by C. L. Quinn
Olivia’s eyes, wide, locked on Sarah’s. “What? Who?”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I need to think this through. We’ll talk tonight, okay? Just get some good rest today. I’ll wait up for the men. Zach and Xavier will have to be here very soon.”
“Will you tell me what you know?”
“Not yet, but tonight, I will, I promise.”
Seven
IN SOUTHERN FRANCE
“Is she all right?”
The question hung in the air as Park waited for Baron to give her the news.” She’d grabbed her cell phone as soon as it chimed.
“She’s virus-free. If you would like to look at the lab report…”
“No, oh, thank you, no, I trust your findings. Thank God!”
“I haven’t released her yet. I will on your orders.”
“Of course. The virus samples are contained?”
“Absolutely, Park.”
“Okay, I’m coming up and I’ll release her. Please prepare reports for every test you’ve done on the virus, I’d like to look at them. Thanks for your attention, my friend.”
“It is an interesting germ. I’ve never seen anything like it before and I have to admit, the fact that it may have sickened a vampire concerns me.”
“Me, too. We’re on it, though, so hopefully we can find out exactly how it’s affecting his body and stop the progress. Vaz’s physician is faxing his vitals and history.”
Moments later, Park pushed the button on Burne’s cell that decompressed the small space and released the door locks.
“Hey, sleepy head,” she mused as she pulled the door open and found Burne on the bed.
“I’m okay?”
“You’re okay. Virus free, thank God. Vaz is going to send his friend’s vitals so I can see what the situation is with him. He told me that two more of the humans have died.”
“Yeah, I spoke with him about half an hour ago. This is ugly.”
“I have good people working this, though. Now, let’s get you some food and fresh air.”
“Sweetie, hell, yes!”
Burne lounged on the balcony with Cairine while she waited for Park and Bas to join them. They’d had a wonderful dinner, just the four of them, and after such a long night and day, they needed to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. Cairine was exhausted from playing with her friend Caedmon.
“Auntie Bernie, will you stay here with us?”
Charmed at the request, Burne dropped onto the floor of the balcony with Cairine. “Sweetheart, I would love to, but I have a special friend in Switzerland, and I live there with him. My plan, though, is to visit more often. I don’t want to miss watching you grow up.”
Her eyes huge, Cairine nodded. “Maman says that is happening too quickly, so you must not stay away very long!”
The little girl’s hair glowed in the light from the living area that bathed the balcony with a soft ambience. Park had told Cairine that her hair was the color of the sunrise. Burne watched the child. It was true, the strawberry blonde was a striking cross between blonde and ginger, the shine like champagne satin. How extraordinary this third generation child was!
“You are such a beautiful young lady,” she told Cairine. “I cannot wait to see how lovely you will be one day when you are all grown up. Your maman is right, it will happen in the blink of an eye.”
Cairine grinned and blinked several times quickly.
“Am I big now?”
Scooping her into her arms, Burne swung Cairine high. “You are a precocious little thing. No, you are not big yet, and please don’t hurry. We love you just as you are!”
Cairine squealed and giggled, as Burne made sounds a prop airplane might, the quiet night shattered, while Park and Bas joined them on the balcony.
“What is going on?” Bas called out through the increasing squeals.
“Papa, she is making me dizzy,” his daughter cried out.
“Do you want her to stop?”
“No, I like being dizzy!”
“Then you are a lucky girl,” Park said, and set three wine glasses and a bottle of wine on a tabletop with a small bottle of juice.
“Peaceful evening,” Bas said softly into Park’s ear so that she could hear him.
“Peaceful life, my mate,” she answered back, and groaned as he massaged her lower back. “That is magic.”
“I’ll give you a more complete massage when we go to our chambers in a few minutes.”
“Mmmm. The sooner the better.”
“I heard that,” Burne said. “Why don’t I put Cairine to bed and you two go on up?”
