Page 19 of Call of the Blood

“So, can I come inside?” I said, wiggling my fingers like an old movie monster vampire.

With a laugh, he gestured for me to enter.

“Absolutely.”

He lived well, my brother. His home was cluttered but clean. He kept his computer on a desk in the living room, set to the side so it wasn’t too crowded with the couch and television. His surfboard was leaning on the wall on the other side of the television. His kitchen had a bar and was an open floor plan.

“This is nice!” I exclaimed, grinning back at him. “I like this.”

“Yeah, I was tired of renting, and with… everything that happened, I felt the need to settle down and get a home for me. Something that's mine.”

“Definitely. While I went the opposite direction.”

“Yeah…” Declan walked around me and sat on the couch. “Come tell me everything, sis. I know there’s been a lot you haven’t wanted to say. Seeing you… I can tell. You’re different, which I mean, obviously, but I’ve never known someone before and after. I can see it. I hope that makes sense.”

“It does,” I confirmed, nodding. I didn’t sit next to him. I claimed the one armchair in the living room instead. “You can say it, you know. We’re both… in. You know that.”

“You’re a vampire, and I can tell,” he said, almost like he had to dust off the word. We joked, of course, but he generally avoided in depth supernatural talk. It was easier while we hung out on calls or video chats. It was different in person.

“How?”

“Stillness. You walked in and froze. You were looking around, but the movement seemed… too smooth for you. You’d always been a little jumpy, and it’s not there anymore. You would probably seem like a controlled person to anyone else, but I know.”

“Yeah.” I nodded and leaned back, getting comfortable. I looked around, not sure what to say. When I finally looked back at Declan, he seemed sad.

“This is awkward now,” I said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It was easier online, right? Why don’t you tell me about your boss? Or what home is like for you. You said you switched with me. You sold your place in Maine, didn’t you? I finally got my own place, a real career, and a long term relationship, and you sold off everything with your name on it and moved in with someone you barely know.”

“Yeah, there’s probably never going to be anything to convince me to go back to Portland. Everything we knew is gone. From the humans to the vampires, there’s nothing left there for me.” I sighed, looking at my hands. “And I can’t really live alone anymore. I won’t be able to for a long time. There’s so much I would need to set up for myself that it’s easier to live with someone who’s already done all the work. Alexius has a blood supply, a secure home, and a staff to attend to the daytime needs. I don’t have the resources to set all of that up for myself right now.”

“Yeah, now you’re everything we saw Mom dealing with for years,” Declan said, nodding. “You need Mom, honestly.”

“I do,” I said, chuckling, both humored and deeply sad at the fact that I did need her. “I can still do my job as a vampire. If anything, it’s even better. Everyone knows we gamers and computer nerds like staying up all night to stare at bright screens.”

“Oh yeah, being a vampire is perfect for you then.” Declan rolled his eyes with a grin. “And your boss? Alexius?”

“He’s a good boss,” I said, shrugging. There was only so much I was willing to tell my older brother about the boss I wanted to sleep with. The conundrum of a man who told me some things would never happen but then did things like adding me to a centuries-old protection spell that he didn’t invite literally anyone else to join.

The mixed signals were strong.

“Oh, that means it’s complicated. What’s going on?”

“We’re currently out of the job,” I explained, falling back on the easier explanation. “I mentioned it before, how I couldn’t leave Savannah. After something happened with a bunch of vampires, Isaiah asked us to stay home and take a vacation, and he’d let Alexius know when he could get back to work. That was ten months ago.” I made a face. “We’ve been going stir crazy stuck in Savannah, mostly just in the house, so when you mentioned me coming out… Alexius decided he would deal with Isaiah later, and we could come out. He’s doing something for Maria, and I’m here to visit you.”

“Who are Isaiah and Maria?” Declan asked, curious.

Shit.

“The Tribunal vampires. The leaders of all vampires around the world who enforce all the rules,” I said, watching his eyes go wide. “Alexius works really closely with Isaiah. They’ve known each other for a really long time. Alexius, fun fact, Turned Jacob. He’s Jacob’s father. That’s what everyone calls him, and honestly… it’s not wrong. I never saw them together, but the way Alexius talks about Jacob… the stories I’ve heard about the wise vampire who was doting on us as kids? Fantastic.”

“No fucking way. You couldn’t tell me all of this in a call?”

“No, it’s not really something I want potentially recorded. Alexius was how I got out of Portland… as alive as I currently am. He is… was Jacob’s father. I was going through Mom’s stuff and finally stumbled on a number that was to his people. Well, also my people now. He showed up. Helped me. Sadly, not much could be done to keep me human.”

“You never told me any of the details.”

“I worked really hard for you not to know what was happening.” I had to admit that. “I couldn’t risk you after Mom died.”