Reborn to Bite (Vampire Shadows Book 1) (19 page)

"You and I are apparently stuck with each other for the rest of our lives, and this stupid telepathic link will mean that I'll be tuned into your feelings all the time. I don't like the idea of feeling depressed again right after I just found some tiny bit of happiness. So I need you happy. Got it?"

Claudia choked on a sarcastic laugh. "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

Sabine clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She counted to ten before speaking. "I was on a slab of concrete, watching a vampire threaten to kill my only friends in the world, when I decided I didn't have anything to live for. A lot has happened since then, and I don't feel that way anymore."

Claudia nodded.

"I had an epiphany. Living for myself was a lonely and meaningless existence. I decided that I needed to live for others. I decided that I need to protect the human world from vampires like Neville."

Claudia stared at the floor. "I used to care about someone, but then Neville took him away."

"You need to devote your life to something new," Sabine said. "Then maybe you can be happy."

Claudia sighed. "I think I've existed for five times as long as you have, Mistress, but I haven't felt alive since I was your age. I know what you're saying is true, but I murdered those innocent people. And I miss my husband."

"We need to work on healing the damage you've caused."

"Yes, Mistress."

"But we can't do that with you locked up."

Claudia stared as Sabine opened the door and left her in the cell.

Sabine walked up the stairs to where everyone was gathered in the kitchen around a blood-splattered Heather, who stood defiantly with her arms crossed.

Esmerelda glared at Heather, and Heather ground her teeth, ignoring the older witch. Sabine got the feeling that words had been exchanged before she came out.

"Is she dead?" Heather asked, tapping a foot on the floor.

Sabine shook her head. "You changed your aim at the last second so we could save her."

Esmerelda let out the breath she was holding.

Heather's face twisted in anguish as tears started rolling out of her eyes. "I couldn't do it. All these years I had that spell ready for this moment, and I blew it."

"You didn't blow it, Heather," Sabine said, coming closer. "You gave us a chance to heal you both."

Heather sniffled and wiped her nose. "You can't make this right, Sabine. Nobody can. She killed my parents."

"Claudia wanted to die because she felt her life had no meaning. You almost gave her what she wanted most."

Heather snorted and threw up her hands. "Great."

"She needs a purpose in life, and I think that purpose should be to protect you."

"No," Heather said, crossing her arms.

"I think she should take over Lorenzo's promise and dedicate her life to being your personal bodyguard."

"Hell no."

Sabine sighed. "Otherwise, we keep her locked up for eighty more years and neither of you get to heal. Seems kind of pointless to me."

"Not my problem."

Sabine looked to Lorenzo. "Lorenzo? How many vampires are upset enough with Heather to come after her?"

Lorenzo shrugged. "Most of them."

Heather took a ragged breath and wiped a tear. "I can protect myself."

"They might go after your daughter too," Sabine said, figuring vengeful vampires might play dirty. She felt a pang of guilt playing on Heather's motherly instincts, but it was for her own good.

Heather's pulse sped up.

"Claudia would be your family bodyguard. Her entire life's purpose would be to protect you and your daughter when the vampires are out. Trent, do you think one of the boys might be willing to do daytime guard duty for thirty bucks an hour or so, in case the vamps have minions or something?"

Trent shrugged. "Sure. Julie is a great kid. But you'd have to get them away from the bike messenger gig."

Heather watched them for a few moments as she mulled it over, rocking back and forth. She muttered something about getting to make the vampire pay for years, and the evil of the spell she'd held for so long inside her. She mumbled something about feeling lighter without the corruption. "Peace and harmony. The way of the witch, and all that. I couldn't help but be merciful, even twisting a sorcerer's battle spell."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked at each person in the room, and finally met Sabine's eyes. "Fine. I have no idea how I'll break this to my daughter."

Lorenzo cleared his throat. "There is one minor problem with this."

They all looked at him.

"She was sentenced by Neville. Sabine can't just release her without incurring his wrath."

"Bring it," Sabine said, her fists clenching.

