The words unsaid hung heavy in my ears. Anthony hadn’t mentioned telling me the truth. And he didn't say anything about taking metomy children, just that they wouldn't take my children from the Supay. If they were truly vampires, they really would need to stay with their kin. I could understand that. As long as they let me stay too, I wouldn’t argue.
Heavy footsteps fell past the stall where I hid. Anthony's eyes peered briefly into the stall, and then he turned, blocking the other man’s view of me. "Let's go see the children, Danyelus. I've missed them." I relaxed and sagged against the stall wall as their footsteps quieted.
I settled in to wait for Elias to appear but didn't wait long. I jumped and hid the gun as the face of a child peeked in. Black hair framed a perfect heart of a face. She was all chub and cuteness with wide eyes, and a little rosebud mouth set in an O. "Who are you?" she asked.
"Hello, little one," I replied. "My name is Riley. What's yours?"
"I'm Jaime," she said, opening the stall door. "I'm six."
"It's nice to meet you, Jaime. I'm forty-two."
She wrinkled her pert little nose. “You’re so young, Riley. How'd you get to be a grown up so fast?"
My brow furrowed in confusion. "What should I look like at forty-two?"
"My brother Stephen is forty-four, and mom says he's in his knees and elbows stage. He's skinny, and his voice keeps squeaking."
Like a kid going through puberty. Oh my god, do vampire children age slowly? Why then do David and Daniel seem to be the appropriate ages? Do they mature slower as well?
"What brings you to the barn, pretty girl?" I asked, hoping no adult would come searching for Jaime.
"I love the horses. I take care of them by myself. My horse's name is Stardust, and he runs faster than any other horse ever has." Her eyes twinkled with excitement as she talked.
"I'm sure he does. Don't you think your mommy will be calling for you soon?" I hoped not.
"No, my mommy is gone. She died when I was a baby, and my daddy brought me here to live with Auntie Tammy," she said.
I wondered if her mom was a human and if she was another child ripped from her mother's arms. “What’s your daddy's name?"
"Anthony," she said.
A rock dropped into my gut. I didn't know why I imagined he didn't have children. For all I knew, he was married to a goddess with a slew of adorable little hellions. I knew squat about him, except that he had a jaw dropping face, a body that would require me to carry a wet floor sign, he was a pure Supay, and could calm people. Why I was disappointed that he was a father, I couldn’t say.
A woman's voice floated into the barn. "Jaime! Come inside now, your daddy wants to see you!"
Pure delight hit Jaime's beautiful face, and it nearly took my breath away. I was struck with a wave of sadness at my lack of a daughter. I would likely have no more children, not after what I’d been through. How could I bring another child into a world without Michael or my sons around me?
She waved at me and took off out the door. I snuck to the entrance of the stall to watch her skip across the yard. She ran toward an enormous manor house, her raven locks streaming behind her.
A shadow crossed the doorway of the barn. I scampered in the recesses of the closest stall. “Riley,” Elias whispered. My relief at hearing his voice was so strong, I bolted out and practically climbed him like a tree. He laughed and picked me up in a hug.
"It’s okay, Riley, you're safe. I've got you." My arms tightened around his neck.
"I'm still so mad at you, but please don't leave me for so long again." I cried against him as I buried my face against the crook of his neck. "A little girl came in here, and she's surely going to go tell someone that I'm out here."
"Who came in here?" Elias untangled my arms from around his neck.
"An adorable little girl named Jaime." I leaned my head back to look at him.
"Oh, good. She's on her way to see Anthony, he'll smooth it over." Elias clutched my hands to his chest. "I hate hiding. I need to talk to Anthony. I feel strongly that we can trust Danyelus and Tammy. They're the only two adults here now. They have Anthony's daughter and son, your sons, and my son here with them."
"Your son?You have a son? And this is something you decided not to tell me infouryears of friendship?" I jerked away from him violently. "How many more secrets will there be?"
"Riley, we're a small group of people. In a way, it's our duty to have children. If we don't each have several children, we begin to face extinction."
I turned my back to him, not processing the new information well. "Jaime mentioned that I look old for forty-two. She said her brother is in his forties and described him like a teenager beginning puberty."
"When puberty starts, our aging process slows. It’s when we begin to crave blood. We have an extended life, Riley. If we aren't grievously injured, we could potentially live for thousands of years. Most Supay go insane long before that time and have to be euthanized, but it's possible."
