Empath (Book 1 of the Empath Trilogy) (10 page)

He looked at me, kindness in his eyes as he prepared to soften the blow.  I heard Tara belly laugh.  I shot her a look but she had her eyes closed, laughing.  Hard. 

“It’s not that funny.  Just because I am some dumb human doesn’t mean I’m inferior or not worth the time or effort unless it can benefit your cause.”  I stood up to leave.  I didn’t have to take this.  Human out.

Troy silenced Tara with a quick word.  “Stephen, I think you owe Claire an explanation.”

I looked at Stephen who now appeared a bit sheepish.  “What?  Is that it, are your kind not into humans?”

Stephen smiled gently.  “My kind likes humans just fine, and I specifically like human males quite a bit.”

Now our conversations made sense.  Of course he just wanted to be friends, I was a girl, totally not his type.  “You’re gay?”  Was my smile as big as it felt?  How perfect!  It wasn’t because I was just some dumb human.  Awesome!  “Stephen, that’s great!”

His eyes hardened in offense, “I’m glad you think so.” 

Backpedaling quickly, I moved to put my hand by his shoulder, my version of a pat or hug.  “I’m sorry Stephen.  I have no problem with you being gay, it has nothing to do with that.  I’m just glad you don’t think it’s laughable for someone to want to go out with me.”

Stephen, my new best friend, grabbed me into an impulsive and unexpected hug and I couldn’t shield from his touch fast enough.  In an instant I was filled with his warmth.  It surprised me with its intensity and I gasped, eyes and mouth flying open with the shock of it, but feeling his affection taking hold of me, I wrapped my own arms tightly around his body, hugging him to me.  Stephen immediately leaned back, pushing me away, and dropped his arms.  He slammed up his own blockade system and I took a step back wrapping my arms around my middle, wishing I could disappear.

“I’m sorry, Claire.  I should have known to block that.  I forgot about that for a sec.”  He was actually blushing.  Maybe I wasn’t supposed to know how much he liked me.  I didn’t care.  I was happy to have felt the depth of his affection, only that joy was tempered by the shame of the display I’d just put on for them.  I was indeed a weak human just like they all thought.

James spoke my name this time yanking me back to the present, “Claire.”

My own name had never made me want to shudder before.  “Yes.”  It wasn’t a question.  Whatever he wanted, I knew I would try to do it.  I wondered how it was that I was having such an intense reaction to him.  It wasn’t just an attraction, something I didn’t understand was happening.  I was too embarrassed to ask Stephen though.  I’d have to sort it out myself.  Maybe it was a vampire thing.  Stephen had called it Glamour.

His deep voice tickled my skin.  “Claire, if that display was any indication of your ability and lack of control, I think that we should work with you to develop both.  Even if you cannot help us, we can’t leave you so vulnerable to others.  It is only a matter of time before someone figures that out and uses you for their own means.  I have experience with channeling; I would like to work with you.  Would that be acceptable?”

I tried not to swallow my tongue.  “Yes, that would be fine.  When should we start?”

“If Henry could help us with the scheduling, I have time to meet every evening for now.  We can use my home.  If we can get you ready before the unwelcome company we’re expecting, your gift could help us to determine threat level.  And if you show any proficiency at distance, it could help us tremendously in determining our risks.  I can only guess until I have more experience with your talent.”

“Your house?”  My voice sounded flat and dull.  What was wrong with me?  “That would be fine.”

James dipped his head, and he and Henry turned to leave.  Henry looked to Troy, who rose to walk them out.  “I will call you to arrange our next meeting.  This gives me hope that we can avoid damage to our own position and those close to us.  Thank you for that.”  He turned to me, “Don’t worry about your shift tomorrow.  We’ll move your schedule around to accommodate your work with James.”  He turned to James, concern lining his brow.  “Would you be ready to start as soon as tomorrow?” 

He was clearly more concerned about this situation than I thought if he was putting any amount of faith in me to help.

James answered in the affirmative and that seemed to be all everyone needed.  The vampires said their good-bye’s and took their leave.  James turned to me as he was walking out.  “Henry will give you my address.  Can you make it tomorrow at six?” 

My heart sank.  “I don’t have a car.”

“Hmm.  If you prefer, I can pick you up at a quarter till in front of the library.”

“Yes, that would work.”

“You might want to eat before I pick you up.”  He flashed me a smile and my stomach tightened, “I will make sure that I do.  This sort of work can be exhausting and use up your reserves quickly.”

My smile faded as they walked out and, thankfully, my senses returned as soon as the door was closed.  Was I an idiot?  Hot or not, I had just agreed to spend a lot of time with a
vampire.
I couldn’t control myself around a group of “friends.”  Now I was going to meet with him all by myself.  Did I want to die?  Oh, but what a way to go!  Feeling myself blush again, I had to change tracks quickly before I completely humiliated myself in front of Stephen’s family tonight.

After the door closed, I sank back down on the loveseat behind me where Stephen had just been sitting and I welcomed the residual warmth from his body into mine.  My head sank back on the cushions and I yawned, exhausted mentally and physically.  What time was it?

Stephen noticed.  “We’d better get you back before you pass out.  You’ve had a big night,” he teased.

Nodding, I agreed and struggled to my feet.  Troy stopped me with his hand out as I walked to the door.  “Claire, I am pleased to have met you and look forward to working with you.  You are a friend to us.  We will protect you as a member of our clan, I swear it.”  His words were formal and heavy with meaning.  I found them reassuring, even if I didn’t fully understand what was behind them.

