Blood Stain: Book Three of the Blood Type Series (complete)

Puppets

"We need to talk."

I pushed past John and began making tracks in the middle of his living room. I had come directly from talking to Josiah, whose shocking revelations were still bouncing around in my head.

John closed the front door and eyed me uneasily. "Is this about the other night at the party? Blake, I know we—"

"No," I said, waving away his concern. "This isn't about that. Where's Hannah? She needs to hear this, too."

At the mention of her name, Hannah entered from the kitchen, a cup of blood in her hand. "Whatever it is," she said, "make it quick. I'm leaving for a manicure in twenty."

"Your manicure will have to wait," I said to her. To them both, I added, "You might want to sit for what I'm about to say."

"Oh boy." Hannah placed the cup of blood on the table. She rubbed her hands together as she perched on the arm of the sofa, a distinct gleam in her eyes. "Something tells me this is going to be good."

As quickly and succinctly as possible, I recounted the conversation I'd had with Josiah during which he revealed the long-ago existence of a wife and daughter, the circumstances under which he'd been made a vampire, and exactly how he'd come to be my sire.

"His maker's name was Eliza?" Hannah said, her brow puckering.

"Josiah said Eliza was killed by her sister in a fit of jealously. It was the same sister who killed his wife and child."

Hannah's eyes gleamed even more brightly. "It has to be her."

"Does that name mean something to you?" John asked.

She shook her head, biting her bottom lip in contemplation. "If what Josiah told you is true, I think his maker was Eliza Abernathy."

"Abernathy?" John and I echoed in unison.

It was then that I remembered Margaret had once had two sisters—young Caroline, who had been killed as a human on board the ship bound for America, and one she wouldn't speak of to me.

"I overheard Mrs. Abernathy arguing with Margaret once," Hannah said. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard Mrs. Abernathy say anything at all, but I heard her clearly that day. She told Margaret she would gladly trade Margaret's life to have back Caroline and Eliza."

"That's brutal," I said. "Even for a vampire."

"I had no idea who Caroline and Eliza were," Hannah continued. "I had never heard their names before then, but any idiot could piece together that Mrs. Abernathy was talking about people she cared for deeply and missed."

"You didn't ask Thomas about it?" I said.

"I got the sense I should leave it alone and not say anything."

"That would be a first," John said. Hannah gave him a look, which he ignored. Instead, he asked, "Do you think Josiah could be lying?"

"He has no reason to lie," Hannah answered before I had a chance to say anything. "It sounds as though he's been biding his time with the Abernathys, waiting for the day when he can get his revenge on the vampire responsible for killing his wife and daughter, and also his maker. That vampire, of course, is Margaret."

"There's more," I said, hesitating to open up this particular can of worms, but knowing there was no way I could keep it to myself. "Josiah knows where Ian is."

John's head snapped up, an eager look in his eyes. "Where?"

"Josiah wouldn't say," I said, my heart breaking for him when I saw hope disappear from his eyes. "All he would tell me is that Ian is somewhere no one will think to look. And by no one, I assume he means Mr. Abernathy."