Brandon was silent for a few moments, taking everything in. The rain had stopped, but it was still misting outside. They would be back to the place where they left his truck soon. If he had any more pressing questions, he needed to ask now. “And what happens if I don’t Transform before I turn twenty-one? I just can’t do it?”
“Likely no,” Aaron responded. “That’s not to say that no one has ever Transformed past the age of twenty-one. There have been a few anomalies. But for the most part, you have to be older than seventeen, younger than twenty-one.”
“There’ve been anomalies?” Cadence asked. This was the first she had heard of this.
“Yes, and occasionally Transformations have happened younger than seventeen. You know Priscilla, on our Cabo team?”
“Yes,” Cadence confirmed.
“She Transformed at twelve,” Aaron explained.
“Really?” Cadence asked, shocked. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, she was being chased by a Vampire, and she was in a do or die situation, so she was able to Transform early. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. I only know one Guardian who Transformed late, and he was twenty-three, but it can happen.”
“I was just thinking… I know you said I could finish high school and college there, but what if I wanted to wait until I had graduated, you know? Got my degree,” Brandon said. “If I decided to go through with it.”
“That makes sense,” Aaron assured him. “I’m sure we would keep you busy, but if getting your degree is important to you, we can make time for it as well. What do you want to study?”
“Psychology,” he replied quickly. “I really want to know what makes people behave the way that they do, make the choices they make.”
“You’d be good at that,” Cadence admitted. “And lord knows we could use a good shrink on the team.”
Brandon chuckled. “Thanks.” After a quiet moment, he continued. “How do you know when it’s a Vampire, though, and not a bad person? I mean, I know what you said about the blood and all of that. But, take the Jogging Path Killer. Are you sure that’s not a Vampire?”
“I’m positive it’s not,” Aaron assured him. “Those crime scenes were bloody; the victims were all the same--all runners--and the necks had slash wounds inconsistent with the Vampire’s calling card of draining the body through puncture wounds and then creating a false slash across the neck.”
“How do you know that, though? Have you seen the crime scene photos?” Brandon asked.
“Of course,” Aaron replied. “We have access to every database you can possibly imagine in law enforcement, government agencies, even the military.”
“Really? That’s incredible. How did you get access to something like that?” Brandon asked in awe.
“It’s complicated,” Aaron shrugged.
“I don’t even have any idea about all that,” Cadence admitted.
“So why do Vampires bother to cover up their crimes? Why not just let the world know of their existence?” he asked apparently in deep contemplation.
Aaron took the exit that led to Pryor, slowing slightly as he did so even though they hadn’t even seen another car for miles. “Letting the world know of their existence would only complicate matters for them,” he began. “They use the element of surprise and disbelief to their advantage. If people thought there was a possibility that what they were looking at was real, Vampires would miss out on valuable seconds when their victims are paralyzed in terror. Also, if people knew they existed, they would attempt to hunt them down and destroy them. The last thing Vampires need is another entity trying to annihilate them from the face of the earth.”
They pulled up next to Brandon’s truck, which they had moved to a shopping center just before they embarked on the hunt. He slowly pushed open the back door and slid out. “If you have any questions, give us a call,” Cadence reminded him as she popped out of the car.
“Do you still have my card?” Aaron asked, coming around the front of the SUV.
“I do,” Brandon assured him. “Thanks again for letting me go tonight.”
Cadence smiled and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him. “Take care! We’ve got Hunters and Guardians in the area keeping you and your mom safe, so no need to worry about anything.” As she let him go, she added, “It was so nice to see you.”
“It was nice to see you, too,” Brandon smiled. He grasped Aaron’s outstretched hand and then pulled him in for a half-hug as well. “I appreciate you trusting me with your secrets.”
“You’re part of our family, man,” Aaron replied. “Our secrets are your secrets. Let us know if and when you’re ready to come aboard. We can definitely use your talents.”
“Will do,” Brandon nodded. He climbed into his truck, pulling his keys out from his pocket and cranking it. It took a few tries, but eventually the motor turned over. He gave them a small wave as he backed out of the spot and disappeared into the night.
Cadence watched until she couldn’t see him anymore before letting out a deep sigh. Aaron’s arms around her assured her that all was well, but she knew she would miss him. And not just because he was Elliott’s son. Brandon was a good guy. They’d be lucky to have him on their team.
Aaron kissed her gently on the temple. “You about ready to head home?” he asked quietly.
“I guess so,” she replied. “You think he’ll do it?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Aaron replied, letting go of her and opening her door.
“Really? You do?” Cadence asked, surprised, and afraid to be too hopeful. She slid into the seat, and he shut her door and went around and got in before he replied.
“Cadence, I think we’ll hear from him sooner rather than later. You can’t unsee what he just saw; he’s got Vampire hunting in his blood. He’ll be back.”
Cadence nodded silently, looking out the window as the city of Pryor began to rush by. After a few moments he added, “Besides, I’m pretty sure Brandon has another reason for joining our team that you are somehow missing.”
Whipping her head around to face him, she asked, “What do you mean?”
Aaron laughed. “You’ll see. Eventually… you’ll see.”
Shaking her head in exhaustion and confusion, Cadence decided to let it go. For now. “Well, whatever it is, it better be a good thing.”
“I hope so, too,” Aaron admitted. “I hope so, too.”