“Thanks Troy.  I just hope I can help.”  They already felt like more of a family than mine at home.  Immediately I felt guilty, but it was true.  It was just that I could be myself and be open with these people.  That was something I couldn’t see doing with my parents.  And my grandparents?  No way.  Grandma would probably try to send in an exorcist. 

Stephen walked out beside me; his shields were back up so all I felt was his body heat.  We walked shoulder to shoulder out the door and he opened the car door for me at the curb.  I turned to wave from the passenger seat after buckling up and I saw Troy hold up a hand in salute from the window.  The girls had gone back to the interior.  I wasn’t sure their level of excitement about my involvement, but they certainly hadn’t been as openly hostile by the end of the evening.  That had to be worth something.

“So what was that I saw between you and James?”  Stephen was on me as soon as he turned the key in the ignition. 

I groaned, “It was that obvious, was it?  I’m such a dork. I’ve never had that happen to me before.”  I put my face in my hands, humiliated.

He laughed, “Can’t say as I blame you, he
is
hot.  You got his attention though, too. I’ve never seen him offer up his help so easily.”  His face grew serious.  “You should be careful with him Claire.  Getting mixed up with them can be, ah, life altering.  I wouldn’t have done this if I thought I could have taken you on myself.”   

Suddenly uncomfortable, I abruptly changed the subject.  I was sure the only reason James was showing interest in me was due to my talent and obvious lack of control of it.  They were hoping I would be able to help them, or at least not be used against them if I read things right.  There was something Stephen had said earlier that had peaked my interest,  “Stephen, what is Glamour?  You said James was using it on me.”

“Glamour is a vampire thing.  They can make you go gaga over them if they want.  It makes it easier for them to hunt, like deer in the headlights.”  He was looking ahead at the road, face eerily green in the glow of the dashboard lights.  It seemed fitting for the creepy conversation. 

“Speaking of which, am I nuts to go to his house alone?”  I was genuinely concerned now that I had my wits back.

“Why?  Are you afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands off him?”  Stephen laughed.

Waving him off, I answered slightly annoyed that he was having so much fun with my obvious infatuation, “No, I’m worried he won’t be able to keep his hands off
me
.” 

His eyebrows went up as he looked over at me.  “Pretty sure of yourself, huh?”

“Ahh.” I groaned in frustration, rolling my head against the seat back.  “Are you thick?  He is a
vampire
.  I am a
human
.  Is he going to drink my blood or something?” 

Stephen got it then.  “Actually, Henry and James both refrain from hunting humans directly and they encourage it among the rest of the Minneapolis coven.  It helps them blend more effectively in society.  They have a connection with the local blood bank and get what they need that way.” 

“Really?  They drink donor blood?  Isn’t that supposed to be used to save lives of people who need it?  It would piss me off if I knew some vampire was sucking on my donation.”  Of all the things to seem wrong tonight, somehow that seemed like a betrayal to the populace.

“
Doesn’t
it save lives, Claire?”  He spared me a sideways glance.

“Oh.  I suppose you’ve got a point there.”  I hadn’t thought of it that way. 

We rode the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts until we got back to my dorm. 

“Hey, how did you know which dorm I lived in?  I’ve never told you where I lived.” 

He ducked his head shamefaced.  “I followed your smell before so I knew you lived in this one.”  He saw the distraught look on my face.  “I don’t know what floor or anything.  It isn’t like I’ve been spying.”

“My smell?”  This new life was going to take some adjusting.  My best friend could follow my smell and my soon to be tutor could drink my blood.  College was proving to be a very different experience than I had expected.  Not frightening though, strangely enough, just different.  There was definitely something wrong with me if I wasn’t scared yet.  Worse yet, if this wasn’t enough, then what was it going to take to scare me smart?

Ch. 11

The next day I felt out of sorts all day.  It was fortunate that I had three classes and was able to keep my mind busy in increments.  I vacillated between giddy, butterflies in the stomach excited to nausea, gloom and doom fear all day.  I was starting to wonder if I would even make it to tonight’s big date without having a breakdown.  Correction, study session.  Best not to even let my mind wander that direction.  I couldn’t handle a human relationship much less one with an even more complicated creature who far outpaced me on the social scale.

Upon booting up my laptop in my room during lunch break, I saw that Henry had emailed my new work schedule and, true to his word, I was off evenings for the next few weeks bringing us to Thanksgiving break and the time James anticipated the new coven’s arrival.  Hopefully, no one noticed my boon of day shifts and got upset.  Although I wasn’t friends with her, I hoped that my sort of friendship with Heidi wouldn’t suffer. 

Last night on the way home I had gleaned what I could from Stephen about James, aka James Thomas.  He worked for the Star Tribune, the main Minneapolis newspaper as a travel writer, which gave him a valid cover story for his travels keeping up on vampire “business” all over the world.  He wouldn’t tell me more than that, saying James’ story was his own, and anything more personal would have to come from him.  Most of the supernatural crowd was like that, he said, there were some unwritten guidelines that everyone followed.  Though a bit put off, I had to admit the idea of hearing his story in that melodic voice of his had a strong draw to it.  Giggling to myself, I wondered if he had ever done one of those phone sex lines.  He could make a fortune at it.