by Luna Lucas
“You look lovely, as always,” he said.
“What’s the big surprise?” she asked, not wasting a second.
“Guess,” he said.
“Hmm… is someone I know here?”
“If you mean someone from home, no.”
“You bought me something nice?”
“Sort of.”
“Hmm… are we going somewhere?”
“Perhaps.”
“Oh, just tell her already!” interrupted Olivia.
“Okay. We are going to Hong Kong for the weekend!” he declared.
“Hong Kong? But I don’t have a passport.”
“Don’t need one. We’re going to fly there.”
“Well, that’s why I need—”
“Not by plane,” he interrupted.
Megan was a bit confused.
“Hold on tight, because you don’t want to fall off. We go fast and might not see you if you slip off. Plus, it’s a long way down,” said Olivia.
“But…” Megan started to object, then realized it would fall on deaf ears.
“Here, so you don’t get too cold,” said Colby, wrapping his jacket around her shoulders. Suddenly, she was lifted up as he sat her on his shoulders.
The morning air was a bit chilly, or maybe it was Colby who was icy to the touch. Colby let the others ahead of him, since having Megan on his back would slow him down. With a running start, they flew up into the air. Colby stayed just above the skyscrapers. They flew so fast that the buildings whizzed by in one, long blur. The wind whipped so harshly that Megan had to bury her face into his back. Adrenaline coursed through her, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
The whole experience was exhilarating. She felt as free as a bird. Then as quickly as they had taken off, they had come to a stop. Megan’s feet unexpectedly touched the ground and she let go of Colby.
“How was it?” he asked.
“It was fun and just… wow,” was all she could think to say. They laughed and started walking through the crowd.
There were so many lights that lit up the streets of Hong Kong. So many smells, and so many things to see. “Come on. I know what you’ll really love, and if we hurry, we can be the last ones on board before it closes for the day,” said Thomas. So they all followed him to a train station. The sun was just dipping down below the tree line.
Soon they saw a tramcar of bright, glistening cherry-red. It stopped in front of them and people got off, chatting excitedly to each other. When everyone had exited, they allowed the new people on. Together, they took a seat in one of the middle rows. Conversations buzzed around them as seats quickly filled with passengers.
It wasn’t too much longer before the tram started moving. At first, there wasn’t much to see. Overgrown vegetation had blocked the city view. But soon they had trekked higher up, and the city started to reveal more of itself. Peering out across the dazzling city, towering skyscrapers loomed high into the endless sky.
They saw Victoria Harbor in the distance. The South China Sea stretched along the two islands for miles. The water moved ever so gently and sparkled like diamonds, even as the sun was nearly gone. Further into the distance were beautiful high hills. Around them, there was excited banter and iPhones snapping photos.
The tram came to a stop after some time. The passengers exited one by one, merging with the rest of the tourists. They had been captivated by the allure of the Victoria Harbor, and so longed to visit it up close. So they asked for directions to find the best route to see it. The sun had long since disappeared, and they were completely surrounded by dazzling city lights.
“Is this your first time coming to Hong Kong?” asked Colby.
Megan turned to him. She saw a nice, red-and-white picnic blanket spread out on the ground. She hadn’t noticed until now that the others had left.
“Yes, it is,” she answered. Megan looked around, and then Colby handed her a glass of sparkling white wine.
“Don’t worry. The others are enjoying themselves elsewhere,” Colby informed. Megan accepted the wine and sat down on the picnic blanket. The water was perfectly calm, and the night was crisp and cool with a gentle breeze.
“So what are you thinking about?” he began. The question took Megan by surprise as she was busy daydreaming about home. She missed her family so much it ached. He sensed it within her and quickly changed the subject. “Are you having fun?” he asked.
“I am. Thanks,” she replied. Silence fell as they listened to the sounds of the crickets and other night creatures. A few fireflies flew passed them. It was really a magical night.
Neither of them knew what to say next or what to do. Colby hadn’t expected to be left alone with her. She realized that the moment he sat down on the blanket across from her. So, the silence grew. Finally, in one bold attempt, Colby reached out and touched her. His hands were icy and made her shiver, but she did not remove her hand from his. She felt her heartbeat quicken a bit. He stroked her cheek, and she closed her eyes for a second, taking in his gentle touch.
Then he drew his hand back suddenly as if he had touched fire. She stared at him, and suddenly everything became very real. The last thing he wanted was for her to flee. She could see it in his eyes, but she didn’t want to go anywhere. She was captivated by him and wanted to be closer. He stared deep into her eyes; that was all the permission she needed to inch closer to him.
Suddenly, their lips crashed together, gliding with a perfect rhythm. Megan’s arms wrapped tightly around Colby’s neck. She pressed her body against his. He could feel a sudden loss of control and pulled away, fighting it. He leaped away from her.
“Why are we doing this?” he murmured as he came to his senses.
“I…” she trailed off, having no answer for him.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be losing control like this,” he said.
“Don’t apologize. It takes two, you know. You’re just so… good looking,” she admitted, her cheeks turning rosy.
