SCROLLS OF THE DEAD-3 Complete Vampire Novels-A Trilogy (30 page)

"But it's my choice, isn't it, Mentor?"

Mentor sighed. "Yes," he said. "It's your choice. I've just shown you the usual repercussions of such a choice. I only want to help you, Dell."

"I'll think about it."

Mentor took her arm and said, "Yes, you must. You must think about it."

This time, knowing it was time to go, Dell began to transform before Mentor had to bring her along. Soon they were but heavier clouds of darkness near the rafters and then they were beyond the red-tiled roof and the green treetops, rising rapidly through clouds into cold dark space.

~*~

"Where are we?"

Mentor had set them down on the sidewalk in front of Bette Kinyo's house. He turned to Dell, who was just finishing returning to her body. She was yet a bit transparent, but even as he watched, her body filled in and was whole again. She had already learned enough to transform and reappear on her own at will.

Mentor glanced around to be sure there was no one nearby who might have seen them. He had checked before appearing, but he always had to make sure. Seeing the sidewalks empty, the curtains in the houses closed, he was sure they had gone undetected. He answered Dell's query. "We're in Dallas again, in front of a house owned by a woman named Bette. She's a . . . a beautiful Japanese-American female."

"Why are we here?"

"I wanted you to know something."

"Yes?"

"This woman has stumbled onto us. She's psychic and possesses powers of a true wizard, or medium, if you like. If Ross had had his way, she'd be dispatched by now. For she's a scientist, you see. And she knows enough to expose us."

Dell looked at the front of the silent dark house, perplexed. "So why are we here? Are you going to take her to the monastery?"

"Oh, no. That's only for our kind. No, I'm not going to hurt Bette. And I won't let Ross hurt her. Can you figure out why I'd do that? Risk our safety for this mortal?"

Dell stared at him and he opened his mind to her, his heart. She reached out to touch his consciousness, and knowledge dawned in her eyes. "You love her," she whispered. "Oh, Mentor."

Mentor reached up to rub his forehead as if he could make his mind obey his command to release him from this insanity. "Yes," he said, "yes, I've fallen in love with a mortal again. After being so long alone. After suffering the loneliness of a century. After knowing what I know. After visiting Madeline and those like her held prisoner so they won't do harm to all the rest of us.'

"And after warning me so many times," Dell added.

"Do you see all the dangers, Dell? Don't you understand the agony of it? This woman does not love me. She has a lover and will likely marry him. They will have children and grow old together and die. That is as it should be. I'll attend this woman's funeral in the future and I'll grieve. I'll love her from a distance, stay separate from her, never be a part of her life, never feel her hand stroke my face or feel her gaze of love grace me. But I will do that because . . . why? Why would I not try to make her love me back, Dell? I probably could if I tried, you know. But why wouldn't I?"

Dell didn't answer though he was certain she knew the answer. She simply hung her head in sadness. Mentor put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go home," he said. "You must think this all over. You're not a child anymore. You understand the complexity of who and what you are and the consequences of whatever decision you make in this matter." And I have done all I can do, Mentor thought.

He glanced back at the house as they walked away. He wished he'd never gone there, never seen Bette Kinyo. It was a tragedy in the making, the woman in that house. He might have to protect her from Ross or other Predators who found out about her. She might even cause a war among the ranks of vampires in this city. All because he had foolishly let his heart feel something again.

"I'm so sorry, Mentor," Dell said.

"I know," he said. "So am I."

~*~

"Did you see that?"

Charles Upton had his face pressed against the dark glass of the limo window, hands on each side of his face.

"George, did you see that?"

"No, sir, see what?"

"That man and the girl. They weren't there a minute ago. They just . . . they just appeared!"

Upton felt excitement rush through him like bared strands of electricity touching and sparking. "Start the car, George. Follow them."

By the time George had the car turned around at the next intersection, the old man and girl were several blocks away. "No, wait," Upton commanded. "Stop the car, pull over there, to the curb."

