Time seems to stand still. I turn to leave, but Enzo’s laughter roots me to the spot.
“You are delightful,” he chuckles. “Positively delightful, child.”
Without thinking, I know I’ve pulled my ‘what the fudge’ face. I turn back toward him. He closes the door and leans against the car, crossing one ankle over the other.
“You’re an Ascari all right.”
“What?”
“You can’t be told what to do, and you don’t intimidate easily. That makes me very proud, Contessa. If you did whatever a man with a gun told you to do, you’d be of no use to me.”
If only he knew how close to collapsing I am right now. And hearing my name on his lips makes me want to shudder. I am not his.
“What do you want?”
He smiles again and places his hand over his heart. “I should thank your mother. I always dreamed of having two girls and two boys. I told her what we would name them, and even though I didn’t know of your existence, she followed my wishes and named you after your Grandmother.”
A month ago, I would have killed for this kind of information, now it turns my blood to ice.
“What do you want with me?” I snap.
He has the nerve to look taken aback at my tone. “Isn’t it obvious?”
I stare at him without answering, but he simply laughs, shaking his head. “Ah, Contessa, you are the spitting image of your mother when you try to be so serious. A pussy cat trying to be a tiger.” He steps away from the car, reaching out to touch my face, but I lean back out of reach. “I want us to be a family.”
“Are you crazy? I have a family thank you very much, and I don’t need a new one that breaks the law.” Last year, I wanted nothing to do with my fake family—that’s how I saw them for a while—now I cling to them with everything I’ve got. I know who my family are, and who they aren’t. And Enso Ascari is not my family.
“Breaks the law?” The liquid nitrogen tone is back. “And how would you describe taking money that doesn’t belong to you?”
Despite the evening’s low temperature, a trickle of sweat runs down my temple. I am not like him …
Enzo studies me, then opens the door again. “This time it’s not a test. Get in.” My feet won’t move. He sighs. “I don’t have time to follow you home on foot, and I’m not convinced they still don’t want to harm you.”
They?
The Vipers?
Fudge.
I slide as far across the leather as possible. Enzo joins me and we head toward my house without a single instruction uttered. The car pulls up three houses down. I’m grateful he’s not so keen to be seen by my parents because I have no doubt he knows exactly which house is mine.
“Any concerns. Call.” He hands over a crisp white, embossed business card with a cell number scribbled on the back. “We’ll be in touch, Contessa, darling. You can count on it.”
“Why?”
“You need to pay more attention to the news. See if you can figure it out.”
The second I’m out of the car, I sprint to my door. I can’t stand knowing he’s watching me, and I doubt he’ll drive off until I’m safe inside.
I would never have believed that Dad V1.0 would ever imitate Dad V2.0. Watch the news. You’ve got to be kidding me.
* * * * *
Dad doesn’t say a word about my sudden interest in current events. I’m on the couch daily, glued to whatever channel he selects. I’m sure he’s curious about why I no longer barter for the remote. Hopefully he’s enjoying our new hang out time.
Hardly any news reports cover the Vipers trial. Now that the date has been set for March, there aren’t any updates, but I watch religiously on the off chance. See if you can figure it out. For every question I get answered, a dozen more appear.
“Vampire bats attacked a group of school children in Floyd today,” the newsreader reports. The footage shows a group of ten-year-olds with cuts and scratches to their faces and arms. “The teacher accompanying the children witnessed three giant bats bombarding the kids. A local employee was shoveling snow at the time of the attack and came to their rescue.”
I’m on the edge of my seat and even Dad has lowered the newspaper to watch the footage.
The screen shows a massive bat on the snow-covered ground—dead. I cover my eyes sending up a silent prayer. I tell myself to listen and calm down. It absolutely, positively is not Rocks. The reporter says the appearance of vampire bats this far north has wildlife experts totally perplexed. The previous victims weren’t able to identify a species, but authorities are looking into the matter.
