Nightmare (18 page)

“Baby, are you okay?” Mom's eyes fly wide. 

“No, I'm fine. Stupid knife. I'm just going to get a band aid. Peter?” Both Mom and Aj give me a look that I ignore. Dad makes a disapproving sound and I hear him mutter, “can't even get a band aid without him?”

Peter follows me, saying low enough that only I can hear, “you did that on purpose.”

I wait until we're upstairs in my bathroom.

“Of course I did. I felt horrible that we were all eating and you couldn't. So I'm going to feed you. Here.” I hold up my dripping finger. It wasn't much, but it was something. An appetizer.

“Take while it's still lifey.” I sit on the sink with him standing between my legs.

“Lifey?”

“Don't question, just do it.” He stays still while I shove my finger in his mouth. I didn't mean for it to be all sexy, but he takes my hand and runs his tongue all over my skin and the way he's looking at me... His eyes catch mine, like a butterfly in a net. Slowly, he pulls my finger out of his mouth. Sweet. Jesus.

“Thank you. But you did not need to do that.” He holds my hand in front of his mouth, as if he's savoring it.

“Well, I did. So there.” I sound all breathy. I feel all breathy.

“We should get back. I am sure your father thinks I'm ravishing you.” He lifts me off the counter and hands me a band aid from the basket on the sink.

“You can ravish me whenever you want.” I bite my lip to hide a smile. God, he was sexy. 

I shouldn't have said that.

He doesn't answer. Except for a blink. Haha. I take advantage of the moment and ask him something I've been stressing about.

“Why was Ivan here?” I say as Peter wraps the sticky part of the band aid around my finger.

“I don't know.”

“Well, could you find out? Because I thought we were done with him.” He makes sure the band aid's secure and cradles my hand to his chest. He's being very touchy-feely tonight. 

“It will not be over until he is destroyed.”

“Or the fat lady sings?” He doesn't smile.

“Not quite.”

“What are we going to do about it?”

“Viktor is protecting the house. If there is a problem, he will let me know.” I mash my head into his chest with a sigh.

“I don't understand why all of these things are happening at once. Can't we just have a moment to breathe?”

“We have a moment right now. A human moment.” His hand pulls my chin up. His lips meet mine for a sweet, slow kiss. Of course I go overboard and try to make it crazier, but he pulls back. Smart noctalis. I shouldn't have let him. Kisses are dangerous. As are longing looks and the brushing of fingers across skin. They lead to no good.

“We have to go see your friend. As soon as possible.” I'm not taking no for an answer.

“We're human, at least for a few more hours.”

If my family wasn't waiting downstairs, I'd say the hell with it, let's go. Even if there is a tiny, microscopic part of me that's scared of what we're going to find. Or who we're going to find. I know very little about Peter's life as a noctalis before me. I know it wasn't pretty, and I can't imagine what kind of friend he'd have. But it can't be worse than what we've already gone through. I hope.

The rest of the dinner goes uneventfully, and soon it's time for Peter to “go home and eat dinner with his own family.”

I say goodbye to him at the door, pretending that I'm not going to see him until Monday. 

“Bye, Peter.”

“Goodbye, Ava-Claire.” He brushes my cheek with the back of his hand. I miss him already. I close the door on him and I'm instantly zapped of energy and it can't be my imagination that the smell of blood from the humans in the other room intensifies. What is this? I can't even be a few rooms away from him? 

“Well, I'm going to head out.” Aj interrupts my thoughts. Good timing. She holds her arms open and I fall into them, while trying to hold my breath. I mean, it's not like I'd actually bite her. That would never, ever happen. Blood is gross. It may smell good, but it's gross. 

“Don't do anything stupid,” she hisses in my ear. “I can see you're in love with him.” She can see that? 

I guess it was kind of obvious.

“I know. But it's not what you think.”

“I just want to make sure you know what you're doing. Because I don't think you do.” I finally pull away from the hug.

“I know. I'm not a child anymore.”

“No,” she says, plucking at my hair, “you're not. But that doesn't mean you should take up with, ah, boys like that.”

“I know what I'm doing,” I say again. She gives me a sad smile and punches my shoulder again.

