A Trail of Echoes (A Shade of Vampire #18)(34)

I had a suspicion that he might have already finished the container of my blood while he’d been waiting, perhaps more out of nerves than necessity.

Derek and Sofia looked from Ben to me, then back to Ben.

Then they both asked:

“What happened to you?”

Chapter 23: Ben

It would have been less painful not to see my parents, but I could hardly expect them to not come running when River told them how she got here. My gut clenched as soon as my father came within proximity. It was a harrowing feeling. Had River not been here with me, there would have been nothing stopping me from launching at him and trying to sink my fangs into his throat. It was a chilling reminder of the monster I’d become, and why I so desperately needed to find a solution.

Why is my father a human? The question kept running through my mind, more out of fear than curiosity.

When my parents asked what had happened to me all this time, I was not sure how to answer. I felt extremely uncomfortable standing so close to my father, even with River by my side.

“I’ve been… all over.”

“Start from the beginning,” my father said.

The beginning. It seemed like an age had passed since I’d first left The Shade on the submarine, hoping against hope that my lust for human blood would subside and I would able to stomach animal blood. Those days of optimism, when I’d thought that I might still learn to control myself around humans, had long passed.

“I understand why you choose not to set foot on the island,” my mother said, “but why don’t you come and sit in our boat? It’ll be more comfortable than standing on this roof.”

I was still nervous about getting any closer to my father. But I figured that if River sat on my lap, I would be okay. Besides, Eli and my mother were here to help restrain me if something did go horribly wrong.

My father, mother and Eli stepped onto the boat before me, and then I followed with River, both of us keeping to the far end of the vessel. I pulled River onto my lap, practically smothering her again. I realized how odd this must have looked to my parents.

“River is a half-blood,” I said, clenching my jaw and trying to steady my breathing. “That means that she is half human, half vampire. Mom and Eli, I’m sure you can smell that her blood is not at all appealing. Because it’s spiked with vampire venom. River is the reason I’m not launching at you now, Dad.” I cast my father a glance.

“How did River become a half-blood?” he asked, frowning in confusion. “And how did you two meet?”

I started from the beginning. They all remained quiet as I told them my story, from the night I’d left The Shade, to floating in the ocean in the submarine, to the murders that I’d committed on land, to meeting Jeramiah and my time spent in The Oasis, and finally our bizarre journey back to the island.

They all looked dumbstruck by the time I was finished.

“Lucas had a son,” my father said, his jaw hanging open. I wasn’t sure how much he had absorbed of my story after I’d revealed Jeramiah’s identity. He seemed stunned by this news—just as I had been when I had first found out. “I mean,” he continued, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Lucas was incorrigible when it came to young women even before he became a bloodsucker. But for him to have a son who is still alive today as a vampire… I never would have dreamt it.”

My mother seemed more concerned by the tattoos etched into my and River’s arms. She eyed us worriedly.

“Are the tattoos hurting you right now?” she asked.

“Mine isn’t hurting… It’s giving off a mild prickling sensation. What about you, River?” I asked.

“Mine isn’t hurting either,” River replied. “Just a prickling.”

“And the voices in your head, Ben?” my mother said. “Do you hear them now?”

I shook my head. “Not at the moment.”

“Half-bloods…” Eli muttered, his eyes fixed on River. “I have never heard of such a concept.”

“Somehow, Jeramiah and his coven discovered that it was possible,” I said. “They keep many half-bloods as slaves, though they make lovers out of them too. They are not as strong as vampires, but they are longer-lasting companions than humans—immortal, apparently.”

They continued asking me questions to clarify various parts of my story, and finally I found the opportunity to state the actual reason for my return.

“I came back only because of River. I need you to take her to the witches and try to find a cure for her. Her home is in New York and she wants to return to her family there. Assuming the witches find a cure, one of them needs to transport her back home. And if they can’t… Then I guess she’s going to have to stay here with you in The Shade. It’s the only safe place for her.”

“But where would you go from here, Ben?” my mother asked. “It’s such a different world out there now. Did you see those ships?”

“Yes.”

“They’re hunter ships, in case you didn’t guess,” my father said, grimacing toward the vessels beyond the boundary. “Also, I’m not sure if you’re aware that your killing in Chile was caught on camera. It was broadcast all over mainstream television.”

My jaw dropped. I had been trapped in The Oasis for so long, I hadn’t exactly had a chance to follow the news. “It was broadcast on television?”