Blood from Stone, chapter 18

Chapter 18

12.3.2021

A week had passed since the holiday gala, and life had mostly returned to normal at the Winterbourne estate. Liliana and the boys were seated at the table in the banquet hall, enjoying their breakfast after a lengthy group sparring session. Aubrey jumped like he'd been electrocuted, the others looking at him in concern.

"What the hell was that about, Aubrey?" Jaxon asked.

He yanked his phone from his pocket, leaving the table and the room to answer the call. Liliana quirked a curious brow. "All I know is that can't be a good thing."

Leon steepled his fingers together beneath his chin, tapping fingertips to his lips. "I have a feeling I know what's going on. And you're right. It likely isn't a good thing, Lily." He took a leisurely sip of his coffee, honey gold eyes heavy lidded. "Something about the coffee is different, but delicious, this morning."

Liliana beamed. "I wanted a change of pace, so I asked the kitchen staff if we could get some other flavors of coffee to sample. I'm glad you like it! I think it's almost too rich for me, but the caffeine levels are absolute perfection."

He couldn't resist a smile at her excitement, his worried expression softening. "You just like to throw everything around you into upheaval, don't you?"

She shrugged, purposely slurping her coffee louder than normal. "I do like to rock the boat."

Aubrey came back into the dining room a few moments later, his eyes pinched looking. He took his seat between Leon and Liliana, letting his head drop into his hands. He swiped his hands back through his long hair, turning to meet Liliana's eyes. "That phone call was my father. He said he's impressed as hell with the way you presented yourself to the media. And he's been in contact with Daniel. They're trying to hunt down some sort of information about your birth parents, so we can unravel why you're allergic to our venom."

Orion swallowed hard, icy blue gaze focused on his older brother. "...you look awfully stressed out for nothing but good news, Aubrey."

Aubrey nodded. "He said he plans to be home in a few months. Not sure when yet. You know how his business trips are."

"Riiiight," Jaxon drawled. "Be lucky if he doesn't come home with another vampire orphan that becomes our responsibility." Realizing how harsh he sounded, he sheepishly turned to Maverick and Draven. "Sorry, guys. That was cruel of me."

Draven and Maverick waved it off. "We knew what you meant, Jax." Draven offered.

Liliana gnawed on the edge of her bottom lip. "You all seem like you don't have the best of relationships with dear old Daddy Winterbourne."

"A Dick is a Dick," Aubrey half snarled. Liliana leaned back in the face of his vehement energy. He exhaled heavily. "Sorry, Lily. Our father's name is Richard, and he lives up to being a Dick every day that the old bastard continues to breathe." Leaning back in his chair, he folded his hands behind his head and looked crestfallen. "And I've suddenly lost my appetite."

“Wow.” Liliana wasn’t sure what to think. “Aside from the normal competitive man thing, what’s so bad about the guy? If I’m gonna meet him eventually, I might as well be prepared, right?”

Draven rolled his eyes. "He might not be a saint, but he's not that bad Aubrey. Seriously."

Aubrey's expression when he turned to the youngest of them was withering. "This from the man who's known Dick Winterbourne for a whopping ten years. I've been putting up with him since I was born. And for the record, that's a hell of a lot longer than any of you have had the displeasure of making his acquaintance."

Leon crossed his arms over his chest, arms looking like they were about to burst the seams of his dress shirt. "To be fair, our father isn't the easiest man to get along with. Although if it weren't for him, Jax and I would probably still be back in Barbados. I do miss the warmth there, sometimes."

"Whoa. What? You two were born in Barbados? How?"

Leon arched a brow at her and met her gaze over the top of his glasses. "If you really need an education on the manner in which children are created, I'd be happy to oblige after I'm done with my classes today, Liliana."

Her cheeks burned and she murmured. "You know what I meant..."

Leon bobbed his head to her lightly, a smirk on his full lips. "Our grandfather was an indentured servant from Ireland, sent to Barbados in 1895. He ended up marrying a local girl and giving birth to our mother. Richard Winterbourne was on business in the Caribbean, he met our mother, and here we are."

