Blood Legacy Origin of Species (8 page)

All eyes turned to Marilyn, who quite stunningly had trotted out that bit of technical jargon. It even brought a smile to Ryan’s face. She could not let this pass without comment.

“And all those years ago when I taught you to read,” Ryan said wryly, “I assumed those lessons were just a ruse to keep me under your thumb.”

Marilyn smiled wickedly. “Oh, Ma Cherie, they most certainly were. I assure you any learning that occurred was purely accidental.”

Those pleasant memories occupied Ryan for a moment but as they faded, she again began tracing the strange geometric pattern on the table.

Susan watched the behavior and it stirred some sort of memory in her, something she couldn’t quite place. Ryan was clearly distracted and paying little attention to what she was doing, and the inadvertent actions were borderline obsessive.

With a start, Susan recognized the pattern and stiffened. Simultaneously, whether she had recalled the pattern on her own or gleaned recognition from Susan, Ryan’s finger stopped and she grew very pale. She abruptly stood.

“I must take my leave. My apologies.”

And with that, she was gone, startling everyone in the room. The unexpected departure was greeted with silence until finally, Susan stood. She intended to leave but first would answer Marilyn’s question.

“Ryan experienced both retrograde and anterograde amnesia. She had no recall of who or what she was during the spell, then had no memory of the spell after the fact. But once the spell was over, it seemed her overall memory was intact.” Susan looked toward the doorway. “I’m going to make certain she’s alright.”

Victor swallowed hard and nodded. He could feel Abigail’s gaze upon him. Edward also stood, bowing low.

“I’m going to see to my master as well.”

The silence remained awhile longer as the four Old Ones contemplated Ryan’s strange reaction and abrupt disappearance. Marilyn spoke and for once was quite serious.

“Dr. Ryerson did not quite get around to it, but I’m assuming she has found nothing thus far?”

Victor shook his head. “She’s found nothing unusual and nothing that would explain any of this.”

Abigail’s gaze had not left Victor. “So now why don’t you share with us what you would not say in front of Ryan.”

Victor made a derisive noise. “She could be at the far end of the mansion and still hear me.”

“Yes,” Abigail agreed without relenting, “and she can also read your thoughts. So you might as well speak them.”

Victor yielded, his frustration palpable. “Ryan has yet to share with me any of what happened to her, so other than her cryptic comment about my ‘mother,’ and what Dr. Ryerson has told me, I have no idea what she’s been through.”

“You have not Shared with her?” Abigail asked.

“It was my intent,” Victor said, then admitted, “for many reasons, not all of them altruistic. But Ryan has not been well since her return, and even though I thought my blood might strengthen her, Dr. Ryerson expressed concerns.”

“Dr. Ryerson was correct in her concern,” Abigail said, “if Ryan Shared with this creature Madelyn, contact with her might not be safe. We cannot risk the both of you.”

“Ryan and I did have brief contact,” Victor said, thinking back to the end of their battle, “she took a small amount of my blood and it seemed a great shock to her system. But it also seemed to break her from the spell she was under.”

“But you said Dr. Ryerson has found nothing wrong with Ryan,” Marilyn interjected.

“That’s true,” Victor said, “but that doesn’t explain her odd behavior, nor the phases she has passed through.” Victor grew thoughtful. “When she awoke without memory, she was almost like a child again, vulnerable because she did not know who or what she was, yet still possessing an extraordinary power she seemed unaware of.”

“I wish to babysit her during that phase,” Marilyn murmured.

Victor continued. “When she described feeling overcome by weakness, none of us could detect any weakness in her. She was just as powerful as she’s always been.”

Marilyn pondered that situation. “I will take that shift as well.”

“But when she was in her ‘wild’ phase,” Victor said, disliking the term but having none better, “she was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” He thought back to the creature he had fought in the forest. “She was like an animal, her movements feral, like some great panther. Her manner was controlled savagery, calculating, as if she were stalking me. She seemed amused by the situation, as if it brought her great joy. Her strength was enormous, and I think it was only her own recklessness that kept us equals. I don’t know what she’s capable of in that mode.”

