"Drugs?" Sherry asked with a frown.
"It's bad," Elvi said solemnly. "Bad enough that we're afraid if we don't find a way to silence the voices for her, she could go no-fanger."
"Stephanie?" Sherry asked with dismay.
Elvi nodded. "For all we know, this kind of thing is what actually makes the no-fangers crazy."
Sherry stared at her with horror, trying to imagine Stephanie acting like Leo had in her store. The idea was not a pleasant one. She liked Stephanie. The girl seemed like a relatively normal kid--well, for being a vampire. She hadn't even realized there was anything wrong with her.
"It will be fine," Elvi said with a forced smile. "Drina, Harper, and Victor are trying to train her to block thoughts. Once she's able to do that, she'll be fine."
"I'm sure it will," Sherry murmured, although it seemed obvious to her that, despite her words, Elvi wasn't at all sure.
"Anyway, enough of this talk. We need to find you clothes. Try that skirt with a different top and then try these on," Elvi said, handing her the snakeskin jeans. "I'm going to go find you a couple more tops."
Sherry nodded and watched her walk away, then turned and moved back into her changing room. The thought of Stephanie going no-fanger continued to bother her, though, as she stripped off the cropped top and switched it for a longer sweater with holes at the shoulders. She eyed the results with surprise. This one covered her muffin top but also looked rather sexy.
A knock at the door announced Elvi's return, and Sherry turned and pulled it open with a smile. "This one is much better, I . . ." Her voice died as she realized it wasn't Elvi.
Nine
"You need to convince Sherry to let you turn her."
Eyebrows rising at that announcement, Basil glanced to Victor and then back to the glittery and very skimpy halter top he held in his hands. Trying to imagine Sherry in it, he pointed out, "I have only just met her. Can we not enjoy getting to know each other before we get into--"
"No. With Leonius around, you cannot afford to dally," Victor said firmly. "Especially since I think you will have some trouble convincing her to turn."
"What?" Basil dropped the top and rounded on him.
Victor shrugged. "The woman was panicking in the restaurant at the mere thought of becoming immortal. She started trying to convince herself that this was all just a dream or the result of drugs." Scowling, he asked, "What the devil have you been saying to her to make her so afraid of becoming one of us?"
Basil frowned and then admitted reluctantly, "I may have mentioned that living so long without a life mate was difficult."
Victor narrowed his eyes on him and then gasped with dismay, "Suicide by Rogue Hunter?"
Basil grimaced. "Stay out of my head."
"I will if you start using your head," Victor countered grimly. "Dear God, how could you tell her all of that?"
"She seemed upset, perhaps even a little horrified, that I have had so many children with Mary, and I was trying to explain--"
"Oh God, you told her about Mary and the kids too?" Victor asked, looking alarmed.
"Of course. She is my life mate, Victor. I have to be honest with her," he pointed out.
"Yes, but you could have saved that little nugget of information for after you convinced her to be your life mate," Victor said grimly. "Good Lord, man. Telling her how depressed and miserable you were to live so long? And you think that is going to make her eager to become immortal?"
Basil turned his back and began to rifle through the tops on display, but he was worrying now that he'd blown it with Sherry. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to tell her--
"I'm sorry, brother," Victor said suddenly. "Of course you had to tell her about the kids. And perhaps it's only fair that you warned her about how long and lonely life can be when you live so long alone," he added solemnly. "I just wish it wasn't. I do not want to see the same thing happen to her as happened to Stephanie and her sister, Dani."
Basil stiffened at the thought of Sherry somehow being turned by Leonius and becoming an Edentate. It presented worries that being an immortal wouldn't. They would have to worry over any children she bore, that it might grow up to be a no-fanger, if it even survived to birth. Frowning, he said, "That should not be a worry. We brought her to Port Henry to keep her away from Leonius. She is supposed to be safe here."
"Yeah, well Dani was supposed to be safe at the Enforcer house too," Victor pointed out. "But Leo still got his hands on her."
Basil nodded slowly, and then asked, "How? I was told about it at the time but now do not recall how exactly. They were away from the house, were they not?"
