Read Online Deadman's Blood by T. Lynne Tolles - Free Book Online Page A

wedding gal? Do you want to go formal? Informal? You know...I want to know what I’m getting myself into here.”
    She smiled from ear to ear.
    “Of course, if I have to sell my house to get you the ring you want, we may have to go smallish on the wedding and live in your tiny apartment or we could crash at the Larsen mansion. Which brings up another question, we should probably discuss whether you want to go back to the west coast or stay on the east coast.”
    “I guess we do have a lot to talk about, don’t we?” Melanie smiled as they headed out of the room and in search of a car they could borrow for the afternoon.
     
    *****
     
    “ Well, it does pretty much describe Josh’s arrival, if the ‘four’ are cousins,” Blake said.
    “Yes, it does and if it is about us, that is our biggest advantage right now,” Devon said.
    Darby said, “This destruction of ‘one’s heart’ quadruples our powers for our good deeds? That doesn’t sound like a good deed - destroying one’s heart.”
    “That’s true, Darby. You’re such a sweetheart to notice that. But if you look at the parchment, ‘one’s heart’ is in a different color ink, as if it’s special or means more than one thing,” Dominic pointed out.
    “You’re right, green. Why would she use green? If I was using a color to describe a heart I’d use red,” Darby thought out loud.
    “Exactly, which means that the color change is significant,” Blake stated.
    “The Bloodstone Heart was green,” said Josh. “Green with little speckles of red.”
    “Of course. The old crone was giving us a clue. She was the one that made the bloodstone heart, remember? To protect her love from her sister, Margarite. She knew one day it would fall into the wrong hands and have to be destroyed so she bestowed a thank you to those who kept it from evil,” Dominic explained.
    After the conversation died down a bit, Dominic said, “Well, kids...let me go over this some more. We’ve certainly made some amazing discoveries this evening. Mark here is going to be helping me with some of the leg work. He’s going to be staying on here, as is Alyssa. I’m not sure what all your plans are. You know you are all welcome to stay for as long as you like. There’s plenty of room and Bernard and I love having the house full.”
    Dominic grabbed the artifact and all its contents and headed off to the study like a little kid at Christmas.
     
    *****
     
    Bernard knocked on the study door and opened it. “Master Dominic? Dr. Rowe to see you.”
    “Michael!” Dominic said as he closed the drawer of his desk and turned towards the door. “To what do I owe the pleasure, my old friend?”
    “Bernard called me this morning and said that your guest, Mr. Brenner, need some medical attention,” the doctor said.
    “Really? What for?” Dominic asked.
    “Apparently he had cut his hand this morning on a broken jar and Bernard seemed to think it needed some looking at,” Dr. Rowe explained.
    “Is Josh okay?” Dominic inquired.
    “Well, the wound was pretty much healed when I saw it. If I hadn’t known better I would have assumed he was a vampire,” the doctor answered.
    Dominic chuckled. “You wouldn’t be too far from the truth.”
    Dr. Rowe chuckled along with Dominic, but interjected, “What do you mean?”
    “That’s right. I haven’t had a chance to tell anyone. The DNA test I had you run for me for Josh’s father, well, it seems that vampire blood does run through his blood. My hair was the sample I sent you for the possible father’s DNA. And well, you know the outcome,” Dominic said.
    Michael was stunned. “You mean, Josh, is...your son?”
    “Oh, don’t look so surprised, Michael. I’m certainly capable,” Dominic joked.
    Dr. Rowe smiled, “But of course you are, I’m just….surprised.”
    “You and me both. And Josh for that matter. I’ll tell you it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, explaining to him that he had a vampire father, let