False Blood

by Tamara White

  His eyes settle on my face, his vampire sinking below the surface, letting Talon shine through. His eyes clear just as I register a pain in my chest. Talon’s eyes widen in horror.

  “Die, you filthy creature,” my brother’s voice snarls from behind me.

  I can’t believe it. My own brother staked me in the back! I look down at my chest to see the stake poking out of my chest. Blood spreads across my pale green t-shirt, and all I can think is why doesn’t it hurt anymore? Shouldn’t it be excruciating pain?

  My legs wobble and Talon catches me, as I lose all feeling. “No, no, no, no, no, no! Em, you can’t do this to me!” Talon cries out, holding me more gently than he’s ever touched me before.

  “EMERALD!” A scream rips through the air and I know my mother is here. Her sorrow cutting through the air making me feel her pain.

  “What happened?!” my father demands, coming into view. Nik and Dev drop to their knees beside me, panicked expressions on their faces. Nik reaches out, his hand hovering near the stake, “Please don’t leave us. We only just found you,” he pleads, tears welling in his eyes.

  I want to reassure them I’m fine, but I can’t.

  I feel a hand run down my cheek and look over to see Dev, silent tears running down his face. He doesn’t say anything but he doesn’t need to, it’s all there in his eyes.

  My mother and father hover over me uncertain what to do. “Ax! Do something! We can’t lose her again! Not again!” my mother screams hysterically as she looks down at my dying body. My father looks down at me, so scared because he knows just as I do, that this is it. Nothing can fix this.

  My head starts to spin and my vision goes hazy just as Britt comes rushing into view, tears in her eyes.

  “Hey, bitch, what are you doing down there? Pull that stake out and heal,” she laughs, tears running down her face as she tries to make light of the mood. I love her so much for that. My parents are going to need to have her around after I’m gone. I smile weakly, trying to speak, but my voice isn’t working, so I focus on how much I love her and beg her to look after everyone once I’m gone, to make sure they’re happy and live life. I push it in to her mind, watching as she feels everything I tell her. “No! You can’t die. Someone fucking do something!” she screams as Talon rips into his wrist, trying to feed me. They each offer me their blood, letting it drizzle down my throat but it’s no use. I watch as magic swirls around me, Britt’s attempt to keep me from leaving this world. It’s too late.

  My eyes drift shut and the last thing I feel is peace.

  ***

  Darkness. The world is black. Nothing exists. I have no idea where I am. “Hello?” I call, trying to figure out what the hell happened? The last thing I remember is seeing Talon’s eyes, filled with tears and his mouth stained with blood from his attempt to try and heal me. The next thing I know I’m waking up here. Where is everybody?

  “Hello?! Is there anyone there? Where am I?” I call out, walking a few steps, hesitantly. I can’t see anything and don’t want to fall off the edge of a cliff or something. That would be just my luck.

  A soft melodic voice fills the room, “Give me a second, dear. I just have to get permission to come down.”

  Huh? Permission? And where on earth have I heard that voice from before?

  I don’t know how much time goes by before the voice speaks into the room again, much closer this time. “Sorry about that, Emerald. Unfortunately, some people can be pains in the ass. Your guardian is one of those. She didn’t want me to talk to you but I felt a semi familiar face might be easier to handle. I’m also here to help you go back before you become a burn victim,” the woman says, from the feel of her voice, I assume she is about a foot in front of me.

  “Um, ok then. Is there anything you can do about the darkness though? I literally can’t see anything.”

  “Oh, sorry my dear, this isn’t a room with lights, this is the in between. But how’s this?” she asks, slowly coming into view. A soft glow emanating from her physical form.

  I gasp at what I see. In front of me, is an exact replica of Britt. Maybe a touch older, but pretty much identical. “Britt? What happened?”

  “Ha! No, I’m not Brittany. Though I’m pleased you think I’m young enough to be mistaken for my daughter,” she winks at me.

  “Wait, what? You’re her mother? How is this possible?” I ask stunned.

  “It’s a long story that I can’t tell you honey. Just know I’m here to help you. Now, you won’t remember most of this, but there’s something you should know. Britt will figure it out eventually, nothing gets by my cheeky munchkin.

