Amongst the Fallen

by Devin Lee Carlson

  “Time to confront Eric, especially if he’s going to sleep under the same roof.” Brian tore the envelope in half without reading it.

  Her heart lurched against her chest. She leaned back and stole a glimpse into his eyes, making sure hers stayed hidden behind her curls. “Confront him?”

  His finger drumming stopped on a final note and then he slapped the table. “Remember? We talked about it enough. Sabree and the Fallen. I bet Eric knows about them.” Doubt kindled in his eyes, the copper hue alight with mischief.

  For the moment, relief eased the tension in her shoulders. Her brother was still worried about Eric’s trustworthiness. Speaking of which, neither she nor Eric trusted Brian enough to tell him about their affair. Ariane never meant for him to regard Eric as the enemy. She had to make him believe otherwise. “What if Sabree was one of few left. Maybe he lied about the clans. Why would you believe him over Eric?”

  Brian paused for a moment as if he sought a gentler way to break the news—bad news. “I never trusted Sabree. Eric knows more about the Fallen than he lets on.”

  “You’re wrong. I trust him. He worked tirelessly for our father, and now he works for me. He’s also our friend.”

  “Are you sure? If you think he’s on our side, then what’s stressing you out?”

  “Nothing.” A sob escaped her throat. Her lips quivered. Maybe he suspected all along that Eric meant more to her than just a friend. Still, Ariane refused to confess her secret. He meant the world to her, her tether to everything normal. He, not Brian, had stood by her side when she received the news about Dad’s death. Becoming a monster like her brother was not an option.

  Unlike her, Brian had toyed with the demonic side effects in acceptance of his fate. But what if her brother was right? What if Eric had promised Duncan to keep an eye on them only to destroy them if they became a threat to humanity. No, she refused to believe it. Eric was a good man, an amazing listener, a gentle lover. His smile ran longer than the Colorado River; his hazel eyes calmed the evils that taunted her daily. Without his support or his love, Ariane feared she’d sink into the darkness her brother battled daily. Yet, Brian’s intuition shone as bright as a lighthouse beacon. How could she ignore the guiding light he offered to steer her through this endless storm? Ariane swallowed the bile of doubt. “Eric would not keep secrets from me.”

  Sincerity glistened in his eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, someone’s lurking, waiting. If not Sabree, then someone else is here to avenge his death. My bet is on the rogue who attacked you in Edinburgh.”

  “That creep was merciless. At least Sabree rescued me, showed us compassion.” She glanced at the floor and then back to Brian. The pain in his eyes lingered. How could she betray a brother’s trust, the sacrifice he made by offering the last of the serum until he found the journal? He’d go ballistic if he found out she took two anti-vamp pills a day.

  Ariane despised what she had become and rose to her feet before the tears spilled. “If Eric does know, then there’s no excuse other than he’s worried about how you’d deal with it. You’re not one to take bad news lightly.”

  “Afraid I’d flip out?” His eyes glazed with emotion. “The man worked for our father. He’s hiding the truth.”

  “You’re overreacting.” Before he could detect her increased heartbeat, Ariane charged for the door. She ran down the hall and almost collided with Eric. She ignored his calls and slipped into the bedroom, slamming the door and leaning against it to prevent anyone from entering. “Leave me alone. Let me think.”

  Who cared what her brother believed? Why did she insist on hiding her affection? Had doubt clouded her love for Eric from the beginning? She adored him, or at least she did until Sabree entered the picture. She never trusted the immortal, oddly not her type, although he made her aware of newfound love and mystery. Both men eyed her as if she were a goddess. The way each man’s touch caressed her skin, igniting the nerves beneath her flesh, made her radiate with pleasure. Love was a fickle animal.

  Certain neither lover nor brother would check on her, Ariane stripped off her clothes and went into the bathroom to shower. The hot water washed away the edginess plaguing her muscles, along with the tears she let loose.

  3 3 3

  Eric followed me into the kitchen ready to do battle. The fight rushed out of him when I handed him a card. Without a word, Eric sat beside me, only to look up when he finished reading. “Let the scavenger hunt begin,” I said. “Pop’s anagram led me to the first clue from Diane Lei.”

