Renzo stretched taller, going toe-to-toe with Dathan. “And who makes the laws?”
The light in Dathan’s eyes grew malignant. “Cedric and I.”
“Then change the law, and allow me to protect my own.” Renzo’s voice gentled. “Cedric asked us not to leave. Help us stay alive so we can fight for you.”
“Dathan,” Cedric said. “After being around a few centuries himself, I doubt we can tell Renzo anything new. This information is for Autumn and Zack who saved my life. It’s the least they deserve.”
Dathan growled and returned to staring out the window. I assumed that meant he was giving in.
Cedric leaned back in his chair. “Our weaknesses, let’s see... Only the extremely old can withstand the sun and it affects even us, however slight. Amplified emotions but then that’s normal for your kind as well.” He scratched his chin. “Vampires have a tendency to go mad and kill themselves. That’s why truly ancient vampires are rare.”
“It’s why some of us go into slumber for long periods,” Dathan added. “Keeps things fresh.”
Hopefully Dathan’s recent slumber would keep him good for a while. We didn’t need someone that scary taking a ride on the crazy train. “Can you control humans, like the way we’re able to put an idea into their heads?” I asked.
“Yes, but not like werewolves or shape-shifters.” Cedric glanced at Dathan who nodded. I guessed this was sensitive information. “While you merely plant concepts or urges, we can make them do anything we want, believe anything, or forget all of it.”
“The trick, though,” Dathan added, “is that we must make a physical connection. We can only glamour them if we’re feeding off them. Are we almost done here?” He scowled at me.
Why direct that my way? Whatever. I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me and blow my opportunity to learn more. Who knew when I’d get another chance to pick their brains?
“No.” I zeroed in on Cedric and tuned the others out. “How does one turn into a vampire?”
“The human must be drained to the point of death then fed vampire blood within a couple minutes to resuscitate them,” Cedric replied. “They’ll still appear dead while they are changing. The more blood ingested, the faster the process.”
“Which is how long?” Zack asked.
“Anywhere from a few hours if you indulge or a full day if you’re limited to a few sips.”
So far, they weren’t telling us anything we could use. “Do garlic, crosses, and holy water do anything?”
“No, nothing at all.” Dathan spun to stare at us. “Are you finished with the Q and A yet?”
“Not quite.” I held up one finger then shifted to Cedric as a low hiss emanated from near the window. What if Dathan turned someone? Would they inherit some of his strength? “Does it matter who turns you?”
“Yes, the strengths and weaknesses of the master are inherited by the fledgling,” Dathan answered, spinning to face us again. “Works the same when you’re turning a werewolf. If the master is cruel and uncaring, anyone he turns will have that tendency as part of him. It’s that much more difficult to control the bad impulses.”
Ah, that explained why my ex, Daniel, became so much more violent and creepy after William turned him. “That makes a lot of sense.”
“It’s why so many werewolves are mean.” Tony flinched and averted our gazes. “Not you guys, but you know.”
“It’s okay.” Zack grinned. “We don’t care much for the species either. Which is why we’re here.”
“One more question.” I focused on Cedric, knowing this was sensitive info and if anyone would give up the deets, it was him. “If vampire blood heals you, then in theory, a human could live forever on it without ever being turned, right?”
“Only in theory, because he’d be hunted and killed. In the end, anyone who was hijacking vampire blood would end up with a much shorter life than if he’d remained one hundred percent human,” Cedric answered.
“So that’s a thing?” I asked. “There are people out there who hunt you?”
“They never hunt us for long,” Tony said with a harsh tone. “They’re called Betweeners since they aren’t vampires, but they’re not exactly human anymore either. Not while they’re amped on vampire blood.”
“If you ladies are finished chatting, let’s wrap this up,” Dathan said through clenched teeth.
Since I couldn’t think of any more questions, I rose with Zack and we made a beeline to our bedroom door. That information wasn’t nearly as insightful as I’d hoped it would be.
