by RK Close
His whole body tightens, and suddenly his lips are on my neck. I drop my head back and sigh as my lips part. I’m offering him full access to my neck, and the thought both thrills and scares me. I’m not completely sure of what I’m offering him. I’m not thinking for once—moving on instinct. I’m tired of over-thinking everything.
My mind is at war with my body. Even through my wine-induced haze, I know that I don’t do one-night stands. Honestly, I haven’t done anything this daring ever. I’ve had some pretty steamy make-out-sessions, but I’m probably the oldest virgin alive. After four glasses of wine I’m ready to throw it all on the table.
I’m not a prude, but I was raised to believe that sex was something special, and meant to be shared with the One who gives you their heart forever. Mom always said that if you hand it out to each guy you date then it’s nothing special when the right man comes along. It’s been a difficult rule to follow, but it always resonated with me. And guys tend to reveal their true selves when they hear that sex is not in the near future. The ones worth getting to know stick around.
Currently, I’m on the verge of “I don’t care anymore.” Adam’s lips are on my neck, his hands are moving all over my back, and it feels exquisite. I melt against him, needing to be closer.
Adam growls deep in his chest and suddenly I’m falling because he’s gone. I manage to catch myself on the arm of the chair before looking around, confused.
Adam is on the other side of the room, breathing hard and looking a bit savage. His hands are tight fists at his sides.
“What’s wrong?” I ask breathlessly.
Without looking at me he says, “Not like this, Samantha. You’re not thinking straight. I won’t have you telling me that I took advantage of you when the morning comes.” He’s angry, and maybe trying to convince himself as much as me.
I feel like a fool. He has simply verbalized the thoughts in the back of my mind, the ones I’m refusing to listen to. I’m angry with myself, but I can’t help but take it out on him.
“You’re being awfully noble tonight. Didn’t realize vampires had a conscience,” I say, sitting in a chair and crossing my arms. He’s looking at me now.
With barely controlled anger he says, “If I had no conscience I would have had my way with you and drained you dry that night on the street. But I have a conscience, and I’ve made it my life’s mission to hunt and destroy vampires who live that way. However—don’t have the relaxed notion that I’m human, Samantha. My very nature wants to take advantage of you in every…way…possible. Our actions are the only differentiating quality separating man from beast. We are all savage at our core. Your inner beast needed only wine to come out,” he says, glaring at me. “Sometime, when you’re sober, I’d like to meet your beast.”
With that he walks out to the patio, beyond my line of sight. I fight the urge to run and see how he leaves the balcony. I wouldn’t get far if I tried to run anywhere right now.
I feel like a total loser. I’m already thinking of the many regrets tomorrow will bring. I shouldn’t have tried to hurt him like that. All he’s done is save my life; and, it seems, guard my honor.
I’m the only monster left in the room. I lie down on the sofa, and close my eyes…
***
I am wandering through the endless hallways of the great mansion again. I feel like I know this place, as I would know my childhood home. Candelabras burn at seemingly random locations along the walls of the passage. Grey and black stone surrounds me on all sides: floor, walls—even the ceiling.
At the end I finally see a soft light, and I’m drawn to it like a moth. The light becomes brighter as I get closer. It comes from a roaring fire in an enormous great room. All the light in the room comes from the single fire. In front of the great fireplace is a brown bearskin rug. The bear must have been massive in life.
Standing beside the fireplace is Adam. His attire tells me we are nowhere near the twenty-first century. I should have paid more attention in history class.
He is staring into the fire with a bronze mug in his hand. He doesn’t seem to notice me. As I watch a woman in a long flowing gown and a thick shawl covering her shoulders approaches Adam. She gently places a hand on his back, and he turns and kisses her softly in greeting. My gut tightens at their kiss but I try to ignore it. They both wear sadness on their faces. Why are their hearts so heavy, I wonder?
Adam turns back toward the fire, and she takes a seat in a nearby chair.
“He must be stopped. I cannot spare him. His madness is wreaking havoc through the countryside. People are suffering at his hands,” Adam says.
This woman is lovely. Her beauty is as haunting as her sadness. Her long dark hair hangs down her back, with beads and jewels woven into the strands. She sits staring at her hands, clasped in her lap.
“I understand. I know how hard this is for you, and I share your pain. You must be cautious. He is brilliant in his madness. He will harm you if he can. He has always been jealous that I chose you. I know he will never forgive either of us for the love we’ve found. I could not live if harm came to you.” She is staring into the fire now. “When will you leave?” she asks, rising from her chair.
“Before first light. He is weakest in the daylight hours. I will return to you. Don’t worry for me, Katherine,” Adam says as he moves to take her in his arms.
They share a quiet embrace and I feel the ugly surge of jealousy. This is a kinder, gentler Adam than the one I know. I’m not sure how I feel about this woman in his arms.
I’m a privileged audience, watching a moment in time being played out for me, I think. I move closer, and know this is true. Neither of them are aware of my presence.
The scene changes, and I see Adam riding away in the darkness before morning with a small army of men, all on horseback. I now see that the mansion is closer to a castle. Katherine watches from a tower window as Adam and his men ride away.
