Page 35 of Resurrection
“I hope the girl is okay,” Seiran said, his gaze intent out the side window.
“I’ve got other vampires in route to meet us,” Sam added. He held up his phone, showing a group text. “In case this kid gives us trouble.”
“He didn’t create it. At least I don’t think so. Just used it.”
“To rape his sister? Yeah, I know it wasn’t really her, but gross.”
The bond between Gabe and Seiran closed further, leaving Gabe gasping a little. Too much distance, his brain said. A floundering edge of darkness began to tunnel his vision, and Gabe struggled to breathe. He wasn’t sure any of them would be able to escape if his revenant got loose in the car.
“I’m sorry,” Gabe said softly. “The bond between us when closed like this, makes it harder to control the revenant.” He hated admitting it, worried that they’d put him back in the ground, even though he was doing his best. He didn’t think he should be this unsteady. But he couldn’t remember any of the specific times he’d gone to ground and returned, if they felt this way and he’d forgotten, or this was unusual.
Seiran looked back at him, and Gabe felt the wall slowly begin to release. It was like fingers uncurling from a tight fist, opening at a snail pace. Finally, Gabe could breathe. “Thank you,” he said after a moment. The darkness pressing on his sight faded and the revenant seemed to ease back into the bowels of his conscience.
“Haven’t renewed the bond?” Sam asked glancing Gabe’s way.
“Renewed the bond? I thought it never goes away?” Seiran asked.
“No, but it gets stretched and weak.”
Seiran seemed to stew in that for a minute as Sam continued to read. “What do I have to do to renew it? Give him blood?”
“Well, yeah, Ronnie. He’s a vampire.” Sam looked back at Gabe. “Holding together okay so far, right?”
“Is it normal to be so unsteady after awakening?” Gabe asked. “I can’t remember other times specific enough to recall.”
“Yes, and no?” Sam said. “I mean it’s always a little touch and go right after a bit in the ground. Never down more than a week anymore myself. But I schedule it like Max says to, and have less trouble. Once I feed from one of my guys, it’s a lot better.”
“But neither of them is your Focus,” Seiran said.
“Not officially. No vows or anything. We don’t think that I can make Luca a Focus since he’s a dhampir. His power sort of runs parallel to mine. It’s like trying to bond to a vampire I didn’t make. We’ve discussed the option with Con. But both the witches and the vampires don’t much like bonds between vampires and witches.”
“Our relationship is an anomaly?” Gabe asked about himself and Seiran.
“Rare,” Sam agreed. “But since you’re one of the bigger powers left in the vampire world, or were, everyone mostly left you alone.”
Gabe didn’t feel like a big power. He wished his memory came back in more than fits and stutters. There were too many blanks for his comfort.
The car pulled up to a giant house not unlike Seiran’s home. Though this looked bigger on the outside. One of those sprawling mansions with a dozen wings spread out like fingertips.
“Guess we’re not going for subtle,” Sam muttered, glaring at the flashlights of cops, black vehicles surrounded by thug-looking vampires, and a line of witches with badges on lanyards around their necks, all in a standoff.
The SUV stopped and Seiran didn’t wait for the driver to get out and open the door. He was first out, with Sam quick behind him.
“This is a vampire case,” one of the vampires said.
“A witch family,” one of the witches said, though her gaze fell on Seiran and it wasn’t one of the many Gabe had seen in the last few hours filled with disdain. Her expression showed respect. “Director Rou.”
“Emmaline, thanks for coming. Did you review the videos?”
“Yes. Horrible.”
“Could we have done this quieter?” Sam asked. “Seems like standing out here making noise is giving our perp a chance to run?”
“He’s not here,” one of the vampires said. “Family is. Said the kid was out back in his pool house. They have a fucking pool house in Minnesota,” the vampire was shaking his head. “But he’s not there.”
“His family just let him leave?” Seiran asked. “Did anyone fill them in? Check on the girl?”
Emmaline nodded. “I gave them the low-lights. Keeping it minimal and hopefully the worst of it out of the press. Sounds like he never returned home after originally being questioned? We’ve got the family coming in for interrogation, and I’ll have people sweeping the entire property for evidence.”