Always the Vampire

“I’m Cesca, Mrs. Tidwell.”


Lynn head snapped up, dull blue green eyes darting from Saber to me.

“Why did you come?”

My heart went out to her. “To help.”

“You’re a vampire. You hate me.”

Behind me, Kate sucked in a breath. “I invited a vampire into my house?”

Saber jerked his head, projecting, Get her out of here.

“Mrs. Tidwell,” I said mildly as I took her elbow, “that thing about inviting a vampire into you home is pure fiction. Let’s go in the den while Saber talks with Lynn.”

“You can’t break in whenever you want?”

“I wouldn’t dream of breaking in to anyone’s home. Saber and I date, and since I was with him when you called, I came, too. He thought I could help.”

“If you’re here to help,” Kate said as her knees gave out, and she sank into a reclining chair, “why does Lynn think you hate her?”

I spread my hands. “It’s just a misunderstanding. Would you like some water, Mrs. Tidwell?”

She eyed me doubtfully then seemed to give up the fight. “Please. There are bottles in the refrigerator.”

The kitchen was open to the den, and I suspected that Kate watched my every move as I retrieved a cold bottle from the fridge and a napkin from the bar countertop.

“I’m sorry I’m a poor hostess tonight,” she said when I handed her the water. “What is your name again?”

“Cesca Marinelli, ma’am. I’m a ghost-tour guide in St. Augustine.”

Kate’s gaze narrowed, then she looked into space for a moment. “You worked with the police in the spring. You caught a killer.”

“I only helped.”

“And you say you date Mr. Saber?”

“Yes, ma’am. We met on that case.”

She cracked open the bottle top and took three healthy swallows, then nearly choked when Lynn cried out.

“Cesca,” Saber called. “Come here a minute.”

Eyes flooding with renewed panic, Kate started to rise, too, but I held up my hand. “It might be better if you stay here, Mrs. Tidwell. I promise Lynn is safe with us.”

The angst melted from Kate’s face in seconds, and she nodded. “Go on.”

I eased into the bedroom so as not to spook Lynn any further. Saber hunkered at her feet, crooning softly and reassuringly.

“Shhh. It’s okay. We’ll take care of you.” He glanced at me over his shoulder then patted Lynn’s knee. “I’ll be right back.”

Lynn fixed her gaze on the sea-colored striped bedspread, picked at it with stiff fingers. Saber motioned me farther down the hall.

“She has the rancid breath of Void infection, and she’s in a lot of pain. We need Cosmil to see her.”

“I’ll call and tell him we’re bringing in another patient.”

“The key is getting her there. She’s so traumatized with the illness, she’s scared to go with us.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Can you enthrall her? Make her feel safe enough to get her out of here?”

“I don’t know. Lia tried to teach me, but—”

Lightbulbs suddenly flashed in my head with 3-D pictures. I’d becalmed a raccoon with Lia. I’d becalmed Kate Tidwell just minutes ago. I’d enthralled Kate without intending to, but I’d done it all the same.

Okay, calming two agitated mothers was vastly different than enthralling a half-crazed-with-pain shifter, but I could try.

I refocused on Saber. “If we can get her to look at me, we have a shot.”

“Good girl. Let’s go.”

So that she wouldn’t feel crowded, I moved Lynn’s desk chair near the bed. Saber stood behind me.

“Lynn? I need to tell you some things, and I hope you’ll listen. I don’t hate you. I’m an old friend of Triton’s, and I want to see him happy. He’ll be devastated you’re sick, so we need to make you well.”

Lynn cautiously lifted her gaze. “Triton said you’d be jealous of me.”

I tried not to grimace at the smell of her breath, but it reminded me all too vividly of Tower’s breath when he’d attacked me last week. That alone scared me to my core.

“I’ll let you in on something,” I told her, smiling my most friendly, unthreatening smile. “Triton can be a big pain in the arse.”

Her eyes widened.

“It’s true that I love him, but only like a very bothersome brother. I’m glad he found you. In fact when you’re better, we’ll, um—” I did a mad mental search for inspiration. “Go on a double date. You and Triton, me and Saber.”

Lynn suddenly clutched her stomach and moaned. “I feel like dying.”

“I know, but Saber and I know a fabulous doctor. The guy is practically a magician at curing people.”

“A regular doctor won’t help me. I have something awful.”

“What kind of doctor is this?”

I turned to find Kate framed in the doorway. She wasn’t wringing her hands, but concern etched her forehead. “Lynn doesn’t have insurance and isn’t covered on mine.”

“Dr. Cosby is an alternative medicine specialist,” Saber answered without missing a beat.