Page 21 of Blood Ties
“It must be her blood,” Shawn explained not realizing Grayson and I were having a moment. “I’d bet all my designer clothes on it. I wonder if you stopped drinking from her if the effects of her blood would all wear off.”
“You think that’s it. He can walk in the sun and get drunk because he’s been drinking from me?”
Shawn nodded. “I know you don’t want me to mention it, but I have to Gabs. I really think you need to find your dad. He’s the only one that can explain it.”
“We don’t need to do that,” Grayson interjected. I looked at him speechless. I was sure after this morning’sepisodethat Grayson would be more inclined to find my father to get answers about why he was the way he was. “We know I need Gaby’s blood to be able to live a normal, human-like life, so I’ll drink Gaby’s blood.”
“And turn her into your personal Gaby flavored juice box? Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I don’t have to do it all the time, but Gaby shouldn’t have to find her father. We know what the problem is and we have a solution that doesn’t involve forcing her to do something she doesn’t want.”
I listened to the two most important men in my life as they continued to argue back and forth while I sat silently racking my nails through my hair. They both had valid points. I didn’t mind Grayson feeding from me. I thought, at first, that it would be awkward and uncomfortable, but the pleasure of it masked the initial sting of the bite. The problem was that Shawn was right too. We needed to know what was going on. Was Grayson like this because I sired him? Would the effects of my blood always work? Would it work if other vampires fed from me? That thought frightened me. If others knew what my blood could do, it could put me in serious danger.
“Stop,” I commanded loud enough to silence them both from their bickering. They turned in unison towards me. “As much as I don’t want to, Shawn is right. I need to find my father.”
“Gaby…” Grayson tried to cut in.
“It’s not just for you Grayson. The bulk of my reasoning is I want you safe. I want you to have as normal of a life as possible and if that was just it, I wouldn’t mind you feeding off of me until the end of time. The truth is we need to know ‘the why.’ Not just for you, but for me as well. What if my blood is the secret to day walking? Can you imagine the danger I’d be in and, by association, subjecting you to? ‘Cause I don’t want to think about it. We need answers and he’s the only one who could possibly have them.”
They both just sat there silent for a moment before Shawn cleared his throat. “Do you even know where to start looking for him?”
I closed my eyes, exhaling a deep breath. “I think it’s time we went and talked to me mother again.”
It was after dusk when Grayson and I arrived at the nest of the New York vampires. It was odd going back there, especially with Grayson by my side. It felt wrong bringing him there. This was my world before him. I once had considered it my home, but that seemed so long ago. Grayson was my home. The last time I had been at the nest was the night I went looking for Anton. I had torn through the place wrecking anything in my path.
As we walked up the steps to the stoop, I noticed the door was different. Then I remembered, I had shattered the old one.
“It’ll be okay,” Grayson reassured me thinking my hesitation was from my desire to not be here. He rubbed his hand up my arm trying to calm my nerves. I did hate the idea of coming back here, but my mother was the only source I had for trying to find my father. It wasn’t like I expected him to have a Facebook. It just so happened that she too had requested to see us. Tonight they were holding a vigil for their fallen leader. The leader I myself had killed. I thought it was in poor taste having his killer show up, but my mother wanted the pretense that both Grayson and I were a part of the nest, as I had claimed, even though we lived away from them. All members were required to pay their respects.
Without knocking, we entered the building and were met with an eerie silence. The first three floors always felt abandoned. They were the only floors in the building that allowed sunlight, so they tended to be a vampire free zone. Plus the sun had only set within the hour, which meant not everyone was awake yet. I clung to Grayson’s hand as we moved across the floor, like he was my lifeline.
Crossing the empty space to the stairwell, I led Grayson in a blur to the fourth floor where the main dining hall was. I knew my mother’s first stop would be there as soon as she woke. She wasn’t old enough to avoid feeding after waking. She would require blood to function.
The silence that had met us when we entered paled in comparison to the sudden ominous stillness we encountered when we stepped into the dining room. All the vampires fell hushed. Not even a whisper among them. It was like someone hit pause on the room and everything froze.
All the vampires sat like statues. Grayson and I stood there for a moment glancing around the room.I knew this was a bad idea.Refusing to let the deathly calm intimidate me, I set my shoulders back, gripping Grayson’s hand tighter in mine we advanced into the room. As we passed, whispers began trickling behind us. Once at the table across the floor, the room erupted and became alive once more.
“What the hell was that about?” Grayson leaned in close to me.
“Don’t know.” Grayson shot me a look that said he didn’t believe me. “Okay,” I rolled my eyes. “It might be because the last time I was here, I kinda made a bit of a scene looking for Anton or the fact that now everyone knows my lineage so…” I trailed off letting him draw his own conclusion, but he continued to stare at me, so I went on. “Or it could be that I just walkedThe Grayson Alexander, New York’s most eligible bachelor into the lair and they were all just star stricken.” Grayson glared at me with a humorous smirk that forced me to grin in return.
“Gabriella.” I turned and saw my mother. I was grateful she was here already. She came strolling towards us with an eager nervousness. Her dark hair laid straight down her back while her green eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Grayson. I am glad to see you both here, but the vigil is not for another few hours.”
“We know, but we hoped to talk to you before.”
“Gabriella,” her voice turned stern. “I already told you that your attendance is nonnegotiable.”
I wanted to roll my eyes like the rebellious child she made me feel like sometimes, but I refrained, reminding myself that I was an adult. No matter how my mother treated me, it didn’t mean I needed to behave like the adolescent she pretended I was. “I know. It’s not about that. Perhaps we can talk in private?” My tone practically begging.
“Whatever it is, speak now. I have to go make sure everything is ready so once all the vampires are awake and feed, we can begin.”
I looked around the room. Even though the vampires were conversing, several of their gazes still rested on me. Speaking in front of all them wasn’t what I wanted. “It’s about my father.”
For a brief moment, puzzlement graced my mother’s features, before they smoothed showing impassiveness.
“After,” was all she said. She turned on her heals leaving us there.
“Well, what do we do while we wait?” Grayson seemed just as confused as I was by my mother’s reaction.
