them all, how he knew for certain he had destroyed them all—all the ones who had sought to kill him because he would not . . . he could not feed without killing by altering the memories of his victims.
He needlessly paged through the book.
He already knew there was no one listed named Rose.
Three thoughts emerged from the roar in his mind.
First, Eleisha had found someone who’d slipped through his net.
Second, if this vampire in hiding had been created before the purge, then she knew the laws that Julian’s predecessors, the elders . . . the makers, had lived by and taught to their children. She would view him as a sinner and an aberration, and if Eleisha was seeking out other vampires, bringing them together, the laws could reemerge and he could become the hunted again.
And third, he could no longer wait here to see how this played out. He would have to investigate on his own.
chapter 4
Two nights later, Eleisha sat between Philip and Wade as their plane approached San Francisco International. Wade had been unusually quiet for the entire flight, and Philip had been agitated—as he did not care for flying. Apparently, a few years ago, he’d gotten aboard a Boeing 747 that ended up being delayed for three hours, and as a result, he’d landed in Germany right at dawn. He’d managed to get off and hide in the back of a janitor’s closet before falling dormant, but the experience had put him off flying, and he resented being asked to get back on a plane so soon after the recent flight from Seattle to Portland.
“See, it’s all right, Philip,” Eleisha said, pointing out the window at the city lights. “We’re landing right on time.”
She arranged their arrival for just past midnight.
He nodded once and didn’t answer.
At least having to deal with Wade’s and Philip’s moods had kept her mind off tonight’s impending meeting. She was well aware that she might be overromanticizing the “rescue” of Rose, and Eleisha was hardly a romantic. Although she believed Wade was becoming interested in her larger plans, she also knew that he thought she was only acting out of some sort of pathology because she missed William, but Wade was a professional psychologist, and he often tended to point to one main reason for someone else’s behavior.
Yes, of course Eleisha missed William, but she longed to undo the damage Julian had inflicted on his own kind. She also wanted a community, and she didn’t believe that any survivors of Julian’s killing spree should have to hide alone. She didn’t have just one reason. She had many.
“Flight attendants, prepare for landing,” said a voice over the intercom.
Eleisha gripped the arms of her seat. She didn’t mind flying, but she had never cared for landings.
“Do we find a hotel tonight or go straight to this address you have?” Philip asked. He always avoided using Rose’s name.
“I think we should go straight to her apartment. Is that all right?”
“None of this is all right. I am only here because you forced me.”
She looked the other way, but Wade didn’t seem any happier than Philip. They would both feel better soon, once they had met Rose. Then they’d realize this was no trap, that Rose needed their help.
“The wheels are about to touch,” Wade said. “Hold on.”
Eleisha felt unsettled for only those few seconds right as the plane landed when suddenly everything felt too fast and loud. She closed her eyes and felt the plane begin to brake. After that, she was fine.
The plane rolled up to the gate, and soon after, everyone aboard filed out. Eleisha was annoyed that they still had to go to baggage claim. She had wanted to travel light with everyone bringing only a small carry-on. But Wade and Philip had both insisted on packing suitcases and checking them in. She might have expected this of Philip, but not Wade.
The airport wasn’t too crowded, and they made their way to baggage claim fairly quickly. But once Wade had his suitcase in his hand, he looked around.
“I need to find a men’s room,” he said.
Philip lifted his own bag, tilted his head, and pointed back the way they had come. “I saw a sign by the arrival board. Over there.”
“I’ll be right back,” Wade said. “You go outside and try to get us a cab.”
He hurried away, carrying the suitcase, and Eleisha watched him go.
She didn’t like this. “What is he doing?”
“I don’t know.”
Eleisha could always tell when Philip