Julien Gregg's Twilight in Babylon: The Vampire Saga Chapter 7

 Chapter Seven
Losing My Heart

I woke up in the hospital the next morning. My arm was in a sling and my
left leg was in a cast. My ribs didn't hurt and I was confused about
why. Then a doctor came into the room and told me that he was confounded.

"I've never seen a person heal the way you're healing," he said. "It's
medically impossible."

I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't know how fast I was healing
after all. I was still in a great deal of pain. I wanted to tell him that
but I kept my mouth shut. I didn't know what to say anyway.

"Nothing to say?" he asked.

I shook my head no.

"It's just as well. No one would believe it anyway," he said. Then he left
the room.

He didn't check my chart, look into my eyes, or do anything a doctor was
supposed to do. He just came in to tell me that I was a medical mystery and
left again. I wondered how long I would be in the room alone when the door
opened and Gabriel came in.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he came in.

"I'm in pain," I said. "And I have this uncontrollable itch."

"That's the bones knitting back together," he said. "I had my work cut out
for me when I got to the accident site. You were near death, and I needed
to give you just enough of my blood to heal you and not turn you. It was a
near thing."

"How did you know where we were?" I asked.

"Because Darias told me," he said, looking solemn. "He flashed into the
house and nearly gave your father a heart attack. He explained who he was
and told us that Victoria had upended the Jeep and had tried to kill you
but you killed her by setting her on fire. He told us about the squabble
with the Gods as well."

"I thought I dreamed that," I said in wonder. Gods had actually come to
save me.

"Well you didn't," he said with a smile. "I gave you blood and you started
to heal before the ambulance even got there. Of course I had to wake Emit
and get him out of there before the ambulance got there. The story is that
you were driving Emit's Jeep."

"Okay," I said. I had known when I got involved with the Maxwell family
that official stories were the way of things.

"We'll have you out of here in a day or two," he said. "You had skull
fractures, your arm and leg were both severely broken, and she had broken
all of your ribs. Your heart was beating irregularly as well. Almost all of
that has been corrected. The blood is still correcting problems as it
encounters them."

"Hence the itching," I said.

"Right," he said with a smile. "I'd never tried to heal anyone with my
blood before."

"So I was a guinea pig?" I asked.

"So to speak," he said. "Darias told me that it would only work with you
anyway."

"How long were the Gods on Earth?" I asked.

"As long as it took to see you safely in an ambulance with medical
professionals that could help you," he said. "Darias and Ren were really
worried about you. Isis was as well. Ra simply told us to take better care
of you."

"What about Apollo?" I asked. "He wanted to kill me for killing Victoria."

"Well he wasn't with the Gods when they came for us," he said. "I'm sure he
wanted nothing to do with a house full of Darias's children."

"Well maybe they made him leave me alone," I sighed.

"I better get out of here and let your visitors come in," he said. "I told
them two at a time and not to over tire you."

"Okay," I said with a smile.

The first to come through the door were Archie and Jasper. Archie told me
that he was sorry he hadn't seen it happening as it was happening. I told
him to not be so hard on himself. I was going to be fine. Then he told me
that Darias told him that he was Archibald Moreau when he was turned and
that a Child of Apollo killed the vampire who had made him, so he wasn't
left alone on purpose.

"Family," I said with a smile.

"So it seems," he smiled back at me. "That goes for Jasper and Edward too."

"Yeah, but we're all so far removed that anything is possible," I said.

"That's true," he said.

Next it was Roman and Emit who apologized to me for not being better
prepared to fight Victoria. I told him that it was fine and he said that it
was fine because I burned her to ashes. I smiled at that. Roman told me
that he was happy that I was alive.

Then it was Jason and John. Jason was actually crying. It was odd for me to
see but he said that he had failed me. I told him that Victoria was
supposed to get to me so that I could kill her. He said he knew that but he
still felt like he'd failed me.

Then they were letting in kids from school. Mitch and Angela came in next
and I had to reassure them both that I would be fine. Yes I'd miss the end
of the year but I would be just fine.

Mike and Eric were mostly quiet. Mike told me that he was glad that I had
survived the wreck. Eric just stared at me. It made me uncomfortable. Plus
my wounds were itching. They finally left and I thought I would be alone
but Edward walked in and then a few minutes later Renee walked in.

"Oh honey," she said. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up. The
doctors are all talking about you like you're a star or something."

"A medical oddity is more like it," I said. "Hi, Mom."

"Phil is parking the car," she said. "I had him get me coffee that I could
drink."

"You didn't have to come," I said. "I'm all right."

"Yes, I see that you're all right," she said. "But Charlie called and told
me you were in a major accident and we got on a plane."

"Thank you for coming, Mom," I said, chastised.

"You have a lot of friends here," she said. "The waiting room is full of
them."

"Yes," I said. "I have many friends in Babylon."

"Well then I guess me asking you to move to Florida is out of the
question," she giggled.

"Mom, I wanna live in Babylon," I said. "I don't want to move."

"Okay," she said. "Can't blame me for trying."

"No, I suppose I can't," I said.

"Edward has been diligently guarding you most of the time," she said with a
smile. "He only left when his father ordered him to go talk to one of his
brothers."

"Yes, he's very devoted," I agreed.

"Well I'll get out of here and let him have some time with you now that
you're awake," she said.

"Thank you, Mom," I said as she kissed my forehead.

"Your mom is fierce," Edward said when she left the room.

"She sure is," I said. "How long have I been here?"

"You got here last night," he said. "Gabriel has had to fend off Doctor
Cross because of your accelerated healing. He put a cast on your leg but we
think it will be unnecessary in about an hour or so. Gabriel's blood really
worked on you. Darias told us that it would only work on you, but he
cautioned us to think before we used it."

