Chapter 23 Blood, What More Could You Want?
Blood, What More Could You Want?
Iwas going to die, or at least break bones.
My palms shot out to stop my fall. My power erupted, thrashing against the floor and rebounding back into my face, blinding me.
At the same time, a hand clasped my arm.
I hovered, dangled, halfway to face-planting on the ground.
My power fizzled as I was hauled upright.
“Whoa, we don’t need injuries in the house,” Josh said, releasing my arm.
“You scared me!” I blurted. “Can you let me know when you’re coming?”
He laughed, like it was funny I’d just lost years off my life. “Sorry. I didn’t exactly sneak down the stairs. I thought you would have heard me.”
Maybe I couldn’t hear him over the blood pounding in my ears. My throat was sandpaper as I swallowed. “Lottie is hiding down there.”
“Go back up.” He slipped past me, still laughing. “I’ll get her.”
Fighting the urge not to run, I turned, five, four, three, two. I exhaled as I burst into the light.
Josh came back up moments later, holding Lottie’s hand. Her hair was messy, her cheeks flushed, but she was fine. At the sight of her, I felt a relief that made no logical sense.
“I won.” She grinned, her tiny teeth flashing.
I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. “You sure did. Please don’t go down there again though, Lottie.”
She stepped back and peered up at me. “It was a pretty good hiding spot though, right?”
I smoothed down her hair. “It was, but there are tools and things down there that kids shouldn’t be around.”
“The cookies are cool enough to eat, if you want one. I have them on a plate for you,” Josh declared. “You can eat them in the sitting room, and we can watch TV.” He didn’t need to say more—they ran to the kitchen.
I snapped the door shut and felt my body relax.
He ran his eyes over me. “You alright?”
He could probably still hear my heart beating faster than usual. “Fine. Next time, call out or something to let me know you’re there.”
“Sorry, I honestly thought you’d hear me. I spoke to Billy before I came down.” A smile edged the corner of his lips. “And you were only eight steps in.”
Did I count them out loud? I must have done. Color warmed my cheeks. “I don’t like basements,” I muttered, not wanting to admit it was the dark, though probably from the nightlights Karson had around everyone knew.
“I can see that. The big, tough witch doesn’t like basements,” he teased, wriggling his finger at me.
“Shut up.” I punched him lightly on the arm and walked off.
He followed me, his footsteps tapping on the floor. “You do realize if there’s a tornado, a basement is the best place to be. Also, there’s wine done there and blood—what more could you want?”
A way to escape.
We passed Lottie and Billy with a giant choc-chip cookie on a plate in their hands as they made their way to the sitting room.
“I’m not a vampire, so the blood thing isn’t exactly a selling card,” I said.
“Fair point.”
The scent of chocolate and sugar in the kitchen slid up my nose and down to the pit of my empty stomach. The cookies were on a cooling tray. They were fat and fluffy and looked amazing.
“Cookies, however, and you’d almost convince me.” I grabbed one and took a bite. An explosion of sweetness floated across my tongue as it melted in my mouth. I closed my eyes and practically moaned with pleasure.
“Good?” Josh asked.
I opened my eyes. His ass was perched up on the bench, a cookie in his hand, swinging his thin long legs.
I swallowed down a mouthful. “These are best cookies I’ve ever had.”
Delight lit Josh’s eyes. “The kids and I made them.”
“Well, you are a good cook.”
He took a bite, screwed up his face, and chewed as if the cookie was filled with vinegar. He sat it on the plate. “No matter how many times I eat things I once loved, they still taste like shit.”
“Why are you eating it, then?” I asked, bemused.
“I’m hoping one day my tastebuds come back. They’re meant to change every twenty-one days, apparently. I miss the taste of food.” He picked up the discarded cookie and stared down, despondent.
I grinned, but when I noticed the sadness in his eyes, my grin fell.
Being a vampire must be hard to get used to.
As amazing as the skills would be, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose the joy of food.
Lose the moments of connection we all loved and needed, like dining out with friends, or eating ice cream on the beach as your toes curled in the sand.
Vampires did eat sometimes and retained the tradition of dinners.
Well, Karson had done so when I first came to his house, but whether that was for the humans’ sake or his, I was uncertain.
I went to ask how long ago he’d been turned, when Karson walked in.
His gaze flickered over Josh, brimming with annoyance. “Is there any reason you haven’t checked the perimeters yet, Joshua?”
Josh grimaced and leapt off the bench. “No, I just thought I’d spend some time with the kids to help Mary out. I’ll go now.”
“Good idea. I highly doubt Pixie will be in a gracious mood being left there on her own all day.”
Josh scurried out of the door.
I polished off the cookie. “He’s been helpful. He’s great with the kids.”
“I understand that, and I give him far more freedom than the others because Georgie seems to appreciate his company, but he still has a job to do.”
The kids walking in halted our conversation.
Billy put the plates on the sink and turned back to gaze up at Karson. “Are you really Superman?”
Karson’s lips quirked up. “Not quite, Billy.”
“But you can run fast, right?”
“I can.”
Billy’s eyes lit up. “Can you take me running really fast now?”
There was a long pause, then he said, “I can, as long as you agree to tell no one. Deal?”
