Chapter 5

The next few days were quiet. They packed up a suitcase, which was strange since Tori had no idea how long they would be gone for. She reasoned a week’s worth of clothes made sense. She didn’t even ask Bryce what she should bring. After all, what does one wear to a surprise attack? She tossed in jeans, tops, and jackets. A few pairs of solid boots, bras, and panties. She looked with longing at the gown she had worn to the Renaissance ball last month. It was beautiful and she hated leaving it behind. Cutting a small square of the plaid she tucked it into her bra, so Bryce’s clan colors would be close to her heart. Then with one last sweep of the room, she was ready to go.

Standing outside of the bar, Bryce looked up at the neon green sign that read Galloway’s. It had called customer’s inside for decades. It was his pub, and Tori knew he didn’t want to leave it behind. He had made sure to pay the taxes on it for the next year, just in case they’d be away longer than expected. And if they didn’t return—the lost money wouldn’t matter anyway. His bike was stored in the cellar leaving them with a few pairs of clothes and each other. Everything else was inside that little bar. Tori squeezed her eyes shut, committing the bar to memory as Bryce turned off the lights and lowered the gate. A sign that Bryce had written hung in the window.

Thank you for your patronage. Galloway’s will reopen soon.

Tori wanted desperately to believe that sign. The cab Bryce had called pulled up and Bryce opened the door for Tori. She got in and smelled the pine air freshener that tried to conceal the driver’s smoking habit. The front of the cab was a mess, covered in empty coffee cups and papers everywhere. The driver took the luggage from Bryce and placed all they had in the trunk. Bryce exchanged a few words outside with the driver, then slid in beside her. His weight caused the seat to dip, it was comforting.

“JFK?” The cabbie asked before he confirmed pick up in his walkie talkie.

“Aye.” Bryce said his gaze taking in one final peek at the darkened bar. It felt to Tori like they had orphaned their only child. That bar held so many memories for her. It was where Bryce opened up to her. Where she returned when she decided to take his offer—a life of immortality. They had made love in the cellar, their humble home, countless times. They even christened the bar a few times. It was their happy place. Tori thought how funny, something so simple could mean the world to them. If it was this difficult for Tori to say goodbye, she couldn’t even imagine how Bryce felt. She dipped her head against his shoulder as the cabbie sped away and left their little island of Manhattan and headed to Queens.

John F. Kennedy airport was bustling. The line for security was long and Bryce looked like he wanted to tear through the people to get to the gates on the other side. After thirty minutes they had barely moved, and Bryce couldn’t keep still. He was a bad flyer to begin with and this stalling was making him even more anxious.

“Whit the feck?” He growled. Tori felt her eyes grow wide as people around them started looking at Bryce. A muscular Scotsman with a temper is always an attraction that draws attention. A guy in front of them with intricate dreads turned around and pulled the earbuds out of his ears.

“Some chick came in with a bag of crazy medieval weapons. Stakes and shit. Thinks she’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. TSA has been arguing with her for a while. It backed the whole damn line up.” He put the buds back in his ears and turned around bopping his head to reggae.

Tori didn’t look at Bryce. She could feel his anger coming off of him in waves. “Fecking Erin!” he said through clenched teeth.

Tori placed a hand on his back. “You don’t know for sure if it’s Erin,” she said softly so only Bryce could hear.

“Oh really? How many people d'ye think just happen to be traveling to Europe wi’ a bag full of wooden stakes on this very evening?”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t her… I just said we shouldn’t assume.”

It was Erin.

It took another thirty minutes to get through security and over to the gates where the sea of last-minute shopping distracted the travelers who were patiently waiting for their flights to take off.

Derek and Erin were fighting in front of a newsstand. Erin had her arms crossed, pouting, while Derek was giving her a tongue lashing. Bryce picked up the pace when he saw them. Tori pulled him back.

“You’re walking too fast. Humans don’t move like that, remember? I know you’re heated but leave her alone. You’re not her dad. Besides, Derek looks like he’s doing a number on her.”

“As he should. Why the feck would she put her weapons in her carry-on?”

“Did you ever think that maybe she’s trying to protect us? She’s a slayer, Bryce. Asking her to travel without her weapons is like asking a bird not to fly. She always has something on her. This, as you have repeatedly told us, is war. She wouldn’t risk her stuff getting lost by checking her bags.”

“I see I’m nae going to win. Ye two joined an alliance against me the day ye had her stick me wi’ her dagger.”

