Haven (39 page)

Thomas’s hand descended on my shoulder. “It’s not that simple.”

“Oh, I think it is,” I insisted.

“No. You’re connection is too volatile and the Youngling too weak to resist your pull.”

“I’m all right now. I can help her,” Alexander interjected.

Tessa approached him in a blur of speed, grabbed his chin and pulled his face down to hers. “He speaks the truth.” She released him.

I crossed my arms. “Just like that, everything is fine and dandy?” I wanted the green light, of course, but this was too easy, like some sort of trap.

“Yes, darling. My punishment made him vulnerable to your considerable advances earlier, but he has recovered now.”

“Why? I mean, how?”

“I fed,” Alexander replied. Simple.

“What, blood is the ultimate band-aid?”

“Of course. For you, as well,” Tessa confirmed.

“You’re losing me now.”

“You were in the grip of blood lust, you fed, you recovered,” she explained.

“I’m still thirsty,” I pouted, refusing to believe it was this easy to shift gears. Why couldn’t I accept it and move on? That’s what I want, right?

“Then, feed.” Tessa nodded at Stella and the carafe of blood on the nightstand. Stella emptied the carafe into a glass and sped over to me.

I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

I wanted it, but I also didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of being right about everything. Dammit, why was I in such turmoil? Oh, right, newbie control issues, roller coaster emotions, murderous drives, blah, blah, frickin’ annoying blah. This sucked. Oh, bad thought. Sucking made me think of necks, which made me think of blood, which returned me to the glass of blood in front of me.

I clutched my head. “I’m going insane.”

“No, you are not deranged,” Thomas replied, joining me at the foot of the bed. “You are mature enough to handle this, with our assistance. That is one of the reasons we waited until your twenty-fifth year to bring you back to us.”

The shift in subject matter distracted me from the thirsty thoughts. “What, you mean if I’d experienced this feral vampire stuff when I was younger, I would’ve gone crazy?”

“Yes. Or worse.”

“No way.”

“Yes,” Thomas insisted. “Think about it, Carina. Remember how you felt as a young girl navigating the murky waters of human puberty and adolescence. How would that girl handle what you experience now? These fierce emotions, animal drives, the blood lust? Even under our protection, even with our guidance, the emergence of your vampiric nature during such a vulnerable period of your life would have sent you over the edge and into the abyss, from which there is no return.”

Impressive. He’d explained something significant to me without his usual cryptic mumbo jumbo. Problem was I didn’t like his excuse for the twelve-year lobotomy. Not that any reason would make me happy about it, but still. “I know you believe what you’re saying and I know we’ve already gone over this. But I still find it hard to believe there was no other way to protect me.”

“There was not.”

Frustration stiffened my spine. “C’mon, Thomas. Did you guys even try anything else first or did you go straight for the jugular?” Pun intended.

“The risk was too great. And with your power, ours was the only way.”

“You’re admitting you didn’t try any other options.”

“Now is not the time to revisit what has already transpired,” Tessa interjected. “What has been done cannot be undone. We can only
move forward and face what is to come.”

I tapped my bare foot on the soft carpet. “Oh, I think we can damn well revisit it. While we’re at it, let’s talk about Dixon and that dark dude who both want a piece of me, and the prophecy that has me exploding in three years, and oh hey, here’s a thought—” My arm slashed the air. “How about we discuss my absentee father. You know, the guy you all claim loves me, but can’t be bothered to show up for this little family
reunion?”

“This conversation is at an end.” Jonas jumped over the railing, landing below without a sound. Stella followed suit.

I glowered at the remaining vampires. “Well pardon me for wanting some better answers for what you did to me. Blaming my hormones and super power and some spooky dark stalker dude isn’t enough.”

Tessa and Thomas ignored me, addressing Alexander.

“We leave her in your care, Youngling,” Tessa said. “Stella will remain as chaperone, but I trust you will not require her assistance.”

“We don’t need a babysitter,” I snapped.

“I’ll take care of her,” Alexander vowed.

“I can take care of myself,” I grumbled.

Tessa kissed my cheek. “Farewell, my darling. You are quite like your father when you are in such a mood. It is both pleasing and troublesome.”

