Deception (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 3) (23 page)

I thought about it, and Crystal was right. Angelica had always worn long sleeves. Even when her dresses had plunging necklines, the sleeves went right to her wrists.

‘Oh … I feel so stupid, Crystal. I’m sorry I didn’t trust your judgement, I just thought she had you fooled.’

Again, I could see that Mom and Debs were even more confused than I was. I quickly told them about the day we’d gone to the Dandenongs, and the suspicions both Claire and I’d had. Mom gave me this look, like I’d been naughty, and just shook her head slightly.

‘Like I said, Lili, Angelica wasn’t fooling me, or anyone else. But as it turns out, we were all being deceived, just not by her.’

‘So, who
was
deceiving us then, if it wasn’t Angelica?’ I asked.

‘It was Rebekah.’

‘Who’s this Rebekah,’ asked Mom and Debs at the same time.

‘Rebekah? As in Tom’s girlfriend Rebekah?’ I asked, turning toward Mom and Debs with a questioning look on my face.

‘Yes. All that business about being cultured … and teaching Sam and Tom how to drink people’s blood without killing them … it was all just a lie so that we would allow her to stay.’

‘How do you know … I mean, what gave her away?’

‘As I said, Michael saw her too—in the gardens, just standing there while the rest of us were fighting. He didn’t have time to do anything right then, obviously. But when the fight was over, and she was nowhere to be found, he sent Tom to look for her. It took Tom several days, but he found her, and brought her to Michael.’

‘Oh … so that explains why they weren’t here for Christmas. So, all that time I’d been thinking Angelica was lying to us, it was really Rebekah?’

‘Yes, it was Rebekah. Michael questioned her until he got most of the story from her. You know, she was the one that told me we were being watched. She kept at me, gradually building my suspicions until I was looking over my shoulders constantly. She may even have been using potions on me at that stage … something to increase the paranoia. And of course, the others believed me when I said I was worried … why wouldn’t they? But all along it was just that she wanted to get us all under the one roof so she could keep an eye on us and hear everything we spoke about. She admitted her connection to Zunios, and that she’d been reporting back to Zunios with everything she learned. She’d been lying to all of us, and using her potions to control us. She used a love potion on Tom, and she used confusion potions on the rest of us.’

‘Potions? Like, in food or drinks? How … I mean, Sam and Tom … well, they don’t really eat or drink.’

‘It was something to do with our clothes. She was putting potions onto the fabric that soaked into our skin—around the collars.’

‘Wow, who’d have ever guessed that? And did you say she was reporting to Zunios?’

‘Yes. You see, she was Buck’s wife, and it seems Zunios had promised both of them great power if they helped him. Zunios had gone to America when he left here after Mardukian and Anubinse were destroyed. That’s where he met Buck and Rebekah. Zunios taught them about the potions and then sent them here—to annoy us mostly. They weren’t trying to kill us, just make things … uncomfortable … for all of us. As a payback for what we did to him.’

‘So Rebekah was Buck’s wife? Poor Tom—being duped like that. But I didn’t think Rebekah was American. I mean, she had some sort of accent, didn’t she?’

‘I don’t know, Lili. Did she? Or was that just a further part of her deception?’

‘What, putting on a fake accent? Why bother, I don’t get it.’

‘No, I don’t either. But who knows what was going on in her twisted mind. Maybe she worked on the theory that if Buck got caught there would be less of a link to him? I really don’t know—it’s just a thought.’

‘I still can’t believe it. So, it was Rebekah, not Angelica … all this time. And she was just using Tom.’

Then it hit me. Why Sam had been so distant around me. Confusion potions, that’s what Crystal had called it. She’d been drugging him. And the problem with his phone—maybe she’d messed that up too. She certainly had access to it, there at the house. Oh, if only I’d not focused so much on how strange Angelica was, maybe I’d have seen through Rebekah.

‘I’m sorry, but who is Buck?’ asked Debs, breaking my train of thought.

‘You mean, who was Buck,’ replied Crystal. ‘He was destroyed by Michael a few months ago. He led a band of vampires that were very hard for us to catch—we couldn’t detect them until they’d killed a human. It made it very hard, but in the end we got them all. Or at least, we thought we did at the time. Buck talked—under questioning by Michael. But he never said anything about being connected to Rebekah … or Zunios.’

Debs rested her elbows on the table, then put one hand on each side of her face and shook her head. ‘I had no idea what you’ve been up against. And here I thought you spent your days just visiting the elderly, and looking beautiful. I’m so … in awe … I suppose that’s the word I’m looking for.’

I shook my head, still not quite able to put everything together. ‘But who was this Bartholomew? I mean, you said Zunios sent Buck and Rebekah over to mess with everyone … but how did this Bartholomew character fit into things? Did Rebekah say who he was and why he was here?’

