Elias took up the ridiculous story. “So, Supay created a race of people that scared the hell out of Inti’s people. Physically, they were exactly alike, but they soon differentiated themselves as the superior race. The Inca began to hunt them. They'd gang up on them and kill whenever possible. They were hardier and longer lived, but not invulnerable. Inca history says that they called these people the Supay, after their creator. They labeled them demons and forced them into hiding.” Elias dropped his head and rubbed his neck. His expression was chagrined as he continued.
“You see, Supay’s creations couldn’t eat the same foods that Inti’s people could. The Inca people ate plants and animals, like any other human. But the Supay could only gain adequate nourishment from one thing: blood.”
“Okay. And?” Both men gawked at me like I’d sprouted a second head. They’d told me a ludicrous story about ancient gods and demons as if it could haveanythingto do with my family. Then they’d told me that an ancient Inca god created a race of vampires. My lie-o-meter was full. I supposed they expected me to run screaming from the room, but all I wanted was to get this story done and move on to the miniscule chance that they’d take me to my kids.
“What are you two staring at? So, this dude created vampires. That’s great. What in theworlddoes that have to do with my family?” I narrowed my eyes on Elias. “Get to the ever-loving point and get there in a hurry.” My bravado waned, hard as I tried to keep myself psyched up. I was desperate.
Anthony leaned forward. “The popular term for the Supay is vampire. They aren't a fairytale or an ancient Inca legend. They’re real, and they walk the Earth beside you day in and day out.” He shifted in his seat, uneasy.
“Okay. Sure. Whatever you say. Vampires are real. So can they walk in the sun?”
“Yes,” said Anthony.
“Can they eat people food?”
“Yes, but it won’t sustain their life. After a few days, they'll begin to feel sick, rather like a human feels with the flu,” Elias replied. “It’s more like it won’t really hurt them, but it also doesn’t help. Some Supay even develop a taste for it.”
“And they look exactly like you or me?” I questioned, disbelieving.
Elias and Anthony gaped at each other, at a loss for words.
The point they were trying to make clicked. I smacked myself on the forehead. “Oh, right, I get it. You two are vampires, aren’t you? You’re theSupay.” I laughed, my voice dripping venom.
“Yes, Riley. We are. We’re descendants of the original line of Supay. Actually, we're two of the three remaining pureblood male Supay.” Anthony glanced over at Elias, and both of them had pain splashed across their faces. “There’s still several females, but we’re the only males.”
Elias moved closer to me, too close for comfort, the desire of the morning long forgotten. “Actually, he misspoke. We’re the lasttworemaining male pureblood Supay.” I cocked my head and glared at him.
“Riley,” he continued, “Michael was the third member of our brotherhood. None of us are related by blood, but we grew up together and were closer than any brothers I’ve ever met.”
Anthony moved to my other side and clasped my hand. My eyes glued to his fingers covering my own while my mind raced, and I didn’t register that a man I feared and hated was holding my hand.
“Was? You better not be taking this ludicrous story where I think you are taking it.” A sob stuck in my chest. Those infuriating men were attempting to tell me something my heart and brain refused to hear.
Elias put his arm around my shoulders. I never figured out why I allowed him to, as I was still too angry with him for betraying my trust. With one hand on my chin, Anthony turned my head toward him. “Yes. That’s what we're saying. Michael is dead. He died the day he disappeared.”
Pain. What a ridiculous word. Four tiny letters to encompass an ocean of agony. The enormity of the emotions trying to burst from my chest couldn’t be described in four letters. I wanted to scream. I wanted to kick, and hit, and annihilate everything around me. I wanted to knock the pearly teeth out of Elias's mouth and poke out Anthony’s unusual, unbelievably sexy eyes.
I didn’t do any of those things. My mind went into a meltdown that would require a sedative to end, but my face betrayed none of those emotions. In the end, I stood and grabbed the cooled cup of coffee. Walking stiffly to the kitchen, I put the coffee in the microwave. The men watched, hovering in the kitchen doorway like mother hens. As the microwave beeped, I turned to them with death in my eyes. “Take me to my children.”
“Riley, it isn't that easy. Like we said before, you are in a significant amount of danger,” Elias replied, wringing his hands and stepping from foot to foot.
He wouldn’t have been so worried about me accepting them if they intended to hurt me. Or maybe I was trying to convince myself I wasn’t going to die.
I added cream and sugar to my coffee and sipped it delicately. The warm liquid was a comforting friend. Alone and scared, I shared a kitchen with two what? Vampires? Men? Alien pod-people? Whatever or whoever they were, they were my first lead in five years—my only lead. I would play along with anything if it meant seeing my boys.
“What danger?” I frowned down into the cup.
“There are rules. We have laws and a governing body. There are good and valid reasons behind most of our laws, but some are extreme.” Elias rolled his shoulders and let out a grunt of exasperation. “The main rule is that we're to never, under any circumstances, tell a human about the Supay. This rule is punishable by death.”
I rolled my eyes, unable to continue the interested act. “Punishable by death? So, if anyone finds out you told me about your mysterious race of vampires, you’ll be killed?”I’m going to get serial murdered before this day is over.I wondered where they had the other bodies buried—I probably wasn’t the first. I surreptitiously glanced out the kitchen window to see if I could find any freshly tilled dirt.
“I know you’re still skeptical, but Elias and I are here to help you. We’ve been watching over you since Michael died.” Anthony’s face was too intense. Not only was I worried about being ax murdered, I was also creeped out at the thought of him peeking through my curtains to watch me.
“You’re a freaking stalker, I get it. Whatever, moving on. You said you could also explain my headaches?” I rubbed my forehead, remembering the stabbing pain.
Anthony lowered his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Your headaches are my fault.” He walked into the kitchen warily. “I have an ability. Most Supay don't have any special abilities aside from the obvious. I am, however, able to calm humans.”
“Calm humans? Like, give them warm tea and sing them a lullaby?” I snorted.
