Cronin's Key II (3 page)

Jorge smiled that innocent/evil smile. “We are Jorge.” Then he looked at Cronin and Kennard and addressed them both by name. “Jorge we are. How can he know that? Of course he knows that.” Then he seemed to argue with himself for a moment.

Okay, so the kid referred to himself in third person and as though there were more than one of him. Alec’s
disturbing meter
pinged. And sure, the kid looked five or six, but Alec had to remind himself that he was closer to a hundred years old.

Everything about him was contradictory.

But he obviously knew Cronin and Kennard and spoke to them like he’d seen them both just last week. “Hello. Jorge happy to see you again.”

“We come seeking news,” Cronin started to say. “I am not sure if you heard of the trouble in Egypt some months ago.”

“We saw it, saw it we did,” Jorge said. “Sand and dust. Such poor old souls.”

“Yes,” Cronin said, his tone neutral.

Then Jorge looked straight at Alec. “This one killed them all. From his blood comes the sun,” he said. Then he snarled. “They knew not what they did.”

Cronin clearly didn’t appreciate the child’s tone, but Alec put his hand on Cronin’s arm and stopped him from speaking. Alec looked straight at the small boy. “He’s right. Jorge is right. The sun came from my blood, and yes, it killed them all. Those returned vampires didn’t know what they were doing. The woman who made them was very cruel. She refused to feed them and teach them. They didn’t know what they were doing was wrong.”

“They were a clear threat to our kind,” Cronin said.

Adelmo nodded and bowed, almost apologetically. “He knows this.”

All the while, Jorge mumbled and argued with himself, going from angry to sweet in the blink of an eye. “So wrong. No it wasn’t. Tell our secrets, they would have. How? No teachings of rules. Jorge hates rules.” Then when he was done in English, he started again in Spanish.

If Alec had wondered why Jorge hadn’t been ‘acquired’ by larger, more powerful covens, he now knew why.

Jorge was forever a child, with the attention span and temper to match. And that was without the creepy double personalities that talked to each other in fluent conversation. Both personalities seemed present at the same time, and like most kids who didn’t like sharing toys, Jorge seemed to be in a constant state of flux, one personality always bickering with the other. He reminded Alec, very sadly, of Sméagol from
The Lord of the Rings
.

After he was done arguing with himself, Jorge laughed again and smiled delightedly at Alec. Whether it was because Alec had agreed with him, or if he just found it amusing that a human would speak to him at all, or if the kid was just pure batshit crazy, Alec didn’t know. He looked from Cronin to Alec and back again, and his smile was now an angry glare. “It wasn’t the Queen who did wrong.” He glowered for a long moment. “Jorge not happy. No, not happy.”

Kennard, obviously trying to steer the conversation forward, looked at the boy and said, “We were wondering if Jorge has seen anything else that might jeopardize the secrecy of our kind.”

Then Cronin added, “Specifically in China, or even Russia.”

Alec looked quizzically at Cronin, something Jorge didn’t miss. The small boy gave Alec a fanged and toothy smile that was more menacing than jovial.

Kennard said, “I heard a vampire coven from southern Russia had gone north, asking for clemency for invading territories. And that is something that doesn’t sit well with me.”

Cronin followed with, “Coincidentally, just today I read of a string of unexplained disappearances in and around Shaanxi Province, China. Their police is investigating a suspect serial killer.”

“And you believe them to be related?” Adelmo asked.

“I’d rather not take the risk. Given such rumors were how the mess in Egypt started,” Cronin said simply.

All the while, Jorge hadn’t taken his eyes off Alec. He looked at him with a childish wonder, and Alec couldn’t help himself. He slowly pulled a chair out from the table and sat down next to Jorge.

Now, Alec didn’t have a great deal of experience with kids, but he knew enough that sitting down with them and meeting them at eye level was a good way to start. “Cronin tells me you’ve got quite a talent,” Alec said.

The boy smiled. “We can see
dos
.” He held up two fingers.

“Two?” Alec didn’t really know what that meant, but he went along with it.

Jorge nodded. “Eyes and mind. Eyes and mind, here and gone, Jorge sees.” Then he frowned. “Of course he understands.”

Okay, he could see with his eyes and his mind. Alec nodded. “That’s pretty cool.”

“Jorge doesn’t like it,” Jorge said. “Not everything he sees is good. No, not everything he sees is good.”

