Mara leaned forward, her hair falling around the two of them like a black velvet curtain. “That is exactly what I had in mind.”
Chapter Six
Pearl Jackson leaned back in her chair and swirled the wine in her glass. “I’m bored.”
“You’re always bored,” Edna replied, refilling her own glass.
“Well, can you blame me? It’s been years since we had any fun.” Pearl sipped her wine. “Do you ever wonder what happened to Mara’s baby? He’d be a grown man now. Do you think he turned into a vampire?”
Edna shrugged. “I don’t know. What difference does it make?”
“None, I guess. But aren’t you the least bit curious to know if he survived?”
Edna stared at her friend. “What made you think of him after all this time?”
“I don’t know, dear. I was just sitting here reminiscing about the past, thinking about how drastically our lives have changed.”
Edna snorted. “Changed? That’s putting it mildly, don’t you think? If it hadn’t been for Rafe turning us, we’d both be long dead by now.”
“True.” Pearl sighed. “I’d be a hundred and six and you’d be . . .”
“Never mind! Age is a number, and mine is unlisted.”
Pearl shook her head. “You always were secretive about your age. I never understood why. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Maybe not, but saying it out loud . . .” Edna shook her head. “It just sounds so old. If I don’t say it, then I can pretend I’m still young.”
“Well, then, I guess it’s a good thing you can’t see your face in a mirror!”
Edna glared at her, then burst out laughing.
After a moment, Pearl laughed, too. She and Edna Mae Turner had shared a room in the maternity ward in a Texas hospital decades ago. They had hit it off instantly and had been the best of friends, both as mortals and vampires, ever since.
“So,” Edna said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “What do you want to do?”
“Let’s go find Mara’s son.”
“Are you out of your hundred-and-six-year-old mind? If Mara finds out we’re looking for him, you’ll never see a hundred and seven!”
“Oh, pshaw. I’m sure she’s over it by now, dear.”
“We helped Dr. Ramsden kidnap her son,” Edna said dryly. “Mothers don’t get over things like that.”
“Aren’t you the least bit curious to see if the boy went fanged or furry?”
Edna frowned, then exclaimed, “Oh! His father’s latent werewolf gene!”
“Exactly. Derek carries it, too.”
“I wonder if he shifts during the full moon?” Edna wondered aloud.
“Even if he does, I shouldn’t think it would be a big deal. I mean, vampires can already shape-shift,” Pearl said, and then frowned. “Vamp or wolf, how will we ever find him? We don’t know where he lives. Or if he’s even in the country. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Damn, it was such a good idea, too!”
“I know how to find him,” Edna said, warming to the idea.
“You do?”
“I drank from him, don’t you remember?”
“That was years ago, dear, when he was a baby.” Pearl shifted in her chair, then crossed her ankles. “Why, he must be twenty-five or twenty-six by now. Do you think the bond is still effective?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Well, you’ve never used it. I don’t know how long such a bond lasts when it’s just one-sided. I know it’s different if there’s a blood exchange.”
“It could be a moot point,” Edna mused. “For all we know, the boy could be dead.”
Pearl shook her head. “Always looking at the negative.”
“I’m just being practical,” Edna retorted. “Do you think Mara knows about the werewolf gene?”
“I doubt it, unless the boy’s shifted.” Pearl slapped her hand on her knee. “Come on, it will be an adventure. I’m tired of sitting around doing nothing. Even if we never find him, at least it’ll give us something to do. A purpose! A quest! Are you with me?”
“Of course I am,” Edna retorted with a smug smile. “You won’t find him without me.” She paused a moment before saying, “We never did avenge Travis’s death.”
Pearl nodded. Lou McDonald had destroyed Travis years ago. Pearl had fully intended to avenge her grandson’s death, but, what with one thing or another, it had never happened. But it wasn’t too late, she thought, grinning. Thanks to Rafe Cordova, if there was one thing she had plenty of, it was time.