The Blood That Bonds

Chapter 7

The Search





An apartment in SoHo. Fifteenth floor.





“One fish … Two fish …” Tori read haltingly, struggling with the words, anxious to please. She looked up at Two, frustrated. “This is hard, Two! It’s hard.”

Two smiled, nodded, dragged at her cigarette. “I know, sweetheart. You’re doing fine.”

“Can I stop now?” Tori closed the book. Forty minutes of reading seemed to have worn her out.

New York. Two had been back in the city for three or four days. The mansion had provided her with enough money that she would never need to sell herself again. Jewelry, clothing, cars … Two had sold them for prices so low they were obscene, and still pocketed an unbelievable amount of money. The Ferrari alone had brought her a quarter of a million dollars. Two wondered how much the heavily modified car would have been worth if sold legally.

She had spent the past few days opening safety deposit boxes, speaking with lawyers and accountants, looking for ones who could help her to deal with this sudden influx of wealth. She was not concerned with legality or morals, and soon found counsel that could help her retain the money without any questions as to its origins.

Two and Tori had left the mansion in January. Near the end of February, Two had returned for a final salvage trip, and found only a pile of ashes where once it had stood. Whether the fire had been caused by man or vampire or simply a bolt of lightning, Two could not say. She had not been able to bring herself to search the ruins and see if the sub-basement remained intact. Seeing him again like that, lying there on the stone bier, would have been more than she could bear. Her physical wounds were gone, but those that scarred her soul felt fresh still. She left, choosing to believe that somewhere below the ash, buried in a chamber of stone, was the body of her lover. Would he ever be found? Puzzled over? Dissected?

Two tried not to think about it.

She sighed. “Sure, Tori. You can stop. That’s fine.”

Tori handed her the book. “Do you want to read, Two? You read good, like my big sister.”

Two looked at her, puzzled. Tori had been mentioning this mystery sister for a few weeks now. When asked if she meant Melissa, Tori would shake her head. No. Someone else. A human sister? A mother? Two wasn’t sure. She dragged on her cigarette, exhaled, let the fingers on her idle hand flip through the book.

Tori wrinkled her nose. “Why do you smoke, Two?”

“Because a girl can only give up so many addictions, Tori. I gave up the heroin. I gave up the blood.”

“Is heroin the needle stuff?”

“Yes.”

“That’s bad for you!”

“Yes. Very bad for me, and even worse for Abraham.”

Tori growled at the mention of her vampire father’s name.

“Don’t growl, sweetheart. Dogs do that, not people.”

“Okay, Two.”

Two knew she should call Rhes and Sarah, knew that she should let them know she was not dead. She desperately wanted to know how Molly was doing. She was waiting until she felt safe that she wouldn’t burst into tears at the sound of Rhes’ voice. She thought maybe tonight she could handle it.

“Do you want to go meet some friends of mine, Tori?”

“Sure! who?”

“You remember Molly? The girl we saw when I took you to Darren’s apartment?”

Tori pulled at her hair, miming pigtails, her eyes questioning. Two nodded.

“Yes. Her, and a man named Rhes, and his girlfriend Sarah. You’ll like them, Tori. They’re good people.”

“Okay, Two.”

“Today should be one of Rhes’ days off. They’re probably at home. Should we call, or risk it and try to surprise them?”

“I like surprises!”

Two grinned. “Okay, Tori. Let’s go meet some friends.”





* * *





Rhes opened the door and stood there for a moment peering out at Two. He was tall and muscular, with short black hair and a trimmed mustache-goatee combination. The expression on his face brought tears to Two’s eyes even as it caused her to burst out laughing. Shock, wonder, joy. He stammered for a moment, finally finding words. “Jesus. We thought you were dead.”

Two opened her arms, hugging him tightly, crying into his shoulder. Rhes lifted her up off the ground for a moment, set her back down, still grinning and looking like he might weep himself. He ran a shaky hand through his hair. Tori was looking around, bewildered. There was a dog barking in the background.

“Wow. I mean … I just … wow! Are you okay, Two?”

“I’ll be better when you invite me in off your freezing-ass doorstep, and let me see Sarah.”

Rhes laughed, moved aside, beckoned with his arm. Two walked into the house, a small but tidy Brooklyn brownstone, and looked around. Tori followed.

“Sarah’s upstairs checking on the kid, but she’ll be down in a second. Molly’s fine, before you ask, Two. Well … maybe not fine, but much better. It was a rough couple of months. Killed us to put her through it, but I think she’s crossed over to the easier side of it now.”

“Good. Thank you so much, Rhes. I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you guys for this.”

“Two, I … listen, don’t worry about it. Trust me. We love her. She’s the sweetest kid I’ve ever met. I hope you’re not planning on taking her somewhere.”

“Hadn’t thought that far ahead, but assuming she’s happy, and you guys want her here, I can’t think of anywhere else she’d be better off.”

Rhes nodded. “Good. Who’s your friend? She okay with dogs?”

“Her name’s Tori, and I have no idea. Guess we’ll find out. Let him in before he pees on the floor, Rhes.”

Rhes opened the door to the kitchen, and the dog, Jake, came bounding out, barking and wagging his tail. Tori took a nervous step backward, but Two knelt down and cried out the dog’s name, throwing her arms wide. Soon, both girls were laughing and petting Jake, who was enjoying the attention.

“Do you like him, Tori?”

“He’s soft! And … eugh!” Jake licked Tori’s face, and she pulled back, grinning and rubbing her cheek on her sleeve. Two laughed.

“And friendly. And smart, although I guess that seeing-eye dogs sort of have to be.”

