Phantom Shadows

Page 64

Seth’s brows drew down into a deep V. Opening his fingers, he let Marcus drop.
Seth could read one’s thoughts, feel one’s emotions, see one’s past. All would have confirmed that Marcus had never bitten her.
Marcus stumbled when his boots hit the ground, but managed to remain upright. He did not, however, begin to breathe again. Seth’s grip had wrought too much damage.
“David,” Ami begged, “please.”
David didn’t look at Seth as he wrapped midnight fingers around Marcus’s throat to heal him.
Air whooshed into Marcus’s mouth and filled his lungs.
When David withdrew his touch, Marcus bent over and breathed deeply for a long moment. In and out. In and out.
The bedroom’s doorbell rang.
Darnell crossed to the door and opened it a crack.
Étienne, Lisette, Tracy, Sheldon, Yuri, Stanislov, Ethan, and Edward all stood out in the hallway, expressions uncertain.
Étienne cleared his throat. “Everything all right in there?”
“Yes,” Darnell said, deadpan. “Why do you ask?”
Étienne pointed to the ceiling. “Because the house is about to collapse around us.”
Everyone in the quiet room looked to Seth.
Seth closed his eyes and drew in several deep, calming breaths.
The rumbling quieted. The quaking ceased.
Darnell addressed the others. “We’re fine. Thanks.”
Étienne was opening his mouth to speak when Darnell closed the door in their faces and leaned back against it.
“Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Marcus demanded and turned to Seth. “Who told you I bit Ami?”
“I did,” Darnell said.
“It was a misunderstanding,” she interjected, her body beginning to tremble. Marcus would be devastated when she told him.
Marcus looked around, face full of confusion. “A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding?” He drew in another deep breath. “And what the hell is that smell? Did someone vomit in here or something?”
“I did,” Ami admitted.
Brow furrowing, Marcus moved to stand in front of her and cupped her face in his big hands. “I knew something was off earlier. What’s the matter, honey? Are you sick?”
“Ami doesn’t get sick,” David pronounced.
Marcus gave him an irritated glance. “Clearly, she does.”
“No,” Seth added, “she doesn’t.”
Marcus met Ami’s gaze, not yet understanding.
“Tell him,” Darnell murmured.
“I’m infected,” she whispered, tears again welling and spilling over her lashes.
Marcus stilled, his face draining of color. “What?”
“I’m transforming.”
“That’s impossible. You can’t be. I’ve never bitten you.”
“Was it a vampire?” Darnell asked.
Marcus’s eyes flashed amber. “A vampire bit you? When?”
“No. No vampire bit me.”
“Then who infected you?”
Ami stared up at him, saying nothing.
David suddenly swore, then Seth.
“What?” Darnell asked, frowning at them.
Seth dragged a hand down over his face. “Please tell me you use condoms, Marcus.”
“Of course I don’t,” he said, confusion crinkling his forehead. “Why would I need to? Our sperm die as soon as we ejaculate and the virus dies with them.”
“In a human female, yes,” David said. “But Ami isn’t human and her body possesses remarkable regenerative properties. If her body kept the sperm from dying, then . . .”
“I infected her?” Marcus concluded, his horrified gaze returning to Ami. “I infected you?”
She bit her lip. “It was an accident.”
“Do you think that matters to me?” he nearly shouted. Yanking her to him, he wrapped his arms around her in a crushing embrace fraught with fear. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just put it together today and—”
“You knew when I left.”
“I wasn’t completely sure until I threw up. I’ve never done that before. And I’m running a fever and . . . I didn’t know my sense of smell had become so acute until you told me you were surprised I could smell Tracy’s deodorant,” she told him, hugging him back. “I didn’t want to believe it.”
“You idiot!” Darnell shouted at Marcus. “How could you be so fucking stupid?”
“Darnell!” Ami bit out. “I said it was an accident!”
“Stepping on your toe is an accident, Ami,” Darnell protested. “Spilling your tea is an accident. This is fucking stupidity!” he bellowed, his fear for her plain.
Not wanting Marcus to condemn himself even more, Ami jumped to his defense, bickering with Darnell while Marcus silently held her, face buried in the crook of her neck, squeezing her tighter and tighter until his grip bordered on pain.
