Pulse. Part 14

"I turned him, after all a as a favor to his poor, beautiful mother, who could not bring herself to do it. And so he owed me his existence a and with it his loyalty. Of course, poor, confused boy a he rather messed up my instructions. I instructed him to find the Life's Blood and bring her to me. Not to fall in love with her himself, not to protect her, not to seek her humanity. But you're dangerous that way, Kalina. Once a vampire knows there's Life's Blood in your veins, flowing through like a torrent of fire, he will never be able to look at you the same way again. You are the holder of such power. One drop can give a vampire the ability to walk in the sun without burning. That's pure humanity traveling through your veins. Don't pride yourself, girl. Every vampire you meet will likely fall in love with you. Or rather a with what you can give them..."

"You killed Aaron, didn't you?" Kalina shot up. "When he didn't bring me to you!"

"I would never do such a thing," said Octavius, raising an eyebrow. "But my underlings are very protective of me, and of my honor. If provoked, who knows what they might do? Vampires who are disloyal are punished. And I have thousands of followers out there who were willing to teach the young pup a lesson in just what disloyalty means."

"What do you want with me?" said Kalina. She remembered what Stuart had said a if all seemed lost, it was better to kill herself than to let a vampire take her Life's Blood a and shuddered. She prayed that Jaegar, or Stuart, would come in at any moment.

"What a heartbreaker you are," he said. "To gain the love of one Greystone brother. But all three! What qualities might you possess...I've wanted to drink from you for centuries. I've dreamed of it. Life's Blood."

"And become evil? All-powerful? Is that it?" Kalina's fingers tensed on her stake, but she knew already it would be no match for him.

"Don't be so cynical, my darling. Perhaps you'll fall in love with me, and your blood will make me human again." He almost looked sincere. Kalina rolled her eyes.

"Listen," she said, her voice shaking. "I've had enough vampires trying to get into my pants for one day, so you'll excuse me if I'm not exactly interested."

"What a situation you're in," said Octavius. "If you give your blood freely, chastely, with love a your love will become human. But if he is not your love a he will become your worst nightmare, the most evil, decadent creature you could imagine. With your blood. What a terrible decision to make. And which will you choose? The good one a or the dangerous one? I'd tell you which one I'd choose...although it doesn't matter, in any case. I'd have to kill him."

Kalina swallowed. Hard.

"Or a you could avoid the situation altogether. Instead of driving the brothers further apart a instead of forfeiting their undead lives, why not first consider the alternative?"

Kalina looked up.

"Me."

"You want me to be your lover?" Kalina shuddered. "Or your food?"

"Just my servant for now," said Octavius. "My feeder. I believe your blood must still ripen, first. I don't want to taste you just yet. What a waste it would be a like opening a wine before it's matured. I'd want to keep you, until then. And, when you're old enough a I daresay you will come to my bed on your own."

"How dare you!" Kalina stood up, her fear forgotten in her rage. "How dare you? First you killed Aaron, and then you have the gall to..."

Octavius rose, his voice chilling with calm. "Think about it," he said. "But I warn you a you haven't got long..."

He vanished.

chapter 17.

What had happened to Stuart and Jaegar? The moment Octavius had vanished, Kalina bolted, calling their names into the night sky. Octavius wouldn't have just left her like that a not without having something up his sleeve, not without knowing... And why hadn't they come to find her?

Their faces both appeared before her; her heart beat strongly with love for both of them, and she could not tell herself in the madness of her tears, her running, the beating of her heart, which one of them she loved more.

She ran outside to where Jaegar's car lay parked. She gasped. She could see that something had happened there a some fight, some terror. Pieces of clothing laid strewn around the glade a she recognized Jaegar's shirt, stained with blood; alongside it, she saw Stuart's jacket, lying torn. The plantings of the vineyards had laid strewn around the glade a she recognized Jaegar's shirt, stained with blood; alongside it, she saw Stuart's jacket, lying torn. The plantings of the vineyards had been flattened a whole lines of grapes razed and even burned to the ground. Something terrible had happened here.

"Stuart!" she called out. "Jaegar!" She ran through the night. "Where are you?" Only her own voice answered her, echoing back through the expanses of vineyard.

