Deadman's Blood (17 page)

“Is he a vampire too?” Katarina asked.

“No, but he has a telepathic ability like I’ve seen in no other,” Dominic said.

“What’s he like?” Katarina said.

“He’s tall, like me, but has your good looks,” he smiled. “He’s got blonde curly hair, your blue eyes, and your smile.”

She smiled. “So this telepathic ability, you said it’s inherited?”

“Yes. A child from a coupling like ours, can either show vampiric tendencies, or be more human. Josh has his telepathic gift from his vampiric genes. He’s also recently acquired an ability for extraordinary strength. We think too, that has been heightened by his vampiric genetics,” Dominic said.

“Josh? That’s his name? I like that. Josh. Hmmm. Does he drink blood like you do?” she asked.

“No. Not at all,” Dominic answered.

“So you don’t bite people?” Katarina asked.

“Hardly ever,” Dominic said with a smile.

She too smiled.

“I think that is probably a good place to call it a day, don’t you?” the doctor said as he looked for affirmation from Katarina and then from Dominic. They both nodded in agreement without saying a word. The doctor stood up and waved a hand towards the door for Katarina to follow. As he lead Katarina out of the room and left Dominic standing there feeling a little lost, he turned back and telepathically said to Dominic,
We’ll talk later
.

At this slight pause, Katarina gazed back, meeting Dominic’s eyes, and gave him a much needed smile and then they were gone. Dominic headed home feeling somewhat relieved by having the ‘cat out of the bag’ but also as if maybe he had just lost all hope of having Katarina in his life. Could she possibly accept all the vampire stuff and be all right with it after all she had been through? He knew only time would tell. He hoped that there was still some love deep within her, for he didn’t know how he could survive, knowing they had been so close to something great and he had messed it up.

*****

After mulling over the slim possibility that Katarina would be able to accept all the information she had been given and fall in love with him again, a saddened Dominic entered the house to find Josh in the library. When Dominic entered looking rather solemn, Josh immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Oh, Josh…you startled me. Wasn’t expecting anyone in here,” Dominic said.

“Well you seemed to be gone and I do love it in here, so I took the vacancy as an opportunity to look at all the books you have. It’s quite a collection,” Josh admitted.

“Yes. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you tend to accumulate a lot, especially if you were a professor and love books, among other ancient things,” Dominic said.

“Well they are impressive, but you didn’t answer my question. Are you okay? You seem sad.”

“Hmmm. I suppose I am. I might as well tell you since it involves you. Why don’t you take a seat?” Dominic suggested.

“It’s not bad news is it?” Josh asked.

“No. Not for you. Maybe for me, but it’s rather good news all in all. I was informed by the doctor I hired to help Katarina, that she was progressing much faster than they had anticipated and they thought it might be time for her to be introduced to old friends. I hadn’t realized that they wanted me to explain the whole vampire thing and re-introduce her to her lost memories. Seems she pretty much has no recollection of the years she spent in the institution. The doctor felt it was necessary to explain the complications of a human-vampire conception and why the pregnancy was longer than normal,” Dominic explained.

“I take it that explanation did not go well?” Josh asked.

“Well, I suppose that’s a matter of opinion. She thought I was joking at first and then the doctor confirmed my vampirism and she thought we were trying some backhanded treatment on her. I can’t say I blame her. Poor thing doesn’t remember much. Her family thought she was insane because she didn’t know who the father of her own baby was and then to have it all explained away with a vampire story. It’s a lot to take in.

“I guess I had just hoped for a more...positive reunion between us,” Dominic said.

“Given your feelings for her, I can imagine you did,” Josh said.

“Yes, well. The way things went today, I think any hope of reconciliation has be squashed,” Dominic admitted sadly.

“So this doctor…he obviously knows your secret…?” Josh asked.

“Indeed. Which is why I hired him. He too is a vampire. I thought it best given the situation that it be someone who understood all the intricacies, or she’d just end up back where she was,” Dominic explained.

“Right.”

“But other than my part, she seems as she did almost thirty years ago. Smart, lovely, and full of fire. I told her that you were staying here and how much you reminded me of her.”

“You did? What did she say to that?” Josh wondered.

“She liked your name and she smiled and started to cry when I told her about you,” Dominic said.

“Huh…”

“I don’t think you realize, Josh, that she had no choice in the matter of adoption. She was never even allowed to hold you or see you. They thought she was insane and could be a threat to her child. If I had just known about the pregnancy…If I had checked in on her, I would have known what was going and on ….I could have made both your lives so different…but that is my cross to bear. I brought this on both of you…” Dominic said full of remorse.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Dominic. Yeah, it would have been nice to know how to control the telepathic thing - that part of my life could have been different, but my parents were great,” Josh explained.

“They were - very much so, but you don’t know how much I wish that could have been me, and even more so with the thought of all those lonely years I could have been with Katarina, raising you,” Dominic admitted.

“But you don’t know she would have taken the news of you being a vampire any better back then. She still could have lost it and spent her life in the institution as she did. You can’t know what could have been; you can only do what you can with what you are given,” Josh said.

“How true. When did you become a philosopher, Josh?” Dominic sat back in his chair and raked his hands through his hair. “You’re right. I can only speculate what life might have been like and maybe we wouldn’t have been the best parents for you. We’ll never know the answer to those questions, but I am sure happy to have you in my life now. I know Anton and the others are too.”

