Chapter 50 - Maria’s Return

The next day arrived and I was sick to my stomach. Maria still hadn't made it back and I still had no idea if she had given the blood to my father and Evan.
There was no news around the house, no meetings to eavesdrop and no phone calls. Damon had been out of the house all afternoon, I had a list of fears that formed intense bubbles of anxiety that gave me migraines. I was sitting outside on a swing I had found in the garden, debating what could have happened by now.
Blake, the man I had met on the first day after my ten year coma, had fixed the Emantors by now and Damon was midst turning them on and killing of Akbur Hills. Maria was caught trying to distribute Damon's blood to my father and Evan, they will all be punished with no mercy from Damon-

Tessa suddenly barged outside," there's a phone call for you!"

I rose to my feet immediately and ran inside of the house towards the phone. I didn't even ask who it was, I needed some sort of news and that's what I hoped for.
"Hello?" I was still breathless.

"It's me," the other end of the line was Tiffany. I felt mild disappointment, because she couldn't help me decipher what was going on," any news?"

"No, Akbur Hills was supposed to be next, but the Emantors are broken. They should be fixed today."

"I know, I heard Luke talking. And the silver from Somber Forest, did you get it?"

Her words slurred the slightest, I could tell she had been drinking.

"There was a vampire inside, I couldn't get to it, but I found silver, the potion will be ready in two days."

"That's not enough time, if the Emantors are fixed, they'll gas immediately-"

My heart sank," I know."

"Damon is here with Luke, I overheard them in the meeting saying that they are still not fixed, but it could be any day now."

"Damon is there? At your house?" I felt a sense of relief.
That meant that he was not in Akbur Hills busting Maria.

"Yes, he's been here all morning trying to figure out a way to speed up the Emantors."

"There's no way to speed up the potion," I debated telling her about my theory of Damon's blood immunizing humans from the gas," if there was a way I would have done it."

I wondered if she would hate me for giving it to Evan and Maria's family before offering it to her own.
There was no point in telling her the details, just the facts.

"Do you remember at the party, the man from the council said that the wolves were immune to the gas?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"If you have werewolf DNA in you, it makes you useless for vampires because they can't feed from your blood. Maybe it's the same with the gas-"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, maybe you can get some of Luke's blood and give it to your family members in Akbur Hills so that they have werewolf DNA and maybe they'll also be immune to the gas."
There was silence for a moment.

"Hello?" I had to ask.

"How the hell would I get Luke's blood? And how the hell would I get it to my family in Akbur Hills."

"I-I don't know Tiffany. It's just an idea-"

"Why? Have you done it?"

I hesitated and was about to answer but then she continued.
"You know Damon knows about your father in Akbur Hills," she said," and your human lover, the gardener boy I saw you with at the market."

"How did you know?"

"I was listening to their meeting. Damon asked that your father be taken out of Akbur Hills when they're ready to gas it, but to make sure the gardener boy is dead. Is that the handsome one I saw with you at the market?"

"Wait Tiffany, hold on! Did you say Damon asked that my father be spared?"

"Yes," her voice shook," I don't know how you did it, but Damon will not kill your father. I had a feeling there was something between you and that gardener boy, something about the way he looked at you-"

"What else did he say? About my father?"

"Who? Damon?"

"Yes!"

The door behind me opened and Maria waltzed inside.

"Tiffany, I have to go. I'll keep you updated-" I shut the telephone immediately after and spun to face her. She looked exhausted

"What's wrong?" I had a feeling of dread inside of my chest," did something happen?"

Maria shook her head and plummeted on the kitchen chair," nothing happened, everything was fine. There was enough blood for everyone."
I felt a sense of relief.

"Then why do you look like that?"

"Your father reacted much worse to the blood then the others, that's why I had to stay the night."

"Why not?"

"Maybe because of his age? He couldn't sleep, no amount of ice could bring his temperature down, he was in pain for hours, and I could not call the doctor cause I could not tell him the truth."

I blinked away tears," is he alright now?"

"When I left, he had fallen asleep. He seemed better, Evan is there to take care of him."

"How's Evan?" I swallowed the lump in my throat," how did he react."

Maria looked away," just like you. So did the rest of my kids."

"There was enough for all three?" Again, I felt relieved.

"There was. Did you give some to Tessa?"

"Yes. If Damon comes home tonight, I will try to get some for you. I talked to Tiffany, she says the Emantors are still broken. Perhaps they'll stay this way for the next two days-"

"I have to go to sleep, I'm exhausted, I was up all night."

Maria did not seem to want to continue the conversation. I wanted to ask her more but she had already exited the room.
I couldn't help the feeling that there was something she was not telling me.