The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven (113 page)

             
When their eyes opened, they both looked at me funny. “Your hair,” Josef said. I looked over my shoulder at my friends nervously. Cameron cleared her throat and casually pointed to the left side of her hair. I needed no more conformation to know I had another blue streak. I let out a sigh and stood up ready to tell my friends let’s get the hell out of here when the old woman stopped me. I towered over her tiny five foot four frame.

             
I squared my shoulders ready for her next attack. Josie placed a kind hand on my shoulder. “Ella,” she said in a voice letting me know I needed to back down.

             
“Gran,” Josef said, taking her hand and pulling her back. “Enough of this. You know they are not a threat.” She made a noise then shuffled her feet back to her chair. “Please, have a seat. I apologize for my grandmother. She has a hard time trusting people.”

             
“Clearly,” I said, rubbing my hand and narrowing my eyes at her. She just smiled. “I think we should go.” I gestured for my friends to hurry up and make a quick exit out of there before we ended up taking the whole house down.

             
“Please, don’t go,” Josef begged.

             
“You’re the one my grandson talked about,” the old woman said, making me stop in my tracks.

             
“Grandson?” Josie asked confused, looking at Josef.

             
I looked over my shoulder and into the eyes of the elderly woman. I knew exactly who she was talking about. “Tristan,” I said breathlessly. Everything clicked in that moment. “You’re Tristan’s grandmother. That’s why I recognized the garden.” She eyed me suspiciously. “That’s why I am here, to find him. You know don’t you. You know he’s still alive.”

             
She didn’t say yes, but I could see it in her eyes that she believed. “My child, you have a very generous heart, a little too generous. If you’re not careful with it, it will break.” She smiled like she knew some big secret I didn’t. “Josef.” She signaled for him to help her up. He did as she asked and walked her in to the next room.

             
“Wait, where the hell are you going?” I said annoyed. “What just happened?” I was so confused. First she knocks me on my ass. Then challenges me to a powers duel – which I clearly won – she mumbles some cryptic bullshit about me having a big heart and then walks away? No. That was not acceptable.

             
I stomped after her only to have the Caleb stop me. “It’s late,” he said.

             
“But I have so many questions,” I argued.

             
“I know, but they will have to wait until tomorrow.”

             
I looked at my watch. “But it’s only eight o’clock.”

             
Caleb grabbed my wrist. “Where did you get this?” he asked, examining the watch.

             
“It’s Tristan’s, it was a gift.”

             
He rubbed his thumb over the watch and I swear he was fighting back tears. “This was my dad’s watch,” he said softly.

             
“I’m sorry. I –”

             
“It’s okay,” he smiled. “You need it more than I do right now,” he said, patting my hand. I shook my head not understanding. “Come back tomorrow. We’ll have breakfast and talk.”

             
“Oh um…” I looked to my friends on how to answer.

             
“I insist and so would Deidre,” he said kindly. “Tomorrow morning I will help you with anything you need to help find my grandson. I believe you were brought here for a reason, that all of this was not just a coincidence.”

             
“Thank you,” I said at a loss for words.

             
“Tomorrow than.” He nodded and we headed for the door. I waved goodbye and followed my friends out to the car.

             
“Hey, wait up a second!” Josef called, running up to us. I stopped and turned around. “Um,” he blushed. “Are you guys really going to come back for breakfast?” he asked hopeful.

             
“I, well…” I wasn’t sure.

             
“Don’t let my gran scare you off. She’s just stuck in her old ways. I promise if you guys come back we’ll try to keep her on her best behavior,” he smiled sweetly.

             
“I’ll have to let you know,” I said, not able to make any promises. I knew I would be crazy not to come back. This was Tristan’s family, but I had a bad feeling Deirdre wouldn’t be much help.

             
“Well in case you decide to,” he pulled his phone from his back pocket and handed it to me. “Give me your number and then I can text you mine. You know in case you decide you need some help.”

             
“Smooth, kid,” I heard Billy whisper. I turned back to see Josie elbow him.

             
“Yeah, okay,” I said, ignoring them. I typed my number in and handed back his phone.

             
“Great,” he smiled. “Hopefully I’ll see you around.”

             
“Bye Josef.” I waved and hopped in the car.

             
“Looks like we got a little Tristan in training,” Josie teased and Billy laughed.

             
“Shut up you guys,” I said as I sat back and buckled myself in.

             
“Okay, so how crazy was all that? And what was up with you and that old battleax? If this is any indication of how the rest of the trip is going to go I need to stock up on some aspirin,” Cameron said.

             
“Yeah Ella, what hell was that between you two?” Josie asked, turning around in her seat.

             
“I have no idea, but I do know one thing. I’m going to take this as a good sign.”

             
“How so?” Josie looked at me like I was nuts.

             
“First twenty minutes in Ireland and we run into Tristan’s grandparents, if that’s not a sign then I don’t know what is.”

             
Cameron squeezed my hand letting me know she agreed with me while Josie sat back down in her seat the right way. We found the nearest hotel and checked in for the night. We ordered room service while Billy went down to the lobby to get some maps and find some information on the surrounding area.