Bas nodded. “I like that idea. Come, woman.” He took Park’s hand as she waved good-night to Burne and Cairine.
In their private chamber, Bas slid his clothes off and turned back to watch Park carefully fold her dress and place it on a chair next to the bed, her satin underwear next, also folded. He watched every movement, and when she was done, he didn’t move toward her.
“Hey, are you coming over here?” she asked, still standing by her side of the bed.
Bas scanned his lovely mate, nude, her lips curved into a sweet smile, her hair hanging loose, long legs that ended in the most precious place, the bulging swell of her belly showing that their next child was growing fast.
“I can’t stop staring at you,” he said. “You are the love of my life and every second I look at you, I want to pinch myself to be sure that you are real.”
“Baby,” Park whispered. “Come and be with me and I will make sure that you know how real I am.”
The massage included much more than Park’s back, and when Bas was finished, they fell into the deep sleep typical of a vampire’s daytime rest.
For now, much of the trauma of the past few years was gone. They lived comfortably again with no sense of threat from an enemy, just normal days, calm, quiet. They knew that someday in the future, things would be dark again, but for now, all was good and their family was well.
Later, deep in sleep, Park heard a voice. Someone was calling to her. Who? The voice was low and insistent. A child’s voice? Cairine?
Park struggled to wake. Was Cairine calling her? Finally, she tore through the murkiness of sleep and her eyes opened. At first, she started to go to her daughter’s room when the voice came again. Yes, it was Cairine, but she was not asking for her mother to come to her. She was sending her to Burne’s room.
She needs you, maman, go now, the child’s voice in Park’s head insisted.
Racing from the room, she hurried three doors down to the room that had been assigned to Burne when she arrived. Whipping the door open to darkness, she hurried inside. Burne was not in her bed.
“Bernie?” Park called out urgently. “Bernie, are you here?”
A strange sound came from the bathroom, so Park blasted into the room, flipped the light switch, and saw Burne sitting on the floor, blood dripping from her nose and mouth, a white towel in her hand splattered with red.
“Bernie, what happened?”
Park went down on her knees as Burne looked up at her friend with red-rimmed eyes.
“I don’t know,” she said weakly. “I went to bed, I felt fine, but then I woke up a little while ago, heaving. I felt like someone was tearing apart my gut. Then…”
She held up the blood-soaked towel. “Then this started.”
“Honey, let’s get you cleaned up. Are you still feeling sick?”
“A little. The blood seems to have stopped.”
“All right. Let me help you up.”
“Park, what’s going on?”
“Sweetie, I don’t know. For now, let’s just get you settled and we’ll do some tests and see why this happened.”
Silently, Park used some of a stack of white wash cloths to clean up the blood that had dripped down onto Burne’s chest and belly. Her feet were covered, too, from where she’d dropped down onto the floor.
Burne didn’t say anything at all until Park led her back to her b
ed. Her swollen eyes met Park’s again. “It’s the virus, isn’t it?”
“We don’t know that. It didn’t show up in any of your labs.”
“I’m sick, Park. Vampires don’t get sick. Oh, God, I was so close with Cairine last night!”
Park’s chest tightened and pressure exploded behind her eyes. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she said calmly. “I’m sure she’s fine. She is actually the one who sent me to you. She knew that you were in trouble. Burne, stay here, I just want to go check on her.”
“Of course.”
Splitting the air, Park was in Cairine’s frilly pink bedroom in less than a second. A night light shone on the little girl sitting up in her bed.
“Maman, is Auntie Bernie all right?”
Park stayed distant from the stuffed-animal filled bed and switched on an overhead light with muted bulbs so the space was only softly lit.
“I’ve checked on her, thank you, baby. Cairine, how do you feel, sweetheart?”
“I am not sick, maman. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Park still looked her over, searched for a sign that her daughter may have any similar symptoms, but nothing was out of the ordinary at all. Oh, thank the powers of the universe!
