Blood's Voice Read online

“Oh, I know. No worries.”

  As we continued to talk, I manoeuvred him so his head was resting in my lap. Caressing his hair was enjoyable and kept his lips and throat away from mine. We talked late into the night.

  “Declán, you need rest. I will see you tomorrow, if you like, but I should go.”

  “Oh, right,” he yawned. “Guess I should get some sleep. You don’t have to leave though.” Even tired he could pout, adorable.

  “No, I really do need to go. Especially if you are planning to formally introduce me to your parents. Besides, Star isn’t going to be happy if I spend too many nights away from the house. She gets antsy and I hate making her worry.”

  “Why would she worry? What could she possibly fear for you?” Both of his eyebrows rose, pulling together as he tried to figure out my puzzling life.

  “No, no, you misunderstand. She gets worried about me not coming home because of my running off a few months back. I was so upset I turned off my phone too. She worries for me, not about. No need to stress.”

  “Mmm, okay. Too tired to worry anyway . . .”

  I left him at the door with a simple kiss on his cheek, “Bye love, get some sleep.”

  “Star? Can we talk a bit?”

  “Sure. Should I be worried about you not coming home last night?” She didn’t try to hide her curiosity.

  “Well, it’s all interconnected really. I stayed at Declán’s last night but not with him. Nicholas was actually there for a bit while Declán slept. But the thing I wanted to talk to you about is that he wants to officially introduce me to his parents as his girlfriend.” I waited not even breathing. Would she be angry or understanding?

  “I had a feeling this was going to happen. I’m worried about your involvement. You do realize that he’s only human, right? He will age, grow old, and die. This is very dangerous for you both.” Her words were slowed with worry.

  “I know what he is. Nicholas and I have already had this conversation, a few times. He’s been trying to help me figure out many issues. We both understand the problem of his aging and how fragile he is. I made sure he understood . . .”

  “You told him?” she yelled. “You can’t tell a human what you are! What were you thinking? Anya–”

  Using my voice as soothingly as I could, I interrupted her. “Star, calm down, please. Yes. I told you, Nicholas and I have talked. He agreed with Declán that I would have to be honest. I–I didn’t want to share this particular secret, especially since Declán had already stated he knew I was something ‘other’ and that Nicholas was whatever I was but . . . Nicholas was sure it was the right thing to do. He pushed me to tell knowing it was both our secrets being exposed.”

  “But, sharing with a human is only done if you are planning to make them like you or as a pet. You can’t be planning that, please say you aren’t.”

  “No! He stays human, period. This is about having a relationship with him, not about taking his future from him. I just thought I should tell you what’s going on.”

  “Are you sure he can truly accept you this way? And can he keep your secret?” Of course, she was worried about my safety, always so loving.

  “He’s fine and yes, he will keep our secret. We are both certain of that. But, between the fact he wants to ‘go public’ and that I want him to be able to visit here, I thought you needed to know. I know you are no danger to him but still, please try to make him feel welcome here.”

  “I will not bother your boyfriend,” she giggled. “He’s safe. He isn’t my type anyways. However, is Nicholas really all right with this? You two, I thought, were involved. I mean after the other night when we had to call Amber and Jonathan . . .”

  “Nicholas knows everything and has been helping me. He also spent some time explaining what I should be able to handle, like that a drop of my blood will heal any surface wound he would suffer, but that my strength could be deadly if I do not control it at all times.”

  Tilting her head to the side a bit, she spoke again, “Hmm, seems he has been teaching you many things. I wouldn’t think he’d be so willing to share you.”

  “You make me sound like a toy little kids are fighting over. No one owns me, and I love them both.” Why is that so hard to understand?

  “True, no one owns you. That’s not what I meant. It just surprises me. Most of your kind have many loves through time, and though they never stop loving, they aren’t usually actively involved with more than one at a time. It’s hard to explain, blood drinkers are more peculiar than humans at times.”

