Sacrifice (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 2) (20 page)

I was looking down, fiddling with the scroll, trying to see a way forward when Mom reached across and put her hand under my chin. She pushed my face up so she could look me straight in the eyes.

‘Lili, you are clearly not telling me the truth here. What is going on? You say your husband is wonderful, but you’re afraid to be with him. You say it isn’t safe to be around him, because of the people he is in contact with. You say he isn’t involved in drugs, or anything illegal. You say he isn’t involved in any sort of cult. So, you’re telling me that all these things
aren’t
the problem, but what
is
the problem? If you tell me, maybe I can help. I’m not stupid, you know. It sounds to me like you’re into something way over your head; and you need help. Let me help you; if not for your sake, then for Ceylona’s.’

I sat there, staring back at her, and could feel tears beginning to well up in my eyes as my throat tightened. Damn it.

‘Sam … well, Sam isn’t like you … or me … or anyone else we know. Sam …,’ I still couldn’t bring myself to actually say the words. I just looked at her, blankly.

‘Yes? Tell me. No matter what it is, you can tell me.’

I hesitated, but could see the impatience growing on her face. Finally, in a voice that was not much more than a whisper, I continued.

‘Mom, do you believe in vampires?’

~ Chapter Twenty-two ~

I couldn’t believe I’d actually said the words out loud. But I also couldn’t believe the look on Mom’s face. It wasn’t what I’d expected at all. She wasn’t looking at me like I was insane. She wasn’t shaking her head. She wasn’t touching my forehead to see if I was delirious. Instead, it was as if I’d told her I had cancer and was going to die. This sadness seemed to envelop her face, draining her of all colour. She looked down at the table, biting her lip. When she looked up at me, the sadness had diminished, and there was something else there, something I had no reference for. After a moment, she took a deep breath, then swallowed so hard that I could see it.

‘Yes, Lili, I do,’ she said, looking at me intently, as if studying my face for a reaction.

‘You do?’ Could I possibly have heard her say that? I sat there, silent, not sure what to say now.

‘Yes. And since you’ve asked me that question, I assume it must mean you do too.’

‘Uh … yes, well, I guess you could say that.’ Now what was I to do? Tell her everything?

‘What do vampires have to do with this situation? I don’t imagine for a minute that you were just trying to change the subject.’

‘No, well, I mean, yeah, they do have something to do with this little problem of mine. Well, to be honest, they have a lot to do with it. In fact, they
are
the problem. But I can’t believe you’re taking this conversation seriously.’

‘And why would you say that? Do you think I’m so narrow-minded, or naïve and unworldly, that I couldn’t open my mind to the possibility of things that are outside our
normal
world? Don’t you recall what my all-time favourite TV show was?’

Of course I did, it was the one about tracking the aliens. Mom did like weird stuff after all.

‘Wow, I guess … I mean … I just thought …,’ I mumbled.

‘You thought that I wouldn’t believe you, if you told me something that was a bit out there. Well, try me. Tell me. What is going on?’

Okay. She was asking, seriously, and I was committed to saying something. I took a deep breath, then spoke quickly before I had too much time to think about it.

‘Sam is a vampire.’

She just nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. I’d seen this look before. This was a sign for me to continue, so I did. I told her everything; about how Sam and I met, and the weekend in Sydney with Tom and Claire; about how he dropped his illusion so that I could see what he really looked like; about not caring that he was
different
because I was falling in love with him; about meeting Crystal and Michael and learning what they are and how they came to be.

And as incredible as it seemed, she believed me.

‘Okay. So, you don’t feel that Ceylona is safe in Sam’s world, amongst the company that he keeps. But she is his daughter too. She is a dhampira and she belongs in Sam’s world, whether you like it or not. Surely, Crystal will be able to help you look after her. I doubt Ceylona is the first of her kind to be born here in Australia. What normally happens with these offspring? Why can’t Crystal and Michael, if not Sam himself, keep your daughter safe?’

I thought about telling Mom about the rogue vampire I encountered in the gardens, but I decided that much detail wasn’t really necessary, and it would just frighten her too much. Instead, I told Mom about Mladen and his school, and about Ceylona being born there. I even told her about Ceylona’s older brothers, Ben and Henry, and how well they were doing when I last saw them. Then I told her how the plan had been for me to have my baby as before, then when he, or in this case she, was two weeks old I’d return to Sam. That was how it was meant to happen, and then we were meant to come over for our holiday in California—for the Fourth of July. Then I told her what actually happened.

