Healer (The Healer Series) (16 page)

“Sh
e’s dying. They can’t save her.” I feel her tears on my shoulder and hold her tighter. I start to tear up because I realize how horrible it would feel to lose a child. I know she would do anything to save her daughter, any good parent would.

“
It’s okay, Alina. Sit down for a minute.” I gently lead her to a chair against the wall facing our mirrors, grab a tissue off of my bureau, and dab her cheeks.

She takes it and
wipes under her eyes to stop her mascara from spreading. I grab my robe from the hook beside my mirror and help her slip it on.

“
Alina, your girl is something else.” How can I explain what I can do to help her?

“I know.” She
smiles through her tears. “She’s an old soul.”

“
Alina, there is something I need to tell you.” I glance around to see if anyone is listening.

“I’m sorry
, Aldo, I’ve been blubbering away.”

“No
, hun, you’re fine. I just have something to explain to you.” Alina dabs her eyes one more time and leans forward to listen to me. “Alina, I have a gift, you might call it and—”

“Aldo, you got a request,
” Esther wheezes through the curtain.

“Okay,
” I yell back.  “Look, let’s have a drink after we get off, okay?”

“Okay
. Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder.” She smiles softly. “You’re a great friend. “

“Lap dance.
Yay!” I try to joke to make her laugh, which she does, mostly to be polite from what I can tell.

“Go get him
, girl.”

I quickly finish my makeup and head
towards the fantasy rooms. That’s what Rick likes to call them.

“Room four,
” Esther manages through her coughing. Geesh, that lady needs to lighten up on the cigarettes.

Room four sits in the very back and is probably the worst lit room we have, but Rick very rarely does any upkeep
, so we have to deal with it. The lights from the club room help, and there is a red light from the ceiling. The other rooms have a disco ball light that spins with several colors flashing. I focus, controlling my heart beat as I near room four. I know it’s Thomas; probably ready to rip me a new one for the stunt at the bus station. I roll my eyes at the thought, still hurt and angry. I’m going to torture him. I will put on the best performance of my life.

I
slowly insert my leg through the beaded curtain and slide myself in. My eyes adjust slowly to the poor lighting as I begin rolling my body in rhythm with the music and make my way towards Thomas, who sits still as a statue on the far side of the black velvet couch. I keep my eyes focused on his hands because I’m afraid he might laugh or he could have no reaction, which might be worse.

I bend down in front of him, my back
side to his face and slowly roll my way up. Adrenaline pulses through me as I repeat this move several times. I turn and put my right foot on the arm of the sofa, extend my leg over his body, and roll in and out. I slip my bra off and roll my chest in his face as I grip the back of the sofa on either side of his body. I didn’t wear any pasties tonight, but I figure Thomas has seen everything I have anyway. Minutes pass with no reaction, but suddenly he speaks.

“
I thought you didn’t get naked?” His voice is deep. All of the blood drains from my face. I stand up quickly, stumbling back.

It’
s the asshole from last night.

“How d
id you get back in here?” My heart races like a thoroughbred at the Kentucky Derby.

“
I’m not sure what you mean.”

I bend over,
pick up my bra, and fumble trying to get it back on. My legs feel weak as I try to focus on the unfamiliar man in the red light. Then I realize, this isn’t the man from last night. “How do you know I don’t get naked?”

“You
never do. I’ve seen you on stage before.” He smiles sideways. His eyes are dark, but I can’t tell if it’s because of the lighting.

I stare at him
a moment, wondering if he’s a regular. “Who are you?”

“A friend.”

I feel off by him. Alarms ring in my head, screaming danger. “I think your time is up.” I turn to leave the room, desperate to escape.

“No.
I paid for two dances.” His voice is smooth and casual.

“Well
, I’ll get another dancer for you.”

“
I paid for you.” He pats the space next to him. “Come and sit. I’d rather talk.”

“I’m a dance
r, not a talker.” I cross my arms.

“
Perhaps you can multitask and do both.” His demeanor is confident, like one who’s used to getting his way, and his gaze seems to warn me not to argue.

I stare at him a moment
, trying to listen for his energy, but I hear none. Fear seizes me, and I’m paralyzed. I wanted to be found, but only for the sake of finding Thomas.
I’m such an idiot!
Thomas wasn’t even with vampires. I walk towards the vampire who smiles at me as if we’re old friends, and plop down on the other side of the sofa, crossing my legs away from him. I don’t bother controlling my heart beat, there’s no point.

“You’re afraid?”
  He leans back, watching me.

“No,
” I lie.
I’m terrified.

He eyes me. “Your heart
beat says otherwise.”

“I don’t know what you mean?” I try to play dumb.

“Let’s not pretend that we don’t know certain things about each other, shall we?” He shifts to face me.

“Okay.” I
swallow hard and try to calm myself down. I have to keep my wits about me.

“I’m
sure you have heard the stories, or old wives tales, some might call them.”

“About your kind?”

“What is my kind?”
he quips, his mouth curved slightly as if fighting a smile.

“Vampires,
” I whisper, almost too scared to say the word.

“Hmm,” h
e leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “It may surprise you, Aldo, but I am of healer blood.” I gape at him for a brief moment.
He’s a blood healer?

“So, what do you want with me?” I
come straight to the point.

