Trembling Thorn

By Yvonne Bruton

When Lia takes Jay back to the 19th Century, he discovers her secret regarding the death of Elena Hudson and leaves.
His leaving is responsible for raising the dark spirits of the portal and, if he does not return, Lia and her family will die.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yvonne Bruton
• Release date: Dec 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465810823

Yvonne Bruton

I enjoy writing French language novels and paranormal novels

Book preview

NIGHT FEAST TRILOGY

Trembling Thorn

Yvonne Bruton

Copyright 2011 Yvonne Bruton

Smashwords Edition

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Chapter One

Astonishment was the only word to describe the expressions, on the faces of the team of medical professionals, who had fought to save Jay Patterson's life. However his refusal of a wheelchair did not surprise them, and as he strode through the hospital's exit doors, flanked by his mother Cora, and his beautiful girlfriend Lia. A wave of confusion and wonder rippled around the minds of those who had attended to him. Cora Patterson was equally astounded by her son's sudden and complete recovery, and as she gazed at him in almost total disbelief, she noted that his recently purchased jeans appeared to be a couple of inches too short, and that the bruises that he had incurred from the car accident had completely disappeared. Jay, aware of his mother's bewilderment, smiled at her reassuringly, and put his arm around her slightly hunched shoulders.

It's okay mom, I'm fine and you will never have to worry about me again, I promise.

Th-the car is just over there replied Cora, unable to respond to such a confident statement. She did not know what else to say to him, or Lia. His voice sounded so strange to her ears, deeper so self assured. Core shuddered, his arm felt so cold around her shoulders, despite the fact that they were both wearing heavy duty, outdoor clothing. Cora had always thought that Lia had a very low body temperature, whenever she had embraced her......

I'll drive, Jay announced interrupting his mother chain of thoughts, and still holding Lia's hand he took the car keys from Cora, before she could raise any objections.

Well if you're sure darling, Cora was surprised at his eagerness to get behind the wheel of a car, so soon after his near fatal accident. Once in the car, she sat quietly at the back, while the two teenagers chatted and laughed together. As she looked at the back of their heads, she felt the goose bumps rise beneath her clothes. Jay and Lia were completely at ease, but everything seemed so weird to her. Like she had imagined the whole thing. The doctors had told her that her son was probably going to die, such was the extent of his injuries. They had done everything that they could to prevent this from happening, but had informed her that it was the ventilator that was keeping him alive. Its removal would have brought about his immediate death. Deep within her heart Cora had accepted that she had lost her only son, forever. She had prepared herself to contact his father, who she had not seen or spoken to in seventeen years. He had not bothered to keep in touch with his son, after the divorce, but Cora felt that he had a right to know that Jay was dead. But Jay wasn't dead, because when she had taken Lia to the hospital, everything had changed, turned around. Her son was once again a fit and healthy, living and breathing human being.

'He's grown taller, how could he, at near death have grown taller?' she asked herself, silently, imploringly, 'and his voice, his whole demeanour, he's so different.'

Due to her son's miraculous recovery, Cora had completely forgotten the fact that when she had hugged Lia at home in her hallway, she could only see her own reflection, it had been as if she was hugging the air. Jay could see his mother's confused expression in the rear view mirror, but if she had driven she would not have been able to see his, or Lia's.

He parked the car in the drive of the neighbour, who Cora had borrowed it from. She took the keys to the woman, and he and Lia went into the Patterson house. In the kitchen Lia prepared some coffee for Cora, and some warm milk for Jay and herself. She was feeling great appreciation for Valentin, her father, because he had counselled her to drip her own blood into her lover's mouth, so that he would be able to avoid the three days and three nights fever, that usually followed a vampire's kiss to the neck, during the vampirical transformation. Without this knowledge, Jay would have been kept in the hospital. His now natural lust for human blood was also under control, Lia's blood had satisfied him, and he would not need to hunt for some time. Lia was also satisfied, she could still taste his blood on her tongue, whenever she licked her lips..

Your mother is understandably very confused Jay, she said as she placed a glass of the warm white liquid in front of him. You will need to tell her something to put her mind at ease.

I know Jay replied casually, I'll let things settle down and then I'll tell her that the doctors must have misdiagnosed my condition, or something like that.

She can see the change in you Jay, how are you going to explain that? She is going to want more than the doctors got it all wrong.

Don't worry baby, a lot of people change after an accident, mom knows that.

Lia looked at Jay appraisingly, he was physically even more beautiful, in his new vampirical status, and she smiled as she remembered the shocked admiration, on the faces of the doctors and nurses, who had seen him standing naked in his private hospital room.

How do you feel she asked seductively, as she gazed appreciatively into the deep, dark pools of his eyes. Jay didn't answer, but he pulled her onto his lap, and hungrily kissed her inviting red lips.