“Wait,” Seth said suddenly.
Ami and Darnell fell silent.
“Ami, what are your symptoms again?”
She saw a look pass between him and David.
“Fever. Nausea. Vomiting. Fatigue. A heightened sense of smell.”
Again, he and David shared a look.
“Everyone be quiet for a moment,” Seth commanded.
No one said a word.
A minute passed, during which Seth didn’t move.
David suddenly sucked in a breath. His eyes widened.
“You hear it?” Seth asked him.
“Yes.”
Marcus straightened. Keeping one arm around Ami, he faced the elder immortals. “Hear what?”
“Ami,” Seth said, “you aren’t infected with the virus.”
“I’m not?” Relief suffused her . . . until she realized they did not look relieved. “Then, what is it?”
David drew her gaze. “You’re pregnant.”
For the first time in a month, Melanie felt only happiness. She adored Bastien and felt so loved in return. They grew closer every day. They were going to marry.
And now they had their own home. No more watching every word spoken outside their bedroom because anyone could be listening. And would.
As Bastien guided her Chevy up the last stretch of a very long drive, the headlights fell upon a lovely one-story home. Melanie was still getting used to the way color appeared at night with her newly enhanced vision, but thought it was tan or some similar pale earth tone with white trim and dark shutters. Solar panels on the roof reflected the light of the moon overhead. A quaint front porch . . . was occupied.
Seth sat on the steps leading up to it.
Bastien pulled the car up close to the garage and parked.
As they exited the car and crunched their way up the gravel path, Seth rose.
He seemed . . . very somber. Or upset. His eyes were glowing a faint, entrancing gold.
“What’s up?” Bastien asked. He touched a hand to Melanie’s back.
Melanie leaned into his side.
“We have a situation.”
Oh, no. Not Cliff, she thought. Please, not Cliff. He’s been doing so well.
“It isn’t Cliff,” Seth told her.
“Then what is it?” Bastien asked.
Seth hesitated. His long hair, usually neatly combed and confined by a leather tie, was loose and disheveled as if he had run his hands through it repeatedly. “I’m betraying a confidence here. But I need your help.”
Melanie glanced up at Bastien. Judging by his puckered brow, he was picking up on their leader’s anxiety, too. “We’ll do whatever we can,” she said.
Bastien seconded her vow. “What is it? What’s happened?”
Seth drew in a deep breath. “Ami is pregnant.”
The stark declaration sent shock rippling through Melanie. Beside her, Bastien stopped breathing.
“I thought immortals were incapable of impregnating a mortal,” she said slowly.
Seth’s lips stretched in a tight smile that held no amusement. “Ami isn’t your ordinary mortal.”
“That moron!” Bastien blurted, face darkening with fury. “Of all the half-witted, imbecilic, numbnutted things to do! Didn’t he use condoms?”
“No. He thought it unnecessary because technically she’s mortal.”
“She isn’t human!” Bastien bellowed. “She heals at an accelerated rate! Did he never think that—”
Seth held up a hand. “He didn’t.”
Melanie studied the men. “Are you worried that Ami has become infected with the virus? Or are you worried that the fetus is infected?”
“Both,” Seth confided. “I can’t smell the virus on her, but . . . because her physiology is different . . . on her I may not be able to.”
Melanie understood their concern. There was no way of anticipating what the virus would do to her, if it would transform her or kill her. Make her vampire or immortal. And an infant . . .
Would the virus keep it from developing properly? From aging?
And what of Ami’s origins? Would a fetus that resulted from gifted one DNA and alien DNA combining be . . . healthy?
“How are they taking it?” she asked.
Seth shook his head. “Marcus is devastated and is doing his damnedest to hide it because Ami is thrilled. The primary reason she came here was because a virus used as a bioweapon by people from another solar system has rendered an overwhelming majority of the women on her planet either infertile or unable to carry a baby to term. Births are extremely rare on her home world, so . . . yeah. She’s excited.”
Bastien swore. “She doesn’t understand.”
“No,” Seth agreed, “she doesn’t.”
“You have to tell her,” Melanie said. “She deserves to know the truth.”
Seth met her gaze. “Would you talk to her? Examine her?”
“I don’t think she’ll—”