Two sniffled, ran a hand across her eyes, tried to get herself under control. “I’m all r-right, Tori... it’s o-okay.”
Rhes and Sarah were looking at her. Two gave up on control for a bit and let herself cry. She needed it, and it didn’t seem to bother them. Finally she felt she could retain some level of composure.
“I never want to tell that story again. I killed people. Victims, vampires... Sam. I’d do it again. I’d do all that, and I’d do even more if it would keep Theroen alive. I’d murder everyone between here and there, for that. I never expected you guys to believe me, but if you do, I won’t blame you for hating me.”
“Believing you is pretty difficult. Not hating you is easy.” Rhes brought her a tissue, and another beer. Two thanked him, opened the beer, drank half of it in three quick gulps.
“What now?” Questioned Sarah.
Two leaned back, thinking. “What now? Good question. Now, I need to try to relax, and pretty soon I’m going to need to sleep. Also, I need a cigarette. Ashtray still on your porch?” Sarah and Rhes were both nonsmokers, and Two was long familiar with having to step outside for a cigarette.
“Yeah. Might be buried under the snow, though. You want company?” Rhes still looked dazed, but he was coming out of it.
“Nah. Stay inside where it’s warm, and finish figuring out whether you think I’m crazy or not.”
“No offense, Two, but I’m not sure I can figure that out that quickly.”
Two shrugged. She still wasn’t sure herself.
Tori stayed inside, playing with Jake. Two, out in the January cold, pulled her jacket closer to her, huddled against the building, smoked and thought.
Two and a half days. An eternity of promise, and it had delivered only two and a half days to her. She had been a half-vampire for several weeks, had in that time known the taste of Theroen’s blood, known his touch and his kiss and above all his simple presence, always there at the back of her mind. As a vampire, though, the events -- it seemed a year’s worth -- that had led to her return to humanity had lasted only a scant sixty hours.
Two tried to regret it. It would be so much easier to regret it, that brief taste of immortality, than to live with the loss. She couldn’t, though, despite the worry, the horror, the hate. Her experience as a vampire had been filled with wonder and love and joy. Two hoped she could someday bring herself to embrace again her humanity. It seemed now a cold and hollow shell, a dim reflection of what she once was.
There was a police officer strolling down the avenue toward her. Two felt that old, familiar prickling at the base of her neck she’d known during her time with Darren. Cops were trouble, and were to be avoided at all costs. She pushed it away. There was no reason for it now. The officer stopped in front of her.
“Fine night.”
Two nodded. It was. Cold, but clear, without a lot of wind. Tiny, dry snowflakes danced under the streetlights, hovered in the air, caught the lights of the city and turned the night sky brighter than usual.
“Forgive the interruption, but I have to make sure you belong here.”
“I do. My friends Rhes and Sarah live here. They don’t smoke, so I have to come outside.”
The cop smiled. “Fair enough. Still best not to be out this late, not even in this part of the neighborhood. It can get dangerous.”
Two gave him a tired smile and put her cigarette out in the coffee can that served as an ashtray.
“I’ve got nothing to be afraid of here, Officer. Trust me.” She gave a small wave, turned back to the door, and made her way inside.
* * *
Rhes was talking to Tori. He’d always been good with kids, and she seemed to be responding well to him. At least, she was answering his questions with enthusiasm.
“Tell me about Melissa, Tori.”
“She was my sister! She had black hair and was tall and sometimes she’d come out walking with me and tell me stories.”
“And what about Missy?”
Tori faltered for a moment. “Missy? She was the same as Melissa. Same thing, Rhes.”
“Mmm. No, not quite, Tori... but okay. I guess you couldn’t make the distinction.”
“What’s disjunction?”
“Distinction.” Two sat down next to Tori. “It means telling the difference between two things, Tori. Like black and white.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Who used to read to you, Tori?” Rhes asked.
“My big sister.”
“Melissa?”
Tori look uncertain again. Confused and perhaps even a bit panicked. “No. No, my... my other big sister.”
“What was her name?”
“I dunno.”
Rhes looked at Two, raised an eyebrow.
Two shrugged. “Let’s not press it tonight, Rhes, okay? We’ll talk about it later.”
“Okay. You want to crash here, Two? It’s late, and the subways will be running slow. The couch folds out, and we’ve got a spare bedroom. I know Molly would love to see you.”
“She doesn’t hate me?”
Sarah interjected. “No, definitely not. I’m not sure Molly could hate anyone. She was pissed, for a while, that you’d lied to her... but I think she’s come to understand it. She knows you saved her life, Two.”
“Okay. You want to sleep over here, Tori?”
“Sure!”
“Good. We’ll get up and have breakfast with everyone, ‘k?”
“Okay, Two.” Tori yawned, stretched, rubbed at her eyes like a kid. She was having trouble keeping them open.
Two stood up. “I’m going to put her in the spare bedroom. I’ll take the couch. You guys going to be up for a while?”
Sarah nodded. “Time for the grownups to talk? Yeah. We’ll be here, Two.”
Two took Tori by the hand and led her upstairs.