  “Yes, Nicholas explained that as well. He said he was fine because he knows my heart is capable of loving them both. I’m more worried Declán will grow uncomfortable based on Nicholas being like me, but it’s not the same kind of relationship. They are each special and wonderful in their own way.

  “But, we are getting very far into territory I do not really want to discuss. For now, I just need to know that you are accepting of allowing Declán to visit as he chooses.”

  “This is your home silly girl; of course, you can have company. No need to ask.” With that, she hugged me tightly. “I only fuss because I worry about you.

  “I’ll be good now, promise. Oh, you got mail while you were gone; only, one of the letters seems a bit curious. Here,” she handed me a few items but the top one caught my attention. It had an odd scent on it, vampire.

  My eyes widened as I was horror struck for a moment. I nervously opened the letter unsure what I would find. Maybe it was just someone curious like how Nicholas had left me a note . . .

  Dear Anya,

  Please expect my visit shortly. We have much to discuss. Do not disappear again. It is time.

  Sincerely,

  ∞

  My hands were shaking so badly, I couldn’t control them.

  Star took the note and read it over. “Anya? Do you know who this is from?” She looked at me with the oddest expression; did she know who wanted me?

  “Er, no.” I couldn’t get the rest of my words out.

  “What do they mean ‘disappear again?’”

  “From before? Um . . . maybe Nicholas knows?” I could barely choke out the words. This wasn’t like before, Star knew who Nicholas was, but not this time.

  Taking out my phone, I dialled Nicholas’ number. Please be where you can answer.

  “Hey Anya, what’s up?”

  I rushed through the words so fast poor Star would have no idea what I said. “Do you know who uses an infinity symbol as a signature?”

  His voice became sharp and angry. “Why?”

  “I got a note from someone, but I don’t know who this is. What worries me more is what the note said. For me not to disappear again, that it was time to discuss something, and that I would get a visitor soon. Do you know anything about this?” I couldn’t control my voice. I could see it frightening Star, but I was beyond restraint. “Please, tell me something!”

  I could hear the strain in his voice. “Anya, love, I will do everything I can but please.”

  Voice. Right. “Trying, sorry.”

  “I never found out who it was before; no one seemed to know. However, you got a letter from someone with an infinity symbol just before you left last time.” I could hear wind; he was already on his way. “Don’t go anywhere! I’m almost there.”

  “Before? I did?”

  I heard him outside just as the phone went dead. He came straight in.

  Star spoke before I could. “Nic, you know something about this?”

  “Well, I know she got a letter from someone using that same signature just before she left thirty years ago.” He turned towards me. “Anya, you said you had to find your sire and packed up. You left right after, but I couldn’t find even a trace of you after that until I found you here with Star. Jonathan and Amber both tried to help track you down. Literally, no one we could find knew a thing about your whereabouts. I don’t like this!”

  “And you think I do? I disappeared for thirty years and lost all my memories.
What if this person is why?” I couldn’t think straight. Was Star in trouble? Was Declán?

  “Calm down, Anya. We won’t let you go anywhere. You won’t be alone!” The conviction in his voice was possessive, nearly violent.

  “But Nicholas, what about Star? Or Declán? Or our other human friends? Will you and your parents be in danger from this person?” I could hear my voice getting wilder again, focus!

  Star laughed for a moment. “Anya, don’t worry about me. No one has ever found a way to kill one of us, not even the ancient vampires managed it. I can be harmed but not killed, so no worrying about me.” She shot a worried look at Nicholas as she continued, “Your human friends though, they could be in danger.”

  Nicholas placed a finger against my lips, stopping me from speaking. “I won’t allow Declán or the others to be harmed, don’t worry. We will protect them, but we don’t even know if you are in actual danger yet. You refused to tell me what was going on last time, so I don’t know if the danger is from your ‘infinity’ person or something connected to what they wanted.”