Victor nodded. "They went shopping. She got separated from the others for a couple minutes and that was all the time Leo needed."
Basil glanced around and spotted Elvi sorting through a rack of tops about ten feet away. Sherry was alone. Cursing, he headed for the entrance to the dressing rooms.
"He could not get past us and to her unseen," Victor said soothingly, following in his wake. As they stepped through the arch to the cubicles, he added, "I have been watching. She's perfectly-- Shit!" he muttered even as Basil barked an alarmed, "Sherry!" and rushed toward the crumpled figure at the end of the hallway full of dressing room doors.
Reaching Sherry's side, Basil knelt and anxiously turned her over to search for wounds.
"She's unharmed," Victor said with relief next to him, even as he noted there were no obvious wounds. "She is okay."
"She is not okay, she is unconscious," Basil growled, scooping her up into his arms.
"I just meant there are no serious injuries," Victor said soothingly, straightening beside him.
"What happened?" Elvi asked with concern, rushing to join them. "I heard you shout her name. What--? Why is she unconscious?" she asked with alarm as Basil turned toward her with Sherry in his arms.
"We do not know. She--" Victor paused as Sherry moaned and stirred in Basil's arms.
Blinking her eyes open, Sherry peered around at the three of them.
"What happened?" she asked with confusion, and then began to struggle as she realized Basil was carrying her. "Put me down, I'm fine," she muttered with embarrassment. "You'll hurt yourself carrying me. I'm too heavy."
"You are not heavy, and I am not going to hurt myself," he said dryly, but set her carefully back on her feet. He continued to hold her by the arms, though, as she regained her feet.
"What happened?" she asked again.
"We do not know," Victor said grimly. "We found you unconscious on the floor. Do you recall how you got that way?"
"What?" She peered at him blankly and then shook her head. "No, I was trying on clothes and then . . ." She frowned, briefly, and finished, "I guess I fainted."
Basil glanced to his brother, silently telling him to search her memory for what had happened, but then looked sharply back when Sherry shook off his hold and moved into the dressing room again.
"I better get back to it. I still have a load of clothes to try on." She closed the dressing room door. There was no way Victor could read her now. He needed to see her to read her.
"Perhaps we should leave shopping for another day and head back to the house," Basil suggested to her through the door.
"No. Elvi can't keep taking days off to shop with me," Sherry responded, sounding a bit exasperated. "Besides, I need clothes."
"But if you are not feeling well--" Basil began.
"I'm fine. I feel fine," she insisted, definitely exasperated now.
"We can come back tomorrow," Basil said soothingly. "Right now I think--"
"Basil, I've worn the same outfit for three days now. I'm not wearing it a fourth time," she said firmly. "If you don't like waiting while I try on clothes, go grab a cup of coffee in the food court. I'll be as quick as I can."
Basil frowned at the door, then turned to glower at his brother when Victor began to chuckle.
"What the hell is so funny?" Basil asked with irritation.
"My apologies,
brother," Victor said, making an obvious effort to kill his smile and failing miserably. Shaking his head, he gave up the effort and said, "I am sorry, I just--" He shrugged helplessly. "The nanos chose well. She is perfect for you."
"Perfectly stubborn," Basil muttered.
"Exactly," Victor said, and laughed again, louder this time.
"I am not stubborn," Basil grumbled, leaning against the wall next to the dressing room door and crossing his arms grimly.
"You are," Victor countered at once. "It's why you and Lucian drive each other crazy. You are both as stubborn as the other."
"So you're saying Sherry and I will drive each other crazy?" Basil asked archly.
"Well, that hardly sounds like life mates," Sherry said from inside the dressing room, her voice drenched in disgust.
"No, I'm sure Victor didn't mean you'd drive each other crazy," Elvi said quickly, raising her voice to be sure Sherry heard her.
"No, I did not mean it that way," Victor agreed, raising his voice as well. "But you will not let my brother boss you around either, which would be easy for him to do with most women. He needs someone with a solid backbone, and you appear to have one."
