by Jenna Bernel
"Princess?" A hole the size of a crater grows in my stomach at his words.
"Damn, clearly no one listens to me at the town meetings. I said Daniella only, is that understood, Barry?" Alec says with annoyance, and the young man in front of me vigorously nods, but seems too afraid to meet our eyes.
"You sure you're all right?" Alec says, much softer this time, and Barry once again nods, daring to peek up at us, but I barely hear or see them. I feel like I am going into shock. Alec reaches out and reassuringly pats his shoulder before he visibly relaxes from the exchange. Clearly Alec makes him nervous too.
"Thank you, A— Sir," Barry says, like he doesn’t know what to call him. Alec moves the bike handles out of my immobile hand and gives the bike back to Barry. He quickly hops back on and rides off, but glances back at us so many times that he risks a second accident. I turn to Alec, my mouth hanging open in shock.
"Princess? Sir? What the hell is this place?" I ask, trying to be stern, but it comes out weak and squeaky.
"Ha! Oh, now the Princess wants information," Alec mocks, his voice full of sarcasm. I give his chest a hard slap before crossing my arms.
"Do I look like I'm in the mood for your crap? How did you know that kid’s name anyways?"
"When are you going to realize that I know everything, Dani?"
His voice is still laden with humor, and he tugs at a lock of my hair teasingly before I bat him away. Alec laughs and grabs my hand, pulling me back in the direction where we had turned. I instantly feel a pulse of warm energy run through my fingertips and up my arm when his fingers lace with mine, slowly ebbing away the dread of being greeted as Princess. Oh God, this day is going to suck. I just know it.
"Where are we going?" I ask, finding my voice again. I appreciate the warmth, but holding Alec's hand as we walk down the street feels like a betrayal to Evan because, unlike Henry, Alec feels absolutely nothing like a brother to me. As politely as I can, I slowly unclasp my fingers and slide my arm up to resume a much more platonic clasp on his elbow, but I still see Alec's jaw tighten from the intimacy boundary put in place.
"We're going to the town center. You shouldn't have much trouble getting to know the lay of the land here. Caliontre is designed in a spoke-and-wheel pattern; the downtown center is where it all stems from," Alec explains, but he won’t meet my eyes.
"Oh," is all I can think to say.
"I'm actually glad we bumped into Barry. Since you never let me tell you anything, I hope this comes as less of a shock now," Alec says, almost a little amused.
The center of the downtown is like an Italian piazza, and a gloriously large fountain stands regally in its center. The fountain is circular, with sculptures of waves coming up and out like flowing ribbons in a breeze. In the center is a tall statue of a woman wearing a gauzy dress like that of a Greek goddess, and like the water, it billows around her, creating a very real sense of motion even though it is carved in stone. She is an angel with stunningly huge wings etched with intricate detail, the water delicately flowing off them and funneling into the crashing waves at her feet. When I see her face, the crater in my stomach bottoms out until I think I'll melt into a puddle under this sweltering sun. I think this feeling is worse than the feeling of dying when I was teleported here.
"What? Wha… I don't… huh?" I am feeling fuzzy and my vision begins to blur.
"Dani?" The concerned tone of Alec's voice is the last thing I hear as I slip into unconsciousness, closing my eyes to escape her and this reality as quickly as possible.
*****
I groan as I try to tell my brain to let my eyes open. I slowly sit up, looking around the stark-white room as I swing my feet over the edge of the four-poster bed that has a canopy of white, filmy cloth. The wind coming through the plantation shutters helps me regain my composure. Right then Alec walks in holding a washcloth.
He smiles brightly at me when he sees that I am awake and comes to sit next to me on the bed. He hands the washcloth to me, and it is ice cold. I rest it on the back of my neck and it feels amazingly refreshing. He stands back up and goes to the bedroom door.
"Mom, she's awake," Alec calls out, and I whip my head around to look at him. He only winks.
"Oh good, I'll be right there," she says from outside the room, relieved.
"Mom?" Even in vamp form, I can’t hold back my smile. Although Alec only looks about eighteen, maybe nineteen, I always assumed he was in his hundreds, like Eli. It never occurred to me that he has a family, at least a living one, anyways.