“Sure do,” Rhes said. “Hey, Jake. Relax, big guy. They’re not going anywhere.”

He patted the dog, then pointed toward the couch. Jake leapt onto it and lay with his head over the arm, watching them with big, dark eyes.

There were footsteps on the stairs, and Two looked up to see Sarah descending them carefully. She had cut her straight, red hair since Two had last seen her, and it now hung just below her ears. She was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses, as always, and was holding the hand-rail as she descended. “There better not be any boots at the bottom of these, Rhes. If the blind lady trips and falls again, she’s going to break your arms.”

Rhes laughed, looking sheepish. “No, hon. They’re in the closet.”

Sarah came to a stop in front of Two. “Damn near killed me last week. Who says love isn’t work?”

Two laughed. “How are you, Sarah? I like your hair!”

“Better for hearing your voice, Two, and thanks. Do I get a hug, or did Jake wear you out?”

Two embraced Sarah, laughing. They broke apart after a minute, and Two looked around smiling. Rhes spoke up. “You look good, Two. I hope you don’t mind my asking but are you still, uh … you know? Staying clean, and all that?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s done. Been done for a while now.”

“Any cravings?” Sarah asked.

Not for that, Two thought. Out loud she said “Occasionally. Mostly no.”

“Good.”

“Yes.”

There was a pause. Two sat down on the couch, and Tori followed her. Rhes took an armchair. Sarah pulled up the piano bench.

Silence for a moment more, and then Rhes tilted his head to one side, looked at her for a moment, asked “You going to tell us where you’ve been, Two?”

Two sighed. “I don’t know if I can. It’s crazy, Rhes. You’ll think I’m crazy.”

There was another silence, then Rhes shrugged. “Okay. I won’t push. Too happy to see you, anyway. You want anything to drink? Beer? Soda?”

“F*ck, yes. Beer. Whatever you’ve got will be great.”

Rhes stood, moving toward the kitchen. “What about your friend? And Sarah, do you want anything?”

“I’m good, hon, thanks.”

Two turned to Tori. “Do you want something to drink?”

“What’s beer?”

“You wouldn’t like it. It’s a drink that sort of tastes like raw bread dough.”

Tori made a face. “Yuck. Can I have a soda?”

Two laughed. “Sure. Whatever you have, Rhes, long as it’s got sugar in it. She’s not picky.”

Rhes departed. Sarah got up, and stole Rhes’ seat with a sideways grin toward the kitchen. She bit her lower lip for a moment, then spoke. “So, uh … Tori, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t tell if you’re five or twenty-five.”

“I’m this many.” Tori held up seven fingers with pride. Two rolled her eyes. Tori picked a random number of fingers each time her age came up.

“Tori, Sarah can’t see that, and it doesn’t matter anyway since you’re making it up. It’s hard to explain, Sarah. She’s sort of both, really.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Don’t suppose you’d care to explain that, either?”

“No, but I figure you’re probably going to make me eventually, so I guess I might as well. Let’s wait for Rhes.”

“I get the impression there’s a lot you’re not telling us, Two.”

“Centuries worth.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows, but Two didn’t elaborate. Rhes returned with the drinks, handed Two her beer, sat down on the piano bench.

“Way to steal my seat, dear,”he said to Sarah.

“Your fault for offering to get the drinks, sweetie.” Sarah was grinning, the slightest hint of sarcasm in her voice. She turned to Tori. “Where are you from, Tori?”

“I came from a big house. It was full of stuff but mostly I lived outside.”

“Outside?”

“Yeah. In the woods.”

“Oh, jeez …” muttered Two. “We don’t know where she’s from. She only remembers the last place she lived, for now.”

“Right. The last place she lived. Out in the woods. What the hell, Two?”

Two rolled her eyes, drank from her bottle of beer, looked around the room for a moment. “You’re not going to let me not tell you this, are you?”

Sarah spread her hands. Waddaya want from me? Rhes said nothing.

Two sighed. “Okay. I … f*ck it. Here goes. When it’s done, you can call the loony bin and have Tori and me committed. I’ll start by saying that I can prove this, if I have to. I can take you to where the mansion was. I can show you what I took from there. I can dig down to … to Theroen, and show him to you, if I have to.”

“Theroen?”

“Let me tell it. It’s going to take a while.”

“Okay, Two.”

Two took a breath, gathered her thoughts, and began. “It started on a regular night, I guess. As regular as it gets, anyway …”





* * *





The story took three and a half hours to tell. By the time she finished, Tori had fallen asleep next to her on the couch. Sarah looked pale and shaken. Rhes looked dazed, like someone had hit him in the head with a sledgehammer. Two couldn’t meet their eyes. She was shaking, needed a cigarette, and thought she might very soon begin weeping.

“Questions?” she asked, trying for humor and finding little. Her throat hurt, that muscle ache at the back that comes with holding back tears, or talking through them.

Sarah ran a hand through her hair, exhaled as if just remembering that she needed to breathe, flopped back against the cushions of the couch. “I have approximately seven hundred billion questions, Two.”

“That’s about half as many as I have. I can’t answer most of them, Sarah. I didn’t have very long to learn.”

Rhes spoke up. “I have one. You really believe this, Two?”

“Yeah. Yes. I really do. I suppose it’s possible that I’ve been lying somewhere hallucinating for the past three months, but I doubt it. I don’t have any pictures, but I have the gun, and the stuff from the mansion, and Tori, who’ll back me up as best she can if you ask her.”

Rhes rested his head on one hand, staring at the floor, looking confused. “This is crazy.”

“Yes.”

