In truth, she didn’t only want the cure for herself. She also wanted it for her mate. Isaiah had never wanted to be a vampire, but the two wanted to be together for eternity. A cure for vampirism would allow them to do that, but in the normal way they desired. She thought it would be a nice surprise for Isaiah, whether for his birthday or their anniversary.
She only wished it wasn’t taking so long.
She’d told herself that she would be patient. She’d convinced herself to believe that all things come to those that wait. But though it had only been a week since Austin had agreed to help her, she found herself growing more anxious every day. She was cooped up in her hotel room, staying out of the scorching sun, chatting online to her friends (though she would eventually have to leave and feign an interview with a model so Isaiah didn’t get suspicious as to why she was on the computer for hours).
Finally, succumbing to her case of cabin fever, Jillian moved the laptop aside and got off the bed. She looked outside the hotel’s sliding glass door onto the balcony. The sun seemed to be beckoning to her, inviting her to feel its warmth. She took a deep breath and pushed the glass door aside before stepping out into the beam.
It wasn’t summer yet, but it was coming. Appaloosa Plains didn’t get the kind of heat and humidity that Riverview got, and not even as bad as Sunset Valley. But at least the sun made an appearance here unlike Midnight Hollow.
It wasn’t bad. Vampires could endure short periods of time in the sun without their special sunscreen before the burning began. Unfortunately for Jillian, that feeling was beginning already.
Barely outside for ten minutes, and already she felt like her skin was on fire. And the only exposed skin was her stomach, hands, neck, and face. Everything else was covered. The scorching sensation and the scent of singeing skin made her wrinkle her nose in disgust. She tried, oh how she tried, to fight against it, to be stronger than the sun that she loved so much. But it wasn’t to be. The pain was too intense. She finally dashed back inside, huddling against the wall and grasping her temples in an attempt to ease the agony.
She was about to break down and cry, regardless of how silly she might feel for doing so, when her phone rang. When she saw that it was Austin calling her, she swiped it up with an eager, “Hello?”
“Jillian,” Austin said slowly, “I know you’re anxious, but this is going to take some time.”
“I know that.”
“Well, I’m trying to tell you that it’ll take a lot more time than you think. More time than it would take for your cover story to be believable. I think your best bet is to go on back home. I promise I’ll keep you informed. I did catch a new lead, but nothing is for certain yet.”
“But…I thought you’d need me to experiment with to make sure it worked.”
Austin audibly sighed. Maybe he didn’t think it was so easily heard, but Jillian did have her superior sense of hearing. But she said nothing, not wanting to push her luck.
When he spoke at last, he sounded patient but also almost afraid of how Jillian might react.
“I have to create something in order to experiment with it, and I wouldn’t be comfortable using it on one of my best friends,” he said. “We have plenty of vampires at the science facility, many of whom are employed for the sole purpose of testing specific drugs and other concoctions to determine the side effects. Let them do the leg work, and when – and if – it’s ever perfected, I’ll let you know. You have my word. But please understand that what you’re asking is very difficult, and I do have other projects that need my immediate attention.”
“Okay. I get it. I’ll hold you to your promise, Austin. Thanks.”
Jillian hung up the phone and surveyed the hotel room. She knew that Austin was right. She’d been inane to think that such an invention would take a week or less to produce. So with some reluctance, she began packing her suitcase, and after checking out of the hotel, she took some scenic photos for good measure to show to Isaiah, who she then called and informed she was coming home.
Much as she wanted this, she reminded herself that this cure was as much for Isaiah as it was for herself. Isaiah had never wanted to be a vampire, and he’d often spoken of what it would have been like had he never been turned. Sure, they never would have met, but he would have been happy. And Jillian herself would never have been a vampire, either, she was sure.
As much time as it took, she knew that Austin wouldn’t disappoint her. He’d said that he had a lead, so that was a good sign. She wouldn’t inform anyone of her deviousness yet, but she knew, she just knew, that someday, somehow, she would be human again.
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