.Chapter Three.

Deven took in the scene of destruction. The vampire had really chosen badly when it decided to hit this military bar. According to the video footage, which they"d of course confiscated, the attack had happened at one AM when the place was mostly empty. There had been six SEALs and a couple others and the bartender. Even the waitresses had already left.

The victims had been armed and had fought back. The place was riddled with holes, but that hadn"t saved them.

Quinn looked just as frustrated as he felt. "Maybe Theresa can get something from the footage."

He didn"t reply. Their resident hot nerd might be amazing with her tech, but he wasn"t going to hold out hope. The bit he"d seen did not look promising. Each time the assailant was about to enter the frame, the footage went black. If it wasn't recording, he didn"t see how she could make it show the face of their killer.

"Go help Zeven check the rest of the bodies while I talk to the locals."

That meant he"d be making some kind of cover story and turning it over to them. Though what kind of story could explain the slaughter that had happened. Or make sense of these types of wounds or even the fact that experienced armed soldiers had been taken out like children on a playground... Yeah, Quinn better be on his game this morning.

He crossed the room to where his brother was checking one of the last bodies. "Did you mark the wounds?"

Zeven held out a plastic ketchup bottle and squirted a dusting of powder over the neck of the very dead sailor. "Yeah, it still surprises me that this is enough to hide vampire bites."

The salt and acid formula desiccated the flesh and destroyed any remaining vampire DNA evidence including blood and saliva. But it did leave a mess of the wounds. "Yeah, well it gets a heavy helping from Quinn"s ability to spin a yarn." In truth the old man did something to force the cops to believe his story. He could probably tell them they were bunnies, and they"d all start hopping.

"I guess it keeps their science from confirming anything even if they do suspect."

"Right." There didn"t seem to be any useful clues here for them either. Nothing hinted at who the vampire was or where the missing soldier had gone. "I"d better check in." He flipped open his phone and speed dialed the hot nerd.

"What did you find?" Her normally soft voice had a bite to it.

And why did her annoyed question block out the smell of blood and remind him of the mansion they called home?

"Well, was it as bad as expected?" This time her words just sounded frustrated.

There was nothing he could do to soften the blow. "It was as you expected. Other than the victims fighting back better than usual, it was just about exactly like the other sites. What about on your end?"

There was a quiet ping in the background. "Nothing in LA. Sorry."

She was leaving a lot unsaid. "But you did find something?"

"Yes. But it can wait until you guys get back." Something about her voice sounded a little off. As if she was worried about what she found.

"Are you sure? I've got a few minutes if you want to talk it out."

"Thanks, but no. I know you just got there but do you guys have an ETA yet for your return?"

"Not yet." Right about now, he wished he was back there to force her to share whatever it was she was dealing with. Of course, that wasn't going to happen. "Quinn said something about having another stop after we clean up here."

"Gotcha. Safe travels." The phone clicked off before he could even say goodbye.

He'd been about to push for more information. Been trying to think of some way he could help her from so far away. Why was he even a little surprised? She was always like this. Way too stubborn.

* * *

Quinn finished with the police officials. From the looks of it, Deven and Zeven were done with their tasks too. He"d hoped they would find more clues on tracking down the master vampire, but nothing here had helped at all.

The frustration made him irritable.

And hungry.

He glanced toward their car. He didn"t need to say anything to Deven. The boy would be watching for any change in his body language. Before he"d taken half a dozen steps, Deven fell into stride beside him. And Zeven to the other side just a step later.

With Deven in the driver"s seat and Zeven beside him, that left his usual place in the back. The motor on the rental started smoothly, and they were moving out. Deven asked, "Back to the airport or to the hotel? Or is that side trip in a different direction?"

Should he really take them along where he needed to go? It was a part of his life that he"d never exposed them to. Not even Deven had met his sister, Bella.

"The sun will be up soon."

"Head to Malibu. We should make it before the sun comes up."

Deven accepted the plan immediately guiding the car smoothly through the city toward the freeway. "Zeven, grab the map from my bag. And toss the sunscreen back to Quinn."

He smiled. Even the strongest sunscreen wouldn"t provide complete protection, but it could help if he only needed to be in the sun for a few minutes. It was sweet that the boy always packed supplies only he would need. And he always made a point of keeping track of sunrise and any other potential threats. He was kind. And it might be a little egotistical but maybe he"d helped the boy learn that kindness.

"Where are we going?" This was from Zeven. It was something he"d noticed from the first day he"d joined them. Zeven always insisted on knowing every detail of planned missions. At first, he"d thought it was a lack of trust, but it proved to be something more genuine. If he was questioned, he would have a dozen escape plans in place. Options that provided for the safety of everyone on the mission.

This trip wasn"t going to be as clear cut as they usually faced. "Malibu is home to a long-term resident master vampire and considering the nearness to the crime scene, a visit may prove valuable."

