We drove deeper into central Oregon, and I wondered if we were gaining any ground on Josiah, or if he could lose us. “Do you still think he’s alone?” I asked.
Marlon closed his eyes and concentrated. A part of me hated that he was connected on this level with anyone who wasn’t me, but hopefully once Josiah was ash that connection would disappear like dust on the wind. “I can’t tell. He’s still moving away from us, and his path has not wavered.”
“I hope we’re able to catch up to him,” I said and refused to think about what would happen if we couldn’t.
“We will, love. His days are numbered,” Marlon said.
“You should not trust what youthinkyou can feel. He could be traveling with one or more vampires who would be more than happy to help him tear you apart,” Elias said. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that he was older—far older—than Marlon and seemed to know much more.
“Why would there be so many?” Marlon asked.
Elias grinned up at him. “Much has changed, vampire.”
“What do you mean?” Marlon asked with an edge of a snarl in his words.
“There are far more of us now than there were when you first walked as a child of the night. For many years, untrained vampires changed humans without knowing what they were doing or understanding why more vampires was something to be discouraged. Our kind is very territorial and will fight for the blood we think we hold claim to.”
“How many?” Marlon asked.
“Farmore than you realize.”
“Marlon, how long until sunrise?” I asked. I could sense it was coming, but Marlon knew exactly how long before the sun breached the horizon.
“A few hours,” Marlon said, but his attention was on something else.
“That should put us inside Washington. If we didn’t waste so much time hunting and chatting, we’d be inside Canada,” Elias said.
“Chatting was important,” Marlon said. “You must know by now trust does not come easy for me. The one human I trusted made sure to hurt me in ways I still cannot imagine or forgive. I want to trust you, Elias, but I will do all I can to destroy you if you show me you are not truthful.” He turned then to look at Elias, and I didn’t need to see his face to know he wore a look of warning.
“If I wanted to destroy you or your mate, you’d already be gone. I’ve told you this already. I mean you no harm,” Elias said.
“Why would you want to help us?” I asked.
He grinned. That little boy grin I had to force myself not to trust. “Because you two are not the biggest threat around here,” he said.
“We need to stop for gas soon,” I said, and turned the radio on. There would be plenty of time for them to debate who was the worst vampire.
A few hours later, Portland was behind us, and we crossed into Washington. “How will we get across the border?” I asked. I’d never crossed before, and I wasn’t sure how that worked.
“I’ve crossed many times,” Elias said.
“In a vehicle?” I asked.
“No, it’s easier if we cross on foot, but we’ll need to hurry if we’re going to find safety from the sun,” Elias said.
“We’ll get as close to the border as we can and leave the truck before going it on foot. I’ll find us a hotel—”
“No need, we’ll find something,” Marlon said.
“Why am I afraid to ask what that could be,” I said and kept driving.
“It’s best not to ask too many questions,” Elias said. “That’s the human in you. Vampires usually wait until they’re in trouble to ask questions.”
“He’s not wrong,” Marlon said, and the three of us chuckled.
“Where do you stay, Elias?” I asked and glanced down at him.
“There are many abandoned cabins in the woods you found me in. It’s been easy for me to live there and never see a human.”