* * *
With Tori settled into the guest room, Two made her way back down to the first floor. Rhes and Sarah were waiting with questions, and they spent another few hours going over Two’s story. They wanted elaboration on a variety of things. Two did her best to explain.
Over and over, the conversation kept returning to Tori. She was, of course, the key. She was Two’s proof, the deciding factor that forced Sarah and Rhes to accept the story that Two had provided.
“We have to find out who she is, Two.” Sarah said finally.
Two sighed. “I know. I just don’t have any idea how to do it.”
Rhes spoke up. “Public records search at the library. You said that Tori couldn’t possibly have been a vampire for more than two decades, right? How many girls with her first name and description could have gone missing in that time? Hell, she might be the only girl with that name to have gone missing. It’s not that common.”
Two considered this. “I guess that’s true. You think it’ll work?”
“It’s as good a place to start as any.” Rhes drained his beer, looked inquisitively at Two. She shook her head.
“What do we do once we know who Tori is?”
There was silence for a moment, and Two felt herself growing angry. She knew what was coming. At last, Rhes shrugged and said without looking at her, “I think we need to find out if her parents are still alive, Two.”
Two grimaced. “You’re not taking her away from me.”
“They have a right to know she’s alive.” Rhes’s voice was gentle. He knew she didn’t want to hear this.
“Not if it means that. Not if she has to go. That’s not fair. She’s all I’ve got!”
“I think they might disagree with you about how fair it is, Two, but it’s not important right now. We don’t even know who they are or whether they’re alive yet. Just... consider it for a while. I think you’ll see that I’m right.”
Two looked out the window, frustrated. She knew he was right. She just didn’t care.
Sarah stretched. “I’m beat. Haven’t been up this late in ages, not since Rhes and I settled in and got boring. This has been a long, weird evening, an
d even though I could spend another three hours asking questions, I think we’d all better get some sleep.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Thanks for letting us crash here, guys.”
Rhes stood up. “No problem, Two. I’ll go grab some blankets. Do you want to go to the library tomorrow?”
“I suppose we should,” Two said with distaste. The idea of actively searching out ways to take Tori away from her was painful.
“It’s for the best, Two...”
Sarah smiled, took his arm, stood as well. “Don’t push it, dear. She said yes.”
Two laughed, then got to her feet and embraced each of them in turn. “Thank you guys. You don’t know how much it means to me that you don’t think I’m insane.”
Sarah shrugged. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my doubts, Two, but you don’t seem insane. Tori doesn’t seem insane. Developmentally challenged, but not insane. Bare minimum, the people you’re talking about existed. That I’m sure of. The vampire thing... I may never believe it completely without seeing it with my own eyes, but I’m trying. We’re both trying.”
Two smiled at her. “That’s more than I expected. Thank you. Now go to bed, before we get going again.”
Sarah and Rhes headed for the stairs. Two began unfolding the couch.
* * *
It was late morning when Two awoke, Jake curled at her feet on the fold-out bed, sunlight streaming in through the vertical blinds that covered the brownstone’s window. After a moment of disorientation, she remembered were she was, and lay back for a moment, thankful for good friends. Then she stretched, got to her feet, padded into the kitchen. The house was quiet, no one up yet.
Two made coffee.
In the middle of her second cup, Tori wandered downstairs. Two said good morning, got the girl a glass of orange juice, and the two of them sat in silence, happy just to be alive and in each other’s company.
“Did you tell Rhes and Sarah about the bad stuff?” Tori asked after a time, and Two looked at her, surprised. Tori’s mental capacity and ability to speak were improving by leaps and bounds.
“Yes. I didn’t want to... but I had to.”
“Were they angry?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
“Tori?”
“Yes?”
“What was your big sister’s name?”
Tori looked troubled. “I don’t know.”
“I think you do. It’s okay to tell me, Tori.”
“I don’t wanna.”
Two raised her eyebrows at this. “Why don’t you want to tell me?”
Tori was suddenly on the verge of tears. The glass of juice trembled in her hands. “You’ll make me go away!”
“Tori. Sweetheart, I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. Okay? Neither are Rhes and Sarah.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, Tori. Cross my heart.”
Tori was silent for a long time. At last she sighed, and the sound broke Two’s heart. It was an adult sound, full of wisdom and worry and understanding. “Her name is Mona. She’s not my sister.”
Two nodded. “She’s your mom, right?”
A pause. “Yeah.”
“Don’t you want to see her again?”
Tori sipped at her juice, refusing to meet Two’s eye. “Dunno.”
Two let it pass. She didn’t want to scare Tori with talk of taking her home to her parents. Now, though, her suspicions confirmed, Two knew there was little choice. She had a name to go on, and she owed it to Mona to at least find out where the woman lived and whether she was still alive and searching for her daughter.
Sarah was the next one down the stairs. “Ah. Coffee. You’re a life-saver, Two.”
Two laughed. “I try my best.”
Rhes followed soon after. Molly was last, and when she saw Two sitting on the couch, she came down the stairs at a run, calling her name. Two had just time to set down her mug before Molly embraced her, laughing.
