by RK Close
Suddenly the anxious mood is elevated by the roar and cry of a man that tears through the night. Pain and sorrow in the voice pierces through the souls of all who hear. I freeze as the blood in my veins turns to ice, and all eyes turn upward toward the solitary window in the tower. I see fear in the eyes of these men. Several run toward large wooden doors with swords drawn.
I follow on their heels, trying to keep up. Through the familiar main hall, we run. The fireplace, large enough to accommodate four men, burns bright with an enormous fire. Even the captivating blaze can’t remove the chill in the air tonight as we pass through the great room.
I follow up the narrow, winding, stone staircase to the long, endless hallway that I remember. The men stop abruptly, as if being repelled at the entrance of a chamber. No one is entering, and some have dropped to their knees in prayer. Several weep openly.
Part of me doesn’t want to see what would cause so much pain and fear in rugged, hardened men, but I don’t have a choice. I believe Adam is in that room, and I must see him. My steps take me past the men. One is retching in a basin. Still others are mumbling prayers and chants.
I want to comfort them, their distress is so great, but I continue forward until I reach the doorway. What I see is right out of a horror movie and will never leave me.
A man is on his knees in the middle of the room. His head hangs almost to his chest. In his arms he holds the limp, bloodied body of a woman. I can’t tell by looking, but I know that it’s Katherine, the woman from my dream. The woman I believe was Adam’s wife.
His body shakes as he holds her to him. He kneels in a large puddle of blood, but blood is everywhere. The bed, floor, even the walls are saturated with it. It’s as if the room was painted in it.
There is too much to come from one person. I scan the room and finally notice several other bodies hanging along one long wall. Two women and three men hang suspended like pieces of meat. Servants and guards, judging from their clothing. All staring ahead blankly with the look of death in their eyes. The scene is horrifying. The room is saturated with the feeling of pure evil, as if it stood in the corner watching its handiwork.
My eyes slowly return to the man holding the woman. His face is hidden but I know it’s Adam, and my heart breaks for him. I want to take him from this place, away from this pain, to shelter him in my arms. It’s hard to fathom how you go on after something like this.
I’m only an observer, but then, as if he senses me, he turns and looks at me. Something inside breaks at the naked pain on his face.
I feel hot tears running down my face as I hear him say, “Not you. Not again.”
I wake with tears on my cheeks. Oh, no! Please let that be a nightmare. Don’t let it be a memory. My chest is still tight with pain. I look around my room, but I’m alone.
I let new tears spill freely from my eyes. I want to talk to Adam about the dreams, but they feel so personal and private that I’m loathe to ask him about them. Why am I having these dreams about Adam and possibly his past?
***
After I take a shower and dress for the day, I walk out of my bedroom and see Gabe reading a newspaper spread across the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in his hand. With his glasses sliding low on his nose, he looks adorably domestic sitting at my table.
Adam is nowhere to be seen. That may be for the best. If I looked into his eyes now I might lose it completely.
“Good morning,” I say as I walk past Gabe on my way to the coffee pot.
“Good morning,” he says, sitting up straighter and pushing his glasses higher on his nose. Like I said—adorable.
“Where’s Adam?” I ask without looking up. Curtains to the patio are open, and bright sunlight fills the room.
With an annoyed look that comes and goes quickly, Gabe says, “He said he had some things to take care of, but unfortunately he’ll be back by nightfall.” He watches me as I return with my coffee and sit opposite him at the table.
I curl both my hands around the cup, close my eyes, and take a reverent sip. This is the signal my body waits for to wake each morning. When I open my eyes, Gabe is watching me with a little smile on his lips.
“I didn’t realize the passion you have for coffee,” he says, continuing to smile as he watches me worship the creamy liquid gold in my cup.
He’s shy, yet not. Gabe is an interesting man with many layers.
“Yes, I’m passionate about my coffee. I don’t function without it,” I say, smiling back at him. “So, have you reconsidered my proposition?” I say, leaning back, still holding my cup like a lifeline.
