Chapter 25 - Veronica

The next time Percy needed a blood transfusion was two weeks after the meeting with Paul, the vampire. My heart was racing as I set it up, and I gave him only half of what I normally would, terrified that it might hurt the baby. If Percy noticed, he didn't comment on it.

At the meeting, after Paul left, I'd cornered Rafael and grilled him on everything he knew about vampires.

"Can I still eat garlic?" I'd asked, genuine panic crawling up my throat at the thought of it. When Rafael laughed, I'd wanted to punch him in the throat, but I assumed that could be due to either my love or garlic, or my pregnancy hormones. Or both.

"Of course," he said, "that's an old wives' tale."

"What about mirrors?"

"Total horseshit," he said, laughing again.

"The sun?"

"You might be a little more sensitive," he says, hand on his chin, "but you're not going to burst into flames. But don't go smoking—that's dangerous."

"Like, in a cancer way?"

"Like, in a, you could burst into flames kind of way."

"Okay. What about the grains of rice thing?"

" What ?"

"Aren't you supposed to be an expert on vampires or something?" I had whispered, pulling him further into the room and talking so quietly that I hoped only another vampire could hear me. "The grains of rice, throw them, and we have to organize them?"

"Where did you hear that?" he asked, bewildered, "I've never heard of that."

"What about the threshold thing?"

"Oh," he said, his face finally growing more serious. "Yeah, actually, that's an ancient curse that keeps vampires from entering somewhere without an invitation. The witch died before anyone could get her to reverse it—I think she had a vamp as a lover and was pissed when he cheated on her."

"You're kidding ."

"Well, the rest of that could all be made up," he admitted, "but yeah, you have to get permission to go over a threshold that doesn't belong to you."

I'd wondered when Percy's apartment started belonging to me, remembering that I'd had to ask for permission the first time to come in. It had felt so natural, goading him for not letting me in. Now, I realize that there were a lot of moments I could go into a room without someone inviting me first.

When I'd noticed Percy staring at me, looking pissed that I was talking to Rafael, I'd told him to leave, and that I would call him.

When we got home that night, Percy showered me with love, telling me that he wanted me to think about staying. It felt out of nowhere and completely expected at the same time.

For the past three weeks, he's been kind, which isn't a huge deviance from his normal behavior. I think he can tell something is bothering me, but he's waiting patiently for me to work through it.

I could tell him. I could tell him about what Rafael said, and about being pregnant, about what Rafael said about me being pregnant. Something that is, by itself, already pretty scary, has elevated into being terrifying in an instant.

As soon as I'd had a moment alone in Percy's apartment, I'd dug out the business card I got from Rafael and dialed his number, tapping my finger impatiently on the table as I waited for him to answer. Just as I thought it was going to ring out, he responded somewhat breathlessly.

"Hello?"

"Rafael?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"It's Veronica."

"Oh, hi, Veronica."

We'd sat on the line for a minute, and I could tell he was waiting for me to speak. I couldn't get a single word out, suddenly.

"Veronica, did you need something?"

I cleared my throat, put a hand to my face, and desperately tried not to cry.

"Sorry," I say, finally, "I just felt like that conversations we had about the whole vampire thing went by too fast, and I just—I was wondering if you could repeat what you said."

"Which part?"

"Just…all of it."

He'd laughed a little, then calmly, patiently gone through everything he said before. At the end of it, I didn't feel any better.

"So," I said, "let's say that one of the people that happened to—whose mother was attacked, like you and I—was pregnant."

"What about it?"

"Well, what do you think would happen."

"The baby would inherit all of the same traits," he says, "which would make the baby very valuable to the vampires. But most of the others are men, and many of them have decided not to have children."

"I see."

Another moment passed, then Rafael's voice came through the line, a bit shaky.

"Veronica," he'd said, pausing again, unsure if he should be asking, "Are you pregnant?"

The word came out before I could stop it, shaking out of me like I'd stumbled and dropped it in front of him.

"Yes," half-sob, half-gasp.

"Can I assume the baby is Percy's?"

"You can assume," I said, still sobbing and gasping a little.

"Veronica, listen to me very closely, okay?" Rafael had said, his voice going from serious to lethal. "You need to tell Percy about the baby and explain to him how important it is that nobody else finds out about this, do you understand? Your baby wouldn't just be the perfect vampire—it will also be part shifter. That will make it a near-unstoppable weapon. Do you understand? Where are you? Veronica?"

I could hear his voice faintly as it echoed from the phone, which I had dropped to the floor, hands shaking so hard I couldn't hold onto it. It was just days since I found out about the pregnancy, and I'd already placed my baby in terrible danger just by allowing it to exist.

Now, I stare at myself in the mirror, taking deep breaths. I'm going to the Halloween party as a pop star this time. I'm wearing a sparkling body suit and high heels, and I have a fat black mic in front of my lips, like I'm Brittney Spears, dancing and singing simultaneously.

As I look at myself in the mirror, I think that I could just leave—I could walk down the stairs, take the keys to Percy's Bronco, get in, and drive until Rosecreek was in my rearview mirror. I could go overseas, get a job as a nurse somewhere else. Get re-certified, take "traveling" nurse to a whole new level.

Rafael's voice echoes in my head, saying I should tell Percy, that he needs to know about the baby, or I could be at serious risk. Part of me wishes Rafael would just tell him. I would be furious, but at least the decision would be out of my hands.

My phone buzzes on the dresser, and I pick it up when I see it's Rosa.

"Hello?

"Hey bitch, where are you? The party is going down here,"

Despite everything running through my mind, I laugh, standing up and grabbing my Sharpie for autographs from my purse.

"I'm on my way," I say, ending the call and hurrying down the steps, taking them carefully in my heels, then wondering if a vampire can even get hurt from falling down the steps.