I HEARD MOM and Nika leave, felt Dad loitering around downstairs, but it was way too early to get up so I drifted back to sleep. When I woke up again, Mom and Nika were coming through the front door, laughing and complaining that their legs were going to be sore for the next three days.
Stretching and yawning, I decided to go join the living…and the dead.
When I got there, Nika was sitting at the kitchen table, a third of the way through her cereal. There was an odd sort of excitement inside her, a feeling that had been there ever since she’d spotted that guy moving in down the road. It was a little shocking, but my sister was finally developing a crush. While it made me happy that I would no longer be the only one of us having embarrassing feelings that made me curse our bond, I wasn’t looking forward to my sister’s mood turning all ooey-gooey, lovey-dovey.
Well, if I knew my sister—and I did—the crush wouldn’t last long. Nika was pretty sharp, and even if she did have a romantic buried deep inside her, she was more practical than passionate. She wouldn’t let herself fall for a guy who wasn’t exactly right for her. My sister had always had this ability to see the truth of a situation and adjust her feelings accordingly. Unlike me, she would never pine for someone who wasn’t available.
My mood sank some as I sat beside Nika. Sensing the emotional shift, she lifted her eyebrow in question. Ignoring her curiosity, I forcefully shook Raquel out of my thoughts, and said good morning to everyone. Mom promptly placed a bowl of food in front of me, then ruffled my hair like I was still three-years-old. Smiling at her, I murmured, “Thanks,” and dug in.
Leaning against the counter, Mom returned to her conversation with Dad, something technical about the herd at the ranch. Tuning them out, I glanced at Nika. Her warm brown eyes were locked on Mom and Dad, intently listening to the conversation about ringworm and foot rot. As I looked back at our parents, I realized another reason why Nika’s blossoming feelings were surprising. Nika wanted what Mom and Dad had—that intense, loving, unshakable connection that sometimes embarrassed the crap out of me. Nika wanted it so much that she tended to put every guy she saw on a set of scales—Dad on one end, the aforementioned schmuck on the other. Predictably, every teenager she’d ever come across had failed her internal test.
Sometimes I feared that they always would, that Nika would be alone forever because no one would ever be able to reach the pedestal she’d put Dad on. But then I remembered we were young. Mom and Dad had found each other late in life—God, they’d been just a few years shy of thirty!—so there was hope for Nika. And me too, if I could ever stop wanting to be with Raquel.
An hour later, we were on the road to our typical weekend destination—Adams Ranch. It was a spot that my sister and I still loved going to, even after all these years, even with our parents. While most kids our age were trying to avoid their family, we enjoyed being with ours. And the ranch was special, a place where we could be ourselves, unafraid of who might be watching. True, there were some ranch hands about, so we always had to be aware of them, but for the most part, they stayed clear of the main house.
Peter Alton, a guy who seemed more ancient than Gabriel, led the crew and kept the hired hands in line. He’d been with our family since before Nika and I were born. Dad said he’d married him and Mom, and had been around since Dad was young. While no one in the family spoke of it, we all knew that Peter knew our secret. He had to. He’d been around us for decades, and there was no way he could have missed the fact that only Grandpa Jack seemed to age. But Peter was loyal to our family, and we trusted him with our lives. Literally.
The ranch wasn’t too far away from the heart of the city, but it felt like stepping into another universe. Dad entered a code near the gate, and the massive iron doors began to creak open. The family name was spelled out in large, ornate iron letters along the top of the gate. The middle A was split in half as the doors pulled inward—AD on one side, MS on the other.
I always felt a sense of obligation when I drove through those letters. Nika’s name would change when she got married, and as the youngest man in the family, it was up to me to carry on the name. Not that my supernaturally long-lived Dad was going anywhere, but the weight of that responsibility was still on me. I’d confessed that to Dad once, and he’d told me not to worry about it. He’d said the family name had changed several times since Halina had started the ranch, back when she’d been human. In fact, Dad’s first name was a tribute to one of those past surnames—Teren was Imogen’s last name.
We followed the driveway until we reached a wide loop in front of the house, like our own private roundabout. In the center of the circle was a fountain with a giant statue of a woman crying. There was a smaller fountain like this one in the entryway of the ranch in California. We hadn’t lived there since I was five, but we usually checked on the old homestead when we were in town.