"Could this individual be our target? Is there any more you can tell us?" Zeven"s questions were valid, but he wasn"t sure how to best word his answer.

"I don"t expect this visit to turn violent. She has been peacefully settled in this area for a couple hundred years." He hesitated.

"That"s a pretty thin stack of details. Care to elaborate?"

How much more should he tell the boys? The three of them had wandered around America since the 1700"s but when Bella had first seen the Pacific Ocean, she found where she wanted to stay. And somehow, she"d managed to make a peaceful and safe home for herself.

Deven still hadn"t asked anything. He"d probably pieced together enough information over the years to have a basic understanding of who they were about to visit. But surely, he had plenty of questions as well.

Just in case he was wrong, the boys did need to know more. It wouldn't be fair to walk them into Bella's territory blind. "I haven"t been keeping anything a particular secret. But she and I have a very long history."

"How long?" Zeven asked.

"Since we were human. The demon that took my humanity, took hers and her brother"s as well. We lived and traveled together for centuries. I think of them both as my siblings." That might very well be the bare minimum that he could tell, but even that felt dangerous. "I"m sorry for not talking about my past but it was quite a long time ago and has little effect on present times."

"It"s your past. Of course, it matters to us." Deven said. There was no accusation to his tone. But there was a touch of yearning. It made sense that Deven would want to know more about him. They"d been together for seventy years and he knew about everything there was to know about the boy. He"d just always felt like his life with Deven had given him a new beginning.

"Bella Rousseau was like a sister to me. But I have not spoken with her in a few years. She has not responded to recent letters."

Deven accelerated to go around slower traffic and then asked, "Letters? Why not just call her?"

"Perhaps years was not the right frame of time. The last time we spoke in person was before telephones became common. Before I met you, Deven. Old habits are slow to change. I know she's had a phone since they became popular. And I made sure to get one once we settled down in one location. However, letters seemed adequate for us until a decade ago when her replies stopped."

"That is more than a few years. Are you sure about where she lives? Are you sure she is still there?"

"No, but we will soon know the truth." He"d actually suggested exchanging phone numbers years back, but Bella had refused. He had managed to track down a listed number for her vineyard, but it was registered under a different name.

"Shit." Zeven"s response was muttered under his breath, but it did strike home the fear of what they might find when they reached Bella"s Malibu estate.

What if he'd been wrong? Should he have stayed in touch better? What if she had come to harm? No, he needed to stay calm. He would surely sense it if she had passed away. Had there been anything strange about the last letter he"d received? There hadn't been anything in particular that had caused worry. He'd forgotten the details. The letter had been focused on sharing news about some of the humans who lived at the vineyard. At the time he"d just been happy to hear from her.

Deven raised his speed on the highway. "Are you still in touch with her brother?"

"No, he travels around a lot."

"When was your last contact with him?" Deven"s voice was flat. It was the voice he used during interrogations.

How irritating, that the boy thought he could interrogate him. He swallowed back the pointless anger. Deven wasn"t trying to be disrespectful. He couldn"t help falling into the routine of fishing for details when he faced someone clearly hiding something. He sighed. Was there any reason to hold back anything at this point? "Georgie has been wandering around various universities around the world. He"s not good at staying in touch. The last time we spoke in person was at Bella"s home more than a hundred years ago."

Deven grumbled, "I"m sure you would have mentioned them sooner if you felt they were related to any of our cases."

He should have told Deven about them long before the case ever happened. In hindsight it had clearly been an attempt to leave his own past behind. Maybe that was also why he'd not reached out to Bella recently.

"Are they important to you?"

"Yes, very much so." Even if he shared every second of the hundreds of years he'd spent with Bella and Georgie, he still wouldn't be able to explain how deeply they were bound together. "They are my family as much as you are."

Seconds stretched out into several minutes of silence. When Deven finally spoke, his voice was low and calm. "If they are that important to you, then I"d like to meet them."

The mountains to their right were starting to hint at the glow of sunrise. The drive was taking a little longer than he"d hoped. Would they reach her estate before the sun fully rose? He looked out over the shoreline to the left. Human eyes might not penetrate the near dark, but he was easily able to make out the reflection of the stars on the waves as they broke on the beach. It was beautiful.

There was too much salt in sea water to be any fun for a vampire. He"d often asked Bella why she would choose such a strange location for a home. She"d said there was more to the sea than just the salt. At the time he hadn"t understood. But her letters that followed afterward had introduced him to the beauty of the area. Not only in the elemental nature but more so about how the people loved the shore and the sea. And how they were all happier when building sandcastles or playing in the splashing waves.

The only blessing he"d ever found in the sea... was Deven.

"I think we"re here."