__________________________________

It was probably just some crank said officer Hawkins decisively to her chain smoking colleague. C'mon Milton, you can't be taking that call seriously.

I hear what you're saying replied officer Milton reflectively, but the kid sounded so sure of herself.

But they always do don't they insisted Hawkins, the kid was probably bored or somethin' and when she saw the news or read about the case on the internet, she decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to give the cops the run around. You know that we've had a bunch of calls from every crazy ass bitch in New York city, claiming to be able to fly and confessing to stealing the painting don't you?

Yeah, yeah I know said Milton, but I'm still going to speak to that security guard, and after that I'm going to be calling the PPD in Maine. If this guy Jay Patterson exists and he and his girlfriend are involved in this crime, I'm gonna find out!

Amberlee Robinson sat on her bed and observed the bedroom walls, that her father had painted in her favourite shade of pink. Herb Clayton was blissfully unaware of what his daughter had done, he believed that, now she was living with him, she had settled down and was in the process of forgetting everything that had happened between her and Jay Patterson in Portland. Amberlee did not regret her recent actions however, she was very satisfied with what she had done, and she praised herself for having the good sense to dump the cell that she had used in the Schuylkill river. From time to time the memory of the Claremont college dance, would inflict itself into her head, and she would be once again subjected to the shame and the humiliation, of Jay casting her aside like a snot soiled paper handkerchief, and taking that strange girl into his arms instead. Amberlee hoped that they would lock Lia up and throw the key away. It had to be her, this was totally her MO, Jay's little whore had to be the thief! The security guard in his statement to the police, had given a good description of the girl he had seen in the museum, during the evening that the painting had been stolen. And it was, she was so sure that it was, the girl who had appeared in her house, in her room on that awful night, and had slapped her face and ordered her to return to Portland, to clear Jay Patterson's name. The teenage girl stroked her cheek. It was no longer stinging from the vampire's assault, there was no longer a grey coloured bruise. But even without knowing who and what Lia really was, Amberlee knew that she was more than capable of getting into the museum and stealing that oil painting. She had her own theories on how Lia had committed the crime. In her opinion Lia had charmed the security guard into letting her into the building during the evening, when it was closed. It would have been so easy for her, because it was obvious that men turned to jello at the mere sight of her. Amberlee's own father had let her into his house even though she was a stranger, and had pulled in his flabby stomach at the mere mention of her! That security guard would have been equally mesmerised by her. All it would have taken was a smile of promise on her full lips, and the weak middle-aged man would have disconnected the alarm in an instant. And she was so strong, so totally unnaturally strong, she could have so easily pushed him down the stairs. Amberlee was convinced that she was onto something, but she was however glad that she had made the call to officer Milton anonymously. It was true that since being at her father's place in Philadelphia, her all encompassing fear had subsided, but there were still some remnants of it deep within the pit of her stomach. Her mother had left a message on the answering service for her to call, but Amberlee decided to call Tori Martin instead. Officer Milton had seemed to be taking her call seriously, and she wanted to find out if anything had happened.

Tori? It's me Amberlee, I need to talk to you so you had better not be drunk!

Tori Martin had hoped and prayed that Amberlee Robinson would lose her number. She resisted the urge to slam down the phone, because it was hard to forget that the only thing that stood between her and jail time was Amberlee.

I'm not drunk she replied indignantly, I haven't had a drink in days. What do you want Amberlee?

Yeah right! sneered the other girl, because you are so totally self controlled aren't you Tori? Whatever! I haven't called to talk about you and your pathetic drink problem, you've heard about that 17th century painting robbery right? You must have heard about it, the one that was recently found after years of being missing? Bought by a museum in New York city?

Tori felt her whole body stiffen and she was suddenly enveloped by a heavy feeling of dread.

Oh no, you're not involved are you Amberlee? she asked, her voice was a dry whisper.

What? No of course not! What do you take me for?

You can't blame me for asking, especially with what happened between you and Jay Patterson, and him having a connection to it

At the mention of his name, Amberlee clutched the telephone and sat up straight in her chair. She could feel the temperature rising slowly up from her sandaled feet.

What connection? What has he got to do with that painting? she demanded and her heart started to pound in her chest.

Oh yeah! You wouldn't know would you? We studied that painting in art class at Claremont, when it was first recovered, and Libby Peterson chose it as a subject for her history of art project.

So? said Amberlee impatiently, little miss goody two shoes Libby bored everyone to death with her project about some ancient stolen painting, big whup!

Tori would have liked to bury the telephone in Amberlee's thick skull, and then get smashed on the contents in her parents' drinks cabinet. She may live in another State, and could no longer hang around like a bad smell, but Amberlee still managed to get right under her skin.

