57. Changes
Chapter 57
Changes
Rancho Bautista del Murciélago—The next night
H enry followed Cerissa as she rushed out the front door carrying another case of clone blood. He shut and locked it. “I do not see the need to hurry to Karen’s side immediately. We can at least take some time together first.”
Would waiting an hour make a difference? His anger at Karen still simmered over the way she’d entrapped Cerissa into doing her bidding. He could do with some time to cool off, so he didn’t snap at the newborn again. He could also use some time with his mate to reconnect after their argument yesterday.
“Uh, she and Rolf are having some adjustment issues.”
Hearing that, Henry softened. “I see.” Living with a newborn could be challenging. He opened the garage door, put the case of clone blood in the trunk, and held the Viper’s passenger door for Cerissa. “Rolf is going to need a lot of support if Karen got any of your personality in the transition.”
She slid into the front seat. “That’s not a nice thing to say.”
“Cerissa, you are very strong willed. You made Karen into a robust vampire. If she becomes as dominant as you are, Rolf will require our help to adjust and cope.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
Henry got in on the driver’s side and looked over his shoulder as he backed out. “Just remember, Rolf and I have some experience in these issues. You’ll need both of us in your corner to handle her.”
“I’m glad you’re counting yourself as part of the team, Henry.” She pulled down the visor and applied her lipstick in the mirror.
“I may have had no choice in the matter, but yes, I am.”
She frowned at him, inserting one end of the lipstick into the other with a loud clack , and dropped the tube into her purse. “You had a choice—you just left the decision to me.”
Henry didn’t bother arguing. She was right, but she was wrong—her ambiguous voicemail hadn’t allowed him to weigh in on the decision. But Karen hadn’t allowed Cerissa any time to consider the matter, either. He kept his thoughts to himself. Starting the same argument again wouldn’t help matters.
Do anything in haste and repent it in leisure.
He’d just have to press forward. “Did you reach Inanna?”
“Her answering service took a message. I haven’t heard back yet.”
He frowned. Inanna was their preferred plan, so any delay was unwelcome. After turning left onto Robles Road for half a mile, he drove up Rolf’s long driveway, past the horse corral. He parked and opened Cerissa’s door for her.
Cerissa remained pensive, biting her lip as she stepped from the car. When Rolf opened the front door to his manse, she rushed into the foyer. “How is she?”
Henry whooshed to stop her from waylaying into Rolf, abandoning the case of blood, and tugged at her elbow. “It’s polite to say hello first.”
Cerissa shook her head. “I’m getting weird vibes from Karen. What happened?”
“ Ach .” Rolf threw his hands up, then pointed at the archway leading to the living room. “She’s being impossible. Go in. I’ll get the case of blood you dropped.”
As Rolf walked to the driveway, Henry followed Cerissa into the living room. Karen sniffed the air, shot to her feet, and spun toward them. Her thin auburn brows lifted ever so slightly. “Cerissa?”
“Should I change forms?” Cerissa whispered, leaning into Henry.
“Stay as you are. She needs to become accustomed to you in your mortal form, especially when you’re both near other Hill vampires. But assert your authority.”
Cerissa offered her hand, and Karen latched on, rubbing her face against the palm. Her lips curled, her fangs extended, and her mouth inched along Cerissa’s wrist. Henry tugged on Cerissa’s arm.
“Let go,” Henry and Cerissa said in unison.
Karen’s chin jerked up. “But—”
“Now,” Cerissa added.
Karen dropped the hand and looked taken aback. “I wasn’t going to do anything wrong.”
Rolf returned at that moment and abandoned the case of blood on an end table, rushing to put his arm around Karen, and his pupils expanded to solid black. He drew her close as he sat next to her on the couch. She didn’t cry, but she looked like she might, and clung to him.
Henry nodded at his friend, and whispered to Cerissa, “Let Karen look to Rolf for comfort. That will help reinforce their bond.”
“When was the last time Karen fed?” Cerissa asked, taking a seat on the couch across from them.
“It’s been an hour or so.” Rolf reached into the carton of clone pouches on the end table, squeezed one to start the warming mechanism, and handed it to her. “It’s like having a baby in the house.”