  “Good old Diane. She’s a bona fide surfer dudess. Hates caves, which is why it didn’t work for us. She can keep California.”

  Would Eric ever admit the truth? Did he think of me as an idiot born yesterday? Maybe he had good reason, but I had no idea why I believed so. My mood darkened. I craved the truth for once. “There’s only one woman I know who loves caves as much as you.”

  Eric’s eyes widened. Then he glanced in the direction of Ariane’s bedroom.

  Maybe he really cared about her. I hesitated and then tossed the card into the trash can. “I also got another email from Wayde. If I ever get the chance to meet him alone in a dark alley, I’ll—”

  “Why wait for a dark alley?” Eric winked and joined in with my chuckle. Using a feather-light touch, he patted my shoulder. “Why’d Ariane leave in such a huff?”

  This time, I chose to tell half-truths. “I know about you two lovebirds. She’s acting weird about it like it’s a big deal.”

  “Ariane wasn’t ready to tell you. She tiptoes around you, you know.”

  “Are you saying the boss lady is afraid of me?”

  “Her biggest fear is setting you off to the point of no return, no control. She almost lost you once.”

  The time I went berserk, lost all senses, was still a muddled blur. Duncan told us my fits started right after the transformation. The episode haunted me to this day, blocking not only the rush of someone else’s memories from trashing my mind, but also the visions of strange yet familiar places. I slapped Ariane when my confused mind thought she betrayed me. I might have killed Pop if he didn’t sedate me first.

  Never so terrified, so desperate, I blocked the invasive memories until they emerged as nightmares—dreams more lifelike than reality. Eric’s voice threw me a life preserver, back to the surface, away from the ugly memories.

  “Ariane loves you more than you know. I love her too, so please don’t scorn us for keeping our relationship a secret. I never meant to lie to you.”

  Still, I suspected he lied about his involvement with Duncan and knowledge of the Fallen. I stared at Eric and vowed to confront him one day. For now, I needed his help to retrieve the journal. “I understand. I’ll cope. There’s more.” I paused. “One of the Fallen paid me a visit today. Either Sabree healed from the damage three bullets did to his gut and heart or another of his kind seeks revenge on his behalf.”

  “No way Sabree survived. You’re crazy.” Eric chewed on his lower lip and shot me an apologetic smirk. He shrugged. “I didn’t mean crazy.”

  I frowned. “Thanks, I feel better already.” So, Eric reacted more to the idea of Sabree being alive than to the news that more of the Fallen existed. Guilty as charged. Lucky for him, I still had a sense of humor. Eric’s laid-back disposition sealed a down-to-earth partnership, making it easier to accept my vampiric idiosyncrasies. How long before his good-naturedness would perish, now that I refused to indulge in my share of anti-vamp serum? Not long enough.

  “What should we do about this avenging angel?” Eric asked.

  Can they be destroyed? The question had haunted me of late. Sabree had demonstrated—nearly using me as a test subject—how he exterminated one of the DanJal and how Euriel executed nosophors. Even confessed to losing his own head. “Not sure. Burning, beheading, or bleeding out. Any of those are better than being ground into dog food.”

  “Dog food?”

  “Never mind. We have mo
re important stuff to worry about.”

  “Wayde and the journal. Where to then?”

  “According to Pop’s anagram, Long Beach Aquarium. Diane hid the drive behind the second-floor suggestion box.” I smiled a devilish grin and immediately pursed my lips when Eric grimaced. Unfortunately, the fangs showed more frequently now that I was off the serum. “We’ll leave first light, tomorrow.”

  21

  PAINT THE TOWN RED

  T he crescent moon hung low in the night sky, threatening to immerse itself into the shadowed ledge. Stars glistened above Gold Mountain, their brilliance enhanced by the brisk desert night. The streetlights, however, obscured the cosmic view as we exited the front door. I zipped up my jacket as soon as the chilled air stung my cheeks. Eric walked ahead and twirled on his heels when he reached the car.

  “Toss me the keys.” When my eyes met his, he motioned toward the house to where Ariane stood at the door.