“It’s … it’s fiction, is what it is,” Sarah said. She heard Two’s intake of breath, held up her hand, cut Two off. “Not your story. I don’t mean you’re lying, or making this up. I haven’t even come close to making a decision on that. I just mean the whole concept. The whole vampire thing. I want to believe you, but this isn’t the dark ages. No one buys into that stuff anymore.”

“I know. I don’t know how to prove it, short of Theroen, and I guess even if I brought you there, he’d just look human. Nothing I can do. All of my witnesses are dead, except Tori. I guess she’s not really that credible … but if you want to take her outside, she’ll happily lift the back end of a car six inches off the ground for you.”

“Actually, I’d say Tori’s proof even without any of that. I don’t think she’s really capable of lying. At best she’d have been hallucinating right along with you, Two … and if that’s the case, then there’d have to be some explanation as to why you both hallucinated the same events.”

Two looked at him, silent. Rhes stood up, stretched, paced back and forth a few times.

“I guess if it comes down to one story that’s as weird as another, I’m going to go with the one that you think is the right one. I’m trying to believe you, Two, because I think you’re telling the truth. My head hurts. It feels like my brain wants to abandon it for safer pastures, and I think I’m going to sleep with the lights on for the rest of my life, now, but I believe you.”

Sarah sighed, but nodded. “Yeah. I guess I do, too.”

Two looked at them both for a moment, then burst into tears. She covered her face with her hands, sobbing, shaking, unable to control herself. Tori woke at the sound, looking worried. “Are you okay, Two?”

Two sniffled, ran a hand across her eyes, tried to regain her composure. “I’m all right, Tori … it’s okay.”

Rhes and Sarah were looking at her. Two gave up on maintaining any illusion of control and let herself cry. She needed it, and it didn’t seem to bother them. Eventually she was able to compose herself enough to speak.

“I never want to tell that story again. I killed people. Victims, vampires … Sam and Melissa and Abraham. I’d do it again. I’d do all of it, and I’d do even more if it would keep Theroen alive. I’d murder everyone between here and there, for that. I never expected you guys to believe me, but if you do, I won’t blame you for hating me.”

“Believing you is pretty difficult. Not hating you is easy.” Rhes brought her a tissue, and another beer. Two thanked him, opened the beer, drank half of it in three quick gulps.

“What now?” asked Sarah.

Two leaned back, thinking. “What now? Good question. Now, I need to try to relax, and pretty soon I’m going to need to sleep. Also, I need a cigarette. Ashtray still on your porch?” Sarah and Rhes were both nonsmokers, and Two was long familiar with having to step outside for a cigarette.

“Yeah. Might be buried under the snow, though. You want company?” Rhes still looked dazed, but he was coming out of it.

“Nah. Stay inside where it’s warm, and finish figuring out whether you think I’m crazy or not.”

“No offense, Two, but I’m not sure I can figure that out that quickly.”

Two shrugged. She still wasn’t sure herself.

Tori stayed inside, playing with Jake. Two, out in the January cold, pulled her jacket closer to her, huddled against the building, smoked and thought.

Two and a half days. An eternity of promise, and it had delivered only two and a half days to her. She had been a half-vampire for several weeks, had in that time known the taste of Theroen’s blood, known his touch and his kiss and above all his simple presence, always there at the back of her mind. As a vampire, though, the events – it seemed a year’s worth – that had led to her return to humanity had lasted only a scant sixty hours.

Two tried to regret it. It would be so much easier to regret it, that brief taste of immortality, than to live with the loss. She couldn’t, though, despite the worry, the horror, the hate. Her experience as a vampire had been filled with wonder and love and joy. Two hoped she could someday bring herself to embrace her humanity again. It seemed now a cold and hollow shell, a dim reflection of what she once was.

There was a police car rolling down the avenue toward her. Two felt that old, familiar prickling at the base of her neck she’d known during her time with Darren. Cops were trouble, and were to be avoided at all costs. She pushed it away. There was no reason for it now. The car stopped in front of her, window rolling down, and an officer looked at out her.

“Nice night,” he said.

Two nodded. It was. Cold, but clear, without a lot of wind. Tiny, dry snowflakes danced under the streetlights, hovered in the air, caught the lights of the city and turned the night sky brighter than usual.

“Your parents know you smoke, little girl?”

Two rolled her eyes. “I’m nineteen. My friends Rhes and Sarah live here. They don’t smoke, so I have to come outside.”

The cop smiled, amused at her annoyance. “All right, sweetheart. Fair enough. Still, this ain’t the best neighborhood …”

Two gave him a tired smile and put her cigarette out in the coffee can that served as an ashtray.

“I’ve got nothing to be afraid of here, Officer. Trust me.” She gave a small wave, turned back to the door, and made her way inside.





* * *





Rhes was talking to Tori. He’d always been good with kids, and she seemed to be responding well to him. At least, she was answering his questions with enthusiasm.

“Tell me about Melissa, Tori.”

“She was my sister! She had black hair and was tall and sometimes she’d come out walking with me and tell me stories.”

“And what about Missy?”

Tori faltered for a moment. “Missy? She was the same as Melissa. Same thing, Rhes.”

“Mmm. No, not quite, Tori … but okay. I guess you couldn’t make the distinction.”

“What’s disjunction?”

“Distinction.” Two sat down next to Tori. “It means telling the difference between two things, Tori. Like black and white.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Who used to read to you, Tori?” Rhes asked.

“My big sister.”

“Melissa?”

Tori look uncertain again. Confused and perhaps even a bit panicked. “No. No, my … my other big sister.”

“What was her name?”

“I dunno.”

Rhes looked at Two, raised an eyebrow.

