Rising Son (The Juliana Lucio Series) Read online

  The Juliana Lucio Series:

  Rising Son

  Book Two

  L.C. DeCarlo

  Copyright

  The Juliana Lucio Series: Rising Son

  © 2012, Lisa Hargis

  Published by Lisa Hargis

  First Edition

  Editors: Gina Villavicencio, Theresa Procaccini

  ISBN-13: 978-1470136567

  ISBN-10: 1470136562

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

  PUBLISHERS NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedicated to:

  My family, with thanks and gratitude.

  For without them this would not have been possible.

  Thank you for your belief in me, and for pushing me to

  continue.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you so very much: Gina, for all the late nights you put in editing and talking through various scenes. I appreciate your help and support more than you’ll ever know.

  To Dan, if you hadn’t believed in me from the beginning and encouraged me to sit down and write, I never would have. So, thank you for believing in me.

  With love to my family. Even though we are spread all over the country you support me like we are still seeing one another at Nana’s every Sunday. You guys rock.

  ***

  On a side note, if you happen across the character Joe in this story. He was named in remembrance of my late cousin, Joe Scalf.

  “And thus I clothe my naked villainy

  With odd old ends stolen out of holy writ;

  And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.”

  -- William Shakespeare, Richard III

  Chapter One

  The basement. I was back in the damn basement. I had woken here before, and it was just as unpleasant this time around as it was previously. My name is Juliana Lucio, and the first time I woke here was a few nights after I had been turned into a vampire. Then the night before faking my death I woke in this same bed covered in dried blood, from self-inflicted wounds. Yeah, I definitely hated this room. Especially, because this time I was waking up here not knowing if my Sire, and lover had just betrayed me, and possibly cost my son his life in the process.

  The basement is completely bare aside from the bed, and a chair in the corner. The walls are red brick and slightly cracked in places from age, there’s no light, but then again we’re vampires, so it isn’t really an issue.

  Besides, I try to stay out of this room when at all possible.

  My mind was scrambling trying to figure out what was going on. Last night I went to rescue my son from a powerful master vampire, Nathaniel, and with the help of my lover William and his best friend—My Sire, Ana, I ended up killing the bastard Nathaniel in the process. We made it home just before sunrise, when I conveniently passed out, but not before I discovered William and Ana are part of a group called, the Council. They have the power to very possibly force me to turn my own son, or kill us both for my refusal; simply because Christian was witness to vampirekind, and now knows I’m alive.

  * * *

  There was a soft knocking on the basement door creating a slight echo in the bare room, making the sound seem more ominous than it probably was.

  “Jules. Can I come in?”

  William was outside the door, if I was being held prisoner I wondered why he even bothered asking. I frantically started looking for a weapon of any kind, but of course, there was nothing.

  “Just a sec!”

  I took a look at what I was wearing and saw I still had everything on from my leathers to my shoes from the fight last night. That might mean I still had my knife. I had concealed it in a waist band holster, making it almost completely unnoticeable; with sunrise already here when they moved me they most likely didn’t have time to search me. I made my way toward the door, feeling for the knife through my shirt, I wouldn’t pull it out unless I absolutely needed it. I didn’t want to reveal my only weapon.

  “Come in.” I tried to sound forceful, but found I could hardly stand I felt so weak.

  William opened the door, and came in slowly, keeping his hands visible, I wasn’t sure if it was intentional on his part or not. William was a tall, lean, and sexy vampire. I often called him my half-demon half-angel because of his mix of devilish good looks and angel like manners. As he came into the room his dirty blond hair fell forward, slightly covering his dark brown eyes, it always seemed to be perpetually messy. William had always been there for me, until now.

  “Jules, you look terrible, are you feeling okay?”

  “You always did know just what to say to me, didn’t you William” I replied snidely.

  He at least had the decency to look apologetic, “It’s not like that Jules, you know that isn’t what I meant. You were weak last night too; it’s obvious you need to feed. Using that much compulsion is going to take more time to learn, and harness, it was too much, too soon.”

  “Really. Well, I feel just fine. Tell me where Christian is and we’ll both be out of here. Tell the rest of your Council I can and will make him forget. So there is no need for any of you, to go after either of us.”

  “We aren’t going after anyone, and you don’t have to leave.” He started to reach out for me, but I took a step back from him and he lowered his hand.

  It was hard being on opposite sides from William, but what was I supposed to do, he and Ana both betrayed me when they kept the secret that they were part of the law keeping society, the Council.

  “What have you done with my son?”

  “Christian’s at the hospital, he’s going to be fine. You and Ana did a great job on him. Don’t worry, he’s safe.”

  “Which hospital is he at? I’ll swing by, erase his memory and be done with it.”

  I moved toward the door, stumbling a little as I went. William quickly reached out to steady me before I fell.