Henry sat next to Cerissa. Why was Rolf sounding so annoyed? He had Karen back. “It will take patience with one another. But I guarantee the maturation process will occur faster for Karen than for a mortal baby.” He paused. “Now, Cerissa felt something was wrong, which is why we came over.”
Karen huffed and pouted. “He doesn’t want me sleeping in the same room with him.”
Henry raised one eyebrow. “Why is that, Rolf?”
Rolf shifted his legs, crossing his ankle over a knee. “She, uh, she moved things from her room upstairs into my crypt. I don’t like them.”
Karen stuck her tongue out at him. “All I did was bring down my stuffed animal collection.”
Henry had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing. According to Cerissa, Karen had quite a collection of stuffed animals—some Rolf had given her, some Cerissa had given her. At last count, they numbered over fifty, including the small beanbag variety.
Cerissa scoffed in Rolf’s direction. “What? You’re too macho to sleep in the same room with a bunch of stuffed toys?”
Henry squeezed Cerissa’s knee. She needed to back off from razzing him if this was going to work. They couldn’t risk Rolf abandoning Karen, both because of the negative affect it would have on Karen this early in her development, and because he knew Karen would move in with her maker if that happened, and constant proximity wouldn’t aid him in working through his complex feelings over Karen’s manipulation. And he and Cerissa had only just gotten their privacy back as Christine grew more independent from him. Selfishly, he preferred not to have a houseguest. “Karen, I think Rolf is trying to tell you that sleeping with fifty stuffed animals in the room is not his style. If you want to sleep in the same room with Rolf, you two have to reach a compromise.”
“I just want familiar things around me. Rolf’s sleeping quarters are so stark.”
“Because all you’re supposed to do there is sleep,” Rolf snapped. “My crypt doesn’t need decoration or clutter.”
Henry struggled to keep his expression sympathetic. Compromise was the key. “Karen, among the fifty, are there one or two to which you’re particularly attached?”
She rolled her eyes. “I suppose.”
“Can you make do with those two?”
She huffed and her shoulders drooped. “Fine.”
“Do you want help to move the others back to your room upstairs?” Cerissa asked, giving an encouraging smile.
Thank goodness Cerissa supported his suggestion. If everyone responsible for Karen worked in sync, it would encourage her to grow into her new role as a vampire faster.
“Yeah, if I have to.” Karen rose from the couch. “It took a few trips to bring them down there.”
Cerissa squeezed his hand. “Henry, would you go with her?”
He blinked. “You want me—”
“I don’t want to invade Rolf’s territory. While you’re gone, he and I have things to discuss.”
Henry sighed and stood. “Understood.”
Karen led the way downstairs, flipping on the lights. Rolf’s sleeping area was unfinished, no tapestry or paintings on the walls, nothing cheerful at all. Just bare block wall bricks and a stout door, like a monk’s cell. When Henry had created a bridal suite for Cerissa, he’d painted the room and hung tapestries to counter the chill.
Karen’s reaction made sense. With time, as she lost her humanity, perhaps the two could agree on what their sleeping room should look like, assuming they continued to slumber in the same room. Sleeping together wasn’t a cultural expectation—vampires didn’t cuddle until they fell asleep. Once the sun rose, sleep was instant.
Karen plucked two stuffed animals from the pile and hugged them close to her chest. “Beaver is Rolf, and I’m Otter.”
Rolf was the Beaver? There wasn’t any good way to respond to that, so Henry kept his mouth shut. One at a time, she piled the others into his arms.
“Um, perhaps we could get a large bag to put them in,” he suggested, ill at ease holding the toys.
“Surely you can carry these upstairs?” Her voice was singsong-y with sarcasm “They aren’t heavy.”
Henry looked heavenward for help—although all he saw was the crypt’s brick ceiling—as she placed as many into his arms as he could awkwardly hold. She picked up the rest and returned Beaver and Otter to the cot. He ascended the stairs with her following and stepped into the kitchen when his phone rang. After dropping the stuffed animals on the nearby counter, he grabbed his phone off his belt. “Cerissa?”