Two shrugged. “Let’s not press it tonight, Rhes, okay? We’ll talk about it later.”

“Okay. You want to crash here, Two? It’s late, and the subways will be running slow. The couch folds out, and we’ve got a spare bedroom. I know Molly would love to see you.”

“She doesn’t hate me?”

Sarah interjected. “No, definitely not. I’m not sure Molly could hate anyone. She was pissed, for a while, that you’d lied to her … but I think she’s come to understand it. She knows you saved her life, Two.”

“Okay. You want to sleep over here, Tori?”

“Sure!”

“Good. We’ll get up and have breakfast with everyone, ‘k?”

“Okay, Two.” Tori yawned, stretched, rubbed at her eyes like a kid. She was having trouble keeping them open.

Two stood up. “I’m going to put her in the spare bedroom. I’ll take the couch. You guys going to be up for a while?”

Sarah nodded. “Time for the grownups to talk? Yeah. We’ll be here, Two.”

Two took Tori by the hand and led her upstairs.





* * *





With Tori settled into the guest room, Two made her way back down to the first floor. Rhes and Sarah were waiting with questions, and they spent another few hours going over Two’s story. They wanted to know more about Theroen, more about Melissa and Missy, more about Abraham. They wanted to understand the events that led up to her standing over the latter’s headless body, holding a machete. Two did her best to answer their questions.

Over and over, the conversation kept returning to Tori. She was, of course, the key. She was Two’s proof, the deciding factor that forced Sarah and Rhes to accept the story that Two had provided.

“We have to find out who she is, Two.” Sarah said finally.

Two sighed. “I know. I just don’t have any idea how to do it.”

Rhes spoke up. “Public records search at the library. You said that Tori couldn’t possibly have been a vampire for more than two decades, right? How many girls with her first name and description could have gone missing in that time? Hell, she might be the only girl with that name to have gone missing. It’s not that common.”

Two considered this. “I guess that’s true. You think it’ll work?”

“It’s as good a place to start as any.” Rhes drained his beer, looked inquisitively at Two. She shook her head.

“What do we do once we know who Tori is?”

There was silence for a moment, and Two felt herself growing angry. She knew what was coming. At last, Rhes shrugged and said without looking at her, “I think we need to find out if her parents are still alive, Two.”

Two grimaced. “You’re not taking her away from me.”

“They have a right to know she’s alive.” Rhes’ voice was gentle. He knew she didn’t want to hear this.

“Not if it means that. Not if she has to go. That’s not fair. She’s all I’ve got!”

“I think they might disagree with you about how fair it is, Two, but it’s not important right now. We don’t even know who they are or whether they’re alive yet. Just … consider it for a while. I think you’ll see that I’m right.”

Two looked out the window, frustrated. She knew he was right. She just didn’t care.

Sarah stretched. “I’m beat. Haven’t been up this late in ages, not since Rhes and I settled in and got boring. This has been a long, weird evening, and even though I could spend another three hours asking questions, I think we’d all better get some sleep.”

“Yeah, no kidding. Thanks for letting us crash here, guys.”

Rhes stood up. “No problem, Two. I’ll go grab some blankets. Do you want to go to the library tomorrow?”

“I suppose we should,” Two said with distaste. The idea of actively searching out ways to take Tori away from her was painful.

“It’s for the best, Two …”

Sarah smiled, took his arm, stood as well. “Don’t push it, dear. She said yes.”

Two laughed, then got to her feet and embraced each of them in turn. “Thank you guys. You don’t know how much it means to me that you don’t think I’m insane.”

Sarah shrugged. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my doubts, Two, but you don’t seem insane. Tori doesn’t seem insane. Developmentally challenged, but not insane. Bare minimum, the people you’re talking about existed. That I’m sure of. The vampire thing … I may never believe it completely without seeing it with my own eyes, but I’m trying. We’re both trying.”

Two smiled at her. “That’s more than I expected. Thank you. Now go to bed, before we get going again.”

Sarah and Rhes headed for the stairs. Two began unfolding the couch.





* * *





It was late morning when Two awoke, Jake curled at her feet on the fold-out bed, sunlight streaming in through the vertical blinds that covered the brownstone’s window. After a moment of disorientation, she remembered where she was, and lay back for a moment, thankful for good friends. Then she stretched, got to her feet, padded into the kitchen. The house was quiet, no one up yet.

Two made coffee.

In the middle of her second cup, Tori wandered downstairs. Two said good morning, got the girl a glass of orange juice, and the two of them sat in silence, happy just to be alive and in each other’s company.

“Did you tell Rhes and Sarah about the bad stuff?” Tori asked after a time, and Two looked at her, surprised. Tori’s mental capacity and ability to speak were improving by leaps and bounds.

“Yes. I didn’t want to … but I had to.”

“Were they angry?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

“Tori?”

“Yes?”

“What was your big sister’s name?”

Tori looked troubled. “I don’t know.”

“I think you do. It’s okay to tell me, Tori.”

“I don’t wanna.”

Two raised her eyebrows at this. “Why don’t you want to tell me?”

Tori was suddenly on the verge of tears. The glass of juice trembled in her hands. “You’ll make me go away!”

“Tori. Sweetheart, I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. Okay? Neither are Rhes and Sarah.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, Tori. Cross my heart.”

Tori was silent for a long time. At last she sighed, and the sound broke Two’s heart. It was an adult sound, full of wisdom and worry and understanding. “Her name is Mona. She’s not my sister.”

Two nodded. “She’s your mom, right?”

A pause. “Yeah.”

“Don’t you want to see her again?”

