nna and Daniel ran into the room, both adjusting their clothes. Lisa and Cody stared at them unsurprised by their disheveled appearance and tousled hair. “What happened?” she
bent down staring into Pedro eyes as they rolled toward the back of his head. “Lisa is getting blood from the storage room,” Cody said. “That won’t be enough,” Anna said. “He needs blood from the queen.” “Why?” John asked. “When a vampire has been severely burned, only the blood of the queen can restore them.” “Wow!” John thought. “Sangre” Pedro wheezed. “Sangre.” Lisa ran into the room with the bottle of blood in her hands. “We can at least try to see if this will hold him over until Queen V returns,” Cody said.
Lisa opened the bottle and leaned over Pedro, tipping the bottle over toward his cracked lips. “Drink,” she said as she poured the blood into his mouth. He drank it in gulps before he began coughing and gagging, vomiting it back up. “I knew it,” Anna said. A strong wind blew into the room as Sage and Samuel appeared, both aware of what had occurred. Billy stepped aside as she removed the hood of her cloak and stared at Pedro as he convulsed on the floor. “Pedro,” she said as he stilled at the sound of her voice. The others stepped back as she kneeled beside him and lifted her hand.
Raising a sharp claw, she cut the palm of her hand and balled her hand into a fist as the blood began to drip from the wound. The sight of blood whetted the others’ appetites as they stared hungrily at it rolling down her arm like a slow moving brook. Feeling queasy, John looked away from the scene. She raised her hand over Pedro’s lips as he flicked out his tongue to capture the crimson droplets as they trickled from her hand. After swallowing her blood, he closed his eyes and lay silently while the wound in Sage’s hand healed.
Suddenly, the burns on his body began to shrivel up and peel revealing new skin underneath. The scarred skin fell to the floor in a heap of dust as a light breeze blew them away.
John stood with his mouth gaped opened, stunned. Sage stood up and looked at the others who stared at her in awe. “Wow!” Cody said. “Incredible!” Billy replied. Samuel looked at her enthralled as he bowed in deference to her with the others following suit. Pedro’s eyes flew open as he slowly focused on his surroundings before his eyes fell on Sage. Swiftly, he bowed before her stating mournfully, “Lo siento, por favor perdóname.” “Why did you do it?” she asked.
He lifted his head, gazing up at her as she stood before him waiting for his response. “I was jealous,” he said softly. “I wanted Cristian out of your life, because I thought I was the better match for you.” Both Billy and Anna cast a glance at Samuel. “I went to his loft after I took the painting, because I felt that painting is what caused all of our troubles. We fought and he staked me. Then I began to regenerate, and when I returned, everyone had left.” “I felt abandoned.” Sage nodded her head, staring down at the floor. “Where did you go while we were gone?’ Lisa asked.
“Mexico,” he replied. “Mexico City, actually,” he said rising to his feet. “I wanted to go back to the place that I had called home for years and retrace my past. Everyone stared at each other, remembering their own need to retrace their past. “I realized my error and wanted to make amends for it, but I didn’t know how to make up for it. You chose Cristian and there was no changing that.” Sage didn’t respond. “Going back home helped me find a new perspective on things. Not only that,” he said, “I met someone while I was there that I’d like you to meet one day. Her name is Maria.” “Does she know you’re a vampire?” Anna asked. “Yes, it was by accident,” he replied. “I was hungry and looking for something to eat, and she caught me feeding on one of her chickens, thinking me to be a chupacabra.”
“What’s a chupacabra?” John asked, having trouble with the pronunciation. “A chupacabra is an animal that drinks the blood of livestock and goats,” Pedro said. “It’s like a reptile with fangs and red eyes,” Lisa said, “It’s an urban legend in the Americas.” John shivered trying to visualize it in his mind. “She took me in, and seeing my desperation, she let me feed from her,” Pedro continued. “How was she able to see you if you were nothing more than a shadow?” Lisa asked. “I don’t know,” Pedro said. “But she was able to see me when no one else could.”
“Sometimes the natural eye can see the supernatural,” Daniel said. “I suppose that depends on if you believe in the supernatural in order to see it,” John said, “but what do I know,” he said scratching his head. “So you’re going to turn her eventually?” Sage asked. “I already have,” he said. “She was here helping with the search for you.”
Anna remembered seeing Pedro talking to a young petite woman with dark hair and dark brown eyes. “So you’ve turned her—” Anna said, “are you going to be bringing her into the family?” “If the queen should allow it,” he replied. “We shall see,” Sage said. “Did you kill Pearson?” she asked. “Si,” he said matter-of-factly. “I staked him using the same silver stake he used on you.”
“Poetic justice,” Anna said smugly.
“He’ll trouble us no more,” Daniel stated jubilantly. Instead of feeling triumphant over the death of the hunter,
Christopher, distraught, walked over to Jillian as she was reading a book by the lamp. “I thought we could wait until tomorrow, but we have to do something now,” he said. “What’s wrong with Cristian?” she asked alarmed. “He’s been in a funk,” Christopher said. “I don’t like seeing him like this.” She got up from the chair and walked over to Cristian who was lying on the gurney with his eyes closed, tears flowing down his face. She took a finger and gently wiped a tear from his cheek. “We need to do this tonight to relieve him of his misery,” Christopher said, “The sooner he forgets her, the sooner we can go back to our lives.” “Sage,” Cristian whispered softly in his sleep. “You’re right,” she said tearing slightly.
Pedro went to his room to get a change of clothes, while Anna nudged Sage on her shoulders. “So what happened with you and…,” she glanced over at Samuel. “Nothing,” Sage replied plainly. She glanced down at Anna’s blouse with the telltale signs of having been buttoned in a hurry with the buttons out of sync. “You might want to readjust your blouse,” she teased with a tiny grin. Anna glanced down at her blouse and gasped, quickly readjusting it as Sage chuckled. Anna gazed at Daniel who was staring at her smiling. Sage looked around the room and her breath caught as her eyes fell on Samuel who was gazing at her, enchanted. Their eyes lingered on each other for a few fleeting minutes before both looked away, but not before being noticed by Lisa and Billy who stared at them curiously. Just as Sage decided to retreat to her room, the doorbell began to ring loudly in the hallway. “I’ll get it this time,” she said, looking for an excuse to escape the inquisitive stares, when Anna shouted, “I’m coming with you.” Sage opened the door and was face-to-face with Jillian. “I’m sorry, this can’t wait until tomorrow,” she said. “I need you to help my son to forget you tonight for both our sakes.” Sage took a deep breath, while Anna glared at Jillian with revulsion.