The Brethren - Dark Thirst Part 21

"Hookers?" Tessa's eyes widened, and she turned to Rene. "You feed from hookers?"

"Not many other places to find fresh blood from a willing source, pischouette," Rene told her, scowling. "It may not be up to your thoroughbred standards, but it serves its purpose, and no one winds up dead in the process.""Forget it, Rene," Lina snapped. "We'll move him like he is. We'll stretch him out in the backseat of one of your cars. We'll-"

"It could kill him to move him too much, chere," Rene said. "Not until he feeds again-he needs the blood to strengthen him.

Until then, he's weak, vulnerable, pretty much like a human would be. You get one of those bone chips that are all that's left of his hands stuck in his bloodstream, lodged in his heart or a blood vessel somewhere, and he could have a ma.s.sive stroke or a heart attack and die."

"We don't have a choice, Rene," Lina said, her brows furrowing. "You heard Tessa. The Elders are coming. You didn't see Caine tonight-what he did, what he was capable of. I was there. I saw it. If these Elders are anything like Brandon and Tessa say they are-a thousand times worse-then I sure as s.h.i.t don't plan on letting Brandon stay here until they come beating down your door."

"We do have a choice, chere," Rene said. "We let him feed. It'll strengthen him enough so we can move him more quickly- maybe by the morning, a couple days at best."

"We're not using one of your wh.o.r.es," Lina said. "I told you that already-no outsiders. It's too dangerous and we-"

"I'm not talking about one of my wh.o.r.es," Rene said coolly, patiently. "I'm talking about me, chere. We'll let him feed from me."

Lina and Tessa both blinked at one another in bewildered surprise. "My mother was human," Rene explained, unb.u.t.toning the front of his shirt. "Her whole family, in fact. My only claim to the Brethren comes from my daddy, and I hardly knew him at all, much less anything about him."

He jerked his shirt tails from beneath the waistband of his jeans and shrugged it off, tossing it aside. "So I'm like you, pischoutte," he said, glancing toward Tessa. "But I'm like you, too, Lina. Let's hope I'm close enough to help Brandon, if only enough to get us out of here."

He sat against the side of the bed and leaned over, slipping his hand beneath Brandon's head. "Tessa, ma chere," he said. "Go to the kitchen and bring me a knife out of my cutting block. He's sleeping on us and we've no time to be dainty. We need to wake him up."

Brandon groaned mutely as the thick, coppery fragrance of blood filled his nose. It seeped through the heavy fog of pain clouding his mind, stirring the blood-l.u.s.t within him, causing his gums to begin swelling, the sockets of his canine teeth to throb and ache. He tried to turn his head away but felt fingertips slip between his lips, smearing blood against his tongue.

Brandon, he heard Rene say in his mind. Brandon, wake up. You're hurt, pet.i.t. You're bad off and you need to feed.

Brandon opened his eyes, blinking dazedly up at his friend. Where... am I? he thought groggily. What happened, Rene?

Rene smiled at him gently. You're back at my loft, he replied. He stuck his finger in his mouth, sucking momentarily, and Brandon realized he'd cut the tip open deeply to draw blood, to rouse the bloodl.u.s.t in Brandon and stir him from unconsciousness. You kicked your brother's a.s.s, is what happened, pet.i.t. Only you forgot to use your feet and wound up busting your hands.

Brandon managed a weak laugh. You need to feed, Brandon, Rene told him, his expression growing solemn. We need to get you out of here-out of the city, but we can't move you like this. We've got to jump-start your healing, like we did before, OK?

Brandon nodded. He looked around blearily, and found Lina at his opposite bedside. She stroked her hand against his hair, and he smiled again. You sure? he asked her, and she glanced at Rene uncertainly.

Not Lina, pet.i.t, Rene said, drawing Brandon's confused gaze. It's too soon far her again.Then... who? Brandon asked.

"Me," Rene said aloud, and Brandon blinked at him. "You told me yourself-my mother's a human. Her blood is in me."

But so's that of the Brethren, Brandon said, his eyes widening in horror. He glanced toward his twin for rescue. We can't feed from a fellow Brethren-it's forbidden! It... it's a sacrilege... an abomination...! It...

It's the best we can do, Brandon, Tessa told him.

I'm sorry, pet.i.t, Rene said. But it's all we've got.

You sure about this? Brandon asked him a few moments later. Tessa and Lina had ducked beyond the drapes surrounding the bed, leaving them alone.

"No," Rene admitted. "But I figure what the h.e.l.l. It doesn't mean we're going steady or anything."

