3 Hit the Road Jack (17 page)

“Hello. My name’s Eva. What can I get for you?” The brunette pixie was energetic despite her layers of black and gray.

“Two blueberry scones and a cup of hot water for each of us,” Kai ordered.

“Care to turn that hot water into a cuppa?”

“What’s a cuppa?” I asked.

“Tea,” Kai replied for her.
He glanced at me, one brow raised as if to ask if I wanted to. I gave a slight nod. “Sure,” he replied. The moment the server turned her back he tossed me a
few condiment
packet
s
from his pocket. I instantly recognized it as blood.

I gave it a quick once over before tucking it into the pocket of my hoodie. “These are really cool. Where do you get them?”

“We manufacture them ourselves in one of our off-site factories. They’re popular in certain parts of Europe.”

“Wait, so you sell them in Europe?”

“Yea.
We have a secure website that clients can access to order from us once they’re verified as being vamp.”

“How do you verify them?”

“We run their names through the vamp registry. They have to provide us their correct date of birth and some sort of proof of identification like an EIN or social.”

“Wow. So, uh, how long have you been making these things?”

“As long as we’ve known that we could eat if we soaked our food. They’re convenient and pass through customs for vamps that travel.”

“Is it a lucrative business?”

He chuckled. “Leka, I don’t hurt for money, but if you must know, it’s a very lucrative business.”

“I wasn’t referring to your money. I could care less about that.”

He pursed his lips, studying me for a few solid seconds. “What’s bothering you?”

“Do you know the story, the prediction; whatever you want to call it?”

“What about it?” He sat back in his chair, erasing all emotion from his expression.

“What happens?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“But you just said you did,” I protested, not about to let him shut me out too.

“Listen Leka, some things aren’t meant to be known. The fairytales that vamps have told over the last couple hundred years is different than the truth. I don’t know how much different, but I know that nearly all fables start with a foundation of truth and build from there. You and
him
are the foundation, everything else is a crock of shit that everyone has added a little something to over the years.”

“I’m confused. How is everyone’s story the same, yet it’s untrue?”

“The generalization of the story is true, but the details are all wrong.”

“So we are supposed to bring peace to our kind, but nobody really knows how we do it?”

“Basically. Now can we change the subject?” He looked pissed off. His careful façade of nothing was fading into the background as his emotions came forth with a vengeance. I knew it was because it forced him to think of me and Kellan together, but that didn’t ma
ke
me any less miffed.

“Well, you asked.”

“Yea. Next time I won’t,” he scowled. I sighed, pulling my phone out of my pocket, offering me an escape from his harsh scrutiny.

I decided to text Mel and check in on her, hoping she was past the angry phase of being left behind.

‘
Still mad at me?
’

She promptly replied.
‘
Even more since you haven’t bothered to even let me know you’re still alive. I’ve had to get my updates from a boyfriend that I’m equally pissed at…
’

‘
Sorry? It’s been crazy. I know that’s not an excuse, but I promise to do better. I miss you.
J
’

‘
I miss you too.
Be safe.’

We always came back together somehow, some way. It’d felt strange not talking to Mel in some capacity over the last few days. It reminded me of the week of my transformation. Luckily, like that week, I was distracted from her absence with action and education.

“Sorry for the wait. We’re swamped,” Eva stated, setting down two steaming mugs still steeping the tea bags and a scone for each of us centered on
a
doily set upon fancy china.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Thanks,” Kai mumbled, still disgruntled from earlier.

She smiled and walked away to take care of her other customers.

“I don’t want to fight with you Kai, and I don’t want you to be mad at me over something I can’t change.” I focused on my tea, swirling the bag around in the cup. It was a cute hand-made sack with a string tied into a bow holding the leaves together.

“I know.” He didn’t relax in the slightest.
“Let’s just focus on the mission for now.” I heard the click of his jaw as he ground his teeth. I understood being on edge about the mission, but for emotions,
especially for a vamp, was odd.

I sighed, made quick work of my sauce and tea additive and dove in, wishing I was still human enough to find comfort in food.

Chapter 17

We ate and drank in silence until I threw down whatever cash I had onto the table. I didn’t know the dollar value, but I knew it was more than enough to cover the bill. I was ready to escape the tension suspended between us.

"Go ahead without me," I said pulling out my phone
the second I hit the sidewalk outside
.

"I'm a jerk, but not an
ass;
I'm not going to leave you knowing we're being hunted," he replied, giving our surroundings a quick once over.

"I'm in the middle of a busy city. I'll be fine." I shru
gg
ed stepping towards a building to avoid being knocked about in the crowd. I never realized how similar London and New York City were.

He studied me for a minute, a scowl upon his face. "You won't even know I'm here." He went a few
yards
down from me and leaned against the building. I couldn't get mad at him. He was protecting me. The friction between us was going to start a fire if we didn't find common ground again soon though.

I called Aunt Claire wanting a familiar voice of comfort.

"Alexa Lorrayne Jackson! Where the h-e-double hockey sticks are you?!"

"Hi to you too Aunt Claire," I sighed.

"Hi? Lexi I've been worried sick. I was left with a generic note and voicemail saying you had a new mission. Not once did you tell me where in the world you were going or who you were with. Auggy can kiss my white vamp butt with the whole secrecy crap. You're all I have left and I'll be
damned
if I lose you too. Now where in the dickens are you?"