  “That doesn’t really make me feel better. Either way, someone was looking for and found me . . . and last time I disappeared for years and now have no memories. I’m sorry, it does make me happy that you’re willing to defend our friends, but can you understand my fear?”

  “Yes, of course I can, but you need to focus. When was the letter post marked and from where?” he asked.

  I turned the envelope over and back again. “Um, there isn’t one. I was so distracted by the scent and then the words that I missed that it must have been hand-delivered. I didn’t notice any strange scents outside, did you?”

  I headed to the door, checking outside. Curious. How did I miss that? There was no scent but human and ours.

  “Your letter must have been delivered by a human, interesting. I, at least, had the decency to deliver it myself if I wasn’t going to send it through the post,” he grumped indignantly. Funny, considering I hadn’t been amused with his choice to hand-deliver.

  “You know, I wasn’t overly pleased with you right at first for that. Maybe this person knows I do not like invasive contact, although considering the wording that seems unlikely.

  “And how long do I have to sit here worried before my visitor decides to arrive?”

  “Maybe not too long. Someone’s outside, someone like us.” Nicholas was suddenly on alert, taking a hold of my hand roughly.

  “Okay, let’s be reasonable for a minute. Keep close, but let me talk to them.” Uncomfortable being even momentarily alone, I needed to find out what was going on quickly.

  Ha, if looks could kill. “I don’t like this Anya. If this was safe, then you wouldn’t have taken off last time.”

  “I know Nicholas and I understand, but I’ll never find out anything if I run and hide. We need to solve this. You will know what’s happening, I won’t leave without you.”

  “Fine, I will . . . wait upstairs.” He sulked off muttering under his breath about my sanity, or lack thereof.

  “Star?”

  “I don’t like this either. I agree with Nicholas, but I will leave you to your ‘company.’”

  “Thanks,” I replied with as much sarcasm as I could manage.

  Once I was alone, I heard a solid sounding knock on the door. Sigh, here we go.

  Opening the door, I saw a male vampire about the human equivalent of his mid thirties, with white blond hair and frighteningly black void eyes – so that is what she meant about devil eyes, creepy. He was gently smiling, but somehow, even that was menacing looking.

  “Hello?” I began.

  “Ah, you actually listened this time. Interesting,” he said. He had a strange, muted accent that I couldn’t quite place. “You stayed, though you have strange choices in protectors and companions.”

  It would be rude not to invite him in though I didn’t know that I want him in my home. Grr . . . “Please, come in.” I walked into what Star calls the parlour and motioned him to a chair.

  “You are inviting me in and offering a chair? You have truly changed since last we spoke.” He looked puzzled but accepted the chair, waiting for me to sit before he did.

  “I don’t know what you mean, but it would be rude to make you stand in the doorway.” I didn’t like the way he kept looking at me, similar to how Nicholas did before he told me about my blood being so much stronger than before, eerie.

  “Mmm, true, but that never stopped you before. Maybe spending time with a bloodless is actually good for you.” He shook his head slowly. “Your manners are not why I am here. It has taken me a great deal of time and effort to locate you; I hope you will allow me the reward of finally speaking with you.”

  “I’m here still. Would you allow me the topic at least, if not the knowledge, of why you have sought me?” Surely, he would give me some hint.

  “It has taken me nearly a century to find you and have you actually stay put long enough to speak to you, and you act as if you have no idea why I’m here?” He was staring at me as if he could see through me.

  He doesn’t know? “A . . . century?”

  “Eh, four sore, give or take,” he said with a shrug.

  Bizarre. “Then you have no idea what’s happened? That is truly disappointing.”

  “What do you mean, what has happened? I can see something is different about you.” He curled the left side of his lip up in mild disgust as he continued, “Though, I can also see you are still stubborn about your interest in and aversion to humans.”

  Aversion, really! “I like humans, yes, but that is normal for me, so I don’t know why you make such faces.