"To think about what?" I asked.

"Turning you into a vampire," he said. "With the amount of blood you lost
on the ground, Gabriel could have turned you with too much blood. As it was
he used far less than he would to turn you just to heal you but he wasn't
sure that it would be enough for the extent of your injuries."

"You mean I could be a vampire already?" I asked.

"No," he said. "You needed much more blood for the conversion to happen."

"Okay," I said. "Why didn't he just go ahead and turn me?"

"Because the tribe would have come for him and you if he did," he said.

"The damned tribe," I said, shaking my head.

"Didn't you want me to be to the one to turn you?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "But if I was near death last night and Gabriel could have
done it he should have."

"You promised that you'd wait until after graduation," he said. "You and I
will be married before I turn you."

"If that's still what you want," I said.

"What makes you think that I don't want that anymore?" he asked, looking at
me with that look on his face that makes people swoon.

"Because my turning into a vampire isn't clear in Archie's vision," I
said. "I know that I won't change my mind so that means that you will."

"I haven't changed my mind at all," he said. "I want you forever, Beau."

"That's nice to hear," I said. "Maybe the vision will be clear later."

That was all that was said about that because at that moment Billy Black
and Jacob came into the room. Billy gave a sour look at Edward but said
nothing. Jacob came over to the bed.

"So you got tossed around by a Child of Apollo?" he asked.

"Sure did," I said. "She was mean to me but I killed her."

"I'm still not clear on how you did that," he said.

"You've been to the clearing," I said. "You've seen me set things on fire
with my mind. I used that power against her. She burned to ash."

"Cool," he said. "We really just came to make sure you were all right."

"Thank you for coming, Jacob," I said with a smile.

"They must have you on good painkillers," he laughed.

Then he and Billy were gone. Edward watched them go with a determined look
on his face but then turned to face me and smiled. I wasn't buying that
smile but I said nothing as my arm and leg really began to itch.

I was released from the hospital two days later. I went home with Charlie.
He was happy to have me coming home, but I was happy to have Renee in the
air headed back to Florida. It had been a bit harder to convince her that I
wanted to live in Babylon. She said the accident had made me loopy but she
agreed to leave me there.

We got home and Kale was there waiting for us. He thought he'd have to help
me up the stairs but I walked up the stairs on my own. It was a bit awkward
with the cast on my leg. I made it to my room though. Then I was in bed and
that was where I was staying for the time being. That walk up the stairs
had tired me. Charlie came into the room for the first time since I'd lived
there. He gave me a glass of water and handed me my book which I'd been
neglecting. I sat there with my back propped against the headboard and read
my book for a while.

By the time the sun went down Edward was in my room with me. We talked
about what his siblings were up to and how much longer I had to wear the
casts. He seemed amazed when I told him that neither my arm or leg hurt
anymore. They'd even stopped itching.

On Friday I was back at the hospital for x rays of my arm and leg. Gabriel
was the doctor on record for me so not much was said when they found that
my arm and leg were healed. He just cut the casts off of me and let me
leave the hospital. We did it quickly and tried not to run into the doctor
that was amazed by my accelerated healing.

On Saturday Archie had me in the clearing, but this time it wasn't for pyro
practice. This time it was for a party to celebrate the fact that I hadn't
been killed by Victoria. They had food set out on tables for me and the
Forsaken and human drones. We were all there with music and fireworks. I
had a great time. Charlie and Kale were there and had a good time, too.

As the sun went down the Forsaken began to howl and I felt this
overwhelming feeling run through me. It started at the base of my stomach
and traveled up and almost came out of my mouth. I felt an urgency and
almost panicked. I knew then that I wanted to howl right along with the
Forsaken.

That thought was crazy but that's what went through my mind. I wanted to
howl with the Forsaken. What was next? Would I want to run with them as
well? I wasn't Forsaken. I was a witch. That's all there was to it. Sure
there were Forsaken and Vampires all through my family line but that didn't
mean I could howl and run with Forsaken.

When we got home Edward was still with us. We went up to my room and hung
out while Charlie and Kale tried to fit the containers of food that Elfric
sent back with us in the fridge. Edward and I cuddled on my bed and watched
a movie on the television. I had survived the attack by Victoria and she
was dead. What more could I ask for?

Well, welcome to Summer. That's what I said to myself when I got up that
morning. Edward was gone and I was alone in my room. Charlie and Kale were
already at work and I needed to get my butt to work. I put on my Petals
t-shirt and khaki shorts. I stepped into my boots and tied them. Then I
headed out to the truck and drove to Petals.

Kale smiled when I came in. I told him that he could have woken me when he
was leaving but he said he was letting me sleep in a bit. I smiled at this
and got to work. I was working in the back with him today and he was
teaching me to make flower arrangements. I did fairly well. He showed me
his power when he got a bushel of flowers that looked like they were drying
up. He put both hands on the stalks and closed his eyes. Then the flowers
looked fresh cut and even had little droplets of water on the petals. I was
amazed.

Of course his power was nothing like mine. His was beautiful and life
giving. Mine was ugly and destructive. I'd killed once with the power and
didn't want to do it again. Hopefully the Children of Apollo would stay
away from me.

We spent the day arranging flowers that customers had ordered. By the time
I clocked out at five I was tired from standing on my feet. I went home and
got dinner started and while I was making it Edward showed up.

"So what's on your agenda for the day?" he asked.

"Nothing much," I said. "I'm making dinner for Charlie and Kale then I
guess I'll clean my room or something. I do need to do laundry."

"All right," he said. "We can do housework if you want."