"Is there an allowance for deferring the sentence?" Esmerelda asked.

Lorenzo caressed his chin, and his mouth curled into a smile at one edge. "There are multiple precedents, but mostly in time of war."

"Great! Then we'll defer her sentence until Neville's death," Sabine said, clasping her hands together. "And then we can ignore it."

"The last hundred vampires to fight Neville died," Lorenzo said. "We tried to tell Claudia's husband this. If you go against him, you'll die."

Sabine smiled. "Maybe all those victories will that'll make him cocky."

Sabine released Claudia from her cell, and enlisted Shelby to get Claudia cleaned up and dressed. Sabine insisted that Heather sit in the living room and bond with Claudia, who appeared a short time later in a set of Shelby's sweats.

Heather and Claudia talked about Claudia being in total isolation and darkness for the last twenty years, with no news of the world. How empty Claudia had felt, and how very sorry she was about what she had done.

Heather nodded. "Did you spend any of that time thinking about my parents?"

Claudia blinked and nodded, still numb and reluctant to believe she was free. "I wish I could go back to that night and make it right. Or the month before, so I could have stopped my husband from facing Neville."

Heather told Claudia about her daughter Julie and world events, and Claudia listened quietly.

Sabine watched for a while before heading off to listen to her voice mail from Kim and Gabe. She texted them back to tell them that she'd be heading home soon. Lorenzo announced that everyone should be packed and ready to go in two hours, then drove to the airfield to fuel the plane.

Having nothing to pack, Sabine decided to take the opportunity to grab a shower. As she finished and turned off the water, she heard a knock on her door. She wrapped the towel around herself. She felt out into the hall with her mind, and sensed Trent. His scent trickled in from under the door.

She opened the door and looked up at him. "Hi Trent, what's up?"

Trent looked at her in the towel and opened his mouth to speak. Nothing came out for a second until he pulled his eyes back up to hers. He held up her bag with the guns. "Um... I brought you this. I thought you'd want it back. Found it when I went for a run."

Sabine smiled up at him and tried to read his mind.

He threw up a quick mental block. "Hey-"

She tried to take over control of his body, and he fought it. They struggled back and forth until she was convinced his defenses were strong. She gave up the attack.

"You mind telling me what the hell-"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind them. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I wanted to be absolutely sure that you won't go Renfield on me."

His breath caught. "I was worried about how you're taking all this."

She took a deep breath and let it out. "Truth?"

He nodded.

"I'm freaking out. I have no clue what I'm doing. What am I gonna do with a vampire tied to me for the rest of my life? What about the vampire hunters? I'm scared that vampires all over the city are going to be gunning for Heather, and I'm not sure how to beat Neville."

Trent nodded. "You've been looking really tense."

"That's an understatement," Sabine said, dipping her forehead onto his chest.

"I could give you a massage, maybe loosen you up a little." His hands reached up and gently began kneading the muscles on the side of her neck.

She closed her eyes and moaned. "Oh God, that feels good." She soaked up the feeling of being touched, letting herself become putty in his hands. After a moment, she looked up at him and smiled. "Exactly how much loosening up did you have in mind?"

He reached down and claimed her lips with a fiercely passionate kiss, exploring her mouth.

She responded, opening to him. Welcoming him, challenging him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly against him. Her toes curled as their tongues played together and she ran her fingers through his hair. She could feel how excited he was, his heat warming her cool skin.

She pulled up his shirt and he lifted it over his head. She ran her fingers through the hair on his chest as she kissed him again, then pulled away from his lips when she felt her fangs descend. She tenderly kissed the side his neck, and he stiffened. She ignored his reaction and took in the smell of his skin; his unique scent that she so desperately wanted to associate with being safe and protected. The urge to sink her teeth in was almost overpowering, but she knew she shouldn't. This man was the first man to honestly care for her since Doug.

Before the night Doug ran away.

