Reborn to Bite (Vampire Shadows Book 1) (7 page)

There were dozens of threads. She added the words "female" and "apologized" to the search bar and tried again.

Her heart sank. "Charity 1980" posted a thread eleven months back. Sabine opened the link and started reading. Charity1980 started the discussion by telling how she had been jogging at night and described Sabine's attack. Several people posted shocked responses. They said it was totally out of character for a vampire to apologize.

Sabine could still picture the way the girl's ponytail bobbed back and forth like a dinner bell; her sweet angelic face in an aura of warmth, and the way her expression went from concerned to frightened.

The thread had two more people post replies commiserating with Charity1980. "DarrenWRX" claimed to be a tourist up from Fresno taking pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge at night.

Yeah, right
, Sabine thought. He’d been zoomed in on tight pants.

"Shaman" was a taxi driver taking a cigarette break. He spoke of the horror of being attacked, and of how angry and helpless he had felt, especially since the police refused to believe him.

She was shocked. They had been here this whole time, right in front of her face, if she had only looked. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she scrolled down one more and saw VanHelsing451, the man she’d messaged most.

He had been out walking a dog. The dog had barked at a homeless woman, or so he thought, and she had willed it to stop barking somehow before attacking him.

They were all here! Could she track them from their screen names? What would she do once she found them? If she erased their memories, she'd mess up their lives even more. She decided she would make it up to them somehow, and leave their memories intact. She had a name for each of their faces, even if it was only a screen name. She looked up and saw that the werewolves were done eating.

Trent eyed her suspiciously. "Something bothering you?"

As if you cared
, Sabine thought. "I just have a few people I need to track down."

Charlie smiled as he got up with their trays. "Well, you've come to the right place. We're experts at tracking people down. Who do you want to find?"

Trent scowled and spoke through gritted teeth. "We're not tracking anyone down for
her
."

"Don't worry so much, Trent. I wouldn't hire you if you were the last P.I. on the planet. I have better resources." Not that she did, but he didn't need to know that.

Trent didn't let the challenge go unanswered. "I'm the best. You probably couldn't afford me anyway."

Sabine had the urge to tell him she was living nicely on a seven-figure inheritance from her dearly departed parents, but the last thing she needed was a nosy werewolf poking around in her life. Even if it had been a long time since any poking had been going on. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing that thought to go away. "You're right, Trent. I can't afford you."

As they drove to wherever the werewolves were taking them, Doug finished telling the story of his internship at Saint Francis Memorial. He had half-turned to Sabine. "What are you doing these days?"

She looked away, fighting the urge to tell him everything like in the old days.
Old habits die hard
. She decided to sugar-coat it. "I've been between jobs for about a year. The inheritance was enough to cover all my bills, so I've just been trying to figure out what to do with my life."

"I was sorry to hear about your dad."

Sabine shrugged. "He died in a meeting room with a dozen people, and none of them knew how to reach me. They were his family more than I was."

"So what do you do for fun these days?" Doug asked, trying to change the subject.

I go hunting vampires and usually end up getting mugged and biting the mugger.
Sabine sighed. "I've been going to the movies a lot, and reading books. I like to hang out at this little coffee shop near our apartment building, and of course I still sketch." She smiled. "But things are looking up now."

"I noticed your latest sketches were kind of..." Doug paused.

"Dark?" Sabine provided. "Yeah, the past year was... traumatic."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Doug said. He put an arm around Tiana. "Ours too."

Sabine leaned up against the front seats of the car. "So how long will it take for you to get rid of Lance's pack so we can get on with our lives?"

Charlie pulled into a hidden driveway threading into a forested area at the end of a street. A canopy of trees surrounded the property and blocked the view of the neighboring area.

Sabine's eyes adjusted to the shade of the trees, and her headache from squinting in the sun diminished. She knew the city was just out of sight, but this spot had the illusion of being deep in the woods.

As they pulled up to a two-story craftsman-style house with stone accents, Trent turned to face Sabine. "We're trying to avoid a battle that spills out into the open. We can't defeat his pack in an all-out confrontation."

