The Progeny (The Progeny Series) (12 page)

“There’s an infirmary down the hall. It should have everything you’ll need to patch her up. I’ll speak to Ursula about the girl.”

“You should talk to her before I do,” Gabe warned, as he walked out of the office with Katy cradled in his arms.

* * * *

“You look so much like your sister,” Gabe whispered with amazement. He’d finally stopped dreaming of Shauna and the relationship that would never be.

Katy smiled. “I could say the same to you
, about your brother.”

T
he growing warmth in her complexion delighted him. It meant she was recovering. He spent much of his time with her, seeing personally to her care. He wasn’t sure what they planned to do after she recovered, but he’d never let them kill her. He sat in a chair by her bedside, feeding her chicken soup. Her eyes displayed a dim light. She looked so much like Shauna, it was no wonder he was feeling some of the same adoration he’d felt for her beautiful sister.

“Gabriel?” Katy
questioned in voice so sweet and soft, it was like hearing angels singing. “What are you? I thought you were so cold because I burned with fever from the infection. Now I’m not hot, but you’re still cold. Are you ill?”

He froze.

He’d focused so much on saving her, yet he never thought about what he’d tell her when she questioned his
differences
. He couldn’t tell her the whole truth, but he could give her a
version
of it. “I’m not ill, but I am
different
. I promise I won’t harm you like the rest of them. I’m here to help.”

“
Oh, I’m not afraid. You aren’t like the rest of them. I can see the kindness in your eyes, but you’re not just here for me. If that were the case, we’d have already left. Something else brought you here.”

“It’s complicated
, but you’re an innocent.
You
shouldn’t be here.”

“You’re with Ursula.” Her
dark-eyed gaze seemed to penetrate him. “I hear people talking around here. She’s your mate.”

“She’s just a means to an end
that doesn’t matter to me.”

He wanted to tell
Katy that
she
mattered. He wanted to scream out how wonderful he thought she was, and how he felt something for her that he’d never felt for anyone—not even when he was human and the emotions came easier.

“So, you don’t love her?”

“Of course not.” He gazed at her, and an attempt at channeling her yielded nothing. She was a blocker and any information he’d get would have to come from her lips. Gabe wondered if she trusted him enough to open up, to tell him the truth. He’d start with easy questions first. “Who did this to you, Katherine? Who brought you to Romania?”

She clutched her head, tears streaming down her face.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s still so foggy. I get these headaches, sometimes.” Her face froze
in thought. “I was running down an alley. I’d just been to Rousseau’s with my sister, where I met her new boyfriend, Ascher.” She gazed up at him. “I can’t get over how much you two look alike.”

Gabe chuckled. “Please
, continue.”

“Shauna and Ascher had this hideous fight about him being engaged to another woman. My sister ran out of the bar
and I, of course, followed her to make sure she was okay. Before I could catch up to her, something swept me off my feet. The next thing I remember was being in that disgusting hole!” She tilted her head. “Do you think my sister is okay? I’m scared for her. Ursula said that she meant to take Shauna.”

Gabe fought back the anger, forcing a wide grin onto his face. He didn’t want her to worry, even if there might be good reason to. “I’m sure Shauna is fine. If my intuitions are correct, Ascher would rather die than let anything happen to her.
Don’t worry about Shauna.”

Her head dropped
. “I miss her so much. I just hope that—”

Gabe tugged
her into his arms. “Look at me.” He raised her face to his. “I’m taking you home, Katherine. Would you like to go home?”

She frowned
, not at all the reaction he expected.

“I want to see my sister again, but home? I don’t know. I’m so grateful to you for saving me and nursing me back to health.” She ran her warm hand along his
face. “I want to stay with you. I don’t know why I feel this way, I hardly know you. It doesn’t matter though,
she
would never allow that.”

“You let me worry about
her
. What we talk about has to stay between us. No one can know that we’re leaving, okay?”

She nodded.

“I have to go now. I’ve spent the whole day here. I’m going to lock you in from the outside. Remember to lock your side too, okay?”

Katy
nodded her head again.