  I caught his gesture, flung him the keys, and then walked through the courtyard by the small fountain. “Sure you don’t want to join us?” I asked Ariane.

  “Definitely. Spend some dude time with Eric. You’ll see he’s one of the good guys. Besides, you boys need a night out. In fact, paint the town red.”

  Wrong color. Her forced giggle did nothing to ease my tension. How easily I sensed her apprehension. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

  “I’ll be fine. Jesse’s bringing pizza. We’ll stream a movie on Amazon. I’m tired of turkey leftovers.” She waved me off. “Get going.”

  “We’ll be home before ten. We have to rise in the wee hours tomorrow.” When Ariane shut the door, the closure left me on edge. I blamed it on guilt for leaving her alone with Jesse. The sound of Eric groping the gravel driveway for the keys reminded me that I wasn’t the only one worried.

  My senses exploded with mistrust and revulsion. A tightness almost choked me. I could’ve sworn something moved behind the fountain. I stared at the door wishing I passed on the night out to cuddle up in a thick blanket and watch a movie instead. Pizza sounded delicious. Odd how Jesse loved to spend off time with Ariane—his boss. Did he have a crush on her? I hung a left and walked through a dissipating mist. The dread I experienced seconds ago, overwhelmed me again.

  Intuition warned me to cancel the night out, but a short blast from the car’s horn jump-started me into action. “Coming.” I shook off the nagging sensation of walking through a meat locker and hesitated when I reached the passenger door. Something at the end of the driveway snared my attention but saw nothing out of the ordinary. After a final glance at the house, I climbed into the car. “Eric, do me a favor and take a right.”

  Eric released the brake and coasted to the edge of the driveway while he waited for me to fasten my seatbelt. He turned right onto the road and purposely drove under the speed limit. “The pub’s south. Why north?” he asked.

  “A feeling.”

  Eric turned the wheel to round the bend and slowed to a crawl when the headlights illuminated a red vehicle parked on the opposite side of the road. No traffic behind us, he rolled to a stop in the middle of the narrow road. “What a beauty.”

  The uneasiness I sensed outside the house vanished. The parked coupe troubled me. I recalled a Porsche, not a red Jaguar, had followed me. I glanced at Eric and asked, “The Jag must belong to Richie Rich from up the hill. Any idea who lives there?”

  “Nope.”

  “Let’s skip Phoenix and go downtown for a beer and then call it a night. We have a long day tomorrow.”

  “You’re worried about her too. Sounds like a plan, especially if Wayde’s in town. Jesse’s no match for his men.” Eric pulled a U-turn and headed for the nearest pub in Cave Creek.

  3 3 3

  Ariane pushed the kitchen door open with her hip, her arms juggling a beer and two bowls full of snacks. She placed the goodies on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. She shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth, already engrossed in a movie. She popped chocolate-covered peanuts one by one into her mouth as she stared at the wall clock. “Pizza’s late, Jesse,” she said to herself. “Not nice to keep the boss waiting.”

  A frigid breeze brushed the back of her neck. Ariane shuffled to the edge of the couch, the muscles in her calves ready to spring. A strange eeriness filled the room. She dropped her handful of candy all over the coffee table and reached for the bottle of beer, holding it like a weapon. Gasping, she whirled around.

  No one was there except for her rampant imagination. Screams from the TV made her jump and when she leaned over to reach for the remote, she gasped again. A dark figure blocked the screen. Ariane joined in with the screams and threw the beer.

  Catching the bottle, the intruder stepped into the light. His firm grasp seized her wrist and yanked her until they stood face-to-face. His wispy blond hair had lost its supernatural liveliness and hung in stringy clumps about his face. About to utter his name, she gulped instead when Sabree, still holding the neck of the bottle, placed a finger over his lips.

  He walked gingerly to a nearby lamp, reached inside, and held up a bugging device. Someone, perhaps Wayde, had planted listening devices. Sabree held the half-empty bottle of beer as if proposing a toast and dropped the bug into it. “Now we can talk.” He winked and glanced at the TV screen. Dracula rose from his coffin, his body defying gravity. “Why waste time on Hollywood trash when you can have the real thing?”