‘Yes. Bartholomew was Buck’s brother. When Buck was destroyed, Rebekah told Zunios. He obviously mentioned it to Bartholomew, who then came over to avenge his brother’s destruction. Bartholomew was very powerful, and intended to kill all of us.’

‘Ah … so it was Bartholomew that started that last fight. And Rebekah standing on the sidelines … she probably wasn’t sure which side would win, so she just stayed out of it.’

‘Yes, I think that may have been exactly what she was doing—hedging her bets so to speak. She had nowhere to go after Buck was destroyed, so she stayed on with Tom. But if Bartholomew had won on the day, she’d probably have joined allegiance with him after that.’

Mom looked at me, and there was concern in her eyes. ‘I don’t pretend that I follow everything that’s been said here, but my God Lili, any wonder you were afraid to bring Ceylona back here when she was just an infant. But even for you … is it safe, really?’

‘It’s my home, Mom. And Sam’s … and I won’t leave him ever again,’ I said, staring at Mom, steeling myself so as to not show any sign of weakness.

‘I know this is your home. And I suppose I can understand how you feel, but Lili … I’d so rather have you come back home with me.’

‘Sam will protect me… as will Crystal, and Michael, and Tom.’ I turned to Crystal, and she smiled and nodded.

Crystal then turned to look at Mom, then back at me. ‘I suppose now might be a good time to talk about the baby.’

‘Baby?’ I asked, staring at her.

‘Yes. I suppose with all that’s happened, you possibly haven’t even noticed the changes in your body.’

‘No, I certainly haven’t. I’m expecting again?’ I looked at Crystal, then at Mom. Crystal was serious, and Mom was smiling tentatively.

‘Yes. It’s a very strong, healthy heartbeat too. I didn’t notice it on Christmas day either, so it must have happened after that,’ Crystal replied.

I’m sure I blushed, remembering the passionate evening with Sam … New Year’s Eve … when we both reached the conclusion that he hadn’t been changed by Ceylona’s tears after all. We had thrown caution to the wind that night, that’s for sure.

‘New Year’s Eve,’ I replied, sheepishly.

‘So, the eleventh of February then, give or take a day or two,’ replied Crystal.

We all just sat there, looking at each other. I couldn’t tell who was happiest as everyone’s emotions seemed to change as rapidly as mine were.

‘Will you go back to Mladen’s?’ Mom finally asked.

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Do you think I’d be allowed to come with you?’ asked Debs, excitement written all over her face.

I looked at Crystal, and she nodded, then answered for me. ‘I don’t see why not, given what you know, and who you are.’

Mom looked at me with disappointment written all over her face. ‘I wish I could go with you, but I’ll get fired for sure if I don’t get back to work on Monday. Oh, Lili, another grandchild.’

‘Alan. I’ll name him Alan, if that’s okay with you, Mom. And if by some miracle it’s another girl, I’ll name her Alana.’

Debs smiled and took my hand. ‘Of course you will. That’s a lovely name, either way.’

Mom sniffed back a tear as she reached across to take my other hand. ‘Yes, it is a lovely name. And of course the baby should be named after his, or her, grandfather.’

Debs let go of my hand, then took a deep breath and put both hands on the table, palms down, with a bit of a splat. ‘Well, I for one won’t pretend I understood even half of what you were talking about in here today. But hopefully there will be time for you to explain it again, a bit slower, over the next week or so? I’d like to understand more of this world of yours before we head over to Mladen’s, if that’s possible. Can I count on you for that, Lili?’

‘Yeah, sure … I mean, of course, Debs. I’ll do my best.’

‘And I didn’t follow it either, but I’m leaving tomorrow, so perhaps I’ll just accept that this is a complicated existence you have here … and trust that between your wonderful husband, and your dear friends,’ she said, turning and nodding toward Crystal, ‘you will be kept safe.’

‘We will certainly do our best to keep our Lili safe, you can rest assured,’ answered Crystal, standing and walking up behind me, then reaching down and putting her arms around me in a giant hug.

Mom sniffed, and Debs laughed, and somehow, I just knew that everything would be fine.

But then another thought hit me, and my heart skipped a beat as adrenaline poured through my veins. Zunios was still out there—and although he hadn’t come back himself, he’d sent others to do his dirty work. This was not yet the end of that particular chapter.

~ Chapter Twenty-Five ~

A week before we were to leave for Mladen’s Tom came to see me. He looked almost shy as he sat across the table from me. Sam was out with Michael, so it was just the two of us—and it was the first time we’d ever been completely alone.

‘I probably won’t be here when you get back … you know, after the baby,’ he said, looking down at the table.

‘Oh, Tom, what do you mean? Where will you go?’ I asked.

‘I’m going to America—with Erranase. He’s spewing. I mean, he spoke up for Zunios—Michael would have destroyed him years ago, if Erranase hadn’t said he would honour his word.’

