Chapter 20
Twenty
Ru
Sully and I talk at the same time.
“I have no sire.”
“What the fuck.”
Voijin has eyes only for Sully. “You have no recorded sire, no recorded parents, but your DNA, your blood, came from somewhere and the vampire half was mine. I know. I was there.”
“Can you prove it?” I ask.
“He’d know if he drank from me.”
“No,” we say together.
“I won’t.” Sully abruptly stands from the couch and retreats to the kitchen.
“I understand,” says Voijin. “I have no desire to exert control over you. I like you free. You’re obviously thriving.”
My gut clenches at the thought that something like control would even be possible. I wish my parents were here. They knew more about vampires than I do. More about the relationship and expectations between sire and fledgling.
Sully paces behind the couch to the kitchen and back. “This doesn’t change anything.”
“Doesn’t it?” asks Voijin, voice laced with hope. “I would help, if you’d let me.”
A pained noise escapes Sully’s throat. “It makes things worse. It’s one thing for you to let me rot away in an underground prison when we were nothing to each other, but knowing you’re my…
You know what, I’m not even going to say it.
Knowing what you know, it’s even worse you let them hold me captive for so long. You could have freed me sooner.”
“I should have. I’m sorry.”
I can’t take this anymore. Voijin’s simpering apologies. Seeing Sully hurting. I stand and gesture toward the door. “You should go.”
Voijin’s straight-backed posture falters, shoulders slumping forward. He rises, extending the messenger bag out to me. “For him. No strings attached, though I’d very much like to remain in touch.”
“Then fucking text like a normal person. No creeping, no spying, no showing up at our door.”
“My card is included.” He nods toward the bag, now in my hand. “As is my phone number and all relevant contact information. If there’s anything you need—”
“There’s not.”
He ducks his head and moves toward the exit.
I glance over my shoulder at Sully. He looks conflicted, uncomfortable, angry. He holds Twenty-Four like a lifeline and sometime during all this talk, Socks showed up to weave circles around his ankles.
Before leaving, Voijin says, “I won’t tell anyone of your location. You have my word. The last thing I want is for Sulliva—sorry, Sully—to end up in custody again. If you believe nothing else, please believe that much.”
I don’t know what to believe, but I’m glad to see the back of him as he goes.
I lock the front door and watch through the window to make sure he’s leaving for real. There’s no car, no tracks past the footsteps up to our porch, so I’m not even sure how he got here.
One second he’s walking away, hands in his pockets, and the next he disappears. Just vanishes into nothing. I shiver.
Fucking creep.
When I return to the living area, I see the back porch door hanging open and Sully standing outside, sock-footed in the snow. Socks meows her distress from the threshold.
He’s staring into the distance, in all his ethereal beauty, auburn hair ruffling in the breeze. I watch as he takes a deep breath in, shoulders rising, then lets it out slow and steady.
“You all right out there, Sully?” I’m not sure what he needs right now, a friend at his side, or some space to think things through on his own, but the idea of him leaving the cabin without me makes me nervous.
He nods, a little tip of his head, but stays silent. Poor Sully.
I set the messenger bag on the kitchen counter and sort out the contents.
Bagged blood. As much as Voijin could fit into it, apparently.
I put that into the fridge. A manilla envelope, the contents of which are as promised, all the papers and documents Sully will need to begin a regular life should he want one.
Lastly, an envelope, which maybe I shouldn’t open.
Maybe it’s a heartfelt letter. Maybe it’s not for my eyes.
But Sully isn’t ready to face anything else at the moment, so I take a quick peak inside. I won’t snoop further. Not if it’s a letter. It’s too stuffed to be a letter anyway, at least not only a letter.
And it isn’t.
It’s cash. Mixed bills, mostly hundreds and twenties, maybe ten grand. Maybe more.
Shit. Well, it’s the least the motherfucker can do.
With these documents, we truly can escape now. Assuming, of course, that Voijin’s word is to be believed. That he won’t tell. That no one else knows.
We could travel at night. Book some tickets. Establish credit and a bank account for Sully with this money and these documents. He’s well and truly free.
I stare out the window at him. Free, maybe, but he just looks sad, face pressed into the soft fur of Twenty-Four’s back.
I grab a fuzzy blanket and head outside. “Aren’t you cold?”
He shrugs. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“But you love to be warm.” I wrap the blanket around his shoulders and give him a tentative hug.
“Thanks,” he murmurs against my neck. “That feels nice.”
I rub his back. He might not be cold, but I won’t be able to stay out here for long. It’s beautiful though. The woods bathed in snow. It’s brighter out than usual, with a full moon reflecting light off the rolling white landscape.
Sully plants a kiss on my jaw. “You’re cold. Go on in. I’m going to stay here and think for a bit. I’ll come in soon.”
I give him another hug, kiss his hair, and head inside.