So much for comfort... "London."

"With who?"

"Kellan, Al, Craig, The Bladangs and my Eislom."

"Eislom? You're at that point in the journey already?"

"You know the full story?"

"Of course. Where do you think I've been? I haven't shown or sold a house since I found out it was you and Kellan. I've been off doing something I vowed never to do again: study
ing
history." I swallowed the lump in my throat. I couldn't believe she went to such an extent for me.

"Really?" My voice was barely a whisper.

"Yes, really. I told you
,
you
a
re like a daughter to me Lexi. I also promised your mom I would protect you til the end of the Earth, whatever that entails. I meant it." She paused. I knew we were both thinking, remembering, her in some capacity. She cleared her throat suppressing all emotion in her voice. "Now, I'll be on the first flight to London. Don't even bother wasting your breath; I can tell you need me. You're scare
d
and going through a lot and I'm going to be there for you. What hotel are you staying at?"

"The May Fair."

"Beautiful hotel. Well, alright then. I'll call you when I land. I love you Lex. Stay safe and stay strong sweetie."

"Thanks Aunt Claire. I love you too."

I returned my phone to my pocket. Despite not being able to talk through my issues, I felt better. It was like her love hugged me through the phone; her voice soothed me
,
reminding me that everything would be ok. It had to be.

I was still in my reverie when Kai abruptly grabbed my arm and whisked me through the crowd at a barely passable human speed. I immediately opened my mind.

"What's wrong?"

"There are several vamps nearby moving towards us at top speed."

I heard the brisk steps of a small army but my nose didn't let me differentiate them. I smelled Kai, the city pollutants, the misty smell of rain becoming snow and the humans I passed with
their
individual scents.

"I take it that's a bad thing."

He didn't bother responding. He instead led us through the alleys and behind buildings at vamp speed. I didn't realize just how far we'd walked earlier until now.

Moments later I spotted the hotel ahead. Kai headed straight for the service entrance.
We moved so quick through the hotel that it was nearly a blur to my vamp vision; certainly the humans only experienced a gust of wind. We flew up the
stairs;
well Kai basically dragged me, and were in Kalel's room in under a minute. The second Kai let go of my hand, I grabbed the back of a chair for support as I regained my equilibrium. I didn't know vamps could get dizzy; maybe that was just a vampeen thing though because he seemed completely un
faz
ed by the action.

I looked at the two of them obviously conversing mentally despite their cocked heads pointed at me studiously.

"What?" I nearly shouted, hating to be excluded.

"I'm going to tap into the cameras around the city to see who we're up against. Get everyone together because they'll definitely track your scent here, and we'll need to prepare," Kalel said as he moved to his computer setup at the desk.

"Ugh. We just got here," I groaned.

"Act now; complain later," Kalel ordered.

I found Will staring out the window in his room. His door was ajar as if he was waiting for me. He stood legs shoulder-width apart, his hands in his pockets.

"I already know," he stated, a bit of trepidation and sadness in his tone. I swallowed my ser
um, trying to calm the nerves steali
ng my sanity from me. He knew what was coming; he knew what we were about to face, yet he stood there saying, revealing nothing.

"What am I about to lose?" I asked stepping closer.

"Who. The question should be who." He turned to face me, a solemn expression despite the pool of emotions in his eyes.

"Who am I about to lose?" I choked out as serum covered my tongue.

"If I told you,
 
you would focus on that vamp and lose another. I can't tell you. I will tell you to activate your necklace now and get to Kellan immediately."

I ran from
t
he room without a second thought. I found Kellan and Craig in Al's room loading up on weapons.

"We know," Kellan announced the second I entered the room.

"Apparently everyone does."

"Here's your dagger." Kellan tossed me my other gift from the Bladangs, wrapped in the only material it wouldn't seer: gold. It made sense considering it's gold. I didn't understand how it worked since vamps wore gold jewelry all the time, but I refused to ponder a defense too deeply.

“We should meet in Kalel’s room. He’s accessing the cameras around the city,” I said
, shifting back and forth from foot to foot
. I felt so very human in this moment the way my emotions were slamming into me. Nerves, anger, worry, sadness, fear and many more were slowly eating away at me, rolling around in my stomach and
rising up in my
chest.
Will was the one that’d started the entire campaign.

We evacuated and regrouped in Kalel’s room. I noticed we were one man down. For some reason or another Will wasn’t participating. I couldn’t say I was surprised. He’d stepped back and let me take the direct hit from the car bomb. I was beginning to understand that while he was there to guide me, he wasn’t about to do anything that would change history and most importantly, anything that would help protect me and my friends.

“Nothing’s showing up on the cameras. Either they’re hiding or they’re using deflectors,” Kalel stated. Kai and Rafi stood closely behind him studying the computer screen as he flipped through several camera views.

“Maybe it was nothing; maybe we’re all just paranoid. It could have been any group of vamps chasing a human or – “ I paused, unable to think of another excuse to throw out. “It could have been anything.”

“Very few vamps chase humans in the light of day,” Al said, discrediting my hopes.

“So what do we do? Go look for them? Stay here? What are we doing guys?” Gabi huffed, staring down at her perfectly manicured nails.