by Gayla Twist
Ilona ran her hands over her ample curves. “Don’t be an idiot. No one cheats on me.”
“Well, was it because he told you he felt a deep connection with you and that frightened you?” Mom pressed.
“No,” Ilona told her. “Nothing frightens me.”
My mom folded her arms. “Then why exactly are you making a point of tormenting my daughter? She obviously feels some connection with this young man and you’re going out of your way to make her doubt that it’s real.”
“It isn’t real,” Ilona snarled.
Mom turned to me. “Do you think it’s real, honey?”
I fought down my panic and insecurities and everything else that was bubbling to the surface and thought about how I felt when I was with Dorian. When I was kissing him, it felt very real. But that wasn’t enough. Hormones could temporarily blind anyone and maybe that was all I was feeling. Dorian had been kind of a jerk when I first woke up in the ground and he’d told me he was my maker. I still had no idea why he’d expected me to believe him. But then I thought about the way Dorian treated me after that. I thought about how he always wanted to protect me. Even when I didn’t exactly need protecting. That felt real, too. Yes, he was arrogant and had an ego that was two sizes too large, but he had saved me from making a horrible mistake in the movie theater and at Winter Formal. Maybe he had told other girls before me that he felt connected to them. That could have been his standard line. But I also knew that when we kissed, it wasn’t just me who was trembling.
“I think Dorian’s feelings for me are very real,” I told my mom. And I meant it. Then turning to face Ilona, I added, “And I think that there’s more going on here than you’re willing to admit. Your behavior just doesn’t add up.”
The vampiress looked so furious I thought her head might start spinning around. “There’s nothing going on here,” she said, her voice sounding like that of a cornered cat. She stomped over to the window. “Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you,” she snarled and then she disappeared into the night.
“What a peculiar woman,” my mom said. “Beautiful figure, but horrible manners.”
That made me laugh. I found it interesting that my nutty mom could see that Ilona was up to something, but at first I couldn’t. That was probably because she wasn’t emotionally wrapped up with Dorian the way I was.
“What do you think of what she said?” I asked after shutting the window. “Do you think I’m just another notch on Dorian’s belt?”
Mom twitched her lips and then walked over to sit in the chair Ilona had recently vacated. “I can’t really give you an opinion because I’ve never met him,” she said. “But I think here’s a good rule of thumb: If one woman warns you about a man, use common sense caution. Maybe he was a jerk to her, but there could also be extenuating circumstances. But if more than one woman warns you about a man, then you have to take that to heart. People always say they’re going to change, but not many of them ever do.”
It was probably good advice, but it wasn’t really helping me. Dorian had admitted that he’d been with a lot of women. And I was sure more than one or two of them would tell me he was a jerk. But my maker also insisted that with me it was different. For me he had changed. Was Dorian just playing me for a sucker? My gut told me I could trust him with my heart, but the big bag of insecurities I always carried around with me told me there was no way Dorian Vanderlind could really love me.
“So now that my lovely guest is gone, you can tell me why you came to see me again so soon,” my mother said, interrupting my inner turmoil. “What’s going on?”
“I’m leaving Tiburon for awhile,” I told her. “Dorian is going to show me the world. Or at least the undead part of it. I guess it’s supposed to be pretty cool.” I looked down at my shoes. “And I was super excited about it before I got here, but now I’m feeling a little freaked out.”
“Sweetie,” she said stretching both hands out to me. “Just go and take what you can from it. You have an opportunity to see some of the most amazing things the world has to offer. Why wouldn’t you go for that?”
“I just don’t want to get my heart broken,” I said. I knew I was being a stupid coward, but Ilona had gotten under my skin.
“Hearts are meant to be broken,” Mom said. “You can try to protect yourself, you can always do the safe thing, but it sounds like a pretty boring way to spend eternity.”
She was right. My crazy nut-job of a mother was absolutely right. “I know,” I told her.
“And even if you do get your heart broken,” she said, “you’ll probably get over it in a couple of decades. That’s nothing to a vampire.” She snapped her figures in the air. “It’ll be over like that.”
“But what about you?” I asked, sitting on the floor and putting my head on her knee. She smelled so good. And not because I was hungry, but because she was my mom. “I won’t be here to visit you. You’ll be lonely.”
“You can write me long letters telling me all about the wonderful things that you’ve seen.” She kissed the top of my head. “And knowing that you’re out there seeing all the magic the world has to offer will be enough for me.”
“I love you Mom,” I told her. There have been so many times when I was angry with my mom. Or I’d hated her for abandoning me and being crazy. But deep down I really did love her. She was my mom and I would miss her for her lucid moments.
“I love you, too,” she said. “Now get out of here and go start your adventures.”
Wiping my nose, I got to my feet. “I’ll write you.”
“You’d better,” she told me, walking me over to the window.
I climbed up on the sill. “Goodbye Mom.”
“Goodbye sweetheart,” she said. “Oh, and if you see your father, please tell him I said hello.”
I had to laugh. It was just like my mom to throw a crazy-cherry on top of her sundae of good advice.
Feeling a little emotional as I took to the air, I was grateful for the cold wind in my face. It’s helped me fight back my tears.