“I—”

She cut me off with a finger to my lips. “Hush now. We love you, my little star. Please trust us in all things past, present, and future. Can you do that?”

My anger slipped away, forced out by the love shining in her beautiful eyes.

“
Bene
,” she approved. “Now, spend some time with your new love then come to us well before dawn. We will discuss what is to come.”

“Alexander. A word.” That from Thomas. He
swept Tessa off her feet and leapt over the railing.

Alexander strolled to the railing, squeezing my arm as he passed. “Be right back.” He vaulted over the rail, landing below with a soft thud.

I was tempted to follow him, but no one had mentioned superhuman jumping power as one of my newly
awakened vampire traits. I’d have to save the flying through the air like a Hong Kong action hero for another day, preferably
under super-powered supervision. For that, I wouldn’t mind a vampire babysitter.

But only
for that.

Eighteen

Alexander disappeared less than a minute ago and already I—the newly bonded vampire-human hybrid—was twitchy, needy, and bored.

I wanted him now.

I leaned over the railing, saw no one, but Alexander and Thomas’s conversation floated up to me.

“Convince her to tear down the barrier in her mind. We cannot hear her thoughts,” Thomas complained.

“That’s the point, old man, she doesn’t want you in there.”

“Now is not the time for her childish tantrums. She needs the connection to us.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.” My guy’s confident tone brought a smile to my lips.

“I have little doubt you will try, but as we have already experienced, you alone cannot protect her from our enemies.”

“Relax, Thomas. Between Stella and me, we have it covered. Besides, we’re just going on a nice, normal date. Maybe go to a restaurant, drink some wine, have a conversation. You remember those, don’t you? Oh, forget it, you’re way too old to remember what that’s like.”

“Careful, Youngling.” Thomas’s tone sounded stern, but not menacing.

“Easy there, gramps, don’t burst a vein,” Alexander joked.

How confusing. They sounded like friends, but Thomas occupied the top of the vampire food chain along with Tessa. They’d made it clear my hot, young boyfriend-slash-husband lived at the bottom, so how could these two be so chummy? Wasn’t that against vampire code or regulations or something?

My cell phone buzzed. I fished it from my pocket, expecting Faith calling to say I was late for our clinic rendezvous. It was Mark.

“Hey, Rina.”

“Don’t you hey me like you’re Mister Chill,” I replied with a smile. “Where are you? You guys better be at the clinic. And how are you? What are you doing calling me? Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“We’re home. I feel great. I already sent you a text about that.” He sounded like his usual strong and confident self.

“Right.” My grin faded as I remembered why he felt so great. “What are you doing at home?”

“We checked ourselves out of the clinic.”

“You what?” Concern for my friends constricted my chest.

“That’s not important right now. I—”

“Oh, I beg to differ. You might feel good right now, but you have no idea what kind of changes are happening in your body since you decided to let my vampire uncles chew on you.”

Mark was silent for a moment. “Is Faith there?”

“What?” It took effort on my part to let his subject change slide.

“I called because we’re looking for Faith. She with you?”

“No, she’s not here.” Worry wavered through me. It was beyond rare for Faith to disappear without telling one of us, especially Kai.

“Her cell is going straight to voice mail. She isn’t responding to text messages, either.”

“The GPS tracker?”

“Not working.”

“Okay, that’s weird.” I took a steadying breath. Don’t panic. Yet
.
“Well, what did Tony say? Has he seen her?” Surely her brother knew something.

“What?” Mark sounded confused.

“Tony. He’s at our house.”

“No he’s not.”

“Yes he is,” I insisted. “Did you check my bedroom?”

“Hang on. Yo, Kai.” Mark switched to Mandarin and conversed with Kai. I heard Ren in the background.

I bit my lip and pushed back another wave of worry.
Wait. Breathe and wait
.
That’s what Faith would tell me to do right about now.
Breath goes in. Breath goes out. Calm in. Worry out.

Mark returned. “Kai says Tony’s not in your room.”

“Are you sure? Did you check everywhere? What about downstairs? Tony loves to play video games after partying. And he loves to sleep a lot, so he should still be there somewhere. Have you checked all of the rooms?” My worry made me babble. Talking about where Tony should be wouldn’t make him magically
appear there. I wasn’t a witch, after all.