George did as instructed.

"I've got to go on foot. They're going to see this damn big boat following them. Come on and help me, George. Help me!"

George got him onto the sidewalk and gave him his cane. He walked beside him, ready to catch him if he stumbled or fell on the cracked and heaving chunks of concrete sidewalk. It was difficult for Upton to get around on his own. It was painful. But he was onto something, and he would not let it get out of his sight even if he had to crawl or have George carry him. At least the couple wasn't moving fast. He'd never be able to keep up if they upped their pace.

"I'm all right," he said to George. He had his balance now and was careful where he stepped. "Go back and get the car. Stay way behind me, do you hear? Don't get close enough for them to see you. Just keep me in view in case I need you." In case I break my damn neck, he thought ruefully.

George turned and hurried back down the sidewalk to the car.

"I've got you now," Upton whispered to himself. One of you will do as I want, he thought. One or the other of you will give me eternal life. I'll make you, by God. I will.

Chapter 23

When morning dawned, Dell groaned and rolled from bed feeling as if she were hung over. She dressed slowly and dispiritedly. She thought she'd ask to drive the car today. She couldn't face riding the bus.

In the other rooms she heard her parents rushing to ready themselves for work. It was all they did. They rested, they slept, they paid Ross' lackeys for blood, they went to work. It was the same routine every single day. It was not so different a life than humans lived, but shouldn't it be more, she wondered? Shouldn't such powerful creatures as they were live more comfortable and less stressful lives? If only they could . . . could kill. But then they wouldn't be Naturals, the closest any of them ever got to being human again.

School, too, was the same routine. Every single day. School was a drag. Each day was harder to get through. Dell felt sullen and out of sorts. Once at school, she steered clear of her friends and attended her earlier classes with only half her mind paying attention. She went off by herself at lunchtime, walking out to the front of the school to sit on the steps alone. No one came here at lunch. They grouped together in little cliques, believing they really were Somebodies.

Mentor's little supernatural-assisted trips had sobered her. She'd seen the pain written on his face, felt his loneliness and helplessness. She'd felt the depth of Madeline's unwavering rage and her helplessness, too.

Mentor surely was right. It was not worth it to get involved with humans. Eventually she'd be out of school, go on to college, begin to see the world from the vantage point of a vampire. One day, maybe, she'd meet another of her kind and form a union so she that wouldn't be alone like Mentor. She'd be like her parents.

Oh, God! More routine and discouragement. Nothing new, nothing bright and exciting. It just didn't seem worthwhile.

Nevertheless she really had to stay away from Ryan Major. It was unfair to him. It was a form of death to her to think she'd love him so much one day that she'd be locked in the monastery after his loss.

"Hi, they said I'd find you here. Are you all right?"

Dell pushed her sunglasses tighter against the bridge of her nose. It was Ryan. He was sitting beside her now on the steps, folding his long legs before him. She could smell him. He had a very masculine scent, sort of lemony and sunny. She turned her head away from him and picked at the seam of her jeans.

"Dell? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." If she were rude and ugly and mean to him, he'd go away.

"Nothing? You look like you lost your best friend.”

“Would you mind leaving me alone?" There. That should do it.

"I don't want to leave you alone. Something's wrong. Did I say something, do something? Can't you talk to me?"

He had his hand on her hand and she jerked it away. She was cold. Dead. He would know that one day and he'd despise her. He's be horror-stricken. She couldn't take that. She never wanted to see his face change with understanding and horror filling his eyes.

"Go away," she said.

He didn't. He sat quietly, not trying to touch her again. Finally, when she saw he was not going to leave, she turned to him. She felt anger rising. Why wouldn't he let her be? She was trying to save both of them so much trouble.

Spiraling anger caused her to lash out. Words tumbled before she could catch them, before she could monitor herself. "So you like vampires, huh? You like Lori and her little pretend bloodsuckers? You don't even know what a vampire is. You probably think they're like your little friends. They want to be alone and pretend they're different, special. They want to drink one another's blood, they want to try out kinky sex. They're the ones you ought to hang out with. Go find them, Ryan, and leave me alone!"