‘So you think she may just be a normal human baby, and you don’t want her growing up surrounded by vampires and dhampirs and God knows what other strange creatures that might be lurking in Sam’s world. I can understand that, certainly. A mother’s instinct to protect is very strong. So strong, in fact, that a mother can do things she might not otherwise do—like fly halfway around the world inside a metal tube propelled by technology that she doesn’t understand.’ Mom smiled as she said this, then stood and walked around behind me. She gave me a massive bear hug, and whispered in my hair, ‘Everything will work out fine—trust me; we’ll come up with a plan.’

Her sympathy and understanding was too much. Tears started to stream down my face, and I couldn’t stop them. She just hugged me tighter, saying, ‘There, there, it’ll be fine. Don’t worry; we’ll work this out, together.’

After a few minutes I regained control of myself, and when I sighed, she let go and walked back over to her chair to sit facing me with a look of determination on her face.

‘I still can’t believe that you’re accepting this Mom—that you believe me. You don’t think I’m nuts, or delusional or anything?’

‘No, I don’t. In fact, I’m sorry that I’ve kept things from you … things that might have made the last year of your life a little easier. Things that maybe I should have told you a long time ago,’ she said, her voice quiet and calm, but laced with a touch of sadness.

‘Mom? What do you mean? What things?’

Now I was really confused. What could she have kept from me that would have anything to do with this situation?

‘Did you never stop to wonder why it was that you were so quick to believe Sam? Or why, in fact, he trusted you enough to tell you his deepest darkest secrets? And why, once you had settled on him, you conceived so easily?’

‘Uh, no, I mean, why would I question any of it? It just … happened, didn’t it?’

‘Yes. I suppose so. Or maybe it was meant to happen. You know; fate, kismet, destiny and all. Or perhaps Sam, on some level, recognised how … special you are.’

‘Mom … what are you talking about? I mean, of course he thinks I’m special … he loves me.’

‘Can I have another cup of coffee, please? And I’ll just pop my head in to check on Ceylona,’ she said, standing up and walking into the bedroom where Ceylona lay sleeping.

I stood up, unable to speak—dumbstruck by the direction this conversation seemed to be headed. Mom knew something … and she was about to tell me … but what? I picked up our coffee cups and walked over to the bench and flicked on the jug to boil the water. Then I opened the jar of coffee. This was easy. This was mechanical. Just as well because my brain was in a total fog.

She was back before I’d even set our fresh cups of coffee down on the table.

‘I just wanted to make sure she was still sleeping. She’s such an angel. I’m sure you must be so proud of her. Any wonder you so desperately want to keep her safe.’

‘You’re not trying to change the subject are you?’ I asked, as I set the coffee cups on the table and sat back down.

‘No, of course not. Now, where was I?’

‘You were saying something about fate, and about Sam recognising me as being special. What did you mean by that?’

‘Ah, yes. Where to start … where do I begin?’ She rubbed her temples as though she had a headache, then put her hands on the table and looked up to meet my eyes. ‘You see, Lili, your father was a very special man. But you knew that. Everyone that ever met him knew it too. It was tragic, the way he died—unbelievably tragic. He had so much to give, so many years of research ahead of him. And then he was taken from us, so needlessly.’

She took a deep breath and smiled at me before continuing.

‘Your father was much older than you’d have thought he was. Indeed, Debra, or Debs rather, is much older than you’d guess. Tell me; how old would you say she is?’

‘Well, I know she’s Dad’s older sister … and he was older than you … so, oh, I don’t know, fifty-five? Maybe even a bit older. But she doesn’t look it … she looks as young as you do.’

‘That’s polite of you, Lili, but I daresay she probably looks younger than me, though I’ve not set eyes on her for nearly ten years now. But in actual fact, she will be eighty at her next birthday. Your father, if he was alive today, would be seventy-eight right now.’

‘Debs … eighty? How can that be?’ As I looked at Mom I could feel a frown burrowing deeply into my forehead.