"It isn't what I want," I corrected. "It's what needs to happen."

"You also need to pack for your trip," he said, reminding me that I was
about to spend two weeks away from him in Florida.

"I'll pack," I said. "Don't worry. I wish you were coming with me."

"We agreed that I can't go with you," he said. "It would be weird for Renee
to have your boyfriend around all the time."

"Yeah, yeah," I said.

I put the frozen meatballs on the cookie sheet and put them in the
preheated oven. Then I got pasta and started it to boil. I got garlic bread
out of the freezer and put it on another cookie sheet. Then I stirred the
pasta and sat down.

"What are you making?" he asked.

"Well I'm cheating," I said. "I'm making pasta with meatballs but I bought
the meatballs instead of making them. I worked all day and there wasn't
time."

"I'm sure it will be good," he said. "Archie and the others want you to
come to the house."

"I'll do that once this house is clean," I said.

I got up and stirred the pasta again and started on my sauce. I got two big
cans of crushed tomatoes out of the pantry and started to get my spices
together. This was really easy to put together but usually I made the
meatballs from scratch. Now I just poured the tomatoes into a stock pot and
added my spices. Then I stirred it and put it on low so that it would heat
and not burn.

I took the meatballs out of the oven and put the garlic bread in. Then I
dumped the meatballs into the sauce and stirred again. The pasta was done
so I drained it and added the sauce and meatballs to it. I was putting it
in a big serving bowl when Charlie came in. He smelled the air and told me
it smelled good in the kitchen.

"Hello, Edward," he said as he took off his gun and hung up his hat.

"Hey, Charlie," Edward said. "How was your day?"

"Not bad," he said. "We had a run in with a couple of kids down at the
diner that I had to settle but other than that it was fine. How was your
day?"

"We cleaned the house for Spring Cleaning," he said. "Beau is talking about
doing that here."

"Well I guess it needs it," Charlie said as he went up the stairs to change
out of his uniform.

"It surely does," I said as I took the garlic bread out of the oven and put
it in a basket with a towel inside.

Kale came home and he smelled like flowers much more than I did when I came
home. I saw Edward twitch his nose when Kale walked past him to inspect the
food. Kale smiled and then went up to wash up and change.

We sat around the table and ate the food. Charlie didn't comment on it and
neither did Kale so I just ate in silence. Edward read the newspaper while
we ate. When I was done and they were as well I put the remaining food away
and started on the dishes. I had more of them to do today because of the
cookie sheets and stock pots. I got those done and wiped the table and
counters down. Then I cleaned the stove.

I went through the house gathering clothes to wash. I even cleaned the
bathroom. I took the hamper from the bathroom and the one from my room. I
knocked on Charlie's door but he wasn't in his room so I opened the door
and grabbed his hamper. Kale was in his room but he handed his hamper to me
with a smile.

Downstairs I got the laundry sorted and started my first load. While that
was going on I got the vacuum and ran it over the huge rug on the living
room floor. I polished the wooden tables and pulled the couch and love seat
out and swept behind them. Then I tackled the recliner which was Charlie's
domain. I pulled it out and swept behind and under it. Then I swept all of
the dirt and dust into my dust pan and dumped it in the trash can on the
back porch.

By the time I was done with that I had to put the clothes in the dryer and
start a second load. I sat down at the table and looked at Edward. He
looked back at me and smiled. I smiled in return.

"So is the house clean now?" he asked.

"As clean as it's going to get," I said. "I've just got all of that laundry
to do and fold. Then I'm all set."

"I'll help you fold the laundry," he said. "How many loads do you have?"

"There's one in the dryer, one in the washer, and another one waiting," I
said. "That's it."

"Then you'll have clean clothes to pack," he said.

Now I was sure he was trying to get me out of town before this big meeting
with the tribe. I thought that was unfair as I had been at the last one. He
told me to go and visit with my mother and have a good time. They would
deal with whatever the tribe wanted.

So I was going to Orlando for two weeks. I wasn't looking forward to it but
I had my orders. Plus it would be good to see Renee again, and I was
looking forward to seeing Phil. I just didn't like being shipped off to do
it while the Maxwells were meeting the tribe.

"What do the others want with me?" I asked.

"They want to see you, Beau," he said with a sigh. "You're part of the
family after all."

"Well that's nice," I said. "After we get the laundry folded and passed out
to everyone we can go to your house."

"Thank you," he said. "Why was that so hard? You usually like to go to my
house."

"I still like going to your house and seeing everyone," I said. "I'm just a
little angry with being shipped off to Florida while you and the others
meet with Jacob and the tribe."

"Beau, the representative of the tribe asked that only the Maxwells show up
at this meeting," he said. "He said it doesn't pertain to witches."

"Wow," I said. "I'm lumped into a category."

"Yes, you are," he said. "We don't like it any more than you do but we have
to do what they say."

"I don't get why," I said.

"Because if we don't there will be an all out war between us and the
tribe," he said. "We could win that war but we'd decimate the tribe. There
are innocent women and children on that reservation and who are we do
destroy a tribe just because they want to impose some rules to keep their
tribe safe from us?"

"Okay," I sighed. "I get it. I don't like it but I get it."

"Now, go to Florida and have a good time while we sort this out with the
tribe," he said.

"Yes, Edward," I said, smiling at him to let him know I wasn't angry at
him.

We folded clothes and I switched the loads. I made stacks of clothes on the
kitchen table. Charlie's went in one stack. Kale's went in the second
stack, and mine went in the third stack. Edward folded faster than I did
but we got it all done. I took the stacks in the hampers back to their
rightful places. Towels went in the bathroom cupboard, one hamper went to
Charlie and another went to Kale. My own went in my room and I dutifully
hung my clothes up and put them in drawers and I packed my bag for
Florida. My hamper was empty by the time Edward followed me out to my truck
for the trip to his house.