If you had been there and heard what she had to say, you wouldn't say that she snapped, but okay Amberlee if you don't want to know..

Alright, alright, tell me, what did she say about it?

She said that she had got most of her information from someone who is a descendant of Isobel Beauchamp, you know the woman in the painting.

It's not Jay is it? asked Amberlee incredulously.

No it's not Jay. Tori paused for effect. It's a girl, and you know who it is and you hate her. It's the girl who he dumped you for in front of everyone at the college dance.

Amberlee did not reply for a moment, but Tori's goading remark was not lost on her. That she would deal with at a later date, but for now she needed to collect her thoughts and put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

'I'm right, I know that I'm right, it was her, it must have been' she mused 'but why would she steal it? Why sell it in the first place only to steal it back?'

Oh Tori interrupted her silent musings. I almost forgot, there's something else that you would probably like to know, Jay has been in a car accident, and it was really bad. Libby's mom told my mom all about it. Apparently he was driving along the highway and he crashed into a tree or something, no one knows why because there were no other cars involved. They don't think that he's going to make it..

----------------------------------------------

Lia and Jay broke away from each other when they heard Cora's key in the lock. She came into the kitchen looking pale and rather strained, and was grateful for the offered cup of coffee, but would have much preferred a large brandy.

The neighbours have been very good, very supportive she said hurriedly, looking from Jay to Lia.

Mom, sit down please said Jay, it's okay, I know that my recovery has been a bit of a shock to you but...

A bit of a shock, hurled Cora suddenly, now this was the mother that he was accustomed to. Geez Jay, yer think? Honey don't get me wrong, I'm your mother and I love you, and God only knows how happy I am that you are alive, but those doctors, they told me that, that I was going to lose you, and they were so sure. And I believed them because you were in a coma and you looked so...Anyway they didn't expect you to ever regain consciousness. How could they have got it so wrong, how?

I don't know replied Jay calmly, I guess they made a mistake mom.

That's some mistake! cried Cora passionately, I just don't know what the hell is going on around here, first the cops and that forensic team misidentify Elena Hudson, and now this! Why can't people do the jobs that they're being paid to do eh?

Lia had remained silent throughout the whole exchange, but when Cora said Elena's name, she decided that the less said about her, the better. The last person that Jay would want to discuss with his mother was Elena Hudson, especially after the recent events, and his involvement that had led to her second death. The was also the fact that Jay was still completely unaware that Lia had killed Elena, when she had first come through the portal. The vampire did not want this secret disclosed to her lover.

It must have been awful for you she said to Cora soothingly, I know how you feel it was such a terrible shock to me too, but Jay's fine now, look at him. I think maybe they must have mixed the details of his injuries up with someone else's at the hospital, it's the only explanation that I can think of, and things like that happen don't they?

Cora smiled gratefully at Lia, she could see that she was trying to make sense of everything for her. she turned and surveyed her only son. She saw, once again that he looked longer, leaner and even more beautiful. His face had somehow taken on an impossible exquisiteness. It was as if he had been on a long and relaxing vacation. His skin was glowing, his hair was thick and shiny, and his beautiful dark brown eyes were framed with long black lashes. He was a son any mother would have been proud to call her own, but this did not stop Cora from constantly asking herself, why, why did the sight of her beautiful son scare her so much?

Marybeth McCann invited me for dinner tonight, she said desperately wanting to change the subject. I accepted because I thought that you would be still in the hospital, do you mind if I go?

No of course not, you go mom said Jay enthusiastically, he thought that a little bit of distance would do his mother good, and hoped that Marybeth would provide a distraction for her. I might head over to Lia's place if that's okay.

Yes, you kids go have fun Cora responded before adding, but how are you going to get to Westport? We don't have a car remember?

Oh that's okay said Jay looking at Lia meaningfully, it won't be too much of a problem getting there.

_____________________________

You're lying! I don't believe it, you're making it up! cried Amberlee, but the snake of uncertainty had already begun to uncurl itself in the bottom centre of her stomach.

Why would I make it up? snapped Tori angrily, it's true, Jay was driving his mom's Chevy and he crashed, they have him all wired up to some machine at Mercy hospital, and things don't look good.

Well was he alone when it happened or was she with him?

'Yeah, you wish' thought Tori knowingly but she said, no he was totally flying solo, no one else was hurt.

Amberlee fell silent for a moment. She did not know what to think, or feel. Tori's information had always been very reliable, when she was sober, and she seemed very sure of the facts. She certainly wasn't slurring her words, so Amberlee decided that this wasn't some vodka soaked piece of fiction.

And he's at Mercy hospital? I'll call them