‘Now, don’t you start getting all narrow-minded on me, Lili McIntyre. Trust me; Debs will be eighty this year. I kid you not.’

I had to admit I’d always thought there was something a bit, shall I say
different
, about Debs. But what was it? Had she found the fountain of youth? Then again, Mom said Dad would be seventy-eight if he was still alive. So, it was something they both shared, Debs and Dad.

‘Okay—I’m listening. What are you talking about? And what does it have to do with me?’

‘It has a lot to do with you, in actual fact. The reason that I believe you—the reason that I already knew about dhampirs and vampires before you mentioned them today—is because of who your father was and, therefore, who you are too.’

‘Who I am? You’re really starting to scare me, Mom. What are you talking about?’

She sighed again, and pressed her lips together, and frowned. Her frown reminded me of Sam. This was NOT a time to start thinking about Sam. Focus, Lili, focus.

‘Mom? What do you mean, who I am?’ I asked again.

‘Well, let’s just say you have more in common with Sam than you’d thought.’

‘More in common … you’re driving me nuts. What are you talking about?’

She shook her head, started to say something, then closed her mouth and shook her head again. She seemed to be having great difficulty finding the right words.

‘Mom? Please.’

‘Okay, look … I’ll tell you what your father told me. It was a long time ago, mind you, and I may not have the dates right, but in general it goes like this.’

~ Chapter Twenty-three ~

When Mom finally stopped talking, I simply sat there in a daze. I couldn’t have known this. Not on any level. I’d never heard of any of these people before. We’d only met Aunt Debs when Dad died. And we hadn’t done anything like a family tree or studied our family history. No, I’d never heard of any of these people and yet, as Mom told me the story, it felt like I had always known it—all of it.

‘So, you’re telling me my great-grandfather was a dhampir?’

‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.’

‘And that’s why Debs looks so young.’

‘Yes. And it’s part of the reason that I was so shocked when your father died. I mean, I just hadn’t contemplated life without him.’

‘So you knew all this … all along?’ I asked, not with any anger or fear. I felt sort of numb if anything.

‘Yes, he told me everything when I got pregnant with you. He wanted me to know what the possibilities were. There was a chance I might have a much shorter pregnancy than usual, and that my child might grow very quickly. He told me that he was in his late fifties, even though he only looked to be in his twenties. He told me everything, so that if I wanted to, I could end the pregnancy. Of course I wouldn’t hear of it. I wanted his child more than anything in the world.’

‘And yet, you never thought to mention any of this to me … all this time?’

‘I didn’t see any point. I carried you for the normal time, or near enough to. And you didn’t grow particularly quickly, so I saw no need to mention anything.’

We just sat there for a few more minutes—neither of us speaking. The conversation had gone completely the opposite of what I’d expected. I was expecting to have to defend my story. I thought she’d be telling me that I was a fool to believe any of this, and that Ceylona was just a normal little girl. Or that she’d accuse me of having taken some hallucinogenic drugs to have made up such a story. I thought she’d think I was an idiot to even suggest that she might believe it. But no, it was quite the opposite. Here was my mother, telling me things that she already knew; about my father, and my aunt Debs, and about me.

‘And so … you thought he would outlive you?’ I finally said.

‘Yes, of course. I always thought it would be me getting old, and having to say goodbye to him while he was still young and vibrant. Things did not go as I’d hoped, or planned, or expected.’ Her face was sad now, obviously remembering the shock of Dad’s death.

I still found it hard to believe, not that I should have I suppose. I mean, if I could believe it about Sam and Tom and Crystal and Michael, well, why couldn’t I believe it about my own family? I had vampire contagion coursing through my own veins, before I’d ever met Sam. Was this what attracted me to him in the first place? And him to me?

‘So, what do you think it all means then?’ I asked her.

‘I don’t know. I really don’t.’ She was nearly laughing, not hysterically, but perhaps at the irony of the whole situation. ‘But whatever it means, I’m here with you. I’ll help in any way I can. I’m not afraid of any of these people, and if anyone tries to hurt my granddaughter, well, heaven help them.’