Liliana pursed her lips as she pondered, before taking another sip of her coffee. "She must have been a special woman. Looking at the rest of you, he was only with your mothers long enough to have one child, except for the twins. And since that was more of a flash in the pan thing, he must have cared deeply for her."

Jaxon's expression softened. "She was a saint for putting up with his ass while he was trying to get the start of his fortune built. At least, that was our impression of things. Turns out he had plenty of money for full time care of this demon right here, while we were barely surviving and living off rations." He nodded his chin towards Aubrey. "But he actually spent time with us, despite money being tight. Aubrey didn't get to have that relationship with him."

Aubrey was practically sulking. Liliana would have found it funny if he didn't look so genuinely upset. "You're over a hundred years old, and a man in your own right. Why don't you just tell him you want some quality time with the Old Man?" she asked gently, trying to choose her words carefully.

The eldest brother shrugged. “Doesn't matter how many times I ask. He's got all this political bullshit to deal with, trying to make sure our clan has enough power to maintain control of the East Coast."

Liliana nodded knowingly. "So what you're saying is that you both have that 'I'm a man! I can run my shit by myself!' attitudes, and that makes you butt heads."

"That's part of it, I guess." He exhaled heavily. "Fuck it. We've got a few months, at least, before he's back. I don't want to think about the asshole anymore."

"Sure," Liliana said softly, not wanting to press the issue. Instead, she continued sipping her coffee and nonchalantly rested her free hand on his thigh, palm up. Her hand was open, relaxed, fingers welcoming. He looked at it for a second like she'd scalded him, or that her silent offer of comfort was a viper poised to strike.  She watched him close his eyes, take a deep breath in, and then he flipped her hand over, engulfing her hand with his and lacing his fingers between hers.

He finished his breakfast, picking away at little bits of it here and there. It gave Lily the impression that something else had been said that Aubrey had chosen not to share with the family, and it made her wonder why he was keeping it to himself. She decided to ask him later, more than content to let him squeeze the hell out of her hand. He finally relaxed his grip, the red imprint of his hand superimposed on her skin as he withdrew.

With a small frown, he lifted her hand in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "You should have said something, Lily..."

She shrugged, the sensation of his soft lips against her skin making heart race. "I've had worse," she said with a little smile.

"Idiot," he murmured. Getting to his feet, he cupped her face in his hands and lightly brushed his lips against her forehead. "I'm going to be unavailable for the rest of the day. If you really need me for something, give me a call."

"Ah. That day, eh?" Leon asked, not seeming too terribly pleased about whatever it was.

Aubrey merely nodded. "Catch you all later."

He left the banquet hall quietly, his mood so subdued that Liliana was worried. Once she was sure he was out of earshot, she looked accusingly at the rest of them. "What in the name of hell was that all about?"

"Aubrey has a lot of trauma wrapped up in our father. Whether it's him being gone, or him being here, Aubrey's never truly satisfied. He feels like he was abandoned, so he wants to be able to spend time with him to make up for the lost opportunities. But by the same token, he feels abandoned so the last thing he wants is to have to look at the face of the man who bore him and left him behind." Leon swiped a hand back through his dark curls, sighing heavily.

"I don't suppose that therapy has ever occurred to any of you."

Maverick shrugged. "Daniel has been a counselor to all of us, at some point. The man is older than dirt. But unfortunately, talk therapy doesn't work for everyone. I think the only way Aubrey and Dad can work things out is for them to both check their egos at the door and have it out. Whether that means beating the shit out of each other or having a chat. Either way, this time when Dad rolls back into town, something needs to change."

"Fair enough. Maybe I should pay Daniel a visit. It's almost draw time, anyway. I'm curious to see if he's gotten any useful information about what exactly my parents were, so we can fix this venom allergy issue."

"Might not be a bad idea," Jax offered.

"And I'd like to apologize to you and Leon both, Jaxon."

The men in question turned to her. "Why?"

Liliana looked sheepish, eyes cast down at the bottom of her now empty coffee mug. "Because this whole time I'd assumed you were both some flavor of Hispanic or Latino, but if you're from Barbados, it's more likely that you're..."