Dad swung around the circular drive to get to the garage, and I glanced at the front of the house as we passed it. It seemed more like a private boarding school than a home for just a handful of people. It had been made from deep-red brick, which reminded me of the Three Little Pigs—no wolf would be able to blow this sucker down. At the highest points, it rose to four stories. Not many knew it, but it went almost as far underground. Several tall, slim chimneys soared from the home to touch the sky. The roof they rested upon seemed equally eager to touch the clouds, with high, pointed arches everywhere. All of it made the home seem overly extravagant, a place that was beautiful to look at, but you didn’t dare touch anything. But, much like us, that was a façade. It was warm and welcoming here…it was home.
Dad drove his Prius through a circular building that connected the house to the garage. Well, it was more of a covered breezeway than a building, but it matched the style of the home so well, it seemed like you were about to drive right through the dining room or something. We all got out of Dad’s car before he turned and backed it into the garage. Even though we weren’t that far from the city, under an hour by car, even less on our vampire feet, the air here seemed fresher.
The back of the house was no less grand than the front, but the backyard was where all the fun things were. There was a ton of stuff to do here—play basketball, tennis, or go for a swim in the pool inside one of the outbuildings. The pastures around the house stretched back as far as a human eye could see. My sister and I used to play a supernaturally difficult game of croquet in those fields when we were younger. We’d honed our abilities by making shots from one fenced yard to another. We’d also gotten a severe talking to whenever we’d accidentally nicked a cow in the process.
Dad zipped out of the garage and joined us as we headed for the back of the house. Nika opened a door and stepped inside, into the main living room. Gabriel was already turned in our direction when we entered, since he’d heard us coming. The ancient vampire smiled and nodded his dirty-blond head. “Good morning, Nika, Julian…” he glanced behind us to our parents, “Teren, Emma.” Standing in a bright patch of sunshine, he tilted his head to the windows. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
Gabriel was at the same sun-tolerance level as Alanna, but he’d had the windows here vampire-proofed, so the family could be comfortable during the day. Well, everyone but Halina. Gabriel still couldn’t get the formula strong enough to help her. He was getting closer, or so he said, but he hadn’t perfected it for his pureblood girlfriend yet.
Dad waved at Gabriel. “Good to see you. The last few times we’ve been up, you’ve been away.”
Gabriel frowned. A shaft of light caught his eyes, and the dark jade lightened into a sea green color. “Yes. Jordan was having an…issue…at the Los Angeles nest.” He smiled, a little smugly for a guy his age. “It’s been taken care of though.”
Mom and Dad looked at each other, and a silent conversation passed between them. Nika bunched her brows, and I felt the curiosity rising in her, too. What exactly had he taken care of?
Putting his arm around Mom’s shoulders, Dad asked, “Anything we need to worry about?”
Calm, and seemingly unperturbed by anything, Gabriel smiled widely and shook his head. “No.”
Alanna and Imogen buzzed into the room then, their appearances so fast, they almost seemed to materialize from thin air. But my eyes had seen them blurring—Imogen from the dark cherry staircase in the corner of the room, Alanna from the archway leading to the kitchen. Alanna came up to me, while Imogen wrapped her chilly arms around my sister.
“Good morning, sweethearts,” they both cooed.
“Morning, Grandma,” Nika and I said at nearly the same time.
Pulling back from me, Alanna glanced at the injury near my eye. It was healing nicely, but it was obvious that I’d been cut recently. She didn’t say anything, though, just smiled and moved over to hug Nika.
After everyone had hugged and welcomed us, Mom turned to Alanna. “Where’s my mom?”
Smiling warmly at her daughter-in-law, Alanna pointed outside. “She’s helping Jack in the pasture.”
Grinning, Mom looked out the wide windows that offered a sweeping view of the fields. “She is? With what?” Mom said, laughing in amusement.
“Well, Jack is fixing a fence. Linda volunteered to be his assistant.”
Dad frowned and twisted to his mom. “I told him to wait until I got here.”
Alanna shrugged and sighed. “You know how he is, dear. If he can do it himself…he will.”