My fingers run over my phone screen. The urge to text Rocks is overwhelming. He should know about this. He should also know about Enzo. I chuck my cell back on the couch and sit on my hands. I will not risk him flipping on my account.
“You don’t know what type of bat attacked you, do you, sweetheart? Did it look like that?”
All I can see is that dead bat when I close my eyes. That is a person, and nobody except me seems to know that fact. I don’t understand why that Camazotz was attacking those innocent, little kids, but a colony member is lying dead in the snow at the hands of an aeronaught, and I know precisely how the Camazotz will react to that.
“It was too dark.” Not a lie.
* * * * *
The next month passes without any news reports that give me cause to sweat profusely or feel faint. Nothing on Enzo, and thankfully no new bat attacks. I hang with the girls after school without looking over my shoulder too many times. On two occasions, I’ve spotted Enzo’s thugs watching me from a distance. Apart from that, my life almost resembles that of the carefree girl I was this time last year. I play with Mini; I paint mom’s nails and watch the evening news with dad every night.
The only hump in my almost happy routine was Valentine’s Day. Talk about torture. The sight of hearts, flowers, candy, and cute, cuddly toy animals almost had me in the car and heading for Blood Mountain. It made the ache in my chest intensify as though my heart was trying to burn its way free. I wondered if we would have gone on a date, or if Valentines’ Day and its rituals would have been as foreign as mistletoe. I know it’s a first we could’ve shared together, but didn’t.
Each night, I open my window no matter what the temperature. It’s been eight long Rocks-less weeks. The absence of any text messages has my blood pressure on the high side. Surely he’ll text the second he’s a human again. I push the thought of where we stand aside, now that he’s been a bat for this long. I can’t go there, but I also can’t forget the look on Decker’s face when he said he didn’t think his brother was coping.
“We should go to the movies next week,” Tiff suggests. She’s adding extra hotdogs to the pot since a load of college boys almost cleaned us out.
“Sure. I’m dying to see—” My heart rate spikes the second my eyes land on the black leather vest through the window. However, it’s not the Camazotz I’ve been looking for. Ash and his creepy fang tats peer in the serving window.
“What do you want?” I ask under my breath. Tiff is still stocking up on hotdogs.
“Missed you too, naught. Where’s Rockland?”
My breath catches. “He’s better? He’s—” I stop myself from asking if he’s able to fly. “Tiff, I need a minute.”
Stepping outside, I notice that Ash isn’t alone. A boy with the same cold, hard eyes is talking to my cheer squad. Freaking awesome. Zabreena grins as the whole group approach. Rebekkah, the girl with the stars tattooed around her eyes, and the little one who was attacked by the owls are all present. Two other girls stand behind them with a mean-looking boy. I’m desperate for information about Rocks, yet I know these girls will not give me anything without a fight.
“His arm healed?”
Ash nods. “He left the roost alone. Strickland sent us to find him.”
“Well, it did last night.” Zabreena winks at me. “If you get what I mean, naught.”
Double fudge with a serving of crabapples.
“Wouldn’t you say being in his true form these past two months has brought out Rocks’ animal instincts, Phoenix?” Rebekkah looks at starry-eyes.
The girl blushes. I grab my stomach. Please no … “He just lets go now. Can’t control himself around us. I’ve missed that side of him,” she replies, grinning at Rebekkah. Her eyes never leave mine, and I try to fight the urge to scream. My worst nightmare is coming to life in front of me, in clothes I wouldn’t step out of the house wearing.
“He’s proven to be a Land wing male, all right,” Zabreena adds. “He’ll take after Strickland for siring pups.”
I will not dignify their words with a response. Turning on my heel, I head back inside to Tiff before the tears that are burning behind my eyes dare to escape. My fear of what would happen to Rocks after being trapped as a bat has just slapped me hard across the face. Maybe the fact that he’s denied himself his animal side all these years has only made it harder for him to control it now. Is this the end for us? I scrunch my eyes shut willing my tears into non-existence.