"Yeah, except for the fainting like some Victorian miss bit," Sherry muttered, her voice somewhat muffled, which suggested she was in the process of taking off or pulling on something over her head. The idea caught Basil's imagination, and he found himself picturing that in his mind. Sherry pulling off the sexy sweater she'd been wearing, revealing a lacy scrap of cloth barely covering burgeoning breasts.
"Her breasts are not that burgeoning," Victor said with amusement, apparently catching the stray fantasy.
"Her breasts are perfect," Basil said staunchly.
"Yes, but they are not as large as you are picturing them in your mind," he assured him.
"Yes?" Elvi asked her husband. The tone was sarcastic, but she had a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Yes, Sherry's breasts are perfect?"
"Yours are more perfect, of course, my love," Victor said with a grin.
"Oh, for God's sake," Sherry muttered. The door to the dressing room burst open and she stormed out, a mountain of clothes caught up in her arms, the hangers sticking out every which way. "I'll just take these, now let's go."
She strode past them and stormed out of the dressing area, charging for the register.
"You'd best hurry and catch up to her, Victor," Elvi said. "You're paying."
"The devil he is!" Basil snapped, rushing after his brother as he strode after Sherry. "If anyone is paying, I am."
"You are," Victor assured him with amusement, and then added, "At least part of it. The council is paying, remember? Bricker packed nothing but lingerie for her, so the council gets to pay."
"Oh right, nothing but lingerie," Basil murmured, and wondered if he could control himself long enough to allow Sherry to change into one of the outfits Bricker had sent.
"He also packed see-through tops, bustiers, and thong panties," Elvi announced, amusement clear in her voice.
"What else does she need, eh, brother?" Victor asked with amusement.
Despite himself, Basil smiled at the words as he followed Victor to the cash register. See-through tops and lingerie. He couldn't fault Bricker for taste. He was quite sure all of that would look lovely on Sherry. But in the next moment, Basil scowled as he realized that this meant the other man had been going through--and handling--her lingerie, bustiers, and panties.
"Pervert," he muttered, and scowled at Victor when his brother burst out laughing at the comment.
"Tacos! Yum!"
Sherry glanced up from the cheese she was grating and smiled at Stephanie when the teenager charged into the kitchen on that happy note. While Sherry shredded the cheese, Elvi was dicing onions, Drina slicing lettuce, Katricia chopping tomatoes, Victor cooking the meat, Harper heating the shells--both hard and soft, and Teddy and Basil had taken on the task of setting the table and fetching the salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. With all of them working, it was going to be the fastest meal ever made, Sherry thought with amusement, but it was nice to be part of such a large group. The closest thing she'd had to this, aside from holidays with her families, was when she and Luther used to hold their "dinner and a movie" night. The pair of them would team up to make supper, and then settle in front of the television and watch a movie. It had always been nice and relaxing.
"Who is Luther?" Stephanie asked, pinching a bit of the grated cheese and popping it into her mouth.
"An old friend," Sherry answered with a faint smile.
"He doesn't look old," Stephanie said, pinching some more of the cheese from the bowl.
Sherry wrinkled her nose at the girl. "Poking through my memories?" she asked dryly. When Stephanie just shrugged, she added, "Well, stop it."
"I wish I could," Stephanie muttered unhappily.
Sherry glanced back to her task and then said, "Luther isn't old, old. He's my age. But we've known each other a long time. We went to university together and I still consider him a friend, even though we don't get to see each other anymore."
"Sooooo, he's like a girlfriend but a boy," Stephanie said slowly, and Sherry glanced to her with amusement, and then noted that her gaze was on Basil, who had stopped setting out forks to turn and look at them.
Sherry turned her gaze back to the cheese and continued shredding. "Yes. He's a friend, not a boyfriend."
"I could tell," Stephanie said lightly.
Glancing up with surprise, Sherry arched an eyebrow. "How?"
"'Cause you think of him with his clothes on and don't strip him like you do Basil."
Sherry's jaw dropped open and she was sure she was about as red as the tomatoes Katricia was chopping as the others all chuckled at the words.
