Fangs And Fame (28 page)

“
As a matter of fact, I did.” Aurora looked out the window at the scenery as we passed it.

“
I don’t imagine he liked that too much,” Damir added, a small smile playing on his lips.

“
I wouldn’t know,” Aurora said. “We left before we could find out.”

Aurora

THE SUN PEEKED OUT from a cluster of gray clouds in the sky as I walked. Trey and I had gotten back from New York last night just in time for him to go on stage. I hadn’t seen much of him today, but he had a lot of interviews to do with the band, so I was just taking advantage of being in my old stomping grounds again. I’d sent him a text to let him know I was taking care of some unfinished business, and that I’d see him before the show. It was daytime in Chicago, but it was overcast, which suited my mood perfectly. There wasn’t so much as a light breeze brushing up against my skin as I moved. The cool, still air was unsettling in ways that wouldn’t have bothered me on any other day, but today, despite all the excuses I’d given myself in the past, I was finally doing it. I was going to the one place I’d avoided setting foot in since the night I’d become a vampire.

The cemetery was open, and I walked inside with more confidence than I felt. I paused, gazing at the neat rows of head stones that stood like sentries, silently watching over the sacred grounds.

I glanced up at the sky again, wishing the moon was out to give me strength as I put one foot in front of the other, feeling the snow crunch softly beneath my boots. It had been almost five years since I’d last visited, but I knew exactly which direction to go. A few minutes later I found myself frozen, gazing down at the two headstones bearing the names of my family. There was no denying what I’d become since I’d last been here, and in an effort to accept those changes myself, I unsheathed my fangs, and my eyes took on their vampiric luminescence. With my inhuman vision, I gazed upon the large headstone my parents shared. Evins was elaborately scrawled across the top, with a design resembling a scroll on either side. Their names, Jerod and Nakia, were placed, one in each scroll. An actual photograph of the two of them was embedded in the stone, and the words
Loving Parents
were etched in the center at the bottom.

Aden
’s stone was to the left of theirs. His had a picture, as well, and the words
Beloved Son and Brother
were
engraved below the dates.

“
I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s been too long since I was here.” I bit my bottom lip, looking at the empty plot on the far side of Aden’s. It was strange.... During the funeral, I was sure I’d be joining them in the not so distant future, like any mortal might believe. Right here in this spot.

So many things had happened since then....

I crouched down and tried to make sense of my thoughts. “I’m so lost,” I finally said. “Something’s happening to me. It’s like I’m not in control anymore. There’s no way of knowing whether it’s good or bad, and that scares me. I don’t have the luxury of being normal.” A smile found its way to my lips, and I said, “And there I go acting like being a vampire is normal in any sense of the word.” I sighed, a habit of Trey’s I’d picked up on. “I miss you so much” I said slowly.

I
’d have given almost anything to have my mom wrap her arms around me right then and hold me. I could still smell her favorite perfume if I closed my eyes and thought about it hard enough. Aden and I had always teased her about wearing the same kind all the time. She’d been such a creature of habit. It was no wonder where I’d gotten that trait.

I looked at Aden
’s picture again, grinning as a tear trickled, hot and wet, down my cheek. “You would like Trey,” I said to him. “Not a day goes by that I don’t wish you were here, hiding behind that giant camera lens of yours and snapping pictures.” I straightened again, wiping the tears from my face. “I have to figure this out,” I said, frustration lacing my words. “I’m not just a fledgling anymore. I have Trey to think about now. I’m supposed to be a maker, but I don’t feel like I have any more answers than I did before. Quite the opposite, in fact. I’m sort of freaking out.

“
I’m hearing thoughts during the day, and that’s definitely not normal. At first I thought it was just with Trey, and that maybe the bond between us was developing in some way, but now it’s happening with the rest of the guys in the band, and other random people. I don’t know what it means, but I’ve never heard of it happening before. How am I supposed to know what to do with that? I don’t even dare talk to Antonio about it, because I’m afraid it’ll just be one more thing I’ve done to make him worry.” The tears were pouring down my cheeks now in thin streams, and I gave up on trying to stop them. “I promised Trey that I could make this work. After I lost you guys, I was sure I’d never be able to love anyone ever again, but Trey has given me purpose. He’s reminded me what it means to live for something bigger than myself. I pulled him into this world, and no matter how hard I try, there’s always something threatening to come between us. I’m not sure I’m strong enough on my own to get us through this....”

I felt his presence right before he announced himself, and my heart jumped into my throat as I spun around to see him standing there behind the next row of headstones, lightly clutching three long-stemmed roses.

“There’s your problem, right there,” he said.

“
Trey?” I couldn’t believe my eyes, but there he was, staring back at me with those icy blue eyes, glowing against the snowy backdrop. “What are you-” I started to wipe my eyes again, but he was by my side in an instant, gently brushing my tears away with his thumb. His hand was smooth and warm, despite the chill in the air.