“You okay?” Her wide-eyed stare speaks volumes. No, I am definitely not, I think. Rocks has been flying with those girls and hasn’t come back to me. The animal inside of him isn’t interested in me. I’m the biggest idiot alive.
When Tiff drops me at home, I listen carefully as I walk up the path. A slight wind rustles the leaves in the holly tree, but all else is quiet. My disappointment spikes when he’s not waiting on the porch swing.
Heading to my room, I collapse on my bed. Anger and hurt bubble and hiss like hot lava in my bottomless pit. I will not cry. I check my phone for the five millionth time and hate myself a little more. After an hour of stewing on his whereabouts, I close my eyes and try to sleep.
Connie?
“Sugar!” After almost falling off the bed, I race to my window. I know that voice. “Rocks?” I whisper.
EEEEKKKK!
My jaw clenches and my teeth grind together. He is so not coming in my bedroom if he’s been ‘bonding’ with those bat biatches. I pull the window closed, grab my jacket and sneak downstairs. The TV room is quiet so I’m hoping that means the folks are sound asleep.
Crossing the lawn, I stop near the trees. A second later, Rocks steps out from under the low branches. He looks amazing, but I will not let the sight of him in my favorite velvet vest distract me from finding out the facts. The way he smiles makes my heart shatter.
“Don’t,” I say, stepping back. His arms drop to his side and he frowns. “All this time, I’m missing you like mad, and I think you’re resting and healing, but then I find out you’re flying with those flippin’ girls!”
His eyes widen. “Connie? What—”
One second I’m looking at Rocks, and the next, he’s surrounded by those flippin’ girls again. The Camazotz that visited me earlier are now on my front lawn, standing way too close to my boyfriend. If I’d known they were hanging around, I would have screamed my lungs out to knock them out cold.
“Did she really think he was just hanging around doing nothing for the past two months? Oh God, that’s so adorable,” the little one says.
Rocks moves toward me and away from his little harem. I cross my arms over my chest and soak up everyone’s body language. “Violet, don’t lie—”
Phoenix speaks before Rocks can finish. “Humans are so optimistic. You gotta give them that.”
If the little one’s name is Violet, then she’s from the same wing as Ash. No wonder she’s not a fan.
“Yeah, it’s ‘cause of their lazy lives. They don’t understand that every mouth in the colony has to earn its keep—one way or another,” Rebekkah says with a sultry wink at Rocks.
“Connie, ignore them,” he pleads. “You lot, go. You’re not supposed to be here.”
“No one is above the Sire’s law. Strickland sent us to get you. Besides we missed you, big man,” Rebekkah adds. All the girls laugh.
My face is burning up despite the cold. It’s a combination of thinking about Rocks being with them and why they’re calling him ‘big man.’ He is very tall, but—
When I look back at him, his breath is coming out in hot puffs against the cool air. He reminds me of a fire-breathing dragon. Is he angry because his secret is out? Or is he angry with me? Or at these annoying girls?
I look from Rocks to the group, unsure of what the hell is going on. Have they just played me again? My teeth grind together.
Rocks asks if I’ll give him a moment to deal with the Goths on my lawn. I scrunch my eyes closed and bite my tongue. I stalk back to the porch stairs and wait. Rocks has to bend over to whisper furiously at the girls, and I can’t hear anything he says.
The boy with Ash comes out of the trees and approaches the group. The set of his shoulders tells me he’s not happy with Rocks. I cringe expecting punches to be thrown any second. Rocks points a finger at the guy, causing him to halt in place before returning his attention to the girls clustered around him. Their body language alters as he continues his rant. All of them, except Rebekkah and Zabreena, look down as if in apology, or some sort of surrender. Rebekkah folds her arms and to be honest, I’m glad I’m not on the receiving end of the glare he gives her. In a moment of clarity, I see the potential Sire in the making, but the thought makes me want to tear out my hair, and punch several of those biatches in the boob.