Shaking his head, Dad muttered, “Well, he’s going to ‘help’ himself into an early grave if he doesn’t take it easy every once in a while.”
Alanna bit her lip. Staring at her, she seemed to be the same age as Dad. Her youthful face was smooth and flawless, and the board-straight hair running down her back was thick and just as dark as mine. But Dad’s comment reminded me just how old she really was, and just how old Grandpa Jack was. A very human Grandpa Jack.
Imogen placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. She seemed just as young as Alanna in her face, but her “style” gave her age away. Dark hair piled atop her head in an intricate bun, Imogen typically dressed like an old-fashioned schoolmarm, while Alanna preferred the more casual, rancher look: jeans and a button-up shirt.
At seeing the look of sympathy on Imogen’s face and the look of grief on Alanna’s, Dad swallowed and shook his head. “Sorry, Mom…Gran. I just…worry about him.” Dad looked back at Mom. “Linda too.”
Mom rubbed Dad’s back as his eyes grew shiny. A bubble of sadness crept into me from Nika, and I subconsciously reached out my hand for hers. I felt the same way—everyone in the room did. Grandpa Jack and Grandma Linda were human, and were going to stay human until the very end of their natural lives. That was the sucky part of living forever; you lost people along the way.
Reaching her hand up to touch his face, Mom softly said, “I worry too, Teren, but…it’s not today.” She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Today…as Gabriel so wonderfully put it…is a beautiful day.”
Dad nodded and Alanna sniffed, then smiled. Cheerily, she looked at all of us and asked, “Anybody hungry?”
Nika giggled, and feeling her melancholy slip away, I relaxed the hold on her hand. We all said no, but Alanna looked like she was going to make us something anyway. Shaking his head, Dad told her, “No, really, Mom. I’m gonna go help Dad. Thank you, though.”
He turned to leave, but Gabriel held up his hand. “Hold on, before everyone disperses, I think someone would like to come up and say hello.”
His gaze drifted to the floor, to where Halina was sleeping. Only…she wasn’t sleeping. Now that I was paying attention to her, I could feel her minutely moving, like she was pacing. From below the earth, I heard a disgruntled voice murmur, “Hello.”
“You’re still awake, Grandma?” I asked, confused as to why she was burning the midnight oil. In her world anyway.
“Yeah…” was her mumbled response.
She didn’t seem happy that she wasn’t sleeping, and I had to wonder why she was still up. Gabriel strode to the middle of the room and looked down at where she was beneath us. Chuckling, he tilted his head at the floor. “This was your idea, love. You wanted to surprise them. Don’t tell me that you’re now…afraid?”
Halina’s form immediately shifted positions. There was a secret door beside the cherry staircase that Imogen had used earlier. The door was disguised as a large bookcase, but it swung inward on heavy hinges to reveal the hallway to the rooms underground. Halina was right at the edge of that thick door. My heart started thudding. She couldn’t come out here during daylight hours; she’d fry to a crisp.
“I am afraid of nothing…love.”
There was a fair amount of venom in her voice, but Gabriel easily kept the peaceful smile on his face. Alanna and Imogen clasped hands, looking nervous. Mom and Dad looked at each other, then Gabriel. “Can she come out here?” Dad asked. “Did you…did you fix the flaw in the glass?”
Dad looked really nervous about all of this. If Gabriel had gotten just one tiny thing wrong…Halina would be seriously hurt. She could even die from the exposure. I wasn’t sure how quickly it took a vampire to burst into flames, since I’d never seen it, but I didn’t want to find out.
Nika clenched my hand as we waited for Gabriel’s response. “I had a breakthrough, and I believe it will be strong enough for her…with limited exposure, of course.”
Halina harrumphed. “Yes, and it’s the words ‘believe’ and ‘limited’ that concern me. You still haven’t told me how long?”
Gabriel twisted in the direction of her voice. “I’m not sure…but I’m positive that you’ll be comfortable for at least twenty minutes. Perhaps longer.”
“You were also positive about the vaccine for silver that you gave me. I itched for two weeks straight!”
Gabriel twisted his lip. “I did apologize for my miscalculation.” Shaking his head, he cleared his expression. “But that was a different matter. I am confident that this will work.”