“Hmm,” Marilyn said thoughtfully, “a close call. But I will yield that shift to Aeron.”

Aeron cast an icy glance in her direction. “Why thank you,” he said sarcastically

“Yes,” Victor agreed, “that might be appropriate since I had the distinct impression that Ryan wanted to eat me.”

Aeron looked to Abigail, who merely smiled enigmatically. He was never going to live that down.

“Anyway,” Victor said, tiring of the conversation, “her weakness concerns me, but it’s transitory. The memory loss when she’s normal is disturbing, but does not appear dangerous. But when she’s in the savage phase,” he paused, searching for the right words, “she’s unstoppable.”

Something in his tone caught Abigail’s attention, and she focused on it with sharp precision. “Is she unstoppable because of her brute force? Or unstoppable because you do not wish to stop her?”

“I am certain it is a little of both,” Victor said coldly. “Her strength is enormous. But her manner is primal in a most attractive way, one that would be hard for any of us to resist, even if it meant our destruction.”

Abigail bowed her head to him, indirectly drawing attention to his fierce response. “I meant no disrespect, my lord.”

Victor softened. “I apologize. This has been most difficult for me.”

“There is no apology necessary,” Abigail said graciously, “I think it would be good for you to spend some time with your grandson. We will help you watch Ryan.”

“Then you have my thanks,” Victor said. He bowed to each, even Aeron, then took his leave.

Abigail watched the dark-haired man stalk from the room. She turned her attention to Aeron.

“And do you think you will be able to exercise self-restraint if you are faced with Ryan in that condition?”

A sharp retort was on Aeron’s lips, but instead he let out his breath in what was a half-sigh, half-snort. “I don’t have a good record when it comes to self-control with that girl.”

It was a surprising admission from the arrogant aristocrat, and seemed too much for him. He, too, pushed away from the table and stalked from the room.

Marilyn sat across from Abigail, a devilish glint in her eyes. “So let me guess how this is going to play out. You will manipulate one of us into sacrificing ourselves so that you can determine if Sharing with Ryan is safe. Then, if this little experiment is successful, you will move to pull the girl back into your gravitational field.”

Abigail was not insulted, only amused. “I do not know that the girl has escaped my gravitational field. And I’m certain that with the combined lust present in this room only minutes ago, little if any manipulation on my part will be necessary for that experiment to take place.”

Abigail stood gracefully, taking her leave with a parting comment.

“And don’t worry, my dear,” Abigail said over her shoulder, “I would throw Aeron off that cliff long before I would sacrifice you.”

Susan wandered down the dark hallway with a Diet Coke in her hand. Although she no longer required or even desired food or drink, for whatever reason she still craved Diet Coke. The bifurcations, connections, and realignment of her digestive tract and circulatory system had fascinated her and she had documented them at length as her body transitioned from its human form. She had also documented the sudden withdrawal of the physical need for food as well as the slower withdrawal from the psychological habit of eating.

But she had not given up Diet Coke. Ryan had found this profoundly funny, but also understandable. She herself had consumed wine and ale prior to her Change when she was a child in the 14th century. The alcoholic beverages carried no stigma for children at that time and were even considered a good source of cheap calories for the poor. Ryan still drank wine, albeit of much higher quality than when she was a peasant, simply because she liked the taste.

Susan took a sip of the beverage then gently pushed open the door to check on Ryan. Edward was seated at the foot of her bed and Drake was reading aloud from one of his many books. Ryan was fast asleep. Susan closed the door quietly and moved two doors down to her own chambers. She pushed open one of the double doors, entered, and the door whispered closed behind her.