“Stay in the crypt. Liza and Vishon are here, demanding to see Karen. Tig and Jayden are with them.”
“I’m coming. Karen will stay here.” He hung up, then clipped the phone to his belt as he explained the situation. “Go back to the crypt and wait there.” She didn’t move. “Now.”
Once he put power behind his voice, she scampered down the staircase. He straightened his shirt, tucking the loose fabric into the waistband of his slacks, and strode to the front door. “What is happening?” he asked when he arrived.
“Liza and Vishon want to see Karen,” Tig said, with Jayden at her shoulder. “When asked, I told them what Rolf told me: Karen checked out of hospice against medical advice and returned home. The vice mayor and councilman insist on seeing her.”
“I’m sorry, Rolf,” Liza said. “There are too many rumors floatin’ around. No one understands—”
“Karen is dying.” Rolf ran his fingers through his hair, sweeping the bangs aside. “No one understands why we want to be left in peace?”
“It doesn’t make sense.” Liza braced a hand on his shoulder. “To anyone. Dr. Clarke doesn’t believe she walked out of hospice. Her cancer is too far advanced. Someone carried her out—alive or dead.”
Henry scowled at them. “So you would violate the sanctity of Rolf’s home with unsubstantiated allegations and—”
Liza held up a habeas corpus warrant, the words in large print across the top and signed by a judge from the San Francisco community. Rolf snatched the document and Henry read over his shoulder. The warrant demanded they produce the body of Karen Turner.
?Híjole! How had the council members acted so quickly? Surely Marcus hadn’t assisted them, and from the expression on Tig’s face, neither had she.
“Vishon called in a favor,” Tig said.
Vishon’s nostrils flared. “You didn’t have to tell him that.”
“Huh, is that so?” Tig snorted right back at him. “You’re driving this bus too fast and it’s going to spin out of your control. How do you think Haley will feel if your suspicions are correct? Will she want Karen executed? Or Rolf?”
“If they broke the law, she’ll understand. The Committee on Mortal Rights has struggled with this very issue. And he”—Vishon pointed at Henry—“chaired the committee. He demanded strict one-for-one replacement. A Hill vampire had to die before he’d approve a new one. And here he stands, covering for his business partner. Hypocrite.”
Guilt flooded Henry’s gut. The same thing he’d told Cerissa. Karen’s turn violated everything he believed in and had fought for over the past sixty years.
Liza motioned for them to stop. “You guys, slow your roll.”
“Ha!” Vishon sneered. “It is up to the council to grant the open spots fairly. Had Rolf submitted his request—”
“Vish, cut it out. We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s dial it back.” Liza dug her fingers into his shoulder. “Where is Karen? Upstairs in her room? Somewhere else? Once we see her, we’ll report back to the council.”
Rolf clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes. “You held a meeting without me?”
Vishon tugged away from Liza’s grasp and stepped into Rolf’s space, almost bumping chests. “You were the subject of the meeting.”
“Fer cryin’ out loud—enough!” Liza used both hands to pull Vishon back, then slid between them, still standing on the front porch. “No more pussyfooting around. Show us Karen.”
Henry had to think fast. Cerissa could morph into Karen’s form. But she needed time to change clothing. They’d seen what she was currently wearing. “Give us a moment to warn her—”
“I don’t care if her hair is covered in rats. We need to confirm nothing illegal happened.” Liza pushed the door open wider and came inside with Vishon and Tig on her heels. “Tell us where she is. Now.”
Footsteps sounded behind him, and Henry swung around.
Karen.
Liza gasped, Vishon snarled, and Tig shook her head.
Henry would have liked more time to carry out their original plan, but Karen had ended that option. What was she doing out of the basement? He bit back a growl. What was she thinking, being so rash yet again ?
Vishon tapped his phone and held its camera pointing at Karen.“Christ on a cracker, you guys didn’t…” Liza said, jerking her gaze from Rolf to Henry, betrayal clear on her face.
