Page 28 of Box of Frogs
‘Crucifixes?’
‘Nothing.’ She fixed me with a steely stare. ‘All part of the propaganda machine that works against us. If God Himself despises us, then so should the rest of the world. Those bastards were clever. They took some of what was true and twisted it for their own ends. For example, it is believed that I cannot enter another’s home without permission but, in fact, the reverse is true. I have no serious security measures in place here because no one can enter unless I give them express permission. In here, I am safe.’
‘You could just stay in here then.’
Her mouth tightened. ‘What kind of life is that? In many ways, liberty is more important than life. I won’t be made a prisoner in my own home.’
Her words sounded accusatory and I held up my palms to appease her. ‘I get it.’ I paused. ‘Sunlight…’
‘Not a problem.’
I gave her an arch look. ‘Can you turn into a bat?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t sleep in a coffin either.’ She shuddered. ‘I like my memory-foam mattress and my four-poster bed, thank you very much.’
I grinned. Fair enough. ‘So that man who attacked you—’
‘A vampire hunter.’ She grimaced. ‘Lately they’ve taken to abduction rather than assassination. I imagine their motives are nefarious, that they wish to trap rather than kill us. Maybe to experiment on us with torture. Either way, there is at least one group of hunters who know what I am and are doing what they can to get hold of me. That’s why I need you. They won’t dare attack a television studio and they can’t come at me here. It’s only when I’m out and about on the streets and in public that I am truly in danger. You questioned my choice to maintain such a high public profile? Well, in truth, that is all that is keeping me safe. While people recognise me and I’m well known, the hunters have less opportunity to come after me.’
I mulled this over; it did make a kind of sense. ‘How many of them are there?’
‘The hunters? Three, that I know of. There may be more.’ She sniffed. ‘I’ve eluded them so far but no one is infallible. Sooner or later, my luck will run out.’
‘The letters you told me about,’ I said, ‘and the animal body parts.’
Her mouth turned down. ‘Those parts are true. The hunters are trying to rattle me.’ She grimaced. ‘Unfortunately, it’s working. And you see now why I can’t go to the police.’
Yeah, that was a non-starter. I wasn’t surprised Julie was rattled. Nothing about this situation was good and, so far, I couldn’t see many advantages to being a vampire. In fact, it truly sucked. I smiled slightly at my own pun. ‘You know,’ I told her, ‘not all the media nowadays is against you. A lot of vampires have been cast in a more positive light in recent years. Vampires are sexy.’
Julie sniffed. ‘Where do you think the funding for those new films and books came from? We have wealth, Madrona. But wealth only takes you so far.’
Indeed. ‘So you only need me when you’re outside? I don’t have to stay here in this house?’
She smiled. ‘No,’ she agreed, ‘you don’t have to. I get lonely, though. It will be nice to have a companion. Men like Mark are all very well but there’s not much conversation to be had with them. I could do with some female company and I get the feeling you and I are going to get on well.’
I raised my glass in her direction. ‘Do you drive to work? Alone?’
‘I do.’
‘That has to stop,’ I said in my best strict-teacher voice. ‘That’s a weak link in your security chain.’
‘My car is very visible and the route I take is busy. If they tried to attack me in public, others would step in and help. The world is full of good Samaritans and I’m too well known.’
‘All the same,’ I told her, ‘apart from when you’re here or actually on set, I will be with you at all times. That’s my condition.’
‘You’re not afraid to be with me?’
I shook my head. Frankly, after all that I’d learned about myself, I wasn’t sure I was afraid of anything.
Chapter Eleven
If I’d hoped that the gin-induced pounding in my head when I woke in Julie’s guest bedroom the next morning would take my mind off the spreading pain from the cut on my finger, then I was very, very wrong.
Agonising threads of discomfort were spreading across my shoulder and collarbone. Simply turning my head was becoming painful. I might have snubbed Morgan’s offer of some nux to counteract the rowan poison in my body but if I didn’t find some soon, I’d be crawling back to his door and pleading with him for help. My joints were growing stiff and, when I sneaked a look at the cut itself, the foul rotting scent and sickly-green pus made me recoil. I gave myself a ten-hour deadline. Find nux before Julie finished work tonight or lose my pride, self-esteem and ego.
After wrapping the wound tightly so that it was protected and the gangrenous stench didn’t seep out, I got dressed and headed gingerly downstairs.
Julie was already sitting at the breakfast bar in full make-up, sipping from a delicate china cup. Initially I thought it was coffee but when I got closer, I realised I was very wrong.