True, but we have no idea what might come in handy up the road, he said.
“Uh, Zack?” Cedric glanced up from his cell screen. “You have a visitor.”
Who would visit him here? God, I hoped Trevor or Maya hadn’t tracked us down. I didn’t want my human friends anywhere near a palace full of vampires, especially the ones who were trying to kill us.
“I thought no one was coming or going until this was over,” Zack said, a confused look on his face.
“Extenuating circumstances. We’ve been expecting this one.” Cedric vacated the chair and stuck his phone in his pocket. “If everyone would retire to Dathan’s room and give Zack some privacy, I’m sure he’d appreciate it. You too, Autumn.”
“Werewolf?” I asked.
“No. Vampire.” Cedric motioned for me to get up.
Obeying, I glanced over my shoulder at Zack, wondering who the mysterious visitor was. Apparently Cedric felt comfortable having this vampire in the palace, but what could he want with Zack?
Kayla and Tony returned to their post in the hallway outside Cedric’s suite and I followed King Cedric, Renzo, and Alura to Dathan’s room. “Are these walls soundproofed too?”
“Dying to see who it is, aren’t you?” Cedric chuckled, then lowered his voice. “Yes, all the walls are soundproofed, but we may hear something through the cracks. If not, you’ll find out soon enough.”
I sat on a chair closest to the adjoining wall and concentrated on the sounds in the next room. Whatever was going on, it was going to be interesting.
Cedric grabbed a book and settled into an overstuffed chair. A moment later, he sat the book on the end table and rubbed his chin as he studied me. “He loves you.”
Renzo flinched.
“Zack?” I lifted a shoulder and dropped it. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
One side of Cedric’s mouth sloped up. “He does.”
“We have chaos at the throne and you’re discussing puppy love?” Dathan scowled. “You dogs are already invading my suite. How about not compounding your sins with insipid talk? Perhaps not talk at all.”
“Even if you two had the real thing,” Renzo told me, as though Dathan hadn’t said a thing, “doesn’t mean you both can’t find someone else.”
“Also doesn’t mean it can’t last.” Alura rolled her eyes. “Guys, leave her alone.”
Good idea since I didn’t need to think about Zack’s feelings for me after I’d already dumped him. It was easier to believe his affections for me hadn’t run that deep. “He’s never said the words. Not once.”
“Does he need to?” Cedric asked.
I sighed. “Only a man would ask that.”
“Doesn’t change the facts.” He pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile.
I found myself torn between hoping I hadn’t hurt Zack and hoping I had. Because if I had hurt him, then that meant he cared deeply for me. But if he cared that much, what was I going to do about it?
Chapter TWENTY-TWO
Zack
Curiosity was eating me alive. Aside from the vampires I’d met at the palace, I didn’t know any others. But Cedric knew my visitor or he wouldn’t have allowed him to come up. And he’d been expecting him. So who the hell could he be and what did this stranger want from me?
I leaned against the arm of the settee, ready for anything, when the patter on the plush carpet outside the suite had me zeroing in on the door leading to the corridor. Soft footfal
ls, like a woman’s.
Kayla opened the door, then slipped out as the guest slipped in. I sucked in a lungful of air. My jaw dropped and my eyes stung.
It couldn’t be. Her skin was fresh and young, her color healthy as though she’d never been sick a day in her life. She’d filled out, no longer thin and frail. I shot up from my seat, then froze before approaching slowly. “Mom?”
The younger, more vibrant version of my mother beamed. “It’s me, Tesoro. I’m okay.”
But she’d died. I’d felt it. Positive this couldn’t be my mother, I stopped in the center of the room a few feet from her. “That’s impossible.”
“Yes, impossible.” She smiled. “Like werewolves and vampires?”
I inhaled, long and slow. She smelled the same as Cedric and all the other inhabitants in this place. “You’re a vampire? Why?”
Her face fell and her cheeks flushed. “Because it was better than dying.”
If this wasn’t my mother, who could it be? A doppelganger? “It’s been six days. Where have you been?”
