The Eternal Kiss: Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire

wounded can come for healing.”

“Sydney, stop it,” Nana said quietly. “She doesn’t know any of it. I … I never trained her. I didn’t want her involved.”

Sydney looked at Martha, incredulous.

“You mean to say that she doesn’t know you’re a Healer?” He sounded surprised and a little angry. “The Healer, if it were told true? Lady Healer. Or that she’s one of your line?”

“After losing my daughter, do you think for one moment I would want Rebecca exposed to this?” Nana flared angrily, pointing to Ryan’s limp body. “We’re mortal, and maybe you don’t know just how short a time that is, but to we humans, it’s too short! I’ll not lose my granddaughter as I did my daughter!”

“Momma died in a car accident,” Becky said suddenly. “You said … she and Daddy … a drunk driver killed them.”

Nana looked pained and guilty. She kept her eyes on Ryan’s deep wound as she cleansed it with a concoction she’d made from the contents of a jar she’d taken from the suitcase.

Sydney stood up and reached for Becky’s shoulders. She flinched slightly, but he held her firmly and guided her to a long mirror mounted on the wall of the room.

With a gesture of his hand, the unlit candles in the wall lanterns all blazed instantly, bringing much more light into the room, illuminating the mirror.

“Thank you,” she heard Nana say absently.

Becky gasped as she looked into the mirror and saw only herself reflected back. She knew Syd was right there, behind her. She could feel him touching her. She looked to her shoulder and saw Syd’s longish blond hair mingling with her own, but there was no trace of it in the mirror. He smiled down at her slightly and nodded at the mirror again. Becky looked back, and though she couldn’t see him do it, she saw her hair being moved aside and let him tilt her chin slightly so that she could see the small mark on her neck she hated so much. It was dark brown, like a freckle even though it was big like a birthmark, and was shaped like a funny asterisk. Robin always teased her for keeping it hidden with her hair. Robin thought it was cool—almost like a tattoo of an eight-pointed star. Becky realized, as Syd drew attention to the mark, that she could see the pulse that beat below the skin there.

“You see?” Syd whispered quietly in her ear. “You’re a Healer …”

“If you’re a vampire, shouldn’t I be staking you through the heart or something?” Becky asked with a bravado she didn’t feel. “I mean, you know … like in Buffy?”

Syd laughed gently and released her. She looked up at him with a scowl.

“Do you really think you could?” He smiled so that his fangs could be seen. Becky gasped and took a step back at the sight of them. “Tell me, little Healer—ever kill a spider?”

Becky nodded, wide-eyed. How did he know about—?

“It hurts, doesn’t it, just a little bit?” Syd continued.

Becky nodded again, biting her bottom lip. She always tried to catch them instead, and take them outside. Because it did hurt. Physically. Not just like she felt sorry for them (which she did, as well, but that just made her feel dumb).

“Or when you want to hurt someone, like today in detention when you wanted to slap—”

“Did Ryan tell you about detention?” Becky looked sidelong at her Nana, hoping she hadn’t heard. Fortunately, Nana seemed to be busy with Ryan and hadn’t heard a thing; a great relief to Becky.

“Dude, shut up!” she hissed quietly at the boy. Well, he wasn’t really a “boy,” was he, if he was a … a …

Syd smiled again and laughed softly.

“‘Vampire,” he said dryly. “You can say it. I’m not as sensitive about the term as some.”

“Sydney,” Nana called suddenly. “I can’t stop it. It’s too late. He’s turning.”

Sydney instantly crossed to the bed where Ryan lay and knelt. He took Ryan’s hand as the bed shook. Ryan seemed to be having some kind of seizure, and looked all but dead to Becky.

“It’s all right, buddy,” Syd said quietly. “I’ve got you the best Healer here, and we’re going to take care of you. Don’t fight it. I know it’s earlier than we planned, but take it in stride. Come on …”

Becky stood and watched as Sydney stroked a damp cloth over Ryan’s forehead, which came away stained with pink and red. Becky realized that Ryan seemed to be literally sweating blood.

Nana stood and sighed, shaking her head. She noticed Becky and held her hand out. Becky came close and, like a child of five instead of a girl of nearly fifteen, took her grandmother’s hand and clung to her side as she watched the wounded boy on the bed thrash.

“Come on, let’s get some tea,” Nana said quietly. “Syd will stay with him. There’s nothing really to be done now but wait until it runs its course.”

“This wouldn’t have happened if the entrance hadn’t been sealed!” Syd snapped, glaring at Nana. “Why was that done? You wasted my time, making me come ask for entry like a common human!”

Nana wasn’t at all offended by Sydney’s outburst or his accusations.

“Who broke the truce?” she countered with a question of her own. “That entry has been sealed for nearly fifteen years, which you well know, Sydney Alexander. After how the last battle ended, you know what precautions were taken.”

“Precautions that included keeping your own granddaughter, the last of your line, ignorant of her own power!” Sydney growled darkly. “She doesn’t even know … how could you not warn her, Martha Althea? If the flames of war have again been fanned, what makes you think her ignorance keeps her safe? She is a valuable asset to any side, and keeping her unaware can only lead her unknowingly astray!”

“Hey, I’m smart! I can handle things. I handle Nana well enough. That takes a lot more effort than you think it does!”

The words were out of Becky’s mouth before she could stop them, but Nana hadn’t seemed to hear them.

Neither, it seemed, had Syd. Nana and Syd continued to scowl at one another before Becky felt a tug at her hand.

“Come,” Nana said quietly. “This isn’t something you need to see.”

Becky pulled her hand free.

“No, wait, Nana,” she said, looking toward the now-still form of Ryan on the bed. “He … I know him. He goes to my school. He might … if he … He won’t know where he is and he’ll be scared when he wakes up.”

“Sydney will stay with him, Becky,” Nana said gently. “Let’s wait down in the kitchen. It’s not a good idea to be so close, even with the protections we have. A fledgling vampire is not easily controlled. It’s fortunate we have a Master here with us to watch over him as Ryan turns.”

“Turns?” Becky echoed, looking back to her Nana. “You mean …”

“Into a vampire, yes,” Nana said softly. “And though turning a human is never easy or done lightly, Sydney had to do it to save Ryan’s life. Ryan is fortunate that he was brought to me in time to wrest the dark magic from the bite of the hellhound. I’m sorry, Sydney. I wish I could do more.”

“There is no cure for a vampire bite,” Syd said quietly. He kept his eyes from Martha’s as he wrung out the blood-soaked cloth with fresh water. “I know that.”

Sydney brought the damp cloth back to Ryan’s face and continued wiping it slowly.

“I couldn’t let him die, Martha.”

“I know, Syd.” Nana smiled. “I know.”

They left the two boys in the hidden room, and Nana led the way down to the kitchen. Becky put the kettle on and made a pot of tea. She felt very, very strange and needed to do something that made her feel somewhat normal again. Nana sat quietly in a kitchen chair, but without the usual, vacant look on her face that Becky was accustomed to seeing.

As Becky sat a mug of tea in front of her Nana—Martha—spoke.

“I never wanted you to know, but I see now I shall have to tell you, before Sydney leaves with Ryan,” Nana said in pained resignation. “Once he leaves, he’ll take his power with him, and I’ll forget myself again. I’m sorry, Becky. I’m sorry for what’s become of me, what you have to endure day after day.”

“Nana—” Becky began to protest.

Nana held up a hand.

“Please. Let me talk and don’t interrupt.” She took a sip of tea and swallowed hard.