Dead Girls Don't Cry (14 page)

“I have a secret too.” Ian punctured his jugular with a sharp fingernail, then drew my mouth down to his throat.

As soon as his blood touched my tongue, I understood. He was a blue blood like me.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The storm raged on for hours. Ian and I cuddled as best we could in the cramped quarters. He had stretched out horizontally along the back seat, his back resting against the armrest. My head rested on his chest. My body cushioned between his spread legs. If he was uncomfortable, he never mentioned it.

Ian rested underneath me, his face peaceful. Sleep wouldn’t come and I gave up. Instead, I used the time to study him and think about his earlier revelation. Blue bloods held their secret closely. Historically, our kind had been kidnapped, abused and treated like plasma factories. While attitudes had changed, they hadn’t change enough to suit Jonathan, hence the secrecy.

And it was obvious Ian echoed the same belief.

I wondered about his past again. Why was he a rogue? He clearly had leadership skills and sire-like tendencies. Had he been a sire once? What event led him to this place? Was he a victim of circumstance like me? Or did he bring this upon himself?

The ship bounced hard. I clutched Ian’s waist to keep from rolling off him.

“What’s happened?” He sat up, moving me with him.

“That was the hovercraft. I hope we haven’t been hit with anything.” I couldn’t image what, since the whole planet was covered in rocks. It’s not like a tree or building would collapse on us. “Do you think the colony is okay?”

“I hope so. This storm is pretty intense,” said Ian. Frown lines formed around his mouth. He raked his hair away from his face, then stretched his arms overhead. “Did you get any sleep?”

“A little. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“Such as?” Curiosity laced his voice. If ever there was a chance to ask about his past, it was now. He couldn’t run away.

“You. I figured since we have free time, maybe you could tell me about yourself.”

Ian went totally still. Vampire statue still, eyes focused on a spot past me. The eyes of a survivor. I knew that look. I’d seen it enough in my own mirror. “Ian, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to dredge up bad memories.”

“No, luv. It’s not that. It’s been so long since I’ve discussed my past with anyone.”

Oh. “Anyone special you mean?” Curses, why did I ask that? Now, I’d come across as needy or desperate. One massively good orgasm and I was already sizing him up for boyfriend material.

Again, I was caught by his intense stare. My blood sang as if sensing his scrutiny.

“Yes. I hadn’t realized, until you asked.” Ian waved me off when I tried to apologize again. “No worries. Like most of us, I have things I’d like to forget. But there’s more to it. When you’ve lived as many lifetimes as I have, even my own memories are so distant they seemed to have happened to someone else.”

I couldn’t imagine such a thing. Not yet. I was only in my early hundreds.

Ian pulled me back down onto his chest and stroked my back. “I was born so long ago. I don’t remember the actual date anymore.” His voice was a warm rumble in my ear. “My tribe, today they’re known as Celts, lived on the island of Britain, centuries before the Romans.”

Celtic tribes? Romans? I wrapped my brain around the math. He was several millennia old.

“Back in those days, my people believe in many pagan gods. The Druids guided us. I was an initiate. My father was Druid chief. And as his oldest son, I was expected to follow in his footsteps.”

Ian’s voice softened, “I miss my Da and my Ma. Even after so much time. My memory of them will never fade.” Sadness filled his voice. “I would have become the Chief Druid, except for a neighboring tribe. They invaded and killed everyone except me. They took me captive. A sacrifice to the gods.”

How awful.

“I was prepared to die. I had nothing left. No family, no friends, no clan.” He paused. “The enemy tribe had me trussed, ready to be burned. The fire had barely been lit, when an outsider entered the camp.”

I remained silent, anticipating what would come next.

“The stranger raised his arms and the flames were quenched. I nearly pissed myself with fear. A god had entered the Sacred Grove. My captors fled. A few of their Druids remained to pay homage. The god killed them. With monstrous fangs, he sucked the life right out of them, leaving me to watch.”

“His name was Adapa and he was a vampire. He had chosen me to be his undead son, to be groomed to lead his family someday. He said he could sense something special from the Gods in me. For thousands of years, I believed he chose me because my father was a Druid. Since we started this trip, I’ve developed a new theory.”

The three words:
Brunii
,
Espirtii, Decaii
popped into my mind.

Ian continued, “We spent thousands of years together. I, the ever faithful son, ready to heed his father’s call when the moment came.” Ian faltered, emotion tripping him up. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

He swallowed hard. His voice quavered. “Once again, I was forced to watch my entire family burn. Adapa lost his bid for power against Victoria. During the battle, most of my family was killed. Adapa freed me from the bond and bid me to form my own family.”

Ian stopped speaking for a moment, his eyes distant.

“I’m sorry.” Sadness crashed over me. I knew what it was like to lose everyone. I didn’t want to repeat the experience ever again. “What did you do?”

“I hid for a century. Tired of factions and fighting, I vowed to stay out of vampire politics. I picked up strays as I went along, each damaged in his or her own way. None of us wanted to follow the traditional path. We took our chances and went rogue.”

“Much later, when she became queen, Victoria offered membership to me and my rogues. The night she died, she had sent me another note, asking me to consider her new project.”

“The Undead Space Initiative.” Of course, who else would have been rich enough and powerful enough to organize such a secret and massive venture? “But why was she so intent on you?”

A bitter smile played across Ian’s lips, “Vampires are so human at heart. Adapa was Victoria’s first son. And I was the only child he ever made, so she considered me his blood. Adapa was a blue blood too. Rather than make vampires, he acquired them.”

“Like father like son, taking in the strays and misfits.”

“Yes. I do take after him.” Ian hugged me tight across his chest. “The pain of losing another family caused me to swear off bonding with anyone ever again.”

“Until recently?”