  “Do not touch me,” I growled at him, jerking my arm free.

  I kept my gaze straight ahead. I couldn’t look at him, I didn’t think I could hold up to the betrayal I’d find in his deep brown eyes, the ones I had mistakenly thought I was starting to see love in. He slowly lowered his hand from where it had been on my arm and turned, forcing me to face him.

  “Jules, please . . . let me explain. It isn’t what you think,” he said pleadingly.

  “What I think is I was sleeping with the enemy this entire time, and never even knew it. Did you and Ana get a good laugh at my expense, seeing me lose my mind over my son? What I don’t understand is why you ever did it in the first place.”

  I didn’t really expect an answer nor did I want to stay in the basement another minute longer, so I continued toward the door. My vision was getting blurry, and I could feel my fangs lengthening. I really needed blood and quickly.

  “Jules . . .”

  “You don’t get to call me that anymore!”

  I fled from the room making my way up the stairs; I’d find Christian on my own. He was most likely at the closest hospital to here anyway. As I ran from William and up the stairs I made my way to the library, it was one that rivaled a
ny public library I’ve ever seen. It had a huge fireplace covering half of an entire wall and one of my most recent discoveries, secret rooms full of weapons and underground tunnels to help aid in escape from both the sun and enemies.

  I said a silent prayer as I came into the room that I wouldn’t run into Ana. I didn’t want another confrontation or for them to stop me from leaving altogether. I needed blood and to find Christian as quickly as possible, in that order. I could sense William coming up behind me even in my weakened condition.

  “Are you going to stop me from leaving?” I asked him before he had a chance to reach me.

  “No, but we--”

  “Then leave me alone.”

  I made it out the back door and into the yard, the only problem I faced now was how I was going to get out. In the past if I wasn’t driving William’s Audi R8 or riding on the back of his BMW with him, I’d just jump over the wrought-iron fence; given I could hardly walk I didn’t think I could make the seven foot jump.

  “Juliana, you’re being ridiculous! It is too dangerous for you to be out alone like this, let me help you.”

  “Right, just like you were ‘helping’ me before. I don’t think so.”

  I had made it around the house and was staring at the fence. I had to hold myself against the tree for support. How in the hell was I going to get out of here?

  I looked over at William, “Fine. You want to help me? Open the gate so I can get out of here.”

  “Let me go with you so I can explain. I told you before I would explain everything once we were finished with Nathaniel, let me do that!”

  “No William, I know enough. You and Ana are part of the Council, the ones who will kill both my son and I, if we don’t do exactly as you say. What more is there to know? Now, if you will please open the gate so I can leave.”

  He didn’t say anything else, just reached behind the tree I was leaning on, and pressed a small catch opening the gate.

  “Of course, another fucking secret,” I mumbled walking through the gate.

  “Jules, you don’t cuss.”

  “Yeah, well apparently things change, and I told you not to call me that anymore.”

  Chapter Two

  Luckily for me the house we lived in was situated in the middle of Hyde Park, Chicago. I didn’t think I’d be walking long before I came across someone to serve as dinner. God, how far had I’d come to even be thinking like that. It had only been a few months since Ana had attacked me. We were both doctors in the emergency department at The University of Chicago Medical Center, she had been under orders to kill me, and decided to turn me instead. I was angry, distraught and hated her for what she had done to me; she stole my life and family. We had ended up developing an uneasy friendship or least a truce, as I thought she was helping me rescue my son from two master vampires, but now I didn’t know what to believe. She was just as likely the enemy as Nathaniel, the master vampire, had been.

  I could hear the soft hum of a car engine coming around the corner a little ways down the road. I pulled off my leather jacket and held it under my arm to make myself a little less biker chick intimidating, and more damsel-in-distress hottie. I was wearing the tight ribbed, white muscle tank William had picked out for me along with the leather pants I had on. My chestnut brown hair was a mess and fell to about my mid-back. I was covered in dust, and debris from having a building collapse around and on top of me. I think it went without saying I’d had better days, but my looking so bad would probably help get someone to stop for me sooner.

  It was only moments after I first heard the hum of the engine that it came around the corner. It had the unmistakable clunking sound of a late model car; cheap, un-reliable, and easy to patch. I exaggerated a limp and stuck out my thumb to hitch a ride. A late model Honda Civic with a rusted out back panel idled up beside me.

  “Hey, you need a ride?” A young guy with light brown hair was leaning over to look out the passenger side window.

  “Um . . . yeah, I wrecked my bike a little ways back . . . is this the way to the hospital? I think I hit my head . . . or something.” I started staggering forward, but I didn’t entirely have to fake the dizziness.

  “Lady, you don’t look so good. Here get in and I’ll take you to the hospital. I was headed there anyway.” He reached over and pushed the passenger side door open.