Tori sipped at her juice, refusing to meet Two’s eye. “Dunno.”

Two let it pass. She didn’t want to scare Tori with talk of taking her home to her parents. Now, though, her suspicions confirmed, Two knew there was little choice. She had a name to go on, and she owed it to Mona to at least find out where the woman lived and whether she was still alive and searching for her daughter.

Sarah was the next one down the stairs. “Ah. Coffee. You’re a life-saver, Two.”

Two laughed. “I try my best.”

Rhes followed soon after. Molly was last, and when she saw Two sitting on the couch, she came down the stairs at a run, calling her name. Two had just time to set down her mug before Molly embraced her, laughing.

“Hey! Molly. Hi! Nice to see you, too. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

Molly smiled, cast a shy look at Rhes and Sarah, and nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. I’m great, really. I was mad at you, and Rhes and Sarah, at first … but it’s all right. I started going to this program thing last week, just to talk to other people like me. It’s … well, it’s not fun, but it’s really helping. They’re all really nice.”

“That’s awesome Molly. Terrific. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried.”

“We were worried about you, too! Where were you?”

Two smiled. “Sorry. That’s a long, weird story, and you don’t get to hear it right now.”

Molly began to protest, but Two only shook her head. “No, Molly. It doesn’t matter, okay?”

A pause, and then Molly relented. “Okay, Two. If you say so. Are you staying here with us?”

“Only for last night. This is my friend Tori. She and I have an apartment in SoHo.”

“Oh. All right. Will you be around, though?”

“Don’t see why not.”

“Great! Sarah and Rhes told me I could stay here as long as I wanted.”

Sarah spoke up. “We’re really glad you sent Molly to stay with us, Two. We’re hoping she’ll stay for a very long time.”

Two grinned. “Excellent. You going to go back to school, Molly?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Should I?”

“We’re going to tutor her for the rest year, and start her back at public school next fall,” Sarah said. “I’m scaling back my work a bit. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Guess that answers that,” Two said. “You’re a smart kid. You’ll catch up.”

Molly beamed at the compliment. There was silence, not awkward, as Two and her friends sat and thought. At length, Rhes turned to Two.

“Breakfast?”

“Thought you’d never ask, big guy. Here, or out somewhere?”

“Here, I thought. We’ve got plenty of food. I’ll make eggs. You want to help, Tori?”

“Sure, Rhes.”

Rhes headed for the kitchen, Tori behind him.





* * *





Breakfast brought light conversation, catching up mostly. Rhes was still working for Sid, Sarah still teaching at the school for the blind. Two avoided conversation about herself. There was too much she could not bring herself to tell about her time with Darren, and she wanted to bring no reminder to Molly of those dark days. She talked mainly of her apartment, of Tori’s efforts to learn to read, of days spent preparing for the future.

Two offered money. Rhes and Sarah refused. Two accepted this, expecting it, and said they knew where to come if they were ever in need. They thanked her. Molly seemed awed at Two’s newfound wealth. She asked for details, and Two declined, saying only that she had found great fortune in the past few months.

No one mentioned vampires, prostitution, heroin. They did not skirt around the topics, much, but they’d been talked about. Talked out, Two thought. She wanted to move on. Molly wanted to move on. Rhes and Sarah saw this, and so they left it alone.

Breakfast over, they made plans to visit the library. Two took Rhes aside and explained Tori’s revelation of her mother’s name. Rhes was pleased; this would make searching for records that much easier. They agreed to meet at the library in the early afternoon. Two and Tori left to go home and change into clean clothes.

A subway ride took them back into Manhattan. Two gazed out at the lights whipping by, illuminating names tagged at great risk on the tunnel walls. Some she recognized, some were new. Vandals and artists, publicizing themselves via drawings both crude and complex in the dark under New York. Tori asked questions endlessly, in the manner of a child. How did the subways work? Who drove them? How far did they go? Were they really traveling under buildings? Two answered them absently, smiling. Life in the city made one forget the simple wonder it could inspire.

Back at the apartment, showers, new clothes. Two thought about living on her own, wondering if she could stand it. She thought of what it would be like to lose Tori, and thought again of the girl’s parents, and what they must have gone through; must still be going through. This only strengthened her growing resolve. Rhes was right. They had to find Tori’s parents and, if possible, get her home.

They set off toward the library in the full light of day, unseasonably warm and dry, and for the first time in recent memory, standing in the sunlight did not remind her of her time as a creature of the night. There was too much to do. Two felt she had some purpose again, something to do as a human. She would help this other woman who was, or was rapidly becoming, also human. That she might, by completing this task, leave herself with nothing more to strive for was not now a concern. Two crossed bridges when she came to them, and had little interest in contemplating them beforehand.





* * *





Tori and Molly were in the children’s section, flipping through books. Sarah sat reading books in braille. Rhes and Two worked the library computers, searching microfilm reference for a missing girl named Tori, daughter of Mona. Rhes reflected that, even five years ago, it would have been an all-day project. It took Two less than thirty minutes, refining her search several times, to produce a short list of possible matches. One in particular caught her eye.





Perrault Girl Still Missing





New developments in the possible kidnapping of Ms. Tori Perrault have police baffled. Daughter of Mona and James, of Lima, Ohio, Tori was last seen …





The clip was followed be a series of codes that indicated the exact microfilm on which the entire article could be found. Two laughed, called out to Rhes, earned a disapproving look from the librarian on duty. Properly chastised, but still grinning, Two beckoned for him to join her. He left his own terminal and leaned over her shoulder.

“Whatcha got?”

“Sounds like maybe our Tori. Almost definitely. Look at the date; twelve years ago. Gotta be her.”