A tall woman walks in and smiles at me. She has medium-length hair and is wearing scrubs, which catches me off guard.
I can instantly sense her Nephilim power; it is strong—shockingly strong, in fact. She hovers at the door for a moment like she is nervous, but Alec gestures encouragingly for her to come in. I feel embarrassed. I didn't mean to turn, and I certainly am not used to being vamp in front of anyone but Alec and maybe Grandma Ulla. Alec’s mother shows such natural grace as she walks and slowly sits beside me, taking the stethoscope from her neck and placing the buds in her ears like she has done it three hundred times today already.
"May I?" she asks sweetly as she holds it up close to my back, but waits for my permission before she begins her exam. I nod, looking back at Alec bewildered, and he just winks at me again.
"Take a deep breath, please," she says as she listens to my nonexistent heartbeat through my ribs. She then puts her fingers to my wrist and pulls them back quickly, trying to hide her surprise at how cold I am to the touch, even for a vampire. I bow my head and she swallows hard, gently retuning her fingers to my wrist.
"Well, I think you should be returning to us shortly. Do you feel woozy?" she asks, looking at me warmly, seemingly feeling more comfortable in my presence.
"No, I think I'm okay. What happened?"
"You fainted and turned vamp again, but I don't think there is any major cause for concern. You had quite a shock. It's been an emotional day.
“Honey, if you could just keep an eye on her for me?" she says, looking past me at Alec.
"I won't let her out of my sight."
I can actually feel him smiling like it is a private joke between us, even though I'm sure everyone here knows he's obviously been ordered or something to watch me by this so-called father of mine. Urgh, this will only further his desire to see me. Maybe I can get Alec to keep it a secret? Doubtful…
"Don't be cute," his mom says, sensing his sarcasm, but her tone is so sweet that you couldn’t even call it a reprimand. She walks over to him and wraps him in a big hug. I guess she's used to how cold he is, or at least I assume, since he has the opposite effect on me. She squeezes him tightly like she never wants to let go, and love radiates off her like only a mother's could.
"I should get back to the clinic. Look after each other."
Her voice quivers with motherly concern, as he nods reassuringly, I feel a little pang. I am not used to feeling anything in vamp form, let alone this. Although I've never felt it before, it can only be described as homesickness. Wow… Who knew I could miss my crazy, messed-up family?
"Dani." The sound of Alec's mom saying my name caught my attention.
"I'd be honored to have you over to our house for dinner…once you've settled in, of course." If Alec could blush, his face would have turned beet red at his mother's formal request, and I bite my lip, totally amused by this.
"I'd like that," I say, a little confused, since I thought we were in her house. Again, with all the formality like Henry, at least she knows to call me Dani and not Prin— I can’t even finish the thought. A flash of the statue wearing my face in the freaking town center of Caliontre comes to mind, and I go numb inside all over again. Yep, I was right: This day is going to suck. She nods sweetly and cups Alec's face before moving out the door to leave. He watches her in until I heard a door open and shut.
"Sorry about that, she can't resist embarrassing me," Alec says, coming toward me.
"I don't e
ven know where to start. Is she a nurse?"
"A doctor. You of all people, Dani? How anti-feminist of you to presume otherwise," he says, huffing a laugh.
"You need doctors in Caliontre?" I ask, rolling my eyes at his jab.
"Yes. We may heal a little differently and use magic, but Nephil aren't completely immune to age and ailment. You'll find it's much like any small town: Everyone knows your name, everyone is in everyone else's business, and the people that run it think they are God’s gift to the world. The only difference is they sort of are…in a seven degrees of separation kind of way."
I think about that for a minute. God’s gift to the world, huh? Barf! I don't think I'll get along very well with the council of The Golden Ring. What else is new? I'll never win Miss Congeniality no matter where I am, or what form I'm in.
"How old are you, Alec?"
"I turned vamp on my eighteenth birthday, but I’m technically twenty-one."
"When's your birthday?"
"June 13th," he says with a little half smile and a shrug. Suddenly I feel faint again. I put my head between my knees and try to suppress the panic attack. We have the same exact birthday, only four years apart.