“Thanks. I’m happy too. It’s a lot to take in; the vampires, the werewolves, all of it, but it kind of makes me fit it in somehow. I don’t feel like I stick out like a sore thumb anymore. In fact, my abilities are pretty wimpy compared to all of you, but for the first time in my life I feel like I contribute to something bigger than myself and I like it,” Josh said.

“I’m glad, Josh. Do you think you might want to visit Katarina at some point?” Dominic suggested.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Josh said.

“I think you would be pleasantly surprised. You are a lot a like. And remember, you may not have ventured out to meet me, but that hasn’t turned out so bad,” Dominic reassured.

“No. It hasn’t. You’re right. It just seems so weird. Most of my life I was so angry with her for giving me up, never knowing what the situation was. Now that I know it was all out of her hands, I guess...I don’t know, maybe I feel a little embarrassed for feeling that way,” Josh admitted.

“Don’t do that to yourself. This was all out of your hands too. I said before, I could have set all things right if I had just checked in on Katarina. Don’t be embarrassed. I think it would be good for BOTH of you. If you felt more comfortable I could go with you or maybe even your mother would go with you while she is here,” Dominic suggested.

“That would be weird,” Josh said.

“Maybe not. Think about it, they may have a connection to one another that none of us could understand. Think about it. Whatever you decide, just let me know and I will make the arrangements,” Dominic said.

“Thanks, Dominic. I think…I know…you would have been a good father. I’ll mention it to Mom tomorrow when they get here and see what she thinks.”

“Good,” Dominic replied.

As Josh headed out of the room he turned back and said, “You know, maybe things didn’t go as badly as you think they did today. Maybe she just needs to mull it all over and make some sense of it; after all, it is a lot to take in. I remember when Lanie first told me that Dimitri was quite possibly a vampire; I really had a hard time coming to terms with that. When you grow up thinking all of that is made up over exaggerated folktales, sometimes it just takes a little time to congeal. When she starts to remember her time with you, maybe she will think more kindly about your being a vampire,” Josh reassured.

“That’s kind of you to say, Josh. I hope you’re right. I guess time will tell,” Dominic said.

“Exactly,” Josh said with a smile, then closed the door behind him.

When Darby walked out of the airport in Dublin, the cool North Sea breeze hit her face and touched her soul. It was as if she had always been meant for this place. Grass covered rocky terrain, faces so full of character and beauty everywhere. She loved it here. It felt odd to feel so at home in a place she had never been in her life.

Devon could feel her exhilaration and smiled as he invaded her thoughts when they stepped into the cab and headed for the coast. Like a school girl, Darby took in every bit of the scenery as they travelled the terrain and found themselves on a windy dirt road. She held Devon’s hand tightly as she watched out the window. The cabbie deposited them at the door of a fairytale home. The roof was thatched and the creamy plaster accentuated the stone masonry.

While Devon took care of the fare, Darby stretched her legs and walked around the gravel-filled, teardrop-shaped drive. Though it was obvious no one had maintained the area in years, there was evidence of a once detailed garden in this center of the teardrop. It still bore great beauty in its wildness. Tall grasses had taken over much of it, and wildflowers peeked through rocky crevices along with ancient bushes.

The cabbie sputtered down the crushed pebbles and made a ruckus as he headed out to the windy dirt road that had brought them there. Devon turned smiling to Darby, and Darby lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“It’s everything you said, Devon. It’s absolutely perfect,” Darby squealed.

“Well, I wouldn’t jump to perfect. It needs some serious work on the gardens, and the thatching has gone a little bald in spots and….”

“It’s perfect, Devon. I love it,” Darby interrupted.

“You haven’t even been inside,” Devon exclaimed.

“Doesn’t matter,” Darby argued.

“Good. Let me get the door and let’s go in,” Devon suggested.

She clapped her hands excitedly then brought her hands to her lips as the handsome man she would soon be calling her husband pulled out a key and started to unlock the door.

She started to enter when Devon stopped her. “Hold on there. Let’s do this properly.” Before Darby could even ask what he was talking about, he had her off her feet and cradled in his arms as they stepped through the threshold of their home.

“You know, I don’t think that’s considered proper until we’re married,” Darby said.

“Really? Well then we’ll just have to do it again after the wedding. Besides…I like holding you this way,” Devon admitted.

“You do, do you? And why is that, Mr. Bloomington?” she said.

“Well, Ms. O’Reilly, because this way I can carry you straight to my bed and have my way with you, without you being distracted by looking around,” Devon said deviously.

“I see. And what makes you think I didn’t have the same thing in mind?” she retorted as Devon ascended the stairs.

“I can only hope,” he said as he kissed her, kicking open the door to the huge master bedroom at the end of the hall. The room was stunning and the view was to die for, but none of this was noticed for the moment, as it was only Darby that Devon could see, touch, and hold now and only Devon that Darby ever wanted to be with.

*****

The plane from Minnesota was actually a couple of minutes early arriving in Connecticut. It had been at least two years since Josh had seen the Brenners and he was thrilled to have Lanie in tote. When Richard and Anne Brenner exited their gate, Josh and Lanie were there to meet them and walk them to the baggage carousel. As Josh had suspected, his mother was all atwitter, gathering Lanie under her wing with hugs and quiet laughs. Richard and Josh gathered the baggage and led the girls to the waiting limo at the curb.

“Wow. What service. Mr. Larsen must be loaded,” Richard said.

“Yeah. I guess he is. I think you’ll like him. He’s a professor. You should see his library, it’s really impressive,” Josh said.

“He has a library?” Richard asked in amazement.

“Well, I think they call it the study, but yeah. The house is great,” Josh said.