A Trail of Echoes(45)

I was still in too much shock to see her as a vampire. My brain was too flooded with my own questions and doubts, I was struggling to make room for hers.

“You’re a vampire,” I repeated, staring at her, dumbstruck. “Mom or Dad turned you?”

She shook her head. “Caleb did. But what—?”

“Are you able to drink animal blood?” I asked, gripping her shoulders.

“Yes,” she said impatiently. “The reason I turned was because I wanted to find out if I would have the same problem as you. And I don’t, Ben. I can stomach nonhuman blood.”

My lips parted, her words sinking in.

Then what is wrong with me?

Caleb stepped out onto the deck of the boat Rose had just leapt from.

He smiled at me. “Hello, Benjamin.”

“Hello, brother-in-law,” I said.

Rose’s eyes sparkled. “How come you know?”

“I’ve already spoken to Mom and Dad. They filled me in on everything that’s happened since I left. Congratulations.” I pulled my sister in for another hug and kissed her cool forehead. “I hate that I missed your wedding.”

“I hate it too,” Rose said, looking hurt. “You’ve no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

Rose’s gaze traveled to River, who was sitting up on the blankets and watching us.

“Who are you?” Rose asked.

“This is River,” I said, reaching a hand down to River and pulling her up to stand next to me. “She’s my friend.” I was about to add that she was also a half-blood, but that would just invite another onslaught of questions, and I still had a huge backlog to start answering.

And so the four of us gathered on Rose and Caleb’s boat and sat around on the deck. I started my story from the very beginning and told it through to the end for my sister and Caleb. They displayed similar reactions to my parents, asking the same questions and looking concerned when River and I showed them our tattoos.

It was strange to have been away from my sister for so long. It had been the longest separation in our life. We’d both had such different experiences, and grown in different ways apart from each other.

I understood why she had wanted to turn into a vampire. And I also understood why my parents hadn’t wanted to turn her. After what had happened to me, I wouldn’t have wanted her undergoing the risk either. But my sister wasn’t one to shy away from danger or risk. Although it unnerved me that something was so different about me, it didn’t bother me as much as it should have, because we had a plan now. I was going to become a half-blood.

A part of me was actually grateful that Rose had turned. I’d been dreading our meeting because I’d feared how much her blood would call to me. Now that she was a vampire, I could relax around her.

Once I’d come to the end, Rose walked over to River and kissed her cheek. “Welcome to The Shade,” she said, squeezing her hand.

“Thank you.” River beamed. I could see that my sister’s gesture meant a lot to her.

“No, thank you for helping my brother.”

From the glance Rose gave me as she sat back down in her seat, I could tell that she’d already figured out that I felt more for River than just friendship.

“So,” Caleb said, looking at me, “the plan is for you to turn back into a human today?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“And then turn into a half-blood.”

“How soon that happens will depend on how soon we’re able to get a…” My voice trailed off. My eyes shot toward my sister. “Rose, you could half-turn me.”





Chapter 27: Rose





My eyes widened as I stared at my brother. “Are you serious? I—I only just turned. I don’t feel confident that I wouldn’t just rip out your throat.”

“The only vampire who can turn me is one who was just newly turned,” Ben replied. “You need to try for me, Rose. You don’t have the problem around humans that I do, you’ll be as good as anyone.”

I looked at Caleb nervously then back to my brother. “Once you’re a human, I… I’ll think about it,” I said.

“Your parents are here,” River said, looking toward the Port.

I spun around to see that she was right. My mother and father were sailing toward us on a boat.

“Oh, no,” I murmured, “Dad’s a human.” The first human I encountered in The Shade and wanted to suck dry was my own father. I clutched Caleb’s knee, then looked toward my brother and River. He had reached for her and sat her on his knee as he looked out toward our parents approaching in the boat.

“You’re going to be okay,” Caleb said to me. “You are strong enough to control yourself now.”