Magic & Memory (6 page)

“Now that,” said Joey, “is an excellent question. When you disappeared I assumed the worst. But here you are, all cozied up in a love shack with a hot babe.” He winked playfully at Lu, who scowled at him.

 “How did you find me?” Alastair’s voice was unsteady.

“Well, obviously I sensed it when you started feeding,” Joey told him. “Finally! I don’t know what you’ve been up to for the past few days, but I couldn’t get a read on you. For a while there, I thought you’d flatlined. Or imploded. Or, you know, whatever that thing is that vampires do when they get themselves killed. Well ok, I figured you hadn’t actually imploded cuz I’d get a little blip from you now and then, you know?”

“No,” Alastair said flatly.

Joey knit his brows and said, “Dude, what is
up
with you?”

Alastair went to take a step toward Joey, but his knees buckled and he started to fall. Suddenly Joey was catching him, in a move so fast Lu’s eyes couldn’t register it.

Even though he was a lot smaller than Alastair, the boy scooped him up effortlessly and carried him into the living room, where he set him gently on the couch.

In the next instant Lu’s head hit the cabinet behind her as she was pinned with a hand at her throat. Joey glared at her, his face right in hers. He was only an inch taller than Lu, but he was incredibly strong. “What the hell are you doing?” she growled as she tried and failed to push him off of her.

Joey’s smile showed off a pair of dangerously sharp fangs. “My turn to ask questions. Did you do something to Alastair?”

“I took him in and kept him from freezing to death, that’s what I
did to him
!” Lu snarled, and went to knee Joey where it would do the most damage. He easily halted her assault by pushing her leg back down with his.

“Stop it, Joey!” Alastair demanded from the kitchen doorway. Without a moment’s hesitation Joey let go of Lu and stepped back from her, eyes lowered.

Lu stepped around Joey and went to stand beside Alastair, who put a protective arm around her. She could feel him trembling slightly, but he kept his voice firm and level as he told the newcomer, “Never hurt Lu again or I’ll kill you. Do you understand?”

Joey nodded, his eyes still lowered. “Yeah, I get it. I thought she’d done something to hurt you. Apparently I was mistaken.” He peeked out from under his lashes and asked, “Allie, what’s going on?” When there was no reply, Joey implored, “Please talk to me.”

“Let’s go in the other room,” Alastair said after a moment, and Joey immediately headed for the living room.

Alastair sat on the couch while Joey perched on the edge of the wide hearth in front of the fire place. Lu stood at the far end of the sofa, arms wrapped tightly around herself, trying to process the total shift in reality she’d just experienced. Part of her was seriously considering bolting for the door, but she had the inexplicable urge to stay and protect Alastair from this stranger.

Protect him? Really?
She asked herself.
Alastair. Who’s a vampire. Who just bit me. Oh. My. God! And oh my God, what the hell is wrong with me that I actually enjoyed it?!

Still, she made no move for the door as she watched Alastair closely. He was trying to conceal the shaking in his good hand by pinning it under his thigh, his burned hand held carefully against his stomach. Fear was evident in his wide dark eyes, but she could tell he was trying to appear brave as he set his jaw and squared his broad shoulders.

Lu shifted her gaze to Joey. He was maybe fifteen or sixteen, with short golden blonde hair and a solid, muscular build. He wore jeans, muddy sneakers, and a red and white letterman jacket over a white t-shirt, and met her stare with a friendly smile. The fangs were gone, replaced by perfectly normal-looking teeth.

“You’re a Grizzly?” Lu blurted.

“I’m a
what
?” Joey stared at her.

“You went to Ashland High School? I graduated from there in June, but I don’t remember you.” He continued to stare at her so she added, “Their mascot is a grizzly bear?” She pointed at the big red “A” on his letterman jacket.

Delighted laughter burst from Joey. “Oh! Jeez, for a minute I thought you were totally nuts. No, I never went there, but I guess the dinner I had when we first rolled into town did.” His expression was pleasant and cheerful.