He glanced at Brandon, the corner of his mouth hooked wryly, and Brandon laughed.

You've been so kind to me, Rene, he thought, closing his eyes against a swell of pain from his hands. He gritted his teeth and sucked in a long, hurting breath, riding it out. Not just for this, I mean, but... but all along... a good friend, and I... I don't know what I would have done without you. You've saved my life twice... first that night in the alley, and then . . . again tonight... I used what you told me... what you showed me with the birds and I...

Brandon, Rene thought. Brandon had been on the verging of slipping under again, his mind fading, and he opened his eyes wide, startled. Rene smiled at him. "You're welcome, pet.i.t," he said aloud, then he turned his head slightly, his shoulders tensing, his brows lifting anxiously as he presented his neck. "Now shut up and bite me already, G.o.dd.a.m.n it."

Chapter Twenty-five.

"Is that everything, then?" Tessa asked Brandon, as she carefully tucked his bra.s.s-plated notebook down inside his duffel bag. It occurred to him that the little pad in its ornate, gilded case seemed like a relic to him, a grim and unnecessary reminder of a past best left unrevisited.

He nodded and watched as she drew the zipper closed. She sat against the side of the bed, her hands toying restlessly in her lap.

He didn't move, or say anything to her. He didn't need to.

I'm scared, she thought.

I know, he replied, sitting beside her with the duffel bag between them. Me, too.

The Elders were coming; the twins could both sense them in their minds, like the shadows of dusk closing in upon an unlit room, swallowing everything in darkness. The Grandfather was with them; they could sense this as well. Even at a distance, his presence was enormous-the hissing snap of electrical charge in this growing storm's leading edge.

What if they've already reached the city? Tessa asked. In her anxiety, her hands stole unconsciously to her belly, where the first hint of her pregnancy was beginning to show against her ordinarily flat plane. What if they're clouding our minds somehow, like Rene thinks they did with you before? What if they're already here and they're coming for us?

Previous TopI don't know, Brandon replied. He still wasn't convinced that the Grandfather had blocked his telepathy in Kentucky. True, he'd been able to summon enough strength and power to command the birds against Caine, but that was a far cry from being as strong as any of the other Brethren, much less stronger. I guess we'll find out shortly.

They were leaving. They had agreed the night before to travel separately, with Brandon and Lina following one path southeast from the city, and Rene and Tessa following another. They hoped that doing so would cover their tracks somewhat, and hopefully keep one, the other, or both parties away from the notice of the Elders. They'd prearranged for meeting points along their way, and planned to criss-cross the country for as long as they could-however much time was needed-until Brandon's hands were fully healed, and they could risk making a stand against the Brethren-and the Grandfather.

Tessa lay back on the bed, blinking against tears as she looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe we can go back someday," she whispered. "To Kentucky, the great house. Maybe we can rescue Daniel somehow."

Brandon felt his heart tighten with sorrow at the thought of their brother, so young and innocent, trapped and helpless among the Brethren. Maybe, he thought, lying down next to her. If he hasn't already learned to hate me.

He doesn't hate you, Brandon, Tessa said. Daniel loves you-more than anything or anyone. He always will.

Brandon closed his eyes and said nothing. Because I'm not so sure about that.

The Elders will kill Rene if they find him, Tessa thought, drawing his gaze. He watched a tear steal from the corner of her eye, trailing down the high arch of her cheek toward her ear. If not because he helped us, then because of what he is. They'll know it. They'll sense it right away-the human blood in him and they'll kill him.

Brandon reached out with his bandaged hand, wiping her tear way. I didn't think you'd mind for that, he said, making her laugh despite herself. They both rolled onto their sides to face one another.

I have to admit there's a certain kind of charm about Rene Morin, she said, rolling her eyes slightly, color stoking almost shyly in her cheeks. There have been times these past couple of days when he's been almost bearable. Sweet, even. But don't you dare go telling him I said so. She smiled at her brother. I haven't seen him touch a drop of liquor or one pill either, not since you and Lina came back. I think he's tryng to be different. I think we've changed him somehow.

I think he's changed us too, Brandon thought.

When I found out I was pregnant, do you know what Martin said to me? Tessa asked. "It had better be a son." That's it.

It was like he was angry with me, that I'd done this deliberately. A crimp furrowed the smooth, porcelain skin of her brow. I hate him, Brandon. When he... he'd come to me in my room at night, I'd just lay there. I wouldn't move. I'd try not to even breathe, hoping he would just leave. But he never would. I hate him. I've hated him all along, and the Grandfather for making me marry him.