The room fell silent as everyone considered the ramifications of him miscalculating on this one. She wouldn’t come out of it a little itchy.
The bookcase silently pulled inward. When there was just enough space for a person to squeeze through, it stopped moving. We all held our breaths, waiting for Halina to pop her head out. Well, everyone but Gabriel was frozen in anticipation. He was breathing as normally as if he were alive, beaming with confidence as he watched the hole in the wall.
From the empty space, I heard, in Russian, “I am not afraid of anything, damn it.”
Just when I thought she was going to spend all day in that dark hallway, her hand came out to touch the living room wall. A foot shortly erupted from the darkness, then another one. Inch by inch, she cleared the recess. No direct light was reaching her from where she stood, but she cringed anyway, averting her eyes, waiting for the pain that normally would have stopped her in her tracks. Gabriel walked over and took her hand. Gently, he urged her forward.
Concern and astonishment clear on his face, Dad stepped forward too. I couldn’t tell if he was going to encourage this, or put a stop to it. Mom seemed unsure as well, but she grabbed his hand, halting him. Dad looked back at her, but stopped moving.
Nika’s heart was pounding as hard as mine as we watched Gabriel escort Halina into a bright patch of sunlight…the first sunlight she’d seen in over a century. She hesitated at the edge of the light, pulling against Gabriel’s hand. Then she inhaled, lifted her chin, and stormed into the disastrous ring of rays to meet her fate head-on.
Dad dropped Mom’s hand at that point, ready to surge forward and rescue Halina if needed, but Halina…was fine.
We all stared at her wide-eyed as she lifted her hands to examine the light and shadow playing across her flesh. “Oh my God,” she whispered. Lifting her head, she looked up at Gabriel beside her. “You did it.” Blood-red tears formed in her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. The tears shimmered in the bright rays. I marveled at seeing my grandmother in natural lighting. While still unnaturally pale, the undead woman glowed with life in the sun. “You really did it,” she repeated.
Gabriel gave her a warm smile, nodding. “Only for short periods of time, yes, but it will work for you.” Cupping her cheek, his face filled with a tender emotion that was rare to see on him. “I will find a way for you to walk in the sun one day. I promise.”
Halina giggled like a little girl, then threw her arms around Gabriel. Nika started crying as she watched the newly-freed vampire frolic in the sunshine. Glancing over Nika’s shoulder, I saw that Mom was crying too; even Dad had tears in his eyes. Awed by Gabriel’s mind and Halina’s courage, I watched in silence as Halina spun in circles on the daylight-filled carpet, her long, black hair wild and free.
Finally, Imogen walked up to the pair, her pale face still in shock. “Mother? Do you feel all right?”
Halina twisted around to her daughter, then scooped her into her arms. “I feel incredible!” Sighing, she rested her head on Imogen’s. In Russian, she whispered, “This is how I wish I could have raised you…bathed in sunlight. You deserved to have that childhood. I’m so sorry I could not give it to you.”
Imogen shook her head, and answered Halina in her native tongue. “It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t ever your fault, Mother.”
Halina nodded, and the pair hugged. Then everyone was hugging the pureblood vampire who, good or bad, had created us all. After a few minutes of joyful wonderment, Dad gave Halina one last hug and blurred away to go help Grandpa Jack with the fence. Nika and Mom went with him, to say hello to Grandma Linda. I stayed behind, wanting to speak to Halina before she had to hide away for the rest of the day.
Alanna scuffed up my hair, gave me a chilly kiss on the cheek, then blurred away to the kitchen to finish cooking lunch. I smelled bacon in the air, and bread…and fresh blood, probably from the same pig that had supplied the bacon. If anything, our family never let any part of an animal go to waste.
Gabriel and Imogen stayed behind with Halina. Gabriel watched her intently, looking for any sign of distress, but there didn’t seem to be any yet. Imogen watched her with a face full of joy. Halina was grinning more than I’d ever seen her as she examined different body parts in the sunshine. She was wearing an exceptionally tight, short skirt, and was watching how shadows formed across the curvature of her thighs when I approached her.
“Grandma?”
