right. As always, you are disturbingly perceptive for a human. I only want to properly thank you for coming to Devon’s aid last night.”
I shook my head. “Still not buying it, but for the record, you’re welcome. And…” I paused, taking a sharp breath. Something had occurred to me, just in that moment. As the drone bees continued to circle us, I wondered if I really wanted to kick that particular hornet’s nest.
“And?” he asked, his voice light.
I bit my bottom lip. Fine, in for a penny, in for a pound, my mother always said.
“Well, it’s just that…how far can you hear?” I asked, hoping he might put the pieces together himself.
“A few hundred yards very clearly, and a bit beyond that if I strain. Why the interest in my auditory abilities?” he had quickly gone from amused to suspicious.
“It’s just that, well, I was thinking. Devon obviously got himself in trouble with someone. A human someone, judging by the fact that he wasn’t, you know, eaten or anything. But then, if someone had cornered him across the street from your club, where I found him—I mean, that was what, maybe one hundred yards from the club? If someone was beating the shit out of him, don’t you think that one of the vampire guards outside would have heard something? Seriously, or even you? If you can hear that far? I mean, unless he was just as quiet as a mouse during the whole thing—and I would have been calling for help if it were me—wouldn’t one of you freakishly audio-capable vamps have heard something? Unless…” I let it trail, hoping he would pick up what I had laid down.
“If you are suggesting that Devon allowed himself to be beaten… then for what purpose?”
I shrugged. “You said he wanted to be Chosen for the change. If his life were truly in danger, would you agree to it then?”
He looked at me, as if really looking into me, trying to figure out what made me tick. It made me squirmy inside.
“Look, Xavier. I’m just saying that it’s odd. I know that he’s your family and you want to believe whatever he’s telling you. But, you have to admit,he’s a lo t like you. I mean, not just physically. I know that when there’s something you want, you’d move heaven and hell to get it. I just think he might be capable of the same thing.”
“And you say this to me why? Because you are worried about me?” I couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark sunglasses he was wearing, but I could tell by the half smile on his face that the idea made him very happy with himself.
I bristled. “Pfft. No. But, I suppose, I wouldn’t want to see you hurt. And I think that Devon is probably the only person in this world who’s actually capable of that.”
Xavier stepped away, turning his back to me. For a second, I thought he was angry. He reached into the thick brush and pulled out one perfect purple rose. As he turned back, he held it out to me.
“Your concern for me is touching.”
I took the flower with careful fingers. Last thing I wanted was to bleed on vampire property. I carefully broke off the small thorns with the side of my thumb and tucked the flower into my hair comb.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? That the people we love are so often the people who cause us the most harm,” he said, his voice just above a whisper.
I didn’t say anything, mostly because he was right. My thoughts drifted back to my wedding day. I stood in the rectory long after everyone else had given up and left. I was frozen there, unable to even relax my fingers enough to drop the bouquet of lilies I still clutched. It was like my heart had imploded. Inside of me, pieces of things—like faith and trust and hope—were tumbling into an abyss. A tremor ran up my body like an aftershock. The pain was blinding, paralyzing. I felt as if my soul had been ravaged by wolves. It still hurt as much now as it did then, on the rare occasions when I let myself think about it.
“Where did you go just then?”
A gentle voice
I shook my head. “Still not buying it, but for the record, you’re welcome. And…” I paused, taking a sharp breath. Something had occurred to me, just in that moment. As the drone bees continued to circle us, I wondered if I really wanted to kick that particular hornet’s nest.
“And?” he asked, his voice light.
I bit my bottom lip. Fine, in for a penny, in for a pound, my mother always said.
“Well, it’s just that…how far can you hear?” I asked, hoping he might put the pieces together himself.
“A few hundred yards very clearly, and a bit beyond that if I strain. Why the interest in my auditory abilities?” he had quickly gone from amused to suspicious.
“It’s just that, well, I was thinking. Devon obviously got himself in trouble with someone. A human someone, judging by the fact that he wasn’t, you know, eaten or anything. But then, if someone had cornered him across the street from your club, where I found him—I mean, that was what, maybe one hundred yards from the club? If someone was beating the shit out of him, don’t you think that one of the vampire guards outside would have heard something? Seriously, or even you? If you can hear that far? I mean, unless he was just as quiet as a mouse during the whole thing—and I would have been calling for help if it were me—wouldn’t one of you freakishly audio-capable vamps have heard something? Unless…” I let it trail, hoping he would pick up what I had laid down.
“If you are suggesting that Devon allowed himself to be beaten… then for what purpose?”
I shrugged. “You said he wanted to be Chosen for the change. If his life were truly in danger, would you agree to it then?”
He looked at me, as if really looking into me, trying to figure out what made me tick. It made me squirmy inside.
“Look, Xavier. I’m just saying that it’s odd. I know that he’s your family and you want to believe whatever he’s telling you. But, you have to admit,he’s a lo t like you. I mean, not just physically. I know that when there’s something you want, you’d move heaven and hell to get it. I just think he might be capable of the same thing.”
“And you say this to me why? Because you are worried about me?” I couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark sunglasses he was wearing, but I could tell by the half smile on his face that the idea made him very happy with himself.
I bristled. “Pfft. No. But, I suppose, I wouldn’t want to see you hurt. And I think that Devon is probably the only person in this world who’s actually capable of that.”
Xavier stepped away, turning his back to me. For a second, I thought he was angry. He reached into the thick brush and pulled out one perfect purple rose. As he turned back, he held it out to me.
“Your concern for me is touching.”
I took the flower with careful fingers. Last thing I wanted was to bleed on vampire property. I carefully broke off the small thorns with the side of my thumb and tucked the flower into my hair comb.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? That the people we love are so often the people who cause us the most harm,” he said, his voice just above a whisper.
I didn’t say anything, mostly because he was right. My thoughts drifted back to my wedding day. I stood in the rectory long after everyone else had given up and left. I was frozen there, unable to even relax my fingers enough to drop the bouquet of lilies I still clutched. It was like my heart had imploded. Inside of me, pieces of things—like faith and trust and hope—were tumbling into an abyss. A tremor ran up my body like an aftershock. The pain was blinding, paralyzing. I felt as if my soul had been ravaged by wolves. It still hurt as much now as it did then, on the rare occasions when I let myself think about it.
“Where did you go just then?”
A gentle voice
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