‘Yes, I remember that. Zunios was meant to leave, and never come back. But he didn’t come back you know.’

‘That’s a minor technicality, Lili. He sent that bloody Rebekah over here—and Buck—to screw with us. And even though Bartholomew coming here to try to kill us wasn’t directly ordered by Zunios, it was certainly as a result of the mess he’d set out to create. Michael’s rapt that we’re going—says we have the best chance of anyone to find out where Zunios is hiding. He’s been pumping Erranase up too, saying how he was betrayed by Zunios and all.’

‘Well then, America. That will be exciting,’ I said, trying to sound positive.

‘Yeah, I’ve never been there, and I don’t think Erranase has either, so it’ll be an adventure. I’m not sure how much good we’ll do … I mean, we don’t have any contacts there or anything … but we’ll do what we can.’

We both sat there in silence for a few moments. Tom wasn’t such a larrikin without Sam around, and he looked somewhat uncomfortable alone in my company.

‘You know, I’d love to tell you to look up Mom when you get to California, but …’

‘Hey, no of course not. We wouldn’t want to stay with her or anything like that,’ he said, shaking his head slightly, and seeming to brush aside my concerns.

‘No? I mean, no, of course you wouldn’t. I mean … it’s like … well … she’s pretty open minded and all, but I think that would be a bit of a stretch for her.’

‘Hey, don’t even think about it. That’s not why I mentioned it.’

‘No, of course not. But you know you’ll always have a home here, with Sam and me … when you come back. Your room will stay just as it is.’

‘Thanks, Lili. That means a lot to me.’

‘Well, you’re family. And that’s what family does.’

Tom just sat looking down at the table for a few moments. When he eventually looked up at me, there was such sadness in his eyes that he didn’t even look like himself.

‘I’ve never been away from Sam for any length of time, you know. I mean, sure, Erranase and I have gone on hunting trips and that, but it’s only ever been for a few days. This could be … well, years I suppose.’

‘Years? Do you think it will really take that long?’

‘It could. I mean … we don’t even know where to start, and America’s a pretty big place,’ he said, looking a bit like a lost child.

‘Neither Buck nor Rebekah gave Michael any indication of where they might’ve been from?’

‘Nope. Nothing. America, that’s all I know.’

‘And with the fake accent Rebekah was putting on, we’d have no idea what she would have even sounded like … you know, whether it was east coast, or mid-west or whatever,’ I said, wishing I’d paid more attention to her when I’d had the chance.

‘No … you know, I still can’t believe she fooled me the way she did,’ he said, shaking his head again.

‘Did you go to her house, or apartment, or whatever it is? When you were looking for her, I mean. Were there any clues there?’

‘No, not really—just clothes and furniture. Well, there was one thing … I grabbed this postcard of something called ‘
Devil’s Slide’
—sent from some friend of hers. I don’t remember the person’s name, but that ‘
Devil’s Slide
’ name sure stuck in my mind.’

‘Really? I know
Devil’s Slide
. It’s a treacherous stretch of road that connects Pacifica to Half Moon Bay along the coast. It’s almost directly opposite where I grew up—as the crow flies.’

‘Really? You’ve heard of it?’

‘Sure. But what did the postcard say? I mean, I suppose it could just have been a friend of hers that was travelling through California. It doesn’t mean that she had any connection to the area.’

‘Yeah, I don’t really remember what it said. Michael has it I think. Maybe I’ll have another read of it before we go … you never know … maybe that’s where we should start our search.’

We both sat quietly for a few moments, neither of us seeming to know what to talk about. I almost asked him if he’d miss Claire, but then decided it was pointless, and unfair to bring her up.

‘So, will Michael and Crystal be okay, you know, with just Sam and Angelica to help them? They’ll miss you, I’m sure. But will they cope?’

‘Yeah. They’re tough. They’ll be fine. Besides, Ben will be a great help to them when he gets here.’

‘Ben? As in, my Ben?’ This was the first I’d heard of it.

‘Sure. Didn’t you know?’

‘No. I didn’t. So, he’s coming here is he? And Henry?’

‘Nah, Henry isn’t coming, just Ben. I think he was planning to stay with Mladen a bit longer, but with me and Erranase leaving it kinda made more sense for him to be here. Funny, I’d a thought Ben would’a told you himself … hope I haven’t spoiled some surprise or something.’

‘Yeah, funny about that,’ I said, trying to sound light hearted, even though that was not how I was feeling.

‘Well, between you and me, I think he’s kinda sweet on Angelica, you know? I spotted them together a few times while he was here.’

‘You don’t say? Well, I suppose I was busy with other things,’ I replied.

‘Yeah, well, I spotted them together at the market, doing some shopping before Christmas, and another time, just walking through the gardens. I’d have mentioned it, but I thought you knew.’