She immediately spun to me. A dark section of hair whipped around her face, and she grabbed a piece and smelled it. Inhaling, she murmured, “Maybe it’s my imagination, but I swear I can smell the light on me.” Dropping her hair, she giggled again. “It’s glorious.”
I smiled and nodded, happy for her, even though my thoughts had drifted somewhere else since seeing her. Halina had certain abilities that none of us had, and…even though Dad had said no, I wanted her to use some of those abilities to help my situation—to help Raquel.
Noticing my expression, Halina stopped laughing and tilted her head. “What is it, Julian? You seem pensive. More so than usual.”
With a sigh, I sat on a nearby couch. Seeing that it was draped in sunlight, Halina sat down next to me with a wide smile on her face. She was like a kid again, experiencing the warmth of the sun after an eon without it. I couldn’t even imagine the joy she must be feeling right now. It made me feel a little guilty over what I was about to ask her.
“I wanted to know… Um… Well, if I had a problem at school, could you help me fix it?”
Her pale eyes, eyes that matched mine, narrowed as she searched my face. “Does someone suspect something?”
Her face was all business as she asked, and I was instantly reminded of Halina’s role in our family. While Nika played at being my protector, Halina was the real bodyguard when it came to our safety. She’d wipe the minds of the entire city, if necessary, to keep us safe.
I immediately shook my head. “No, no it’s nothing like that.” Feeling a little stupid, I mumbled, “I got into a fight with this guy at school yesterday…”
Halina immediately relaxed, pulling her legs up on the long couch so that every inch of them was touched by the sun. “Oh.” She crooked a grin at me. “Did you win?”
I heard Imogen sit down, and I knew she was listening to the conversation. Alanna was probably listening too, but neither woman commented about me fighting. I supposed they would when I was finished with Halina. I really hadn’t planned on telling them all, but I needed Halina’s help, and the truth was the only way I was going to get it.
Gabriel impassively stared at us while I answered Halina’s question—he was far more concerned with her health than my teenage drama. “Well, Nika kind of made it a draw…I guess.” Remembering my rage, I bit out, “But I wanted to rip him apart, Grandma…my teeth even dropped.”
That immediately got Halina’s attention. She straightened from her lounging position and furrowed her brow. If I’d dropped fang in front of a handful of gossiping teenagers, she’d have some serious cleanup work to do. Shaking my head, I quickly added, “No one saw…my mouth was closed.”
Halina relaxed again. She glanced over at her daughter, also in a bright patch of sunlight, then back to me. “You are a vampire, Julian. Diluted or not, your emotions are more…profound than a human’s.” Raising a corner of her lip, she added, “But don’t resent them for their limitations, for they are…only human.”
I smiled at her comment, then sighed, remembering what I wanted to ask her. “We were fighting over this…girl.” I swallowed after saying it out loud, and looked down. I felt my cheeks heat and immediately felt concern from Nika; I instantly tried to level out my embarrassment so she wouldn’t blur back in here. I’d really rather have this conversation on my own.
When Halina didn’t say anything, I peeked up at her. She only raised an eyebrow in question and waited for me to further explain. Biting my lip, I whispered, “I’ve got a thing for his girlfriend.” Her smile widened, amused. Feeling my cheeks heat even more, I quickly added, “And he treats her like shit!”
“Julian!” Imogen and Alanna scolded at the same time. Halina chuckled, and Gabriel finally cracked a smile.
Wondering why I’d even started this humiliating conversation, I began to talk faster. “She deserves better, but for some reason she won’t leave the jerk on her own. You could make her though. You could make her tell the creep to take a flying leap! Hell, you could even make that happen!”
My heart started beating harder with my impassioned words. I was breathing heavier, too, as anger and embarrassment swirled within me. I could feel Nika start to come toward me, then stop. Her concern was still there, but she’d changed her mind about running to my rescue. I was glad for it.
While I worked on breathing in and out slowly, trying to control myself, Halina coolly raised an eyebrow. “You’re right…I could.”
Realizing what I’d just said, what I’d just told her to do, I swallowed and averted my eyes. Jerk or not, I didn’t want Russell dead. Just…gone. As I sorted through my shifting feelings, Halina calmly gave me an answer. “No, Julian. I will not trance him…or her.”