“In transition. He could only give me a small amount of blood or I’d come back to life and the doctors would have too many questions. So I lay dormant in the morgue for more than a day. When I finally got out of there, I spent the next several days attempting to control my hunger and learning how to be a vampire.”
My heart soared at the possibility that I wasn’t an orphan after all. I wasn’t one hundred percent convinced though. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“My sire wouldn’t let me.” She held her palms open at her side. “It’s not uncommon for vampires to be destroyed within the first few days because they can’t adjust. I couldn’t tell you I was alive and risk you suffering my death all over again. And I couldn’t be trusted near humans yet anyway. The more effort I put in controlling my thirst, the sooner I could see you. And then today, I had to wait until the sun went down.”
Right—new vampire. No sunlight. I so badly wanted to believe this was my mother and she was alive. “A few weeks ago, you gave me a black box. What was in it?”
Her mouth widened to expose her teeth, her eyes shining. “Your future without me. Money, bank account numbers, credit cards—everything you’d need if I didn’t survive. You didn’t want to take it, but I insisted. And then you blackmailed me into going to the doctor.”
Sold.
I launched myself at her, picking her up off the ground and spinning her around the room. “I can’t believe it!”
She laughed, pushing against my shoulders. “Put me down, silly.”
I allowed her feet to touch the floor, but couldn’t release her all the way. Not yet. My hands gripping her arms, I leaned back to examine her. “You look amazing. Perfect.” Not dead at all. Relief flooded through me. “Yep, being a vampire is way better than dying.”
“In most ways.” She raised one shoulder. “Took me some time to adjust to the whole blood thing.”
I took her hand and tugged her to the settee. Unable to take my eyes off her for fear she’d disappear and I’d discover her being here was a dream, I laced our fingers.
“Who’s your sire? And how did he get the task to turn you?” Wait... did she know about me, that I was a werewolf? “How did you find me?”
“Well...” She averted her eyes and licked her lips. “Remember how vague I was about your father’s death? I kept the details from you because I couldn’t stand the thought of the real images in your head.” Her palm covered my cheek. “He was attacked by a bear and dragged away.”
However he died, what did it matter now? “What does your sire have to do with Dad being killed by a bear?”
My mom swallowed. “He arranged for an old vampire called Magnus to turn me.”
I nodded slowly, not sure if I understood the sequence correctly. “So before he died, he made sure this Magnus vampire would turn you?”
“Uh, no. The bear—shape-shifter—left him for dead, but he survived.” Her smile grew wider. “He’s alive, Zack. And he saved me. He stood by me through the entire transition.”
I froze. Breathe in. Breathe out. Neither of my parents was dead. Which was unbelievable and I couldn’t wait to meet him. Except... “Why did he wait so long, Mom. Why?”
“He was badly injured and it took him years and years to heal. By the time he was well enough to blend with humans, you’d already grown up. And I still couldn’t be turned into a werewolf because the werewolf virus would’ve killed me.”
“Vampire blood heals. He arranged a vamp to turn you. Why couldn’t he use the blood to cure you, then make you into a werewolf instead?”
“Vampires are stingy with their blood, as you can imagine. They’d choose just about any other option before giving their blood to a werewolf. And they rarely make new vampires. But your father was able to get Magnus to glamour my nurse Winnie into putting a few drops into my IV over the years. The vampire blood helped keep me alive, but wasn’t enough to totally cure me.”
My dad had found a way to save her. I inwardly shuddered, trying not to think about what would’ve happened to my mom without those drops of blood. No wonder she’d lived beyond the doctors’ expectations.
“Yeah, but he’s close by. Why couldn’t he contact us?”
“Making his presence known to me would mean explaining why he was still alive and what he was. That would put me in danger of being killed since humans aren’t supposed to have knowledge of werewolves and vampires.”
“Why couldn’t he tell me, though?”
