"So we can assume that he's not in the penthouse," Carl says, catching my drift.
"Or he's cooped up in a closet in the penthouse," I offer. Too many windows and too many ways for curtains to pop up if he slept in a bed.
"I've been trying to track down the Progenitor for years now," Zhi says. "I only hear snippets here and there and some eyewitness accounts from other vampires. This is the first time he's ever let a slip this big."
I blink at him. "So what're you saying?"
"He’s saying that the Progenitor wants to be found," Maria says, grinning at me. "Which is why you need to tell us what happened to you last night."
I hesitate, because it’s still raw, and Graeme’s angry departure makes me want to curl up and cry. I don’t have time for that though. "They attacked me at my house. Anthony and his cronies."
"And?" Zhi presses.
"He said I wasn't 'ready' yet. He also made me blow up the house."
"Made you blow up the house?"
"Self-defense."
Zhi steps back, like he's proud of me. "You surprise me, Harker. That's impressive."
Maybe I would be a bit more proud of it if I hadn't destroyed our house and all of my family’s possessions in the process.
"You think the Progenitor decided to make an appearance because Anthony is finally making a move on her?" Carl asks.
"It would seem so," Zhi agrees.
“Like an invitation or something,” Jude says. “Are you serious?”
Zhi nods.
"So what?" I ask. "We just head up there? Have a cup of coffee with him? Sing ‘Kumbaya’?"
"Do you have a better alternative?" He looks at me. "I thought you wanted to get better. Kill the Progenitor, you'll go back to normal."
I clench my fist, feeling the skin of my scar stretch uncomfortably across my knuckles. The source of my pain for the last five months. Endless possibilities flit through my mind, about outcomes that could happen once we meet him.
I let out a steadying breath and release my hand. "We can go up to see him, but I want to talk to him." It takes every ounce to say those words, because I do want to cure myself at almost any cost. Almost.
"Harker,” Zhi says, “this might be the only time you can get to him."
"I don't kill just to kill," I say coolly. "We have to have a good reason to kill any vampire."
"Is that why you haven't killed Bitey yet?" Zhi asks, gesturing to Jude.
I actually laugh out loud. Jude looks confused, which is cute.
"We aren't doing anything until we know more about him. We can go ask questions, but we won't do more than that. And I have to know that you aren't going to try and kill him, Zhi."
Zhi's jaw tightens and his eyes glitter, but he nods. "Fine. For now. Just know that you might not have another chance."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take."
I know that you don't fuck with something like this. I have the gut feeling that there’s something very old and complex twisting our fates in the wheel of times.
Aunt Tessa bustles back into the kitchen. "I don't know what the hell is going on with the wards in the house," she explains. "I should’ve been able to detect your presence." She puts her hands on her hips and looks Zhi up and down. "Who are you two anyways?"
The other vampire hunter looks taken aback by my aunt, which makes me grin. I'm guessing Zhi doesn't get that too much.
"I'm Zhi Zhang,” he says.
“I’m Maria, his servant.”
Servant. So maybe that explains the tattoo at her throat. I wonder if it explains the kiss the other night or how close they are with each other. Is Maria a willing participant or is this all because of some spell tying her to the Zhangs?
Aunt Tessa wipes her hands on her apron. "A vampire servant," she says. "Can we trust you?"
Maria sneers. “Of course you can.”
“Sure. Fine,” Aunt Tessa says. “At least he’s here of his own accord,” she adds, nodding toward Jude.
The tension between Tessa, Zhi, and Maria is thick enough that I could cut it with a knife. Admittedly, I kind of like that for once, I’m not the one who is being scrutinized.
We're losing daylight, and if we are going to Dallas to follow up on this Progenitor thing, we really should get going.
Carl looks antsy about the whole thing and Jude…well, he’s simply watching me with those clear blue eyes. It makes my insides feel all mushy and giddy.
Be still my heart.
"Gah," I say out loud without meaning to.
That breaks the stare down between Zhi, Maria, and my aunt and they all turn their attentions towards me. My mind races, trying to come up with something that doesn't betray what I'm thinking. Jude is smirking at me, like he can see right into my thoughts, especially the ones about him. I can't help but squirm under those blue eyes.
"We should get going," I say.
Aunt Tessa cocks her head towards me. "Going?" she asks. "Where?"
"To see the Progenitor, Ma," Carl tells her.
"The myth?" she asks suspiciously. She glances at Zhi. "Are those the kind of lies he’s trying to feed you?"
"That's what we're going to find out," I say.
Aunt Tessa shakes her head. "That sounds dangerous," she says warningly to her son. "I don't want you or Edie going there."
"I have to go," I say. "So much is riding on this."
"And I'm going with Edie," Carl says, clearly nervous about his mother's worries. "We'll be fine."
I look at the others, who don't say anything, although Zhi has a smirk. Jude is still watching me, which is making me uncomfortable.
"Ugh, I hate this," Aunt Tessa says.
She turns out of the kitchen, leaving us there. A few moments later, she's back with two little black pouches on their own respective necklaces. She holds them out to Carl and I, one in each hand.