“Hey! Molly. Hi! Nice to see you, too. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
Molly smiled, cast a shy look at Rhes and Sarah, and nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. I’m great, really. I was mad at you, and Rhes and Sarah, at first... but it’s all right. I started going to this program thing last week, just to talk to other people like me. It’s... well, it’s not fun, but it’s really helping. They’re all really nice.”
“That’s awesome Molly. Terrific. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried.”
“We were worried about you, too! Where were you?”
Two smiled. “Sorry. That’s a long, weird story, and you don’t get to hear it right now.”
Molly began to protest, but Two only shook her head. “No, Molly. It doesn’t matter, okay?”
A pause, and then Molly relented. “Okay, Two. If you say so. Are you staying here with us?”
“Only for last night. This is my friend Tori. She and I have an apartment in SoHo.”
“Oh. All right. Will you be around, though?”
“Don’t see why not.”
“Great! Sarah and Rhes told me I could stay here as long as I wanted.”
Sarah spoke up. “We’re really glad you sent Molly to stay with us, Two. We’re hoping she’ll stay for a very long time.”
Two grinned. “Excellent. You going to go back to school, Molly?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Should I?”
“We’re going to tutor her for the rest year, and start her back at public school next fall,” Sarah said. “I’m scaling back my work a bit. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Guess that answers that,” Two said. “You’re a smart kid. You’ll catch up.”
Molly beamed at the compliment. There was silence, not awkward, as Two and her friends sat and thought. At length, Rhes turned to Two.
“Breakfast?”
“Thought you’d never ask, big guy. Here, or out somewhere?”
“Here, I thought. We’ve got plenty of food. I’ll make eggs. You want to help, Tori?”
“Sure, Rhes.”
Rhes headed for the kitchen, Tori behind him.
* * *
Breakfast brought light conversation, catching up mostly. Rhes was still working for Sid, Sarah still teaching at the school for the blind. Two avoided conversation about herself. There was too much she could not bring herself to tell about her time with Darren, and she wanted to bring no reminder to Molly of those dark days. She talked mainly of her apartment, of Tori’s efforts to learn to read, of days spent preparing for the future.
Two offered money. Rhes and Sarah demurred. Two accepted this, expecting it, and said they knew where to come if they were ever in need. They thanked her. Molly seemed awed at Two’s newfound wealth. She asked for details, and Two declined, saying only that she had found great fortune in the past few months.
No one mentioned vampires, prostitution, heroin. They did not skirt around the topics, much, but they’d been talked about. Talked out, Two thought. She wanted to move on. Molly wanted to move on. Rhes and Sarah saw this, and so they left it alone.
Breakfast over, they made plans to visit the library. Two took Rhes aside and explained Tori’s revelation of her mother’s name. Rhes was pleased; this would make searching for records that much easier. They agreed to meet at the library in the early afternoon. Two and Tori left to go home and change clothes.
A subway ride took them back into Manhattan. Two gazed out at the lights whipping by, illuminating names tagged at great risk on the tunnel walls. Some she recognized, some were new. Vandals and artists, publicizing themselves via drawings both crude and complex in the dark under New York. Tori asked questions endlessly, in the manner of a child. How did the subways work? Who drove them? How far did they go? Were they really traveling under buildings? Two answered them absently, smiling. A life in the city made one forget the simple wonder it could inspire.
Back at the apartment, showers, new clothes. Two thought about living on her own, wondering if she could stand
it. She thought of what it would be like to lose Tori, and thought again of the girl’s parents, and what they must have gone through; must still be going through. This only strengthened her growing resolve. Rhes was right. They had to find Tori’s parents and, if possible, get her home.
They set off toward the library in the full light of day, unseasonably warm and dry, and for the first time in recent memory, standing in the sunlight did not remind her of her time as a creature of the night. There was too much to do. Two felt she had some purpose again, something to do as a human. She would help this other woman who was, or was rapidly becoming, also human. That she might, by completing this task, so absolve herself of any responsibilities was not now a concern. Two crossed bridges when she came to them, and had little interest in contemplating them beforehand.
* * *
Tori and Molly were in the children’s section, flipping through books. Sarah sat reading books in Braille. Rhes and Two worked the library computers, searching microfilm reference for a missing girl named Tori, daughter of Mona. Rhes reflected that, even five years ago, it would have been an all-day project. It took Two less than thirty minutes, refining her search several times, to produce a short list of possible matches. One in particular caught her eye.
Perrault Girl Still Missing
New developments in the possible kidnapping of Ms. Tori Perrault have police baffled. Daughter of Mona and James, of Fort Shawnee, Ohio, Tori was last seen...
The clip was followed be a series of codes which indicated the exact microfilm on which the entire article could be found. Two laughed, called out to Rhes, earned a disapproving look from the librarian on duty. Properly mollified, but still grinning, Two beckoned for him to join her. He left his own terminal and leaned over her shoulder.
“Whatcha got?”
“Sounds like maybe our Tori. Almost definitely. Look at the date; thirteen years ago. Gotta be her.”
The Blood That Bonds Page 26