Rhes agreed. “Let’s get that microfilm.”





The reader was a bulky piece of equipment, and skimming through pages of the New York Times took longer than Two would have liked. Still, it was not long before they came upon the article. Rhes scrolled the film so that the entirety of the text was in view.





Perrault Girl Still Missing





New developments in the possible kidnapping of Ms. Tori Perrault have police baffled. Daughter of Mona and James, of Lima, Ohio, Tori was last seen in her dormitory at Syracuse University on March twenty-fourth. Three days after this last sighting, friends reported her apparent disappearance to college authorities. After cursory investigation, university security turned the disappearance over to the Syracuse Police Department. To date, the young woman’s whereabouts are still unknown.





“There are few clues,” says Officer Andrea Leigh, “For all intents and purposes, it appears that the girl simply ran off. The only indication of foul play is that she seems to have taken nothing with her. No clothes, or cash, or anything else of value.”





“There’s no apparent motive, no ransom demands, no sign of any sort of struggle. We have no indication whether the young lady is alive or not,” Leigh adds.





The search continues for information on the whereabouts of Tori Perrault. Parties with any such knowledge are strongly encouraged to contact the Syracuse Police Department.





Rhes let out a long breath. “That’s her.”

“Oh yeah. No question. Abraham or Theroen or Melissa showed up, snagged her, and brought her back. Why the hell Abraham chose her, I have no idea.”

“Strange though. What were they doing in Syracuse?”

“Who knows? Abraham traveled, not frequently, but he wasn’t stuck in the mansion. Maybe he caught sight of her on a trip. Maybe he was bored. It’s beyond me to guess what his intentions were.”

Rhes considered this. “I guess it doesn’t matter, at this point. He’s dead, and she’s slowly returning to the point she was at when all of this started. The most important thing now is to find out more about Mona and Jim Perrault, of Ohio, I think.”

Two agreed. That part was comparably easy. The same computers that had led them to the newspaper article could very quickly find addresses, phone listings, anything else they might need. She and Rhes sat down at a terminal, filling in as many blanks as they could. As expected, there were only a few Perraults in Ohio to begin with, and only one couple in Lima.

They met with Sarah first. Jake was sitting at her feet. He and Sarah looked up at the same time, before either Two or Rhes had spoken, and she asked if they had found anything. Two laughed. It took some time to get used to the fact that Sarah’s other senses had heightened significantly to make up for her lack of vision. She had heard their feet, even on the library carpet.

“A James and Mona Perrault, of Lima, Ohio. It’s them, trust me.”

“Great!”

“Yes. Now we need to make a phone call, I guess. But first I need to talk to Tori.”

They found her where they had left her. Molly was engrossed in a book. Tori, still unable to read very well, was beginning to get bored. When Two walked up to her, she asked if it was time to go.

“Almost. Tori, do you remember your dad?”

“I think so.”

“Was his name James?”

Tori stared blankly. “Dunno.”

“Jim?”

Her eyes lit up. “Yes! Jim! Jim and Mona. Mom and Dad. They live in Lima.”

Two rolled her eyes. “Could’a told me that before, Tori, and saved us some time.”

“Sorry, Two.”

“S’okay. You ready to leave?”

“Sure. Where are we going?”

“First, a bank.”

“What’s a bank?”

“It’s a place where I can exchange ten bucks for a bunch of quarters, so I can make a phone call,” Two replied. Behind her, Rhes laughed.





* * *





The phone was picked up on the third ring, and a man’s voice answered. “Hello?”

“Mr. Jim Perrault?” Two was nervous, playing with the phone cord and tapping her feet. She really had no plan for how to proceed.

“Yes?” Caution in the voice. He probably thought she was going to try to sell him something.

“Hi. My name is Ashley Majors.” Ashley felt no more right for her now than it had as a child, nor during her time working for Darren, but it allowed her to get on with the call without having to explain her real name.

“What can I do for you, young lady?”

“This is going to seem strange, I think, but do you mind my asking you a question?”

“Go ahead …” Curiosity in his voice, mingled with trepidation. Two felt nervous, afraid to lose Tori, but determined to follow through.

“Are you the father of Tori Perrault?” she asked.

There was a lengthy pause. “Yes, I am.”

Mr. Perrault did not sound at all pleased to hear his daughter’s name. “If this is ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’ then no, we don’t want another list of phone numbers. There are a lot of girls who fit Tori’s description …”

“No, I’m not from a television show. I’ve never even seen it. But I have seen your daughter.”

“Where?” Perrault sounded exasperated, as if he’d long since given up any hope of seeing his daughter again. Two didn’t blame him. Twelve years was a long time.

“She’s standing right next to me.”

There was another, longer pause. When Perrault spoke again, he was obviously angry. “Do you think this is funny?”

Two was taken aback. “No. No, sir, I …”

“Why is that, after twelve years, there are still sick people out there who won’t have the common decency to let a man get on with his life?” Perrault was shouting by the end of the question.

“Mr. Perrault, I …”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he snarled. “Goodbye.”

Two listened to the dial-tone for a moment, then slammed the handset down into the receiver. “Well … f*ck.”

“What is it?” Rhes was sitting with Sarah and Molly on a bench, a few feet away. Tori was looking into the display window of a jewelry store.

Two lit a cigarette, dragged at it, rolled her eyes. “The good news is: I found him. The bad news? He thought it was a prank phone call.”

Rhes sighed. “She’s been gone for over a decade, Two. I’d think it was a joke, too.”

“Is it a funny joke?” Tori asked, rejoining the group.

“I suppose it might be, to someone else. Not to me.” Two sat down on the curb, smoked, stared at the traffic.

