Voracious - (Claire Point Vampire 5)

by V. K. Forrest

  This was the first time Brian had initiated a conversation since they had left. Any kind of serious conversation. Mostly they had talked about food and cute girls they saw in the airport.

  “So we’re going to pick him up, take him back to Clare Point, put him in a coffin, and he’s going to wake up in the cemetery?”

  “That’s pretty much how it goes. There’s a ceremony that takes place. Prayers offered. You’re welcome to come if you like. All sept members are encouraged to attend.”

  “Maybe I will come.” Brian stared at a row of palm trees that ran along the roadside. “Where will Victor live after he’s reborn? You said he doesn’t have parents. Will he have to live with an old lady who’s supposed to be his wife?”

  “I don’t know where he’ll go. Probably not with Mary, though.”

  Brian worked his jaw. “But they’re not married, right? Victor and Mary?”

  “Yes, and no.” Aedan signaled, following the onboard GPS. They were less than a mile from the marina. “According to the sept, they’re not married.”

  “So they can be with whomever they want?”

  “Any vampire they want. Once they’re of age—which is twenty-one for us. There’s a cool ceremony for that, too,” Aedan explained. “You’ll go through it in a couple of years.”

  Brian hit a button on the van door and let the window go down a little, then raised it. Then he put it down again. “I’ve been thinking about this whole marriage thing.”

  “Uh huh.”

  Brian thought for a minute. “And I decided I’m going to marry Katy instead of Peigi. Katy’s way cuter.” He looked at Aedan. “That going to be a problem?”

  Chapter 7

  “You can’t marry Katy, Brian.” Aedan pulled into the marina parking lot and put down his window to speak to the security guard. “Keri’s Carpets, slip seventeen.”

  The guy in the guard shack never looked up from his blackjack game on his iPad. He just waved, and the gate went up.

  They had stopped at Walmart and bought a six by eight rug, some paper, markers, and tape. In the side and rear windows of the paneled rental van, they’d taped handmade signs that said KERI’S CARPETS. They’d carry the carpet wrapped in plastic onto the boat. They’d carry the same carpet back out a few minutes later, minus its plastic wrap, with Victor rolled inside. Aedan had done it before. Humans weren’t all that observant. If anyone happened to be watching, he or she would assume a new carpet had been carried in and an old one carried out.

  “Why can’t I marry Katy? I don’t mean now. Like, in a few years.”

  Aedan eyed him. “Katy, huh?”

  “Yeah, I like Kaleigh, but she scares me.”

  Aedan laughed. “Not to worry. She scares me, too. She scares all of us. As a full-grown woman, each of Kaleigh’s gifts will be greater than any of ours. And she has them all.”

  “So that’s why she’s the sept’s wisewoman? Or did she get all the gifts because she was the wisewoman?”

  “Good question. Turns out it’s the chicken or the egg thing. God’s work, that’s all I can tell you.” Aedan followed the blacktop road along the piers, maintaining the twenty-five miles per hour speed posted at the entrance to the marina. “But sorry. You can’t marry Katy. She’s taken.”

  “By who? Pete? That douche. They broke up last week.”

  “They break up every week. They’ve been doing it for hundreds of years.” Aedan slowed down, checking the signs that indicated the slip numbers. He smiled and nodded at a woman in a big straw hat walking a peekapoo. “Seventeen. There it is.”

  “That’s not right. Pete the douche gets Katy, and I get an old fire-starter?”

  “She’ll be reborn. And I gotta tell you, Peigi’s a pretty hot sixteen-year-old.”

  Brian groaned and threw one foot up on the dashboard. “This sucks.”

  “It does,” Aedan agreed, cutting the engine.

  Brian turned to him after a moment. “Why don’t you have a wife?”

  Aedan loosened his grip on the steering wheel. “Because my wife died in childbirth just a few months before the aota.”

  “The curse that made us all vampires?”

  Aedan nodded.

  “So, you have a kid?”

  “He died, too. A day old.”

  “Man, that really sucks.”

