Blood of a Red Rose

by Tish Thawer

  I let go of my frustration and waited for Evie to emerge from our room. I wanted to ask her why she thought questioning Rose about this was necessary.

  She didn't seem surprised to find me waiting outside. "I heard you approach and was scanning you as you tried to use your new ability. I take it you couldn't hear any of Rose's thoughts either?"

  "No. But I'm sure it's just a habit of hers at this point. I was thinking about trying with her again later. I'm hoping if I can get my ability to work around her it might give me a clue as to what she's planning and give me an idea of how to smooth things over between us. "

  "Alright. Just let me know if you're successful. And to answer your internal question, I'm debating releasing Terrance against Balam's judgment. I have a theory I want to put to the test, and Rose's thoughts about his feelings for her mother may prove important."

  "What's your theory?"

  "I'm not ready to discuss it yet, but once I have all the puzzle pieces in place, you'll be one of the first to know. Now why don't you give Rose some time alone and accompany me upstairs. There's something else I'd like to talk to you about."

  As much as I wanted to enter our room and apologize to Rose yet again, I didn't think it would help at the moment. So following Evie's suggestion, I left Rose alone and trailed behind her as we made our way back up to her office through her private entrance from the pit.

  "Have a seat," Evie said, extending an arm in the direction of the couch along the far wall of her office.

  Her formality suddenly had me nervous.

  "What's up, Evie? What else did you want to talk about?"

  "I'd like to discuss you becoming the next Sire. I know I said I'd like to wait to see what other powers you developed first, but honestly, with the situation we're facing, I'd like to perform the Passing of Powers ritual soon. I want to make you a Sire right away."

  My gut tightened and I knew I'd begun to drift at her statement. This was such a huge step. For Evie, for me, and especially for Rose. It meant we wouldn't have to wait any longer for her to become a vampire and my consort. I was immediately overjoyed at the thought.

  "There's one more thing," Evie continued. "I know it's traditional for a new Sire to take his consort and relocate, beginning their new life somewhere else, but in this case...I'd like you to remain with our clan."

  I'd always assumed it was mandatory that the new Sire leave their old clan, so I was thrilled to receive Evie's offer. Leaving my family had always been the one thing I considered a downfall to becoming the next Sire.

  "I'd love for me and Rose to stay here with the clan, but isn't that against the rules?"

  "I've thought about it, and while leaving your old clan is traditional for a new Sire, I don't think it's ever truly been mandatory. I believe it was just a tradition that'd been passed down from Sire to Sire, clan to clan. Regardless, I think it's time we tested the theory, because the real reason I want to speed up this process, is so that when we finally face the demons, we'll have two Sires here instead of just one. We'll deal with whatever conflicts arise after this situation is resolved. Agreed?"

  "Agreed. When do you want to do the ritual?"

  "Right now."

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Private

  (Rose)

  After Evie left my room, I paced around aimlessly trying to gain control of the chaos in my mind. I couldn't believe Terrance had truly loved my mom. When he'd said it all those months ago, I hadn't really processed it at the time. Being faced with the demon who'd killed my mom had been a pretty big distraction. But now, I wasn't sure if it bothered me or was something I should be thankful for. I suppose the time they spent together was safer and more pleasant for Mom considering he did love her. God, I couldn't think about this right now.

  I headed up to the club through Evie's private entrance, since coming up from under the stage while the club was in full swing wasn't allowed for obvious reasons. As the bookcase opened into her office, I saw her and Christian sitting on the couch against the far wall. "Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm just going to go blow off some steam on the dance floor if that's alright?"

  "I'll be out to find you shortly," Christian replied stiffly.

  I didn't respond but instead just walked out into the fray of happy people, bumping and grinding to the sultry beat that filled the air.

  I headed to the bar and plopped down on a stool. Tori and Dominique were working their magic as usual. They made really good tips and had a loyal customer base since they were such great bartenders. I'd gotten to know them quite a bit and they were both down to earth, kind hearted, and really funny. I'd spent more time with Dom though, because every chance she got, Tori would leave the club. Dom had explained it was because she didn't get out of the house much when she was human, so now she just loved being outdoors. Right now...I could relate.

  I knew I wouldn't be allowed to go outside, especially at night when it was more likely I could run into trouble, but man...I really needed to get away. Find somewhere private and just think.

  A light went off in my head. Private. The private rooms upstairs. I knew they were used as feeding rooms for the visiting vampires, but if I could find an empty one maybe I could finally get some time alone. Plus, I really wasn't looking forward to Christian "finding me shortly." I wasn't ready to have to put up my walls again. It was getting so hard not to fall into his arms and cry my eyes out. Especially since he explained everything. But, this was for his own good, and I loved him too much to let anything ever happen to him. Besides, I knew as the years passed, he'd eventually get over me and find someone else.

  As the tears flooded my eyes, I pushed off my stool and made my way through the crowd. Once I'd climbed the stairs to the second floor, I took a moment to look around, making sure that Christian hadn't left Evie's office yet. I didn't see him so I started towards the farthest room at the end of the hall. That's when someone grabbed me.