At his house they were all waiting for me. I walked in and saw them all
standing there in a line with vampires to the left and Forsaken to the
right. I smiled at them in a bit of confusion.

"I called them to tell them we were coming," Edward said by way of
explanation but I needed more. Why were they all lined up like that?

"It's good to see everyone again," I said, smiling at them.

"We're happy to see you as well," Elfric said, smiling back at me.

"Beau," said Gabriel. "You told me that you felt like you should howl along
with the Forsaken."

"Yeah," I said.

"We'd like to do an experiment if you don't mind," he said.

"I don't mind," I said.

Just then Jason howled at me. The sound reverberated through the house and
I felt that curious sensation. It was like a hook had taken my stomach and
it was pulling me along. I felt it bubbling up from my stomach until my
mouth opened and an equally loud howl escaped me. It rocked me from my head
to my feet.

"Now he really smells like one of us," said Nathan.

Then Emit crouched down like he was going to attack me and hissed, showing
his fangs. I immediately crouched down and hissed right back at him but I
had no fangs to show. Then we both stood back up and smiled at each other.

"Remarkable," said Gabriel. "A moment ago after the howl, you smelled just
like a Forsaken. Then after Emit hissed at you and you hissed back you
smelled like a vampire."

"Let's try it again," said Nathan. Then he roared at me.

I felt it again, but this time it was more intense. It forced me to bend at
the waist and then a roar louder than Nathan's ripped through my throat and
out of my mouth. I was breathing hard and trying to figure out why my body
felt like it was going to rip out its seems. Then the feeling slowly
subsided and I stood back up.

"Now he smells like a newly morphed Forsaken," Nathan said.

"I thought he was going to rip through the morph right then and there,"
said Jason.

"But he's not a Forsaken," said Gabriel. "It seems that my vampire blood
did something more than I expected. Beau, tell me how you felt when you
were bent over at the waist."

"I felt like my skin was going to explode," I said quickly. "It was like
something was clawing its way out of me, and I wanted it to happen more
than anything else just to make the sensations stop."

"That sounds like a morph to me," said Nathan. "He described exactly what
the first morph is like for us."

"How do you feel now?" Elfric asked.

"Light headed," I said. "I feel like I just got over a very bad wound that
was all over my body. My flesh seems to be vibrating."

"That's what it feels like when we return to human form for the first
time," Nathan said.

They were all around me now, no longer in the line across the
foyer. Gabriel took my pulse and produced a thermometer and proceeded to
take my temperature. He explained that Forsaken run a bit hotter then
normal men and that right at that moment my temperature was in the low
hundreds. He said it was normal for a Forsaken but not for me. He checked
it again a bit later and I was back to ninety-eight point two.

"You got very fuzzy in my vision there for a moment," Archie said as if
he'd proven something to himself. "I wouldn't recommend doing that again."

"I didn't plan on doing it the first time," I said with a smile.

I hung out with them for a while, but there was another sensation brewing
in my stomach now. It was a hunger like I'd never known. When I got home
the first thing I did was heat up the leftover pasta and meatballs. I ate
it all and a whole loaf of garlic bread as Edward watched me.

"Typically when the Forsaken morph and return to human form they're a bit
hungry," he said. "That's probably what just happened to you."

"Okay," I said.

Now I was very tired. He followed me up the stairs to my room and watched
as I changed into my sleep clothes. Then I hit the bed and was asleep
before my head touched the pillow. He must have gone to sleep as well
because when my hunger woke me he was like a statue in the bed beside me.

I got up and crept downstairs. I went to the kitchen and found the chicken
in the fridge that I had planned to make for dinner. I pulled it out and
fried it with potatoes and corn. Then I sat and ate the whole chicken, all
of the potatoes, and the corn. I even had bread and butter.

Then I crept back upstairs and climbed back into bed after cleaning the
kitchen to hide my night's feast. Edward hadn't moved so I went back to
sleep. When I woke up it was morning but my hunger was a problem
again. Edward got up with me and his eyes nearly popped right our of the
sockets as he looked at me. I had to pull my shorts up three times as I
stood there.

I didn't ask him what the problem was because I was too hungry to say
anything. I did shower but it was the fastest shower on record as far as I
was concerned. The only thing in my head was that I was hungry. When I
stood before the mirror I saw what Edward's problem was. I had lost a lot
of weight while I slept. It sounded crazy but I was standing there looking
at the result.

I was at least a fifty to seventy-five pounds lighter than when I went to
bed. My body was thin now and I could see my ribs. I put my clothes on,
using the belt and putting it to the last available notch. Then I came out
of the bathroom and got my bag. Edward was gone from my room so I just went
downstairs.

Charlie took one look at me and stood up. He didn't say anything but he
looked like he wanted to start screaming. I sat at the table fully
expecting breakfast but Edward was staring at me too. I sighed.

"I'm so hungry," I said.

"We're going to the diner before we head to the airport," Charlie said.

"Then let's go," I said as I walked over and kissed Edward goodbye.

Charlie followed me out the door, taking my bag from me as we went. I was
too hungry to argue about that. Edward grabbed me and kissed me again and
told me to have a nice time with my mother. Then I was in the car beside
Charlie, and I knew he had a million questions but didn't ask them. He
drove straight to the diner.

"You can't go to Renee looking like this," he said as he parked in the
parking lot.

"Dad, she's expecting me," I said. "If I don't go heads will roll. Besides,
we can tell her that I've been sick."

"You look sick," he said.