"So if you can't defeat Lance and his pack, what are we doing here?" Sabine asked.

"His pack can't defeat us either. If they attack our home, they'll lose."

"What would happen to Doug and his daughter if they attack here?"

Trent's eyes blazed at her as he turned in his seat to face her. "What's your problem? It's not enough that we're promising to protect them with our lives?"

"I'm just thinking that maybe I can help get rid of Lance."

Trent snorted and got out of the car.

Everyone piled out and Charlie helped get their bags out of the trunk as Trent walked to the house. A welcoming committee had assembled on the large front porch. Sabine counted seven people staring at her, ranging in age from teens to a middle-aged man.

A dark-haired woman dressed in knee-high boots, jeans and a leather jacket stopped Trent halfway along the path, and started a heated argument at whisper volume. Sabine caught snippets of the conversation, even though it was fifty feet away. The woman's name was Val, and she was pissed that an unplanned guest was being dropped off for babysitting. Sabine heard Trent explain, and noted that he left out the parts that made him look weak.

Most of the people on the porch were watching Sabine's mouth by the end of Trent's story, and the teens were whispering. She smiled and waved at the group on the porch. They could think what they want, as long as Doug was safe. If she had to put up with a group of strangers and pretend to be human, then she'd do her best.

They approached the house. Val blocked the path, and held up a hand to stop them.

Val gave them each an appraising look, her gaze settling on Sabine. She sniffed the air, and her expression turned sour. "You don't smell right. This is my house, and you're not welcome here unless you tell me what you are."

"I just showered. That strange smell is soap. You should try it sometime."

Val's hands curled into fists. "I think I'll teach you some manners instead."

Sabine dropped her bag and loosened her shoulders.

"Ladies, there's no need to fight," Doug said.

Sabine looked over at him, and caught sight of the scared look in Tiana's face. The look in Tiana's eyes was Sabine's undoing. She couldn't fight Val in front of the little girl. Val's thoughts were filled with the desire to fight, and it looked to Sabine like there was no way they'd get past her.

"Let's go, Doug," Sabine said. She grabbed her bag. "I can protect you. We don't have to stay with these people to be safe."

"If you think you can protect him, prove it. Get past me," Val said.

Sabine took a deep calming breath and focused on the maelstrom of dark energy she held deep inside. The volatile glamour power welled up, scaring her. So unpredictable. She only needed a small amount...

"What the-" The words died on Val's lips as Sabine released the dark energy and subverted Val's perception of reality. Too little, but it seemed like enough. She sent Val some happiness, clearing away her doubts and fears.

Sabine walked up to Val. "I know you'll forgive me if I don't want to fight in front of Tiana."

Val shook her head, feeling Sabine in her mind. She felt happy, but a part of her knew it wasn't real. Anger had been her only friend her entire life. She knew that Sabine had just done something to her - hypnotized her, or some shit like that. She wanted to say something smart, get rid of this Sabine chick, but her mind felt foggy. "I don't like you."

Sabine smiled, sharing Val's thoughts. "I'm an acquired taste."

Val stood there in a daze as Sabine walked by.

Doug smiled as he walked by Val, pausing for a second to assess the expression on Val's face. "Sabine is good people. She saved us. I hope you'll let her stay."

Val nodded, feeling like her head was moving in slow motion. She watched the Doug guy and his little girl follow the Sabine chick up to the porch, and found herself standing alone.

Sabine watched as the middle-aged man on the porch stepped forward, sniffing the air. He was Trent's height, but slightly wider in the chest. His mostly gray hair had a peppering of black. Laugh lines gave character to his face. His aged appearance seemed like a veneer over the sturdy frame of a warrior.

"That's quite a trick, shutting Val up like that." He extended a hand to Sabine. "I'm Mike, and you are?"

"Feeling like this is some kind of test," Sabine said without giving him her hand. She caught that musky-woodsy scent again, coming off everyone besides Doug and Tiana. The strange vibe accompanied the smell.