“Believe me, it’s taking all my strength not to touch you again, but I know it’s the right thing. You’re fragile; you’re human. I can’t be so foolish,” he said.
She wasn’t sure what he meant. The rest of the time they spent talking. Megan told of her long history of paranormal interest. Her best friend, Angie, who had only fueled that fire. Thinking about her friend made her feel instantly homesick. Colby put his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled into him. He couldn’t stand seeing that look in her eyes. They laid back on the grass and watched the millions of stars in the sky.
The weekend ended, and they flew back to the U.S., leaving Hong Kong far behind. Megan was glad to be back in the mansion. She shut off the shower and toweled herself dry, then laid on her bed and fell asleep. The following week she was surprised again. They flew her to a fine wine tasting in France. Afterward, they had visited the Eiffel Tower, which was by far the most marvelous thing she had ever seen.
Rain had started to fall at the tower and took visitors completely by surprise. Megan bumped into Colby as they tried to run to get out of the rain. It was in vain; they both were soaked. They held onto each other and fought the urge to kiss like they did in Hong Kong. They took refuge inside a restaurant. Megan had a fabulous dinner while the vamps delighted her with chit chat and good company. When two days passed, they took a trip to Greece, a trip to Britain, and a trip to Jamaica.
Six weeks into her arrival, in the care of Colby and his coven, she had grown sick of the never-ending vacations. Despite his best efforts, nothing helped to alleviate Megan’s homesickness. So, they flew back to the mansion. Megan went to work on her college paper. It was probably useless to write it. They probably thought she’d dropped out. Her poor mother probably thought Megan had been kidnapped. She was grateful to them for protecting her, but she really just wanted to go home.
She made her way to where Colby spent most of his nights. He never slept at night, but he did do some online work to help bring some extra income to the coven. Megan knew sh
e could usually find him, sitting on a king-sized bed, typing on a laptop. Megan knocked on the door.
“Come in!” she heard him yell.
Megan opened the door slightly. “Am I disturbing?” she asked.
“No, come in,” he said, shutting the lid to his laptop.
“There’s something we need to discuss,” she said as she stood before him.
“Uh-oh; this must be serious,” he said.
She took a deep breath. In her mind, she knew everything she was going to say to Colby, but standing before him, she couldn’t seem to find the words. She remembered that night in Hong Kong. The feel of his fingers across her cheek. His strong arms catching her when she’d ran into him in Paris. And all those emotions unexpectedly springing forth.
“Well?” he asked impatiently. Without really thinking about it, Megan slipped off her top and unbuttoned her jeans. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Don’t talk,” she said, taking off her bra and panties. She now stood before Colby completely naked.
Chapter Five
He didn’t move a muscle. Megan felt the cool air rush over her body. To him, she was perfect in every way. He allowed his eyes to wander up and down her slender body.
“Perfect,” he breathed. He moved toward the edge of the bed, reached out, and wrapped his hand around her lower back. His hands were cold to the touch, and she shuddered. His hands traced up her spine and moved back down.
“Perfect indeed,” he whispered. His fingers glided along Megan’s ribs toward her stomach. His touch was like electricity; sparks of desire and desperate wanting flooded through her. He made her feel alive, made her feel beautiful and whole. He drew her closer and moved his mouth across her skin while she ran her fingers through his hair. No girl had ever made him want her so badly.
The bedroom door swung open, and Thomas stood in the doorway. “Sorry to disturb, but we got company,” he informed and left. Colby jumped up and threw Megan her clothes. By the time they got halfway downstairs, they could hear gunshots. Megan’s heart raced as she wondered if her friends were okay. It felt like an eternity had passed as they raced down the stairs. When they got to the bottom, they saw the chaos unfolded.
About twenty vampire hunters were fighting against the coven. Colby took off in a blur of light and joined his coven in battle. Megan stepped toward the fight and stopped. Someone had grabbed her from behind.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he said. Megan instantly knew the voice. It was Landon. “You eluded me once, girly; you won’t get away this time,” he hissed. He fired a shot up toward the ceiling, and all attention turned to Landon and Megan.
“Don’t any of you vamps move or I’ll shoot her.” Megan struggled in vain against Landon’s tight grip. Fear glistened in her eyes, and she pleaded for Colby to do something. Landon called two goons as he held the pistol to Megan’s head. She was tied to a chair with a thick rope and gagged. She struggled to get free, but the ropes were too tight.
“Let her go, Landon!” yelled Colby.
“Why should I? I like her,” he said with a laugh that sent a chill down Megan’s spine.
Thomas started to charge after Landon. He reacted quickly, firing his gun, but the bullet missed, and Colby was coming toward him fast, opposite Thomas. Landon was tossed to the ground in a matter of seconds. The gun slid across the floor as they tussled. The others made haste to help Thomas take out the goons that kept Megan captive. It wasn’t long before she was freed. Megan stood off to the side with Olivia and Bethany. She watched as Colby and Landon fought to kill one another. No matter what happened, she had faith in him.