She hesitated, biting her lip. “He couldn’t do that without exposing himself to me. And he couldn’t take you away, not without forcing you to abandon me. He didn’t want me to lose my child or you to be without your mother. So he spent the last few years searching for a vampire who didn’t hate werewolves and would change me. In the end, it was the same vampire who’d given him the original vial.”
He’d saved her and that was all that mattered. Anything else he may have done wrong was forgivable. “When can I see him?”
“The thing is...” She gulped. “You already have.”
I’d already seen him? She couldn’t have been referring to Charles who was dead and buried. I prayed she didn’t mean William who’d been run out of town by Charles. They were perfect, unlikable examples of the werewolf species. But if either were my father, they wouldn’t have tried to kill me, right? I hadn’t noticed any other werewolves except Renzo and Alura.
“I believe you know him as Renzo Soriano.” She eyed me intently.
I sprung from the settee to loom over her. “Renzo?” I growled. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Tesoro, sit. Talk to me.” She patted the spot where I’d just vacated.
I ignored her request, glaring as I paced. “Renzo is my dad? The same Renzo who scared the hell out of us and threatened Autumn? The same guy who’s been around for weeks and is now beating the crap out of me every day during training?” I was shouting now and didn’t care that everyone, even Renzo, could hear me in the other room.
My mom flew off the couch and bared her teeth. Fangs, actually. She clamped her fingers on my shoulders. “Sit down, Zack.”
“No.” My hands bunched into fists. “I’m going to find Renzo and kick his ass.”
I slipped out of her grasp and made my way to the room where Renzo was probably listening, but in an instant, my mom was blocking my path. “You will not fight your father. I need you to listen to me. There’s so much you don’t know.”
I wouldn’t fight her to get to Renzo. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “So good to have you back. But I’m sorry. I can’t stay. I need some space.”
“You can’t leave.” She sidestepped to stop me and I took that opportunity to get past her.
I barreled through the door, zeroed in on Renzo, and charged. My fist landed in his ribs and he doubled over. “You son of a bitch!”
“Zack!” my mom shouted behind me.
Autumn’s mouth dropped open and she stare
d at my mom with huge eyes. Shaking off the shock, Autumn moved in front of Renzo and blocked me from hitting Renzo again—who hadn’t made an effort to defend himself. “Don’t do anything you’re going to regret.”
I struggled to calm myself as I shot Renzo a look of loathing. “All this time and he didn’t tell me he was my dad.”
Autumn flinched, but she didn’t glance at Renzo. As if she wasn’t surprised.
Fury raged through me and I rounded on her. “You knew?”
She shook her head. “I just found out a couple—”
“Which means you’ve had time to tell me.” And now I wondered what else she was keeping from me. Maybe her secrets were the real reason she’d broken up with me. Fire burned my brain and streaks of red clouded my vision. “For all your preaching about telling the truth, you’re the biggest liar of them all.”
“You don’t understand.” Autumn clung to my arm. “Zack—”
“You have no right to speak me.” I shrugged her off. “You’re not my girlfriend, remember?”
“Zack, it wasn’t her fault and I had my reasons for not telling you.” Renzo rubbed his rib where I’d hit him. “Give me a chance to—”
“Stay away from me! Both of you.” I backed out of the room.
“Tesoro, listen to them. Please,” my mom called out, following me. She’d probably seen me punch the love of her life. Both of them had known for nearly a week that the other was alive and neither could manage to tell me?
The three people I needed most in my life had kept me in the dark. Lied to me.
Unable to look into my mom’s pleading eyes, I whirled and headed through the door into the king’s study. But I could sense them behind me and I didn’t feel like talking. I needed a few minutes to myself, time to think.
At the door to the bedroom Autumn and I had shared, I paused with my hand on the knob. My gaze strayed to the next door over that led to the corridor and beyond. They’d follow me for sure. And somewhere in the palace vamps were waiting to kill us. But if I ran fast enough, they wouldn’t be able to see me. They could follow my scent but I’d be over the stone gates traveling faster than they could track me.