"I'm well aware of what I look like," I snapped and then sighed. "I'm
sorry."

"Accepted," he said as we got out of the cruiser and headed into the diner.

People that didn't know me paid me very little attention. Those that did
looked at me with sad eyes. They must have thought my extended absence from
the diner meant that I had been sick and Charlie was putting on a brave
face. At least that's what I thought they were thinking. I wasn't Edward
after all.

We found a table but the diner was packed with people. I sat down but what
I really wanted to do was walk through the diner, taking the food off
people's plates and eating it. Decorum stopped me.

"What can I get for you guys?" a waitress I'd never seen before asked as
she stepped up to the table. She had dark hair that was pulled back, dark
eyes, and really red lipstick.

"I'll have a the steak and eggs cooked medium," Charlie said.

I glanced at the menu and decided. "I'll have the country breakfast with
sausage links," I said.

"Anything to drink?" she asked.

"Could I have a large glass of milk?" I asked.

"Sure, Honey," she said. "I'll be back in a jiff."

I sat and squirmed while I waited. I found the breakfast rolls in the
basket on the table and made them disappear while Charlie watched. I just
spread butter on them and ate them. The waitress returned with a glass of
milk and a carafe of coffee. She filled Charlie's cup and then headed off
to put our food order in. I wished she had done that first. I didn't know
how much longer I could wait for the food.

Charlie said nothing while we sat there and waited for our food. I had
ordered the biggest thing on the menu. The Country Breakfast came with two
pancakes, steak, two eggs, hash browns, and your choice of bacon or
sausage. It also had a side order of biscuits and gravy. Charlie's eyes got
large when I ordered it but I was hungry.

When the food finally came I rolled the sausage links in the pancakes and
made that disappear. Then I started on the biscuits and gravy, mixing the
hash browns in with it. I ate that just as quickly as I'd eaten the
pancakes and sausage. I started on the steak. I cut it into strips and
dipped it in the egg yolks. I ate those quickly, too. Then I just scooped
up the eggs and ate them. I drank my entire glass of milk when I was done.

I sat back and noticed that Charlie had watched me the entire time. He
hadn't touched his breakfast. I just stared at it longingly. He must have
noticed because he slid his plate over to me. I made that disappear pretty
quickly.

Then, shocking me the people closest to me started to cheer. They came to
slap me on the back and talked about how fast I had eaten the
breakfast. One said they should put it on the menu as a challenge and make
them eat it in under ten minutes like I had.

Charlie went to the cash register to pay for our meal. I just looked at the
people cheering and then noticed that Billy Black was in the restaurant. He
looked at me with a knowing expression and I almost came unglued. What the
hell did he know?

We got out of there and headed for Corpus to the airport. Charlie said
nothing for a while but as he took the one oh one out of Babylon he finally
said something. He seemed hesitant but determined.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

I just let it all out. I told him about the vampire blood to help me heal
from Victoria's attack, the howling, the hissing, and the near morphing
like a Forsaken. Then the hunger set in. Only it wasn't ordinary hunger. I
admitted to cooking the chicken and potatoes and corn and eating it in the
middle of the night.

"Did Edward bite you?" he asked and I knew what he was really thinking.

"No, Dad," I said honestly. "Edward doesn't bite me."

"Okay," Charlie said. "So, you think it's the vampire blood?"

"No," I said. "I think it's a combination of the vampire blood and me near
morphing like a Forsaken. Dad we did a genealogy and there are Forsaken and
Super Drones running through our ancestry. Along with a few witches."

"I knew about the witches," he said. "But I didn't know about the Forsaken
and Super Drones. I barely remember what a Super Drone is."

"It's the product of a vampire and a human woman mating," I
replied. "Vampire blood is lethal to females. At least Maxwell blood
is. She doesn't survive the pregnancy."

"That's sick," he said. "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know, Dad," I said. "It hasn't been done in over a hundred years
or more as far as I know."

He didn't say anymore all the way to the airport. When we got there, he
told me to have a good time and then he was gone. I got on the plane
thinking about more food and the plane took off. I didn't get more food on
the plane. All they gave me were peanuts.

When I landed in Orlando, Renee was waiting for me. She took one look at me
and her eyes bugged out. She started hammering me with questions as we got
my bags and then all the way to a fast food restaurant where we went inside
to order. She gasped as I ordered two of their largest meals for myself
with Milk for the drink. She ordered a burger and fries with a soft drink
for herself.

When we found a table with our meals I quickly made both of mine
disappear. She watched me as she ate her own. Then she got up and ordered
another to take home with her for Phil. I was sated finally so I didn't say
anything.

"This sickness," she said in the car. "Is it catching?"

"No," I said. "I'm past the fever stage."

"All right," she said, but I could tell from the sound of her voice that
she didn't believe me.

There were palm trees everywhere we went that day. When we pulled into the
carport of a small house I sighed. This house was probably the same size as
Charlie's but on one floor. She led me inside, helping me with the
bags. She showed me to my room which looked like she'd taken everything
from the room in Crippen and hung it up the same way I had before. I put the
bags on the floor in front of the dresser and fell into the bed. I was
asleep before my head touched the pillow.

When I got up I noticed that it was dark outside. I took the time to notice
that the room was blue like my old one. The bed was the same and the
comforter was the same one I'd had since I was ten. I put my clothes away
and grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt for after my shower. I was still
very thin but the hunger inside me was tamped down to a dull ache. I
showered and dressed before heading out to the rest of the house to
confront my mother.

When I came out I found her in the kitchen. She was cooking dinner and I
sat at the table. She didn't say anything for a long time she just
cooked. She was making a lot of food for which I was thankful. Then she
stopped stirring a pot and turned to me.