He couldn’t resist giving her a small kiss on the forehead. “Are you okay? Have I left enough
food for you? If not, I’ll bring you more,” he assured her.

“I’m okay.”

“Be well, Katherine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She smiled at him, revealing the same pair
of deep dimples as her sister.

Gabe’s frozen heart
melted then soared with emotion.

“Your parents gave you the perfect name. You’re an angel, Gabriel.”

* * * *

Ursula paced the floor.
She’d noticed changes in her new mate. Gabe seemed distracted, less attentive to her and less than enthusiastic when they made love. Though she had the bloodstone, she wanted more. She still wanted revenge on Shauna; the sealing to Gabe did nothing to quell that desire. Now, she wanted Gabe to love her, just as she was beginning to love him.

Since he’d found her little secret tucked away in the basement, he spent all of his time with her. He
’d even convinced her father to give orders of protection for Katy. Now anyone attempting to harm her would be subject to death. The consequences even extended to her.

Ursula gave Gabe a seductive glance. “Don’t you want to come over here with me?” She winked her eye as her nightgown slipped from
one shoulder.

Gabe never looked up. “Not tonight, Ursula. I don’t feel like it.”

“But Gabe, I want you. Don’t you want me?”

“Another time, Ursula,
”

“It’s
her
, isn’t it? The warm-blooded mistress you keep under lock and key on the third floor.
She’s
the reason you’ve lost interest in me!” Ursula fumed.

Gabe sighed. “Don’t be so theatrical. I’m merely keep
ing the clan out of harm’s way. Any harm done to her could result in a backlash from my family.”

Ursula
snaked her way into his arms, cuddling herself next to him. “If that’s true, why don’t you want to make love to me?”

His body stiffened as
he repeated himself. “Not tonight, Ursula. Another time.”

She jumped up, stamping her feet
, as she slammed the chamber door behind her.

* * * *

Gabe was tired of the ridiculous charade. He’d been there for weeks, and every day he endured Ursula’s shrill voice and constant demands. All she wanted to do was make love and take walks by the seaside. With the right woman, Katherine perhaps, such activities would be exciting. With Ursula, they were torturous chores that he stomached in the hopes of protecting his family. Stealthily following her to the third floor, he watched as she tiptoed up the winding stairs in her stocking feet. Hindsight told him to place Katy in the staff quarters for her own protection, and he was suddenly glad he did.

Ursula jiggled the iron bolt with her hand, attempting to jimmy it
. Unsuccessful, she huffed with frustration. “Damn it!”

“What
are you doing up here, Ursula?”

“You’re following me in the darkness now, Gabe? Afraid I’ll do something to your precious little human?”

He stood silent.

“She’s coming between us
, and I want her gone! No—I want her dead!”

Gabe
grabbed her, shaking her so violently that the bun in her hair became a fall of dark locks cascading down her back. “Ursula! Have you gone completely mad? She’s an innocent that
you
seized during a peaceful period! She’s done nothing to you. Her only crime is sharing blood with someone you hate. How is that punishable by death?”

She shook herself free of his hold.
“I hate her—I hate them both!”

He
despised Ursula’s whining and knew that there was only one way to shut her up. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her down the stairs as she kicked, screamed and cursed. He slammed the bedroom door to her chambers, letting her body fall to the floor. “What more do you want? I’ve given you the bloodstone. Isn’t that
why
you sealed to me?”

“Yes, but
—”

“But
what
, Ursula?”

“I thought you understood how I felt. I thought you hated them as much as I do.”

Knowing that he had to calm her, Gabe traced a reluctant hand across her wet face. Though it would sicken and repulse him, he knew he’d have to make love to her again. When daylight came, he’d put his plan into effect. Taking her into his arms, he gave her a deep but forced kiss. He made love to her one more time, not caring about her pleasure and fighting back the nausea twisting his insides.

Afterwards
, he showered to remove her scent. Gabe knew he didn’t love her—he would never love her. His heart belonged to the young woman sleeping on the third floor. He concentrated and felt the rhythmic pulsing of her heart inside his own chest.
Don’t worry my angel. I’ll take you away from here. You have a sister who misses you just as much as I miss my brothers.