“Must be a bit scary sometimes,” Alec agreed. He couldn’t imagine seeing the horrors he saw in Egypt in graphic mental images as a six-year-old kid.

“You not afraid of Jorge,” Jorge said. “He should be afraid. Humans are always afraid. Not this one.”

Alec smiled and nodded pointedly at Cronin. “I’m not afraid at all.”

“
Cronin es
el
marido
de Alec
,” Jorge said.
“Yes,
marido marido
. Jorge sees it.”

Alec wracked his memory for Spanish.
Marido, marido
…. “Husband? Is Cronin my husband?” Alec snorted. Well, for all intents and purposes, especially to a six year old kid, he guessed he was. Alec smiled at Cronin. “Yes, he is. Sort of.”

“
Fuerte destino
,” Jorge said.
“Jorge sees
fuerte
destino
.
Strong fate, in English so the human
comprenda
.” He was frowning now, as though one personality was arguing and scowling at the other. “Red hand in the stones. Yes, yes.”

Okay, he lost Alec on most of that, except for the fate part. “Yes, fate,” Alec said. Wanting to distract Jorge a little, he looked around the room and noticed a soccer ball in the corner. Alec nodded toward it. “You like to play?”

Then Jorge snarled, his eyes full of rage. “Jorge cannot play. No, not allowed to play.”

Oh, shit. Okay then. Thankfully Adelmo clarified. “He cannot play with the village children.”

“Oh, right,” Alec said, nodding slowly. That must suck as a perpetual child, to never have any friends.
So
,
why the hell not
. “I could play with you?” he asked. Alec was pretty sure Cronin was about to object or pop a vessel in his forehead, but Alec wouldn’t be deterred. He smiled at Jorge. “Though I bet you’d be too good for me.”

Jorge obviously liked this development. Before Alec could blink, Jorge got up, retrieved the ball, and stood in front of Alec. His eyes were dark, his cheeks still a rosy red, and his little fangs dominated his smile. And he handed the ball to Alec.

Now, Alec had never played American football. His father, being Scottish, had objected to anything that wasn’t traditional football, or soccer as the other kids had called it. But he also hadn’t picked up a soccer ball in over a decade. He stood up in the small hut, and knowing all eyes were on him and hoping like all hell he didn’t make an ass of himself, he dropped the ball, catching it with his foot. He balanced the ball on one foot, then kicked it to his other and back again.

Jorge laughed and clapped his hands. “Jorge do it, Jorge do it.”

Of course with his vampire agility and reflexes, he did the footwork with masterful skill.

“See? You’re too good for me!” Alec said, snatching back the ball. He quickly spun it on his fingertip like basketball players do.

Jorge laughed and bounced on his toes. “Jorge do it, Jorge do it.” He snatched the ball back and again performed the trick like he’d done it all his life.

Still smiling, Alec sat back down at the table and glanced at Cronin. He seemed concerned and confused but, of course, said nothing. Then Jorge took Alec’s hand, startling Alec a little, and studied his watch.

“You like it?” Alec said.

“Jorge will have it,” the small vampire child said. “Yes, Jorge will have it.”

Adelmo intervened. “No, Jorge, it’s not yours. It belongs to Alec.”

The boy glowered and bared his fangs, snarling a little. Alec now understood why Jorge needed a parental caregiver. He was certain, if left unsupervised, Jorge and his childish temper could level a small village if he got angry enough. It was clear Adelmo spent a great deal of time reminding Jorge of his manners.

Alec smiled at Jorge. “You know what? You can have it,” he said, undoing his watch. It wasn’t anything expensive, and it wasn’t like Alec needed to be on time to go anywhere. He handed the wristwatch to Jorge, and the little boy looked up at him and smiled, fangs and all, when he took the watch.

Jorge sat on the chair next to Alec again, his feet not touching the floor, and clasped the too-big watch on his own wrist. “The time of the key,” Jorge mumbled to himself. “Jorge has the time of the key.”

Alec glanced at Cronin, then back to Jorge. “That’s right. The time of the key.”

When Jorge looked up, his eyes were closed but they twitched with REM, as though he was looking into the depths of his own mind. “From his blood comes the sun,” Jorge said again. “Blood from a stone. Stone from a blood.” Jorge was quiet for a moment, his eyes still closed but moving. “So many questions. Blood from a stone.”

When Jorge looked up, his eyes were black. Alec’s blood ran cold.