"You finally woke up," she said. "I want to know more about this sickness."

"I had a version of the flu mother," I said. "It causes weight loss and
fatigue.

"Fatigue!" she blasted. "You've been asleep since yesterday morning, Beau."

That was a shock to me but I didn't doubt it. I just said, "And I feel
better today."

"Well that's good, I guess," she said as she sat at the table. "Phil will
be home in about twenty minutes. We'll eat when he gets home."

The eat-in kitchen was large with an island in the center. The table I was
sitting at was in a corner across from the island. The walls were light
blue, the trim was white, and the cabinets and counters were white. The
floor was tile and it was off-white.

Phil came in through the back door carrying a sports bag over his
shoulder. He kissed my mother and then turned to me. He looked me over and
sighed. I didn't know what he was thinking.

"Beau, man you're finally awake," he said. "You look like death. What the
hell happened to you?"

"A really evil strain of the flu," I said. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he said. "You look seriously sick."

"Yeah," I sighed. "But I'm getting better."

"Good thing she's cooking," he said. "You need a meal or two."

"He had two meals the day he arrived," she said. "He had them at the same
time."

"Well it looks like he could use them," he said. "Hope you made plenty."

"I did, now wash up, both of you," she said.

I went back to the bathroom that was connected to my room and washed my
hands and face. When I returned to the kitchen she was dishing up
plates. Mine had a heaping amount of everything and as I sat down at the
table she told me to eat all of it. I had planned on it anyway, but the way
she said it caused me to look at her. She gave me a stern look and walked
away.

I ate my meal but I did it at a leisurely pace. She watched me like a hawk
until it was all gone. Then she asked or rather told me I wanted seconds. I
wasn't fighting her on this and she dished me up a smaller plate than the
first one. I made that disappear and she asked if I wanted more. I told her
I was full which was the truth. It made me feel better to be full. I hadn't
been full in days.

"You put away a lot of food," Phil said, smiling at me.

"I was hungry," I laughed. I noticed that Renee wasn't laughing.

"I know you're under Doctor Maxwell's care at home in Babylon but I'd like
you to see a doctor here," she said.

"What for?" I asked. "I'm getting better now."

"Just humor me, would you?" she asked in a voice that brooked no argument.

"All right," I said but I was angry already. She was pushing me to see a
doctor because she didn't believe that Gabriel could take care of me? Well
I hadn't seen him since the night of the howling but he would have taken my
care in hand if I had seen him. This was bullshit.

I went back to my room when the meal was over. She didn't like that but it
was what I did all of the time when I lived with her anyway so she said
nothing. I'd already agreed to see her doctor to make her feel better. She
shouldn't push me or I'd fly back home and be done with it all.

I pulled out my phone and called Edward. He was upbeat at least. He told me
that they were meeting the tribe in the morning and that everything around
Babylon was fine. He agreed that my seeing a doctor was probably pushing it
because he agreed with me when I told him what I thought my problem
was. Then he told me not scream and yell at my mother and I promised I
wouldn't.

After my call with Edward I felt marginally better. I missed him like crazy
but that was a given. I mean I had unfettered access to him
twenty-four-seven so being here without him was difficult.

The next day my mother drove me to a clinic. I about screamed when I saw
the sign in the parking lot. She had taken me to a psychiatric clinic! I
looked at her but she refused to look at me while she parked the car and
got out. I got out of the car and followed her into the building. She
talked to the receptionist about me like I wasn't standing beside her. She
even said she suspected anorexia. I filled out the form and glared at her
when she took it from me and placed it back on the counter. We sat and
waited.

It didn't take long sitting in the long waiting room with the gray carpet,
the off-white walls in the sea of white folding chairs. Then we were walked
down a hallway that was more off-white walls with gray carpet but there
were doors with room numbers in this hallway. The nurse had me step on a
scale and recorded my weight. She took me to a room and then took my blood
pressure and temperature. Then she told us that the doctor would be with us
in a few moments.

The room was six feet by nine feet with an exam table in the center. There
were two heavy metal chairs with fabric on the seats, a stool for the
doctor, and a sink with a counter where medical equipment was stored. I sat
on the exam table but I was really ready to return to Babylon now.

The doctor who was an older man with salt and pepper hair that was receding
heavily at the corners of his forehead, and spectacles that hung around his
neck on a cord. He came in wearing his white coat, gray slacks, and black
shoes. He listened to my chest, beck, and stomach. He looked in my ears and
nose. He made me say ah so he could check my throat.

Then he sat down on the stool and looked at me. He sighed and wrote in his
notes for a bit then he started to talk and I nearly lost the battle on not
screaming. He went over the dangers of anorexia, said it was evident from
the state of my teeth and throat that I was not binging and purging so it
had to be anorexia that I was dealing with. I glared at Renee the whole
time he was talking.

"Doctor," I said. "I'm under the care of Doctors Gabriel Maxwell and Nathan
Maxwell in Babylon, Texas. I have had a serious bout of the flu which my
mother refuses to believe which is why we're here. I lost about fifty to
sixty pounds with this flu. I was vomiting, diarrhea, and not very hungry
for about two months. The flu is gone and I'm working on gaining my weight
back."

"Yes, I called both Doctor Maxwells and they said virtually the same
thing," he said. "Though I wonder why both a Cardiologist and a Neurologist
need to take care of you."

"They are taking care of me because they know me personally," I said. I
hadn't removed the heat from my voice since I started talking.

"Calm down," he said.