* * * *

Gabe snatched the bloodstone and flew up to the third floor. He had a short time to make a run for it while Ursula showered. He unbolted the heavy door and gave Katy their secret knock.

The door flew open as she leapt into his arms.

He twirled her as he checked for marks or bruises. She looked the same as when he’d left her. “I need you to keep this for me.” He handed Katy the amulet. “Put it around your neck, under your sweater. No one will think to look for it there. Are you ready to go?”

“Where are we going?”

He flashed a careful glance into her eyes. He managed to wash her enough, so she’d never remember the trip they were about to take. He hated to do it but knew it was necessary, until he could reveal his secret.

Her eyes glazed over.

Gabe cradled her into his arms, breaking the window as they flew from it. There was an abandoned caretaker’s cottage three miles up the road on the outskirts of the grounds. The cottage would be the perfect place to keep her until they could leave. He’d planned the getaway for days, stockpiling food and medical supplies for her leg. He managed to reset the bones, but it left her slower to move and in a tremendous amount of pain.

When they arrived at the cottage, he laid her on the couch. The pain medicine looked to be taking effect
and she’d be out for a few hours. Intuition told him that his brothers were on the way. He looked forward to seeing them again, even if they were less than enthusiastic about seeing him.

Things would soon be set right.

Gabe started a fire and put the supplies up while Katy slept. He knew Ursula was going to pitch a fit when she noticed the missing bloodstone. He cringed, as he heard a piercing scream coming from the direction of the castle. Yep, she was out of the shower.

Twelve ~
Origins

Langley, Massachusetts

They sat by the stone fireplace in Ascher’s
enormous bedroom. The night was cool, but not as cold as one would expect for early March in New England. The dark color scheme was shocking, bordering on depressing. His room needed a total makeover.

Sh
auna snuggled into him, snaking herself into his warm embrace and she felt safe again. His touch was comforting and electric; it made her think of the night before the nightmare started. She often thought of that night, wishing that he hadn’t stopped them from making love.

Sh
e loved fireplaces but never lived in a home that had one. She often watched movies, fantasizing about having one of her own. Her mind drifted back to the night they almost made love in her apartment. A naughty fantasy involving Ascher and a fireplace materialized in her head.

The large bed, across the room, further fueled her naughty thoughts. The iron posts carved into an intricate floral design. It was stunning
, but too feminine for a man’s room. The silky black linens and plump pillows gave the bed a sexy, modern appeal. An unusual crest embellished the linens, pillows and towels in the attached bathroom. Sheer black panels twisted along the canopy and hung at the four corners.

Like its owner, the bed was mysterious, dark and
incredibly gorgeous.

* * * *

Ascher needed to gauge her mood. His confession was going to knock the wind right out of her, so he wanted to make her as happy as possible. He chuckled as he channeled her wicked fantasies about the fireplace and bed. He’d purchased the new bed and vanity two weeks ago, after his quickening, when he was certain he’d bring her home.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to tour the estate today.”

She didn’t reply.

“Shauna.”

She remained silent.

He stroked his fingers through her hair
, kissing the back of her neck.

She startled
and awoke from her daze.

“Where did you go?”
He feigned bewilderment, knowing
exactly
where her mind was.

A hot flush
of color swept her neck. “Sorry, my mind was someplace else.”

“Obviously
. I was just saying how sorry I am about missing the tour of the estate today.”

“We’ll do it another time.”

He drew a nervous breath. “We need to talk about something.”

“Sounds serious
.”

“It is
.” He stood, pacing his bedroom. This was it, and her reaction would either cement their love forever, or break his heart for eternity.

Sh
auna sat with a frustrated patience—eyes focused, posture erect, worry creasing her dark eyes.

He’d planned a romantic evening as a celebration of their reunion. Grim as the day
had started, he hoped the night might go a little smoother—this was before he made up his mind to tell her the truth. “I realize honesty is a huge part of a relationship for you. I messed up big time in the beginning, and I can’t lie to you anymore. I’ve been keeping something else from you.”