Deven turned the car off the main road and two turns later onto a paved road that wove up a slight slope between field after field of grape vines. Just as they turned the last corner and the sprawling house came into sight, sharp bright light peeked over the horizon. "Careful, the sun is officially up."

More than the burning brightness, it was the weight to his limbs and the despair in his soul that kept him vigilant. It was the reminder that God now rejected his very existence. That he"d become something that shouldn"t be.

"She has a covered entrance." Their car glided smoothly into the shadowed protection.

"It"s called a Porte Cochere. Perhaps we should add one to the house." All of their own vehicles were treated with sun blocking technology. And even on the brightest of days he had installed pull down screens. His day-to-day life was rarely impacted by the threat of the deadly rays. But now and then when he had to leave his own protected setting, the point was driven home that his life too was merely a temporary state, just like everyone else.

"Looks like we"re about to be greeted."

"Or possibly turned away." The two men who stood between the car and the house entrance were not imposing. Young, honey-colored and well-toned, they were dressed in nothing but swim shorts and didn"t seem to have any weapons. But they appeared to be very well trained.

One came forward and reached for the handle of the back door to let him out. "You can park where you are. Please come inside."

The clear invitation made him smile a little. How many of the vampire myths claimed they needed an invitation to enter a home. The two boys at the entrance might not have even been born yet, but he'd been inside this house more than a few times in the past. And even if he hadn't been, only sanctified land would repel his kind.

He waited until both boys had exited the car, then he did so as well while they quickly adjusted their less conspicuous weapons. Then he followed the guide inside. The entrance opened up into a grand foyer. It wasn"t as opulent as he"d expected. Bella had always overindulged in extravagant decor. But this version of her home was more comfortable. The hacienda style walls were painted with earth tone murals. Only a few framed portraits of modest sizes were scattered around. All were of Bella either alone or with various others.

Showing off her unageing beauty might not seem wise but she"d been living here safely for a long time. Her family must accept her in every way.

There was even one painting of him and Bella. Deven froze in place to stare up at it. That at least explained why they had welcomed him inside without even asking his name.

They were guided to a relaxed sitting room off to the right. "Please wait here and I"ll bring Madeline to speak with you. The windows are treated so the rising sun shouldn't be a problem."

"I came to speak with Bella."

"Perhaps, but Madeline can tell you more." He nodded and slipped out of the room. The other greeter had stayed just outside the door, and he continued to wait there.

"Are you sure this is a friendly visit?" Zeven asked as he moved around the room and checked out the eight foot windows that were built around three sides of the large room.

"Her people have made no obvious threats. Unless they raise arms against us, we are here on friendly terms." Bella had always been a stickler for polite interactions. She'd once told him that if the rulers of the world could remember proper etiquette, then all wars could be avoided. "Be sure to keep your hands off your weapons and try to relax."

"Does it matter? The guards at the entrance didn"t even have weapons."

"It matters. Everyone here is her family. She will not accept insult or injury to even one of them." The guards had been human. Even well trained they'd have a hard time holding their own against either of the Valàfrn boys.

Deven settled into one of the plush chairs. "Good to know there are others like you, old man."

"Leave your comments about age out as well. There was a time that she was sensitive to such discussions."

A petite girl glided into the room. She moved directly to him without so much as glancing at either of the boys. "Quinn, I presume?" She had long curly black hair and soft milk chocolate skin, with midnight eyes that pierced right through him as if she knew every detail of his existence.

He was thrown off by her exotic beauty and the strong scent of lavender and almost forgot the question. "Yes."

She caught his hand and held it between hers for a long moment. "I"m sure you"ve come to visit our Bella, but that won"t be possible."

He arched a brow to ask the obvious question.

She released his hand and continued, "Bella won't be able to speak with you. She has been asleep for most of the last two years."

"Asleep?" What could that mean? He'd heard of some older vampires who fell into a coma like state, but he'd only ever heard of that happening after a great injury. "Was she hurt?"

"As best we can tell, she experienced no injury. She just rested for longer and longer until it became how she is now. She does not seem to be suffering."

Something about the girl's carefully guarded expression slipped just a little. She wasn't nearly as blasé about Bella's state as she tried to appear. "But you are worried."

"Of course."

"I"d still like to see her." He pushed a tiny thread of command into his voice. If the girl was only human as she seemed, she would not be able to resist the power.

Her gaze locked on his. "For what purpose? Can you help her? Can you change anything?"

He didn"t have an answer. Despite his need to see Bella, he didn't want to outright lie about his reason. Offering the girl any kind of hope wasn't likely to be a kindness. "My need to see her is completely selfish. Bella is like a sister to me and if she is struggling, I wish to support her in any way I can, even if it just means sitting by her side and holding her hand for a short while."

"That doesn"t sound very selfish." She glanced at Deven and Zeven almost dismissingly. "Follow me."