He loves me. I knew, for quite a while, that I loved him. In that soul-exploding, can’t-eat-can’t-sleep-can’t-even-see-straight-can’t-pee-or-blink-or-listen-to-any-song-without-thinking-of-him way.
I’m pretty sure he doesn’t feel quite like that, but with our weird Claiming thing, I can sense his emotions, and every now and then I’ll feel so warm and fuzzy and happy that my face smiles without knowing why it’s smiling. And then I look over at him and he gives me a wink and I know that it’s him. Like a nice little shot of love heroin.
Coby tells me he’s doing better, and everyone else tells me too, but I’m not completely convinced he’s not going to massacre a bunch of people at any moment. And then there’s Rob. Yeah, still don’t know his last name, and I still don’t trust the guy, but he and Coby are . . . close. Weirdly close. I’ve got my eye on them.
On Saturday, Mom and Dad have organized a candlelight vigil to basically get the media to cover it so they can plea for Coby’s safe return. It’s not hard to get emotional about that, so I play the part of grieving sister well, even though I have to stand behind Mom and Dad while every news outlet they can bribe or coax to come has a camera on us, broadcasting statewide. The only nice thing is that Viktor somehow manages to convince Mom to let me stand with him, so his hands are on my back the whole time, keeping me upright. Bless that wonderful Russian manpire.
~^*^~
On the Sunday after the vigil, I’ve managed to get Viktor to run me up to the Noctalis Inn (Ava started calling it that, and then I guess it sort of caught on) and there’s a commotion when we get there.
“What’s going on?” Even without supernatural hearing, it’s clear that shenanigans are going down.
“Wait here,” Viktor says, dumping me on the porch before taking off into the backyard.
Now, sense told me to stay on the porch.
Yeah, I’ve never been much for common sense, as I’ve proved time and time again, so I start sneaking around the edge of the house. I hope everyone will be too preoccupied with whatever is going down to hear my loud and human footsteps and heart and all that. I can’t not be noisy.
I stick my head around the corner of the house and there they are.
Ava, Peter, Brooke, Jamie, Coby, Rob and Viktor. Standing as though they’re on the other side of an invisible line are two people I’ve never seen before. I squint and it looks like a teenage guy and girl.
I try to sneak a bit closer and Viktor turns and in a flash, he’s by my side, whipping me around so I can’t see them anymore.
“I told you to wait on the porch.” I’ve never seen him actually mad, but this comes pretty close. I can feel it in his head, coming into my head. So freaky.
“I’m Claimed, remember? I have super painy powers, so why can’t I be in on whatever it is that you’ve got going down? Jamie’s down there.” He glares at me, but turns and crouches down and I hop on his back. We’ve gotten quite good at it.
I took gymnastics for like, five seconds and I was best on the vault. Good to know those few lessons were eventually good for something.
There isn’t a whole lot going on when Viktor finally deposits me on the ground. I’d rather stay on his back, but I settle for sort of lurking behind him.
No one’s really talking. Just staring. The guy is tall and hunched over and looking at the ground as if he wants to sink into it. The girl has massive amounts of eyeliner so thick it would take a chisel to get it off. Or maybe not because it’s probably to remove easier since she’s a noctalis. They both are.
Do we have an “Open for Business” sign on the house?
“Okay, I think someone needs to take control of this situation and since no one else is stepping up, I’m gonna do it,” I say, moving out from behind Viktor.
“So, uh, who are you?” Déjà vu anyone?
Rob steps forward.
“This is Victoria and Seth,” he says, pointing to them as if we couldn’t have figured it out.
“Torie. It’s Torie,” the girl says in a bored voice. Either she’s actually a bitch, or she’s suffering from Bitchy Resting Face. This is a condition that means she looks like she’s pissy all the time. This might be because she is pissy all the time, or maybe her face is just like that. I’m going with the former.
“And what are they doing here?” I say, shocked that no one else is asking any questions.
“They, um, kind of followed me.” For the first time, Rob looks sheepish.
“Followed you?” Ava says. It’s about time someone else said something.
“We did not follow you, asshole,” Torie says, her bitchy face not changing. Seth still hasn’t looked up from the ground.
“They found me a few months ago and I’ve been trying to shake them ever since. I was, uh, kind of hiding out here and thinking they wouldn’t find me in this tiny town with all the rest of you to mask the smell, but luck was not on my side. I should have told you.”
“Yeah, that would have been a good idea,” I say, stating the obvious. I knew there was something up with him.
“We did not follow you,” Torie says, but everyone ignores her.
“Okay, maybe they did follow you, but that’s not our problem,” Ava says. “This isn’t, um, a hotel. We don’t have room for you and I don’t think the population in the state could take the hit. So . . . run along now.” She waves her hands as if that’s going to work.
Jamie whispers something to Brooke, but she shushes him.
“Where are your parents? Immortal or otherwise?” Ava says, when it’s obvious they’re not going anywhere yet. I look up to find Peter and Viktor doing that weird eye thing where they communicate without speaking. I’ve asked Ava about it, but all they know is it’s something to do with being made by the same noctalis.