“No, they didn’t,” Karen replied firmly. “But they can’t hide me forever—even if they just wanted to give me some time to adjust. Come into the living room. We can talk there.”
Rolf slapped Vishon’s arm, knocking the phone to the floor. “I did not give you permission to record in my house.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Vishon stooped to pick up his phone. “Tig and Jayden record everything.”
Body cams . Henry groaned. The Hill’s police officers wore body cams attached to their uniforms. “As Karen suggested, let us move this to the living room.”
Once they were all seated, Liza asked, “Who’s your maker?”.
Karen turned her anxious face in Cerissa’s direction. “Someone who isn’t a treaty vampire. Someone who was on the cruise with us. She sired me at my request.” Karen bit her lip, fangs hanging over. “May I have more blood, please?”
Before Henry could move, Cerissa scrambled to get a pouch, and passed it directly to Karen. He understood what she was trying to do—Karen’s maker would be the one to act, and handing the bag to either Henry or Rolf might point suspicion in their direction, implying one of them was her maker, even if they weren’t.
“Did the turn happen within our jurisdiction?” Liza asked.
“No.”
“That’s enough,” Rolf snapped. “You don’t get to question her without a lawyer present.”
Vishon smirked. “But we can place her under arrest and take her to jail.”
Henry couldn’t allow the situation to snowball. He turned toward Liza. “Would you consider house arrest? She’s a new vampire. You can’t put her through the trauma confinement would cause this early in her development.”
“Good idea.” Tig’s eyes brightened. “I have an ankle monitor in the van.”
Vishon’s pupils expanded to all black. “She should be in jail.”
“No,” Liza said. “Henry’s f’n right. A new vampire needs her friends close to help her transition. Besides, with her feeding schedule, we’d have to pay someone to deliver blood every hour. We’ll save the town money if she stays here—something you should be all in favor of, Vishon.” Liza glanced over at Tig. “Do it.”
“Jayden, would you please get the monitor from the van?” Tig asked.
“On it, chief.” Jayden jetted out the door.
Rolf narrowed his eyes at Liza and Vishon. “Now that you’ve seen her and made your decision, leave.”
“Please.” Henry raised his hands, patting the air, urging calm. They needed to confer privately to figure out their next steps. “This has been a bit much for Karen. We will answer all your questions in due course. We always intended to do so. While I understand why you’re surprised, nothing untoward has occurred.”
“We’ll hear you out,” Liza said, “but ya gotta know—”
“Lies,” Vishon bellowed, shaking a fist at Henry. “Lies! Your status as founder won’t protect you this time.”
Karen shot to her feet. “Fuck off, asshole.”
Vishon faced off with her. “I am a councilman. You don’t talk to me like that.”
Henry stayed seated, torn between intervening—and appearing to be Karen’s maker by doing so—and feeling guilty that Vishon had taken Henry’s measure and had every reason to find him wanting.
Liza pulled Vishon back and side-eyed him. “Are you stupid enough to start a fistfight with a newborn vampire? With the chief right here? Don’t be a dimwit, Vishon.”
Rolf stepped in front of Karen and glared at Vishon. “Leave my house.” He pointed toward the entryway. “Now.”
Liza grabbed Vishon’s arm and headed to the foyer, Rolf trailing behind them, which would ensure their exit.
Jayden returned with the ankle monitor in a plastic case, and Tig strapped it to Karen’s leg. No one would let Jayden get within grabbing distance of a new vampire.
After Tig finished, Henry pulled her aside. “Why didn’t you warn us?”
“They surprised me with the signed warrant. No time.”
“You could have phoned or texted on the drive here.”
“Liza was in the van with Jayden and me. Besides, there couldn’t be a record of the call.”
“Ari would have removed all trace.”
Tig huffed out a breath. “Henry, I hate this as much as you do, but I’m caught here between our conspiracy and my duties. Sometimes, my duties are going to win out. I warned you last night: I can’t control everything.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched Tig and Jayden leave, tension pounding through his skull. Instead of regretting Karen’s hasty decision at leisure, things were moving faster than they could keep up with, and he swallowed down his own guilt in the matter. He had to do something to save them—but what?