  Aedan smiled. The wound was old, a scar more than anything else. He and Elly had been married less than a year when she died. They were young, and while he had certainly loved her, his feelings had not been as deep as his love for Madeleine. He still thought of his little son, born too early to live in those days, but the pain had subsided until it was nothing more than an occasional tender spot.

  “So now you can never get married because of the stupid sept rules about having to stay married to whomever you were married to when you were human?”

  “Nope. I can’t marry.”

  Brian looked at him. He was a cute kid. He’d grow to be a handsome man. “You got a girlfriend?”

  Aedan opened the van door. “No.”

  “You gay?”

  “No.” He climbed out.

  “But you don’t have a girlfriend?”

  “No,” Aedan said, beginning to get a little testy.

  “She died, too.” He paused. “Her name was Madeleine, and I loved her very much.”

  “She was a vampire who died?” Brian was actually becoming a little animated. “Did someone put a stake through her heart?”

  Aedan leaned into the van, resting on the doorframe, his hands over his head. “Where are you getting your vampire information?”

  Brian looked away. “Mostly the Internet. Some movies.”

  “Well, humans on the Internet or in the movie business don’t know shit about vampires. Not real ones. There are different rules, depending on your situation and where in the world you live. It’s complicated, being a Kahill. You have questions, you ask Peigi, or me. Kaleigh’s probably safe.” Aedan looked away. “The woman who died. The woman I loved.” He hesitated. “She wasn’t vampire.”

  “I thought that wasn’t allowed.”

  “It’s not.” Aedan was done with twenty questions, at least for now. He wanted to get Victor and head home. He wanted to take care of sept business, and then he wanted to go to Brew and talk to Dallas. He wanted to know why his blocking his thoughts had made her so intrigued. And happy. “You stay here. Let me find Mary. I’ll check on the Victor situation, and then I’ll be back for you. Stay in the van. Don’t speak to anyone.”

  “I’ve got no problem staying in the van.” He adjusted his seat to a reclining position. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner I get back to ‘Modern Warfare 3.’ ” He loaded a cartridge in an invisible rifle and let off a burst of invisible bullets.

  Aedan closed the door and walked across the road to the dock. Mary was waiting for him on the deck of the boat they’d rented in slip seventeen; he’d called her after he left Walmart to say he’d be there in twenty minutes.

  “Oh, Aedan.” Mary McCathal was a plump woman with a pretty smile. She put out her arms to him as he boarded, and he hugged her.

  “I’m very sorry about Victor, Mary.”

  She gave a little laugh, sniffed, and stepped back. “Happens to us all, doesn’t it?” She waved him toward the main cabin. “He’s downstairs in the salon. Waiting. I couldn’t get him into the master bedroom cabin before he passed.” She offered a brave smile.

  “It’ll all be okay, Mary.” Aedan glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the van. He could see Brian’s big feet on the dashboard, but not his face. “I brought Brian Ross. He’s being a pain in the ass at home. You know, teenager stuff. But it’s been pretty rough on Peigi. The age difference and all.”

  “Guess we’ll be there for a while, too, won’t we?” She smoothed her short-cropped curly hair with her hand. “But we’ll deal with it, Victor and I.” She glanced in the direction of the van. “You want to bring Brian down?”

  “I will.” Th
e boat, a practically new forty footer, rocked gently as someone eased a jet ski through the canal. “He can help me carry Victor out. But I want to get the lay of the land first. Brian hasn’t seen a dead body yet. Well, he doesn’t remember that he has.”

  “You’re going to do it in broad daylight?” she asked quietly, glancing around. The marina was small and quiet, but there were still a dozen people within viewing distance of Victor and Mary’s boat.

  “It won’t be a problem. We’ve got it figured. Doing the old rug trick.” He pointed to the panel van with the sign in the rear window.

  She glanced at the van and nodded. “This way.”

  They took a narrow staircase below deck to the salon that opened into the galley. It was a pretty room, white with a bit of a tropical theme, but not overdone. Victor lay on a full-sized, tan-colored couch in the salon, his eyes closed, his hands folded as if he were taking a nap. He was wearing plaid green shorts to his knobby knees, a white polo, and a pair of sandals with white athletic socks.

