“My sister’s name is Avery Ferrand. She and I went to a club here in Savannah to hear a band play. The club was scary as hell, but it was one of Avery’s favorite bands, so she begged me to take her. That’s where we met Vincent Godfrey. I immediately went crazy over him because he was so hot and I was ecstatic because he was interested in me, or so I thought. Turns out he really wanted Avery, but she wasn’t interested and man...he got really pissed, like furious, when she told him she wouldn’t leave the club with him.
The place was so crowded that no one noticed when he and his pal hauled us out the backdoor and threw us into the back of a limo. They drove for about 20 minutes and then he took us into his big mansion where the rest of the coven was waiting.
Avery and I were terrified, but it turned out that terrified was the way they wanted us because the coven was made up of Blood Dopers.”
Chansey interrupted, “I’m sorry, Jenn. I don’t mean to interrupt, but what is a Blood Doper?”
I turned to Chansey and explained, “They are vampires that feed off of humans under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
“So, they get a high from the drugs in their victim’s bloodstream?” I asked.
“Exactly.”
Chansey turned her attention back to Jenn. “I’m sorry. Please, continue.”
“These Blood Dopers were different. They did all kinds of crazy vampire stuff to scare us even more so we would have an adrenalin rush before they drank from us because they like a natural adrenaline high better than a drug induced high. The vampires that drank from me didn’t have any side effects from my blood, but the ones that drank from Avery got an intense high from her. That’s how they discovered she was special.
They all said that her blood was the best they’d ever had and they began to call her their Blood Jewel because she was so rare. Now, they are all addicted to her blood and Vincent uses it as a way of controlling them. He wants to use her to bring in new members of the coven so he can gain control over more vampires. He is going to present her in a Blood Jewel ceremony this Saturday night to gain control over every vampire that drinks from her.
He protects her because of her precious blood, but I’m afraid of so many vampires being addicted to her blood. They’re worse than meth addicts. When they don’t get it, they go crazy. That’s how I was killed. One of them didn’t get his fix and he drank me dry in front of Avery. She made a rash decision and begged them to turn me because she didn’t want to lose me. She told them she would find a way to kill herself if they didn’t turn me. She did it out of love, but I would have chosen death over this. Anyone that chooses this is crazy.”
Solomon looked at Jenn and I recognized a look of empathy from him. They had that much in common. He had been turned by his brother out of love, so he understood exactly how Jenn was feeling at the moment. Although she had not been turned by her sister directly, her existence as a vampire was a result of her sibling.
“I had to get out of there because they were going to make me drink from Avery at the ceremony. I couldn't’ drink my own sister’s blood.” I watched a rigor come over Jenn as she continued, “That’s messed up.”
“I’m just thinking out loud here. Would you happen to know what blood type your sister is?” I asked.
“Yes, she’s AB negative. Why?”
That shouldn’t really play a factor. I mean, we had all had AB negative blood at some point and it didn’t result in any kind of high or addiction. “I was just trying to come up with a theory about what makes her blood so special. Is there anything special about your sister, like health conditions or medications she takes that would differentiate her from anyone else?”
She thought for a minute. “She’s healthy as far as I know. I can’t think of anything that would set her apart from me or anyone else for that matter.”
I looked to Sol. “We only have tonight and tomorrow night to plan this rescue if The Blood Jewel Ceremony is on Saturday night.”
“I have a plan, Curry. Sebastian and I have discussed it and he agrees that it is a good plan if you’re willing to take the lead.”
I looked at my wife and felt how frightened she was. “Chansey...”
She crossed her arms and shook her head at me. “No, I’m not leaving.”
“Love, I think you should,” I suggested.
“I think I’m not,” she argued.
I looked at Solomon and he gave me a crooked smile and shrugged with a look that said, ‘Hey, she’s yours to deal with, Pal.’
I conceded and said, “Okay, tell me about the plan.”
“Jenn says that The Blood Jewel Ceremony is all about bringing in new vampires for Vincent to control, so I think we go in posing as potentials.”
“Sounding good so far. That gets us in, but what are we going to do once we’re inside?”
“We’ll go in together so we can stake the place out. I’ll have to leave before morning, but you’ll wait in the house and take Avery once the sun has risen. I think the protection of the sun is the only way to ensure this goes down safely and you’re the only vampire I know that can walk in sunlight. Lucky you.”
Sol watched my face for a reaction. “Her rescue is solely dependent upon you, Curry. I understand that things are different now that you have Chansey. It’s not just you anymore and I understand if you don’t want to do it.”
I shook my head. “No, Chansey and I discussed it and we made this decision together.” I turned to look at my wife. “It’s a good plan and it doesn’t sound too dangerous.”
Jenn spoke up. “This ceremony is going to be all about getting you to drink Avery’s blood so you can be controlled. If you drink from her, you will be instantly addicted to her. No ifs, ands or buts about it. I’ve seen the aftermath and you can’t drink from her no matter what or you’re a goner for sure.”
“I wish we knew what was so special about Avery’s blood,” Chansey asked.