  “First of all, you’re not dead. You are in a kind of in-between realm where souls go to transition on to their next life. Anytime someone tries to kill you, you’re going to end up here. I don’t know how to say this without being blunt, so I’m just going to say it. You’re immortal,” she states firmly.

  Huh, not what I was expecting. I was waiting for her to tell me there was some kind of screw up, and I was going to suffer eternal pain for my choices in life. Instead she tells me I’m invincible.

  “So, ‘immortal’? As in ‘never die’? Then how did I end up here? I’m pretty sure I died…”

  She grins at me, “You’re a lot smarter than Britt was. You ended up here, because you died, just like when you were a baby. When your body dies, so does your soul. You, however, are tied to three vampires if I remember correctly. Even before you were born, your parents were with your soul-ties almost continuously which anchored your soul and allowed you to live after the first attempt on your life. You had already connected to them.

  “You see, your soul can’t die. As long as you’re tied to the three of them, you will be impossible to kill, just as they are. I’m not sure if anyone has discussed with you about what happens in a normal soul-tie when one of the partners dies. Basically, when one person in the soul-tie dies, the other dies shortly after. It’s the way souls are kept together in reincarnation. It happens in shifter matings too, but I don’t know too much about shifters, to be honest. That was before we got close with the packs. They were considered rabid beasts in my time; your father was one of the few reasonable ones I had come across.”

  I think over her words, wondering if this means Britt is immortal too. She has four husbands she’s tied to.

  I don’t even get a chance to ask before Melanie is speaking again. “Alright, honey, lets send you back. We’re cutting it close,”

  “What? Will I see you again?” I ask, hating to see her go, though excited to tell Britt.

  She laughs, clutching her stomach as it takes over her whole being, “Oh, you’re so funny. Any time you die, I have to send you back. You get assigned a guardian once you are sent here the first time but I have now taken on you as well as my daughter,” she says smiling softly. “Oh, dear! You need to go back now, honey. Remember, tuck, drop and roll,” Melanie says with a mischievous twinkle, much like Britt’s before placing her hand over my heart. I watch as it glows briefly and I’m sent flying backwards.

  ***

  My eyes flutter open and I see stained glass on the ceiling. Huh, when did I get back to the church? The last thing I remember is the pain of being staked and saying goodbye to all those I care about.

  A disgusting smell is around the room and that’s when I register the heat surrounding me, and pain radiating down my legs. “What the fuck?” I exclaim looking down to see my legs engulfed in flames. I jump into a crouch, trying to pat out the flames and protect the rest of my body from being engulfed. I lean over looking for a way down but not sure if my body could handle a fall that steep right now. Who the fuck builds a pyre twenty feet in the air? It must be held up with magic.

  “Emerald?” Axel is standing there, staring up at me from a pew in the front of the church, utter shock on his face.

  It’s filled with people, all looking directly at me, shock on their faces. What the hell is going on? And why the fuck are they burning me? “Is someone go
ing to help me or are you just going to watch me go up in flames?” I ask the room. There is suddenly a lot of motion amongst the people gathered.

  What I don’t expect is to be whisked away from the pyre to the back of the room, almost instantly. I inhale Dev’s scent and cling to him tightly. “Whoa, Dev, calm down, what’s wrong?”

  He’s clutching me against his chest, and the sobs make me tear up. Why is he so sad? I’m alive after all. Oh no. Did something happen to someone else?

  The panic starts to rise until his voice in my ear sends soothing waves through me, “Fuck, Em! I thought, we thought, you were dead. We were burning you like we do with every one of our kind. But you had to be special and wake up on the fucking flaming pyre. God!” he chokes out, clinging to me as if he will lose me.

  I guess I took too much time getting back. Wait, where was I? I stop and try to focus on remembering that in between place. I remember someone telling me I was immortal then, nothing. It’s like a big blank in my mind. I can’t even remember what he or she looked like. Oh, that’s not fucking fair at all!