  “Thanks, I really appreciate it, are you visiting someone there?”

  “Wha . . . oh . . . no,” he was staring at my eyes, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they looked like right now. I was in desperate need of blood, which usually turned them from emerald green to black. “I’m a doctor, I was on my way to work -- you know it’s hard to tell in the dark, but your pupils look blown, both eyes are completely dilated.”

  “All the better to see you with my dear . . .” I muttered under my breath.

  “Excuse me, I didn’t quite catch that.”

  “Nothing, do you think we can get going, I should probably get checked out, don’t you think?”

  “Oh! Yeah. Right.” The way the car was sputtering, I hoped we’d make it there.

  “What kind of doctor are you exactly. I mean you seem awfully young.”

  “I know. I get that a lot. I’m actually a resident in the E.R. one of the residents was murdered a few months ago, so I got her spot. Cool huh?” This was my replacement!

  “Yeah, cool.”

  I was having a hard time blocking out the sound of his heart beating, the constant thump-thump, thump-thump seemed to be beating along with the sound of the clanking engine. It was like the weaker the rest of me got the stronger my sense of smell and hearing. This guy reeked of tobacco and stale coffee, but at least he had taken a shower not long ago. My eyes were instinctively drawn to his throat where I could see his pulse beating steadily and strong. Without warning my fangs shot from my mouth and I jerked trying to hide them.

  “Are you okay?”

  His concern was evident in his voice, and even though he was a bit immature for his own good he did have good intentions in wanting to help me.

  I put my hand on my forehead and leaned over, “I’m alright, just a little nauseous, I threw up earlier too, do you think it could be bad?”

  “What? Yeah it’s bad, you have a head injury, and dude you can’t throw up in my brother’s car, he’ll kill me!” Dude? They seriously hired this guy?

  He pulled onto a side street, and thankfully there wasn’t much in the way of traffic. Once he had completely stopped the car and put it in park, I sat up and looked at him.

  “I really appreciate you stopping to give me a ride tonight.”

  “Oh . . . Uh . . . No, problem.”

  I leaned over and pulled him into a hug, “not many men would do that nowadays. There’s just one more thing I need from you,” I said whispering in his ear.

  “What’s that?”

  “This,” I said as I sunk my fangs deep into his jugular.

  His blood poured freely into me, filling me up. I could feel his strength instantly becoming mine, I felt powerful again; it was intoxicating, and I didn’t want the feeling to end. An image of William flashed before my eyes, and gave me pause. I had seen my victim’s past before, but this image was all my own. The first time I had fed on someone, I killed him. Since then William had gone hunting with me whenever I needed it. He kept me grounded, he kept me from killing anyone or doing something I’d later regret.

  I slowed my pull on the man’s throat and gave it a lick to help with the healing. I didn’t kill him, but I had taken enough that he passed out. I leaned back against the door and almost fell out when the thing went flying open.

  “Damn it! Stupid piece of junk car.”

  I almost did it again, I almost killed someone.

  “But I didn’t, and I need to get to Christian.”

  I climbed out of the Honda, amazed at how much different I always felt after feeding. My vision was amazingly sharpened again, I could see clearly to the end of the street. I know if I nee
ded to I could throw the Honda or scale the side of a building, I felt utterly invincible. I looked at my would-be rescuer and couldn’t just leave him here, who knew what might happen to him. I leaned into the car and pulled him into the passenger seat, buckling him in.

  I then slid behind the wheel and took off for the hospital, driving this old clunker really made me miss William's Audi R8, man could that baby fly.

  “Stop thinking about Will, he’s the enemy. He betrayed you.”

  Maybe if I talked to myself enough, I would start to listen. I pulled into the emergency parking lot and then shuffled around in the back. I found an old Cubbies hat stuffed under the seat, it was a little dirty, but not bad. I quickly re-braided my hair, put my jacket on, and pulled the cap on low hoping to cover as much of my face as possible. I left the keys in the ignition, with the engine off, and headed for the ER entrance.

  This was so stupidly risky, coming back here, but this was where Christian most likely was; and I had to get to him before anyone else did.

  It was just like I remembered it; loud, chaotic, full of people and I missed every second of it. I stopped in front of the doors taking it all in, there was a man off to the side arguing with the security guard, he was telling him that one of the nurses had stolen his wallet, a mom was trying to console her crying baby while a toddler was banging a toy car into the patient sitting next to her, there was an older woman yelling at a nurse about not being able to wait because she can't drive after dark. It went on, and on. I was hit from behind as someone coming through the doors didn't see me or didn't care that I was standing there; either way it jolted me out of my reverie and I made my way over to the triage desk.

  “Look Ma’am, you have to wait your turn." It took me a second to realize the nurse was talking to me because she wasn't looking at anyone in particular as she said it.