"No," I said. "I have been sick for a two months. I got well so I could
come to visit with my mother who refused to believe that I was sick. She
asked me to see a doctor here, and I humored her. She brought me here to
say that she thought I was anorexic which is stupid. She knows better than
that. I don't know why she brought me here but I'm angry about it."

"I brought you here because I've watched you binge," she said. "I didn't
see you throw up or anything but I knew as soon as I saw it that you were
either anorexic or bulimic."

"That's rich," I said. "When was the last time you saw me? Oh I know it was
when I was in the hospital. You know me better than any other person on
Earth, so you know that I would not be having an eating disorder. You knew
better. So why did you really bring me here? I think I know."

"What do you think you know?" she spat.

"You brought me here to help you get custody back," I said. Her eyes
widened. "I'm not moving here, and I think I want to fly back to Texas to
get away from you."

"Beau you can't make the decision to stay in Babylon with your father," she
said. "You're a minor."

"I'm seventeen years old as soon as July gets here," I snapped. "If I'm not
old enough to say where I want to live then I'll just run away."

"Beau," she said, pleadingly.

"No," I snapped. "If you try to take me from Charlie then I'm done with
you."

"Beau you went to Babylon to stay with Charlie so I could travel with
Phil," she said. "Phil isn't traveling much now. He only travels to away
games. We can be happy here."

"I am happy in Babylon," I said flatly.

"Because of Edward," she snapped.

"So this is what this is about?" I asked. "You want to take issue with the
fact that I have a boyfriend? That's rich mother. You told me yourself that
you had a girlfriend in college."

"I told you that so you wouldn't feel bad for the feelings you were having
at the time," she said. "You grow out of those feelings."

"Sometimes you don't," I countered. "I haven't. I have a boyfriend. Deal
with it, because if you take me away from him I will hate you. Do you want
that? I mean, do you? Do you want me to hate you and count the days between
now and a year from now so I can get away from you and never come back?"

"Beau you will stop this now," she said sternly.

"No," I said softly. "I won't. If you take me from Charlie and move me to
Florida just because you don't want me to have a boyfriend then I'm done
with you. You'll have me for a year and it will be Hell on Earth."

"Doctor, I'm sorry we wasted your time," she said, standing up.

I followed her out of the exam room and down the hall. We said nothing as
we made our way through the waiting room and out the doors. Then we got in
the car and she drove us back to the house. I went into my room and packed
my bags. She stood in the doorway and watched me.

"You can't go home now," she said. "You're supposed to be here for a week."

"A week that I can't stand now," I said. "I meant it, Mom. If you take me
from Dad I'm done."

I called the airport and booked my flight. Then I called Charlie and told
him when I'd land in Corpus. He told me I was supposed to be there for a
week. I told him I'd discuss it with him when I landed.

"When is your flight?" she asked.

"In two hours," I said coldly.

She drove me to the airport and waited with me until my flight was
called. I didn't say a word to her as I walked to the plane. I was sitting
in my seat when I sighed and had to fight tears. How could she do that to
me? I didn't know what she was thinking but I knew that I wasn't going to
spend an extra minute in Orlando to find out. I was going home.

I flew to Houston where I changed planes and then on to Corpus. Charlie was
waiting for me with the cruiser when I got there. He didn't ask any
questions on the way home and I was still stewing about what had
happened. When we pulled into Babylon I sighed with relief.

"Why did you come back so soon, Beau?" he asked when he parked in front of
the house.

"Because she took me to see a psychiatrist who specializes in eating
disorders and threatened to take me away from you and make me move to
Orlando all because she doesn't like that I have a boyfriend," I said.

"Shit," he said.

"Indeed," I agreed.

"Well first of all she can't take you away from me without my consent," he
said. "I have physical custody of you and she'd have to go to court where
you could say where you wanted to live and because you'll soon be seventeen
the judge will listen to you."

"That makes me feel a lot better, Dad," I said.

"Welcome home, Beau," he said.

"Thank you," I said.

We got out and I went upstairs to unpack my bag. I put my only dirty outfit
in the hamper and went downstairs. Edward was in the kitchen. He didn't
look happy and I was sure I'd have to explain things to him but Charlie
looked upset, too. So that made me come to the table and sit.

"We're leaving Babylon," Edward said.

It wasn't what I expected, but I was ready for it. I'd just unpacked, but I
could pack again. How much could I take with me? I wasn't sure that I would
want any of it when I was a vampire.

"I'll go pack," I said, causing him to look confused and a bit sad.

"You can't go with us," he said. "The tribe was really adamant about us
getting out of your life, Beau."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"They said that the tribe would take action and start a war with us if we
didn't leave Babylon and leave you alone," he said. "We have to go. You
can't go with us or they'll hunt us."

"Who do they think they are?" I demanded.

"They're the tribe of Babylon, Texas," he said. "They made that very
clear."

"Jacob Black can kiss my ass," I spat.

"It wasn't Jacob or any of his friends," he said. "Jacob wasn't at the
meeting. It was Billy Black and the elders of the tribe. He said that
they'd taken a vote and decided that Jacob was too young to be chief of the
tribe. Then they took a vote about this and this is what they decided."

"So you just leave me here?" I asked. Tears started to fall.

"I can't take you with me," he said. "It has to be a clean break."

"Well great," I spat. "I just left my mother because she doesn't want me to
have a boyfriend and you're leaving me anyway."

"Beau, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said. "I stayed
behind to tell you what was happening, but I have to leave. We're already
set up where we're going. I'm sorry."

"Go," I said softly. "Go before I break and beg you to stay."

"I love you," he said.

I really cried at this. Who was Billy Black to do this to me? What was his
problem? I hated Billy Black so badly in that moment that I wanted to go to
La Push and break his neck. I looked at Charlie who looked furious.