"I know, Dani. It's a lot to take in," Alec says with pity as he rubs circles soothingly over my back. The heat of his fingers blazes a trail over my back, forcing oxygen into my lungs, and a firecracker shocks my heart back to life. I swoop upright, gulping in the air with relief, and a single tear trails its way down my cheek.
I grab Alec's hand like a lifeline.
"Dani, look at me." Alec stares deeply into my eyes and I am hypnotized.
"You're okay. Breathe. I promise you're safe with me." Alec takes deep breaths and I lock in on the rise and fall of his chest, mimicking the motion as my heartbeat finds a less erratic rhythm.
"Why is that so much harder now? Why does it hurt so much?" I ask, feeling weak again and more confused than ever.
"It's a long story, Dani. But I think it's time you know the truth. Do you want me to tell you?"
Alec brushes the tear off my cheek, letting his thumb linger, and I solemnly nod, using his support to stand up. I am still a little woozy, but Alec doesn’t rush me; he holds my arm like a doctor helping a patient out of bed. He must have picked that up from his mom. The nurturing calms me and I feel safe, finally ready to hear the truth. I can't fight it any longer. I need to understand what is going on. I don’t want to turn against my will like that again, especially not here.
We walk over to the French doors at the other end of the room. Alec pulls back the curtain covering the doors, which look out onto the crisp blue ocean. I instantly feel more at ease while enjoying the breathtaking view.
"Ready for that walk?" Alec asks as he opens the door. All I can do is nod, as I know what I am about to hear will change my life…forever.
Chapter 5: The Lighthouse
"Are we there yet? It's hot in here," I whine as I climb what seems like an endless spiral staircase.
"Hey, I'll take this over a dirty air duct any day," Alec jokes, recalling the cobweb-filled adventure of our last mission at The Basement. Hmmm, I wonder what Alec's turned are like. I hope I get to meet them. I'm sure he is as protective of them as I am of mine.
I should be getting back soon; I've been gone all afternoon and I don’t want Henry to worry about me.
We finally get to the landing at the top of the staircase and Alec pulls out a key to unlock the padlock on the door.
"Seriously, why would anyone break in here? I'm pretty sure any Nephil could bust through that if they wanted to anyways," I say, shaking my head at his back.
He laughs. "Just because we can doesn’t mean we will. The lock is a symbol meaning it's private, Dani. And unlike you, Nephil in Caliontre respect others’ boundaries and do as they're told."
"Bah! Like you're one to talk!" I swat his back playfully as he fiddles with the lock. He swiftly dodges, and the movement is so sharp that it catches me off guard. I instinctively step back. Still standing at the edge of the stairs, I stumble, almost tumbling down them. Alec quickly wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me up against him to keep me from falling. I let out a little startled yelp and grip him, my breath catching in surprise.
I'm usually not so clumsy, but then again, I'm not used to hanging out with someone whose fast movements and reflexes exceed my own. We stand there silent for a moment and stare at each other. This all feels a little too familiar, and I know Alec is recalling our first kiss. I can almost see the memory playing behind his eyes, and he gives me the same sexy grin that had become my undoing.
He leans in, and I know I want to push away, but I feel frozen. His lips are so close to mine that I can feel the electricity sparking off them. They almost brush my skin, only a millimeter away from my lips, but he moves past my mouth, withholding his kiss, and whispers in my ear, "I guess you have me there. I'll respect your boundaries, Dani, if that's what you want, but I think you would have kissed me back just then. Am I wrong?"
The lust in his voice sends a pleasurable hum down my spine and I shiver in his arms. I hate when my body betrays me like that. Alec breathes in and a low rumble of desire reverberates in his throat when he smells my perfume, smugly satisfied by my reaction.
"That's what I thought," he says with a little too much vamp cockiness, and it is enough to snap me out of my haze.
I push back, escaping from his embrace. "Seriously?! Get over yourself," I snap, gesturing him to get on with it and open the damn door already. He can’t hide his all-too-pleased smile, and I shove him toward the door to reassure him that I in fact don't listen and am not above kicking his smug ass. The rusty padlock gives way and he shoves open the stubborn door with his shoulder. I step out onto the rafter and can’t help but beam at the panoramic scene before me.
