Endless Days (The Firsts) (23 page)

“I will, and soon.  But we have a problem that I hope Koen may be able to help with.”

“Oui.  Father, it is Cherise, from America, for you.”

A deep
masculine sexy voice came on next.  “How’s the states?”

“Koen, hello, sir.
  Actually, I’m in Iceland now.  I need to ask you.  Have you ever heard of a first blood called Tamesine?”

There was a pause.  Then a smattering of French, curses.

“Where did you hear that name?”

“Well, sir, I believe she has been involved with a horrible situation that tortured a first blood for decades.
  He’s still a little foggy on some of the details.”

“You’re talking about David Patric?  I helped search for him when he disappeared years ago.  He’s back?  He’s alive?”  There was another pause and he laughed out loud.  “Well, fuck me!  What the hell happened to him?  We couldn’t find him anywhere on this planet.  He
had
to have been dead.  No one could find any sense of him.  Tell me what happened, Cherise.”

“He was being held in a warehouse in France. 
Prisoner.  Tortured for thirty years.”

“Impossible.  We would have felt him.  We would have rescued him.”

“No, sir.  That’s my question to you.  This Tamesine.  I get the idea the name is familiar to you.  It’s been suggested that she is the one who captured him, blocked his life force from detection, and kept him from using his powers to escape.”

“Fuck me.”  He was quiet again.  “She could do it.  No one has seen or heard, or
felt,
her for millennia.  I can’t believe she’s turned back up.  I can’t believe even
she
would do something like that to another first blood.  But, all bets are off when it comes to her.  She’s not stable.  Never has been.  But she
is
powerful.”

“Oh.  I was afraid of that.  David may be going up against her.”

“Not without me, he isn’t.  He can’t control her alone.”

“We have another first blood with us.  
David’s friend Katerine.”

“Ah, now,
that’s
a face I wouldn’t mind seeing again.”

“I’m right here, Koen.  I would love to see you again, too,” Katerine said into the phone.

“Katerine, darling.  Wonderful to hear that beautiful voice.  Well, you
will
see me.  I’m heading to you.  Do
not
attempt to engage Tamesine.  I can’t stress that enough.  I’m on my jet in less than an hour.  We’ll talk more when I arrive.”

He didn’t have to ask where to go.  He would find their life forces when he searched for them, and he would come right to them.

Cherise felt relief and terror at the same time.  Koen was the largest vampire she had ever seen in her life.  And he was extremely powerful.  They could use him in this fight.

He would be there by the end of the next daylight.  Cherise looked at Katerine.

“Katerine, I asked you to come with me so I could tell you to keep a really close eye on David.  He won’t admit it, but he’s still vulnerable.  Don’t let him take any chances.”

“Baby, I promise I’ll bring your man home.”

“Thank god Koen is coming.  It seems I was right.  This Tamesine is really dangerous.  I just wish we could find out where she is.”

“Obviously, she can block her own life force from us.  But perhaps our combined power can help.  We’ll see.  All we have to do now is
wait for Koen.”

“Except that I think I can get some information from my brother.
”

“David won’t let you go.”

“He won’t have a choice.”

With a tilt of her head, Katerine gave her a look.  “You’re kidding, right?  David may not be full power yet, but he’s a seriously powerful first blood.  If he won’t let you go, you won’t go.”

Cherise nodded.  “Yeah, you’re right.  I’ll join you guys in a moment.  Why don’t you go on up and let me visit the little girls room.”

“Alright.
  I don’t look forward to this fight, but it will be amazing to see Koen again.”

Cherise smiled and walked Katerine to the door, then closed it gently behind her.  She turned and picked up the mobile, drew a long breath, and dialed her brother’s number.  He answered on the third ring.

“
Oui
?”

“Didier,
it’s Cherise.”   She spoke in English because she considered that her language now.  “I hate how we left things.”

“Sister, I do as well.  I never meant to hurt you.  It is this project…it has taken over my life.  I do not wish you to hate me.  Please.  Can you come to me and we will talk?”

“Perhaps.  But I am not in Colorado.  I am in Iceland.”

“
Je sais
.  So am I.  I came to find you.  You do not understand how dangerous the vampire is.  Will you come to me?  Let me protect you and tell you my reasons?  Let me apologize?”

He sounded so sincere.  He was
so
arrogant!  He thought he could fool her.  Didier always thought he could not be read. Ha. She’d read him since she was a child.  David was right, though.  Her brother
was
dangerous.  Still…

“Of course.
  We are family, Didier.  I don’t want to lose you, either.”   That wasn’t a lie…she meant it.  It was just that it was too late.  “There’s a diner named
Litio Hus
, about halfway between the stronghold and Reykjavik.  Do you know it?” 
You bet you know it,
you son of a bitch.  You were the one I felt there when Leo and I arrived here.

“I can find it.  What about tomorrow morning?  Eleven o’clock?”

After sunrise.  No surprise.  He didn’t want any vampires around.  “Sure.  I will see you then.”

“I’m really happy you called, Cherise.”  God he sounded
sincere.  Like he was her loving brother.  Tears sprung up.

“So am I, Didier.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

              The meet was set.  Was there any chance he really would let her know anything about the rogue first blood?  She thought he might.  Didier had no idea how good she was…how well developed her emotional skills were now.  Anyway, she needed to try.