Doug approached and shook Mike's outstretched hand. "I'm Doug Kimball, this is my daughter Tiana, and that's Sabine Christiansen."

Mike released Doug's hand and faced Sabine. "Would you be so kind as to give me your hand, Sabine?"

Sabine hesitated. She could fake breathing, but not a check of her pulse. At least her gloves would hide her low body temperature. She hesitated a moment, but accepted Mike's handshake.

Mike felt her grip, and sniffed the air again. "My daughter wouldn't have naturally shut up so easily."

Sabine sensed a wall around Mike's mind, and a good one. "I'm guessing you trained her?"

Mike nodded. "Looks like it didn't take."

Sabine immediately liked the old man. She sensed humility and a clever mind behind the friendly old man facade. What could she say around Doug without giving away what had really happened? "I think she needs to look at what's making her feel so bad inside."

Mike gave her a quizzical look, and reached into his pocket. "Just one more test," he said, as he pulled out something silver and slapped it to Sabine's unprotected wrist.

Sabine stood with her back to the edge of the porch in a defensive stance, fists up and ready. She'd seen the shiny metal, and reacted on instinct as though it was a knife.

"Whoa," One of the teenagers said, a boy with long hair and a surfer look. His eyes were wide. "I've never seen someone move that fast before, Grandpa."

Little Tiana, ever the helpful one, giggled. "Sabine's a vampire hunter."

Mike narrowed his eyes at Tiana. "Is that so?" He held up the shiny metal thing to reveal a silver cross, dangling by a chain. Red marks decorated his fingers where he had held the silver directly.

Sabine made a mental note that silver burned werewolves just like it did vampires. The cross itched at her consciousness like a grain of sand in her shoe. Part of her instinctively wanted to avert her eyes, but she ignored the impulse as usual. She relaxed and tried to stand normally, pulling off her glove to check her wrist. "Jeez! I thought you had a knife and you were going to cut me or something," she said, inspecting a tiny red mark that healed to nothing as she watched.

Mike waved the cross in the air. "You're not cringing from the cross."

Sabine reached into her turtleneck and pulled out her own cross, letting it fall on her chest. "Why would I?"

Doug smiled, wiping away the concerned look he'd been wearing.

Mike huffed and put away the cross. "Let me see your hand, please."

Sabine glanced at her hand. The mark on her wrist from the silver cross was completely gone, so she held it up so he could see. The pentagram tattoo with strange symbols might be considered unusual, but it's not like she could hide it forever.

"Could I see your other hand?"

Sabine took off her other glove and showed both palms. The pack moved closer and stared.

"When did you get those?" Doug asked.

"About a year ago," Sabine replied, before thinking.

"Esmerelda! Come out here for a minute," Mike yelled.

The younger werewolves all jockeyed for position to see the tattoos. Val and Trent stood back, whispering.

A graying grandmotherly type woman came out of the house, shutting the screen door. "What is it, husband? I was making a stew for everyone."

Sabine could feel something in the air as the old woman came forward. An aura? The woman had an essence that was different from the shape-shifters. Sabine sniffed the air and smelled nothing but L'Air du Temps. Sabine greeted the woman with a cautious "Um. Hi."

"Esmerelda my dear, we have company. Doug here was witness to that ugly incident with Jesse in the hospital, and these are Doug's companions."

Doug extended a hand. "Nice to meet you. This is my daughter Tiana, and that's my friend Sabine."

Tiana tried to hide behind Doug, but he was surrounded by strangers. She saw Sabine standing alone and ran to hide behind Sabine.

Sabine's heart soared at the trust the little girl had placed in her, and she was instantly filled with a mothering urge to protect the little one.

The old woman smiled and shook Doug's hand. A look passed between them, and Doug frowned. He glanced at Sabine and stepped over next to her, reaching for Tiana. The little girl hesitated for a fraction of a second before joining him again.

Esmerelda raised an eyebrow at Doug, and her lip quirked into a half smile.

"So what have we here?" The woman asked, approaching Sabine.