  “But I would like to back up a bit here. My name is Anya Millar, but I don’t know yours.” He may know me but . . .

  His face went blank for a moment and then he started laughing. Great. “You don’t know who I am? How intriguing.”

  “No, I don’t and since you are here to speak to me and you are in my home, introductions would be proper.”

  Ugh, his smile, unnerving. Don’t think I like him. “My apologies, you are quite right, child. My name is Gabriel Alexander. It is strange that you don’t know me though.”

  “And you are who to me? I can see you believe you know me, but I have no knowledge of you.” Can he please give me more information? Lack of memory wasn’t a safe thing right then.

  Clasping his hands together, he finally answered. “Anya, I know you said you never wanted to see me again but could you truly have forgotten me? I am not sure if I should be more offended or curious. However, to answer your question, I am your sire or creator. How is it you do not know me?”

  “You are my what? Really?” Wow, at least one piece of the puzzle can, maybe, be solved. “Wait, why are you here?” Nicholas said I always refused to talk about him, why would he be here?

  “I have been trying to find you since you left us the last time. But that does not answer why you do not know me.” He was frustrating.

  “If you must know, I don’t know anyone prior to waking up here. Nicholas found me again, but he’s my only connection to my past. He says I always refused to speak of you, so back to my question, please. Why are you here?” I gently used my persuasive voice hoping that he wouldn’t be immune.

  “My being here is your fault actually. If you had not put your geas upon me, I would have left you to your derangements. But, I suppose I do owe you this one. I did find the information you wanted but . . . I am not sure that it matters now.”

  “I forced you to gain some kind of information for me, but you do not think I will want it now? Why?” He was so infuriating. Moreover, I still wanted to know things about my past from him.

  “How to explain . . . You wanted information about some others who were seeking you. I know they found you but did not keep you, obviously.” He gestured to me, here in front of him. “I had tried to warn you when I tracked you down thirty years ago, but you disappeared. What I cannot figure out is how your memory was taken or who woul
d have altered you; you, a disgrace to our kind,” he continued sneering at the end.

  “I see no disgrace here, thank you.

  “You know something about what happened to me? Who was searching for me and why?”

  “You have the strangest focus.” He sighed. “They sought you for your abilities, both known and unknown. There’s a House that wished you to join, to use your abilities. I knew it was foolish as your aberrations would make you unsuitable but . . . such was their delusion. The fact they had found you, I thought, would release me from your magic, but as you can see, here I am.”

  The annoyance and discomfort I felt near him didn’t ease, if anything I disliked him more the longer he spoke.

  “What do you mean, unknown?”

  “If I knew that, it would not be unknown. Yes?” Irritation was clear in his tone though he kept his smile in place well. “I only managed to find out that they wanted you because they believe you have other abilities than just your voice or your strange blood restraint. You demanded to know why; you have the why now.”

  “Well, you have delivered your message, so you are freed of me now. I would like to ask a few things before you disappear though, if you have time.” Would he tell me anything of my past without force?

  Curiosity lit his face for a moment before he composed himself. “What do you wish to know?” Yes, curiosity and annoyance mixed.

  “I do not care for much, but I would like to know how old I am and what my original name was.”

  “You intrigued me immediately,” he mused. “I nearly killed you, but something about you made me hold on to you instead. You had an intriguing way with people and I thought you would be a good apprentice for me. I was right and wrong. You were sixteen or seventeen, I am not sure exactly. I took you in 1815, I believe. You never stayed long though; your independence and strange obsession with humans caused problems from the beginning.

  “As to your name, you went by Anya O’Corr when I found you. I am not sure if it was a nickname or your actual name. If it was it was your given name, it was unusual for the time, but then . . . you always were an unusual child.” His face twisted with disgust for a moment. “You took Millar in honour of some human pet you cared for. I am a bit surprised, you are still using it in light of your memory issues. But, if that is all you require, I wish to be off before you cause me any more problems.”