Eternal Shadows (17 page)

I made a motion of zipping my lips, then offered him the invisible key.

He took it and pocketed it. I almost laughed at his willingness to play along. But I didn’t. My lips were locked, laughing would have been awkward.

“They only stayed with us for two or three decades, I can’t remember exactly. Then Cordoba moved on, but he and Julius remained in touch. The next time we saw them, it was 1776, Cade was enjoying himself in the American Revolution, and Malachi had turned Tabitha for himself. He joined Cade in the war and that’s where he found Henry.”

I raised my hand. Rhys rolled his eyes. “Yes?”

“I don’t see what this has to do with anything.”

“I’m giving you a brief background.”

“Why was Cade fighting in the revolution?”

“Because it’s what he does. He’s participated in every major war since he was human.”

Well how about that. I wracked my brain trying to remember my history, trying to figure out what his first war would have been. I realized I didn’t know just how old Cade was. “How many?”

Rhys shrugged. “I’ve lost count. I’m sure Cade knows, though. Are you going to keep this up?”

“No. I’ll bother Cade later. He’s due to ambush me again anyway. Please go on.”

“Siring vampires is a sign of independence. The fact that Malachi had two initiates of his own meant that something was about to change. It was around this time the second faction of vampires became more vocal, expressing their vision of a vampire controlled world. Malachi shared that vision. He tried to convince Julius and Cordoba, but they refused to see things his way. In response, Malachi took Tabitha and Henry and he left. Garrett chose to go with him. No one took this new faction seriously. They were too small in number to do any real damage. Cordoba wrote Malachi off as a rebellious child and went about life, expecting him to come back eventually. In the meantime, he sired a couple of new protégés and moved on again.

“We didn’t see him again until the early 1900’s. The small faction we had all thought would fade away had grown and become the Vampiric Freedom Organization. Their mission was to free vampires from the prison of living in a human controlled world. Malachi and the others had joined. That was really the beginning of the civil war we face now. Malachi had returned to make one last
attempt to recruit Cordoba, but failed. He caused a bit of trouble for us in return, then left. This is the first we’ve seen of him since.”

His tone had taken on a story-telling quality, and I had leaned so far forward our noses were almost touching. I hadn’t taken a breath the entire time. “So what does it matter that the general’s called in Cordoba? Malachi hasn’t been with him for decades.” My voice barely stretched above a whisper.

“Maybe not, but Malachi still respects Cordoba, regardless. And then, there is the whole point of control a sire has over his initiates.” He tapped the back of my skull with one finger.

“Ah.” I hadn’t been thinking about that. “It’s not such a great idea to go against your sire in that case, is it?”

“Not usually.”

“Unless you got turned by a softy, like me,” I teased.

“Don’t make me regret my promise.”

We were still so close. Now that the story was finished, my dream came back to me. Not really a good idea. I found myself looking at his lips as often as his eyes, remembering…Would he kill me if…?

I heard the familiar clink of the coin and saw it pass over his fingers between us. I looked back at his eyes and found myself slightly annoyed by the amusement I found there. “Are we really doing this now?”

“Technically, we’re always doing it. I never said the coin had to be out in order for you to take it.” He flicked it into the air, caught it and returned it to its rolling state without breaking our gaze.

I really wanted that coin. Not so much for the satisfaction of obtaining it, but for the sheer pleasure of wiping that smug look off Rhys’s face.

I watched him and not the coin. Waiting, studying.

Then I got an evil idea. I could kill two birds with one stone. Get the coin, satisfy my curiosity, and replace that look on his face with something much more amusing from my point of view.

Hopefully. This plan also had the potential to end in my death.

I counted on good luck to get me through.

I stared him down a moment longer, waiting for just the right moment. Then I struck.

I pressed my lips against his, keeping my eyes open as a precaution. He went completely still, eyes wide in shock. My heart beat twice.

Not quite the same as my dream, but strangely just as good.

I pulled back, quite pleased with myself. Rhys stared at me for a long moment, then blinked out of his stupor. He looked like he wanted to speak, but I had confused him far too thoroughly.

Grinning, I got to my feet. “Nice doing business with you, Mr. O’Shea.”