“Deal.” Billy nodded, holding out his fist for a fist bump.
Karson looked down at his fist, appalled. I chuckled. He straightened Billy’s fingers out and shook his hand. “Men shake hands, Billy, they do not fist-bump each other.”
They shook hands, then Karson squatted down and turned around. “Jump on.”
Billy smiled, slightly misaligned teeth flashing as he climbed onto Karson’s back, wrapping his arms and legs around him.
Karson took hold of Billy’s legs, sprang to his feet, and ran out of the room.
Not quite vampire speed, but much faster than your average human.
Billy’s giggles floated through the house.
I took Lottie to the sitting room and put cartoons on the TV.
She stared at them as if she was in a trance.
When they came back a few minutes later, Billy’s face was flushed red, and his smile brightened the whole room.
Karson squatted so the boy could climb off his back.
“That was so cool! We jumped over this big table.”
“My turn, my turn!” Lottie squealed.
Karson swooped her into his arms, then swung her onto his back. “Ready?” he asked.
“Yes.” She grinned. And they disappeared in shrieks of laughter.
I suddenly envisaged a life with him, with us, with our own family. I was only twenty-two and not ready for children. But it was a life I had always craved. A family to call my own, one filled with love and laughter and happiness. The sounds of giggles and tiny feet were ones I wanted—one day.
Karson returned with a giggling Lottie.
“Go wash up for dinner,” he said as Lottie clamored off. The kids ran upstairs, chatting and laughing the whole way.
Our eyes locked. Was he thinking the same? Was he imagining tiny Karsons running around the house. He was infertile, but so were his parents until a spell from witches resulted in his birth. It was possible.
Monique’s voice broke the moment. “I’m looking for some balls, tiny little things that belong to Karson.” She held her fingers in a pinch. “They seem to have gone missing.”
He rolled his eyes and went to pour a whiskey.
“I think it’s sweet,” I said defensively. “And it helps the kids.”
She threw me an annoyed look. “Yes, well you would think it’s sweet.” She spoke to Karson before I could respond. “I’m off. I assume everything is under control at the little house on the prairie?”
“Yes, Monique,” he answered dryly. “We have it in hand.”
“Fabulous.” She fluttered a hand as she exited the room. “Night, night, Mary Ellen.”
“Different show entirely,” I called out behind her.
“You’d know.”
I flopped back on the couch, exhausted. “What did you give Billy to help heal his toe? He barely seemed to notice any pain today.”
He paused briefly and then diverted his attention out the window, as if my question made him uncomfortable. “I gave him cough medicine.”
I sat forward, narrowing my eyes. “Cough medicine? There’s no way cough medicine could help heal a broken bone.”
A one-shoulder shrug. “I may have added some of my blood.”
I blinked. “Your blood?”
He turned to face me. “It has healing properties. It probably wouldn’t fix the break entirely—it has its limits, especially for humans—but I thought after all he’d been through …” he waved a hand dismissively, “it would help.”
I wasn’t sure whether to be horrified he’d fed a child blood or softened by his desire to help.
I cleared my throat. “Alright.”
“Alright?”
“You helped, that’s all that matters … I guess.”
Dinner was a noisy and messy affair. Karson and Michael went looking for Leah.
Georgie read the kids bedtime stories; Lottie was already asleep by the time I came in to say good night.
I stood by the door, watching Georgie. She was lying with Billy’s head rested on her shoulder.
She looked up and smiled, and I felt my chest loosen; my friend was back.
Georgie finished the story, kissed Billy on the forehead, and climbed out.
I said good night to Billy and turned off the light as Georgie left the room.
“Amy,” Billy called out.
I half twisted back. “Yes, sweetheart.”
“My mom is a vampire now,” he whispered.
A flood of emotion soared through me. Did I lie to him? I couldn’t protect him from the truth he already knew. I went over and sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing down his hair. “I know, Billy, I’m so very sorry.”
“You believe me, then?” He pushed up on his elbows. “The police, they didn’t believe me.”
“I believe you, Billy.”
“She killed Mack and the lady. Why did she do that?” Tears welled in his eyes. “Mack was my friend.” His voice shook. “He was my best friend.”
Tears stung my own eyes as I wrapped my arms around him. “I know, sweetheart. I know. When vampires are new, they can’t control what they do, so your mom wouldn’t mean to hurt anyone, but she can’t stop herself. It’s not her fault. She loves you both very much.”
“What will happen to her?” he asked, scrubbing his face on his pajama sleeve.
How did you tell a child their mother would probably have to die? There was always hope that Karson could get her the help she needed. I scrambled for the right answer. There were some truths that were too painful, too horrific to tell.
“I’m not sure,” I said at last. “But you’re a brave young man and you have Lottie, so no matter what happens, you’re both going to be alright.”
He choked back a sob. “Who’s going to look after us now?”
The pain in his voice almost brought me undone. Don’t cry, I told myself. Don’t cry in front of him.
“We’ll find someone wonderful, I promise you that.” I ran a hand through his hair and kissed the top of his head. “Go to sleep now. You’ve had a huge day and it’s getting late.”
I went to our room and cried for that little boy and his sister. And I cried for the little girl inside me who had felt so lost, afraid, and alone for all those years. I cried until I fell asleep.