by Nadia Heaton
“I – I’m a vampire now.”
“I know.”
There was an awkward silence. “Rashid turned me. He wanted me to join his coven. I told him no. I managed to escape – I don’t think he expected me to jump into the ocean. Anyway, somehow I managed to turn into a ray, and I swam here. The sun hurts me, I figured that much out quickly. There’s so much I don’t understand, Lis. Will you help me?”
Lisette sighed. “I can tell you what I know. Vampires need to feed on blood to survive, though you also need food. You need sleep like everyone else. Your senses are heightened, and you’re a lot stronger and faster than mortals. In most places in the world, there are rules within vampire society that no vampire may feed on a human without their consent. Vampires usually feed off animals, though those with means can sometimes get hold of bags of donated human blood, which I believe tastes better.”
“Rashid fed me from a blood bag when I woke up. It was… it was like nothing I’ve ever had before. It was incredible.”
Lisette thought she was going to be sick. She pressed a hand to her stomach, not looking at Nobu. Her sweet, wonderful Nobu was now a blood drinking monster. If she wasn’t so determined to answer his questions, she would probably have started screaming by now.
There would be time enough for that later. She owed him at least this much. Nobu was only attacked by a vampire because he knew her. It wasn’t his fault he’d been turned into a being of darkness. The least she could do was give him as much of the truth as she could before he left.
She didn’t respond to the blood comment, robotically going through everything else she knew about vampires. “You can’t withstand cold temperatures, and you are most at home in the sea. You’ve obviously figured out turning into a manta ray. Most vampires belong to covens, but some, like Rashid, choose to go it alone.”
“What about the sun? Will it kill me?”
“If you stay in direct sunlight for too long, yes. Vampires who have been trapped in deserts have burst into flame before. Mostly, it’ll just make you uncomfortable. Vampires usually do everything at night, though when they have to go about in the day, they wear long robes and sunglasses, which gives some measure of protection.”
Nobu was nodding as he listened. “Rashid also said I have eternal life now, which is a bonus, I guess. Is that everything I need to know?”
“There’s one more thing,” Lisette whispered. “Vampires and witches… we’re mortal enemies.”
“What?”
“Since long before anyone can remember. We’re always on the edge of war. Sometimes it tips over, sometimes it doesn’t. The hatred on both sides runs deep.”
“I thought you just didn’t like vampires – I didn’t realize it was an ongoing feud between your people.”
Lisette shrugged. She hadn’t gone into details of that with Nobu because she had never for a second thought it would become relevant for the two of them. She had been more focused on falling in love with him than retelling sordid history that would just be depressing to tell.
Nobu nodded slowly. “Ok. My head is still spinning, but alright. How do we cure this? And how long will I have to live as a vampire before you can whip up a potion or something for me?”
Lisette closed her eyes. Nobu’s faith in her abilities was painful, because his hope would amount to nothing. She forced herself to meet his gaze. “Nobu… there is no cure. Please believe me, if I could cure you, I would give anything to do that. Once you’re turned by a vampire, there is no going back.”
Tears spilled over from her eyelids. Lisette had never wished more strongly than now that she could go back in time. If only they hadn’t taken that walk on the beach. If only Nobu had drowned, rather than being condemned to this fate worth than death.
“There has to be something. Please, Lisette. You’re a witch; you know magic. I never wanted this.”
“I know. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry, Nobu. I never should have dragged you into this.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Nobu got up from the chair and started toward her. Lisette could tell he was coming to comfort her, perhaps take her into his arms.
She scooted back on the bed, her eyes wide. This time she wasn’t afraid. It was clear he wouldn’t hurt her. She still didn’t want a vampire touching her, though. She didn’t even like being in the room with one, but she could tolerate it. Being touched would be one step too far.
Nobu saw the action and halted, his face filled with sadness. “I won’t hurt you,” he repeated.
Lisette didn’t say anything, watching him warily.
Nobu went back to his chair. “Well, I suppose it’s not the worst thing. It’s not what I wanted, but if there’s no way out, I guess I’ll just make the best of it. Immortality is certainly a bright side, and the physical enhancements are pretty awesome. Did you know I ran here? I got here faster than we would have in a taxi, and I wasn’t even out of breath!”
He grinned at Lisette. “Maybe this won’t be too bad. It’ll certainly help with my work. Of course, I won’t be able to go to cold places, which will be limiting, but I can work with limits.”
She just stared at him. How did he think there was any version of reality in which this would be ok? This time, Nobu didn’t stop when she moved back, plopping himself down on the bed next to her. “Are you ok, Lisette? How are your burns?”
He reached up to caress her cheek. His cold, pale fingers just touched her skin, and Lisette flinched.
Nobu put his hand on his lap, realization dawning on his face as he watched her expression. Lisette could see that it wasn’t fear that was causing her to pull away. Fears, he could allay with time, but not this.
“You’re disgusted with me.” His voice was flat. It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” Lisette whispered, blinking away more tears. “I know it’s not your fault, Nobu… but you’re a vampire now. An abomination, a crime against nature. You never should have been. Better that you would have died…”
Nobu reacted as though she’d slapped him. He got off the bed, backing up a few paces. “I’m still me. I have my memories, my same personality. I – we – Lisette, I love you.”