“Cari, you must stay here. I’m going to send your father in to stay with you.”
“I’m not scared, so he doesn’t need to. Except for Auntie, though. She’s very sick, isn’t she?”
Damn the child’s ability to know the truth.
“I’m afraid that she might be. Now, I need to help her however I can. Stay, my darling.” She wanted to hug Cairine, but she wouldn’t risk it.
Cairine nodded and Park hurried back to her room.
“Bas, baby, wake up. We have an emergency.”
AT LAKE BAIKAL
Night came quickly, and so far, none of his guests had come up the stairs from the rooms below Nikolai’s cabin. He had three rooms in the dugout, all filled with vampires, which still shocked him. Next to his own room on this floor, the strikingly lovely Sarah with her understated beauty slept. She had yet to turn up tonight as well.
In the calm before the storm, before they all showed up for what Olivia called first meal, he finished bringing the fire back to its raging glory, set stacks of plates and silverware on the table, and started cooking. The surreal quality of his life left him wondering where it would all end.
Nikolai knew that everything about the vampires was sacredly secret…how would they deal with him when they moved on? He understood how a mental wipe worked, they would selectively steal his memories of everything they thought might pose a threat. What would he have left? Who would he be?
Shrugging, he put a tray filled with bacon into the oven.
“You play with fire, sometimes you get a burn,” he said out loud as he set several large skillets on the stovetop and began cracking eggs.
“You’ll need some help,” a melodic voice said behind him. Nikolai turned and nodded to Sarah.
“It would be welcome, but it is not expected.”
“Oh, give me an apron. I’m kidding, does anyone wear those anymore? Here, I’ll do the eggs, Nikolai.”
Slowly, the rest of the guests showed up in various degrees of dress and various moods.
Xavier was quiet, which Sarah noted was unusual.
Olivia was jovial, and everyone understood why.
Zip followed her a little like a lap dog, well aware that he was, but he didn’t care. He was just grateful to be caught up in her wake for a little while. He’d told Zach that “just to be in her sunshine for a few staggering moments is enough for me.” He was well aware that the analogy was flawed.
Dez and Zach arrived fully dressed and conversational, which no one understood, because they were the least likely of the group to do so.
“It’s an odd morning,” Nikolai commented as he placed the last platter of biscuits on the table.
Olivia reached out a hand to touch Nikolai’s. “How so, my old friend?”
“It is as if no one is who they are today. The quiet people are not, the aggressive ones are silent.”
Sarah moved around the table, serving or removing dishes. “It’s okay, Nikolai. We all have many facets and those differences come out at different times. No one has only one face. This night, we celebrate our diversity, not only from without, but also from within.”
“Sarah, ye’re insightful, as usual.” Xavier said softly. “I’m hung over, ya see, and I didn’t find a strikin’ lady to bring home with me. And that is soberin’. Otherwise, ya know who I am, sure enough.”
“I do, sir, and you malign yourself. You are so much deeper than you know. That is the face you keep hidden.”
“Bullshit, Sarah,” he answered.
“I agree, I think the big man is exactly what he seems to be. An attention grabber, obnoxious, unapologetic,” Dez commented. “As am I.”
“Neither are you.” Sarah sat down. “Each person is a world of ideas and personalities. We are a combination of every person we have ever met and every experience we have ever had. We are all so complicated, that not one person will ever be copied exactly in this world. You are all special just by being your unique self. I am honored to have you share part of my life journey with me.”
Olivia clapped lightly. “I want you on my team, Ms. Sarah. You know how life really works. It’s funny that the short-lived human understands so much more about life than we vampires with so many years and histories behind us. Thank you, Sarah, for being exactly what we all have already learned about you…one who sees the truth.”
Sarah bowed her head graciously for the compliment.
Olivia leaned in. “Now, my dear, please tell me. Before we sought rest for the day, you said that you knew who I was. I’ve waited all day to hear what you know, so please share with the class. Sarah, who am I?”
