Blood's Refuge (Book 2 of Blood Ties Novels)

Voices

I followed the rose and soil to a graveyard where I found a stronger scent of Andrea’s fragrance. I followed her smell around the back of the graveyard to a young spruce. Her clothes were piled underneath it in a discarded fashion. I sniffed around the area, trying to fund a new trail, but there was nothing more for me to find.

The anger pulsed through me, pushing me further into a raging fit. I knew what evil men’s minds could hold. What were they doing to her without her clothes? Nothing, but evil. I knew what they had in-store for her. They are dead! I grabbed the tiny spruce, yanked it out of the ground, and threw it across the forest edging the cemetery into a pond. It landed upside-down and stuck out like a misshapen spear.

Ands, I will find you. I will take care of you. Please, wake up. I can find you so much faster with your help.

I sniffed her clothes once more, trying to find something new, something to follow. I still smelled the overwhelming aroma of roses and soil topped with Andrea’s perfume, but there was something fainter, something that wasn’t exactly there before. It smelled like hay. At first, I thought it was just the smell of the pasture next to the cemetery, but I realized it was too centralized. It’s a new smell to chase.

I had to follow it slower than the others. If I wasn’t paying strict attention, I would have followed it to the barn. I followed the hay to the opposite side of the cemetery from the barn and across the street. I was no longer near the cemetery which calmed me a little, but I still had this aching feeling that I was going to lose Andrea. Ands, please answer me.

The hay dissipated into nothingness after a while and I couldn’t find a new trail. I had to go back to Andy’s house to explain what I’d found. The run back was slow; I couldn’t allow myself to give up. I constantly sniffed the air, trying to find a new trail to follow. Andy wouldn’t understand that I couldn’t find her. I was missing something that I shouldn’t be missing.

I was at the back door about to go in when I heard her whispered questions. “What happened? Where am I?”

I stopped before I entered their home. I knew the police were inside, waiting for me to come back with news. I waited to make sure that I wasn’t just hearing what I wanted to hear. I still couldn’t see through her eyes like I always could. It couldn’t have been real. I didn’t hear anything else, so I went in and was bombarded with questions from all sides.

“Did you find her?”

“Was she at Sara’s?”

“Did you find any new leads?”

“Where have you been?”

“Did you know Seth is missing?”

“Do you think whoever took Andrea could have taken Seth?”

All of the questions hit me at once as a group, but each distinctly heard from an individual. Until one of the cops mentioned Seth, I hadn’t dwelled on the connection. My mind had put the two together, so I knew that where I’d find one, I’d find the other; but I never thought about them as a single entity. Could I find a new clue at Seth’s?

That’s when I heard it again, Andrea’s panicked voice, “Please, let there be a window. Let it be midnight. Please, find me Gabriel.” I gasped at the confusion and fear. She was alone, in a dark room. Absolutely no light was filtering in. I knew that this voice must be Andrea’s, my mind couldn’t have imagined her sweet, musical voice ever being so fearful.

“Where are you, Ands?” I asked as bravely as I could. I didn’t want her to panic, or worse, have her pass out again from the fear of the situation.

“I don’t know where I am. There aren’t any windows. It’s cold.”

“Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice shook with terror.

“Think Ands. Calm down and think. I know you have tried to find a way out. What did you find?”

“Gabriel,” Andy interrupted my silent conversation. “What are you doing?”

“Ands is awake,” I whispered back so the others wouldn’t hear me. “She’s in a very dark place that’s cold,” “And wet,” Andrea added. “And wet,” I repeated for Andy.

“How do you know for sure?” Andy still didn’t understand how deeply his sister and I were connected.

“Gabriel, you’re going to have to tell him. He won’t understand otherwise. To help him believe, get my journal. It’s under the false bottom in the nightstand drawer. Turn to the first night we shared.” Her voice was calm, the fear was subsiding. She knew she would be safe soon. “Are the police there?”

“Yes, I’ll need to speak with them for a moment while Andy reads your entry. Please try to find something else that might help me find you, anything will help.” Dark, cold, and wet covered a lot of things that were underground. She could be in her own cellar for all we knew. She had to find more details that would lead us to her.