"Wow, it is so incredibly beautiful here," I say, leaning over the railing to look down at the pristine white sand beach. "That's your house, right?" I ask, pointing as I slowly walk around the narrow circular balcony of the lighthouse.
Alec and I had taken a walk down the beach in complete serene silence until he pointed at the lighthouse and invited me up. How this private place is his padlocked entry and all, I have no idea. As there are no buildings taller than a few stories high, this lighthouse is the closest thing to a viewing tower, and you can see all of Caliontre from here.
"Yup, home sweet home," he confirms, nodding toward the little yellow beach house we just came from. And it is just then that the thought occurs to me.
"Was that your bedroom I woke up in?" I say, turning to face him, and he gives me a lopsided grin, shrugging innocently to confirm my guess. It is so different than the house back in Mapleville that he rented to stay close to me: light colors, airy, simplistic, and elegant, with beachy decorating touches like the gauzy canopy fabric that blew in the sea air. It is like meeting a whole other side of Alec.
The Mapleville house was furnished, but none of it belonged to him. His beach house is a true reflection of him, and it makes me realize how little I really know about him. If I didn't feel so trapped here, forced to face a fate I'm sure I don’t want, I’d be more apt to stay and learn more. Gauging from the view, I'd think it is the sweetest little seaside town I’ve ever seen, instead of my personal prison.
“I thought you were going to cooperate a little, and as much as I’d like to discuss you in my bed, is that really all you have to ask me?” Alec says, gently guiding my cheek to face him instead of the view. I bite the inside of my cheek and shake my head.
“Don’t you ever run out?” I ask seriously. It’s like he is an endless punchline of line-crossing innuendoes.
“What can I say? You bring out the best in me.”
I make a sound of annoyance in my throat. “Yes, you are absolutely hilarious,” I say, laying on my thickest sarcastic drawl.
“Dani…” Alec says, his voice laced with exasperation. I am stalling and he knows it.
“Fine, fine. I give. Where do I
even start?” My gaze searches his eyes, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders, and Alec steps away, leaning back against the white stuccoed wall of the lighthouse and slides down until he is sitting.
Patting his hand on the floor next to him, he sighs deeply. I slowly sink down next to him, and I can tell that always being the bearer of bad news to me wears him down. I can’t blame him, I guess. Who’d want that job? Although, if he had let me help with Eli, we could have come up with a better plan together, so that stress is on him.
“Do you remember that day when you got detention and I pulled you into the classroom?” Alec asks, and I nod, recalling the day in vivid detail, since it was the first of many that would change my world.
“I give the gift of light and you the gift of life…” he begins, and my eyes slowly widen with shock and wonder as the story of our lives unfolds before my eyes…
Chapter 6: Ghosts of Caliontre
“If it wasn’t so sad, I’d think it is beautiful here,” I say, looking around the light-filled seminary in awe.
“Yes, they deserve a lovely place to rest,” Alec says solemnly.
The building is made almost completely of windows except for the white marble halls with platinum plaques etched with the names of all those who sacrificed their lives to save our kind. It is strange smelling roses in the air, since that is the signature scent of a gifted vamp, but large cream-and-blush-colored bouquets are displayed on the round tables at the end of each hall for people to take and place by their fallen ancestors. So many names, so many lives. I don’t know them, but yet I can feel the sorrow in the room and the undeniable loss this has caused for Caliontre. If I wasn’t so off inside, I think I would have cried.
“Can we send out some sort of town decree telling everyone to knock off the Princess crap?” I am trying to distract myself from the heavy reality right before my eyes.
“Ha! Well, we can try, but I think it’ll be a hard habit to kick. You know, the same way you can’t stop calling me a cocky ass?” Alec points out, and I laugh. It echoes down the halls, and I shrink a little, hoping I am not disturbing anyone or the ghosts. There are definitely ghosts here; I can feel the spirits. I am thankful that he understands that I need to lighten the mood, though. This will all take some time to absorb. I read the name on the little plaque in front of me: Desira Merdock. I shudder internally.