“Yes. Victoria had concentrated her efforts to rein in my rogues. I think she believed if I had no foster family left, I would turn to her. Thalia hated my guts. I threatened her position. If I were brought into the fold, then maybe I would usurp her place as heir.”

I shook my head, part anger, part sadness. “What a tangled mess.”

“As a last ditch effort, I approached Jonathan. He was the one sire who was old enough and radical enough to embrace us. Without forcing undo obedience.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Jonathan was certainly unconventional. He was a live and let live type. Unless you crossed him. Wait. Jonathan was older than even you?”

“No. But he did have incredible strength. Cherry, do you mean to tell me you didn’t know he was a blue blood too?”

“Of course I did.”
Not know
. I had to be a complete moron. Why didn’t I ever notice?

“Don’t fret, darling. When you get as old as Jonathan and I, we can conceal many things. Or choose to exercise our will and remove certain knowledge from younger or weak-minded vampires.”

“What’s the point of blue blood anyway?”

“Besides tasting damn good, it means you can make children and bind them to you.”

“That’s not what I heard.” Had Jonathan lied to me all those years ago? Were his “security” precautions for nothing? Maybe the subterfuge around my blood was a bunch of hokum.

“Luv, I don’t know why Jonathan told you differently. I’d only be guessing.”

I frowned, “Guess anyway.”

“Maybe he wanted to keep you with him. Or he was concerned you’d create your own family and work against him.”

“Not likely,” I scoffed. “I could care less about playing power games.”

“Which is why he chose you as his second.”

“What? How do you know that?” He could have mentioned it to me first.

“Jonathan confided in me. That day in the missile silo.” Ian sighed.

“He knew. Didn’t he? That Thalia would kill him.”

“Yes.”

Did Jonathan think I was too inept to handle the news?

“No. He knew you would be a good leader.”

Ian seemed kind of mad.

“I’m not mad at you,” he protested.

“Hey! Enough!” I sat up, jabbing my finger into his chest. “Stop reading my mind.”

“I can’t read your exact thoughts.” Ian hedged. When I glared, he held up his hands. “I can sense your emotions. In a general sort of way. Since we shared blood, it’s become a wee bit stronger.” He traced his fingers down between the V of my thighs.

Fire flared between my legs again. “How much stronger?”

“Strong enough.” His mouth covered mine in a deep, passion fueled kiss. For a moment, desire and masculine lust flowed into my mind. Distinct from my own. Maybe this connection was two way?

I kept kissing Ian.
That
question could wait until later.

~ * * * ~

The storm lasted about fourteen hours. By the time it was over, I was well-kissed and thoroughly sated. I hadn’t been this blissed out. . . well, ever.

The dark voice of doubt warned me to guard my heart. Ian could hurt me now. I told my inner nanny to shut the hell up.

“I think it’s time we ventured outside.” Ian pressed me tight against his body. He sighed contentedly. “Maybe in another minute.”

I relished the moment too. Once we returned, finding privacy at base camp would be difficult. Too soon I heard myself say. “Let’s do it.”

We reluctantly untangled ourselves. Regret filled me.

Ian stroked the side of my cheek, then planted a light kiss on my lips. “Things will work out, Cherry. You’ll see.”

He climbed into the front seat and studied the dash. After a thoughtful few minutes, he typed a series of commands into the hovercraft’s computer. The barrier hissed, then retreated.

Bright sunshine burst through making me squint. “You’d think after such heavy wind, the landscape would seem different.”

“Look down.” Ian hopped out of the craft, shovel in hind.

Criminy. The entire downwind side of the hovercraft and the shipping container were buried in soil. I couldn’t complain. On The Scale of Cosmic Suckiness, it could have been a lot worse.

When I pointed this out to Ian, he chuckled in agreement. “Right you are. It could be shit instead.”

That’s the spirit.

Hours later, with my muscles screaming for me to stop already, we finished shoveling. During the trip back to base camp, he taught me the craft’s general operation: how to access the computer, navigate off the GPS and steer the thing. We switched sides and I drove the last quarter of the trip.

Good news is we didn’t crash. The bad news – the camp was wrecked.

“Bloody hell.” Ian said, head swiveling from side to side taking in the destruction. Most of the domes had sustained wind damage, large holes punctured the sides. A few had lost support beams and had partially collapsed. The dome’s hamster tubes were in various states of disconnection. Either completely torn away or ripped in a patchwork of tears.

I landed on the outskirts. The whole colony worked outside, clearly in repair mode.

Louis ran over, “This was the worst storm we’ve had to date. The current structures are inadequate. We are low on building materials. If this happens again anytime soon, we’re screwed.”

“Thanks for your sunny assessment and positive outlook, Louis,” I steered him away from the workers. Pearl was among them. Filthy and bedraggled, she wore pissed off like a new suit.

I pretended not to notice. That way, I didn’t have to go dominate on her. She hadn’t openly challenged me. And she could have been glaring at Louis. Or angry she was on Mars, dirty and performing manual labor.

Hell, I could understand the feeling. I made a mental note, to find a way for everyone to have some sort of fun, otherwise morale would go down the toilet.

“Louis, in the interest of everyone’s mental state, please deliver bad news somewhere more private.”

Louis looked crestfallen, but he didn’t argue or disagree.

“Where is Prior?” Ian asked. “I don’t see him out here anywhere.”

“He’s over in the main dome working out cement formulas with Marron.”

“I think I’ll join them. I know a thing or two about rocks and cement.” Ian gave me a wink and strode off. We had decided to refrain from displays of public affection in front of the others. Turned out to be a wise decision. Pearl tracked him with a feral gaze, then looked up and gave me a cold smile.

“Cherry!” I turned around to see Nina, formerly the Naughty Nurse, running my way.