“What?”

I flicked the Irish sixpence into the air, then caught it without ever taking my eyes off him. “You owe me a lesson now. I expect to be rolling this over my fingers by the end of the week.”

Rhys remained silent.

I chuckled. “I can be very resourceful when I need to be.” I flicked the coin one more time, then put it in my pocket. “I’m going to go find Warren. See you later.” I used my newly acquired speed to get to the door quickly. I escaped into the hallway, the realization of what I had done catching up with me.

I’d kissed Rhys.

I’d liked it.

And I was very sure that when my lips met his, I had heard his heart beat along with mine.

Chapter Fourteen: Perception

I didn’t quite know what to do with myself, so I decided to do what I had said I would do and went in search of Warren. I hadn’t fed in a while, and the thirst was becoming irritating again. I hoped Rhys wouldn’t follow me too quickly looking for an explanation as to my actions. I didn’t have one.

I pulled the sixpence from my pocket while I walked downstairs, dragging my feet. The coin was so old I could feel the indentations and smoother parts where Rhys had rubbed it repeatedly. Uneven from primitive coining practice, it had that mysterious quality only really old antiques carried. I marveled at the knowledge that this coin had seen Rhys human. I turned it over in my hand, memorizing every shape—most indistinguishable now—and trying to imagine it brand new.

How had Rhys managed not to lose it even after all these years?

I wondered if it had some sentimental value, and if I should give it back. After I was finished gloating over my victory
, of course. I needed something to distract him from the fact that I had kissed him to get it.

I stepped onto the cold tile of the kitchen and was pleased to see Warren sitting at the table eating a sandwich. He wasn’t alone though. Brody sat next to him, and Olivia had the seat across the table, next to a woman I’d never seen before. Olivia stopped chewing her salad the moment she saw me. We hadn’t really come in contact with one another again since that first day. Apparently she still didn’t like me. Fine.

Warren turned and beamed at me, happy as always. “Hey, Kassandra. I was wondering when you would wake up.” He patted the chair beside him.

I took the seat, making a point of ignoring Olivia’s unwelcoming glare. “I live an exhausting life.”

“Apparently.”

I looked across him. “Hi, Brody. Long time no see.”

A flawless smile answered me. Brody really was too good-looking. People like that didn’t belong in real life. “I’ve had to entertain myself a lot lately. You keep Millie rather busy.”

“Oh, jeeze. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep her from you. I’ll use it as an excuse to get her to leave me alone next time I don’t feel like being babysat.” Though given the current situation, who knew how soon that would be.

He laughed around a mouthful of food. Thank God he wasn’t completely perfect. “Sounds like a plan.”

Warren swallowed then shook a finger to get my attention. “Kass, you haven’t met Gia yet.”

For the first time I gave my full attention to the other woman at the table. She was older than the rest of the humans there. Not that she was old, she looked close to thirty, maybe a little older, but considering Warren and Olivia were my age, and Brody was a grand twenty-seven, thirty was the oldest I’d seen so far. And aside from that, she just seemed older, more mature. I could see it in her green eyes, she mothered the rest of them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kassandra,” she said. “I’ve heard much about you.”

“You know, that never makes me feel anything but embarrassed. I hope whatever you heard was good, or at least true.”

“I think so,” she said with a smile, standing and bringing her plate to the sink. Her brown hair bobbed lightly behind her, loose over her shoulders.

“The staff will do that for you,” I said when she turned on the water and started washing. The few times I had made an attempt to help out around the house, Anne had chased me out of the kitchen, accusing me of making a mess.

Gianna finished washing then put the plate in the drainer to dry. “I don’t like to make extra work for other people. I’m very capable of cleaning up after myself.”

“As long as Anne doesn’t care,” I said. “So, you’re a doctor?”

Olivia slammed her hand down on the table. “What is that?”

“Huh?” I turned away from Gianna and found myself on the receiving end of the most terrifying death-glare I had ever seen. Olivia was so tense she shook, and I could hear her teeth grinding together. “What’s what?” I asked cautiously.

“That.” She lifted one shaking hand to point at my own.