“Going to miss your mommy?” a voice asked.
I twisted in the air to see Ilona flying quite close to me. “What the hell do you want?” I exclaimed.
Chapter 22
Dorian
“Hugo, I appreciate all this loyal-servant nonsense. Really, I do. But I need you to tell me where my family is.” I was using my sternest voice. “I need you to tell me right now.”
“I am afraid that is not my privilege, Mr. Wanderlind,” the giant informed me.
I hated to use my influence over him, but he left me with little choice. “Hugo,” I said, staring deeply into his eyes. “Where are my cousins and my aunt? Tell me immediately.”
The giant turned his head away. “Please do not try using your influence over me, Mr. Wanderlind. I do not appreciate it.”
“I apologize, Hugo,” I said quickly. It figured that Jessie would hire a manservant who was not sensitive to the influences of the undead. That was just the kind of nonsense my cousin would pull. “But you can see how I’m in a bit of a tight spot. I need to leave the castle and I want to find my family before I go. Isn’t there anything you can tell me?”
The giant made a small humphing noise and sucked in his lower lip. “You know those young people who kept disappearing before the holidays?” he asked. When I nodded, he continued with, “It is a wery bad thing when children disappear. A community becomes wery upset. There is attention from all over the vorld.”
I tried to puzzle out what Hugo was telling me. Was my family somehow involved with those children disappearing? I couldn’t imagine that they were. It made no sense to live in a town for eighty years and then suddenly go on a feeding frenzy.
“Are you saying that my family was involved with the teenagers’ disappearance?”
Hugo blinked at me several times, very slowly. It felt like he was doing it almost methodically. “I am not saying they vere not involved. But probably not in the vay that you think.”
&n
bsp; I pressed my finger and thumb to the bridge of my nose and massaged the inner corners of my eyes. I really wished that Hugo didn’t feel the need to make everything such a mystery. Loyalty was a good quality in a person, but I believed he was taking it too far. Maybe Haley had a point with the need for cell phones. It would have been so convenient to just call my family and ask if everything was alright.
I went to my room and packed only my essentials. I didn’t need much in terms of clothing at the moment. I knew Haley would feel awkward about accepting the clothes and shoes I intended to lavish upon her. I thought that if I purchased just as many things for myself it might lessen her discomfort.
Sitting at my desk, I wrote a few quick letters to inquire after my family. The first was to my father. I was completely frank with him about my concerns while neatly avoiding any mention that I had become a maker. My father and I did not have a close relationship. He didn’t approve of me and I didn’t like him. I loved him of course, he was my dad, but I didn’t really like him.
Next I wrote to half-a-dozen friends and acquaintances. I kept the tone light and only mildly inquisitive. Vampires were such a pack of gossips and I didn’t want to inadvertently start a nasty rumor about my own kin. It felt strange to me that a large number of the undead chose to spend eternity spreading malicious rumors about each other. It seemed like such a waste of immortality.
But then I thought about my own behavior until recently. I hadn’t exactly been making good use of my time. I’d frittered away quite a few decades on parties and escapades. There had been times when I had been productive, but mostly there had been wasted years. I regretted my foolishness.
Now I had Haley. Somehow being with her made me want to be a better man. I would show her the world and educate her to the ways of the undead. But I also wanted to do something for mankind. If I set my mind to it, I knew there had to be a way I could make the world a better place. Haley inspired me and I wanted to prove that I was worthy of her love.
And speaking of Haley, where the devil was she? It felt like she’d been gone for a week.
I consulted my watch. If Haley had flown straight down to Kentucky, spoke with her mother for an hour and then flown straight back, I would still have to wait a minimum of forty-five minutes to see her again. It was taking forever.
I addressed the envelopes to my letters and adhered the proper postage. That only took ten minutes. There had to be something else I could do to fill the time. How did mortals spend the night time before they climbed in their beds? I thought of television. That seemed to be a good way to while away the hours. But did the castle even have a television? There had to be one somewhere. I immediately thought to ring for Hugo, but then refrained. I’d made too much of a fool out of myself in front of the giant already. I didn’t want to make matters worse by asking how to use a television. My time would be better spent reading a book.
Except I couldn’t find a book that held my attention. The castle had a library crammed full of old volumes but nothing caught my eye. I snapped shut the third novel I had pursued without actually taking in one word. Surely Haley would be back soon. I couldn’t imagine she wasn’t as eager as I was to be together. She probably only spent half an hour explaining things to her mother and saying goodbye. She must have been on her way to the castle at that instant. I hurried to my quarters to freshen my appearance and then stepped out onto the front porch to await my scion’s arrival.
After ten minutes of scanning the skies I grew impatient. Where the devil was she? I thought back to our conversation before she’d left. We’d agreed that she would come directly to the castle after her return. Hadn’t we? I began to wonder if there had been some miscommunication. Maybe she was expecting me to meet her at her uncle’s house. I decided to head over there just to be sure.
It only took me a few minutes to fly across town. Haley was staying in an area that used to be referred to as the wrong side of the tracks. But soon she would be clad in finery and jewels. And if she wanted to help her uncle to eventually gain a better dwelling, then that was fine by me. I was ready to fulfill her smallest whim.