Jenn turned to Chansey. “I don’t think Vincent and his coven know why her blood is the way it is. I think it was an accidental discovery. Whatever it is, it’s like nothing they have ever experienced and they won’t be giving her up without a fight.”
I felt Chansey’s anxiety growing and Sol tried to soothe her fear. “Don’t worry, Chansey. Curry and I have done things much more dangerous than this before. It’s safe to take her during the day. Think about it. What could they really do? They’ll be down for the day. They can’t come out into the sunlight to chase us. They’ll never suspect Curry is a vampire that can walk in sunlight. It’s perfect and if we thought we needed reinforcements, we would have had our family to come and help.”
She nodded and gave me half of a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I trust that you will be careful. If it looks too dangerous when you get there, I don’t want you to do it and whatever you do, don’t drink her blood. I’m the only one you need to be addicted to.”
Sol looked from face to face and asked, “So, we’re all in agreement then?” We nodded in unison and our plan was devised. Once we had the girl, I had no idea what we would do with her, but that decision was for another day.
“I think it’s time for Jenn to return downstairs,” Solomon said.
“It was very nice to meet you,” Chansey called out as they stood to leave.
Jenn turned and gave us a sweet smile. “I’m very glad to meet both of you and thank you for helping my sister.”
When they were gone, Chansey turned to me. “Does she know that I’ll be studying her?”
I nodded. “Yes, Solomon told her.”
“When will we start?”
Her anxiousness disappointed me and I huffed, “After this mess is over with.”
“Jenn didn’t look out of control to me.”
Chansey didn’t understand and I could see that she needed an inservice. “That’s because she was jacked up on a lot of blood. Sol overfed her so she wouldn’t be distracted by her urge to attack you. We needed her in control so she could explain things to me. Sh
e’ll be much different once the blood begins to leave her system.”
I reached for Chansey’s face and tilted her chin up. “Do not trust her until this process is completed. Do not listen to anything she says. She will say things to gain your trust, but she will rip into your throat without any hesitation or regret. Understood?”
She nodded. “How will you know when she is ready?”
“She will be constantly tested when the time is right. If she passes, she is ready,” I explained.
Chansey cocked her head to the side. “What if she doesn’t pass the test?”
I hesitated because I knew she wouldn’t like the answer. “She will be destroyed.”
Her eyes grew large. “That’s terrible. This isn’t her fault. She didn’t ask to turned.”
“It’s how it is, Chansey. If she cannot be contained, she will be destroyed. That’s the way it goes. You remember what Elliott tried to do to you?” I reminded her.
“But she should be fine, right? She looked easily contained earlier.”
Chansey always looked for the positive in everything and it was one of the many things I loved about her, but she had not grasped how looks could be so deceiving. “Overfeeding is not how you train a vampire to restrain from killing humans.”
“So, how will you teach Jenn to restrain?”
Boy, she wasn’t going to like this at all. “Jenn will learn control through exposure to humans while fasting.”
“So, you’re telling me that you’ll starve her and then dangle a human in front of her?” she asked angrily.
“We withhold blood for a period of time and then a Blood Swan comes to tempt them. It’s a gradual process and we build up to the level of control she will need to live among humans. It’s a difficult process, but it is doable unless she completely lacks impulse control.”
She turned from me and shook her head. “It seems so cruel.”
I could feel her pain and I pulled her into my arms. “Let’s not talk about it anymore tonight. I want to enjoy my first night home with my wife.”
I immediately felt her mood shift and she turned to face me. “Would it be rude for us to go hibernate in our bedroom?”
“Hmm...Let me see. We’re dealing with a guy that sticks it to me every chance he can just because he thinks it’s funny. I don’t think I care if we’re rude.” I stood, pulled Chansey into my arms quickly and kissed her mouth. “Let’s hurry before he comes back upstairs.”
16 The Razor’s Edge
Over the next two days, I felt Chansey’s fear like something tangibly squeezing in the heart of my chest where I always felt the things she was feeling. Neither of us mentioned the rescue mission, but I could sense that her fear multiplied as the time drew nearer.
Saturday evening arrived and I was standing in front of our bathroom mirror shaving when Chansey walked up behind me. She snaked her arms around my bare waist above the towel around my waist and overlapped her hands. “I love you.”
I dipped my razor into the sink water and shook it to rinse the lather away. “I love you, too.”
I reached for my face and stroked the triple edge razor over my chin and I felt her place her cheek against my bare back. She took a long, deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
It was her first mention that anything would be happening tonight. I rinsed the razor again and laid it on the counter before I turned to her. I lifted her chin and said, “Hey, everything is going to be fine. I’ll be back first thing in the morning with the girl. Gia and Lairah are here to keep you company and Gia will only leave briefly to pick Sol up in the morning. You should have a little girl fun while they’re here. Let them take your mind off of what will be happening.”
“There’s no way I’ll be able to think of anything except getting you home safely in the morning. I won’t rest until I have you back in my arms.”
She went up on her tiptoes to kiss my mouth and she ran a finger along my lathered face. “Can I finish this for you?”
I smiled against her lips and put my hands on her small waist. “You want to shave me?”
She leaned back and gazed into my eyes. “Yeah, is that okay?”