“
I came to properly introduce myself to the in-laws,” he said, gesturing with a nod to my family’s graves. “It’s a good thing I did. I had no idea you were attempting to carry the weight of whole universe on your shoulders.” I sniffled and tried to pull myself together. He studied me closely, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “No one expects you to be the strong one all the time,” he said. “I’m sorry if I haven’t been good enough at reminding you of that. Sometimes I forget that whatever responsibility I’m feeling for our situation, you’re going to double the load on yourself.” I smiled at his insight. He was dead on. “Is it true that you’re drawing on abilities during the day?”

I nodded, grateful when he accepted that as my answer. I didn
’t have the words to explain it better than that right now. I’d spent all this time trying to figure out the changes I was going through, and yet, somehow it was enough just knowing that Trey understood that much.

“
So you’re breaking all the rules,” he added, that half-smile playing on his lips. “What’s new?”

“
It doesn’t worry you?” I asked. “I have no idea what’s happening with me, or if I’ll even be able to control it.”

He shook his head.
“We don’t do normal. Remember?”

“
What if this is because Stanislav gave me his blood? There’s no way of knowing what that could bring.”

He shrugged.
“Doesn’t matter. Whatever this new power is – whatever it means – you’ll own it. It’ll just be a part of you, like everything else.”

I stared at him, wide-eyed.
“I don’t know why I didn’t come to you about this sooner.”

“
Old habits die hard,” he said. “Sharing doesn’t come easy when we’ve spent so much time hiding the deepest parts of ourselves, but I do know one thing.” He cupped my face in his hand, forcing me to gaze up into those intense blue eyes. “We’re better at dealing with all this stuff when we do it together.”

I nodded, and he leaned down, kissing me softly. I felt the rush of Trey
’s loyalty, his complete adoration and love for me. It warmed me in ways the sun never could. When we pulled apart, Trey crouched down, placing the roses in front of the headstones. He sat quietly for a long moment, and I gazed at him while he silently paid his respects. In that moment, I couldn’t imagine how I could have ever believed that I had to do this alone. Seeing Trey here in the place where I’d buried my family – it was like my past and my future were melting together in a way I wouldn’t have believed possible. Trey stood again, and I leaned against him, feeling the warmth of his embrace as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“
We should do this more often,” he said, resting his chin on the top of my head. “We’re just a plane ride away.”

“
I think I’d like that,” I admitted.

A few hours later I was watching the show from the side of the stage with my maker. Antonio was in Chicago, and he’d come out to the concert to catch up and show his support. He seemed to be enjoying the performance, but I knew the one thing that made it all bittersweet. His youngest son, Andrew, was in the crowd. Antonio had been forced to give up contact with his family when he’d been changed a vampire. They believed he was dead. He’d always said he felt like it was better that way. I’d only ever imagined how hard that must be for him. My family wasn’t around, but if they had been, I wasn’t sure I’d be strong enough to separate myself from them like Antonio had done. I couldn’t even do that with Trey. Antonio was so much stronger than I ever gave him credit for.

“
He seems happy,” I said to him as I gazed out into the audience, watching Andrew as he stood a few rows back from the stage, not far from Tytus, his arm around his girlfriend while he sang every word of “Untold You” along with Trey.

Antonio just smiled.
“I hope he is.”

“
I’m sure he knows you’re watching over him,” I added, feeling the need to say something more. “Maybe not literally, but-”

“
I appreciate the sentiment,” Antonio said, giving me a genuine smile. “Their mother has done a fine job raising our boys. I just wish I could tell her that.”

“
Have you ever been tempted to go to her?” I asked.

“
Many times,” he said, furrowing his brow. “I’ve nearly done just that at least a dozen times.”

“
What stops you?”

“
They do,” he said, nodding in Andrew’s direction. “This is the only way I know they are safe. Living without their father is better than not living at all. It’s a dangerous life in the shadows. I couldn’t bear to put them at risk by pulling them into it.” I knew exactly what he meant by that. “I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, turning to meet my gaze. “I didn’t mean to infer that-”

“
Its fine,” I assured him. “You’re just stronger than I am. I couldn’t tear myself away from Trey in the beginning, even though I knew it was dangerous.”

“
You’re stronger than you believe, Aurora,” Antonio added. “Maybe I’m the weak one for running away.”

“
Nothing you do to protect the ones you love is weak,” I told him.

He smiled and I leaned my head on his shoulder, grinning as I watched Trey and O
’Shea playing their guitars back and forth in battle fashion.

“
I visited the cemetery where my family is buried today,” I told him.

Antonio was silent for a moment before he asked,
“What was that like?”

“
Strange and familiar at the same time, but I needed to do it.”

“
I’m proud of you,” he said.

It was exactly what I needed to hear. We watched Trey switch out his electric guitar for an acoustic one and tell a joke to the crowd. Then they started playing
“Whispers.” It was an older song, from their debut album, and I sang along softly as I watched Trey captivate the audience.

“
They really are good,” Antonio said after a moment. “I can see why Andrew is such a big fan.”

I grinned and said,
“He has great taste.”