Slowly, Sarah caught each person’s gaze around the table. Then she sighed. “I believe that I do know who you are. It was an epiphany based on something that you said, Dez, in our conversations.”
“Me? What they hell did I say?”
“You told us that when you were still human, or more accurately, when you thought that you were, you bore a child, a son, who was stillborn. You said that he came too early. There are two flaws with that statement that led me to my revelation. Dez, you may not know this, even now, but a first blood child only takes 6 months to gestate. So, a few hundred years ago, you would easily have thought that a child was too early to survive at six months. The other thought is something that we’ve learned from the new clan of first bloods. A vampire or human who can bear a vampire child is called a Shoazan. It literally means capable of bearing a first blood child or fathering one. Shoazan’s are nearly indestructible, a gift of the magics because first blood children are so rare and precious. Their survival is assured. So the chance, Dez, that your son lived, is very high. Dez, I believe your son survived and that he may still be out there in this world. More than that, I believe that he impregnated a woman at some point, obviously Shoazan, and that our lovely Olivia is the result. It’s speculation, but based on solid facts. To sum up my theory, Olivia, you are Dez’s granddaughter. Tamesine is your great-grandmother. And more than that, you are not only first blood, but may be the only known fourth-generation first blood.”
No one spoke, no one moved in that room. The bomb that Sarah had set off was still exploding into the minds of everyone around that table. Olivia looked at Dez, stunned. Dez watched her too, even more stunned. Xavier had pushed back in his chair, his arms folded, while he watched Olivia’s reaction, completely comfortable with Sarah’s supposition.
Dez sat stone still. Olivia, warm, vivacious, adventurous, ready to hold anyone in her embrace, even strangers, stared at the woman she’d tried to bond with over the last few days, who might be her grandmother. Life had a hell of a sense of humor.
Suddenly Xavier pushed his chair back. He walked over to Dez. “Ye’ve perhaps found a granddaughter, lovely cat. A fourth
generation first blood child…from yer own bloodline.” He looked toward Olivia and back to Dez.
“Ye’ve been granted the greatest of gifts, lassies, and I admit that I am very jealous. We must have a celebration when we return to France.”
Olivia stared at Xavier. “Scotsman, what makes you think that I’ll be going to France?”
Xavier took a seat and reached for some bacon. “A little bird whispered it to me. One called destiny. Ya see, for the past few years, first blood children have been comin’ out of our ears, greater births than at any other time in our history. We have reason to believe that these children are destined to be warriors. Somethin’ ticklin’ in me belly tells me that ya have a place in what is to come.”
Sarah nodded. “I agree. This area is known for its shamanic spirit. Earth magic. There is a great chance that all of this is just part of a predestined journey for both of you. Accept this possibility and go back to France to meet your family. That is where you will finally know your truth.”
Once again, the room quiet, Dez couldn’t take her eyes off Olivia. Neither woman missed any tiny detail of the other woman, and neither spoke, not out loud or with telepathy. Even without spoken or unspoken words, it was clear that they each knew what filled the other’s mind. Was Sarah right?
Olivia’s heart pounded as she watched Dez breathe, her manner, her eyes, her mouth, all so similar to her own now that she paid attention. The rough stunning Amazon was her grandmother? The mind reeled. Pressure built behind her eyes as she remembered how it felt to feel the love of a mother. Was this really possible? The strange new power inside her told her that it was.
That this stranger, this lovely vampire could be her granddaughter was too remarkable to be believed. Dez had always considered herself a fully independent, completely self-contained woman who had been a vampire for more years than she had ever revealed to anyone. But there was no way that she had a destiny to produce the first fourth-generation first blood vampire.
Although she wasn’t ready to let herself admit any of this, she would agree that Olivia seemed to be a lot like her. Physically, the similarities were obvious. Even Zach had made a connection between them almost right away.
