Soon enough, we dock in the Gulf and head back home. We fill in Rick, Raquel, Etem, and a few others we’ve deemed leaders. They throw out what they think we should do, but nothing really sticks. If it’s a trap, we’re dead. If they’re telling the truth, it’s a suicide mission to save everyone. I don’t have any vampire in me. I won’t come back to life like Mikey did.
My dad’s waiting for me outside the door, arms crossed and a stoic expression on his face, trying his hardest not to look lost.
He grabs my arm as I pass, forcing me to stop.
“Son.”
“Zeke,” I correct. “My name is Zeke, dad.”
He shifts, discomfort flashing across his face before returning to stone. “Zeke. If your mother was kidnapped, I want to do whatever I can to help.”
I inhale. “No offense, dad, but I would rather you not hate me if you get your memory back.”
He releases me, stunned. It takes a moment for him to respond. “Is that really what you think of me?”
I glance around and lead him into an empty room, shutting the door behind me. “You kicked me out of the house when you realized I was a Bleeder. To be fair, I would have done the same thing. I became a hypocrite as soon as Mikey scratched me. But turning you into one of us… I don’t believe you’d ever forgive me for that.”
He inhales deeply, contemplating as he scratches his jaw. Finally, he speaks. “I may have lost my memory, but I know in my bones I love you, son. And when you talk about your mother, I’m overflowing with an agony I can’t explain.” He holds out his wrist to me. “If you didn’t turn me, I would never forgive myself.”
My stomach clenches as tears obscure my vision. Why is it when my dad has amnesia he decides to open up to me?
I stare at his wrist, emotions clogging my throat as my vision grows blurry. What I thought was a curse became a cure. What I thought was a curse has become a tool to protect and save the people I love. No matter how much I wished Mikey had never scratched me, I stand here today, grateful. If she hadn’t, I would have been dead ten times over. If the events would have happened anyway, the world returning to the humans, I would have been on that island. We would have been raided.
And I would have been Mindless.
I grab my dad’s wrist, letting my Bleeder form spill out. “Is this really what you want?” Is it moral to let someone with amnesia make life-or-death decisions?
He doesn’t even flinch. “Yes.”
I break eye contact, hesitating as I work out the kinks in my emotions. Anger, sadness, desperation, fear… it swells and clogs my judgement
Finally, I dig a claw into his skin and bring it down his wrist. He’s healed instantly, ichor turning to blood as it dribbles onto the ground below. It doesn’t heal immediately, reminding me of my own wounds from my fight with Mikey that first night.
“You’ll be hungry,” I tell him as I revert to my original form. “So stay near Mikey, Maverick, Rick, or me so we can keep you in check.”
My dad nods slowly, staring at the blood. “When… when do I feel it?”
“It was an overnight thing for me the first time I noticed changes aside from blood,” I tell him. “Humans are more instantaneous, I think. Or that’s what I’ve experienced. You’ll still be able to spit up bile, but you’ll begin to experience more emotions—”
“What’s that pull?” He asks, rubbing his sternum.
I raise my eyebrows. “Pull?”
He ignores my question, walking past me and out into the bustling common area. I notice more creatures down here to fight with us. They don’t talk about storming one of Mount Rook’s bases, since we’ve decided that’s on a need-to-know basis until we figure out a solid plan.
“What pull?” I ask again as he furrows his brow and glances around the room. He ignores my question and darts for the stairs. He steps into the main house and out the front door, stopping on the front lawn.
“I think…”
I wait for him to continue, realizing Mikey’s followed us out. She stays cautious, keeping quiet.
“That aching I said I had when you spoke about your mother,” he whispers, staying trained on the horizon, like the neighborhood before us blocks his path. “It’s… coming from that direction.”
He points at the horizon as my heartbeat overwhelms my eardrums.
“I know it’s her.” He meets my eyes. “I can lead you right to your mom.”