Her expression grew pensive.
“This sounds really bad, Ash.”

“It might be. It all depends on your perception.”

She sat up.

“I know you wonder about things. I know that sometimes I appear strange to you.”

“You’re a guy. All of you are foreign to me.”

“Shauna, your life may be in serious danger.”

She laughed.

He seized her arm. “I’m not kidding
and I have a theory.”

“What theory?”

“Katy. I think I know where she is, not exactly
where
, but I think I know
who
is responsible for her disappearance.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

Ascher moved closer, but she squirmed away. “How old do you think that I am?”

“That’s a crazy question. You’re twenty-two. You were born December 30, 1988.”

“That’s half true. I was born on that date, but not in 1988.”

“This is crazy talk, Ascher. I’ve seen your driver’s license.”

“No it isn’t. Shauna, I’m eighty-seven years old. I was born December 30, 1923.”

Waves of n
ervous laughter rolled from her. “Whatever you’re smoking, leave it alone. If you’re on meds, raise your dosage, Ash. This is crazy, even for you.”

“Haven’t you wondered why I hardly eat? Why my skin is so pale
? How I always seem to know exactly where you are? You still wonder why Kara’s eyes are the same as my brothers and mine.”

“Okay, you have my attention now, because I in no way believed the flimsy excuse you gave me earlier.”

“What I’m going to tell you is going to be hard to digest. You might not even believe it. I promise you, I’m telling you the absolute truth. I wouldn’t lie to you again.”

Her face paled.
“You’re scaring me now.”

Ascher
shaped his hands to both sides of her head, pulling her into him. Her lips felt good, and he missed her kisses. The truth could wait. He wanted her, needed her more than his life. He pulled her even closer.
The truth can wait.
One more kiss would satisfy him, or frustrate him to no end. He didn’t need the truth when she was in his arms, her lips responding to his. Lies bred more lies. They’d already ruined things once.
No more lies, only the truth.
She deserved to know.

Shauna whispered, “I love you.”

“I hope you still do after you know the truth about me.” He walked the floor again. “I’m not human, Shauna.”

“What
are you, if you aren’t human?”

“I’m a half-bloodling. I’m part human and part vampire.”

“Vampire?” She stood up and grabbed her purse. “You’ve really lost it now. Vampires aren’t real. They only exist in movies and books. I want to go home now; I’ve had enough of this for tonight.”

Ascher
grabbed her arm, restricting her movement with a small fraction of his vampire strength. Her eyes stretched wide with disbelief. He concentrated on her thoughts. She, of course, thought he was nuts. Then another thought came to her mind. She was thinking about her parents. “Why are you thinking about
them
? They didn’t even tell you Katy was missing.”

Sha
una froze. “How could you possibly know what I was thinking?”

“Because
, I’m telling you the truth.”

Her face
completely drained of its color.

“I can prove it.”
Ascher closed his eyes and levitated into the air, hovering for a couple of seconds. “Is this
real
enough for you?”

The
breath caught in her throat.

He lowered himself down
to the floor. “If I were human could I do that? Could I read your mind?”

* * * *

Shauna thought of the movies she’d seen and the books she’d studied about mythical beings. She wanted an explanation for the strange eyes and countless other abnormalities that existed around him.
This
couldn’t be it. Her body slumped to the floor, his falling beside her. “Vampires are supposed to have fangs. You don’t.”

“I
do
have fangs. They’re very sharp. They only come out when my mood shifts suddenly.”

“Mood shifts?”

“When I’m angry, thirsty—
aroused.
”

“Vampires don’t eat. They drink blood
, and I’ve seen
you
eat.”

“But you haven’t seen me bring it back up. If I allowed food to digest in my body, it could make me very sick. We have no need for food. We only need
—we only need
blood
to survive.”

Realization sparked in her brain. “That’s why you rarely eat.”

He nodded. “Ursula and I were to seal. It was an arranged union. A very old vampire predicted it. He was wrong. When I met you, I knew he was wrong.”