"I don't understand . . ."

"No, you don't. People die, don't they? They live a little while and then they die and turn to dust. Well, what if some of them didn't exactly die? What if when they did die, they became something else, they changed, they had a special disease that made them live on? What if they turned into something . . . weird? Something no one under heaven could accept? A monstrosity, a freak of nature? What if I told you that's what I am? You wouldn't like me so much then, would you? If I told you I can't eat food or drink anything anymore, what would you say? What if I said I have to drink blood from a vampire blood bank? That it comes in bags and we drink them? And what would you say if I told you I can't die except under very special circumstances? And that I'm cold, Ryan, COLD! My heart doesn't beat. My blood only sits there, renewed by the blood I have to have, but my heart never moves it. And if I wanted to, I could disappear. Right now. In front of you."

She saw the look on his face, the amazement, and she wanted to scare him, scare him so badly he'd never want to come near her again. She began to concentrate and her molecules slowly began to dance, bumping and moving apart, until when she looked down at her hands she saw them shimmering, light flowing right through them, making them transparent.

You see? She sent the thought to his mind. Watch closely and see a miracle. I am vampire, Ryan. I am a true monster.

She completely disappeared, except for a darkness in the air that hovered just above the steps she'd been sitting upon. She moved higher and watched Ryan's shocked face as his gaze followed her. She lowered again to the steps, came back to herself, transforming into her corporeal body. She looked fully into his eyes and said, "Get away from me. Get away from me now before I do something you won't like."

Ryan stumbled back up the steps on his hands, pushing with his feet to get away, and finally he leaped to his feet and hurried into the school building. Dell turned back and looked out into the empty yard. A wind blew past ruffling her hair. It smelled of magnolia flowers blooming on a nearby tree. She closed her eyes and felt the tears come, filling her eyes.

"Are you happy, Mentor?" she whispered into the wind. "Are you all happy now?"

~*~

Dell lay on her bed, one arm thrown over her eyes. It was after eight p.m. and she'd sent Eddie away when he'd come to see about her. When her parents came to her door to inquire after her, she sent them away, too. "I just need to be alone," she said. "Please."

She knew they were discussing her in the living room, thinking of calling for Mentor, but she didn't really care what they said or what they did. She only wanted to be still. And to think. She wasn't sure she could even go back to school again. She wasn't afraid that Ryan would say anything to anyone. Who would believe him, after all? But she did not think she could stand the rigorous standards that humans demanded in an institution like high school. She didn't want her friends anymore. They cared about clothes and cars and boys. She had nothing in common with any of them. Her problems were much deeper and more personal.

She couldn't have Ryan. Couldn't date him like a real girl could.

She cared little about her subjects and if she wanted, she could speed-read every book they gave her and retain the information, the way Eddie did.

Maybe she should quit school and forget college and just learn what she had to learn from books and from the world. She could take classes from a university on the Internet. She might even go away from her parents, leave Dallas, hide out somewhere so that she could think and find a way to live this new life she'd been given.

Her family probably thought she was getting suicidal. She could tell them how wrong they were and relieve their worry. She couldn't sustain the thought of fire, of setting herself alight and twirling until she was but cinder and soot. She simply needed to change her life now. Get away. She could transform, since Mentor had shown her how. She could travel above the Earth, so far away there was no air, no heat. She could go to another country or into the wilderness in this one. She could live on the blood of small animals and grow her hair longer and let it tangle. She could live like the wild thing she was. She needed neither shelter from storm nor anything else the world offered. Why more of them just didn't go away into hiding she couldn't understand. Or maybe they did—and no one spoke of it. Maybe there were thousands of them, millions! All of them hiding out, living alone, miserable until the end of all time. The vampires who tried to live with humanity and couldn't. The ones who were so depressed and alone they had to go away forever.