This was a side of my mother I’d not seen before. She’d always been strong, of course. She was always there for me, and Raye, when we were growing up. After all, she raised us on her own after Dad died, and never had any help from anyone. She had no brothers or sisters, and her parents were quite elderly and lived frugal lives in a small town in Iowa. They never had any means to assist their daughter even if they’d wanted to. So Mom had been alone, and had never once complained, or at least not that I knew of. She was made of tough stuff. But this, well, this was something else. My mother embraced the challenge of this vampire world without even blinking an eye.

‘I suppose you understand why I had to lie to you then. It wasn’t that I wanted to; it’s just that … well, I never expected you to believe me. And yet here we are, talking about it like it’s just an everyday thing. Like as if I’d told you Sam was of European decent, or South American, or African. But he’s not any of those, is he? He’s a vampire … and you believe me!’

‘Yes, he’s a vampire. And you, my dear, are the granddaughter of a dhampir. You carry vampire contagion in your blood, and because of that, you may live much longer than a normal human.’

That stopped me dead in my tracks, so to speak. It hadn’t occurred to me, until she said it. If Debs looks as good as she does at nearly eighty, could this mean that I too might look young for a very long time? I barely dared to hope. And yet, could it be?

‘I’ll go check on Ceylona, if you’ll make me another cup of coffee. I’ve been told to stay awake until at least nine or ten tonight, so a bit more caffeine might help me achieve that.’

Mom was only gone for a few minutes, and when she returned she sat right back where she’d been, except now she had this look on her face that suggested she had a plan.

‘Have you thought of something? What are you thinking?’

‘Well, if you’re so determined to keep Ceylona safe, why don’t you bring her to California, and stay with me for a while? We can keep a close eye on her, and if she starts to exhibit signs that suggest she isn’t just a normal little girl, then you can bring her back to this Mladen of yours.’

‘Ah, well, we’re right back where we started, Mom. I don’t have my passport, and I don’t have any ID for Ceylona.’

‘Look, I think you’re being a little melodramatic when it comes to Sam. If he is so wonderful, and I have little doubt that he is or else you’d never have married him, then let him help you. I’m sure if you go to him, and explain why you ran, tell him that you were afraid for Ceylona, he’ll help you. And as for Ceylona’s ID, lots of women have home births. There are no doubt papers you can file to get Ceylona a birth certificate, and then a passport. I’ll stay here with Ceylona; you go to Sam. Talk to him.’

She was right, of course. I’d thought as much as soon as I’d arrived in Queensland, but I’d needed someone to talk to; someone to bounce ideas off; someone to help me see clearly. Thank God she came when she did.

I couldn’t see any point in wasting time. I’d book a flight, go see Sam, and beg for his forgiveness. Surely, he’d understand why I panicked. I’d miss Ceylona of course, but it would just be for a few days. If Sam didn’t react well, I’d come back here straight away. And if he did, then maybe Mom could come down, and bring Ceylona with her? Or Sam and I could come back here for a while? She was right, there had to be a solution.

Then I remembered Claire. She was coming to see me in Queensland. I wondered if she’d booked her flights yet. I worked out what the time difference would be and decided it would only be around ten o’clock—not too late for a text.

A few minutes later the phone rang, and it was Claire. I walked out onto the little balcony, and slid the door shut behind me.

‘Hi, Lili, I got your text. And no, I haven’t booked a flight yet. Dad rang Mum, and now she knows I’m coming over and has insisted I come to her first, before I go anywhere else. So, to cut a long story short, I’m not sure when I’m going to get to Queensland. Does it matter? Are you okay?’

‘Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m actually going to Melbourne for a few days myself, to talk to Sam about a few things. So, I just wanted to know when you were arriving. Maybe I’ll see you in Melbourne then, if I’m still there.’

‘Oh … well, okay then. I’ll ring you when I get there. You know, I’m dying to hear what brought on this separation. Are you sure you can’t tell me, now?’

‘It’ll be better to tell you when I see you, Claire. Really. It’s too much to discuss over the phone. But I’m fine. It’ll be fine. I just need to speak to Sam. But then I’ll probably come back up here in a few days.’

‘Okay, it’s getting so confusing, isn’t it? But never mind … I’ll talk to you soon.’

That was easy. Now there was nothing stopping me from just picking up the phone and telling Sam that I was coming down to talk to him. No, there was nothing stopping me at all, except for my shaking hands, and thumping heart, and sweating palms.