***
I wake from the dream that feels more like a memory. Where are these dreams coming from? I’m still lying on the sofa, my head is pounding, and my mouth feels like it has cotton balls in it. Last night’s clothes are now wrinkled and stale. Wilbur is curled up on my stomach and looking annoyed that I’m starting to move.
Images from the evening before come flooding back, and I’m instantly disgusted with myself. Like a coward, I drank more than I should and behaved badly. Instead of facing my problems and fears, I jumped into a bottle looking for a temporary answer. My parents didn’t raise me to hide from my problems.
Adam saved my life last night, and all I did in return was try to use him for my own comfort and then treated him badly because he didn’t want to take advantage of me. The extra-large slice of humble pie tastes bitter this morning. I was faced with a difficult, albeit scary situation, and behaved badly. Just another reason I have a two-drink rule. Nothing good ever comes from putting yourself in a compromised state of mind.
Never again.
I don’t plan to allow Zac to turn me into a sniveling scared shadow of myself. I’m going to figure out what I need to do to defend myself from him. Time to put your big girl pants on, Sam. Ibuprofen for breakfast, then a shower before I head down the hall to speak to Gabe about last night. I have a million questions for him.
After a large amount of water and sports drinks, I’m finally ready to talk to Gabe. I hope I can face him after that mind-blowing kiss last night. I’m not sure which I’m more excited about, Gabe knowing about vampires or that kiss. Knocking on his door but receiving no answer, I try the buzzer—nothing.
***
Later in the evening, I try his place again, and he’s still not home. Finally, I break down and call his cell number. When I only get his voice mail, I hang up without leaving a message.
Adam doesn’t come to see me, but I hope that he’s close by. I feel badly about what I said to him, and want the chance to tell him I’m sorry. I sit on the balcony for a couple of hours, but there’s no sign of him. Is he watch
ing me?
I call Dayna and tell her about the date, but leave out the details about Adam and Zac. It pains me to leave her in the dark about these things, but I need to keep her safe, and this is the only way I know to do that.
I’ll try to catch Gabe before he leaves in the morning. I have questions, and he may have answers for me.
I hope he’s not avoiding me.
Chapter 15
My day starts with a plan. First, I’m going to talk to Gabe. Either he hasn’t been at home for two days, or he’s avoiding me. That won’t work with me. I need answers, and I know how to get them. This morning I’m driving to the ASU campus to track him down. I’ll sit in on a lecture if I have to, but one way or another we are going to have a conversation.
***
Once on campus, I’m pointed in the direction for The Center for Archaeology and Society building. The Roman columns at the entrance of the massive stone building brings to mind a Greek or Roman tabernacle, while the many windows make me think of an old southern mansion. I briefly skim the directory to find the department I’m looking for. Various sub-departments and professors are listed, and I know I’m heading in the right direction when I find Dr. Gabriel Devereux’s name on the list.
Class must be in session because the campus is usually much livelier. Taking the stairs to the third floor and following the signs, I find a young woman behind a counter working on a computer. She looks up and smiles when I walk into the office.
“Can I help you?” she asks.
“I hope so. I’m looking for Gabe Devereux. Can you tell me where to find him?”
“Oh, Professor Devereux isn’t in at the moment. May I give him a message for you?” She looks at me expectantly.
“No, that’s all right. When do you expect him back? Maybe I could wait?” I ask.
It might be interesting to see how he handles a class or to snoop in his office.
“I’m sorry. Professor Devereux is away on a family matter, and we don’t know when he will return. Would you like to speak with one of his graduate students?” she offers, trying to be helpful.
Interesting.
“When did he leave?” I ask.
“I believe he left Saturday evening.” She answers instinctually, but I can see by the change in her body language that she’s reconsidering giving out so much personal information.
I thank her and leave. Strange. He didn’t mention anything to me about leaving. I call his cell number again. I’m starting to feel like a stalker. Again, I get his voice mail. This time I leave him a message.
“Hello, Gabe. It’s Sam. I’ve been trying to reach you for the last couple of days. I hope everything is okay with you. Can you give me a call when you get this?” I ask, then hang up. I’m not even across the campus when my phone buzzes. I dig it out, and look at the number, it’s Gabe.
“Hello, Gabe?”
“Samantha! Are you all right? What’s wrong?” he asks, sounding concerned.
“I’m fine. Is everything right with you? Where did you go? I stopped by a couple times, but you’ve been MIA since our date.” I don’t tell him that I’m at the university hunting him down. No reason to make him think I really am a stalker or worse—clingy.
“I’m sorry. I…I was called away for personal reasons. I’m in London at the moment, family business. When I saw that you left a message, and that I missed a couple calls from you, I was concerned. I don’t always have a signal where I’m at. And you don’t keep the best company, after all,” he says.
“London? Your family is in London? Is everything okay? You left so suddenly.” And I have a million questions for you…
“Yes, I have family all over, but my father and uncles live in England. Everything is fine. My family can be…rather demanding. I’ll explain more when I return. Unfortunately, I don’t know yet when that will be. Could be a few days or a few weeks,” he says.