  “Here he is.” Mary walked over to where the old man’s body lay and smoothed his gray hair. “He’s going to be angry when he realizes he never got to finish that bocce ball game. He was in first place.”

  Aedan smiled, taking a look around. It wouldn’t be hard to get Victor out of there and into the van. Not at all. “Have you packed? I could drop you off at the airport on our way out of town.”

  “I’ll call a shuttle van. My flight isn’t until this afternoon. I’ll still beat you home.”

  “Anything we need to take care of? Anything that needs to be wrapped up here?”

  She shook her head. “I know no one approved of what we did, but we were careful. No one knows what we are. Nothing here in our names. Fake IDs,” she explained. “Rent’s paid through ’til June 1st. We can just walk away. You take care of Victor, and I’ll see you Friday night at the church.”

  “You sure you’ll be okay?”

  “I always am, Aedan.” She leaned over and kissed Victor on his leathery cheek. “I’m going to pack. You take care of Victor.”

  The transportation of the body went as well as it could have. Aedan and Brian arrived in Clare Point at dawn the next morning. They could have driven the distance in less time, but they had made a couple of pit stops. Brian got a kick out of South of the Border, despite its cheesy tourist atmosphere; he left wearing a big sombrero. The young man was surprisingly decent company, despite a couple of episodes of moodiness. They talked a lot, and Aedan felt as if the teen had a better understanding of himself and the sept by the time they pulled up in front of Peigi’s cottage.

  Two nights later, Aedan, along with many in Clare Point, attended Victor’s rebirth. Brian surprised both Aedan and Peigi by making the suggestion that the teenager, Victor, still groggy from his transformation, go home with them. He even offered to share his bedroom with the new teen, if Peigi didn’t want to bother making up the bed in the guest room. Aedan wasn’t positive it was a great idea, but Peigi had seemed keen on it. Mary McCathal had no intention of “raising” Victor, so she was pleased with the arrangement.

  Saturday evening when Aedan left for Rehoboth, Peigi was busy doing paperwork for the sept, and Brian, Victor, Pete, Kaleigh, Lia, and Katy were all in the den. The boys were playing video games, the girls talking amongst themselves while speed-texting on their phones.

  Aedan parked on Rehoboth Avenue and took a stroll, watching for any sign that might suggest that Jay was on the prowl again. After his long slumber, Jay always seemed eager to get “back to work.” There were often a series of attacks strung close together at first. Once satiated, Jay took his time.... The attacks became less frequent but more brutal.

  There was nothing unusual happening on Rehoboth Avenue that night. There were people out strolling on the boardwalk and the avenue, relaxing, enjoying a quiet spring night at the beach. The bars and restaurants were busy. The traffic was nothing like it would be by July 1, but cars were actually jockeying for parking spots in front of the bigger places. It was such a nice evening that a few restaurants had set tables out on the sidewalks for al fresco dining. Everyone he passed seemed to be having a good time. He looked for Jay, hoping that even if he couldn’t recognize him, he might be able to feel him. How could you be so close to evil and not feel it? The night Aedan had missed him by less than ten minutes, Aedan had been able to psychically smell his presence. The remnant of it. Jay smelled of rotting flesh and moldy leaves.

  But if Jay was out tonight, Aedan couldn’t tell. Aedan walked into Brew and was surprised to find his barstool taken by a twenty-something guy in a plaid shirt with a goofy smile. Dallas was standing next to him, a tray balanced on her hip, talking to him; the two of them were laughing. She wasn’t flirting back, but she certainly wasn’t knocking him on his ear, either.

  Aedan stood in the doorway for a moment, then strolled up to the bar where surfer-dude was making his move. “Hey, hon, sorry I’m late.” He grabbed Dallas’s arm, turned her slightly, and kissed her on the mouth. When he stepped back, she was staring at him, her lips slightly parted.

  “Aedan,” was all she could manage in a breathy whisper.

  “Got a minute?” He took her tray from her, set it on the bar, caught her hand, and led her to the nearest booth. “Sit with me.” He gave her a little push, and her knees folded. He slid onto the bench seat beside her.