For the second time in her life, Sabine felt a tickle in her consciousness. The last time had been when she'd been dancing, and had ended with her becoming a monster. She panicked, fresh waves of anger building. Never again. Sabine felt Esmerelda enter her mind, and released a wave of power back through the link. Suddenly, the world went black.

Sabine found herself in a featureless wide open space, filled with white light. She stood alone in a white gossamer gown, except for a young woman in a matching gown gliding toward her. The woman had long dark hair like hers, only with a darker complexion. Sabine somehow sensed that this was Esmerelda, though a younger version. Sabine's fear spiked. How was this happening? She stood her ground, unsure what Esmerelda would do.

Esmerelda gave her a deferential nod. "You're a powerful one. You took me by surprise with that burst of energy, but you underestimated my powers. You won't take control of me that easily."

Sabine's mind spun in confusion. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"You used some kind of glamour on me," Esmerelda replied. "Fae, perhaps?"

"You tried to read my mind." Sabine felt her cheeks flush with guilt, which was a real trick for having barely any pulse, but things seemed different here. "The last time I felt that tickle, bad things happened. I didn't mean to do this, whatever this is."

"You didn't. You're trapped in my mind, so you couldn’t control me."

"I didn't want to control you. I just didn't want you controlling me."

Esmerelda smiled and relaxed. "I just wanted to poke around in your head and find out what you are."

Sabine laughed, remembering Doug's reaction to her attempt to read him. "You could've just asked."

"Would you have told me?"

Sabine crossed her arms. "Nope."

Esmerelda began to pace. "We all have secrets, my dear. The werewolves don't want their existence known any more than true witches do. My husband called me out here to find out if you're a danger to us. Would you welcome a mysterious and possibly dangerous stranger into your home?"

Sabine watched as the witch paced, and stood there silent for a few moments. "I don't want to tell you what I am."

Esmerelda narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You have incredible power, and power tends to hurt people."

Sabine sat on the imaginary ground. "I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not a friend. Doug is my oldest friend in the world, and if you're protecting Doug then we're on the same side."

"You know our secrets. Why is it such a concern to you if we know yours?"

"I don't want Doug to find out."

Esmerelda sat down in front of Sabine. "If I give you my word that I won't tell anyone, will you tell me?"

"Ha! You could broadcast it telepathically or something and I'd never know until it was too late."

"You could bind me to my promise. I'd be compelled to keep your secret. The spell is called a geas. We use it on uncooperative humans who want to talk about us."

Sabine laid back on the imaginary floor and contemplated forcefully binding the witch. Would she want someone taking away her own choice like that? No. She couldn't help but be impressed that Esmerelda was willing to subject herself to that to know the truth. What would the witch be willing to do to protect her family? What would Sabine do? She let out a sigh, stretching out on the pillow-soft floor. "I don't want to control you. This is really soft. What is it?"

Esmerelda laid next to her. "Memory foam."

Sabine laughed, then sat silent for a few moments to contemplate. She hated having to keep secrets and having to deceive people.
The truth will set you free
, she thought. "Swear you'll keep my secret. I wouldn't compel you, even if I knew how."

Esmerelda turned her head to regard Sabine. "To bind me, you just-"

"Don't tell me!" Sabine interrupted, holding up her hand. "I'd be tempted to use it."

Esmerelda closed her mouth, and spent a long few seconds regarding Sabine. "You don't want power?"

Sabine felt her stomach churn with frustration. "I have more than I ever wanted already. I'd trade it all for a chance to go back to blissful ignorance."

"You have honor, Sabine. And you have my promise. I'll keep your secret."

Sabine took a deep, calming breath. "I'm a vampire."

Esmerelda sat up. "No, you're not."

"I'm pretty sure about it," Sabine said, showing her fangs. "I drink blood to survive."

"But you're awake during the day. That's not possible for a vampire. You're something else."

Sabine shrugged. "Well, Michaela and Regina resurrected me."

Esmerelda jumped up. "What? How?"

