Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 52

When have I let these weaklings make all the decisions? I have no idea, but I eagerly wait for Olivia to share her plan with us. Hopefully, it will give me some hope that we are entering a battle we can win.

"What if we lead them to a place where many different scents are mixing with each other? Would that help mask vampire scent?" Olivia asks.

"Well, I guess it depends on how strong the scents we are talking about are. It would have to be very powerful to be able to completely mask a vampire's scent." I say, unsure of her idea.

"Are you thinking about the feeding grounds?" Eliot asks his sister, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes, it's hunting season, and I am sure that the nearby tribe has put up the carcasses to dry in preparation for winter," Olivia says.

"That's actually a good idea," Eliot declares.

"Why do you seem so surprised? I can have good ideas as well. You don't have the sole right to those," she says, sticking her nose up.

"True, but not so often," Eliot says teasingly.

For the first time, I am actually enjoying their sibling banter. It manages to dispel the dark clouds that hovered above us after Olivia learned the truth about her father, about her possible fate.

Though I can't help but wonder how she can allow herself to be so quickly distracted, how she so easily releases her anger. Perhaps it's a human thing. The time limit doesn't allow them to hold grudges.

Then again, after what Eliot told me about Healers, I guess that's not the case with them. They can have unlimited lives and are not dependent on blood to survive. Why do they have it so easy?

To divert my attention from being jealous of such a clearly inferior species, I decided to figure out what in the name of blood they are talking about.

"What are the feeding grounds? How can they help us?" I ask.

"What we refer to as the feeding grounds is a part of the land that belongs to one of the oldest tribes that still observe the tribal way of life, the Sretwunh tribe. It is the feeding ground for most predators since that is the closest water source for many of the species that reside in this area." Eliot says.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask, slowly losing my patience.

"It is also the hunting ground for the tribe where they kill and cut the animals to pieces to make it easier for them to carry them home, or they simply hang them to dry out of all blood. In their native language, they call that place Talamh Fuilteach, Bloody Land, since it is said to always be saturated with blood.

"Whether it is the blood spilled by the hunters of the tribe or the other predators who wait for their prey, there can always be seen some blood and even we can smell it sometimes. I would imagine that vampires would be able to better register it." Eliot says.

"That sounds like it might work, but before I can say anything for sure, I need to see the place for myself. Only that way can I be sure if the smell would be capable of masking the scent of vampires. Especially Tobias and Cecilia's scent since it has that delicious Healer fragrance to it," I say, thinking out loud.

"Ahem, excuse me, but I would rather not be referred to as a delicious snack if you don't mind," Olivia says calmly but sternly.

"I am sorry, I was just stating facts," I say, realizing how offensive my comment is.

After all, I wouldn't want someone to think of me as their next meal, and I can imagine how uncomfortable Olivia feels. Though it doesn't seem to bother Eliot as much.

"How about I go and tell the others about the plan, convince our people to help, and you two go and visit Talamh Fuilteach?" Eliot says.

Olivia shifts uncomfortably. It's as if my comment about her deliciousness has suddenly made her aware of the fact that I am a vampire.

"Why don't you go with Helen? I am sure that you two have a lot to talk about," she says.

"True but we don't know when the Vampire Council will arrive. I don't want to put you at risk when it is perfectly safe for me to go back and organize everything," Eliot says.

'Perfectly safe' is not how I would describe it, but it still does sound more logical for him to go back since the whole point of us leaving was to protect this odd sister of his. Sending her back in the belly of the beast would just be a waste of time.

"Fine, but if I become her midday snack, I am blaming you," Olivia says, pouting at her brother.

"Trust me, if she were to feed on anyone, it wouldn't be you. She already knows someone who is much more delicious than you," he says, pointing at himself proudly.

"Can you not discuss whom of you I shall have for lunch? You'll make me hungry." I say, smiling mischievously.

"Oh, Helen, you are a hoot," Eliot says as he gives me a brief peck on the lips and turns to leave.

"Hey, Healer boy!" I say, stopping him in his tracks.

He turns around to face me, and I pull him closer by grabbing his shirt, kissing him deeply.

"This is how we say see you later in my world," I say after breaking the kiss.

He breathes heavily and smiles hugely at me.

"I prefer your way," he says.

I smile at him, showing off my pearly white teeth, a toothy grin that would terrify anyone else but seems to please my crazy Healer.

"Hurry back and don't do something stupid like get yourself killed," I say.

"Deal," he says, dashing off.

"You two sure are smitten by each other," Olivia comments the moment Eliot is far enough gone so as not to be able to hear her.

"I don't know what you are talking about. We are just having some innocent fun," I say with my best fake smile.

She doesn't seem convinced, but I am not about to admit something that I have trouble confessing even to myself to someone who doesn't even trust me enough not to kill them.

"Anyway, shouldn't we be off to the bloody land or whatever it is that you call it," I ask.

It's as much about putting the plan into motion as it is about distracting her from the topic of my love life, and I am happy to note that it works.

"This way," she says, starting off towards east.

"Would you trust me enough to give me directions and let me carry you there since we will get there sooner?" I ask.

She seems hesitant, and I am not sure how her opinion of me can change so quickly. Perhaps she is slow in understanding things and has only now realized that I am the most dangerous predator she has ever met. Or it might be that I referred to her as tasty.

"Time is of the essence if we want to survive this. I am not in the mood to waste it by following your slow speed, which is barely better than that of a regular human," I say, my annoyance becoming clear.

"Fine, but give me a piggyback ride, and I'll tell you the directions as we go," she says.

I find her request a ridiculous precaution but decide not to say anything as I want to speed things up.

"Okay, hop on," I say, swallowing the humiliation of being someone's packhorse.