Page 6 of Resurrection

Gabe shook his head.

“That’s what I thought.”

He sucked in air when the hand released his throat.

“I like that your steel hasn’t been lost. When you went to ground, you’d become little more than a puppet.”

“I don’t remember,” Gabe said. Though he did in small ways. His mind cycled with a thousand jumbled images he couldn’t piece together. A broken jigsaw puzzle without a picture to guide its re-creation.

“You will in time.”

The physical grip loosened a little, but Gabe wasn’t fooled. That hold was unyielding, and ready to put him down if he lunged at anyone. There were actually a half dozen heartbeats in the room. He could clarify them now almost by species. Shifters, which explained the lingering taste of dog he had in his mouth, a witch and a dhampir, as well as Sam and the one holding Gabe, who were vampires.

In a chair across the room was the witch. This one was handsome, covered in tattoos, and trying really hard to keep his attention on a video game he was playing.

“Stinks,” the witch said quietly.

“Vampires fresh from the grave do have a smell,” said the one Sam was snuggling with. That was the dhampir. Gabe recognized his scent, and vaguely the taste of him. His blood had been in the cup. It made sense then why Sam would be so possessive. They were lovers. What had Sam said his name was? Luca? “I think I’m going to take Con out for a bit.” Luca got up. “Pretty sure Max still has work for you,” he said to Sam.

Sam growled. “I didn’t sign up for vampire babysitting duty.”

“You didn’t,” the voice behind Gabe agreed. “However, if you’ll retrieve his witch, perhaps you can pass that duty to him?”

“Fuck,” Sam said. “Ronnie is going to be pissed. He’s already had a bad day.”

“Rou accepted the bond. He must accept all that comes with it.”

“Fucking vampires,” Sam said, stomping his way to the door.

“Youare a vampire. You know that, right?” Luca said.

“Not by choice.”

Luca patted his shoulder as Con, the witch, took his other hand. The witch wouldn’t meet Gabe’s eyes. “Is it safe to have him around the kids?”

“He’s fed,” the one behind Gabe said. “We shall see his control soon enough. Sam will bring Rou, and Rou will decide if he goes back or is allowed to reorient.”

“Can he be put back in the ground?” Sam wanted to know.

“Forcefully.”

Gabe tried to get up as the idea of going back in the ground was too much at the moment. He recalled waking up and feeling like he was drowning in dirt. The arms around him tightened.

“If he resists, it can still be done. We will work on making him presentable, if you will retrieve his Focus.” The arms around him were like a vice, keeping him down despite Gabe feeling like he could rip through walls.

Sam stared at him, not at all afraid to meet his gaze, even as Gabe found the memories too messy to sort through. He knew this man… vampire, whatever, from somewhere. Recognized small bits in his mind, glimpses of him, from different places, and times, yet none of them connected.

“I know you,” Gabe muttered. “Somehow?”

“This amnesia thing isn’t going to fly with Ronnie,” Sam said.

“It’s not amnesia as much as him needing to work through a thousand years of memories.”

“It will all come back to him?” Con asked, lingering close to the door, but holding Luca’s hand tight.

“In time,” the voice behind Gabe agreed.

Gabe looked up, straining to see who held him, and mildly confused that the voice sounded familiar. He couldn’t help but be a little stunned when he recognized the vampire who held him as the man from his memories of his first kiss. The one he’d watched grow, go off to battle, and die. Yet there he was, exactly the same as those final memories, though clean-shaven, and dressed differently.