I reached for the razor and passed it to her. “You never cease to amaze me, Mrs. Brennan.”
She stepped around me and hopped up to sit on the raised bathroom counter. She reached for the razor and then dipped it in the water. “Chin up, Mr. Brennan.”
I lifted my chin as my wife instructed me and she slowly finished the job I had started. After her last stroke, she rinsed the razor and let the water out of the sink. She reached for the hand towel on the counter, wiped the remaining lather from my face and pulled me closer so she could wrap her legs around my waist. “We have a few minutes until the others are up.”
She licked her lips and reached behind my neck to pull me closer for a kiss. Her kisses quickly became urgent and I felt her reach for the towel around my waist. “Chansey...I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She stopped in her tracks and looked up at me with hurt in her eyes. “You don’t want me?”
I smiled and said, “I always want you...Always. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to chance these vampires smelling you on me. I mean...smelling you on me in a sexual way. That would most definitely be a red flag to them.”
She looked at me with large eyes. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”
I had never told her that little tidbit because I knew it would mortify her. “Yep, I’m afraid so,” I confessed.
Her face became mortified more and more as she thought about it. “So, Solomon and the others always know when we’ve been intimate because they can smell me on you?”
This part was even better. “Technically, they smell the mix of our body fluids. It’s very distinctive.”
She lifted a brow. “And you can smell the mix of us, too?”
“Hell yes and I love it,” I growled as I leaned into her and nibbled her earlobe.
“How embarrassing! I wish you hadn’t told me.”
I grabbed her hips and pulled her closer as I leaned between her legs and groaned into her ear, “There’s nothing else like it.”
Her slow breathing turned to panting and she said, “You’ve got time to take another shower.”
“I laughed, but it sounded more like a teasing rumble from my chest. “It doesn’t work like that, Love. A shower helps, but the scent doesn’t completely wash off and it takes several hours for it to wear off on its own.”
“But last night and this morning was okay?”
I ran my rose along her jawline. “Yes, it’s been long enough that our scent has faded.”
“Gah, how embarrassing. I can’t even imagine what Solomon must think about us.”
I laughed at her consideration of Sol “He thinks that I am one lucky bastard.”
Chansey leaned back to look at my face. “Why do you say that?”
“Sol sees how happy we are and he wants a mate, but not a vampire mate. He hoped Shelby would be his Agápe.” I shook my head and said, “He would be so pissed at me if he knew I was telling you this stuff, so don’t mention it.”
“Sounds to me like he’s lonesome. Jenn won’t be an Agápe for him, but maybe she could turn out to be exactly what he wants. We can always hope.”
Yeah, maybe Jenn was exactly what he needed to turn him around so he would see that a vampire mate was just what he needed.
≈ ≈ ≈
I would have expected some confusion on her part, but Jenn’s directions to Vincent’s were amazingly accurate for someone that had been held prisoner inside for so long. We turned off of the road and the protective gates at the entrance to Vincent’s house were swung wide open, welcoming any fool vampire to come inside and fall prey to his deception.
Sol pulled the stolen black Lincoln Towncar forward to allow us a better view of the ornate design within the black wrought iron gate. He held up Jenn’s sketch of the Vincent
’s Sigil and compared it to the gate’s ornamental design. “This is definitely where we’re supposed to be. It’s a match, just as Jenn said it would be.”
I looked toward the house at the end of the long drive and saw what appeared to be an old plantation, quite similar to our compound in New Orleans. Sol drove toward the house and we passed approximately 50 vehicles parked perfectly along the lawn.
Three men dressed in slacks and button up shirts with vests stood in front of the mansion and one motioned for us to pull forward. Sol came to a stop next to him and said, “Are these guys supposed to be valets?”
The young man standing outside the car door answered, “Yes, sir. It would be an honor and privilege to park your vehicle for you.”
“A fledgeling, no doubt,” Solomon commented before the valet opened the door.
“Yes, sir. I was turned only six months ago,” the young vampire responded as he waited for Sol to get out of the car.
We exited the car and then allowed the fledgeling to take my only mode of escape for the girl and myself in the morning. That left me more than a little bit uncomfortable, so we stalled for a minute so I could see the location of my parked getaway ride before we went inside.
After seeing where the Towncar was parked, Sol and I entered the double doors unaware of what awaited us on the other side, but finding a pair of tall, muscular vampires just within the foyer inspecting guests as they entered came as no surprise. The larger of the two vampires huskily asked,“What is your business here?”
I stepped forward identifying myself as leader over Sol and said, “My companion and I have come to celebrate The Blood Jewel Ceremony with Vincent.”
The two eyed us suspiciously before the smaller one said, “Wait here,” He returned in a moment and said, “Gentlemen, welcome to the home of Vincent Godfrey. Please enjoy yourselves this evening at The Ceremony.”
Relieved we made it through the first round of inspection, Sol and I walked down the wide corridor through the center of the house. As we wandered, we noted crowds of vampires gathered in each room we passed, appearing as a sea of tuxedos and evening gowns. A server carrying a tray of crystal glasses filled with blood approached us and offered, “Would you care for an O negative, sir?”