“Go!” Rocks points to the sky.
“Or what?” Ash takes several steps toward him, and I can’t help biting my lip. “You lecture them for not showing you enough respect? Why should they? I’m the one that’s going to be leading us into the future.”
Rocks walks over and the height difference between the two males is almost laughable. He leans over Ash and once more I can’t hear what’s being said, but the two argue back and forth. It ends with Ash swearing loudly and I worry the folks will stir, but if there were sounds from within our house at least one of the Camazotz on the lawn would have reacted.
The next minute, they all flip—except Rocks. My eyes dart up and down the street, praying the neighbors aren’t about to call the cops. The Camazotz can hear when the coast is clear a lot better than I can see it. The bats fly low and all of them buzz past within inches of my head. It takes every ounce of bravery I possess to hold my ground and not duck out of their way. I watch them until they disappear into the darkness.
“I’m sorry,” Rocks says. His eyes are sad and make me want to reach for him. He’s standing at the bottom of the stairs, hands in his pockets. “They’re just trying to make trouble. You have to believe me.”
“Zabreena was looking at you … well, she was looking at you like Tina Jeffries started looking at last year’s quarterback, and she only started looking at him like that after they … you know.” I can’t bring myself to say the words ‘had sex’ because Rocks told me he’d never done it as a human, and I absolute cannot describe the act as mating. Will. Not. Happen. That makes me want to hurl, followed by kicking him some place he would really rather I didn’t.
“Zabreena is a liar, and I’m not really sure what this Tina girl did to her back.”
Rocks’ not understanding my football reference makes my heart melt a little. My 1860s boy is back—but he’s not exclusively mine. “Tina had sex with a football player.”
“What exactly are you accusing me of?” He folds his arms.
I remember the last time those girls got inside my head. Am I letting my fear of the Camazotz girls being better than aeronaught me cloud my judgment? I fold m
y arms, mirroring Rockland’s stance. I’ve come this far; I might as well voice what’s been eating me up inside for the past few hours.
“Doing that with all those girls!”
“I had a broken wing!” His voice is loud against the silent night, and he glances up in the direction of my parent’s bedroom.
“So?” I whisper yell. “Sounds like you had pretty personalized nursing care. Does that mean you tried to … you know … but failed? They all visited me at Bun Lovin’ earlier, and Zabreena made it sound like you were gonna be a father soon. Don’t suppose you need your wings to do that!”
“Ugh, this is unbelievable.” Rocks throws his arms in the air and then paces back and forth. He looks flippin’ furious as though he’s trying to stay in control. “Give me a moment before I say something a gentleman would regret.” He turns away and looks up at the cloudy sky.
He speaks quietly, still not facing me. “I told you once before Zabreena and I would never mate, didn’t I?” He looks over his shoulder.
The weight of this conversation is too much, and I sink into a heap on the steps. At the sound of my movement, he turns and holds out a hand to help me, but pulls it back. He sighs.
“I guess I should have explained why and saved you all this worry. Connie, you have to pay more attention. What wing is my mother from?”
His mother? What the— “Um, the Z wing.” He raises an eyebrow at me like it’s obvious. “So?”
“So that means about fifty-five percent of the females from that wing are off-limits. And if half the wing is off-limits, to make life easier, the whole wing becomes off-limits.”
I have no clue what he’s going on about.
“Zabreena is my second cousin.”
“Eeww, gross.” That lying little … little guano!
“I agree. She and I will never be like that. And the idea of me being able to do that with any of the girls is absurd. I know because I’ve seen other males and females with broken wings in the past. It is a death sentence—usually. I was lucky because of you! You got me back to the colony safely. If not, I would have died trying to get back there like every other bat does.” He sounds forlorn. “And let’s not forget the pain I was in most of the time. You saw me. I was trying not to show you how much it hurt, but believe me when I tell you I was not in the mood.”
Sanguine Moon Page 11