“I will. Gabriel?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“I love you.” I could feel every emotion that rolled through her body. Even though she had calmed enough to be logical and coherent, deep down she was still frantic and anxious. Her fear of the dark and fear of entrapment was closing in on her. Her lifeline to the outside world was the only thing keeping her from completely losing it.

“I love you, too. I will find you soon. You will be in my arms before the night is out.” I tried to send all of my courage to her, to soothe away as much of her fretfulness as possible.

“Andy, she told me to tell you our secret. It’s a little hard to believe, but you’re just going to have to trust me for right now. She has told me where she hides her journal so you’ll understand our relationship through her eyes. While you read, I’ll deal with the cops. Then you and I are going to find her. Do you understand me?” Andy nodded and swallowed loudly. I could see his pulse speed up. He was worried about what his sister had gotten herself into.

“Officer Jones, I’ll be back in a minute. I think Andy’s going to be sick.” His face was green enough to make anyone excuse him. “Andy,” I leaned into his ear while dragging him down the hall to Andrea’s room. “Do you remember your sister not talking to me for a few days after we met?” He nodded again. “I told her the secret of how I knew what she needed. She was frightened for both of your lives when she found out, but now she trusts me completely. You see, we’re soul mates in every sense of the word; but in my world, she is called my ‘blood’s desire.’ I’m a vampire.”

Right, a vampire? He can’t believe that I would fall for that. He better tell me the truth. Fictional characters are not funny right now. I opened my mouth to tell him to cut the bull s**t when his face turned chalky white, his eyes became a vivid red with cat-like pupils, and his K-9’s elongated into sharp points.

I took a few steps back until I ran into the door frame. “What are you?” I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. Gabriel couldn’t be a vampire, they didn’t exist.

“I’ve already told you,” he said as his face went back to normal, the brilliant red fading back into emerald green, the long, sharp teeth shrinking back into a normal size. “Just read Andrea’s journal. I’m sure she’ll explain things much better than I ever could.” He handed me her journal and walked out of the room, closing the door as he left.

I locked the door and huddled next to it. I wasn’t sure what else to do. I wasn’t sure if he was dangerous, or if he was patiently waiting for the police to leave so he could kill me. I hugged my sister’s journal to my chest and thought about what she would do. I knew how she felt about him; she had announced it not even two weeks after she had met him. What was it that he called her? His ‘blood’s desire?’ What does that mean? I closed my eyes and searched for my sister. I knew I would feel her if I concentrated hard enough. If I feel her, I’ll read the entry.

I bargained with myself too early in my search for her. Ands’ presence was strong. I knew she was alive and wanted me to find her, so I read the entry Gabriel had opened.

March 3

The case against the ‘boys’ is going as planned. We’re making pretty good headway with all of the information that we’ve received. B and D are working hard to get all of the information we need to take these guys down and make sure our town is safe and wholesome again. A new development with S has my pet case all in a twist. Apparently things are not exactly what they seem to be with the ‘boys.’ It will all work out.

On a lighter note, Gabriel and I finally took a new step in our relationship. I know he probably doesn’t quite understand why I won’t just do things a normal human would do, but I’m just not there yet, after the kidnapping and sequential r***s, I just can’t have s*x. He did seem to enjoy himself though.

When he told me I was his ‘blood’s desire,’ I wasn’t sure exactly what all that entailed. The way he explained it, it seemed like a soul mate, a connected-for-life thing. But after tonight, I understand it is so much more than that.

We started off the night on what I thought was a bad note. He seemed angry and upset about what I was telling Sara, which was the bare essentials of our relationship. I haven’t even told Andy that I’m in love with a vampire. Anyway, he wasn’t upset with my having a girlfriend to talk to; he was scared that he had hurt me. Apparently, horny equates to thirsty for my man. He couldn’t even think about our kiss from earlier tonight without losing control over his animal side. We discussed the basics of the bite. According to him, ‘sharing’ is like intercourse, except for more intimate. (And without the actual act of s*x, which is a plus.) I knew he wanted to taste me, and it took a lot of fast talk and sensual coercion, but he finally gave in.