Leaning over my hands and knees, I exhaled long and slow. I’d expected that from her—really, I had—but it was still crushing. To be so close to an easy solution…and then to find it was completely out of reach…sucked. “You could make her life better,” I whispered.
Halina snorted, and I looked back at her. Closing her eyes, she laid her head back, enjoying the rays of light on her face. “If I went through my nights giving better lives to miserable humans…” she cracked an eye and looked over at me, “I’d starve to death.” I frowned at her comment and she sat up straight. “They reap what they sow, Julian. It’s not up to me to change that.”
“But he’s bad for her…”
Smiling, Halina shook her head. “There are many things that are dangerous to humans—cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, driving, donuts…vampires—” she glanced over to the wide windows filled with light, “…the sun.” Sighing, she returned her eyes to mine and shrugged. “Even the air she breathes every day is suspect. The very world she lives in is toxic to her, Julian. What’s a crappy boyfriend compared to all that?”
I started to object, and she raised a hand to stop me. “Yes, I could make her leave her boyfriend…” I smiled, and Halina shook her head. “But that doesn’t mean she will go to you, and it doesn’t mean she wouldn’t find another creep to fall in love with. And before you ask…no, I won’t make her fall for you. I won’t force a child to be a mindless automaton, living a life I have chosen for her. Not even for you, Grandson.”
Lowering my head, I was instantly reminded of Dad’s very similar conversation. I didn’t want Halina to force Raquel to like me, and as much as I hated to admit it, Halina was right. Just getting Raquel away from Russell wouldn’t solve the problem. She would probably just find another guy to treat her like dirt. For whatever reason, Raquel wanted that; otherwise, she would have left Russell ages ago. And I could never, ever be that kind of a jerk to her.
Lifting my jaw, Halina’s face was sympathetic as she eyed me. Then she flinched and started rubbing her arm. From across the room, Gabriel’s gaze narrowed as he watched his patient. “How are you feeling, my dear?”
Halina shrugged as she glanced at the sun-drenched windows. She started to say, “Fine,” but then cringed and turned away from the bright light. Gabriel blurred to her side in an instant.
Reaching down, he scooped her up like a child. “It’s time to go, love.”
She kicked, squirming to get away. “No, just a little longer…” Her eyes, red with unshed tears, looked over Gabriel’s shoulder, to the wall of windows bathing her in warmth, and in pain. “Please, Gabriel…it’s been so long.”
Imogen rushed to her mother’s side while I stood beside Gabriel, trying to block as much direct light from Halina as I could. Imogen frowned in concern. “It’s hurting you, Mother. You should go back downstairs.” Halina hissed in a quick, pain-filled breath, her arms and legs retreating from sight so that Gabriel had to hold her like a ball.
Kissing her forehead, Gabriel murmured, “I am sorry, Halina, but the glass is only a temporary patch. I have not yet found a permanent solution to the problem, and you need to go, before your discomfort turns deadly.” His face full of concern now, he blurred her back to the entrance of her underground lair. Before disappearing, he paused and let Halina take one last look at the sun she’d missed for so long. A sun she painted over and over on her canvases downstairs.
Smiling, even though her face clearly showed an escalating amount of pain, Halina leaned her head on Gabriel’s shoulder. My heart broke for her as I watched a bloody tear run down her cheek. Then Gabriel dashed away with her. Not sure whether I should feel happy or sad, I put an arm around Imogen. Her smile was just as conflicted as she wrapped her arm around my waist and kissed my head.
From downstairs, deep below the earth, we both heard Halina tell Gabriel, “I saw the sun today for the first time in more decades than I care to count. You have given me a gift beyond compare.” She let out a low, husky laugh as she added, “But I will try my very best to repay it…”
Knowing exactly what she meant, I felt a wave of embarrassment begin to swell. Just as I was letting go of Imogen to go help Dad with the fence, Alanna swept back into the room. Lips twisted into a frown, she shook her head. “Don’t leave just yet, Julian.” She motioned to a plush chair. “We should have a talk about your fighting. Sit…please.”
With a sigh, I sat down. I knew I shouldn’t have brought that up. Oh, well. This was bound to happen this weekend anyway…might as well get it over with.