‘Well, I’ll need to have a word with him when I see him next week. Unless we miss each other … I don’t suppose you know when he’s arriving here?’

‘Nah, sorry. Soon, I think, but I don’t know what day.’

I felt the need to change the subject. It was embarrassing that Tom knew more about the movements of my son than I did. But I suppose I’d never been that close to either of the boys. I must not let that be the case with the new baby. I’d make an effort to stay close this time.

‘So, do you know what ended up happening with Rebekah?’

‘Yeah—Michael destroyed the bitch. He wasn’t very impressed with her deceiving us the way she did. He questioned her, then ripped her pretty little head off, to put it bluntly.’

I cringed at the mental picture his words brought to mind. ‘You don’t seem that upset about it? I guess you’re over her?’

‘Yeah, well, if I wasn’t before I sure would be now, if ya know what I mean,’ he laughed. ‘I never could work out just what it was I liked about her, you know … and it turns out it was only ‘cause she was druggin’ me. Can you believe it? Some sort of bloody love potion crap or something.’

‘Yes, Crystal mentioned that.’

‘Yeah, well she was druggin’ all of us … not just me. But any wonder I liked her so much.’

‘Yes, any wonder,’ I said, thinking about how similar in appearance she’d been to Claire. I thought again about mentioning Claire, but what was the point if Tom was leaving? None, really.

‘Well, Tom, like I said, you’ll always have a home here, when you come back. Even if both Ben and Henry come, and Ceylona, there are plenty of rooms in this house. Yours will always be as it is now, unless you want to take things with you?’

‘Nah, I’ll leave everything here, since you’re offering. Better to travel light, I reckon. Now, speaking of travelling, you’re off to Western Australia soon yourself, so I better get out of your hair and let you pack or whatever you need to do. Best of luck, ya know, with the baby and all.’

‘Thanks, Tom.’

I stood up, and he did as well, then I walked around and put my arms around his middle and gave him a big hug. He gently put his arms around me too, and we just stood there for a moment. When I made a slight movement, Tom released his arms and I stepped back. The sadness was back in his eyes, and my heart went out to him.

‘Safe trip, Tom. And please give my regards to Erranase as well. And tell him to look after you, or he’ll have me to deal with,’ I said, trying to sound tough.

‘And safe trip for you too, Lili,’ he said, his voice deep and full of emotion.

We walked silently to the front door, and as he stepped out onto the front porch he turned to smile at me.

‘I hope we see each other again soon, Tom. But if we don’t I want you to know how fortunate I feel to have known you.’

‘Yeah, me too,’ he said, then turned and walked away, waving over his shoulder as he walked out the gate.

~~***~~

The sun was just about to drop below the horizon—its last rays just filtering through the small window giving the kitchen a warm golden glow. I’d gone back to the table where Tom and I had been earlier in the afternoon—and I’d been sitting there for several hours.

Elizabeth and Cassie were out somewhere. Or perhaps they could feel my need for time to reflect. Whatever it was, there was nothing but silence around me. I was grateful for the quiet, as that’s exactly what I’d been doing—reflecting. So much had happened over the past few weeks. What had started out to be a wonderful, almost normal family Christmas, with my children and mother coming from afar to visit, had turned into something much more dramatic. There had been that terrible battle in the gardens; the discovery of Rebekah’s deception for which she’d paid the ultimate price; and of course my misplaced distrust of Angelica, who as it turned out had not only protected Ceylona and saved her beloved Zane, but perhaps saved everyone else as well. But what hit me the most was how close I’d come to losing both Ceylona and Sam—I could have lost them both on that terrible day. And yet, as fate had it, they were both safe.

Yes, it had been an incredible Christmas season … one that surely none of us would ever forget. But perhaps that’s just how it would always be in our world—a world full of miracles and catastrophes, heroes and villains, good and evil, dark and light.

And in a matter of days, I’d be giving birth to another wonderful addition to our world. Another dhampir or dhampira as the case may be. And this time, more than ever, I was looking forward to it—anxious to cuddle the newest addition to our family for as long as Mladen would allow it, and to see Ceylona and the boys again. And after all that, to get back to my wonderful husband and start living the life we were destined to be living … here, in this incredibly magnificent home.

And as those thoughts entered my mind I heard the front door click, and a light footstep in the hallway told me Sam had returned.

‘Lili, I’m home,’ I heard him call as he locked the door behind him.

I stood up, and put my hands on my belly, and smiled. And then I saw him, and his eyes were filled with so much love that I wondered how I could ever have doubted him. Our love was eternal. Crystal had seen it right from the beginning. And so had I—and yet I’d let my insecurities run wild, making me doubt both myself and Sam.

This was my destiny—and whether it was preordained, or simply the path I’d chosen of my own free will, I knew this was where I always wanted to be. Ours truly was an awesome life, and I would never again doubt it; not for one moment.