The look of disgust he gave her hurt. “I think you recall the circumstances differently.”

He ran his hand through his hair. “I recall them well enough.”

“Hey!” The couple turned when they heard Liv’s voice. She was standing in between Kyle and Kane. “We’ve been here for over an hour. We were worried you abandoned us.”

“Blame her.” Bryce pointed across the food court at Erin who was yelling back at Derek. Derek had his hands on his hips and looked like he had enough.

“Trouble in paradise?” Kane asked as his lips curled into a deviant grin.

“Erin and Derek got stopped by security,” Tori explained. “She packed some things that didn’t meet airport guidelines. It sort of backed the lineup.”

“What did she pack, her stakes?” Kyle laughed, but seeing the severe expression on Bryce’s face regained his composure. “Oh.”

“They’ve fought long enough. Let’s go rescue her.” Tori tossed her carry-on messenger bag across her shoulder and walked toward Derek and Erin.

“I agree,” Kane responded and followed Tori.

“Of course ye do,” Bryce mumbled.

Liv took Kyle’s hand and sighed. “This is going to be a long flight.”

*****

When the plane landed in Heathrow airport, Tori was exhausted. It was only five-thirty in the morning back in New York, but here in London it was ten-thirty which meant the sun was up and bright. They had compelled those around them to keep their window shades drawn to avoid the light that would surely expose them to the unknowing humans. Even though she couldn’t see the sun, her exhaustion made it clear it had risen hours ago.

The vampires walked through the narrow hallway quietly as Erin turned her phone back on to review their instructions. Elora had come through this airport last week and had mapped out a safe route for the vampires to travel that had little encounter with sunny windows. The biggest obstacle was about to face them, but by ducking in and out of the stores that lined the gates, Elora was certain they would be all right. An abandoned stock room would have to do as their bedroom for the day. Tori wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on a rat-infested cement floor, but she trusted that Elora had exhausted all options before mapping out their hiding spot.

As the passengers exited the final door and flooded into the terminal, Bryce stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the window that occupied the length of the terminal wall. A plane was pulling in, and beautiful as it was, that was not what captured his attention. The sky was a bright blue, no clouds. The sun was in her full glory.

The six vampires stood in awe at the sight before them. For Tori, it had only been a few months since she last saw the sun. But how long had Bryce gone without it? It was brighter than she remembered. The world seemed crisper, sharper. She had spent the last weeks worshipping the night and had forgotten the beauty of the day.

Like Sleeping Beauty drawn to the spindle she stepped toward her doom, but Erin jumped in front of her, nearly tackling her to the floor. “No!” she hissed at the vampire. Tori felt her fangs lengthen and gave Erin a low warning growl.

“You guys!” Erin pleaded, her cry enough to awaken them from their momentary hypnosis. Their skin was steaming and Tori, being the closest to the window, saw that her hands had started to blister from the light. Seeing her flesh burn, her body made the connection and alerted her to the pain.

Erin pointed to the restrooms that were about twenty feet away. “Go in there, the bathrooms are safe.” Tori ran faster than she probably should have but didn’t care—this was survival. Liv and Erin were close behind her as they entered the ladies’ rooms.

“The guys?” Liv asked, her voice sounding panicky as she ran her burning hands under cold water. Her flesh began to heal, returning back to its creamy youthful state.

“I saw them enter the men’s room.” Erin pulled out her phone and started tapping away. A few seconds later Derek texted back, instructing the women to remain in the bathroom until the sun went down. “Well ladies it looks like there’s been a change of plans. The length of the main window is just too vast. This,” she, said, opening her arms and gesturing to her surroundings, “is where you’ll be resting this afternoon.”

“But if we dodge in and out of stores, we can make it to the storage room Elora found,” Tori reasoned, not wanting to sleep without Bryce. She never had to before and she didn’t want to begin now.

“Sorry, hon. Those are the orders.” Erin looked around the room and found a closet. It was locked, but she was strong enough to force it open. Erin opened the door wider so Liv and Tori could see inside. It was narrow but deep. The women could lie down inside, using toilet paper rolls as pillows.

“It’ll have to do.” She took Liv’s hand and stepped inside the closet.

“Try to jam it closed with something so the cleaning woman can’t get in.” Erin looked around and saw the checklist that confirmed how often the bathroom was cleaned. “I’ll sign the list a few times throughout the day so no one will bother you.” Giving the girls each a hug, she promised them she would stay close and they could sleep soundly under her watch.