"Protection charms," she explains. "Promise me that you'll wear these at all times. Otherwise, you're not allowed to go."
I slip it over my head. The earthy smell of cloves hits me and I nearly gag. As a last resort, I slip it underneath my shirt, but it only masks the scent of it. Somewhat. I’m going to have to get used to it.
Carl does the same. "Thanks, Ma," he says somberly, already used to it, apparently.
Teary-eyed, Aunt Tessa hugs him. "You be safe, okay?" she whispers into his shoulder.
“Yeah, Ma. I will.”
30
Jude
Driving during daylight is worse than simply being outdoors. The car constantly changes position with respect to the sun, at points I’ll think I’m safe only to realize that the semi driving next to me was shielding me all along. In the three hour drive to Dallas, I’ve had a few close calls, and based on Maria’s intermittent cursing, she’s having the same trouble.
My stolen Honda Accord is the vehicle of choice for the five of us to make the trek, mostly because if the worst happens, it isn’t traceable to any of us.
That’s the way I like things. Plus the tinted windows have helped.
Zhi insisted on driving, with Maria in the front next to him. I’m hunched in the corner with my trench coat hood drawn over my face and hands stuffed into black gloves.
The entire time, I feel sick. It’s fucking terrifying being exposed like this to the elements.
Edie sits in the middle, with Carl on the far left. He looks dazed, like he can’t believe what we’re doing.
The smell of cloves from their protection spells hits my nose and I want to gag.
Popular lore states that all Carl’s mother would have had to put in the pouches is garlic, but that’s not true. I fucking love garlic, especially when it’s sprinkled into a pint of blood. It mingles nicely with the blood to make a potent drink.
What’s going on with their pouches is something entirely different. Ancient magic that I can’t even begin to fully comprehend.
Edie has been quiet the whole time, while Carl constantly peppers Zhi and Maria with questions, main
ly about how they hunt, their perspectives on vampire life, and whether or not superhero movies have gone downhill.
Edie’s phone vibrates with a text and she checks it.
“It’s Graeme,” she says to me, her voice low. “They’re back at the Ramada Inn, and settling down there for the night.” She sighs. “I guess that means they’re safe.”
She responds to the text and puts her phone away. I wonder if she holds any sort of blame against me for her brother-in-law’s reaction. I know it’s crazy, but I feel bad for her. I barely restrain myself from putting my arm around her and holding her close.
"What kind of contact do you have in Dallas?" I dimly hear Carl ask Zhi.
"What do you mean?" Zhi asks.
"You said that you had a contact who saw the Progenitor," Carl explains, a suspicious tone in his voice. "Who is it?"
We drive in silence for a few moments before Zhi answers. "I have a servant who keeps tabs on stuff like that."
“At the Ritz Carlton,” Carl says, unimpressed.
“I have quite a few servants,” Zhi says. “And yes, one works at the Ritz Carlton.”
“Is he trustworthy?” Carl presses.
Zhi and Maria exchange glances. “Of course,” Maria answers. “He has no choice.”
I’m suddenly glad that I don’t have one of those tattoos on my neck. Maria seems to be at peace with her predicament, but I can’t imagine others being happy with it. Sympathetically, my neck itches and I scratch at it.
Edie studies me with a demure smile on her face. She then leans slightly into me and asks, “How long?”
“How long what?”
“How long have you…felt that way?”
I debate what to tell her, because I don’t really know the answer myself and because I don’t want to talk about this in front of everyone. Even though she’s speaking softly, I know that at least Maria can understand us with her vampire hearing.
I consider Edie’s question. At some points, it feels like there have always been deeper feelings for her. Even when I saw her at the previous Harker’s funeral, I knew something then.
“Do you remember?” Edie asks. “The night you needed blood?”
It takes me a moment to recall what she’s talking about. When I do, I feel even more embarrassed and the blood rushes to my face.
“Yes.”
How could I forget?
It was back in March. I’d been helping her for about three months trying to find information on Anthony. Our relationship was tense at that point, since she didn’t quite know what to make of me. I had been struggling with feelings I shouldn’t have, especially since I knew that vampires and humans could never get along.
To make myself seem less like a vampire, I had gone too long without feeding, which is always a bad idea. Humans get killed in those instances. Yet, one of the good things about having the Harker on your contact list is that you can call on her to bring you some blood. It’s relegating her to being a delivery boy, but it’s better than having a rabid vampire out on the streets trying to restrain themselves.
And I would never hurt Edie, no matter how much the bloodlust took over. Even then, I knew she was special to me. I was lost to her from the moment I met her.
So I drank liquor until I made myself too drunk to be a danger to anyone. Vampires can drink something other than blood, but it makes us sick, which was exactly what I was going for.
I still remember calling her during the daytime when I knew she was going off her shift at the coffee house:
“Hello?’
"Haaarrrker…”
"Jude?” she asked, sounding panicked. “What's wrong?"
"I…I need blood."
"Okay. When was the last time you fed?"
"Awhile. Didn't want…to—"
"Why do you sound drunk?"
"'Cause I am. Less of a danger to anyone when I'm blind-drunk."