He crosses his arms and studies me from behind his glasses with a thoughtful look.
“I wish your proposition was of a more playful nature,” he says with a shy smile.
“Gabe, I do believe you are flirting with me.” I’m thankful I can now hold a conversation with Gabe, but that could change if he decides to change tactics on me. “I don’t have time for flirting. I’m going to figure out a way to kill Zac with or without help from you and Adam. I think there would be a greater chance of success if you two decided to help instead of hinder my efforts here.” I get up and walk to the patio to let in some fresh air.
“Samantha, you’re asking me to get on board with a plan that could very well end in your death. How can you ask that of me?” he asks, looking unhappy.
He comes to stand next to me. We both look out over the view of the city.
Another unusually warm day in Phoenix, and Thanksgiving is this week. I should plan to have Russell over. I guess I can invite Gabe and Adam since they practically live with me at this point. Maybe Dayna and Jacob too? Strange company I keep these days.
“Are you in touch with Jacob? Do we know if Dayna is safe?” I ask, moving back into the condo.
“Adam said Jacob has it under control. I can’t believe I’m working with vampires. If my family finds out they will disown me—or worse,” he says gravely.
I hadn’t thought much about how difficult this situation might be for him. And what about Gabe’s family? I’m curious about people who actually seek out monsters to kill.
“Gabe, tell me about your family. What are they like?” I ask, sitting on the sofa. He follows my lead and sits in a chair across from me.
“What would you like to know? Keep in mind, if I tell you about my family, I may have to kill you afterward.” He grins at me playfully.
Wow, is he handsome. The sunlight is shining through the edges of his hair, and it looks like an otherworldly halo. This thought makes me smile, considering his angelic bloodline.
“What do you do together? Why do they call you home sometimes?” I ask, tucking my legs under me.
“To start, we do normal stuff like other families, but where some families go on camping trips, we go on survival training exercises and learn all forms of combat and weaponry as well as sophisticated fighting skills in many different disciplines.” Gabe says this with a smile playing at his lips. “They call me home when the fight is something big, such as a vampire nest, which usually requires a great deal of strategy and boots on the ground.”
“Your mild-mannered academic image just flew out the window,” I say, staring at him in awe.
“I can’t tell if you’re impressed or disappointed,” he says, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
“Both, actually. I’m impressed that you can hold your own with a vampire, but with all the crazy in my life I could use some normal, if you know what I mean. I’m trying to learn how to deal with this new reality,” I say, trying to sound reassuring.
He gives me a knowing smile.
All morning I’ve had the feeling of peace and contentment from him. Occasionally, a small wave of sadness begins but it’s quickly shut off. I wonder if this is a coping mechanism for him. It’s much easier being around him when his emotions aren’t overpowering my own.
“Have you killed many vampires?” I ask, feeling a little nervous about his answer for some reason.
“Maybe aro
und thirty-two total,” he says, casually.
Wow. I think of Adam and even Jacob and I’m not sure how to feel about that.
When I don’t respond he says, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill Adam unless he gives me reason. He seems to be on the same side as my family. We’ve met a few vampires that have chosen to live peacefully with humans. Not many, because their predatory instincts are like fighting a drug addiction. That’s why I don’t trust him around you. Even if he wants to protect you, it’s a constant battle for him. You do understand that, right?”
Gabe’s intense gaze in boring into me now. I feel his concern for me, but at the same time his desire is always at the edges of his mind. His constant battle is to try to shield me from his emotions, and I think his efforts are starting to slip.
I’m not sure I buy the story about Adam. He seems so capable, but then again…there are times when I’ve wondered about his control. Times when he seems closer to animal than man. Like the first night I saw him.
Trying to change the subject, I say, “Isn’t it dangerous fighting vampires? How old were you when you killed your first?” I ask, surprising myself with the question.