  “Why did you do that?” she breathed. Her wits quickly returning to her, her words became more forceful. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve been thinking about kissing you since the first time I saw you.”

  She brushed her fingertips over her lips. “You did it again.”

  “I did what?” He glanced at the bar. The only waitress in the place was making her way toward them. “You want a drink?” he asked Dallas.

  “No, I don’t want a drink!” She grabbed his arm, touching him of her own free will for the first time. “Who are you? What are you? Why do you keep coming in here and bothering me?”

  The waitress came to their table. “What can I get you to drink?” she asked, paying no attention to the fact that her boss was sitting at the table with a guy. The girl acted as if Dallas did it every night.

  “Guinness,” Aedan said. “You?” he turned to Dallas to ask.

  “No drink!”

  Aedan smiled up at the waitress. “Just the one, I guess.”

  “One Guinness, coming up.” The waitress sashayed away.

  Aedan turned to Dallas. “Tell me what happened the first time you touched me. You tell me what happened, and I’ll tell you how I make it not happen.”

  Dallas had no intention of explaining herself or her gift. If he hadn’t had her trapped against the wall, she’d have just gotten up and walked away. But there was something so earnest in his bluer-than-blue eyes. Something so trustworthy. And she was so damned lonely, so tired of fighting the good fight all alone. The words just came out. They came out so softly, so hesitantly, that he leaned closer to hear her.

  “I see images. Of memories,” she whispered, feeling as if this was one of the most intimate conversations she’d ever had with anyone. She’d told John of course, but looking back, either he hadn’t believed her, or his drug-fogged brain hadn’t understood what she had told him. He had never understood. “The memories people carry. I see them.”

  “When you touch someone?” He suddenly looked concerned. “A gift?”

  Her brow furrowed. She felt woozy. Light-headed. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, or the feel of his arm around her shoulders. Or maybe it was just the fact that the only thing she’d eaten today was half a cheese stick she’d shared with Kenzie. “That’s what my mother called it, a gift. I call it a curse.”

  “Your mother had it, too?”

  She nodded. “And her mother.” She licked her lips. “The first time I touched you, I saw . . . stuff. But you made it stop. The other day. Just now when you kissed me you did it again.” She loo
ked up at him. “How do you do that?”

  “I don’t know,” he said casually. He was rubbing her shoulders in a circular motion. “I just sort of clear my head.”

  “But how did you know to do it?” She looked into his eyes.

  “How we doing here?”

  Dallas was startled to see Tat tableside, serving Aedan his beer. “Everything okay?” Tat looked directly at her.

  Aedan didn’t move his hand from her shoulder. He didn’t speak, either.

  “I’m just taking five minutes. I’m fine.” She looked at her bartender quickly, then away. “Can you check the ice machine? It was acting squirrely when I filled up the bins a few minutes ago.”

  Tat looked hard at Aedan, then walked away. “Can do.”

  “That your guard dog?” Aedan asked when Tat was out of earshot.

  Dallas surprised herself by laughing. “Something like that.”

  “Scary guy.” Aedan glanced at Tat, then back at her.

  “I know.” She chuckled.

  “So back to what we were talking about.” He took a sip of beer.

  “What we were talking about,” she echoed.

  “You can do this with anyone? Read his or her mind?”

  “I don’t read minds.” She pointed at his Guinness. “You mind?” Her throat was dry.

  “Not at all.” He slid the glass toward her.

  Dallas took a sip of the rich, dark beer and wiped the little bubbles of foam off her upper lip before she went on. “I see images, like still photographs of things you’ve seen. Sometimes I pick up on . . . emotions. I think they’re mostly just attached to the images, not anything the person is feeling at the moment I make contact.”

  “What did you see when you touched me that first time?”

  She licked her lips, still tasting the beer. She wasn’t sure how much to say. “Yours were different.”

  “Different how?” He suddenly seemed very serious.

  She shook her head, not willing to come completely clean, not yet at least. “Just different.” She met his gaze. “I knew you were different.”

  “You don’t have to be afraid of me, you know. I won’t hurt you.”