She stepped back, shaking her head and trying to let her mind clear a little, and push the unpleasant memory aside. She let herself focus in the present, on the hunky werewolf standing half-naked in her bedroom. Doug would never want her if he knew the truth. Hell, he hadn't wanted her when she was human. Hope wouldn't change that. She brought herself back to the present. "Sorry... you mentioned something about giving me a massage?"

He smiled at her. "I got distracted."

"Well I'm not letting you get off that easily," She said, walking over to the bed and lying face down.

"Apparently not." He smirked as he approached the bed and watched as she loosened her towel while making sure it still covered her.

"I've never had a massage by a werewolf before," Sabine said, turning her head towards him and grinning.

"If you play your cards right, I'll give you the deluxe treatment."

She chuckled. "I suppose that comes with a happy ending?"

He cracked his knuckles and pulled the towel away. "Oh, yeah."

Sabine sat in the frigid hangar, a mile outside of the sleepy little desert town. The early November wind filled the air sock out on the tarmac and rattled the corrugated walls of the hangar. With the hangar door open so Lorenzo could prep his airplane, she didn't envy the witches shivering next to her in the small furnished corner of the building.

Heather and Esmerelda wore borrowed jackets. Melina had overcome their objections by insisting that it saved her from packing them. The witches had decided that wearing a vampire's elegant castoffs beat the heck out of freezing to death. Unfortunately, borrowed jackets didn't cover their legs or their faces.

"Thank God we're leaving. I miss home," Heather said, rubbing her coffee mug and letting the steam warm her face.

Sabine smiled politely, sipping her own coffee. Her mind was still reeling over what had happened with Trent. She felt liberated, sated, and... normal. She felt better than she had in a long time. The intensity of what she had shared with Trent had gone beyond her imagination, almost to the point of scaring her. At some point it got a little hazy, and she thought she recalled fur sprouting on Trent, but she'd been drunk on werewolf blood at the time.

He had slipped out while she washed up again, and she hadn't seen him before they packed into the car to leave. Maybe distance after intimacy was a werewolf thing.

Trent came into the hangar, carrying two arm-fulls of suitcases. Parts of her started to tingle as she watched his muscles bulging.

She and the witches watched as Claudia, Shelby, Ethan and Deirdre walked into the hangar, rolling more suitcases. The newcomers parked their luggage next to the plane and made their way over to the seating area. All but Trent – he busied himself loading the bags into the plane.

"We will not fit comfortably in Lorenzo's plane," Ethan said, pointing a thumb at the plane and looking dapper in a modern suit and long coat. It was definitely a departure from the Highwayman outfit. Deirdre wore an elegant dress and coat that matched Ethan's, down to the shoes. Sabine remembered the wild look with leaves in Deirdre's hair, and thought that this was somehow less appropriate.

"It seats eight, and there are ten of us," Deirdre added, reinforcing Ethan's concern.

"And there's all that luggage too," Shelby said, joining them. The young blonde had the belted thigh boots from Halloween night, but this time matched with black leggings and a brown and black striped mini dress, black vest, covered with a brown leather coat and black gloves.

"I don't mind sitting on Trent's lap," Sabine said, her eyes distant as her mind started wandering.

Heather choked on her coffee. She took a moment to catch her breath before shooting a questioning look at Sabine.

Melina walked up to join them, a smile brightening her Mediterranean features. Her long dark hair cascaded over a stylish black leather jacket with fur collar and matching fur-covered boots with a tight black mini dress. "The seats are actually quite spacious. Most of these planes have more seats. We chose this one because it was less cramped," she said. "I would share a seat with Lorenzo, but that might make flying the plane complicated."

Claudia came up to join the group as well, looking the most casual of the group in sneakers, jeans and a hoodie. "I can sit on the floor if someone needs my seat. I've spent the last twenty years sitting on the floor." Her thoughts rang in Sabine's mind.
I don't deserve a seat.

The emotion echoed on Claudia's face.

Shelby said "That's okay Claudia, I can sit on Ernesto's lap."

"Here we go again," Melina said, rolling her eyes.

"What'd I miss?" Sabine asked, looking to Melina.