  His wraithlike appearance almost made her gag. Disgust overruled rapture, poles apart from the way she could have melted into his arms in Scotland. She shoved him aside and ran toward her bedroom, hoping to lock herself inside.

  Lunging forward, Sabree grabbed a fistful of hair before she could escape. He pressed her close and glared into her soul with eyes once a rich violet, now darkening, outlined in demonic red.

  “What do you want?” She didn’t care. Never would she succumb to his desires. “Jesse will be here any minute—Brian and Eric too.”

  “Lies do not become you.” He leaned closer. His jaw tightened when she tried to turn away from his putrid breath. “As for what I want, I plan to mark my territory.”

  The stench of over-burnt caramel and decayed breath made her squirm against his hold. “I’m not your territory.” Escape impossible, Ariane yielded. “Brian will kill you if you hurt me.”

  Perhaps her threat hit home, because Sabree loosened his grip. The light from the LED reflected his gaze, intensifying the iridescence of his eyes. They twinkled as if something she said, amused him. “Let Colton try. Three bullets failed miserably.”

  For a moment, Sabree’s face tilted into the kitchen light. The sadness in his expression gave him an angelic aura. “I once thought Brian and I had a chance to become friends, but the Judas proved otherwise. It pains me to dwell on his betrayal.

  “Friends? Betrayal? My brother was concerned about my safety. Nothing else.”

  He ignored her outburst. “It took me a long time to heal, more time than usual. In fact, I doubt I have fully recovered. Pain is an old acquaintance who often pays an uninvited visit.” His eyes darkened until the sadness etched on his face contorted to resentment. His fangs elongated for the feed, Sabree regained hold of her and poured forth an intoxicating aura.

  Her gasp egged on his wicked playfulness. He brushed her hair aside and kissed the length of her neck. Ariane tried to tuck in her chin, but soon surrendered to his sensual caresses. Alcohol had never made her as carefree or as mellow as did his presence. She tilted her head to expose her neck.

  Razor-sharp teeth pierced her flesh. She flinched when the electrifying tingle beginning in her fingers and toes rushed through her limbs toward her heart. As the sensation grew, her excitement intensified and became warmer until it burned. The crescendo wave crashed between her thighs. Beyond the crest, she nearly collapsed in his arms, the ecstasy too much to bear. Had she experienced a sort of blood-tie climax? Better than sex, should she slap him or beg for more?

  The erotic ambiance faded as Sabree�
�s teeth released her neck. Ariane gazed into his eyes as his tongue caught a single drop of blood—her blood. Entranced, she watched his irises drain of the red pools, replaced by a gentle violet. His hair danced with golden highlights again. Ariane found his newly angelic appearance alarming, not in the threatening sense, but from the reaction in her veins—ignited from the blood rushing to spark every nerve in her body.

  “What’s happening to me?” She looked to Sabree for an answer.

  He traced the length of her nose with a slender finger and stopped at the tip. “The Fallen can compel ghouls and humans once marked. You shall be my human bug. You’re more reliable than high-tech equipment, though I do realize its potential.” Sabree’s body became transparent as it began to mist.

  “Wait,” Ariane said, regaining composure. Somehow, she knew she could fight this feeling, but deep down she wanted more.

  A gentle hand brushed her cheek and curved around the back of her head, drawing her close to his face. His sweet breath intoxicated her. No longer did he smell of decay. She inhaled deeply to savor the scent of caramel.

  “You are exquisite, Ariane Rose. Your eyes are as inviting as fire glow on a cold winter’s night. Your lips are plump as a peach ready to be devoured.” Sabree’s warm lips brushed hers in a teasing fashion.

  Ariane longed for those lips to press harder, but a cool mist ran through her instead. She stood there for some time before a persistent knocking snapped her out of her trancelike state. The movie credits rolled down the screen. The knocking grew louder. “Coming.” She headed for the front door, her hands grasping furniture along the way until a wave of lightheadedness stopped her. Unable to recall anything after coming out of the kitchen with an armful of snacks, she opened the front door relieved Jesse had finally arrived.