Lu’s mouth hung open. “You killed and ate a member of the football team?”

“Ew!” He wrinkled his nose. “God no.
Killed and ate,
good lord! I really would have to be a grizzly to pull that off.”

“But you just said--” Lu began, and Joey cut her off.

“I just took a few sips. He’s
fine
. Also, I might have convinced him that he wanted to give me this jacket. It really suits me, don’t you think?” Joey beamed at her.

She knit her brows at him. “And you’ve been wearing it around town? That must have attracted a lot of attention.”

“Why? Don’t I look like a football player?” Joey struck a pose with one arm extended, the other bent back to throw an imaginary pass.

“Ashland’s a small town, and everyone knows the local athletes. I’m surprised you weren’t confronted within two minutes of wearing that in public.”

Joey sighed. “I wasn’t, but I suppose you have a point.” He removed the jacket, setting it beside him on the hearth.

By now Alastair had regained his composure enough to sound calm as he said, “Tell me again exactly how you found me.”

Joey raised an eyebrow at him and said, “I found you because I felt it when you started to feed. I just started running toward you, and here I am.”

“And why did you feel it when I -- fed?”

“Seriously, Alastair?”

“Just answer the question.”

Joey sighed again and interlaced his fingers, then ran his hands over his short hair as if he was pushing it back from his face. He rested his hands on the crown of his head as he said, “Because we’re connected.”

Alastair asked, his voice low and emotionless, “What does that mean, connected?”

“You know.
Connected
. I don’t know how else to say it.” Joey shifted uncomfortably.

“Why are we connected?” Alastair’s tone remained flat.

Joey knit his brows and looked like he wanted to ask a question, but instead he said, “Because you killed me and used your blood to bring me back as a vampire. So because of our maker bond, we’re connected. Meaning we feel what the other is feeling when it’s really intense -- extreme pain, extreme pleasure….” He waited for Alastair to say something, twisting a silver ring he wore around his index finger as he fidgeted. When Alastair remained silent Joey elaborated, “And when that’s happening, when you’re experiencing a really strong emotion, it’s easy for me to tell exactly where you are.”

Alastair’s voice sounded choked as he whispered, “When did I…kill you?”

“Six years ago this month, right after my fifteenth birthday.”

“Why?” The question held a lifetime of misery in its single syllable.

“Because Augustine forced you.”

 “Who’s Augustine?” That name stirred a faint recognition in Alastair, something his own name had failed to do.

“Alastair, are you just messing with me, or is something really wrong here? I mean, you’re acting like you can’t remember anything, but you and I both know that’s impossible.” Joey leaned forward, his hands on his knees, and tried to make eye contact with Alastair, who was staring fixedly at the wool rug in front of the fireplace.

“Please, before I answer your questions, answer a few more of mine. Who is Augustine?”

A crease of concern appeared between Joey’s eyebrows as he searched Alastair’s face. “He’s the vampire that made you. And he’s a
total
dick.”

“Where is he now?”

“If we’re lucky,” Joey said, “He’s someplace really, really far away from here.”

“Why do you say that?” Alastair finally made eye contact with Joey. Lu, meanwhile, perched on the armrest at the far end of the couch, watching this exchange in stunned silence.

 “Because he’s looking for you, as usual, and we’re on the run from him, also as usual.”

“Why is he looking for me?”

“Oh, let’s see -- because he’s infatuated with you, because he can’t stand being disobeyed, because his collection is not nearly as spectacular without you, his crown jewel, in it….” Joey leaned back and crossed his legs at the ankles, apparently having resigned himself to the fact that this conversation was going to go on for a while.

“Collection?”

“Augustine collects everything: art, antiques, houses, cars. But mostly he collects people. He’s really into rare specimens, which is part of the reason you’re so special to him. It doesn’t get much rarer than you.”

“But you’re a vampire just like I am, right? I can’t be that rare.”