  * * * * *

  (Christian)

  "Now? You want to make me the new Sire right now?"

  "Yes. I think the sooner the better. I've told Dax my plan but no one else knows. I think it will be to our advantage to keep it a secret."

  "So even if I become the Sire now, you want me to wait to change Rose?"

  "I'm sorry, but yes. I think it would be to our benefit if the demons still think we don't have an active Sire that can create new vampires. Plus, I feel that whatever information Balam provides us with in regards to killing them, it will truly be to our advantage having two Sires instead of one. The element of surprise will be on our side."

  I considered Evie's plan. It was a good one. I was just extremely nervous. I hadn't thought this day would be upon me for quite some time, and I wasn't sure I could keep this from Rose. "Alright, but even if I can't change Rose yet, I still want to tell her it's done. I don't want to keep any more secrets from her."

  "That's fine. But please make sure she understands the necessity of keeping it secret. I don't even want the rest of the clan to know until I'm ready. I won't risk one of them becoming infected by accident and having this knowledge to share with our enemies."

  "Alright. I'm ready. Should we go downstairs?"

  Evie looked at the door and the lock slammed into place. I was always forgetting telekinesis was one of the powers she developed during her triggering. "We'll be undisturbed. Let's begin."

  "What do I need to do?" I asked, unsure of my part in all of this.

  "Nothing. It's actually a very quick process. I will perform the ritual and say the words, then everything else happens internally. You'll feel a rush of additional strength as the poison of true death and the sedative of eternal life flow into you. Let's begin."

  I shifted slightly in my seat and my palms started to sweat. "What if I'm not really the one being triggered? What if this clairaudient power is just something else completely?" I couldn't help but share my insecurities. I was afraid of not being the one, and I didn't want Evie
to attempt the ritual if it wasn't meant to be.

  "Christian, your clairaudience is just another psychic power which allows you to hear the unspoken. There is no doubt that you're the one. Now please, trust me."

  "Okay, Evie. I do."

  She instructed me to lie down on the couch as she stood over me with her hands extended. She explained that she would be reading my energy and only when it was time to "pass the powers" would she be biting me. I closed my eyes and listened as she began.

  Her voice carried the Sire command as she chanted, "I call on my ancestors, join me now. Flow through me as Christian completes this vow. The new Sire, he is triggered to be. Now let my powers flow from me."

  In the next instant she'd shoved my head to the side and sunk her fangs into my neck. My body arched off the couch as warm liquid flowed into my veins. It felt similar to being turned, but a hundred times more intense.

  I was bombarded by a variety of colors layering my mind. I saw sparkling yellow as the sedative of eternal life spread throughout my body. Then flashes of green blinded me as the poison of true death settled deep within my heart. It literally felt as if these powers were filling up special compartments within me, and the strength they carried with them was truly a blessing from the gods. The last thing to happen was the scanning ability snapping into place.

  As soon as Evie released me, I bolted off the couch and grabbed my head. The noise was too much for me to bear. I assumed this was an unforeseen side-effect of the scanning ability combining with my clairaudience. But whatever it was, it sucked.

  I was suddenly overwhelmed with the loud noises of everything and everyone in the vicinity. The club's music, people calling out their orders to Dom and Tori. Pieces of conversation rang through my head like a cacophony of squawking birds, and then I heard the one thing that overshadowed all the rest...Rose's scream.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  In Trouble

  (Renard)

  After spending the day comatose in the hotel, Loni and I awoke with the sun's disappearance, and immediately started making our plans for the night.

  "Do you think Jeremy knows who we are? Are we in trouble here?" Loni asked.

  "No, poppet, we don't need to worry. Jeremy isn't a threat. Even if he was daft enough to attack us, we could easily rectify the situation by biting him and making him forget. No, I'm not worried about him. But we do have to worry about Meredith. We need to see what she's up to, so my suggestion for tonight is to again, feed in the park, but then we need to move the car and keep watch from a different location. Hopefully she'll make a move that will shed some light on her powers or possibly her intentions."

  "Alright, my love. Sounds like a plan." Loni kissed me, long and deep, and if we didn't need to rush to move our car from its present location, I would have sank back down onto the bed and relived some of the other fond memories from our honeymoon.

  * * * * *

  (Meredith)

  Snagging the two workers had gone just as planned. As the horn signaled the end of the their day, we used our strength and speed to knock them out and rush them to the abandoned hunting shack.

  I could tell Damien was having a hard time keeping his desire to drink from these humans in check. But after I told him he could have a small sip to begin the draining process, his mood quickly improved.

  "I can't believe how quickly the changes take effect. I can feel my strength increase almost immediately." He made his point by slamming his fist through the solid log wall.

  "What the hell are you doing?" I dropped the human I was holding and flew to within an inch of his face. "We've taken care to set this whole scene, and you think slamming a hole through the wall isn't going to raise a few questions?"

  "Who cares? If anyone did track this scene back to us, I'd kill them. Problem solved."