I know, Tessa, Brandon told her gently.

She smiled at him, touching his face, stroking her thumb against his mouth. "You were right," she murmured. "About everything, Brandon, all along."

He remembered how he'd thought her lost to him-his Tessa, the one he'd adored, to whom he'd always turned and trusted. He remembered how a part of his heart had hardened toward her in his last years at the great house; how he'd nearly come to hate his sister. No, Tessa, he thought, closing his mind to her so she couldn't overhear. Not right about everything.

"Are you sure you want to take this car, chere?" Rene said, looking decidedly distraught as Lina turned the key in the Mercedes SLK 280's ignition, gunning the little silver convertible to life.

She pumped the accelerator twice, listening to the well-tuned, resonant growl of the V6 engine in response. She cut a glance toward Rene and grinned broadly. "Oh, yeah. I'm sure."

Rene stumbled back a step, looking as stricken and aghast as if he had just handed over his firstborn child. "She's got a real easy clutch on her," he said. "Don't go popping it out at every G.o.dd.a.m.n stoplight. You have to ease it gently with her."

"I know how to drive, Rene," Lina told him, rolling her eyes heavenward. "You're the one who pretty much taught me, remember?"

What? Brandon asked, as he walked with Tessa around to the pa.s.senger side of the car. He'd been smiling, but his bright expression faltered abruptly. Oh, Christ.

Shut up, Lina signed, laughing. Get in.

Brandon turned to his sister and smiled again, drawing his bandaged hands carefully around her, drawing her near. I'll see you soon, he whispered in promise in her mind, and she nodded against his shoulder, clutching at him, trembling with sudden tears.

Three weeks, she thought. In New Orleans. The Hotel Maison de Ville.

Brandon nodded. Rene offered to give us the grand tour, bayous, backwaters, and all, he said.

Tessa drew back from him, her eyes swimming in tears. They spilled even as she smiled, struggling to laugh. "He said if he could still find anything since the hurricane," she said. She hugged him again, pressing her lips against his cheek. "I love you, Brandon."

This he could still sign, despite the bandages. He crossed his hands over his heart and then pointed one of his swaddling mittens at her, brushing against the tip of her nose. I love you, too, Tessa.

He glanced over as Rene walked around the back of the car, approaching. He motioned toward his neck. How's it doing?

Rene brushed his fingertips against the gauze square taped beneath the shelf of his chin, almost as if he'd forgotten about it. He laughed, arching his brow at Brandon. "You left a h.e.l.l of a hickey, pet.i.t," he said. "But I'll live. You got those pills I gave you?

And the money too?"

Rene had presented Brandon with a pair of medicine bottles, each filled to the brim with Percodan tablets. "You're going to need them, pet.i.t, "he'd warned grimly, and then he'd tucked a thick roll of money, bound with a strained rubber band, into Brandon's shirt pocket. "There's seven thousand dollars and change there," he said, and Brandon had blinked at him, startled. "It's yours.

You get in a pinch, you use it, pet.i.t."

Brandon nodded to Rene as they stood facing each other in the garage, and it might have been only a trick of the fluorescents from overhead, but Brandon could have sworn that Rene's eyes had suddenly grown glossy. Thanks, Rene, he thought, feeling somewhat choked up himself.

Rene hooked his arm around Brandon's neck, offering him a brief but fond embrace. Take care of yourself, pet.i.t, he thought.

And Lina, too. Tessa and I will see you soon.

Brandon climbed into the car and sat patiently as Lina reached across him, helping him with his seat belt When she'd clicked the buckle home, she glanced up, meeting his gaze. "You ready?" she said, her eyes wide and anxious. He could sense the fluttering, uncertain rhythm of her heart, and smell her fear like a light perfume in the air around her.

He smiled at her gently, trying to rea.s.sure. Let's do this, he thought.

She nodded once, seeming to draw upon the comfort he offered. Her expression relaxed somewhat, and she looked beyond his shoulder, smiling at Tessa and Rene. "You two try not to kill each other between here and Louisiana," she said.

Rene and Tessa exchanged quick looks. "I think la pischouette and I will be fine," Rene said, to which Tessa only laughed, mysterious and inexplicable. "Get out of here, the both of you. Je vous aime."

"Love you, too, Rene," Lina said, turning around in her seat and settling herself comfortably. She glanced at Brandon and dropped him a wink. "Ready?" she asked. "Set? Here we go, then."

Off the deep end, with both feet, he replied with a nod, and then she floored the accelerator, making the little Mercedes scream as it raced for the exit.