“Uh, yeah, you and I are both vampires. But you’re one of a kind.”

Lu had been watching the whole exchange wide-eyed, somehow trying to process all of this. She now asked, “He’s something besides a vampire?”

Joey turned his green eyes to her. “He was nephilim -- half human, half angel when he was turned. And now he’s the only vampire-angel hybrid that I’ve ever heard of.”

Lu just stared at him.

Joey gave her a sympathetic smile, then grew serious as he turned his attention back to Alastair, watching him for a long moment before saying, “Are you ok, Allie? Seriously. Why do you want me to tell you all of this?” He slid forward so he was perched on the edge of the hearth and picked up Alastair’s left hand, turning it over gently to examine the big clumsy bandage. “And what’s happening here, exactly?”

In one quick motion Joey shucked off the gauze. The hand he revealed was dark pink, scarred and mottled, but in no way charred and blistered as it had been when the bandage went on.

“I burned myself, but I don’t know how.” Alastair blinked in surprise and flexed his fingers. “Wow, it’s really healed up.”

“As soon as you feed again it’ll heal the rest of the way. By tomorrow it’ll be good as new,” Joey told him. After a moment he implored, “Alastair, please. Tell me what’s going on.”

Alastair sighed and met Joey’s eyes. “I woke up day before yesterday beside a creek with my hand on fire. I don’t remember how I got there, or anything at all about my life prior to that moment. I don’t even have a clue how the fire happened.”

“Was it daytime?” Joey asked, his voice subdued.

“Yes.”

“It’s amazing the rest of you didn’t burn. Your hand must have been in the sun while your body was under some kind of cover.”

Alastair stared at him in disbelief. “I burn in the sun?”

“Well, yeah. Part of the whole super fab vampire thing. Although it takes a lot longer for you to ignite than a regular vampire, thanks to your angel blood. It makes you stronger, too.” Joey looked him in the eye. “Alastair, this amnesia, or whatever you’re talking about -- there’s kind of no way. That can’t happen to you, any more than you could catch a cold. You really don’t remember anything?”

“Nothing,” Alastair said. Then he asked, “Where was I the last time you saw me?”

“We were in our motel room here in town. It was four days ago, a little after sunset.”

“Four days? I’ve only been here for two, so two days are unaccounted for.” Alastair mused. Then he asked, “What was I doing?”

“You were going to go out and patrol, but you promised to come back by ten so we could go see a movie.” Joey smiled then and said, “You think movies are a colossal waste of time, but once in a rare while you indulge me.”

“And you wrote me a reminder,” Alastair said.

“You remember?”

“No, I found the note in my pocket. That’s how I knew my name.”

“Ah. Anyway, you’d just taken a shower and were getting dressed, and I went in to take my shower. When I came out, you were gone. I noticed that you’d left without your shoes, which was odd. And then you never came back.”

Alastair leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes, pressing a hand to his forehead. After a while he said, “Why am I one of a kind? Why aren’t there others like me?”

“Well, normally nephilim and vampires are too busy chopping each other’s heads off to try to bring anyone over. They’re sworn enemies. Plus, their physiology is totally different, so it shouldn’t be possible to turn an angel, even a half-angel into a vampire. But Augustine had to try it. Experiments like that fascinate him, sick son of a bitch.” Joey shook his head.

Then he continued, “Since his one success in creating you, he’s tried to turn nephilim into vampires a bunch more times. But the transformation always kills them. The change almost killed
you,
actually, from what I’ve been told. Apparently it’s sort of a miracle that you survived.”

Sadness thinned out Alastair’s voice. “He keeps trying to make more like me? And they keep dying?”

“Yeah. That’s part of the reason nephilim are close to extinction now. I mean, not that there were tons of them to begin with.”

“And are there many vampires?” Alastair asked, his voice almost a whisper.

“There are way too many of those bastards,” Joey sneered.

“You don’t group yourself in with other vampires?” Lu chimed in from the far end of the sofa.