I hesitated in looking where she pointed for fear she would try to attack. But I looked. My thumb circled the sixpence in my right hand. I had forgotten I still had it out.

“Oh,” I said stupidly. “It’s an old Irish sixpence.”

“It’s Rhys’s.” There was no question in her voice.

Crap
. This wouldn’t go anywhere good. “Uh, yes. It is.”

Her face had turned red. “He doesn’t let anyone touch it. Ever.”

Maybe not, but he had challenged me to try. I shrugged, trying to look casual, hoping it would allay her apparent anger. “Well, I’m just borrowing it.”

“Does he know you have it?”

Good God. “Yes. He was there when I took it.” Staring at me in utter shock and looking unbelievably adorable as he did so.

Olivia froze. Quite literally. Everything about her just stopped. She stopped shaking. She stopped breathing. She stopped talking. I waited, wary of what would come next.

She exploded. She pushed back from the table, her chair toppling over behind her, and skittering across the kitchen floor until it banged against the stainless steel refrigerator. “Give it back.”

“I plan on it.” Crazy woman. “But Rhys is the one who started it all, so he’s not getting it back until he follows through with his part of the deal.”

Olivia danced from foot to foot for a moment, then lunged at me, her hand reaching for the coin. I pulled back and dodged her easily. She winced when her hip slammed the edge of the table. Brody stood and grabbed her by the arm.

“Enough, Liv. Kassandra’s not a thief. If she says Rhys gave it to her, then he gave it to her.”

She glared at him, though not as hard as she had at me. “I’ve known Rhys for three years. Not once has he let that coin out of his sight.” She pulled her arm away from him.

Brody refused to be intimidated. “Times change. It’s not your business anyway.”

“Not my business?” Her voice went up an octave.

Gianna moved in close, unruffled. “Olivia, calm down.”

Olivia’s eyes flicked one more time to the coin in my hand, then she turned and stormed out of the kitchen without another word.

The coin felt cold in my hand.

The kitchen door swung shut. “What the hell was that all about?” I eased myself back into a comfortable position on my chair, closing my fingers tight around the coin, half afraid someone would try to take it again.

Warren’s gaze was still on the kitchen door. “Not sure. She’s been weird the last few days.” He shrugged and swung back around to the table. “Normally she’s not really so…”

“Bitchy?” I offered.

“I was gonna go with angry, but yeah, that works, too.”

Brody grabbed his chair and sat back down, one arm slung over the back. “Liv needs to chill out. Though I will admit, it is weird that Rhys let you get your hands on that thing.”

I grumbled, exasperated. “Like I said, he started it. It’s been a kind of test. Of my reflexes. He told me to try to get it from him. It took some doing, but I did it. Now I get the coin and I get to learn how to do that thing he does over his knuckles.” I made a pitiful attempt to illustrate what I meant. The coin clattered to the table. I snatched it back up.

“It’s Rhys’s business,” Gianna said. “Boys, make sure you clean up when you’re finished.”

“Yes, mom,” Warren said, the hint of teasing clear in his tone.

Brody rolled his eyes. “Gi, you’ve got four years on me. Quit treating me like one of the kids.” He said it with a straight face, but I could still detect the good humor.

Gianna took it all in stride. “When you act your age, Brody, maybe I’ll find it easier to remember.”

“Ha ha ha.”

Warren tossed his napkin onto his plate. “So what brings you here, Kass? Hungry?” He held out his wrist.

“I’ve asked you a million times not to be so casual about it.”

“And I’ve told you a million times, it’s my job.” He lowered his hand anyway. “Truthfully though, I’d rather you let me finish digesting before you take your turn.”

“Not a problem. There’s blood around here somewhere, right?” I looked around at the different cabinets, cupboards, pantries and fridge. No idea where the blood would be kept.

Gianna got a tall glass out from over the counter, then went to the fridge. I smelled the blood as she poured it. I didn’t recognize the scent, though most humans smelled more or less the same, with subtle differences I only noticed when I knew them well. The vampires were the ones with sharply distinct scents, like fingerprints.