"Where are you!" Tears filled her throat. "Please answer me! Someone! Anyone!"

At the thought that anyone could be Octavius, she cupped her hand over her mouth. She closed her eyes and prayed, trying to remember the prayers she had recited with her rosary as a child. She wasn't sure it would do much good for vampires, but even Stuart had spoken to her of the power of belief. She heard a groan in the distance.

She raised her eyes heavenwards and whispered out a thank you.

"I'm coming!" she called.

The groan grew louder as she followed the sound, through thickets of trees and vast expanses of vine. She made her way through the labyrinth of thorns and sounds, trying to find the voice, the speaker, praying it would not be too late.

"Jaegar!"

He was stripped to the waist, bound to a wooden stake in the earth. His bare chest was covered with bruises and cuts; his marble tones uncharacteristically sullied by brown, ugly welts.

"Jaegar!" Kalina rushed over to him. "What happened? Who did this?"

"Don't touch the ropes," he murmured. "Acid."

"Were these Octavius's men?"

"Some goons. Seven to eight of them came at me right when I was distracted by Stuart. I staked two of them, but they overpowered me. They had to be Octavius' men. They were well-trained." He nodded, wincing at the rope against his flesh. She could hear the sizzle of flesh underneath them and felt sick.

"I've got a pocketknife," she said, rummaging through her bags. "Like a boy scout," she said. "Always come prepared."

He laughed in the midst of his pain. "Just for the record," he said. "Sorry for hitting on you. In case I die tonight."

"You're already dead," said Kalina. "And you're not sorry." She smiled at him. "You just want me to forgive you."

"Maybe I do."

She began cutting the ropes with her knife, careful not to let them touch her flesh. "I'm sorry a I know this has got to hurt."

"Didn't see it coming," said Jaegar. "But they a they must have killed Aaron. They must have been behind it all. Life's Blood." Jaegar winced. "I never thought...not Octavius. He was a man of honor."

"Honorable enough to turn you and your whole family?" Kalina cut open the last of the ropes. "Honorable enough to make you join his army? To kill millions?"

"It wasn't like that," Jaegar said. "He...he gave us purpose. He gave us a reason to live...forever." He fell forward, free of his ropes. She rushed to him and took him into her arms. "Are you alright?" She kissed his cheek.

"Kalina, I need to get out of here..."

And then she saw his hand. Where there had been a finger a a ring, preciously sealed with a drop of Life's Blood inside, there was only a b.l.o.o.d.y stump.

"The finger will grow back," he said. "But the ring..." She knew the consequences. A vampire without a ring like that would be a pile of ashes before the sun was high in the sky.

"I wouldn't have let that happen," said Kalina. "They got Aaron a I'm not going to let them get to you, too."

Jaegar raised his eyebrows. "Are you saying you care for me at last?" He gave her a mocking grin. "Can it be?"

"Yes, fine," she said. "I care for you. But don't go getting a big ego about it, okay?"

"Oh, I won't," he said. "I promise. I'll be as humble as ever." He scrambled towards her. "But you've got to know something..." He took her hands. "I care about you, too. You have no idea how much."

With that he kissed her. This wasn't like the other kisses he had given her a mocking expressions of l.u.s.t, of power, or pa.s.sion. This was a soft, romantic kiss: the fullest expression of his soul upon her lips.

She was too stunned to stop him.

"Now," he said. "Don't go getting a big ego about it, okay?"

She couldn't help laughing. "Okay," she said. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I thought, you know. I kept thinking, if I died, well, I didn't want you going around thinking I was a no-good vampire jerk." He tried to lighten the mood. "Of course, I was a no-good vampire jerk a always have been a but with you..." He sighed. "I guess I've gone soft a little," he said quietly. "I'd almost forgotten a how much I could care for anyone..."

He kissed her again; his mouth was warm and deep a against herself, she opened her mouth to his kiss. She stopped him a although her heart begged her to continue.

"Not now," she said. "If Stuart's out there a if they've done to him what they did to you a I need to find him. Now. There isn't time."

Her heart swelled with fear a the thought of losing Stuart terrified her to her core. How could she explain to Stuart what she felt for Jaegar a or for Jaegar what she felt for Stuart?

Adrenaline coursed through her a but she knew it was not just her fear that prompted it.