  Another set of arms wrap around me, pulling me from Dev, and I relax instantly, knowing it’s Nikoli. He turns me to face him, kissing me passionately in front of everyone.

  He wraps a hand around my neck, drawing out a moan and taking that as invitation to pull me tighter against him. “Whoa, um, Nik, we have an audience. Don’t get me wrong I have voyeuristic tendencies, but how about we save this for a time we can plan it our way, yeah?” I ask slightly feverish. His kiss set me on fire, but there is no way I’m letting too much happen in front of my parents. And who the hell dressed me? I’m wearing a kickass set of slightly scorched leather pants, a white tank top and leather jacket. How the hell did I get into these clothes?

  “Who put me in this kickass outfit?” I ask, looking down at the outfit in appreciation. I look hot!

  “Me, bitch,” I hear Britt’s voice and nearly get toppled over when her full weight lands on me. We topple to the floor, hugging as she sobs against me. “You stupid bitch. You left me. You fucking died! Why? You are never allowed to leave me, ever again! she yells into my face, fiercely shaking me by the shoulders, as if her will alone, will keep me alive.

  I smile up at her tear streaked face, “Oh, Britt, I’m sorry. You know it’s your fault, though. If you had told me binding my soul to multiple people meant I’d be immortal, then you wouldn’t have had to worry now, would you?” I ask grinning widely. She takes a moment to catch on before screaming in joy. “Oh god, are you serious? That’s awesome! We will live forever, together. Oh god, that’s so exciting!” she yells, drawing chuckles from her husbands who have appeared behind her.

  People gather around us, shouting random questions at me until my father puts a stop to it. “Alright everyone, that’s enough! Emerald will answer your questions later, but for now just give her some space,” he booms out into the room.

  Everyone quiets and dissipates leaving only the people I care about. I notice however someone important is missing. “Where’s Talon?” I ask, watching as eyes avoid looking directly at me. Why is everyone refusing to meet my gaze? What happened to him? “Is he ok?” I ask, dreading the answer.

  Nik rubs his hand up my arm, looking guilty as hell, “Um, none of us have seen him. He locked himself in our room when we got here with your body. He’s pretty much gone rabid. He’s been in there the past two days and hasn’t left to feed,” he says softly.

  “And no one thought to barge in and check on him? What about Heather? Where is she? Shouldn’t she be taking care of him?!” I demand, my anger rising.

  Dev laughs harshly. “Ha! Yeah that bitch is gone. She left Tal a note telling him to get fucked, that she found her soul-tie among the other coven members who arrived for your funeral. She said she deserved to be with someone who put her first,” he scoffs.

  “What a fucking bitch! Shit, I literally can’t believe her. First, she warns me to stay away, then she runs off?!” I knew that bitch was fucking evil. She kept trying to rub her relationship with Talon in my face but when it really counts she up and leaves him?! I wish I could punch her in her too beautiful face! “I need to see him.”

  Everyone nods understanding, apart from my parents who stand there torn. I step toward them and hold my arms out, offering my mother a hug. She almost collapses in my arms and my father joins us, helping me hold her up. “I’m sorry but I can’t stay. I need to see him. I promise once I know he’s ok, I’ll come back and never leave you again.” My mother sniffles against me, before regaining her composure, “Go to him. We’ll find you later,” she urges, a small smile on her face. My father takes her in his arms as she cries and I take off without another word.

  I rush through the halls, slowing as I reach our bedroom door. I’m not sure what to expect, all I know is I need to see him.

  I knock on the door, waiting for him to answer and be happy to see me, but no one answers. Knocking again, I hear him rumble through the door, “Go away! I told you to leave me alone! I’m not going to watch you burn her!”

  Why that lazy son of a bitch! I bang on the door repeatedly, waiting for his lazy ass to get up and unlock the door. I hear him stomp my way, unlock the door and pull it open strongly. “WHAT?!” he roars, opening the door. I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t this. He looks like all the life has been sucked from his body. He is emaciated, his skin is almost translucent. It’s worse than when I have fed from him for too long. That’s when I realise he was trying to kill himself. Starving himself. Dying. When he notices I’m standing there, studying him, his mouth drops open in shock. “Em? Is that you? Or am I finally dead?” he asks, slightly confused.