“I loved you too, Nobu, I truly did, but the man I loved died. Rashid killed him, leaving only a vampire in his place.”
If there was any heart left in her to break, it would have broken at Nobu’s expression. Pain and anguish were clear on his face for a minute, before he finally got them under control. He pulled on a cold mask, looking more like a vampire than ever.
Lisette remembered him looking like this when she’d first met him – with a reserved mask that showed little. That had dropped quickly, though. He’d let her in, and she’d done the same for him. Now, she knew there was nothing behind that mask. The man she loved was gone, consumed by a vampire.
15
Nobu turned to leave. Lisette didn’t know whether it was a relief or not. They had nothing more to say to each other, but she couldn’t just let a newly made vampire loose on the world without knowing what he intended to do.
“Where are you going?”
Nobu spun around to face her. “Does it matter? Did you expect me to stay, when you’re afraid of me? When my very presence disgusts you?”
Lisette had no answers. Her voice seemed lodged in the back of her throat as Nobu strode out. She thought she saw him reach into his pocket for something, but he was gone in an instant. The door slammed closed, and the sound of something dropping on the other side followed.
Lisette barely registered any of it. She’d stood up from the bed, and now, her knees gave out. She crumpled to the floor, wanting nothing more than for the Earth to open up and swallow her. She realized now that she should have told Nobu more about the power sources of witches and vampires, but it had completely slipped her mind. She’d been too lost in her own anguish to instruct him properly.
Maybe Rashid would instruct him. Would Nobu go back to the one who turned him? He would probably need a vampire to l
earn from. Knowledge from a witch’s perspective wouldn’t be enough to let him learn how to fit into his new life.
Lisette couldn’t bear to think about it, and swiftly shoved the thought out of her mind. As far as she was concerned, Nobu was dead. He’d died when Rashid had dragged him into the ocean. She felt like her heart had died with him.
A knock on the door had her leaping painfully to her feet. Had Nobu returned? She didn’t know what would come of his return, other than more heartbreak, but she still couldn’t help hoping, no matter how irrational her hopes may have been.
When she opened the door, it wasn’t Nobu, but it was someone almost as welcome.
Lisette threw herself into Fleur’s and Tristan’s arms, knowing they would catch her. The next few minutes passed in a blur. She was crying and garbling out something unintelligible. Fleur and Tristan somehow got her to the bed and tucked her in.
By the time Lisette calmed down, the two of them were on either side of her, stroking her hair and murmuring soothing words.
“You’re injured.” Fleur glanced at the bandages. “What happened?”
“Salt water,” Lisette said shortly.
Fleur and Tristan winced in sympathy. “Let’s heal that now, then. Tristan, do you want to do it? Tristan has been practicing her healing, Lis. She’s getting pretty good at it, too.”
“And you want me to be a guinea pig.” Lisette chuckled weakly. “Sure. It can’t possibly go worse than the time I let you test one of my love potions and you ended up singing love ballads to your math teacher for the rest of the term.”
“Don’t remind me,” Tristan groaned. “I’ve never managed to live that one down. You know the school counselor still keeps trying to get me to meet with her?”
“Well, my body is yours to experiment with.” Lisette’s smile felt a bit more sincere. Being with her sisters was always healing, both physically and mentally.
Tristan did a very good job. The burns scarred more than they would have with an experienced healer, but Lisette could have Fleur remove the scarring later. For now, she just beamed at Tristan. “Thanks. That feels a lot better.”
“Check on your magic,” Fleur urged. “Now that the salt burns are gone, it should be back to normal, but we should make sure.”
“Um. I don’t think it’ll be back to normal yet.” Lisette held out her palm, willing a small ball of flame to appear. It was a basic spell, but her efforts yielded little more than a spark. Fleur and Tristan suddenly looked concerned again.
“What happened, Lis?” It was clear from Fleur’s expression that she would brook no secrets in this. Lisette knew the expression well – it was one she unleashed regularly on people she cared about when they found themselves in romantic troubles.
Part of her wanted to keep the secret forever, but a larger part needed to vent, to share her anguish with someone, in the hopes that they could lift even a portion of it.
Lisette sighed, rested her head on Fleur’s shoulder, and told her sisters everything.
When she finished, she was crying again and they were both hugging her.
“I know you won’t want to hear this, but this doesn’t have to be the end.”
“You’re right, Fleur, I don’t want to hear it.”
“You need to, though,” Fleur pressed. “I never thought I’d be in a relationship with a vampire either, but I’ve never been happier than when I’m with Savion. Nobu is still the man you love, Lis. He may have changed it bit, but he’s still the same person at his core. Don’t deny yourself this chance at love just because of an age old feud.”
Was that what she was doing? Lisette herself had gotten frustrated with Mirabelle over how far she took her grudge against vampires, but she’d never really disagreed with the core principle. Vampires were unnatural beings of darkness.
“It’s not… you know I support you, and Bethany. If you want to be with vampires, then you shouldn’t let the feud stop you. It’s just… I think of him touching me, and I feel sick. Being in the same room with him makes me want to leave. How do I ever get past that?”