Sarah stirred, stretched, then leaned against Rhes. “So, what do we do now?”

“I buy two plane tickets, I guess. I could keep calling until I wore him down, but what’s it matter? We have to go there. We have to take her home.”

“Are we going home already?” Tori asked, misunderstanding.

“No, Tori. I meant that we’re going to go see your Mom and Dad.”

Tori took in air to protest this, and Two held up her hand.

“It’s okay. I’m coming with you. I promised you I wouldn’t make you go away, by yourself, unless you wanted to. Right?”

Tori considered this. Acquiesced. “Okay, Two. I miss my Mom and Dad.”

Two and Rhes exchanged glances. Two turned back to Tori. “Good, sweetheart. I’m sure they miss you too.”

“When are we gonna go see them?”

“As soon as I can order us some plane tickets.”

Molly spoke up. “Are you really going to fly to Ohio, Two?”

“Someone has to, kiddo. I could drive, but what’s the point? For once in my life, money’s not a problem.”

“How are you going to get from the airport to Lima, Two?” Sarah questioned. “You could take a cab, I guess, if any run that far …”

“I figured I’d rent a car.”

“Two, you’re nineteen, and you have no license. Most places don’t let you rent until at least twenty-one, even if you’re legal to drive.”

“I’ll be twenty in April. Also … hang on a second.”

Two pulled out her wallet, dug through it, laughed. She held up a fake license, expertly crafted. “Here we go. This one says I’m twenty-two.”

Sarah shook her head, smiling. “Jesus, Two. I’m not sure you should hang around Molly. I think maybe you’re a bad influence.”

Molly giggled. Two grinned at her. “I think of all the people Molly’s met in her life, I’m one of the ones you need to worry about the least.”

Rhes stood up. “Okay. Let’s go do this. I’ve got to be at work in a few hours. Fridays are busy. I know a travel agent down in the village.”

He started down the street. Sarah held his hand in one of her own, Jake’s harness in the other. Two, Molly and Tori followed.





* * *





Two purchased a round-trip ticket for herself and, after some deliberation, a one-way ticket for Tori. It was hard for her; she had honestly enjoyed Tori’s companionship, and the two had formed a strong bond. Few, if any, had gone through trials like they had, and Two considered Tori her sister, in blood and spirit. Still, she knew that Tori needed time to become reacquainted with her parents. Two expected to spend only a short time in Ohio, and she expected to return alone.

She had allowed two weeks of time before the flight, as a chance for both of them to get used to idea. Thirteen days had passed since they ordered the tickets, and in that time great pieces of Tori’s mind had returned. She was now in possession of the larger part of her memories from before her conversion at Abraham’s hands, and was anxious to see her parents.

Tonight they were packing. Tomorrow would bring them to the airport via cab, to fly first-class to Ohio. Their flight left at four in the afternoon, changed over in Detroit, landed at eight-thirty. Two supposed they would spend the night in a motel, and find Tori’s parents the next morning. Tori was clearly excited.

“I can’t wait to see them again!” She was sitting on the bed, folding clothes.

Two laughed. “It should definitely be an experience.”

She wondered what it would be like, presenting the Perraults with a daughter that hadn’t aged in the twelve years she’d been gone. Two hoped they didn’t think Tori was some sort of imposter. She found it unlikely; parents were capable of telling the difference between identical twins. Two had little doubt that Jim and Mona would recognize Tori for who she was.

Tori was looking over the plane tickets. As her memory had returned, so her ability to read had improved drastically. She was now in most ways a fully-functioning young woman. The only abnormalities now were not mental weaknesses, but rather physical strengths. She was unbelievably strong, and very fast. These traits did not seem to be disappearing, and Two had begun to doubt they ever would. Whatever changes Tori’s years of vampirism had wrought on her body, not all of them could be undone.

“Two …” Tori’s voice was hesitant.

“Yeah?” Two was stuffing clothes into suitcases, not worried about folding them, just wanting to be done and ready to go.

“One of these tickets is one-way …”

Two sighed. “Yes. You know why.”

“What if I don’t want to stay with them?”

“I think you will, Tori. At least for a while. I think you need to stay there without me, and get used to being normal again.”

“Are you sure? You can stay there for as long as you want. My parents will think you’re some kind of angel, trust me. They’ll be happy to have you.”

Two grinned. “No thanks, hon. New York or nothing, for me.”

“And why should I be any different?”

“Oh, come on. You might want to move back someday, sure … but right now? You’re dying to see them. You know it, I know it. It’s been twelve years, and now you remember them and you miss them. This is your opportunity to make up for all that lost time. You’re not going to want to leave, Tori. Not for a while.”

Two liked being able to hold a normal conversation with Tori. While she missed some of the wide-eyed innocence that the girl had possessed during her slow return to humanity, overall she was very happy that Tori had regained her mental capabilities. More than that, she was glad to find that even as an adult, Tori was someone she liked very much.

Tori sighed, smiled, nodded her head. “Okay, yes, I’m dying to see them. I miss them so much.”

“Then stop worrying about what’s going to happen in the future, and worry about what’s happening now.”

“Which is?”

Two laughed. “Which is: you’re wasting time. Keep packing.”





* * *





They arrived in Akron ahead of schedule, just past eight o’clock. Two’s fake ID held up under the scrutiny of the young woman at the rental-car counter. “You don’t look twenty-two at all.”

Two gave her most winning smile. “Thanks!”