The initial bite really wasn’t that bad, like taking a double needle shot. What followed after was an experience that I hope I never forget. We were in each other’s minds. I could hear every thought, every memory that he has acquired over his many years. He shared a few memories with me, all of them about me. One in particular I hope I never have to relive; the day he found me, fifteen years ago. He saved my life twice, once from the men who took me and again from himself. He wanted to change me then, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be so selfish. He let me go to live my life, even though he knew he’d never find another person like me. I now know he gave up his life for mine.

When I felt light-headed, he stopped drinking from me. It was a nice feeling afterward, like being weightless in the arms of the person you know you’ll be with forever. He asked me if I wanted to ‘share’ with him. I hadn’t expected this, but I was game. He slit his wrist and brought it to my mouth. I expected it to taste like iron, much like my own, but it was different. It had a heady taste, almost like a smooth liquor. Again, we shared our thoughts and memories. This time, I shared mine. His favorite part was the dream from a couple weeks past. Of course his manners would never allow him to tell me that he wanted to complete the fragmented dream, but he couldn’t hide his body’s reaction to it. I’m glad to know I have that kind of hold on an immortal. The things that he must have seen in his life should be astounding, but one simple dream of mine and he can’t stand up straight for fifteen minutes. I’m very proud of my overactive imagination.

These are still not the best part about the sharing. When all was said and done, while we were cuddling, I thought I had heard him say something, but it turns out that I had heard his thoughts. They are just a whisper, what my thoughts used to be to him. Now my thoughts are very clear and distinct to him. Our sharing built a bridge for us. We are now more connected than ever. I know without a shadow of a doubt that we were meant to find one another. We are soul mates, or one another’s blood’s desire.

I hope we’ll be able to do this again soon. I wonder if my connection will ever be more than a whisper? I love him. I want to spend my life with him, but I also worry. How will it work? I don’t know yet.

Oh my God, Andi what have you done? How could you let a vampire bite you? Does he have you under some kind of spell? I need to find you quickly. You need saving from more than just the kidnappers.

I left her room, clutching her journal to my side. No one was ever going to see her words. I would have believed her without his unnatural show before giving me the book, but now I was worried for her safety, and my own. I wonder what kills them; obviously not sunlight or holy ground. Gabriel’s gone to church with us multiple times and owns his own Bible, I think he even owns a cross necklace.

I was rounding the corner to the living room when I heard his voice from the foyer. “Thanks George. We appreciate it. Please keep us notified. I’ll go over to Seth’s as soon as possible and see what’s out of order. Maybe they left something behind there.”

“I’ll call ahead and let Cody know that you and Andy are on your way. We have every man on this, Gabe. We will find them.” George was worried. I’d never heard him speak with so much passion, though we hadn’t lost anyone from the force since I’d come to Savannah either, so I really didn’t know how he would react to another family member was missing. Before Gabriel came back, I grabbed my holster and gun and wrapped it around my shoulders. I unlocked the pistol just in case I needed it quickly.

“Thanks.” I heard Gabriel shut the door. I still was undecided on what to do about him, but I knew I was going to trust my sister as much as I could. She would never knowingly put me in danger. When Gabriel walked into the room, his gaze was far off, like he wasn’t really in the room at all.

“Gabriel, I hear something. Do you hear that?” My connection with her had intensified with the sharings. I could sense everything she did, even though her connection was still just a whisper of my immediate thoughts.

“Yes, love. It sounds like an animal. Are you sure you’re alone?” I didn’t want her to lose control over what little claim she had on her judgment.

“No, I didn’t check around the room, just the walls for windows. Do you think it’s an animal?” I could feel her pushing the panic down to stay strong.

“Try not to think about anything and let me listen again.” She let her mind go completely blank and I listened harder to the noises going on in the room with her.

I was about to tell her that I really thought it was an animal until it groaned. “Andi, it sounds like a person. Find out who it is. Seth is missing too.”

“Oh, Gabe! You don’t think they would…”

“Yes, I do. Check please.” When I focused back on the room I was in, I saw Andy across the room scrutinizing every move I made. “Andy?”

“GABE! It’s him.”