She removed her clothing and pulled an oversized silk shirt over her head, luxuriating in the feel of the soft material against her skin. She turned from her closet and stifled a scream when she saw Abigail seated in the easy chair next to her bed.

“Oh, I assure you my dear, I have seen it all before.”

“Abigail,” Susan stammered, feeling greatly exposed, “what–, what can I do for you?”

Abigail stood and with deadly grace moved toward Susan, towering over her and causing her to take a step backward and press against the closet door. She was completely overwhelmed by the older woman’s magnetism even though Abigail was tightly controlling the manifestation of her power. She was here for a very specific reason.

Susan felt the mixture of terror and desire that all Young Ones feel when confronted with someone so much greater than themselves. Few of Susan’s age would ever come face-to-face with one such as Abigail, and all would throw themselves at her feet. Abigail was impressed with Susan’s attempt at composure, as ineffectual as it was.

“Relax, Dr. Ryerson,” Abigail gently commanded, and Susan relaxed with marked obedience. Abigail took a moment to examine Susan quite thoroughly and could hear the young woman’s heart pounding, a throw-back to her human autonomic nervous system. “Hmm,” she said, “you actually are quite attractive. But I doubt that even bleeding you to death would satisfy me. Not to mention,” she said, half to herself, “that Ryan would never forgive me.”

Abigail’s gaze returned to the blue-green eyes. “No, I am here only for information, and although I can very nearly read your thoughts, this will help.”

Abigail leaned forward and brushed her razor-sharp teeth across the throbbing artery in Susan’s neck, placing her mouth fully on the wound so that not a drop of blood escaped. The shock caused Susan to press against the woman holding her, her senses swimming at the intensity of the contact.

Edward frowned and sat upright in the room down the hall. He glanced at Ryan, who shifted fitfully in the bed but did not awaken. Fortunately Drake had fallen asleep as well, and he merely curled his form to fit his mother tighter.

Aeron was outside in a far part of the courtyard, but he tilted his head at the sensation then smiled his shark’s smile. Abigail was a model of efficiency.

Marilyn examined the feeling, unsurprised. She had sensed Abigail’s intent prior to the act. She was only mildly perturbed, and that was mostly because she was going to have to undo the dysfunctionality this was likely to cause in her already uptight offspring.

The contact did surprise Victor, but only because he was so lost in his own thoughts. He quickly assessed the situation and determined he would not intervene. He knew what Abigail was doing and wondered why he had not done it himself.

Abigail tasted the blood and although it provided none of the intense passion and near-sexual ecstasy of her equals, it was still decidedly pleasant. Dr. Ryerson was going to grow interesting with age and perhaps it was time to begin pairing her with those stronger than her to accelerate that rate of growth. Abigail pushed this thought away and withdrew from Susan’s neck.

Susan felt drugged, struggling to maintain any semblance of control. She had no idea how Ryan had survived around these people when she had been young.

“Ah,” Abigail whispered, having full access to Susan’s mind. “Ryan is very special. But you know that,” Abigail said, considering one of Susan’s memories that Abigail could now see, “because you’ve tasted her blood.”

And the scene came fully to life before Abigail, an exhausted Ryan in captivity, Susan offering her blood to Ryan to try and help her, Ryan’s teasing response and then ultimate acceptance. Abigail saw Ryan bleed Susan, then give her the tiniest drop of her own blood to strengthen Susan and keep her from passing into death. The infinitesimal drop tore through Susan’s system, causing destruction but also having the desired effect of saving her.

Susan’s memories were unclear and chaotic and Abigail knew she would have to focus the woman to obtain the information she wanted.

“I want to see from the beginning, when you first arrived at the compound where Ryan was held.”

The hazy memories came into sharp focus at the guidance. Abigail could see the creature Madelyn, cold, beautiful, and terrifying. She watched as Madelyn took Ryan away again and again, returning her broken and spent. She saw Madelyn treat Ryan with contempt, then angry respect, then growing desire and outright possessiveness.