"The vampires had this ancient book. They had already turned me into one of them, and chained me to a slab at one of those old forts on the north side of the bay. They told Regina and Michaela that they could save me if they did the spell. Regina and Michaela brought me back. Then the vampires made them stake me and bury me." Sabine held out her hands. "See? Regina had to carve these in my hands and feet with silver."

Esmerelda studied the tattoos for a few seconds. "Let me see your feet."

Sabine lifted the gossamer gown to show her naked feet.

Esmerelda paced back and forth. "Well, you clearly have a conscience. And I think the fact that you can walk around during the day means that you still have a soul."

"But today is the first day since I was turned that I've been awake during the day."

Esmerelda pondered for a moment. "What did you do differently in the last day?"

"Um," Sabine hesitated, then decided that it was too late to make something up. "I kinda bit a werewolf."

"You did what?"

"I... he was a bad werewolf. He was trying to hurt Doug."

"But you didn't explode from the energy overload." Esmerelda paced. "By the Goddess, this is unheard of. You should be dead right now. If you were a year-old vampire, you'd be dead. The energy would have exploded out of you. Probably taking your head with it."

Sabine swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Well, I felt like my head might explode, but then it passed and I felt more like I was drugged out of my mind."

"Yes, well, I think your soul saved you, by holding all that energy in. That could also explain your lack of aura. Your soul is trapping the vampire energy inside you."

Sabine stared at Esmerelda. "But shouldn't I be alive, if I have a soul?"

"If you were killed after binding your soul into a vampire's body..." Esmerelda's eyes started to drift as she contemplated what might happen.

"Why wouldn't my soul just fly the coop when I was killed?"

Esmerelda rubbed her chin. "If your body was mortal, then your soul would leave, but it's possible that your soul couldn't leave because of the spell."

"So I'm what? A ghost walking around in a vampire body? A walking, talking spell? A mystery wrapped in an enigma?"

"I'd go with 'it's complicated' myself," Esmerelda said with a smile.

Sabine laughed. Esmerelda grasped Sabine's hands and Sabine felt the old woman's warmhearted affection. She saw flashes of Esmerelda's memories of raising her kids, and seeing them grow to adulthood. She saw those children get married and have children of their own. She saw them go to the woods on the full moon and run free as a pack, with Esmerelda watching over them from high in the trees.

Sabine saw love that she herself had never experienced growing up, and her eyes melted into tears that she couldn't hold back. Sabine let Esmerelda see her own memories of a totally different youth, growing up with an absentee mother and a workaholic father. She showed the pain of neglect still twisting like a knife through her heart. She let Esmerelda see the hope that drove her.

Sabine wiped away her tears. "Sorry, I just..."

"It's okay dear," Esmerelda said, cradling Sabine's cheek. "Those weren't your true parents."

Sabine blinked a few times, not sure she'd heard correctly. "What did you say?"

"You'll find out when you're ready," Esmerelda said, patting Sabine on the hands she still held.

"No. No way you can drop a bomb like that on me and not explain. My parents... what are you saying? That I was adopted and didn't know it?"

"Try to see your earliest memories. Focus. I'll take you back further. I see your crib, your favorite blanket. Do you see the mobile? There, you see your mother's face; how angry she was? No mother would be that angry with a baby as wonderful as you. We'll travel back in time a little more... and the hospital-"

"Everything's blurry. I can hardly see."

"That's what happens with old childhood memories. Now you're in the nursery."

Sabine struggled and tried to run, but couldn't move. She saw a girl who looked too much like a teenage version of herself, crying in a hospital gown. Could this be her true mother? Sabine thought back to what she could remember of the woman she thought had been her mother. They hadn't looked that much alike. Looking at the memory of this girl, the heartbroken look on the girl's face, and she just knew.
Mom! Don't leave me!

A woman in a crisp pinstripe gray business suit put a clipboard with some legal papers in front of the crying girl in the hospital gown. "Sign the papers. She'll have a better life than you could provide her."

The memory dissolved, and another memory of her new parents holding her came into her mind.

Tina Christiansen, the woman Sabine had known as Mom, said "She's so cute. She's the quietest baby we've seen so far. Let's take her."