“I want to show you a world where all of your worries disappear.” He smiles
, and his gaze holds mine. His eyes are dark, but calming. Relief washes over me.

W
hat sounds like a tray of glasses crashes to the ground at the bar, and it snaps me back to reality.

“Are you trying to hypnotize me?”

He laughs and leans back. “No
, Aldo. I’m not.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know everything about you.”

“How did you find me?”
I point at him, anger building inside of me.

“Technically, you found us.”

“How?”
I cross my arms again.

“
The gas station.” He snickers. “You were so obvious.”

“The
pale-faced lady?” My arms drop. I knew something was off about her.

“Sarah,” h
e nods.

“That’s her name?”

“Yes.” He nods again.

“So what do you want?
” I become more aware of where this conversation is leading.

“
I would like you to come with me. Your gift would be an asset.”

“And if I say no?”
I cross my arms again.

“
I would be forced to persuade you otherwise.”

“And how would you do that?”
I glare at him, heat flaming my face.

“Take a peek through the beads.”

I approach the beaded curtain.

“I believe that is your friend sitting at the end of t
he bar. Thomas, is it?”

Thomas
is perched on a stool at the end of the bar, sipping on some sort of highball. He glances over his shoulder, no doubt looking for me. My heart drops to my stomach.
Why didn’t I just get on that damn bus?
I turn to face the blood healer, rage burning within me.

“If you touch him I swear—”

“What?” he interrupts and stands; his body taking up every ounce of space in the room, making me feel as small as a church mouse. “What can you do to save him?” He steps towards me, and I stumble back, still stunned by his size. All I see is a massive chest and broad shoulders towering over me.  “You see the two fellows sitting at the table directly behind him?” He nods towards the main room.

I swallow hard and
turn on shaky legs to peek through the beads. Two large men, one black, one white, sit at a table directly behind Thomas.

As I watch Thomas, I feel the blood healer directly behind me. “One word from me, and your precious Thomas will be taken and fed to the local nest.” His voice loses its softness, and his breath brushes my ear.

My breath hitches with his words.
Local nest?
What is that? My knowledge of the vampire world is very limited. I’ve never heard of a nest. I know only what Lucy and Thomas told me. I was so young they barely told me anything in an effort to protect me. At least I thought that was why.

I remain frozen
like an ice sculpture. Turning around would mean facing the blood healer. “So if I go with you, you will leave him alone?”

“You have my word.” His
deep voice sends chills down my spine and a shudder moves through me.

I
stare at Thomas through the beaded curtain and wonder what I should do. Should I warn him somehow? Surely he will come to my dreams if he can’t find me, and I can tell him to find my brothers and his child so they can all be together. I should have told him when I had the chance. Maybe he would’ve come with me, and we would be far away from here.

“Fine,
” I growl and turn back to him. “I need to change.” My head spins and I feel as though I may collapse. The realization I will never see my family again is too much to take in.

“No, we go now.” He
grabs a long trench coat off of the couch and drapes it over my shoulders. It smells of cologne and I pull it over me as if it will somehow protect me from everything that is happening.

“Can I
at least say goodbye?” My voice cracks with emotion.

“No
.” He pushes me through the beaded doorway, and I stumble over my four inch heels. He motions for his two goons sitting behind Thomas to follow.

Thomas briefly
turns as they get up, but it’s not in my direction.  He turns back to his drink.

As we make our way to the front hall to exit
, Kieffer stands and eyes me suspiciously. “You okay, Aldo?”

“She’
s fine. You will not remember seeing her leave, okay?” After the blood healer touches Kieffer on the shoulder, Kieffer nods and steps aside.

G
etting from the club to the car is a blur. I almost don’t remember it. My life is over. I’m going to be killed or even worse, turned into a blood healer. But no matter what, my family is safe.
They will be safe,
I keep repeating to myself over and over in my mind.

After about an hour
, I realize that while I’ve been lost in my own world of despair, I haven’t paid attention to where we are going. I slide up and gaze out of the window, clenching the sides of the trench coat around me.

The two goons sit
in the front seat, staring straight ahead. The driver is a bald, black man who reminds me of the guy from the movie,
The
Green Mile
. The guy in the passenger seat is white with short red hair.

“We
’re almost there,” my abductor says softly.

“Where are we going?” I swallow what feels
like a giant, dry cotton ball in my throat.

“Some place safe.”
His eyes fixate on me.

I glare
at the man who has taken me away from what I spent the last five years searching for. I could have made Thomas come with me. I was hurt and stubborn, so I left and didn’t tell him the thing that I couldn’t bare him not knowing which was he has a child. I put myself out in the world of the unknown hoping to find him, and he was there all along, trying to stop me.

My poor child.
I failed. I failed everyone and now I will never get to touch my child, my brothers, or Thomas ever again. I could be halfway to my family right now.
They are safe
, I remind myself over and over again. My head pounds, and I rub my temples to ease the pain.

The car
pulls off of the road onto a gravel driveway. Dust flies up along a field of tall grass against the pitch black back drop of night. The driveway seems to go on forever before we pull onto pavement again, and then we stop in front of a large farmhouse with a plantation-like porch. My door opens, and I slide out slowly, still feeling like I might pass out. Mr. Green Mile shuts the door abruptly.