There was truth in what I said. If I could barely keep myself upright, I certainly wasn't chasing down any sort of human blood.
“You’ve been a vampire for at least fifty years, and you let yourself slip that far?”
“Happens every so often.”
I didn’t know what I’d do if she didn’t bring me blood, and I didn’t know what I’d do if she did bring me blood.
Finally, she said, “I’ll head over there.”
Minutes ticked by, adding up to an hour, and then some more. Panic settled in, mainly because I’d have been fucked without any help. In my drunken haze, I was borderline hallucinating about going on a bloodlust-fueled rampage. Killing random humans, becoming the next-wanted vampire.
Edie may be dependent on me for insider information about vampires, but at that moment, my life was in her hands. We didn’t know each other that well then. She’d have come after me if I crossed that line.
Some two hours later, the buzzer to my apartment rang. I practically fell upon it.
“Harker?”
“Yes.”
I leaned against the intercom, overcome with relief at the knowledge that she at least cared enough to do this for me.
“You came for me.”
“You live in a nice apartment, Jude,” she said, sounding impressed.
“Only the best for you,” I told her. “I wanted to make a good impression.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
She probably thought I was joking, I wasn’t.
What happened after she came in becomes a bit of a blur. Euphoria that she had, indeed, come through for me overrode any other emotion or need.
I had collapsed in her arms at the smell and the sight of the blood bag she brought from Twin Fangs. That, mingled with the sight of Edie and the scent of her own infected blood, was too much for me to take.
Now, beside me, Edie has gone silent, probably remembering that night herself.
“Did you like…?” she starts. “Did you feel this way even then?”
Her left hand, the one where the infection started, is on her lap. I brush a finger along the back of her hand and I can see the shiver that runs through her body.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Before then too, I think.”
She looks at me, her face unreadable. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Would that have changed anything?”
“I don’t know,” she says quietly.
Maria clears her throat to interrupt our conversation.
“Dallas city limits,” she says loudly. “We’re almost there. Time to get suited up.”
31
Edie
I have a vampire in love with me.
Not only that, I have a vampire who’s been in love with me for a while now. He asked if telling me sooner would have changed anything. It probably would have. It probably would have scared me off. I’d have been so intimidated and scared at the prospect of another person’s feelings for me, I would have pushed him away.
It definitely would have changed things. And now, the emptiness that I feel is amplified by the thought that we may never get to try this out. Lord knows I need some sort of hope.
As we pull up to the valet at the Ritz Carlton, I feel my heart in my throat. I want this to work out. I want to reverse this infection more than ever before. I have so much more to live for now.
If Maria and Zhi can have a relationship, then why the hell can’t Jude and I?
I unbuckle my seatbelt and take Jude’s proffered hand to get out of his side of the car. The Honda Accord looks out of place among the Lexuses, Mercedes, and other luxury cars that probably cost more than the house I burned down last night.
A white-gloved valet shuts the door behind me. I’m certainly not used to service like this. Meghan and I have been invited by vampire-hunting billionaires to go take care of a few unruly vampires in the Hamptons, but even then, it didn’t seem to sweat absolute extravagance like this place does.
"If the Progenitor thinks he's not drawing attention by staying at the Ritz Carlton, then he's gravely mistaken," Carl observes
as he shuts his car door. "In fact, this is fucking ridiculous."
The valet near him in an expensive suit glares at his language.
I look up at the luxury hotel. It's nearing seven o'clock, the sun is beginning to set, and the light is fading. Most of the squat hotel is thrown into shadows by the surrounding buildings. Standing at the entrance, I'm hyper-aware that it's almost nighttime and we're about to walk into a nest of vampires.
What is that famous saying? Don't disturb the shit to make it stink? I wonder what they'd think of this plan, whoever coined that phrase.
I don't sense any vampires yet, though that doesn't mean anything. I imagine that this particular group of vampires is good at hiding. You don't live for millennia in hiding without know how to conceal yourself.
I swallow hard, my nerves taking over. Last night I ran into a building that I knew was full of vampires. This…this is different.
This is running into a building where you don’t know what kind of monster is in it.
Before we pulled up, we had all armed ourselves. I certainly have plenty of weapons, including stakes and knives strapped all over my body. I have a pistol with silver bullets holstered to my back, arm sheaths, and more. I also have Glimmer as a last resort, although I can tell that the blade desperately wants to be used. My left hand itches, and it’s not from the scar.
Zhi hands the valet his keys, and I feel like we're handing over our only escape route.
"How may I be of service to you?" the doorman asks suspiciously as we walk up the steps. We don't look like his normal clientele. His eyes rake us up and down, judging us in that one look. He lingers on Jude and Maria; he knows exactly what they are.
"We're here to see a friend who works here," Zhi says in a calm voice. "William."
A flash of recognition crosses the doorman’s face at the name. A thin smile comes to his lips and I don’t see the hint of fangs. He’s human, which makes me feel more comfortable, as I thought my vampy sense wasn’t working.
Then, to my surprise, he pulls the door open. "You're lucky, he just arrived for his shift. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."
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