Dear gods, it must be a great-aunt. No. Wait. Miriam’s grandmother. I had the opportunity once to read through most of the books in Miriam’s vault, where there was quite a bit of information about her family. I recall one of the records mentioning that Miriam’s grandmother had disappeared while on a vampire-hunting expedition in India.
Well, I guess she didn’t die. And if she’s as adept at disguises as I am, then she’s probably been sneaking around our headquarters and getting information on us that way. I know for a fact she’s been lurking around Miriam’s library. Also, she probably knows her way around Miriam’s house, which was previously owned by Miriam’s parents and used as a home base for their Keeper operations. This woman could have easily snuck into the house and bugged Miriam’s phone.
“You must be the stupid look-alike cousin.” Miriam’s grandmother glances at me and then snarls at Baby Nice. “You’re all making vampire babies now? Disgusting. You’re an abomination.”
“No. This baby is human. Just like your granddaughter,” I say. “Ask the king yourself. He’ll tell you.”
The old woman’s brown eyes lock on mine and flicker with curiosity.
“I recognized your disguise,” I say, explaining how I guessed their relationship. “Also, Miriam has your lips and chin. Clearly you’re family.”
She points her crossbow at Miriam. “Not anymore.”
I’m about to lunge, but Lula steps between Miriam and the woman. I’m surprised by the gesture. Why would Lula put herself in harm’s way for Miriam?
“You can’t do that. She’s your blood, and family is everything,” Lula growls.
“Would you let one of your best hunters, the person who knows all your tricks, live if they joined the enemy’s team?”
“Becoming a vampire was against her will. It was his fault,” Freddy says, pointing at the baby in my arms.
Killer Granny lifts a silvery brow.
“Never mind. It is a long story. What is important is that the king,” I glance at Freddy, “has corrected the matter. He has discovered a cure, which Miriam just took. So if you kill your granddaughter, you’ll be breaking your oath to only kill vampires, which will make you a murderer—something I know you Keepers are against. I will also add that our king is about to offer this cure to every vampire on the planet. Many will take it because they had no choice to become this way. If you kill our king, you kill the chance to make things right for someone like your granddaughter, who just wants to grow old and have children.”
“Fine. Then I’ll kill you. The only good vampire is a dead vampire.” Killer Granny raises her crossbow right at me.
“Don’t hurt him!” Stella runs in front of me, with Miriam’s trademark defiant gleam in her brown eyes. “He’s good. He helps people.”
The old woman’s eyes blink with hatred as she stares at Stella. “Can your cure remove the evil from this spawn of Satan?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” says Lula. “Hold the hate speech, Raisin Face. She’s a little girl, and everyone knows you can’t call them things like that or they’ll end up like me, dancing on stripper poles.” Lula pauses and looks at Freddy, still not catching on that we’ve switched places. “She also betrayed her best friend and is really sorry.”
“I forgive you,” Freddy says.
Lula claps. “Yay!”
“No. You don’t,” I snap.
Lula sticks out her lower lip.
“You’re all a bunch of bloodsucking lunatics.” Granny wiggles the crossbow at me. “Give me that baby. I’m not letting you suck the life out of him.”
“You’ll get no argument from any of us.” Lula walks over, takes Baby Nice from my arms, and holds him out to Granny. “Good luck raising the evil bastard. Maybe you’ll do a better job than Nice’s first set of parents.”
“That is Mr. Nice?” Granny steps back, refusing to drop her crossbow.
“We had a small complication with the vampire cure, but that’s all worked out now,” Freddy says. “Miriam took it, and she seems fine.”
Right on cue, Miriam sits up on the gurney, groaning and pushing her hands to her temples. “Ow…my head hurts.”
“Miriam, thank goodness,” Freddy says. “Tell your grandma that you’re fine and human and that she should leave now to let us do our work.”
Miriam’s eyes sweep the faces in the room and then land on her grandma. “Grandma? What are you doing here? Where are we? Why do you have your crossbow out?”
“Miriam, you are in the lab. The king’s lab. Tell your grandmother you’re human now,” I say, knowing the old woman must be convinced not to harm anyone here, because it is for that mother-bleeping greater good they all love so much.
Miriam rubs her eyes. “Who are these people? Why do you look older than I remember, Grandma?”
Huh?
“Come here, child.” Her grandma motions frantically. “They’re vampires. We need to go.”
Miriam slides slowly off the gurney and stands beside Granny, seeking protection.
“Miriam, don’t you remember me? I mean—our king?” I say.
Her silent reply is all I need to know that something’s happened. Something very, very bad.
Christ. I am such a fool! If age is effected by this cure, then memory would be, too. The brain cells are being scrubbed clean of an intruder that was doing part of the work.
“Grandma, let’s go. Please?” Miriam tugs on the back of her granny’s sweater. “I don’t feel well.”
“How? Tell me how? Is it your head? Your stomach? I need to know, Miriam,” I say. It could be a clue as to where I went wrong.
“Mommy, where are you going?” Hot tears start streaming down Stella’s red cheeks. I had not noticed until now, but Freddy has ahold of her arm. She wants to go to her mother.
Part of me wishes I did not have my feelings back. This is almost too painful to watch.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I say to my daughter. “Your mommy just needs time to remember.” It’s a lie. I screwed up. Again. All my best intentions, and here we are. Me loving Miriam. Miriam human again with no knowledge of the