“You don’t get past it by avoiding him, for a start.” Tristan was still stroking Lisette’s hair as she spoke. “There’s no one saying you have to commit to him for life, but there’s really no harm in giving him a chance.”
Was it that simple? The way Fleur and Tristan put it made it seem so easy.
“You don’t need to decide now,” Fleur soothed. “I say we get you home. We brought an extra broomstick for you, though we should probably wait for your power to regenerate before we head off, just in case.”
“It’s not coming back any time soon.” Lisette hated to admit it, but lying would only make the flight home dangerous for all of them. Her grief was still too strong. She could feel it dampening her powers. It was a horrible, helpless feeling. There had been times before when her powers had waned, but nothing like this. The combination of salt water and losing Nobu was catastrophic.
“Then maybe we should take the more traditional route. Tristan and I brought our passports just in case. I assume you don’t have yours, but we can get you through easily enough with a few glamor spells.”
Lisette nodded. She was ready to leave this place and the memories it held. “Let’s do it.”
They packed up her stuff quickly and set off. In the hallway, Lisette noticed something round lying on the floor. She picked it up, remembering the sound of something dropping as Nobu had left. Was this his?
It was one of those little advertising tokens businesses handed out. This one was for a bar in France. Was Nobu giving her a chance to meet him, if she changed her mind?
Lisette didn’t know what to think, but she pocketed the token, not mentioning it to her sisters.
A day later, the three of them stood on the doorstep of their home. Fleur let them in quietly, checking to see who was home. She beckoned Lisette quietly through, but Lisette had hardly taken two steps before a voice came from the kitchen.
“Lisette. Were you planning to say hello?”
She gulped. Being an adult didn’t make her immune to The Look from her parents, and as the two of them emerged from the kitchen, they unleashed The Look in all of its disappointment and disapproval.
“Um. Hi.”
Emily pulled her into a quick hug before pulling back. “You scared us. Never do that to me again.”
Barrett did the same, gesturing for Lisette to follow them back to the kitchen. She did so reluctantly, sitting down between Tristan and Fleur.
“What happened?” Barrett asked.
“I couldn’t do it. Teo wasn’t right for me.”
“That’s not what your father meant and you know it. You disappeared on us!”
“I told Fleur that I was fine. She passed on the message, right?”
“I did,” Fleur assured her.
“We were still worried, though. You could have been anywhere! You could have been hurt.”
Lisette found she couldn’t meet her mom’s eyes, because Emily was right. She had been hurt, more emotionally than physically, but those salt burns were nothing to joke about.
“I’m sorry.”
“What happened?” Barrett asked gently.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m tired, I think I’ll go lie down for a bit.” Lisette gave the two of them an apologetic look before she left. She knew they cared about her, but she couldn’t bear going through all if it again right now.
All Lisette wanted was to go to her room and mope. She deserved it, after everything she’d been through in the past few weeks. No one followed her, but when she opened her door, she found Bethany sitting at her desk.
“Hey.” Bethany gave her a warm smile and a hug.
“Hey.” Lisette braced herself for a barrage of questions, but to her great relief, it didn’t come.
“You look exhausted. Why don’t you lie down, let me get those tangles out of your hair?”
Lisette had been in a hurry to leave Spain and hadn’t even
really noticed what a mess her hair had become. “Thanks, Beth.”
As she lay down on her side, Bethany settled behind her with a comb, and Lisette was infinitely grateful for her sisters. She didn’t know what she’d do without them. She closed her eyes, focusing on the gentle tugging at her hair, letting herself drift away. A few stray tears drifted down her cheeks. Her last waking thoughts were of Nobu.
16
Teo wasn’t surprised when someone rang his bell at three a.m. Rashid made an effort to fit in with humans who didn’t know his secret, but with Teo, he wasn’t shy about keeping his normal hours. Fortunately, Teo didn’t need much sleep, and he often also operated at night for some of his less reputable business deals.
He opened the door, sure that he knew who it was, and he wasn’t disappointed. “Rashid! It took you long enough. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten.” He led Rashid to the lounge, sitting down opposite the vampire.
“You underestimate me, my friend.” Rashid was grinning broadly, looking more gleeful than Teo had seen him in a long time. “Witches are not easy to find, nor to harm, but I didn’t let you down.”
“Well? What happened? She is still alive, isn’t she?”
“She is, but she’s probably wishing she wasn’t right now. I managed to get her location out of another witch – long story, but the end result is what matters. I found her in Spain, with a man.”
Teo looked up. “A man?”
“They were walking on the beach, holding hands and kissing.”
He felt like his blood was boiling. Teo’s hands clenched into fists. She’d ran away from their wedding only to pick it up with another guy just weeks later? He realized he was on his feet. “I’ll kill him. I’ll tear him apart. I’ll tear her apart.”
“No need. I have to admit, even for me, this is a masterpiece. You see, I did something much worse than kill Nobu – or at least, worse in Lisette’s eyes. I turned him.”
Teo’s anger was suddenly tempered by fear. “Into a vampire?”