“I was sixteen. It wasn’t planned, and it was dumb luck that I survived. I stumbled upon a vampire feeding on one of our farm hands in the barn. He threw me across the barn and I landed in a stall. I barely missed a broken rake buried in the hay. When my hand found it, I pulled it up as the vampire jumped on me, impaling him. While he fought to remove the rake, I grabbed a sickle and decapitated him before either of us knew what was happening. My father said my Nephilim instincts kicked in.” He looks away, too humble for such a story.
I try to visualize a sixteen-year-old Gabe.
“When Zac was beating the crap out of me, I was wondering how I managed to stand up to him after the first blow. I remember thinking it should have killed me. Did your blood have anything to do with that?” I ask.
“Yes, you would have been dead from the first blow if he wanted to kill you. My blood strengthened you, but it wasn’t enough to save you. I’m not immortal. We live longer, we look younger, and we have some powerful healing abilities, but it’s not the same as vampire blood. It simply made you stronger and more resilient than an ordinary human. Adam’s blood kept you from dying.” He looks away as though he struggles with the idea.
“I think they worked in tandem. If your blood wasn’t in me, Zac would have finished what he started, and it would have been too late for Adam’s blood to save me.” I feel a ray of hope rise in him.
I’m walking a fine line here. I don’t know how I feel about him, and I don’t want to lead him on. Physical attraction is one thing, but following my heart is important to me, and I don’t know what I feel.
“How do you think I survived having your blood in me when Adam gave me his, since your blood is poison to vampires?” I ask while walking into the kitchen.
Gabe follows me and leans over the bar to answer. I start pulling out ingredients to make omelets.
“Well, I’ve been doing some research on that. I wasn’t sure when to bring it up with you. I’ve been curious myself about how you survived. I contacted my uncle Seth to discuss the situation with him. I left out the part about me working with Adam and Jacob, but my question opened up another can of worms that I’ve been fighting my family about since. They weren’t happy about the lending of our sacred artifacts, and giving someone our blood is punishable by death, but what I learned was interesting, to say the least. I have my suspicions, but we may not be able to determine if it’s true or not.” He seems to have slipped off into his own thoughts as he’s talking.
“What did you mean by, ‘punishable by death’?” I say, almost dropping the egg I was about to crack.
“It’s still being debated,” he says, as though he’s commenting on the weather. “Are you making one for me?” he asks, raising his eyebrows hopefully.
I’m in shock. “Are you teasing me? Your family wouldn’t hurt you…would they?” I ask, holding the egg.
“I guess they would, but I suspect if they make that decision one of my cousins will warn me so we can all avoid them having to kill me. I’m hoping they decide to drop some of the old customs, and start acting more progressive. That’s only one of my pet peeves with the family…business. I moved away in an attempt to separate myself from that life.”
And meeting me pulled him right back into it. I’m starting to think I’m the problem instead of the solution. But I’m used to being the solution to people’s problems. Look what almost happened to Dayna, and now Gabe’s in trouble because of me. He’s acting so casual about his family attempting to kill him. What the…! This is all because of me. He went against his family to help me.
He sees that I can no longer function and comes around the corner, taking the egg from me and gently pushing me out of the way. Gabe moves into the role of cook and begins cracking eggs and then chopping up veggies for our omelets. I sit at the counter with my chin in my hands, watching him in wonder.
“This is not your fault, Sam. I make my own decisions, so drop the guilt. There is no blame, and if there is, it’s mine,” he says.
He risked so much for me. Why? We barely know each other. While I watch him work I remember that I interrupted him before he could tell me what he learned.
“So, what did you learn after all of that?” I ask, still feeling guilty.
“Oh, yes. What my uncle told me is that there is no way for you to have survived if you are merely human.” He grabs a handful of diced veggies and adds them to the pan to begin sautéing them.
“Wait, what? That doesn’t make sense. Of course I’m human,” I say with righteous indignation. Not human…Pshhhh. His uncle isn’t as smart as I imagined him to be.