             
David would never allow her to go.  So she was going to need help from Leo.  He had hooked up with a group of elves who worked on the property, caring for all the landscaping and livestock for the stronghold.  It had been a pleasure for him to meet others from his species.  He was staying with them in their quarters out past the stables.  He joined them in the main house for breakfast to spend time with David, but then he’d need the open air…which was so sweet and pure in Iceland.

But he came as soon as she called him.

“No one else here would help me get past David, but I need to meet my brother for lunch tomorrow morning.  I have to go…this household, the vampire community, needs this information.  And I need to look my brother in the eye before I have to choose whether he is out of my life forever.  Leo, I need you to shadow me…help me blend…get me past the guards.  Will you do it?”

He looked sick, his skin color went ashen.

“I don’t know…  If David doesn’t want you to go, it’s probably because you shouldn’t.”

“Listen.  This is my brother.  I know he’s a shit, but I can’t believe he would hurt me.  And I’m pretty sure I can get him to talk.  Please.”

“Only if I can come with you.  I may be small, but you know my magic may help you.”

Cherise smiled.  “I know.  Yes, I need you with me. Thank you.  Once we get these monsters, a lot of people can go home.  I know you’re missing your family.
”

He nodded.  “But these murderers need to be stopped.  David said there are elves there, too.  I’m going on the attack with them, too.”

“They’re pretty powerful, Leo.  Don’t risk yourself.”

“I won’t.”

After a long night setting up more security, David was exhausted at the approach of day.  Saying goodnight, he pulled Cherise long with him toward his chambers.

“Let’s get some rest.  Just know that I’m going to wake up wanting to be inside you.”

“That’s ok. I’m going to wake up wanting you there.  See how well this works?”

“I want you to stay here with me.  You need to start learning to live at night, anyway.  If you can’t sleep, please stay in my rooms.  There are two media rooms and a library near the back of the chamber.  And a hot springs in a cave under the south side.  I’ll take you tonight.  I want to make love to you there.”

“It sounds wonderful.  Yes, I love the idea.  I’ve always been a night person, so the change won’t be a problem.”

“Security won’t let you leave, Cherise.  Please don’t think you
’re going anywhere during daylight.”

“Alright, David.”

“Liar.”

“I need to speak to Didier.  You really need to understand that.”

“I agree the information would be helpful.  But not by putting you at risk.  I have no reason to believe he won’t hurt you.  You’re not leaving.  Final answer.  Don’t leave these rooms, Cherise.”

He went out very quickly after they lay down to sleep.  Daytime brought a deep need for rest to vampires.  It was very difficult for them to stay awake against their natures…even a first blood.  She depended on this.

And was not surprised the door was locked.  Leo waited on the other side of the door to use his elf ability to manipulate small things, turned the mechanism, and unlocked the door.  Cherise’s telekinetic abilities were so tied to her emotions, it wasn’t always reliable.  With one last loving look at David, she prayed she would be back here soon in his arms.

Leo gave her a sheepish look, and they both moved silently to the stairs.  At ground level, several of the household staff members were moving around, including security.   Leo
whispered to Cherise to stay in close to him, and he did his thing, moved them through everyone without detection by using his blending skill.  He was able to mask her right along with him.  No one had any idea they had left the house at all.  Leo disabled the alarm on the front door and reengaged it after they went out.

Walking away to the truck Leo borrowed from one of the elves, he smiled up at Cherise.

“Easy as pie.”

They arrived at the restaurant just minutes shy of eleven.  Cherise knew immediately.

“Didier is already inside.  Leo, keep hidden.  I don’t want him to know you’re here.  Listen carefully.  And if something happens…if he takes me, get back to David and warn him.  Because if he takes
me
, no one is safe.”

She pulled the door wide open so she and Leo could both pass through. 
Only Leo was masked, so when Didier looked up at the opened door, all he saw was his sister smiling and waving at him.  He smiled back and stood up.  As she approached the table, he hugged her.

“Cherise, I am so happy you came.”

She hugged him back, tighter, and held on.   This was the first time she’d held him in many years…and it would be the last.  She could feel it in him…the tension, the anger.   He was afraid she would turn him into the family.  He was afraid for his future.  He should be.

As she stepped back, he motioned for her to sit. 

“I wish to explain, my sister, what happened with these tests. Please, look at the menu and choose something while we talk.”    Well, he was trying to sound sincere. 
Keep her off guard?

“I am hungry.  Go ahead.”

“It just went too far.  I never meant you to be hurt, I only wanted to measure your abilities for the record…to see what you could accomplish with a severely damaged vampire.  In fact, you should never have even known about the project at all.  If you’d healed him, and he went on his way, it would have been just an unremarkable moment in your life.”

“Didn’t turn out that way, my brother.
  I bonded with him.  Now I am connected to a vampire for the rest of my life.”

“
Cherie,
I am sorry.  You’ve never cared for vampires, I would not have expected that.  It’s okay, I plan to take care of it for you.”

Her head shot up, but she kept a smile on her lips.

“And what is that?”

“The only way to sever the bond is to eliminate him.  I will do that for you, and you can get back to normal.  Then, please, can we forget this ever happened?”

He was planning to kill David.  She knew how he planned to accomplish it. 
Careful, Cherise.

“Ah.  And how do you plan to “eliminate” a first blood?”

He paused.  He stared at her as if he was trying to read her, to see if she was buying his explanation, if she was a concern for him.  Cherise sent the message she wanted him to see…a sister who trusted her brother and wanted to make him happy.  Ah.  There was the look she wanted from him.  He smiled back at her. 
Fool.
  She was really
that good.