I don’t have weeks.
“Oh, I was hoping to talk to you about the other night. Can you call me when you get back?” I ask, sounding disappointed.
“Yes, that’s a better conversation to have in person. I’ll call when I’m back. And Sam, be careful. I don’t think you understand what you’re playing with. You do know that a vampire is behind the murders that have been happening in Phoenix, don’t you?”
“Don’t worry, Gabe. I’m not playing with anything. I kind of fell into it. And yes, I’m aware of the connection to the murders. By the way, do you know what I can use to defend myself from a vampire?”
Not all of my questions can wait until I see him again. I could be dead before he returns. Zac has me in his sights, and I can’t keep waiting for him to strike first.
No need to concern Gabe. He seems to have his hands full at the moment. It’s nice to have family, even if they are demanding.
“Yes, but there is a lot to discuss. In the meantime, I left a package for you with Henry. There are some items in that package that can help. Good-bye, Sam.”
My nickname sounds endearing when he says it. He has always called me Samantha, even though I told him he could call me Sam months ago.
“Thanks, Gabe. Good-bye.” I put my phone away. He left me something. He knew I might need help, and he did something about it. I’m impressed. I was right, Gabe does know things. I hope he returns quickly so we can play twenty questions.
***
I stop by Henry’s desk on the way up to my condo, and sure enough he hands me a package. I wait for the privacy of my kitchen before I pour the contents onto the kitchen table. There are two vials of red liquid and a folded note, along with an ancient-looking pendant necklace.
It almost looks like a trendy piece of costume jewelry, but a closer observation tells me it could be a priceless antique. Its intricate design looks Celtic, and the ruby stone in the center is tear-shaped, making me think of a drop of blood. A quick look with a magnifying glass, and I can tell that the chain is more modern than the pendant itself. As for the vials, they actually could be blood for all I know.
My hands are shaking when I open the note to read the message from Gabe.
S,
Wear this necklace at all times, even while sleeping. V. can’t harm the person wearing the pendant. Remember that it has no protection against others or humans.
Vials contain something that V. can’t tolerate. As a LAST resort, drink one of the vials. V. won’t drink from you while this is in your system. Its ability to repel will only last a couple of days, but other side effects may remain for months. Use this only if your life depends on it. Hopefully, the necklace is enough protection for now.
G
Okay, that’s awfully cryptic. Gabe doesn’t simply know something about vampires, he might be an expert. He at least knows more than me.
And what the hell does he mean by “others?” Wait—I’m not positive I want to know. I’m barely able to digest the whole vampires are real crap. It still seems like a bad dream that I need to wake from.
Even though I’m excited to speak to Gabe about what he knows, I’m also curious about him. Who is Gabriel Devereux, really? I had made assumptions based on his esteemed position with the university that he is one of the normal people. Now I’m beginning to wonder.
Boy, do I know how to pick ’em. Where does a girl go to meet a nice average guy these days? Not that Gabe isn’t ordinary. But how ordinary can he be if he keeps stuff like this around for fun? And there was that kiss—nothing ordinary about that. Hopefully, I can try that again when I’m sober, and see if it was as toe-curling as I remember.
So, I’m supposed to wear this pendant all the time. At least the chain is long enough…I won’t have to wear it outside of my clothes if I don’t want to.
While it’s kind of beautiful, it certainly doesn’t go with everything, especially gym clothes.
Is Adam aware that Gabe knows what he is? For that matter, do they know each other? That certainly didn’t seem to be the case. Although they both were rather casual with one another,
under the circumstances.
It’s my hope that Adam returns tonight. I may stay on the balcony until he shows up. Maybe if I hold up a sign that reads “SORRY,” he’ll come back.
***
I make myself a salad for dinner and I’m still sipping sports drinks, trying to rehydrate from the damage I did to my body Saturday evening.
After a long shower I get ready for bed. I’m wearing a robe in case Adam shows up. I watch a little news. So far there haven’t been any more murders that they know about. That’s good. Maybe Zac the psycho vampire moved on to terrorize another large city.
I’m wearing the pendant Gabe left for me. I feel a little silly, but I put one of the vials in my purse and the other in a box on my nightstand. I can’t help but wonder what’s in them. Those longer-lasting side effects Gabe mentioned have me concerned, but truthfully I can’t imagine myself drinking the contents of the mysterious vial. It’s curious that he failed to mention what they were.
I turn off the TV and walk into my room to grab my novel. I’m attempting to stay up and wait for Adam to return. If he doesn’t come soon I may resort to holding up that sign after all. After grabbing my book, I walk back to the living room and jump six inches in the air, letting out a short scream as I do.
Adam is standing in the doorway of the patio. His hands are casually shoved into his jeans pockets—expression unreadable. I think unreadable, but he only does angry or brooding.
And why can’t he use the front door? I’m relieved to see him, but he still manages to rub me wrong for some reason and yet he completely slays me on those rare moments that he almost smiles…
So…angry and brooding are good. I can handle those looks because they make me mad. I know what to do with mad and angry. It’s the other feelings that confuse me.