  “Yes it’s me, you dick! Where the hell where you? I woke up on a flaming pyre, completely confused as to where I was. Everyone else was there but you. I had to hear from the others you were in here starving yourself! Are you stupid? What the hell were you thinking?!” I push my way into the room, freezing as I see the destruction littering the room.

  Chairs are placed on their end as if they’ve been thrown in a rage, the table is bent in half. Glass is all over the floor, I have no idea what from. There are random holes in the wall, where he has obviously punched it repeatedly.

  My anger builds at his stupidity. I pace back and forth as he closes the door, ready to unleash my ire. He walks straight past me, into the bedroom without even acknowledging my presence.

  “Where do you think you’re going?! You get your stubborn ass back out here!” I demand, tapping my foot impatiently. After a minute of him hiding in the bedroom, I barge in, the door slamming behind me with the force. I look for him, expecting him to be just as angry as I am but he’s on his bed, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

  My heart melts seeing him so lost and I join him, sitting at his side, waiting for him to speak.

  “I thought you were dead. I watched you get staked and I was too slow to do anything. I’m so sorry Em,” he murmurs into his lap. He lifts his head, meeting me dead in the eyes, “Then Heather tells me she met her soul-tie among one of the new coven members,” he says pain clear in is voice., He advances on me, making me fall back on the bed. “My heart was dying. The thought of never getting to know you, touch you, be inside you. All of it kept going through my mind, and I felt like a complete dick! I kept telling myself if I had you back, then I would change everything. I would go back in time to kiss you on that first night. I would take you while you were in my bed. I would tell your parents that I don’t care about what they thought, I wanted to be with you. I would take you and make you mine. I’m not going to make the same mistakes again,” he says, reaching up and cupping my cheek.

  He leans down, kissing me gently at first. The emotion in the kiss so strong that I can’t help but groan in anticipation. As soon as he hears my groan, things go from soft and gentle, to hard and fast. Clothes disappear in a flurry of speed and all of a sudden, i’m slammed up against the wall. A hand caressing my ass, lifting my legs to wrap ar
ound his waist.

  My hands immediately go to his shirt, rushing to rip it off. Things become faster and more heated until we land on the floor. Talon rises above me, gripping hold of my tank top, “I really hope you don’t like this top,” he murmurs before ripping it in two.

  Trust Britt to have me commando under the clothes. “Well, I figured you were dead, so I may as well make you happy in death,” she grins, hovering over Talon and I.

  “Britt! What the fuck! Get out!” I scream watching as more people come through our bedroom door. Talon hurriedly uses his body to shield mine. Thankfully, Dev and Nik pause at the door, stopping anyone else, but still, is there no fucking privacy around here?!

  Talon groans dropping his head on mine. “Fuck, can’t catch a break,” he grumbles, keeping his body over me to protect me from prying eyes, especially as Britt’s husbands walk into the bedroom pushing Nik and Dev out of the way.

  “Alright everyone, OUT, NOW!” I demand, pointing back the way they came.

  Britt isn’t going to go easy. I know this even before she opens her mouth, “I’m not leaving until you get dressed. If I leave you two unattended, you will fuck like rabbits while we’re all out there waiting for you.”

  Fuck! I look up at Talon, and judging by that wicked grin on his face, that is exactly what we would have doing. “Alright, I promise you, no fucking will happen. I will restrain myself until another time, but I hope you know, I will get payback for this, bitch,” I grin, imagining all the things I could do. She pales slightly, having picked up on my thoughts and nods as she hurriedly leaves the room, taking everyone with her.

  “How’d you get her to leave?” Talon asks, helping me to my feet.

  I laugh evilly, “Oh, I just imagined all the ways I could pay her back using your, Dev’s and Nik’s special talents. She’d never see us coming,” I smirk as he starts laughing.

  It’s refreshing seeing him this carefree. I dig through the dresser and grab one of his t-shirts before pulling my leather pants back on. There’s something more comforting in wearing his shirt. Maybe it’s just that it’s covered in his scent.