"Stephanie," Elvi reprimanded. "Don't tease her."
"Sorry," Stephanie said sincerely. "I was saying that for Basil's benefit. He was getting all jealous."
Sherry glanced sharply toward him, to see that Basil was now studiously back to setting out the silverware, but he was also beet red.
"How long until supper?" Stephanie asked abruptly, and Sherry noted with a frown of concern that the girl was absently rubbing her forehead. It reminded her of what Elvi had said about Stephanie being unable to shut out voices, and that the more there were, the worse it was for her.
"Five minutes," Elvi said gently. "Do you want to wait in your room? We can call you when it's on the table."
"No. I'm okay." Stephanie lowered her hand and managed a smile, but her gaze turned back to Sherry. "I'm not having trouble reading you anymore."
"I gathered," she said wryly.
"It's the life mate thing. You and Basil really are life mates," Stephanie informed her.
Sherry didn't comment and kept her gaze firmly fixed on what she was doing.
"You should see what Sherry bought today, Steph," Elvi said. "She got some pretty nice outfits."
"I like the one she has on," Stephanie said with a nod, and Sherry glanced self-consciously down at herself. It was the ripped jeans and the sweater with the large holes baring the shoulders. She thought they looked good too, but she still wasn't used to wearing such casual clothes, or clothes that were this overtly sexy either. Business dressy didn't exactly lend itself to sexy. Well, okay, business dressy could be sexy, but she didn't usually think of herself that way in business clothes. She wore them to look professional. These did look good on her, though, and on the plus side, if she'd damaged them at all when she'd fainted, you couldn't tell.
"You fainted?" Stephanie asked, and Sherry glanced to her as the girl's eyes narrowed and then suddenly widened. "You saw Leo!"
"What?" Sherry squawked with amazement, even as everyone else in the room froze and barked the same word.
"Sherry?" Basil asked with concern, moving toward her. "You saw Leo today? Here? In Port Henry?"
"No," Sherry assured him. "I would have told you if I'd seen him."
"You did see him," Stephanie insisted.
"But not in Port Henry, in London, while you were shopping. It's the last thing in your head before Basil was waking you up on the dressing area floor."
Sherry shook her head. "I didn't. I'd remember that."
"Not necessarily," Basil said quietly, concern evident in every line of his body.
"Of course I would," she insisted.
"He could have wiped himself from your memory," Elvi told her gently.
"Then how could Stephanie be reading it?" Katricia asked with a frown. "If he wiped it from her memory, it shouldn't be there for Steph to see."
"Unless there's a trace image of it in her mind and Stephanie's able to pick up on it," Drina suggested, and Sherry could feel the anxiety that suggestion caused in the room. She knew they were all worried sick about Stephanie already. Suggesting she had more skill would only increase those fears they had for her.
"Or maybe Sherry is blocking the memory," Teddy said quietly. "Victims often block horrifying memories. But it would still be there for Stephanie to find."
"Or maybe I had a nightmare while I was in my faint," Sherry suggested. "I mean the man is like some kind of Freddy Krueger character and certainly featured in my nightmares last night, so I wouldn't be surprised if I dreamt about him while I was unconscious. But I definitely did not see the man." She stared around at the people in the room, all of them staring back with varying degrees of concern, and then sighed with exasperation and demanded, "Well, can any of the rest of you see Leo in my head?"
"Sherry, we can only read what you think of," Elvi said quietly. "If you've blocked it from your mind or had it wiped, the rest of us won't be able to see it."
"Maybe you can," Basil countered, and caught Sherry's arms to turn her toward him. "What were you thinking just before Stephanie said you had seen Leo?" he asked.
Sherry frowned and tried to recall, but frankly, after all the excitement of the past few minutes, she couldn't remember what she'd--
"I said I liked your outfit," Stephanie said suddenly, prodding her memory.
"Oh, yes," Sherry murmured and recalled wondering if it were a little young for her and then thinking that with the holes and threadbare state, no one would be able to tell if she'd done it any damage in the fall when she'd fainted and--