Melina gave a long-suffering sigh. "Shelby is on a mission to make Ernesto smile. By torturing him, apparently."

"I think he'll eventually come around," Shelby said.

"He has a lover, Shelby. When we get back to the city, he will smile," Melina predicted.

Shelby sighed. "I have no idea what he sees in a mortal. We're vampires. We'll never grow old. She'll grow old and die, and he'll have to find someone else. Why would he do that to himself?"

"You said you had a puppy when you were younger, no?" Melina asked.

"Buster, my golden retriever. He ran in front of a car when I was twelve. He's the reason I was obsessed with life and death to begin with, and why I wanted to be immortal."

"Maybe he plans to turn her into a vampire?" Heather asked.

Melina sat in a chair beside them. "He offered. She refused."

"I totally don't get it," Shelby said. "When I found out there really were vampires, I couldn't wait to be one."

"Lana is not you, Shelby," Melina said.

"I'm glad he gave her a choice," Sabine said. "That's more than Neville gave me."

Melina leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "It is forbidden to turn humans against their will. There are very strict rules. The penalty for such an act is death."

Sabine sipped her coffee before responding, thinking about Neville. "Who enforces a death penalty?"

"A Master or Mistress of a House, in the case of House members or Rogues; or the Council if a House Master is the perpetrator."

"I see," Sabine said, "and what if the perpetrator is the regional representative to the Vampire Council?"

"Accusing Neville can be fatal," Claudia whispered, sitting on the ground.

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Trent finished loading the bags and started helping Lorenzo and Ernesto prep the plane.

Ethan sniffed the air, and approached Sabine. He stared down at her cup, smelling the air again. "What are you drinking? It smells like coffee."

Sabine nodded and took another sip, cradling the cup and enjoying the warmth.

"Interesting," Ethan said, returning to his wife. They seemed to share a silent conversation.

Shelby sighed. "Deirdre, are you planning to sit on Ethan's lap?"

Deirdre turned with a look of disdain. "I don't believe we should be asked to share a seat. You are the youngest. You should sit on the floor with Claudia since she seems not to care about comfort."

"Isn't Claudia older than you, Deirdre?" Shelby asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Deirdre snorted. "By one year. That hardly counts when you're nearly a hundred-fifty."

"So by your logic, you and I should sit on the floor, being that we're the youngest," Shelby said, grinning wickedly.

Deirdre glared at her. "You're a baby. Lumping me in the same category with you is degrading."

Sabine decided that she liked Shelby.

Shelby shrugged. "Whatever Sabine decides will be fine with me."

Sabine took a sip of coffee and looked up, to see them all watching her. "Heather, it's your fault we're here in the first place. Claudia, it's your fault Heather was feeling a vengeful wrath against vampires. You two need to share a seat."

Claudia bowed her head. "Yes, Mistress."

"I could find another way home," Heather said.

"I'll share a seat with Trent, then we all fit," Sabine said, patting Heather's shoulder. "You don't want to hang out in this town waiting for a bus. Your daughter needs you."

The vampires started chatting about where they might live when they returned to the city. Since their previous house had been confiscated and sold off, they needed a new lair.

Ethan gave the witches a wary glance before he opened his briefcase. He pulled out some papers and handed them to Melina.

Melina looked through them and nodded. "The one you marked with a post-it note as your choice looks like my favorite as well. It would be the most secure. I'm surprised it's not already owned by a vampire."

Melina handed the stack to Shelby. "What do you think, Shelby?"

"Oooh. This Victorian is so cute!" She said, flipping through the sheets. "That gaudy stinky mansion Ethan picked looks passable I guess."

Sabine smiled at Shelby's attitude as Ethan grabbed the papers and returned them to his case.

He glared at Sabine. "Before we return, shouldn't we decide who's in charge here?"

"I thought I was," Sabine said, crossing her arms.

Melina nodded. "Claudia is under your power through your blood bond; and Lorenzo and I are under your power bond. You'll need to bond the rest before we leave, to make the Family cohesive."

