White Winter (The Black Year Series Book 2) (16 page)

Amelia made an exaggerated pout. “That’s too bad. Can we go inside? I’m freezing.”

“Sure,” Jonas said. He’d dressed warmer than he usually did, partly to blend in, and partly because the temperature was supposed to get to 20 degrees below freezing, and he didn’t want to burn that much blood for no reason.

“What is this place?” Kieran said as he held the door.

“It’s a teahouse,” Jonas said.

Amelia looked happy. She started pulling her gloves, scarf, and jacket off, talking to a smiling hostess at the same time. Kieran looked more skeptical.

“Why are we in a teahouse?”

“They do scones and sandwiches, too,” Jonas said.

Kieran furrowed his eyebrows.

“Look, the last two times we went to a coffee shop, it ended badly,” Jonas said. “Look at this place! What could possibly go wrong here?”

“I see your point, clan leader.”

It wasn’t agreement, but Jonas thought,
Close enough.

Amelia grabbed Kieran by the sleeve and pulled him toward their table. Jonas followed.

The room was crowded but not full, probably because of the weather because it was supposed to be pretty popular. Wood paneling ran halfway up the wall, and the rest was a shade of light yellow Eve’s memories marked as Cadmium Yellow Pale with a little White mixed in, like a baby chicken. They’d hung paintings of scenes from “Through the Looking Glass” all over the place, as well as shelves and bookshelves filled with jars of loose tea, ornamental teapots, and miscellaneous trinkets.

“It’s really cozy,” Amelia said.

“Uh huh,” said Kieran, carefully testing his weight on the chair. Jonas grinned, and Kieran laughed. Amelia smiled and put her hand on Kieran’s.

The waitress took their order. Amelia and Kieran ordered a pot of Un-Birthday tea to share, and Kieran asked for a grilled steak salad. Jonas picked the Casablanca green tea and chopped tea-egg sandwiches, because it sounded gentle. He’d been having trouble with food, lately. The Agency doctor thought he might be going full vampire over time, but that didn’t stop him from feeling hungry.

“So, how was Minnesota?” he asked.

“Cold,” Amelia said. “It actually got above freezing the weekend after Christmas, but then a storm came in and the temperature dropped, like, 40 degrees. The weather’s been crazy this year; we were lucky to catch a flight out.”

“Grandparents doing okay?”

“Yeah, they’re fine. My uncle lives in the same neighborhood, so he and his family stop by all the time. The hardest thing is stopping Pops from doing too much.”

“Like what?” Kieran asked.

“Like going hunting for hours by himself,” Amelia said.

Kieran grinned.

“Oh, God! No. The two of you are not allowed to meet.”

“Your dad liked me.”

“That’s the problem. Dad and Pops would like you too much.”

Jonas let his eyes wander across the room, finding himself momentarily forgotten. Amelia’s dad hadn’t liked him. Didn’t like the way he dressed, the way he shook hands, or how he walked around with earphones in.
Screw him
, he thought, canines extending behind closed lips. He’d dumped Mr. Koslow’s daughter and passed her on to a friend. Jonas blinked and covered his mouth with his hand. His pulse was racing.
Where did that come from?

The waitress brought the two pots of tea and poured the first cups. Amelia curved her hands around hers, and Kieran sniffed his. Jonas touched the hot porcelain, channeling heat to his whole body.

“How are you and Eve doing?” Amelia asked.

Kieran looked at her.

“Wow, that’s pretty direct,” Jonas said.

She shrugged, then blew on her tea. “You can read my mind anyway, Jonas. I might as well be blunt.”

He sipped his tea. It was cold, but pleasant, and his stomach didn’t clench. “We slept together on Christmas day.”

“You what?” Kieran and Amelia said.

Jonas waved his hands. “Not like that! I mean, it’s not like I don’t want to, but we can’t.”

Kieran nodded.

“What do you mean, you can’t?” Amelia said.

“Vampires can’t have sex,” Kieran said.

Jonas felt like everyone in the room must be looking at him. His face was on fire. “Vampirism shuts down body functions it doesn’t need.”

“Like erections,” Kieran said helpfully.

Amelia’s face had turned pink, and she was covering her mouth with both hands.

“Like bone marrow,” Jonas said, trying to recover what little dignity he had left. “We have denser bones-”

“That’s not what I heard,” Kieran said, wagging his eyebrows.

“Kieran!” Jonas said.

Amelia’s whole body was shaking, and tears poured down her cheeks.

“It’s a blood pressure thing!” Jonas protested.

“They have real trouble
getting up
in the morning.”

Kieran and Amelia both laughed out loud. Even Jonas snorted. People turned in their seats and looked at them.

“Fine,” Jonas said, lowering his voice. “I’m glad you both find it so amusing.”

Kieran took a sip of his tea, eyes faintly glowing blue.

Amelia wiped her eyes, and said, “But how did your parents… you know?”

“They were on an experimental drug.”

Kieran mouthed
Viagra,
and all three of them laughed.

There was a shimmer of green light, then everyone but Jonas slumped forward on their tables.

CHAPTER 19

“Amelia? Kieran?”

Jonas looked around the room. Everyone was fine, they were just… sleeping. It wasn’t like when Eve knocked someone unconscious; the waitress had set down what she was carrying and curled up on the floor. Nothing was knocked over. It was like he was being punked by a flash mob, except he could hear their thoughts and they were genuinely passed out. Some were dreaming.

The door opened, letting in a gust of cold air, and a massive man, hooded in gray and white furs, sidled through with a long walking stick tucked under his arm. His attention was focused on a small, golden object in his massive hand. “Damn it,” the stranger growled, tapping it with his index finger. It sparked golden light at him.

Magic,
Jonas thought.