“He’s correct. And from what I’ve been able to dig up, I believe you may have some Fae in your blood. It’s the most logical explanation. Their DNA is compatible enough with humans and occasionally they have offspring with them,” Gabe is still busying himself with flipping an omelet.
“Fae, as in Fairy?” I ask—mouth still parted.
“Yes, but they aren’t the ones from gentle fairy tales. The Fae have been around as long as anyone can remember. And their blood, and their magic, is powerful. It wouldn’t take much to make a difference. It could be way back in your family tree or as recent as your mother. It’s the best explanation I’ve been able to come up with. I think Adam suspected you were different,” he says, pausing from his work to look at me.
“No, no, no! I have accepted that you are not normal, and Adam’s not even human, but this is where I draw the line. I’m not being pulled into the supernatural gene pool. I would know if there was something different about me. I’m the ordinary all-American girl next door,” I say with finality. “Did you just suggest that my mother had an affair?” I ask, visibly offended.
“No! I’m sorry. I wasn’t implying anything. Just mentioning all the theoretical ways it could happen. But Sam, you are far from ordinary. People are drawn to you. Your aura shines much brighter than a normal human. I didn’t think about it until I realized you had a vampire eating out of the palm of your hand.” He slides a plate at me with a delicious steaming omelet on it, along with a glass of orange juice.
“You are highly delusional if you think I have any sway over Adam,” I say, preparing to shovel some omelet in my mouth.
“I don’t think you realize that vampires take what they want, when they want it. And anyone with half a brain can tell that he wants you, Sam,” he says, starting to work on his own omelet. “I’ve never met two vampires that seem more human than Jacob and Adam, and maybe that’s why I don’t trust that they aren’t a real threat.”
I don’t know how to feel about what he’s told me. Could Adam be holding back his true nature when he’s around me?
I walk around the counter and place a couple pieces of bread in the toaster. I pull a jar of jelly out of the fridge and set it down. “What will you do if your family decide
s to kill you?” I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.
“I might have to disappear for a while, but I don’t think they have time to deal with me at the moment. They have their hands full with a situation in Germany. I should have at least a month before they turn their attention back to me,” Gabe says. I can’t believe how calmly he discusses this.
The toast pops up and I pick up the jar of jelly. I start to remove the lid, but it’s stuck. Grabbing the jar more firmly, I prepare to force the lid off so I don’t have to ask Gabe for help. Just as I start to apply pressure the jar explodes in my hand, and gooey grape jelly splatters me and the counter. I’m so surprised that I let out a squeak and stare at my hands. I’m holding part of the larger shards of glass in one hand, and the lid in the other.
Gabe jumps up, grabbing a towel, and gently takes the mess from my hands.
“I don’t know what happened. There must have been a crack in the jar that I didn’t notice.” Gabe dumps the mess into the trash can and puts the towel in the sink.
“You have vampire and Nephilim blood in you. You’re stronger than you were.” Taking my hands into his, he begins to search for injury. He guides me to the sink, and runs water over my messy hands. His touch is gentle as he rinses away the jelly, and then searches for cuts again. I don’t know why I’m letting him do this for me.
I watch him as he focuses on my hands. He must sense my eyes on him because he turns his head while still holding my wet hands.
I’m hit with strong emotions as he stares at me. Suddenly, his hands are holding my head, and his lips are on mine. I don’t resist his kiss because some of those emotions are mine, and I want it. His lips are gentle yet demanding, and I feel my legs go weak. A fire builds in my center, and starts to radiate throughout my body.
It’s a heady feeling sharing my own emotions while riding on his. It’s overwhelming my senses. This feels so intimate and raw. My hands are roaming the entirety of his solid chest and abdomen. A vision of us naked on the floor of the kitchen shocks me back to reality, and I pull back, gasping for breath. I’m not even sure if that came from him or me. I pull out of his grasp and back against the fridge.