Jorge’s voice was different, and he spoke in perfect English, like he’d been possessed. “Red hand, blue moon, silver river, the earth will come to life. Blood from a stone, stone from a blood. He is risen already, as she was risen, the answer is in the stones. Blood from a stone, stone from a blood.”

Cronin spoke next. “What does the key need to do?”

“Blue moon, silver river, blood from a stone. You will not find him with your eyes. ” He looked at Alec like he was seeing straight through him. “Yes, through the key. Through the key.”

Then Jorge shook his head a little and his eyes returned to normal. He grinned his little fanged smile, like he hadn’t just impersonated the kid from
The Omen
. “Jorge will see you again,” he said cheerfully.

Alec wasn’t sure if it was a vision or a request. He nodded nonetheless. “Sure.”

Cronin put a hand on Alec’s shoulder. “Thank you, Jorge, Adelmo,” he said with a nod. “It is most appreciated.”

“I hope you got what you came for,” Adelmo said. Alec didn’t know whether Adelmo was used to the random ramblings of Jorge, if he was used to the black eyes, or if he didn’t care about what he’d just seen. He made no attempt to translate.

Cronin gave a nod, as did Kennard. They spoke at the same time. “Thank you.”

Cronin held his hand out to Alec, which he took as his cue to leave. He grabbed it quickly, but before he left, he held out his spare hand toward Jorge. “High five.”

Little Jorge’s face lit up and he jumped up quickly to slap Alec’s hand, and they walked out the door, leaving the vampire child giggling behind them.

“Red hands in the stones. Forever is in the stones,” Jorge said. Alec, Cronin, and Kennard turned to face the little boy. He grinned his cute and creepy grin. “The key asks different questions, he does. Yes, he does. Red hands in the stones. Forever is in the stones.”

Alec had no clue what that was supposed to mean, but he gave the kid a smile and a nod. Cronin ushered Alec along, and four steps into the clearing, Cronin—still holding Alec’s hand—reached out and touched Kennard’s arm, and they were gone.

* * * *

They were back in the London alley, behind Kennard’s nightclub. Alec shivered from the abrupt change of temperature, from humid heat to freezing cold, and Cronin pulled him close, rubbing his back for warmth.

Alec had never been so glad to be somewhere else. He looked up the wet, darkened alley. “Oh, thank God. Back in the land of the normal.”

Kennard laughed. His voice sounded very British after hearing so much Spanish. “He sure is different.”

Alec shivered, this time not from the abrupt change in temperature. Out of all the vampires Alec had seen, including the rabid batshit-fucking crazy Egyptian Goddess vampire Keket, Jorge was by far the most frightening. “So innocent and so disturbingly evil.”

Cronin rubbed his back. “It’s an unnerving combination, yes?”

Kennard laughed. “Well, he liked you.”

“I just figured it was best to make friends with him,” Alec said. “Get him on our side, ya know? At first, I didn’t think he was gonna tell us anything, so I figured I’d talk to him on his level.”

“Well, it worked,” Kennard said. “What did you make of that whole blood in the stone, red hand thing?”

“I don’t know yet,” Cronin answered. “It’s a puzzle we need to put together.”

Kennard clearly thought so too. “I’m sure as more comes to light, as more covens move, or rumors are spread, we can piece it together.”

Cronin nodded. “Agreed.”

“You guys knew something was going on?” Alec asked. “In China or Russia or some-freakin’-where.”

“Only what I read in the newspaper of repeated disappearances,” Cronin explained. “Then tonight, Kennard said he’d heard of covens relocating.”

“And that’s a red flag?”

Cronin nodded. “I should have told you.”

“Yes, you should have,” Alec said.

Kennard clapped Alec on the arm. “I’m sure if we need to know anything more, we can ask him again. Jorge has a friend in you.”

Alec could only shake his head. “Man, I know he’s just a kid and all, but the mood swings are off the charts. Adelmo should consider cutting back that kid’s preservatives. Go let him feed on some vegans or something.”

Cronin snorted and Kennard burst out laughing. “Oh Alec, you are a charm.”

Cronin held Alec a little too close, and the gruffness in Cronin’s voice was one he knew well. “We should be returning home.”

Alec, fitting so perfectly against Cronin, agreed. Unable to help himself, he ran his hand down over the swell of Cronin’s ass and ran his nose along his neck. “Yes, it’s been hours.”

“Yes,” Kennard said with a laugh. “I forgot what it was like to be around newly fated couples.” He shook his whole body. “Now I need to go find someone to enjoy the pheromones with, thanks.”