The stranger was carrying more magical items than he’d ever seen on one person. Most of them hung from a loop at his hip, but the walking stick, or staff, had the most intricate lines and the brightest glow.

The stranger swept his hood back, saw Jonas, and scowled. “What are you doing awake, boy? Never mind.” He tapped the object again and it flared, golden lines slinging out like runaway clockwork and broken springs, then the light went out. The big man’s shoulders slumped.

People started waking up. The stranger moved toward Jonas’ table, pausing to give the waitress a hand, then settled carefully into the chair across from Jonas. Kieran woke, snarled, and lunged for the man. The stranger caught his wrist and forced it down to the table. Kieran pulled him closer and grabbed his throat. Jonas gaped. Amelia woke and squeaked, almost tipping out of her chair.

“Sir?” the waitress said, nervously.

The man tried to turn toward her, but Kieran squeezed.

The stranger looked vaguely Middle Eastern, or at least like one of the Egyptian or Babylonian carvings he’d seen in a history book. He had a strong jutting brow, strong nose, and dark eyes. His skin was beige and clean-shaven, turning red from Kieran choking him, and he had short but thick black hair. And he was warded; Jonas couldn’t make a dent on his barrier.

“Sir? You’re scaring the other customers. I’ll have to call-”

“It’s fine,” Jonas said, calming her with his mind. “Kieran, let him go.”

“But-”

“Kieran!”

Kieran let go and sat back, jaw tense. “Yes, clan leader.”

The stranger sat back and coughed. Amelia was spinning her ring.

“Calm the other customers,” Jonas told the waitress, keeping his eyes on the stranger. “Tell them he’s a foreigner and he didn’t mean any harm.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, her eyes unfocused. She started going from table to table.

The stranger cleared his throat and looked at Jonas. “You know me, boy?”

“Of course,” Jonas said. “I’ve seen you in my dreams. You’re the Sorcerer.”

Kieran’s eyes widened.

“The real question,” Jonas continued, “is why you’re here for me.”

“I’m not here for
you
, I’m here for
him
.”

“What? Why?” Jonas said.

The Sorcerer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with meaty fingers. He wasn’t as big as Kieran - shorter by six inches, and twenty pounds lighter - but he was still massive compared to Jonas and Amelia. “This wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” he said. “You were all supposed to be sleeping. I come in, wake him up, prove who I am-”

Kieran spoke, his voice rough. “And how would you-”

The Sorcerer growled, carving five grooves in the table top with silver claws. His eyes burned blue. Amelia slid her chair back from the table.

“Everything’s fine!” the waitress said, her voice cheerful with a trace of hysteria. One table of customers stood up and left.

“Good, that’s settled then,” the Sorcerer said. “Let’s go.”

Kieran was pale. “I…”

“What do you mean, ‘Let’s go’?” Jonas said.

“He’s a winter wolf.”

“I know that.”

“Winter wolves are supposed to join the Sorcerer in his eternal quest to uphold the law.”

Jonas crossed his arms. “Well, you can’t have him.”

“And who are you to-”

“He’s my clan leader,” Kieran said, finding his voice.

The Sorcerer looked from Kieran to Jonas, then to Kieran again. “He’s a vampire!” he bellowed.

“Who wants a refill?” the waitress said to the room.

“Just street theater, folks!” Jonas added, faking a smile. His conscience tweaked him for lying, but he buried it.

Two tables left in a hurry, leaving way too much cash on the table. Some of the more pragmatic tables in the room put their hands in the air for the free drinks.

“I’d like to go, now,” Amelia said.

“I’m trying; they won’t let me,” the Sorcerer said, shrugging.

“There is nothing in the law that says a vampire cannot lead a clan,” Kieran said, his voice low.

“Ah, yes, because no one in their right mind would even consider it!” the Sorcerer hissed.

Kieran shrugged. “I still need his permission to go.”

“You don’t have it,” Jonas said.

“That’s settled then,” Kieran said. He smiled and offered his hand to Amelia. She shook her head.

The Sorcerer sighed, looking at Jonas. “Look, I’ve done this nine times over the past 4000 years. You’re better off just handing him over.”

“He’s my friend.”

“He’s dangerous.”

“He’s a person.”

“He’s a
very dangerous
person.”

“He doesn’t
want
to go with you. He’s allowed to live the life he wants, start a family, run naked in the moonlight for all I care. He’s-”

The Sorcerer giggled, covering his mouth.

“What’s so-” The man was shaking. “What’s so funny?” Jonas asked.

“He’s sterile!” he said, as if it was a punchline.

The whole room was quiet.

“Damn it,” Amelia said.

Kieran flinched like she’d stabbed him. “But-”

“He’s immortal, unkillable, magically compelled to obey the law, and
sterile
. We all are. Don’t you think I would have covered the Earth with descendants by now if I wasn’t? You don’t get to have everything; that’s not how nature works. And if you try to get around it, the creator
destroys you
.” He wasn’t laughing anymore. His eyes were red, and he looked like he was about to go on a rampage through the room. He took a few deep breaths, then said, “Look, we all obviously have some things to think about. Let’s talk about this some other time.” He stood, transferring his staff to his right hand, and headed for the door.

“You forgot your… thingy,” Jonas said, picking the inert disk up from the table.

“Keep it. It’s broken anyway. Should have lasted another thousand years; maybe you can use it as a paperweight.” He raised his hood and walked out, his staff making the floor glow green for a few seconds where it struck.

People clapped. Some laughed. One man put a five-dollar bill on Jonas’ table as he walked by.

“What are you doing?” the man’s wife said.

“Paying for our entertainment,” he answered.

She scowled, pulling on her jacket. “You shouldn’t encourage the crazies. And I want to talk about moving closer to my parents.”