Dad slinks out to say goodbye. True to form, he gives her an awkward hug and tells her to take care of herself. She says she'll be back to stay the weekend in two weeks. This is news to me, but I'm relieved. I like having Aj around. Even though I'd freaked out when she'd showed up, having her around broke up some of the tension. And she made me laugh.

“Bye Jenny,” Mom says, giving her a rib crushing hug. Or what would be rib-crushing if she had the strength. 

“Call me,” she says to Mom, taking her face in her hands. “Anytime. My phone is always on.”

“I will.” But we all know she won't. Mom wouldn't bother Aj. She'd never bother anyone, if she could help it. And by bothering, she meant anything she'd see as being needy. Which was total crap. 

If Aj really knew what was going on in this house, she'd move in this second. That wasn't a half-bad idea. She could keep Dad in check and help with Mom. Not that she was a burden, but with everything that was going on, I knew I was neglecting her. For my boyfriend. Yes, he was immortal, and yes, we were fighting for something, but still. She's my mother. She should come first. 

I watch as the tailights of Aj's car fade. Part of me wants to run and call for her to come back. To help us so we can try and keep this family together. Because I'm doing a crappy job of it.

“I'm going to bed,” I say, turning from the window.

“It's only eight thirty. What, are you sick?” Thanks, Dad. Mom gives me a knowing look.

“No, just tired.” I must look tired because he doesn't snap back at me. Instead he touches my shoulder in a surprising gesture. Mom seizes the moment and wraps us all up in a Sullivan family hug. I sink into it and remember the days when things like family hugs happened every day. Of course that was before cancer decided to take everything away from me and an immortal boy walked into my life. I can't go back. I can only go forward.

“Goodnight, baby. Sleep tight.” Won't be doing a lot of sleeping, but I kiss her cheek anyway.

“Goodnight, Ava-Claire Bear.” Dear god, Dad hasn't called me that since I was ten. It makes my heart hurt to hear the nickname. I nearly crawl up the stairs, but the closer I get to my room, the better I feel until I open my door and there's Peter and he's all gorgeous and waiting for me and I want to kiss him. The calm settles over me, and I'm ready for anything. Even though we now have to worry about Ivan
and
Di. It's time to go see this friend of Peter's. Whether he likes it or not.

I shut my door with authority, taking note that he's already got his shirt off, wings out. He must have read my mind. 

“When are we leaving?”

Peter

Her eyes are bright with anticipation. I felt her resolve all through the dinner, and I know that I cannot talk her out of it. We need answers and it is time to get them. 

“Are you sure?” I know what she will say before she says it.

“I'm not taking no for an answer.” She smiles and I want to press those smiling lips to my own, let her smile dissolve on my lips and become part of my skin. As if I could swallow it and hold it inside me. 

She holds her arms out, begging for me to pick her up.

“Beam me up, Scotty.” 

“What do you mean?” There are many modern phrases Ava uses that I do not know the meaning of. This is one of them.

“Never mind. We need to get you watching Star Trek. And Star Wars. But not at the same time.” I still have no inclination as to what she is speaking of. So I pick her up and she smiles up at me as if she's the happiest girl in the world. 

She brushes some hair from my eyes.

“Happy?” She's asking me. I consider for a moment. I turn the word around in my mind. It is bright and shiny and soft. It glows. I am not sure I am capable of feeling happy in myself without her. The happiness she exudes swells and floats in her soul, elevating it. A soul was required for happiness. But I was as close to happy as I could ever get. With her.

“Yes.” I allow myself that.

“Good.”

Her arms twine tighter and she puts her head to my chest. Right where my heart would be. Well, my heart is still there, I suppose. It just does not beat. Not like hers, which goes like a delicious drum.

“You should put a blanket around you. It will be cold.” I set her down, going to her closet for a blanket. She puts on a coat and another pair of pants. I wrap her torso and legs in the blanket.

“Too tight,” she gasps. I unwind it and re-wrap it. 

“Better?”

“Yeah, I can breathe now.” She rolls her eyes and I pick her up again. She is like a little fire burning next to my skin. A torch I'm carrying to illuminate the dark.