“Gone,” Seth finally says, looking up. “We don’t have anyone.”
“So you’re lonely?” I say, and it almost sounds ridiculous.
“No,” Torie says with a glare, but clearly she means the opposite. They’re freaking lonely and they thought they could just come and stay with us.
What the crap is going on? I’m getting a migraine.
“I can’t deal with this,” I say, turning around. There are plenty of other people to handle this. I’m going back in the house.
Viktor’s arm goes around me as we turn our backs on this latest crisis.
“You’re gonna need to do a hell of a lot of singing,” I say, and for some reason, the second the door is closed, I start to cry.
He holds me and wipes my tears away and tells me he loves me and I’m strong and a bunch of other things, some of which are said in Russian.
Viktor
“What happened to your family?”
“What?” I heard what she said, but I’m not sure of the context.
“Your human family. I never asked you what happened to them. Did they die? I was just thinking about . . . stuff.” Her eyes are open now and I know that face. I’m not going to get out of this without giving her at least something.
“You must have some crazy skeletons in that closet of yours. It’s probably a walk-in,” she says, as I set her down on the bed upstairs. “I just . . . I need to think about something else right now. And right now I want to talk about you.” She stands up.
“So, why don’t you get some of those secrets off your chest. Unless you’re scared they’re so dark that I won’t be able to handle them.” She takes one finger and drags it along my chest. I’m wearing a pair of pants, but no shirt. She circles me, brushing along my skin with both hands.
“Tell me your secrets, Viktor Belikov.”
So I do.
~^*^~
“You were married?” Tex says after I’ve told her about my wife and my family and my whole dark and tragic history. Well, it’s only tragic from certain perspectives, I suppose. We are both naked now, with her lying on her stomach on my chest.
I search her emotions, but they are surprisingly calm and almost . . . thoughtful.
> “Yes. She got pregnant, so I had no choice, but I probably would have married her anyway.”
“Did you love her?”
“I did, in a way. It wasn’t the kind of love I would have in my second life. It was as ordinary as waking up in the morning, as calm and steady as a mountain.”
She raises her head and searches my eyes.
“Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn’t changed? Did you imagine how your human life would have gone?”
Yes. Many thousands and tens of thousands of times.
“I did, but that doesn’t change what is. I did meet Di and I did love Adele and lose her and I did meet you and fall in love with you. I never thought it would happen again, but you were very persistent.” I smile and she smiles back.
“I get what I want.”
“Yes, you do.” I tilt her chin up for a kiss. “Do you think less of me?” She sits up and crosses her arms on my chest and leans her chin on them.
“Not really. I probably should, but it’s not like I didn’t know. I mean, you hadn’t told me the details, but I knew there would be something dark in your past when I got into this in the first place. I’m not big on reading warning labels, or listening to common sense. I see something that I want and I go for it, no matter what. I knew I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. Do you regret telling me?” I run my fingers through her hair.
“No. Not at all. I was only afraid you would run away screaming, or break up with me again. I don’t want you to be afraid of me, afraid that I am going to hurt you.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” She whispers and gives me the kind of kiss that puts talking aside for a while.
~^*^~
Once Tex and I have dressed, she allows me to take her back to the group, which is in pretty much the same position we left them in.
“What’s the verdict?” I say to break the uncomfortable silence.
“They still want to stay,” Ava says, shrugging one shoulder.
“So, what? We’ll all just live here like one big happy bloodsucking family? What about food? You just gonna let them go and massacre the town whenever they feel like it? Don’t you think that’s gonna look a little suspicious? Why am I the voice of reason here? I’m never the voice of reason.”
This is nearly true.
“I just . . . I don’t know what to say,” Ava says, shaking her head. Peter is silent beside her, but his views are clear to me.
We are in a hole and instead of climbing out of it, the hole just keeps getting bigger and deeper and soon we’ll be swallowed up by it.
“I second that,” Brooke says, raising her hand.
“So what the hell are we supposed to do?” Torie seems to be the spokesperson for the group.
The residents of the Noctalis Inn all share a look with each other.
“Oh no. I can see where this is going,” Tex says. “You cannot be serious.”
I look at Ava. It is her house, after all, so it is her decision.
“Why is everyone looking at me?” she says.
“Because it is your house,” Peter points out.
“Oh, yeah. Right. I mean, it is mine technically, but you and Viktor bought it. So you should decide.” She tosses the decision at us like a hot potato.
“The house is in your name,” I say. There is no way she can get around that.
“No, don’t make this my decision,” Ava says, covering her eyes. “I can’t do that, because then if something bad happens, it’s going to be my fault, and I can’t . . . I can’t deal with that. I already feel bad enough about Coby. Don’t put this on me.” She curls into Peter and he strokes her hair.
“Um, what decision is there to make?” Tex says, looking at everyone else as if they’ve started speaking in a foreign language that she doesn’t understand.
“Why is this even a thing that’s happening right now?” She looks at each one of us and pokes me in the chest, but not hard enough to break her finger.
“I just . . .” Ava says, “I mean . . . Gah, everyone needs to stop looking at me!” No one stops looking at her and she stares at the sky, as if looking for answers.