I had to chuckle at myself. I used to be so proud of my scoundrel reputation. I thought any undead who attached themselves to a single mate were fools. And there I was, ready to devote eternity to Miss Haley Scott, if only she were willing.
As I drew closer to Uncle Kevin’s abode I thought I heard voices. It sounded like Haley was having an argument with another female. At first I couldn’t imagine who it could be. But then my stomach lurched. It had to be Ilona. No mortal was up at four in the morning. I scanned the area, trying to locate my progeny.
“Just leave us alone, you psycho bitch,” Haley was saying in a controlled voice. “Leave me alone, leave my mom alone, and leave Dorian alone. Just go away and find someone else to harass.”
“You think you’re so special,” Ilona said with a sneer.
“No, I don’t think I’m special,” Haley told her. “I’ve never thought I was special. I’m just trying to live my life. Or my death. Or whatever it is that I’m doing right now. And I don’t understand why you keep shoving your nose in where it doesn’t belong. None of this has anything to do with you.”
They weren’t in front of the house, I noted as I landed on the lawn. I remembered there was a side entrance close to the garage. Maybe that was where they were arguing. I started jogging around to the right of the building.
“Don’t turn away from me,” I heard Ilona snarl. “I’m not finished with you yet.” And then in a louder voice she shouted, “Haley, what are you doing? Get away from me with that stake! Help! Help!”
There was the eardrum shattering wail of a siren. I fell to my knees pressing my hands to my ears. It was deafeningly loud for vampires, but at a frequency not discernible by most mortals. Every dog in the neighborhood immediately started to howl and babies wailed in their beds.
Struggling to my feet, I staggered toward the garage. The siren was some kind of vampire warning system. I knew something had to be horribly wrong. I saw two figures in the driveway near Uncle Kevin’s pickup truck. Ilona was scooting across the driveway in a fast crab-walk on her hands and feet with her bottom skimming the ground. Haley was standing near the side door, bent over, her hands covering her ears. A stake was tumbling to the ground at her feet as if she had just dropped it.
“Haley!” I yelled, but I could barely hear my own voice over the siren. “Haley!”
I thought that somehow she had heard me. She turned in my direction, her eyes searching the night. Then out of nowhere a net was tossed over her and she began to scream. I knew it must have been made out of silver. Four vampires dressed in black uniforms and wearing black helmets descended from the sky. The siren suddenly stopped. The dogs stopped howling. The babies kept crying, but that’s what babies did when startled from their slumber.
The four soldiers were wearing heavy gloves so they were able to scoop up the silver net with Haley still inside of it. She was crouched into ball, moaning and trying not to let any portion of her skin touch the metal.
“What the devil is going on here?” I demanded, charging forward. “Why have you accosted my progeny?”
“Bishops’ orders,” one of the men told me, He was apparently in charge. “We’ve had reports of unlawful activity in this area.”
The men must have been part of some type of Bishop police force or military unit. I mentally kicked myself for knowing so little about how our ruling body was structured.
“That may very well be,” I said, “but what has that got to do with my scion?”
“I had to tell them,” Ilona said, stepping forward while removing something from her ears. It looked like wax. That explained why she hadn’t buckled over in pain when the siren went off. And the soldiers obviously had some type of built-in ear protection in their helmets.
“Tell them what?” I spun around to confront her. “What have you done?”
Ilona suddenly looked very wide-eyed and innoce
nt in her black leather. “I told them just exactly what you told me. You couldn’t keep control of your scion. She was running wild in small town America and putting us all in danger.”
“I never said any of that,” I insisted. “You’re taking my words out of context.” I turned to the vampire in charge. “She’s making things up because she has some kind of grudge against me. My progeny is innocent.”
“That’s for the Bishops to decide,” the soldier informed me. It was obvious he had no wish to get involved with anything beyond carrying out his orders. Arguing with him was probably useless. I would have to go through official channels to iron everything out and regain Haley’s liberty.
“Well you don’t have to drag her off like an animal,” I insisted standing my ground, but trying not to appear confrontational. “It’s not like she’s resisting arrest. I am Dorian Vanderlind and I will officially vouch for her. I guarantee she will cooperate to the fullest extent of the law.”
There was a moment where I could tell the soldier was deciding whether he should club me with his silver baton or acquiesce to my request. Fortunately, the Vanderlind name carried some weight with the undead community. I’m sure he knew I could cause him all sorts of grief if he was overly disrespectful. “Put her down,” the leader ordered his troops. “We’ll just cuff her, as long as she doesn’t try anything.”
When they uncovered my poor Haley, her skin was sizzling. I knew she would heal almost instantly, but I still felt rage bubbling up from my very soul. I wanted to stake the uniformed men right through their hearts. They may have just been following orders, but that didn’t matter to me. I hated them all.
“Dorian, what’s going on?” Haley asked. I could tell she was trying not to cry as they bound her hands behind her back using silver handcuffs. Fortunately they deployed cuffs that had been lined with leather. They would only burn Haley if she tried to break free of them. “Did you tell someone I was a being problem or something?” she asked.