She lets out a little gasp as I leap off the roof and into the air. Her little thrill flows along our connection and I soak it into my skin with her heat. Her energy is like a drug. 

“How far is it?” The wind tries to steal her voice, but I would hear it in a hurricane.

“Over an hour.”

She settles back into me, her hands twisting in the hair that comes from my neck. Her little warm fingers are so familiar with my hair. I wash it nearly every day for her. I like the smell of her soap on my skin.

I had not seen Cal's house, but I knew I could find it now by following his scent. It surprised me that he would choose to settle down in a human-made buildings. He had never had a permanent dwelling when I knew him. He moved about. Nomadic like me. 

I was certain of two things about Cal. One, that he always wore human clothes. Suits, ties, shoes. Always pressed, always clean. Second, that he had saved me. Twice.

Cal was a part of my other life. My life before Ava. The life where I killed without thinking, where I existed from one day to the next with no reason to keep going other than my immortality.

Before Ava is not a time I would like to think about anymore. But I have no choice. It is either go to Cal, do nothing and wait, or make Ava a noctalis. The last two options are impossible. So I must go with the first.

Even with the blanket, Ava is shivering. The air is thicker and warmer the farther south we go, but her body is vulnerable to chills. 

“How much longer?”

“A few minutes.” We have made it into Florida. Palm trees dot the landscape like pointing fingers, reaching for the sky. Nearly all the buildings are beige or rust or red-colored. I dip lower so she can feel the warm air closer to the ground. 

“I've never been to Florida.”

“Welcome to the Sunshine State.”

“Why don't you live down here? With the sun and all?”

“I have lived here before. Now I live where you live. Wherever that is.”

“The palm trees are weird. They kind of look fake. It's strange seeing different kinds of trees everywhere.” Sometimes I forget how young she is. How little she has seen.

Soon I pick up Cal's scent. It leads me to a residential area with houses in varying shades of brown stucco. This, I did not picture.

I know when I have found it. His smell is all over it. Along with traces of human blood. All noctali carry that smell. It is unavoidable.

“We're here.” When I set her down, she does not let go of me right away. I take her hand and we walk side-by-side.

“Here? A noctalis lives here?” I understand what she means. The house looks like any that a suburban couple might occupy, with perhaps a few children. There is a tidy lawn, even a few of those little lawn ornaments shaped like tiny people with funny hats that glare up at us as we walk by.

Her fear slips over me like a cloak. She had been so eager, but now that she is faced with the reality, she is scared. So human.

“He will know we are here. Stay behind me.” She obeys, ducking into my shadow, but not letting go of my hand. I will have to put some distance between us soon. Even though Cal is my oldest friend, that does not mean I will share my reason for the visit. Never trust a noctalis. 

Except for Viktor. I would trust him with anything. 

The front door opens, letting light flow onto the steps, outlining his form.

“Hello, Cal.” 

Cal pauses for a fraction of a second. “Hello, Peter. I was not expecting you.”

“I have come to ask you something.” Ava peeks from behind my shoulder. He takes her in for the space of a human breath. Soon, I am going to make her angry with me. But it cannot be helped.

“Please, come in. Both of you.”

Chapter Sixteen

Ava

On the outside, the house looks like Mr. and Mrs. Sunshine and their 2.2 children would live here. There's a white fence. Freaking lawn gnomes. I swear they glare at me as I walk behind Peter. I can't see the man standing in the doorway because it's too dark. Even for my heightened eyes. I'm still human. Ish.

When we finally get close enough to see him, I'm ready to turn around and go back home. There's something spooky about this house, and I can't put my finger on it. But Peter just drags me along. This is his friend, after all.

As soon as we step on the porch, Peter steps away from me. I'm instantly chilled, and I don't know why. Instantly, I'm hyper aware of the distance. 

Cal speaks first. 

“Your Claimed.” He tips his head to the side, and I get an impression of slicked-back blond hair. He's definitely not wearing sweatpants, either. It's some sort of suit. He's wearing shoes, too. Fancy leather dress shoes. Who was this guy?

“Yes,” Peter's voice sends ice down my back. The last time I heard his voice so cold, he was strangling me in the cemetery. Something is going down. Nice of Peter to let me know. I send him a mental kick in the family jewels.