  "Problem solved? Problem solved?" My rage was boiling over, and I was sure my eyes were glowing red. I slammed him against the wall he'd just put the hole in. He may have just gained a boost in strength, but there was no way he could compare to me. "You listen to me, you blood-hungry asshole. I will not let you put everything I'm working towards in jeopardy by leaving a trail of bodies across this city. What we're doing has to be kept on the down low. I can't risk the vampire's finding out."

  He pushed off the wall, shrugging out of my grasp. I let him go. "Fine. I'm sorry. I won't kill anyone without your permission." He paced the room, looking at the bodies on the floor. After a sigh, he continued, sounding remorseful. "I'll fix the hole. I have a sledgehammer in my truck we could leave here as evidence. I'll wipe it down so all we'll have to do is put one of these guys' prints on it and we should be in the clear. A sledgehammer could easily put a hole like that through a wall this old."

  For being as hot-headed as he was just moments ago, his plan actually had merit. I was pretty sure it would work. "Okay. Hurry and go get the hammer. I'll finish draining these two and make sure all the animal scratches and drugs are in place."

  "Okay. And Meredith, I really am sorry."

  I gave him a quick nod and watched as he sped out the door. It was becoming apparent I would have to monitor his blood intake. This whole situation was an unknown for both of us, but it was obvious that drinking human blood affected different people in different ways.

  I became euphoric after drinking Loraine's blood, but I hadn't gone insane or power hungry. Yes, I would definitely be keeping an eye on Damien. I couldn't risk having a loose cannon as my second in command. And if he ever felt like pushing my boundaries, he'd find out that only a stronger demon could kill another demon, and I'd be making sure that I remained the strongest demon of them all.

  With this exact plan in mind, I pulled out the extra bag I'd brought and began siphoning off some extra blood for my personal stores, of course taking a moment to have a small taste. The warm blood flowing down my throat filled me again with strength and joy. I could feel I was truly becoming immortal. Those vampires would have to be pretty fucking stupid if they thought they stood a chance against me.

  Damien returned just as I'd finished draining the second body. He swallowed hard as he saw the last drop of blood hit the container. I began our cleanup and removed all the IV equipment from our victims and then staged their bodies like we'd planned, adding the sledgehammer as the final touch.

  "It looks good. Really believable," Damien said.

  "Yes it does. The claw marks, blood, and fur certainly give it that wild feel we need." I laughed as we carried out the containers of blood and the rest of our supplies. "Did you get a hold of your family? Are they going to be able to make tonight's meeting?"

  "Yes. They will all be there, though only a few are aware of what's happening. I told you I knew certain members of my family would be down with drinking blood, but I've instructed them not to say anything to the others. We should be able to spike the drinks as planned and everyone will begin gaining strength and speed by the end of the night."

  "Thank you, Damien. I appreciate your help. Now we just have to keep that temper of yours in check. No more blood for you tonight, okay?"

  "I agree. I think I've reached my limit for today."

  Watching his jaw twitch had me questioning his statement. I wasn't convinced I wouldn't have a problem with him at tonight's meeting. Maybe, I'd better start looking for someone else to help me in my efforts. I'd have to pay special attention to everyone's reaction to the blood tonight. Maybe one of his relatives would display a little more self-control.

  Once we reached our vehicles and stowed our bounty, I explained the plan for tonight's meeting. "I'm going to run home and change then I'll meet you at the conference hall. I want to get there around 7:45 p.m., so we'll be able to set up and spike the drinks in advance."

  "Sounds good. I have to run home too, and then I'll meet you there. Should I bring a bottle of champagne so we can toast the beginning of your army?"

  I knew he was teasing, but it didn't sound like a bad idea. After tonight,
the vampires wouldn't stand a chance.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Biting

  (Rose)

  The moment I was grabbed, I started screaming. I tried digging my heels into the floor as I was being drug into one of the private rooms, but suddenly a set of fangs pierced the side of my neck.

  Oh shit! This could not be happening. Who in the world would risk Christian's anger by biting me? It had to be a vampire from outside of town. Someone who didn't know who I was.

  He must have used his sedative to quiet my screams because in the next second I was completely calm...on the outside. But once my thoughts cleared, allowing me to focus on the nightmare this was going to become, my internal panic really set in.

  I tried to pull away, but the vampire's fangs sunk deeper as he held me tight from behind. Fuck! I couldn't believe this was happening. I assumed that in only a few minutes my demon blood would start infecting whoever this vampire was. How the hell was I suppose to explain why this vampire drifted dark after biting me? My situation just went from bad to worse.

  I didn't have any idea if it would work, but I knew I'd better try something fast. I wasn't even sure how to do it, but I focused on my anger and tried to release my demon side. Maybe I could forge a mind bond and force this asshole to stop.

  Thankfully, I must have done something right, because all of a sudden I felt the connection of the mind bond and I could almost see what was happening through his eyes. I projected the thoughts that I wanted him to feel, adding a verbal command for good measure. Stop NOW!

  The vampire went rigid behind me and his fangs withdrew immediately. Luckily, I could feel and see through our connection that he used his sedative to heal the wounds in my neck. The instant his fangs slid free, the puncture marks closed and it looked as if they never even existed.