She placed a hand on his face. “Ursula is one, isn’t she?”

He nodded again.

“
All your brothers—Kara.”

“Each and every one
.”

“Your father looks like he’s in his forties.”

“That’s an illusion—only in the opposite of a youthful appearance. He uses hair dye and makeup to look older. Father was twenty-four when he was reborn into immortal life. My grandfather, Andreas Rousseau, was a great French physician born in 1593 in Clichy, France. He married and had five children. The oldest was Jonas. In 1636, Andreas was reborn into immortality. His first son, Jonas, was reborn in 1646. Nobody knows who turned Andreas, but we do know that he turned his son.”

Her face changed. “How old…”

“He was three hundred and ninety on the twelfth of February.”

She sucked
in more air.

“Because
Rousseau males are turned by their own father, we’re said to have the purest blood of any immortal. It’s like the royals marrying within the bloodline to keep it pure. The Rousseaus are pedigrees, so to speak.”

“Like pure bred puppies
.”

“Father always told me that the most glorious part of death is the rebirth. His own father turns every first son of the Rousseau clan before his twenty-fifth birthday. This is necessary to continue the immortal bloodline. Each first son also has mortal children, before his turning, to further the mortal bloodline.”

“Why the twenty-fifth birthday?”

“The blood is said to change after that time, become less tolerable to the shift. Andreas was forty-three when he was turned. That was much too late
, and he went mad before he was murdered.”

“Murdered?” She cupped her mouth with shock.

“Murdered,” he repeated. “Andreas became bored with France and decided to come to America. He brought his son, Jonas, and his grandson, Gabriel, with him to the new world. He’d heard that there was a colony of settlers needing physicians. The colony was in Salem, Massachusetts. The colonists were convinced that demons were amongst them and that an
illness
was sweeping their new paradise.” Ascher paused as if pained by the old story he knew so well.

“Ash,” Shauna whispered while smoothing her hands across his sad face. “If it’s too difficult for you to talk about
—”

“No, sweetheart
.” He let out a sigh of utter relief. “You have no idea how good it feels to finally tell you this.” He pulled her into his lap, stroking the length of her hair with his fingers. “Andreas kept journals of what he saw. The situation was dire, the horror unimaginable. They stoned and hanged nineteen men and women at Gallows Hill. More were jailed under the suspicion of being witches.”

Shauna challenged him. “I studied the witch trials. There was never a mention of anyone by that name or anyone having ever been burned.”

“There wouldn’t be. They covered up what happened to my grandfather. It was undocumented and never spoke of again. I doubt the family would know if my father and brother hadn’t witnessed it for themselves. A young indentured servant, Arijah Covington, accused him of being something sinister. She’d noticed his pale skin and icy touch. One night, her master saw Andreas levitating himself in the woods. They seized and subsequently burned him at the stake.”

Sh
auna snuggled her face into the crook of his shoulder.

“The things he was capable of frightened them
, so they burned his body to assure his death. He cursed the town of Salem with his last breath, while blessing each and every of his bloodline. Jonas and Gabriel gathered his remains into an urn. His ashes burned blood red with his fury, and stones were fashioned from his crimson remains. They now rest in amulets like this one.” He pulled his shirt back, showing her his necklace again.

Sh
auna sensed that the necklace was more than just a family heirloom. The more he talked, the more things came together. She ran her hand across the amulet again, and this time he didn’t seem frustrated.

“I don’t need this to go out into the sun, but my brothers do. For most immortals, it’s impossible to walk amongst humans in the daylight hours. The amulets protect them from the sun. Otherwise, they’d be forced to sequester themselves indoors all day, or risk burning to death.”

“Burning to death,” she repeated the phrase but with a grave undertone present in her voice. Her eyes glistened with moisture, an audible lump forming in her throat. “What are the other ways an immortal can die?”

“Dismemberment, starvation, pure
silver and fire,” he answered in a frank and matter-of-fact tone.

Sh
auna paused to let it sink in, caught her breath and let it rush out with her words. “So, they’re brothers but not in the literal sense?”