The car was a sedan, well equipped, comfortable. They drove it a few miles from the airport, found a motel, and once settled spent most of the night talking. Tori was scared and excited, unable to sleep. Two was nervous as well, and had didn’t mind staying up to chat. She wanted this to go well for Tori. After everything the two had been through together, it would be a nice change of pace to have something go smoothly.





They woke early the next morning, showered, and left the motel. An hour and a half into the drive, Tori began to recognize landmarks, but an hour later was forced to admit that her memory was still not flawless. They were lost. A quick stop at a gas station put them on the right track, and it was only twenty minutes later that they entered the Lima town limits.

“Turn right, over there.” Tori seemed confident in her memories of the town. Two thought about checking the map, decided she could trust Tori, and took the turn.

“Now left. Okay. We’re going to drive up this road for about ten minutes, and there’ll be a right. Tower Street. Turn there.”

They drove, and there was Tower Street. Two guided the car onto it.

“Take your next right, and then the first left, and then we’re there.” Tori looked vaguely ill.

“You all right?”

“I don’t know. I feel kinda sick. Probably just nerves.”

Two nodded. She wondered what it would be like to be reunited with her own parents. It was, of course, not possible with her mother. The concept of returning to her father was laughable at best. Two hadn’t liked him as a child, and by her teens she’d despised him.

“Blue house on the left. Oh God.” Tori was fidgeting with her seatbelt, had been doing so every time Two had glanced at her in the past twenty minutes.

“Thank Christ,” Two laughed.

“Why are you so relieved?”

“Because if I was forced to watch you twist that stupid seatbelt around for another five minutes, I’d have lost my mind.”

Tori laughed, gave Two the finger, let the seatbelt fall from her hands. They were there.

It was eleven o’clock, a Saturday morning in February, cold and clear and grey with tiny snowflakes dancing in the air. The house was light blue with darker blue shutters, a ranch, sitting squat on a patch of dead grass. Small piles of snow had collected in the shaded areas. The scene was far from idyllic, yet there was a sense of comfort and welcome about the place. Inside, Two, thought, it would be warm, and there would be the smell of something good cooking. Apple pie, maybe, or fresh bread.

Tori took a deep breath, left the car, stood staring at the house. Two walked around the car, adjusting her coat against the cold, and Tori embraced her suddenly. “Thank you so much, Two.”

“What are friends for? Go ring that f*cking doorbell, Tori. The suspense is killing me.”

Tori laughed. “Killing you?!”

As Tori moved toward the door, Two leaned up against a large tree growing in the front yard, lighting a cigarette. This was not her moment, and she was comfortable remaining in the background. Tori pressed the doorbell, waited, shifting from one foot to another.

“Just a minute!” A woman’s voice called from inside the house. Two saw Tori’s breath catch.

The door opened, and a pleasant-looking woman in perhaps her mid-fifties looked out. She was carrying a plate and a towel. There was a long moment of silence as she looked at Tori.

“Hi, mom.” Tori’s voice was soft, and shaky, almost scared. Two watched, waited, hoped.

The dish fell from the woman’s hands, forgotten, to shatter on the doorstep. Neither Tori nor her mother seemed to notice. Mona swayed a little, and Tori reached a hand out to steady her. The moment Tori’s hand touched her mother’s shoulder, Mona’s paralysis broke.

“Oh my God my baby!” she cried, and flung her arms around Tori, who put her head on her mother’s shoulder and wept. Mona stood there, repeating those words, “My baby. My baby,” and rocking Tori, arms locked around her daughter. Two felt a painful, wonderful wrenching in her heart, saw a flicker-flash pass by her vision: Theroen, smiling. Here again was a reminder of what it was like to be loved.

Two felt tears at her eyes and was unsurprised. Tears of joy for Tori, tears of pain for Theroen, tears of relief for herself. Descent and rebirth. Tori was home, and Two stood now on the very lip of some new life. She had passed through the nightmare and come through to the other side.

“Can I see Dad?” Tori asked finally, managing to calm herself at least well enough to speak.

Mona laughed, clapped her hands, called for Jim, nearly jumping up and down in joy and excitement. “Come here! Jim! Come now! She’s back, oh, she’s back! Come see!”

A man at the door, now. “What the hell’s going on out …” Jim stopped in mid-sentence, the sight of his daughter slapping the words from his mouth. Two laughed at his expression, watching it warm from shock, to awe, to joy.

“Sweetheart?” His voice was low. Shaky.

“Daddy!” Tori was grinning, laughing, crying. She flung her arms around him, and Jim began to weep as well, holding his daughter in a tight embrace. Mona encircled them both with her arms, husband and daughter, and the three of them stood there on the doorstep, clinging to each other and crying.





* * *





Later there were introductions, explanations, excuses. Tori the victim of a cruel abduction. She remembered being forced to take some sort of drug, and then nothing. Amnesia. No understanding of what had happened or why she hadn’t aged. Two fed out the tale as she and Tori had devised it, sitting in the motel room in Akron. She had found Tori wandering the streets of Manhattan, and had helped Tori to slowly regain her memories from before the event.

It was spotty at best, transparent at worst, but Tori’s parents bought it completely. It didn’t matter to them. Tori was home with them at last, and that was more than enough.

Invitations were offered to Two without hesitation. Room, board, as long as she might want to stay. Two accepted with thanks, knowing that it would not be long before she felt the desire to return to New York. For now, though, it was enough to be with Tori and her parents, and to be a part of the amazement, and laughter, and love.

Two thought often of Theroen, thought of love, thought of redemption. She wondered what might lie ahead, where life in New York might take her. For the time being, she was content to leave these questions unanswered. For years she had lived in darkness and though now she wanted nothing more than a life under the night sky, she could stand for a time in the light, and find it good.