Oh. Witch. “Has anyone called the witch?”

“Who?”

“Brigid. Thomas’s witch. She’s part of his clean-up crew, I think. Hang on a sec.” I called over the railing. “Hey, Thomas?”

“Yes,
cara mia
?”

“I need to find Faith. Do you know if she’s still with Brigid?”

“I believe so, yes.”

The tension in my shoulders eased. Well, okay, mystery solved. Sort of. One more to go, though. “Uh, do you know where Tony is?”

“No.”

“Okay, thanks.” I resumed my phone chat. “She’s with the witch.”

“Yeah, okay.” Mark paused. “Still odd she hasn’t checked in.”

“Agreed.”

Silence ensued.

“Where are you?” Mark asked.

Heat bloomed on my cheeks. “Alexander’s house.”

“Oh, yeah?” Mark was amused.

I wasn’t. “Shut up.”

“Didn’t say anything.”

“Dude, shut up!”

He laughed.

My face grew hotter.

The conversation downstairs stopped. “Carina?
Stai bene
?” Thomas called.

“
Si. Sono al telefono
,” I called back.

“You’re not alone,” Mark observed.

“No. We have way too many chaperones,” I replied, knowing Thomas heard me.
Take the hint, Thomas. Hurry up and leave.

“Ha, bet you’re pissed.”

“Who, me?” I grinned and changed the subject. “Anyway, you and Ren are okay now?”

“Yep.”

“You know I’m glad you’re both feeling so fine, but I’m still not happy about you getting marked by my vampire relatives in the first place.”

Mark didn’t reply.

I paced between the bed and the wall where not so long ago I’d curled up like a fetus while visions of a bloody feeding frenzy danced in my head. “You’re not going to defend yourself? Justify your decision to make such a crazy ass move?”

“Nope.”

“Do you truly understand what you’ve done?” I pressed.

“Yep.”

I shut myself in the bathroom for privacy. “Cut that out. Do you get there’s no do-over? This isn’t a video game, Mark. There is no pause, no replay, no game over. Once you’re in, you’re in.”

“Yep.”

“Stop that.” The gray slate floor chilled my feet as I padded past a large glass shower next to an oval, red stone tub large enough for two people. Like me and my man. I bypassed a toilet more modern organic sculpture than plumbing fixture, and stopped at the red stone sink atop a slim, black wood vanity. “Wow.” As with the rest of his modern home, my new guy’s taste in interior design impressed me.

“Rina? You okay?”

I shook my head. Way to be distracted from the heavy topic. “Yeah, where was I?”

“You were yelling at me about the marks.”

“Right.” I hesitated. Did I want to yell? Would it change anything? Nope. “There’s no going back now. For any of us. You understand?”

“We get it, Rina.” Confidence and conviction colored his tone.

“Okay fine, enough said, I guess. But did Faith tell you?” I ran a finger along the edge of the cold, stone sink as nerves dive-bombed my stomach.

“Tell us, what?”

Do you know I’m a freak of nature? A half-breed? A volatile, blood drinking human-vampire hybrid?
“Did she tell you about me?”
Perfect. Vague much?

“We know everything,” he replied, voice even.

I tensed, fingers curled into a fist and pressing into the vanity’s smooth wood surface. “How do you feel about that?”

Mark was quiet for a moment. “I think we’ve already answered that.”

My fist bumped the vanity, once, twice. “What do you mean?”

“We accepted the marks, Rina. All in. We’re your fucking kick ass kung fu warriors. Forever. If you’ve got a problem with that, get over it.”

My fingers uncurled and I laughed, releasing the tension from my body. Mark made no sound on the other end but I knew he smiled, too. On that high note, we rang off.

Ambient, electronic music filtered through the bathroom door. Mellow, down tempo. Relaxing, sensual. Good date music. I hoped that meant Thomas and crew were gone at last. The feral vampire cavewoman in me was ready to locate and jump Alexander, but my saner human side needed to make more phone calls. I rang Tony and it went to voice mail. I left a brief
dude-where-the-heck-are-you
message and dialed Lorenzo. Again my call went straight to voice mail. I left him a message about our missing brother. Tony had probably hooked up with his new pals, my regulars Shane and Bobby, but I wanted to be sure.