Мишель Роуэн - Bitten & Smitten

“This is simply the only way.” There was no joy in his voice. No excitement at the prospect of getting the cure.

Perhaps I could save the silent treatment for a more opportune time.

“There is another way,” I said.

“What? Tell me.”

I took a deep inhale of stale subterranean trailer air. Not so surprisingly, the scent of wet dog was mixed in with it. I briefly wondered where Barkley was today. “I don’t know, but

I’m sure there is one. There has to be. If we had a few days—”

“But,” Dr. Kalisan interrupted me, “in a few days hunting season will be over, and the more affluent hunters will have moved on. They’ll still desire the information, of course, but it will be worth much less by then. Time is of the essence, I’m afraid.”

Quinn stood up. “So, how does this work?”

“Quinn!”

“Sarah, I’m going to do this whether or not you want me to. I’m going to cure both of us, and when it’s all over, if you never want to speak to me again, well, I guess that’s just something I’m going to have to live with.”

“There has to be another way. There has to be. I won’t let you do this.”

“Look”—his voice was harsher this time—“I know you and Thierry are… close. He’s helped me, too. But I’m not damn well going to feel guilty about this. He killed my mother. Do you know what that woman meant to me?” I shook my head and lowered my eyes. “I was only five years old when she died. Even I don’t know how much she meant. But I remember a woman who’d give anything for me, for our family. By giving his location over, I’ll get my revenge and get us both the cure. There is more good to be had from this situation than bad.”

I sighed, a slow, shaky noise. I wished I could argue with him, but the fight was draining from me. If Thierry had killed his mother, then he had every right to seek revenge. I wasn’t stupid; I got that. It’s just that the world wasn’t quite as black and white for me as it was for him. Whatever Thierry might have done in the past, I didn’t think he deserved to die for it now. The thing is, though, Thierry wanted to die. He was sick of living, and was possibly planning his suicide at this very moment. So, then, would it be so bad to do this? Well, not do it, but let Quinn do it without making it into a bigger deal than it had to be? After all, Thierry might beat the hunters to it in the end. What a disappointment that would be for them. Or perhaps they’d just believe that he’d vanished, safely keeping his reputation as a legendary master vampire intact.

“It’s very simple,” Kalisan said. “You will give me the location of where he can be found, and I will get the cure for you. In a matter of moments all of this unpleasantness will be over.”

That gave me an idea. What if Quinn went ahead and told him where Thierry’s location was? Then we’d get the cure immediately, like he’d said. Next thing you know, I’m on a phone warning Thierry to clear out. Yes, it made perfect sense. Nobody had to get hurt. We could all get what we wanted out of this. But I had to play it cool.

“I have to know one thing,” Quinn said. “You have to assure me that no one else will be harmed. The place where you can find Thierry is populated by other innocent people.”

“Don’t you mean populated by other vampires?” Kalisan laughed under his breath. “My, how things change. The mighty hunter becomes one with his former prey.”

Quinn scowled. “It’s not that. It’s just that there’s no need for additional violence. Promise me that no one else will get hurt.”

“I’ll do what I can. But I’m afraid once the information leaves my hands, the control does also.”

There was silence then, and I glanced at Quinn. His forehead was set in deep furrows; he was bothered by this. But that was the price he’d have to pay. Did he really think things would go completely smoothly?

“Untie me,” I said, and Quinn’s gaze flicked to me. “I promise I won’t do anything.”

He seemed to welcome the delay and began working on the knots he’d made. After a minute the ropes dropped loose and I rubbed my wrists. He met my eyes.

“Remember, you promised.”

“I know.” I felt a dull fog hanging over me that had been building for an hour. Hell, who was I kidding? That fog had settled in days ago, around the same time I realized that my being a vampire wasn’t just a crazy dream.

So, we were going to be cured. Why didn’t I feel happier? Plan or no plan, this situation sucked. I decided that after it was all said and done, after I was back to normal—not that I was even sure what normal was anymore—I was going to move away. Start fresh somewhere else. Maybe I’d head out to Vancouver. I went there as a kid, and I remembered being thrilled by the mountains and the ocean. I’d be thrilled to be thrilled by anything again.

Quinn turned back to Dr. Kalisan and took a deep breath. “Okay, here it goes. You can find Thierry de Bennicoeur at 217 Lakeside Drive in Toronto. He owns the tanning salon there called Midnight Eclipse. There’s a secret vampire club in the back.”

Dr. Kalisan nodded. “Good. Very good.”

I wiped a tear away. So, that was it. Hardly took any time at all. I wondered how much longer I could play it cool as a cucumber before I totally freaked out and ran for the nearest phone. The countdown began.

“Now, the cure?” Quinn’s voice was strangled, fighting back some serious emotions of his own. “Please?”

Dr. Kalisan nodded curtly. “I’ll go get it for you. I happen to have it on hand. I had a feeling that you’d be back this evening.”

He turned and left Quinn and me alone in the living room. Quinn looked at me.

“I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t answer him, so I just shook my head. I felt terrible. I felt like I’d just shoved the first of many stakes into Thierry’s chest. I’d decided my plan was stupid. Even if Thierry got out alive, the club was a write-off. Shit. It was all my fault. I should have done something to stop this. I didn’t know what. Anything.

“Sarah.” He touched my arm, and I flinched. “Say something.”

“How about don’t talk to me? Ever again.”

“Fair enough.”

A few minutes passed in silence. Long enough for me to have second, third, and fourth thoughts about what we’d just done. I was about to turn and leave, but Dr. Kalisan reappeared at the doorway that led to the kitchen. He had a self-satisfied smile on his face.

“You have it?” Quinn asked.

“What makes you think that the cure is an it?” the doctor said.

Another person appeared in the doorway from behind him. A familiar face, lined and worn with age and experience. A well-kept graying beard adorned his face. His eyes were similar to his son’s, but much less friendly and compassionate.

“Yes.” Quinn’s father stared at the both of us, but he was speaking into the cell phone held to his ear. “Midnight Eclipse. That is correct. I shall meet you there.” He closed the phone and tucked it into his inner jacket pocket.

Shit. Double shit. My stomach dropped.

“Father?” Quinn’s voice was barely audible.

Roger Quinn shook his head, an obvious motion of disappointment. “Why am I not surprised? My only son has sullied the family name. I can smell your vileness from where I stand.”

“I’m sorry.” Quinn took a step forward. I wanted him to do anything but apologize. I had a feeling that he’d spent his life apologizing to this man, even for things he hadn’t done.

“Don’t waste your breath. I have nothing more to say to you.”

“But, Father, I’ve come here to get the cure. I don’t want to be what I am. I don’t want it! And now I won’t be. Dr. Kalisan said that he has the cure for this. That’s why we’re here.”