             
I was so beat from the flight and the power battle that I could barely lift my hands to eat. I knew I shouldn’t have tried to use that much power so soon, but hey, I was not going to let that woman get me. Tristan’s grandmother or not. After I finished my burger and fries, I joined Billy at the table where he set up a little area of maps to look over. “So where do we start?”

             
“I think we need to start with you getting some rest,” Billy said, looking at me concerned.

             
“Billy, I’m fine.”

             
“Ella, you can fool Josie and Cameron, but you can’t fool me.” I began to protest but he stopped me. “I know you’re weak and feeling run down and after all that power you used tonight I’m surprised you’re still standing.”

             
“I can hold my own.” I was tired of everyone thinking I couldn’t handle myself.

             
“Look Ella,” Billy looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “I didn’t tell Josie or Cameron, but I know about your blood lust.”

             
“What are you talking about?” I said, pretending I had no idea.

             
“I can see it in your eyes. I know it’s uncommon for someone so young, but you’re different. We all knew that from the beginning.”

             
“Gee, thanks for the warning.”

             
“You know what I mean. You need to drink Ella. All this power you have is what is driving your need for blood. You’re going to burn yourself out if you don’t feed.”

             
“No, I can’t. I won’t.”

             
“Ella, this is part of who you are. Whether you want to accept it or not you are part vampire. You can’t deny your nature.”

             
“Watch me,” I said, stomping off into the bathroom. He was wrong. He didn’t know what he was talking about. I was perfectly fine. I survived this long, which was proof I didn’t need blood. I gripped the edge of the counter and took a few deep breaths. I looked up at myself in the mirror and wished I hadn’t. I looked deathly ill. My skin was ghostly white and the dark circles under my eyes were even darker than before. My once silky hair was now dry and matted. I turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on my face. I was rundown. I was weak and I was feeling the need for blood, but I refused to believe it. I just suppressed the urge hoping that it would pass. I took a breath and stepped out of the bathroom.

             
“Everything okay?” Josie asked.

             
“Yeah. I’m just not feeling well. I think I just need to lie down for a while.” I crawled on to the bed closest to the bathroom. My stomach was starting to twist up and I had a feeling it would be safer if I slept closer to the bathroom. I wasn’t ready for this. All this power, the need to feed, and everything else that came along with being a vampire. I just needed rest. I was sure as long as I got some rest I would be fine. No need for blood.

In the morning I received a text from Josef wondering if we were going to come for breakfast. I hesitated before I replied. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the morning with that wretched woman, but I needed answers and this was the first lead we got. I didn’t know what I should do so I asked Josie. “I don’t know Ella? That’s up to you.”

              “You’re a lot of help,” I mumbled. I replied back saying yes we would come over for breakfast. “Where’s Billy?” I asked Josie when I finished texting Josef.

             
“He went to go get supplies. He said he’d be back in time for us to leave.” I nodded and made my way into the bathroom to get cleaned up. I got in the shower and stood there for a few minutes. I was feeling week – weaker than I did yesterday. I was having a hard time just lifting my arms to wash my hair. I thought back to what Billy had said to me last night. Was he right? Was that why I was feeling so beat? I finished up and stepped out of the shower wrapping a towel around myself.

             
I was in over my head. I had no idea what was happening to me, my body, my mind. I learned so much but at the same time so little. I had so much more to learn about what I was. I looked at myself in the mirror. What happened to me? How did I let this happen? I needed to get a grip.

             
Billy was right.

             
I could no longer deny who I was. If I was going to find Tristan I needed all my strength and my sanity.

             
After I got dressed, I sat and waited with the girls until Billy returned. We each packed a small bag of supplies and headed down to the car. “Ella wait, I need you to help me with something,” Billy said, giving me look. “You guys go ahead. We’ll meet you down at the car.”

             
“Anything I can help with?” Josie asked.

             
“No. Be right down in a minute,” he said, giving her a quick peck. She gave him a suspicious look, but left with Cameron.

             
Billy waited a few minutes before he turned to me. He reached into his backpack and handed me a bottle. “Here, drink this.”

             
“What is it?” I asked.

             
“It’s what you need,” he said.

             
I already knew what it was and knew I could no longer argue with him or my body. When I didn’t take it right away he thought I was resisting again. “Ella you have to take it it’s –”

             
“I know,” I said, sighing. I took the bottle and unscrewed the cap.

             
“Little sips,” he said after I took the first gulp. “You need to take it gradually. If you do too much too soon you’ll get sick.”

             
I nodded and started to slowly sip it. “Why is it that I already have the blood lust?” I asked curious, hoping Billy had the answers I needed.

             
He sunk down into a chair. “Honestly Ella, I don’t know. My guess would be all the powers you possess. You’re the first Wanderer ever to possess as many powers as you do. That’s probably the reason you’re developing the desire for blood so quickly. The stronger the vamp the more blood you’ll need. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. I believe a lot of it stems from all the power you’re using. That’s why you are weak. You’re not letting your body regenerate itself.”

             
“Am I going to have to drink this every day?” I asked.