“Okay!” Ava says, her voice ringing out. “You can stay on one condition. No killing within state borders. Take it somewhere else. And you will learn how to feed without killing as quick as possible. You will respect the house and everyone in it. If I ask you to leave, you’ll leave. You can stay for ONE WEEK. That’s it. I have a lot of other shit to deal with, but I’m not going to throw you out.”
Thirty-Two
Ava
I have no idea what I’m thinking, or not thinking. Something in my heart, or whatever I’ve got that serves for that now feels bad for them. I mean, Coby’s situation sucked, but at least he has his sister and the rest of us. These poor kids have no one. They just looked so . . . young. Not more than sixteen or seventeen. Granted, I’m not much older, but still.
I just couldn’t turn my back on them. I could hear my mother’s voice in my head. A friend in need is a friend, indeed. These people weren’t my friends yet, but they were definitely in need. Indeed.
The reason I made the one week rule is so that the others wouldn’t freak out. I knew Tex would throw a hissy if I said they could permanently stay. That week is going to turn into forever, but only Peter and I (and probably Viktor) know it will be longer.
Tex
Maybe they all got defective blood and they’re all high. Can you get high from blood? I swear that’s the only explanation for the crazy that has crashed down around us.
The Coby situation was bad enough, but this is on a whole other planet. Galaxy. Universe. I don’t even know what’s beyond that, but that’s where this is.
“Please tell me I’m not crazy for thinking this is the dumbest idea ever, because I seem to be the only sane one. Or maybe you’re all sane and I’m the crazy one.” This has also crossed my mind.
“No, you are not crazy, Tex. It is not a smart idea, but it is going to happen whether you want it to or not, and the best thing we can do is take care of Coby.”
Right. Coby. Focus on Coby.
Speaking of my brother, he’s off in the living room playing Halo with Rob.
“Can we talk?” I say, making sure I don’t tap his shoulder. He ignores me and looks at the game.
“Talk.”
Lovely.
“Outside. Now. Let’s go.” I snap my fingers and point out the door. I know we’ll have to go a few miles to actually get privacy, but I don’t care.
“Fine!” He gets to his feet and stomps out the door.
“I don’t know why you’re so pissy at me. I’m not the one who said they could stay,” I say, walking behind him. At least he’s walking at human speed.
“I’m not pissy at you,” he says in a pissed voice. I roll my eyes as he runs on ahead of me.
“Viktor? A little help?” He comes over and I vault onto his back and we run for a few miles and he deposits me in a clearing. Coby shuffles the last few steps.
“Call me when you need me,” Viktor says and is gone again.
“Cobes,” I say, but he’s staring past me at the trees. Oh for the love of vampires.
“Dude! If you don’t stop being a brat, I’m going to slap you again. Why are you being like this?”
He finally looks at me and his tough façade cracks.
“I don’t want them here.”
That makes two of us.
“They can’t just show up out of nowhere and move in. It’s not fair.” He’s practically pouting, which almost makes me laugh.
“You’re jealous,” I say, taunting him.
“I am not!”
“Yeah, you totally are. You’ve been the center of attention and everyone has been all about you and now these kids have come in and stolen your thunder.”
He turns around and leans against a tree. “Whatever.”
“I know you’re all non-human now, but you’re still a kid and it’s only natural that you’
d be jealous of new people coming in, but they’re only staying for a week, and we’re still all going to be up your butt, so don’t worry.” I go to pat him on the shoulder and he flinches away.
“Fine. Go back to being my annoying little snot of a brother. See if I care.” I start walking away, but he calls out to me.
“This is the most we’ve talked . . . ever,” he says.
“Yeah. It is.”
“Huh.”
Exactly.
Thirty-Three
Ava
“When did this become a halfway house for orphaned immortals? I swear, I feel like we just adopted three teenagers.”
There are a lot of clothes now and a lot of them have blood on them, so Peter and I are doing laundry. The house is actually quiet, and it’s nice for a change. It’s not going to be quiet for long.
“This is such a mind fuck,” I say.
“Agreed.”
We toss the first load of whites into the basin, along with massive amounts of bleach, and turn the machine on.
“Wait a second,” I say, putting my hand on his chest. “Do you hear that?”
He turns his head to the side and listens.
“I hear nothing.”
“Exactly. We’re alone in the house and there’s no one around to hear us.” I shoot my intentions along our connection and in the next second he’s gathering me into his arms and taking me upstairs.
“Don’t break the bed,” I say.
“I make no promises,” he says and laundry is put aside for a moment as we use our time to our advantage and take it slow and sweet.
“This is nice,” I say as his hands roam my body, as if getting to know me again.
“Nice is not the word I would use,” he says and I have to agree. I’m on fire and I think he is too.
By the time we stop, the laundry has been done for quite a while and it’s time for me to head home to make dinner for dad.
“Good job,” I say, patting his shoulder.
“You as well, my Ava.” He kisses me and I put my hand up to stop him.
“Don’t. If we don’t stop now, I’ll never get home and I have to make dinner for Dad. You want to come over and cuddle on the couch with me?”
The Noctalis Chronicles Complete Set Page 100