“Thanks,” I said when she placed the glass in front of me. I started drinking immediately. I couldn’t help it. And I had to admit, though I hated it, it wasn’t as good as I knew it could be when fresh from Warren’s veins.

Warren threw out his trash and took his plate to the sink, washing it when Gianna cleared her throat as a clear reminder. “I’ll be in my room when you need me,” he said, stretching.

Brody hopped out of his seat and clapped his hands down on Warren’s shoulders. “We’ll be outside getting some fresh air.”

Warren slumped under the pressure of Brody’s grip, then twisted away. He mumbled something I didn’t understand, mostly because my attention was monopolized by the blood going down my throat.

“No more books for you today,” Brody said grabbing Warren again, this time with a friendly chokehold. “You spent all morning reading. Time for some ball.” He dragged my poor feeder from the kitchen. “See ya, Gi.”

“Play nice,” she told him with a gentle wave.

I set the empty glass down on the table, having already waited for that very last drop to make its way down the sides and into my mouth. I resisted the urge to drag my finger along the inside and eat the rest like it was cake batter. “So,” I said, remembering the conversation I had attempted before Olivia went all psychotic-break on me. “Rhys says you’re a doctor. Thanks for the note, by the way. It was practically my life-line all day at school.”

“You’re welcome. I’m sorry it couldn’t have been more help to you later that day.” She took my glass and headed for the sink.

“I can do that,” I said. After all, she had made everyone clean up after themselves. Well, except for Olivia. Her plate still sat across from me.

“It’s no bother. You look a little shaken.” Once the bloody glass was clean she came back for Olivia’s mess. She carried it to the counter, but left it unwashed. Instead, she came and sat with me again. “Is there anything you’d like to talk about? I’m a good listener.”

Old alarms went off in my head. “You’re not a shrink, are you?” They’d tried to make me see a psychologist after my mom had been killed. It hadn’t gone over well. After three tantrums and five sessions of me playing mute, Dad had given up and simply started spending more time with me. Between our quality time and Anne’s watchful eye, they deemed me well-adjusted after a few months. Honestly, I just hadn’t wanted to talk to a stranger about my feelings. I wasn’t into that. Staring at Mom’s picture and talking to her at night had been far more therapeutic.

Gianna laughed lightly. “No. I’m not a shrink. I’m your regular old run-of-the-mill doctor. Everyday medicine. But I think any good doctor develops a good sense of people.”

“Did you always want to be a doctor? Or did you only do it because the general made you?”

She set her chin in her hand. “My, you have learned a lot, haven’t you? I hadn’t completely made up my mind when I first met Julius, but I had been thinking about medical school. When he requested I go through with it, and when he offered to pay, how could I possibly say no?”

There was a twinkle in her eye when she said his name. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

She chuckled again. “You’re very perceptive.”

My brain went haywire. “But, how? He’s with Aurelia. Has been for two thousand years.”

“That doesn’t affect the way I feel about him. He’s a good man, and I know he’s fond of me.”

“Wouldn’t you rather have your own life? Your own man?”

“This is my life now. I’m happy with it. And now that I have completed my education, I’m hoping Julius will see fit to turn me.”

“You want to be a vampire, too?” Another one. First Olivia and now Gianna. Did everyone but me want to be a blood-sucking demon? “In that case, I’m sorry.”

“Whatever for?”

“For being a vampire. I have what you want and I don’t want it at all.”

“You don’t seem too bothered by it.”

“It took some getting used to. Trust me. Rhys had to all but sit on me the first few days.” Speaking of Rhys, he hadn’t come to kill me for kissing him yet. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

For a moment it looked like Gianna had spaced out. Her gaze went unfocused, and she stared at nothing. I raised my hand to try to get her attention back, but she snapped out of it on her own. She smiled at me like our conversation hadn’t paused. “You don’t need to apologize,” she said. “Your circumstances were far different from ours. Would you like to walk? It’s a beautiful day out.”

“Uh, sure.” I stood. “I’m not really all that good at being in the sun yet though, and I’m not really dressed.” I plucked at my plaid pajama pants, then pulled self-consciously at my white tank top. “I guess if we stay around the house though…” No way was I ready to brave my room yet to get clothes. I’d left Rhys there.