“So you cut off his head using a cross?” Bobby was completely wide-eyed. “I’m Jewish, and even I think that’s pretty damn awesome!” Then he noticed me in the room, and he gave me a weird look. It wasn’t adoration, exactly, but it made Milo bristle and put his arm defensively around Bobby. The weirdest part was that I felt myself returning some of the sentiment.
“I just need to take a hot shower, and be done with this night,” Peter grumbled and walked out of the kitchen. He hadn’t looked at me or Jack since everything had ended, and I wondered if he ever would again. I had nearly been killed tonight because of how much he loved me, but then again, that wasn’t the first time.
“Me, too,” Milo agreed. He looped his arm around Bobby’s to waist to start leading him out of the kitchen, but Bobby stopped and looked confused. “What?”
“Where’s the dog?” Bobby asked. “She’s always knocking me over when we get home.”
“Where is the dog?” I echoed, and Jack tensed up. She always greeted Jack after he’d been away. I couldn’t keep her away from him.
“Matilda?” Jack called her and stepped away from me. “Mattie? Where are you, good girl?”
Matilda barked loudly, and it sounded like it was coming from Mae and Ezra’s room. She started scratching at the door, and Jack and Ezra exchanged a look. Mae started shushing her, and then she opened the bedroom door, letting Matilda coming charging down at us, and Mae immediately shut the door.
“That was weird,” I said. Jack had bent down to start praising Matilda, but he looked just as surprised as the rest of us.
“Something’s going on,” Ezra said, more to himself than us. He tossed his blood bag in the garbage can and walked down to his room. “Mae?” He started to open the door, and she pushed it shut. “Mae? What is going on?”
“Nothing!” Mae shouted nervously. “Go away!”
“Mae, open the door now, or I’ll open it for you,” Ezra commanded. When he talked like that, his voice was one of the most intimidating sounds I’d ever heard.
Slowly, the bedroom door opened, and Ezra stepped inside. There was complete silence, and Bobby took a step forward, trying to get a better look. Milo stopped him from going farther. I looked up at Jack to see if he had any insight, but he just shook his head. We all waited expectantly, but Ezra never said anything.
A minute later, he just turned and stormed out of the room.
“Get that out of my house!” Ezra growled walking away.
“She’s not an it!” Mae ran after him, almost pleading. “And we can’t travel right now! Not when she’s like this.”
“I don’t care!” Ezra roared, and he wouldn’t even look at her. “I want her out!”
“We just need two, three more days tops, and then we’ll be out of your hair forever!” Mae insisted desperately. He had his back to her, and he was seething. “Ezra, please! If you love me, you can give me three more days! Please!”
“Fine,” Ezra relented grudgingly. “But if you stay one day longer, I’ll take care of her myself.” He started walking back towards the garage. “I’m going to the station now to deal with car.
Don’t wait up.”
Nobody had asked, but it was nice of him to tell us anyway.
“What happened to you?” Mae gasped, noticing us for the first time. We were all tattered and bloody, and Bobby had scratches and bruises.
Milo started explaining the night to her, but I brushed past him. I thought I knew what was in her room, but I had to see it for myself. Mae tried to pay attention to Milo, but I felt her watching me as I walked past. I pushed open her bedroom, and it was exactly what I thought.
In the soft mass of Mae’s bed, a small girl twitched. Her blond curls were sticking to the sweat on her forehead. She was pale and sick, but she was still adorable. She looked like a pint-sized version of Mae, with cherub cheeks. She was still in the first phases of the turn, and the worst of it hadn’t hit her yet. Matilda brushed past me and jumped onto the bed next to her, licking the little girl’s clammy face.
She smiled a little at that, and then Matilda settled down next to her.
“She really likes Matilda,” Mae explained. She pushed past me so she could walk over to her great granddaughter.
Jack stood behind me, taking the whole thing in, but he didn’t say anything. “I’d like you to all meet my great-granddaughter, Daisy. I’m going to be taking care of her now.”
“Oh, Mae,” I looked at her sadly.
“No, don’t do that,” Mae shook her head. She sat down the bed next to the girl, pushing her hair back from her forehead. “I did the right thing, and I know I did. I had to save her. After Jane left, I realized I wasn’t upset about her. I had to save Daisy.”
“Well, Jane is fine, by the way,” I sighed. “But… you did what you had to do.”
“I did,” Mae smiled wanly at me. “Isn’t she precious?” She looked adoringly at the child, and I could see that there had really never been any choice for her. Even if she had to give up Ezra and everyone else, that child meant so much more to her.
“You’re not taking my dog,” Jack said finally. “Come on, Matilda.” Reluctantly, Matilda jumped off the bed and followed him out of the room.
“So you’re leaving?” I asked.
“It seems that way,” Mae said wearily. “I thought he might change his mind when he saw her, but…
It’s alright, though. I already have a plan.”
“What’s that?”
“Australia,” Mae smiled at me. “I’ve never been. Vampires don’t like it there because it’s dry and arid, but it’s comfortable enough, and there’s plenty of uninhabited outback for us to hide away.
There’s still active bloodbanks in places like Sydney, though, so with a short drive, we can got stocked up.”
“So, the two of you are gonna spend the rest of existence hiding out in the outback?” I raised an eyebrow. I had always wanted to go there, but it just seemed like a horrible scenario for this.
“For awhile,” Mae nodded, and went back to staring at her bundle of joy. “But we won’t be alone, at least not at first. Peter is going with us.”
“Peter?” I hadn’t realized that Peter really wanted that much to do with Mae, but then again, he did like running away from me, and he did like suicidal missions, like caring for a child vampire.
“He offered a few days ago,” Mae said. “We’ll be okay, love. Don’t you worry about us.” She might’ve been talking to me, but she was looking at Daisy, and I think that was all meant for her. The second she got Daisy, I think the rest of us really ceased to exist for her. I watched for a moment longer, fawning over the child, but I had somewhere I’d rather be.
When I went upstairs, Jack was already taking a hot shower. I was desperate for one myself, so I got undressed and climbed with him. He smiled at me, but I just wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my head against his chest. There was nothing sexual about it. I just loved how close I felt being with him like that, his bare skin on mine, his heart beating in my ear. He kissed the top of my head and held me to him.
After everything the night had brought, I couldn’t help but cry. Out of sadness and exhaustion and relief. I had never seen anything as brutal as what I witnessed tonight, and I hoped to never see again.
“It’s going to be okay, Alice,” Jack assured me, rubbing my back gently.
“How can you say that? After what happened tonight?” I looked up at him. His soft blues eyes were full of nothing but love and optimism, and he smiled gently at me.
“Because you’re here with me,” Jack said. “Any night that ends with that can’t be that bad.”
“I can’t argue with that logic,” I admitted, and he laughed, sending delighted tingles all through me. I held onto him tighter, pressing my head against his chest, and relished the feel of his arms around me. There was no place in the world I’d rather be.