And is there?
Normally, you’d have to track her down by finding her maker. You do have another option, though.
If he did sense my presence in Karen’s thoughts, he would have taken steps to prevent me tracing her that way again.
It’s still worth a try.
It was, but not until I felt stronger. I scrubbed a hand across my eyes, still unable to escape the notion we could have done more to prevent all this.
We did what we could, Belle said, mental tone gentle. We warned the rangers—we told them about our suspicions. We couldn’t have done anything else—not until they were willing to take us seriously.
And it had taken the death of five good people and an explosion for that to happen.
“So does this mean,” Marjorie said, voice still soft but vibrating with an odd sort of hope. “That’s she’s not dead? That she’s not gone from my life?”
“Karen’s a vampire, Marjorie, and that means she’ll have changed in ways I can’t even begin to explain—”
“But she’s alive?”
I hesitated. “Technically, yes.”
Of course, science was still debating that one, because many of the processes that were so vital to all life—things like sleeping or defecating—were no longer active in vampires. Hell, they really didn’t even need to breathe, though most of them did simply to avoid outing themselves when living amongst others.
“Oh dear God,” Marjorie repeated, and quietly began to sob.
“Please don’t get your hopes up of seeing her anytime soon, Marjorie. You may not see her for months.”
If at all. While newly minted vampires needed time to understand and control their sharpened senses, it was their lust for human blood that prevented most from returning home. It was simply easier to cut ties and walk away rather than risk killing those you once cared about.
But a vampire intent on bloody revenge had raised Karen. That she’d actually get the time she needed to regain control was something I seriously doubted—and that placed Marjorie in danger. Karen didn’t appear to have a whole lot of respect for her mother, and the man who’d turned her undoubtedly intended to use that lack.
Because what greater revenge was there than to have a desperately ungiving but nevertheless much-loved daughter kill the woman she blamed for all the problems in her life?
The reality was, Marjorie needed to leave town, but I doubted she’d listen to reason. I silently waited a few more minutes and then hung up. She’d undoubtedly ring me back once she’d gotten over the shock.
I dispersed the spell around the table, finished the rest of my tea and cake, then rose and hobbled toward the stairs. Bruises, I discovered, didn’t like being moved all that much after a rest period.
Once I’d grabbed my laptop from my bedroom, I continued out to the balcony. The screen was glary thanks to the sun, so I shifted position then opened my e-mails—and immediately saw the response to my request for more information on that third case file from the IIT.
Elation quickly turned to frustration, however. The file had been locked at the request of the Regional Witch Association, and could only be viewed with their permission.
I hit the link they gave me, which took me over to the RWA’s website and a permission form. I skimmed through it then backed the hell out of there. The Association wanted far too much information in that form, and while I did want to know what had happened here, I wasn’t about to risk outing either Belle or myself. It might be true that my family could have found us if they’d tried with any sort of intent, but there was always a risk that a simple query could spark that interest. They’d all but wished me dead in the months after Cat’s murder, and that was exactly what I intended to be to them, for as long as I remained alive.
Instead, I searched the IIT’s website for any reservation crimes relating to vampires or hearts, but this time found nothing. I tried lengthening the time frame out to twenty years—the longest period the search engine would allow—but the results were the same. The crime the vampire was seeking retribution for really had happened a very long time ago, just as his note had implied.
I leaned back against the chair and watched the traffic roll past on the street below. I had no idea where to look or what to do next, and that was extremely frustrating when there was only a limited window of time in which this bastard was inactive.
I swore and hobbled back inside, dumping the computer on my bed then grabbing my purse and car keys.
“Lizzie,” Belle said, as I reappeared downstairs.
I held up a hand to stop her. “I know, and I tried, but I just can’t sit here and do nothing. I’m going to drive around and see if I can spot anything remotely resembling the cabin I saw.”
“Wasn’t it in the forest?”
“Yes, but there’re plenty of dirt roads outside of town, and it could be down any one of them.” I shrugged. “I’ve got to at least try.”
“Fine.” She reached into the fridge and handed me a bottle of water. “Keep hydrated. The minute you start getting tired, come back.”