She loved them both.

chapter 18.

"He's your brother!" Kalina cried. "I don't care what else you're feeling a whether you're mad, jealous, or what! He's your brother, and we have to help him."

Jaegar gave a grim smile. "I don't know where he is," he said. "I told him to run a I told him I'd fight them off myself a to save himself..."

"You did?" Kalina frowned. "After all that?"

"He's my brother," said Jaegar, softly. "And I couldn't have both of us dying. Who would protect you then?"

"Did he run?"

"He refused," said Jaegar. "Stupid boy a he's such a brave boy, my brother. Brave, but stupid. He wanted to fight. He wanted to fight for you." He laughed. "I don't think he'd let me take all the credit."

"I looked all through the house," said Kalina. "He's not there. I would have heard him come in when Octavius was in the living room. And he's not in the vineyards, either."

"You're right," said Jaegar. "I know my brother all too well. I would have sensed him a we have a connection."

"Even after a everything you two have been through?"

"He's my brother," said Jaegar, with difficulty. "And I want him to be happy. And if you love him..."

"Can we stop talking about love for a second?" said Kalina. Her face flushed. She had enough to be dealing with without trying to make a choice between the two of them.

Jaegar took her comment as a reproach, and he made a considerable effort to hide the jealousy on his face. "Of course," he said. "I only meant..."

"Where does Octavius live? Around here?"

Jaegar shook his head. "In Milan," he said, "in a big palazzo near the Duomo. Nowhere near here. He must have made a special delivery. Just for you. Don't you feel special?"

"Does he have friends in the area? a.s.sociates?"

"He has friends in every area," said Jaegar. "His spies are everywhere. Thousands of vampires existing just to do his bidding."

"How did he get in the house? I thought vampires had to be invited."

"Vampires don't need an invitation to another vampire's house. Invitations are needed only in a dwelling occupied by a human. But Octavius and my father were close friends," said Jaegar. "Before my father's death a he visited and stayed with us on vacation. And...we always thought him to be an ally. I couldn't have known...I close friends," said Jaegar. "Before my father's death a he visited and stayed with us on vacation. And...we always thought him to be an ally. I couldn't have known...I only started suspecting recently, when we were in Carmel. I found out from one of the Stromboli Brothers' wait staff that some muscle had been poking around the place."

"So Father Botticelli..."

"Had nothing to do with this," said Jaegar. "Octavius has no need of cash. And I doubt a vampire priest would concern him a great deal."

"Have you spoken to Octavius lately?"

"Not for centuries. Not since my brother and I...fell out last century. We lost touch. It was only through Aaron that I began hearing of him again, for Octavius I knew was attempting to recruit Aaron for some reason or another..."

"I see." Kalina sighed. "Me," she said, swallowing hard. "That was his mission."

"You?"

"To seduce me and take me to Octavius. Only..." she shuddered. "He fell for me, instead a he saved my life. And that's why they killed him. Because of me. And now...Stuart a and it's all my fault."

He wrapped his arms around her. "It's not your fault," he said. "Whatever blood courses in you a it isn't your fault. It is your destiny."

"Same thing."

He kissed the top of her forehead. "You're special," he said. "Believe me a you are, Life's Blood or not."

"You wouldn't even be attracted to me if it weren't for the Life's Blood," she said. She wasn't sure if she meant it.

"Just like you wouldn't even be attracted to me if it weren't for me being a vampire." He stroked her cheek. "Supernatural life is complicated." He touched her hair lightly.

"Or maybe it's just really simple. Maybe, if we were both human..." his voice trailed up. "Come on a it's almost sunrise. Let's get going!"

"Why would he take Stuart?" said Kalina, as they walked to the car. "It's me he's after."

"I believe," said Jaegar stiffly, "He was under the impression that Stuart was the one you would choose a were you to have a choice."

The last time she had spoken to Stuart properly, the two of them had been fighting a her mind clouded with jealousy and anger. Had she meant what she said a her suspicions about Maeve, her rage about the secret he had kept from her? Or had she meant it when she had kissed him at her threshold, closed her eyes while in his arms, stared with a mixture of terror and arousal at the power he held back so carefully, for fear of hurting her, for fear of consuming her...