Edward was gone already. He just got up and walked out the door. I sat
there, crying as I watched him walk out our back door. Charlie took my hand
in his and picked up the phone. He called Billy and told him that he was no
longer welcome in the house and that he and Charlie were no longer
friends. He asked him who he thought he was to send the Maxwells away and
to wreck my life.

He must not have liked what he heard because next he said, "You keep
yourself on the reservation. Stay out of my family's lives or I swear I'll
arrest every fucking one of you."

Then he slammed down the phone. I went upstairs and sat in my room. I
looked at everything that reminded me of Edward and sobbed. He was gone and
Billy Black and his stupid prejudice was responsible. Oh how I hated Billy
Black.

Charlie didn't check on me that night which was probably a good thing. I
cried myself to sleep anyway. Then I had the strangest dream. It was so
real that I at first didn't know I was dreaming. I walked through a garden
of flowers I'd never seen before. A huge tree stood to the left of me and
the air seemed to shimmer with the scent of these new flowers.

I walked up a set of stone steps to a dais with six thrones on it. In the
seats were six different people. Two were twins and they had long plated
black hair. They were dressed in dark robes with sandals on their feet that
were tied with golden thread that laced up to their knees. I felt that I
should know them but I did not.

The third was a woman. She had long flowing dark hair and eyes the color of
the icy winter sky. She wore a white robe that flowed to the stone floor
covering her feet entirely. The fourth was a man with blonde hair and blue
eyes the color of the sea. He wore a blue robe and held a trident. The
fifth was another dark skinned man with hair plated down his back. He wore
a black robe with golden symbols on it. At his feet were sandals like the
twins' but they were laced with black laces that reached his knees. The
final was a beautiful dark skinned woman with plated hair down her
back. She wore a golden chest piece with a skirt that went to her feet.

"He is confused," she said, looking at the man beside her.

"He is here but should not be," said the man beside her. "How is it that
you have come to Mount Atlantis child?"

"Where?" I asked. "Who are you all?"

"He does not remember," said the first woman. "He is here because his heart
is broken and he is one of ours. A witch with the power to see."

"Your heart is broken because the vampire has left you?" one of the twins
asked.

"Yes," I said. "He was forced to leave me by Native Americans."

"Phaw," said the woman at the other end. "They meddled where they shouldn't
have."

"They made them leave and leave me behind," I said, and now I was crying.

"Such sadness," said the other woman with the flowing hair. "It pains me to
feel your sadness, Beau. Surely your heart will mend."

"Will it?" I asked.

"Gabriel's blood has done the unthinkable," said the other twin.

"Gabriel's blood helped him heal when the child of Apollo struck him," said
the first twin.

"But it also allowed him to come to us in his dreams," said the other.

"It is unimportant how he got here," said the blonde man. "The point is
he's here, and he's one of yours, Darias."

"He's one of mine and Ren's," said Darias.

"You are the best of both of our human lines, Beau," said Ren. "Made up of
more magical beings than we'd ever thought of."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Vampire, Forsaken, Witch, Immortalis," he said.

"What is an Immortalis?" I asked.

"A being you have yet to encounter," he said. "There are so many beings in
the magical realm."

"Don't fill his head with too much," said the Egyptian woman. "He is also
one of mine."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Darias," said the first of the twins. "I'm the God of Blood and
father of all vampires of my own line."

"My name is Ren," said the second twin. "I'm the God of Wolves and the
hunt. Father of the Forsaken."

"My name is Elle," said the woman with the flowing hair. "I am a Goddess to
all who suffer."

"My name is Isis," said the Egyptian woman. "I am Goddess of Creation and
of the Moon."

"My name is Ra," said the Egyptian male. "I'm a God of the Sun and ruler of
the dead and underworld."

"My name is Poseidon," said the blonde man. "God of the sea and storms and
father of the Sea People."

"Sea People?" I asked.

"Another thing you needn't worry about," he said, smiling at me.

"It was your destiny to come into contact with the Vampires and Forsaken,"
said Darias. "You who have so much of us in your veins, the true hybrid
creature."

"There is one other such as you," said Ren. "He may be with us soon."

"Dead?" I asked.

"No, Child," said Ren. "One of us. A God."

"It is not that destiny he came to hear about," said Poseidon.

"Your destiny is still clear," said Darias. "You will be a vampire."

"But all of the vampires left me," I said.

"Yes," he said. "But did you leave them?"

I woke up as the sun came through my window and touched my cheek. I got up
and went downstairs to start breakfast. I had a shift at the flower shop
today and Charlie was still upstairs so I made eggs, bacon, toast, and hash
browns. I even got his coffee started.

"How are you doing?" Charlie asked as he came into the room. I put a plate
in front of him and a cup of coffee.

"Not great," I replied. "It's finally hit me I think."

"Well try to get something good done today and try not to think about it,"
he said.

"I have a shift at Petals today," I said. "After that I think I'll just
read a book and relax."

"Sounds good," he said as he cut his eggs and spooned them onto his
toast. "This is good, Beau."

"Thanks," I said as I started to eat my own breakfast.

"You still need to gain weight," he said as he looked me over.

"Yeah, I'm working on it," I said, indicating my heaping plate. Four eggs,
four pieces of toast, double hash browns, six slices of bacon and my very
own glass of milk.

"I see that," he said. "Call the diner today for lunch and have them put it
on my tab."

"Sure thing," I said as I spooned another bite of hash browns mixed with
the eggs into my mouth.

He did not watch me eat my feast. He ate his and got out of there. I
finished mine and cleaned the kitchen. I did the dishes and then went up to
shower and change into my Petals t-shirt and khaki shorts.