Page 63 of Bonded By Blood
“But … perhaps I was too harsh,” Trista finally said. Quietly.
The change in tone piqued Brianna’s interest and she sat a little straighter, blinking her eyes open again.
Trista’s head was tilted back, her gaze pointed up toward the high ceiling. “When you brought her home, I didn’t expect her to last. She’s right when she says I thought you’d grow bored of her eventually.” Suddenly Trista was looking straight at her, an unfamiliar, out-of-place sadness dulling her eyes and aging her features. “I’m glad I was wrong, Brianna. I don’t say it, I know, and maybe I should. But I’m glad you found her. I’m glad you found … that feeling. That sense of love, and pride, and warmth.”
Who is this woman? In all the millennia Brianna had lived, she suspected she could count the number of times her mother had talked to her like this on her fingers—and have some leftover.
“I apologize,” Trista said, softly, finally breaking her stare and sitting back. “For the terrible things I said to Kendall. Regardless of my concerns over the Slayer, he is but one man. Mortal by most standards. He means nothing. I will apologize to Kendall when she returns.”
Brianna felt tears rush up behind her eyes and had to look away to fight them back. She squeezed her eyes shut and drew in a breath. “Kendall … would appreciate that.” Her wandering, burning gaze shifted to the advisors seated along the far wall. Both of whom immediately looked away and pretended they hadn’t heard every word. Brianna chose to allow them that luxury and let herself speak honestly. “She told me, recently, that she still often feels like the proverbial black sheep of the family. Or, rather, not like true family at all. A lot of that is my fault. I shelter her too much, apparently. She feels excluded from the important things. She said she even thinks the staff laugh at her for her ignorance behind her back.”
Trista’s head turned in her peripheral vision. “Oh? Is it time for a cleansing?”
Brianna blanched.
“M-my Queen, no!” the nearer advisor blurted, shocked into responding, his eyes wide.
Brianna frowned in their direction.
“Why did you two imbeciles not excuse yourselves when the it became clear we were having a private conversation?” Trista asked coldly. She flicked a wrist at them. “You’ll be summoned if I reconvene. Or if I should need any other asinine suggestions.”
They leapt to their feet and scrambled to leave out the side door nearest them.
“Honestly, I should replace them,” Trista muttered. “I can’t even recall the shorter one’s name. All they ever do is stare in open-mouthed shock at the things that go on around here.”
Brianna arched a brow at her mother. “But who would you appoint? I know you trust Jasen’s and Seth’s counsel, but their jobs are important. They can’t stay here all the time. Jasen in particular would probably go on a killing spree of his own.” And if there was one man Brianna never wanted to see on the warpath, it was Jasen.
Trista’s lips twitched with amusement. “Yes, unfortunately, I think you’re right. But that’s fine. I do have another idea I’m mulling over.” She pushed to her feet. “For now, however, I’m parched. Let’s find someone to drink.”
“Mother!” Honestly, why did she have to say it that way? Still, Brianna obediently followed her mother out of the hall.
****
“Continue to do so, and perhaps I’ll let you stay.”
Trista’s words replayed in Joe’s mind as he and Jasen made their way to the Sacramento International Airport. They felt like a cross between a challenge and a taunt, but they also reminded him of that all-important question. What was he going to do when this manhunt was over?
The question had been easy enough to avoid so far, but it’d been lurking in the back of his mind. Most vampires, as far as Joe knew, moved away from the place they’d called home as humans. For any number of reasons, the most obvious of which being that the people who knew them best would notice a change in them faster. Joe didn’t really have that problem, as the people he was closest to as a human were werewolves. Everyone he might need to associate with from his old life, his attorney or his various managers, he could contact long-distance. He could ease himself out of his professional life, claim over-entitled retirement, and just disappear. Without even leaving Sacramento. If he was allowed.
But, did he want to stay?
An image of Brianna’s softly smiling face appeared in his mind’s eye. His chest tightened. If he left, by choice or otherwise, he knew without a doubt he’d never see her again. And if the pain in his chest was any indication, never seeing Brianna again was… It wasn’t something he was ready to think about.
“Just so we’re clear,” Jasen said, interrupting his train of thought. “No drooling after the humans.”
Joe turned, realizing belatedly that he’d zoned out most of the drive. “What?” Of course he wouldn’t do something like that. What was Jasen even thinking?
Jasen slowed and guided the car into an appropriate parking lot. “This is your first time in the general public since Turning. So, because I’d rather not have to kill you for something stupid, I’m being gracious enough to remind you. Keep your fangs covered.”
Crap. With everything going on, it hadn’t clicked in Joe’s head, but Jasen was right. Though he’d been around humans almost from the beginning, he hadn’t been around crowds of oblivious humans. There was a massive difference. He cringed and looked out the passenger window, watching someone walk by with their phone at their ear. He drew a deep breath through his nose and ran his tongue over the backs of his fangs. No drooling over the humans. Sounded simple enough, but he’d heard enough stories. He remembered how hard it had been to ignore the vein thrumming in Garvin’s neck the first time Garvin had brought him blood. That had been just one person, with an available alternate source of blood, in a controlled environment.
Jasen cut the engine, having found a place to park.
“It’ll be fine,” Joe said, putting voice to the thought for his own benefit. He could do it. He would do it.
“It’s your neck on the line,” Jasen said. “Let’s find Kendall.”
Joe released his seatbelt and climbed from the car seconds after Jasen, pulling the phone he’d only recently been provided from his pocket to check for a new message. Kendall had left ahead of them, so she should have arrived already. They needed to meet up with her before rendezvousing with the Slayer.