Lorenzo walked up. "The plane is ready, everyone. We will undoubtedly need to meet with Neville over the petition to re-establish our territory. Sabine, you could challenge him to a duel then; though I would not suggest such a thing if your power is not enough to stand up to us. He is much older, and much more powerful."

"I don't know if I want to lead a Family of vampires," Sabine said.

"Sorry, but for three of us you already are," Lorenzo said. "The other four need to join the fold. You need all the support you can get."

"Sun Tzu would probably recommend that," Sabine said.

"Who's Sun Tzu?" Shelby asked.

Melina laughed. "A Chinese philosopher whom you'll have centuries to study."

"Great," Shelby said, crossing her arms. "You know I hated studying ancient philosophers. Damn General Ed requirements–"

Melina patted the blonde on the shoulder. "Studying the lessons of the past prevents us from making the same mistakes in the future."

Sabine pondered the vampires, and wondered why it seemed like her choices were disappearing. She could always walk away. She could move. She could give up on Doug and these people. But then she'd never be able to look Neville in the face and tell him what an asshole he was. She might not even be able to look herself in the mirror. If the only way to do that was to join this bunch of blood-suckers, then she guessed she could do that. They weren't that horrible. In fact, they seemed nice.

She took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay, I guess I'll take on the rest."

"Great," Lorenzo said. "When you're ready, we'll begin the power contest."

Sabine put down her coffee cup and shook out her hands. "Ready."

The next second, wave after wave of vampire energy assaulted Sabine's mind. She realized that the whole family was attacking her at once – all except Claudia, who was bolstering her through their bond. She held the rest back, concentrating on a castle wall around her mind to keep them out. The power crashed against the walls, battering her.

"You can't just defend, Sabine," Melina said, looking much calmer than the others. "You must attack. Don't worry about hurting us. Just let go like you did before."

Sabine felt the well-spring of fierce energy inside her broiling like a miniature tempest, aching to be freed. She knew she couldn't control it, remembering the bikers. She thought about how she'd opened the flood gates on her power before, and how closing them had hurt so much. Her power might want to come out as "all or nothing", but she didn't want to end up fainting again. She had to do something. She felt Claudia trying to send a telepathic message to help, and followed the suggestion. She imagined opening the flood gates half-way, and let the power flow.

Shelby's mind fell under Sabine's control first. Then Deirdre, Ethan, and Ernesto.

Sabine felt her power colliding with Lorenzo's, and locking in a complicated dance with Melina. They worked together, resisting her in ways she didn't understand.

You'll have to use all your power, Mistress, before you run out
, Claudia said into Sabine's mind.
They will try to outlast you. The older the vampire, the longer they can use their powers.

Sabine did feel her power draining quickly, and sensed no weakness from Lorenzo or Melina. Melina's glamour held a simple message:
It's okay to submit to us. We'll protect you. We'll nurture you. We will be the parents you always wanted.

That last part made Sabine grind her teeth. Melina was too good at this. She'd somehow gotten past Sabine's defenses and known exactly what to say. Could she live with that? No.
I'm done being a follower.

Sabine opened the flood gates, and pushed with her hands, screaming at the intensity of the power flowing from her.

Melina collapsed to the ground and fell under Sabine's power.

Sabine approached Lorenzo and put a hand on his shoulder. As they stared one another in the eyes, she felt Lorenzo's defenses crumble. She turned to look at the others in the hangar, and saw the blank looks on Heather's and Trent's faces. Esmerelda was sweating and shivering, her fingers steepled in front of her and glowing with some kind of blue light.

Sabine dropped to her knees, the last of her power leaving her like wind out of a popped balloon. Claudia rushed to her, and fed her some energy through their bond. The little bit Claudia gave her was enough to keep Sabine from passing out, but the pause was enough to break the spell on everyone. Claudia helped Sabine stand, holding her by the arm for support.

The other vampires all stared at Sabine. Then they knelt, each putting one knee to the floor.

"We are yours to command, Mistress," Lorenzo said.