"Old enough that we're over it," Jax offered. "But yes, we'd be of African descent. Our grandmother was full blooded Barbadian, our mother was half. That makes us barely black enough to say so, depending on who you ask. Wait until you meet more of the Brewster clan. They've got an entire branch of their family tree that's Creole."

"I did notice a few of them at the gala! And... I hope I didn't offend you guys. I feel like I should have asked, instead of just assuming."

"Unless you're racist, which you obviously aren't, it doesn't matter. You treat us like people, not the shade of brown we are. Or aren't, as the case may be."

She set her mug on the table with a light clank. "Thanks, Jax. I feel like slightly less of an asshole."

"Not all vampires are pristine European Anglo-Saxon porcelain, Liliana. Draven is proof of that." Leon added.

"I know," she said with a slight grimace. "But you know how the media is. Up until fifteen years ago, vampires and other paranormals weren't even out in the open. My brain is still trying to disengage from the obviously white-washed version the media showed, so I can focus on how vampires actually are."

"You'll get there. You've gone through multiple culture shocks in the few months you've been with us. You'll adapt. You're more resilient than you think, Liliana." Leon graced her with a small smile. "What's on your agenda for today?"

She passed her coffee mug from hand to hand. "I'm gonna do some browsing online. I think I want to take some college courses. Not sure for what, just yet. Something I can do remotely, without having to actually go on campus."

"If you find a major you're really interested in, let me know. I'm in with a few guidance counselors who might be able to help you pick a path of study."

The bloddukke smiled. "Thanks, Leon."

He nodded, refilling his own coffee mug from the carafe on the table before him. "You're welcome, Lily." He glanced at his watch with a sigh. "I've got to get to the library to teach my class. Have a good day. See you all at dinner."

Everyone went their separate ways and Liliana was left to her own devices, aimlessly scrolling through distance learning programs on the laptop they'd recently gotten for her. So far, she’d seen a few that were interesting, but for the most part… her heart just wasn’t in it. With a sigh, she set the laptop aside, rolling onto her back on the bed and staring at the ceiling.

“Who am I kidding?” she groaned. “I’m not cut out for college. Maybe I should look for a trade school, instead.”

Arms relaxed, she rested her wrist on her forehead. Grey eyes studied the ceiling intently, as if the answer was somewhere in its varied surface. After a few moments of contemplation with lips pursed, Liliana sighed heavily. She rolled to her feet amidst the rustle of blankets.

“Fuck it,” she grumbled under her breath. Her phone buzzed on the bed

and she snatched it up, seeing that the message was from Aubrey.

“What are you wearing?”

Liliana arched a brow, holding her phone slightly above her head and taking a snapshot of her comfy grey sweatpants and black tank top. She sent it to him paired with: “Nothing says sexy like grey sweats, right?”

Almost immediately he responded with, “Do me a favor? Put on a white shirt and come to my room. Bring your knives.”

She frowned slightly at her screen, tapping the back of the case with her fingertips as she pondered how to reply. She settled on, “Which knives? Stabby knives, or slicing knives?”

“Slicing. And when you get here, just come in. And don’t talk. I’ll guide you mentally.”

Her eyes widened as she stared at the screen. “Dude… WTF are you asking me to do, Aubrey?”

“When you get here, I’ll explain. And you can back out if you want. Just get here ASAP, ok?”

She sent back a thumbs up emoji, going to the box she kept all her sharp and pointy things in. After some careful contemplation, she grabbed a knife with a small, thin blade and a curved black handle. Poking her index finger through the ring at the end of it, she spun it around absently as she headed to her dresser. She set the blade down to shuffle through the piles of shirts in the second drawer, finally locating a white tank top buried at the bottom and squished behind the others.

Liliana picked the pristine bundle of cloth up, her eyes unfocused as she gripped it tightly in her hands. She and Aubrey had been playing cat and mouse since the gala, but it had only been playful teasing. His sudden uncharacteristic request filled her with equal measures of excitement and trepidation.

Shaking off her nerves, she changed like he’d asked her to. Stuffing the knife into the pocket of her sweatpants, Liliana padded off barefoot to Aubrey’s bedroom.