Colby could think of nothing but destroying Landon. He knew he should have done it the very day he had been double-crossed. But Colby had been nice and honored his father’s wishes by having mercy. Look what it cost him now. As he thought of these things, his anger soared, and it made him want to fight harder. His fist came down, striking Landon’s face several times. Suddenly, he was thrown off as Landon grabbed his neck and choked him.
A small pocket knife sliced Colby in the neck, and he realized Landon was only trying to buy more time. But for what? The cut was deep and blood drained from it, but Colby would be fine after rest. The big question was what Landon could be stalling for? Grabbing Landon’s hand and turning it clockwise, Landon let out a scream and dropped the pocket knife.
Colby slammed Landon’s head hard against the marble flooring. “I don’t know what twisted thing you have planned, but we both know you’re not leaving here alive,” spat Colby.
“Go ahead, kill me. You think that will make you free? You’ll never be free! You’ll be hunted forever!” Landon shouted.
A plane flew steadily overhead. Its rumble was loud enough to shake the walls. Out from the sky fell tiny, round, metallic balls. The moment they touched the ground, they exploded into hundreds of tiny spikes that smashed through windows.
“It has begun,” laughed Landon. Colby punched Landon’s throat, and he choked on his own laugh, coughing and wheezing.
“What have you done! What’s begun?” he demanded.
“The end,” he whispered and would say no more.
“Colby, don’t worry about that creep. We have bigger problems!” shouted Adrian. More balls fell, and spikes punctured the ceiling and fell to the floor, creating a deadly rain shower.
Colby didn’t move a muscle; he was torn about what to do. If he ran to try and save his own life, then Landon would win. And if he stayed to kill Landon, Landon would also win.
“Colby!” he heard Adrian repeat. The others had already taken off with Megan. Around him, he heard things shatter, and little pins pierced his arms and back. “Colby!” he heard again.
“I can’t just let him go!” shouted Colby. Landon began laughing until the spikes rained down and struck his eyes. Somehow amidst the chaos, Colby was dragged off of Landon and made to run through the storm of spikes.
The whole street was in disarray, covered with the metal spikes. Tires were blown out, windows smashed. There was much confusion and no doubt the incident would be mistaken for something much more sinister. That creep had almost hurt Megan, and he was forced to just let him go. It didn’t make sense that a sick individual, such as Landon, should live while his father, who had been very kind, should die. He had to make it through this and get back to Megan. She was all that mattered to him now.
*****
Megan had gone with the others as soon as the first metallic balls had exploded. She objected at first, not wanting to leave Colby behind. However, she was assured that Adrian would take care of Colby and make sure he left before it got much worse. They took her way out into the city, and they all waited for Colby and Adrian at a local diner.
It seemed like the worst of the events were over, or so she hoped. Her hands shook as she waited impatiently for Colby and Adrian to arrive. “Everything is going to be okay,” said Bethany, taking Megan’s hand.
The diner wasn’t too busy. It was like every other diner in the world. Soft, country music played from the radio overhead. The coffee was served nonstop. Waitresses made sure to refill glasses that were half empty. There was lit chit chat among customers. Mostly elderly folk, and what would be considered the “regulars.”
It was nightfall by the time Adrian and Colby showed up. Megan jumped up the second she spotted them. She raced toward Colby and threw her arms around him. He winced, and that’s when she noticed the bandages.
“How badly are you hurt?” she asked.
“I’ll live, metaphorically of course,” he answered. She giggled, and warmth spread over Colby, causing him to smile. Megan smiled back, and they kissed long and passionately.
“What now?” Megan asked as Adrian and Colby sat down.
“Well, I suppose it would be okay for you to go home, that is, if you want too.” Colby felt stupid the second he said that; of course she wanted to go home. She had been homesick ever since she’d been forced to stay with them. Still, he
wondered if there was a chance that she would re-consider.
Megan shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Everyone was staring at her, waiting for her reply. Megan looked at Colby as she stared deep into his eyes and he stared back. It was as if they shared some kind of secret, telepathic connection. Megan nodded, and Colby looked away.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a moment alone with Colby,” announced Megan.
There were some groans, but they did as they were asked. Everyone got up and went outside. Megan turned to Colby and took his hand in hers.
“I think we both know that I would very much like to go home. However, that doesn’t mean that I have to stay there. I would really like for you to come with me. We could stay close by; I could finish school and visit my mother whenever.”
“You know there’s nothing in this world I’d love more than to be able to be with you, but my place is with my coven. They are my family. You understand that. And even though I would like to start a life with you, I can’t just leave them behind.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you do. I know we can find a way to make this work.”
“The logical solution is for us to break things off and go our separate ways. Pretend that you are as clueless about our existence as everyone else is. However, with Landon still out there somewhere, it would be unwise. So what if you stay with your family until school is over and I will come around to ensure your safety.”
“How about we do a split? I get you on weekends and one holiday out of the year.”
“Only one, huh?” said Colby.
“Trust me, in my family, one holiday is enough.”
They laughed, and he kissed her soft, sweet lips. “How about I get you for all the other holidays we’re not spending with your family?” he suggested.