by Jenna Bernel
“Not at all,” he says with a cocky smirk, referring to checking me out, not opening the door like I want. “You can relax, Dani. I’m not going to kiss you ever again,” he says, swinging the door back open. The tension clears from the air with the gust of wind it causes.
“Why not?” I ask, biting so hard on my tongue that I almost bleed. I did not mean to say that out loud, let alone with equal parts want and hurt lacing my tone.
“Because, Dani, I told you I know you. You were thinking about Evan before, weren’t you? You miss him and you feel guilty that we’re on better terms since you came here. Am I warm?” Alec cocks his head to the side, examining me, waiting to hear that he was right. My mouth goes slack, hanging open because he is so right that it is scary. I nod, that’s all I can give for an answer, and he sighs, tipping his head back like he didn’t really want to be right.
“Look, I get it, Dani. You care about him, and I get carried away with us and all this time we’re spending together. But I’ve thought about it a lot, and I’m not going to push you. Definitely by no means will I make it easy for you, but I won’t push you. The next time we kiss, it will be because you initiated it or begged for it.” He winks and I roll my eyes.
“But I want you to be happy. And if Evan makes you happy and he’s what you want, then I get it.” Alec runs his fingers through his glossy hair that shimmers honey gold against the sun pouring through the window before gesturing me to go and get ready in the bathroom. He won’t return his eyes to me as he waits for me to step through, like that was really hard for him to say, and suddenly I feel guilty even though by no means I should.
“Thank you,” I whisper hoarsely, and head to the bathroom. I don’t know if it was for opening the door or for always saying the things I’m thinking that I can never seem to vocalize. That speech sounded rehearsed, and all I can do is picture him standing in front of a mirror figuring out how he’s going to politely say “I give up.” The problem is, I don’t know if I want him to.
*****
“So what’s this surprise now, because I’ve already seen that ugly thing.” I point at the statue of me in the piazza-style town center, annoyed that I have to be anywhere near it.
“Funny, it’s a pretty simple concept, a surprise. So stop asking me, damn! And that thing is not ugly, it’s stunning just like you.” Alec strides past the statue and touches the tip of one of my outstretched stone fingers as if it were a habit he didn’t even think twice of. Hmmm, he’s a weirdo, that’s for sure.
“Stunning? Barf,” I say, looking back at it as we pass, wrinkling my nose as I examine the tackiness. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that thing. Where are we going? Why don’t we just Portal Jump?” I ask, returning my attention from the statue to Alec, and I’m glad to be getting some distance from it since it seems like we’re just cutting through town to get to the other side. Alec abruptly stops and turns to look at me wide-eyed and clearly irritated, which oddly pleases me very much, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep it from hitching up in a smile.
“Seriously?! What are you, six? Now quit asking me or I’m going to pick you up and carry you there over my shoulder for any passerby to see, maybe even spank you if you’re going to keep being so naughty.” His lip twitches as he desperately attempts to suppress his devilish grin, and I cross my arms, glaring at him.
“Like you could catch me?” I counter with a dare, not because I want to encourage this behavior but because I can’t have him thinking he can boss me around now just because I’ve been following his lead this week.
“Wanna bet?” His eyebrows rise on his forehead and he steps into me, and I instinctively step back when something changes in him. I can sense the shift, and I suddenly feel like a helpless blood whore trapped in The Basement surrounded by vamps.
“Look at me, Dani.”
I do.
“You’re going to stop asking me what the surprise is, understand?” Alec says, and his aqua eyes begin to glow like two ethereal orbs tearing through me with their light.
I instantly nod.
“Good. Now you want me to carry you, don’t you?”
I nod again. I’d do anything for this man, anything.
“Very well, have it your way.” Alec smirks, holding out his arms, and I jump into them eagerly. I rest my head on his chest and sigh, giddy with delirium that he’s mine. A minute later I snap my head up from his chest and jump out of his arms like he’s on fire.
“What the hell? What was that? Holy shit, did you just Trance me?!” I shudder from head to toe, my breathing ragged as I come to grips. It’s like I was hypnotized or something with absolutely no free will whatsoever. I shudder again, feeling guilty for ever Trancing anyone. It’s so wrong.
“I did,” Alec answers, and he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“How did you… How? I’m Nephil.” My jaw drops to the floor as I try to catch my breath, and he sighs. He thought I was going to be more upset that he Tranced me, but I’m too shocked to be pissed, though we’ll get to that later.
“Like I told you before, there are reasons Stella adores me. Just like you have special gifts beyond your average Nephil or Vamp…so do I.” He combs a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath and sucking his cheek in, as if showing me this side of him is very difficult for him.
I shake my head in disbelief. “Wait. So you have been holding out on me. Can you Trance Vampires too?”
He nods. “Yes. And usually it lasts a lot longer than a minute, but you’re too powerful. That’s how I normally lure the one I want to turn away from The Basement, but last time you were so hell-bent on being involved. That, and I didn’t want to show you.” He drops his gaze and shakes his head a little, like he can’t believe he’s admitting these things to me.
“Why?” I step towards him, unsure of why’s he’s so ashamed. “It’s incredible what you can do, Alec. I mean, I’m definitely going to kick your ass later for introducing it by performing it on me without permission, but still you must see how special your gifts are?” I reach up and put my hand on his shoulder, and he huffs out a laugh at my butt-kicking comment.
“I just wasn’t ready to tell you, you were already so mad at me. I didn’t want you to think I was a monster or was somehow Trancing you into feeling things or doing things without you knowing, and—”
“I would never think that!” I correct him. Okay, maybe a few weeks ago I would have accused him of Trancing me into opening up my heart to him, but it would only be to kick him while he was down to ease my own pain. The truth is that I know he’s good through and through—better than I ever could be, in fact.
“Thanks,” he says quietly, sagging a little.
“Is that why you think people don’t like you or want you here, because you could Trance them, manipulate them?” I ask, stepping closer to him and squeezing his shoulder until he meets my eyes.
“I guess, yeah, one of many reasons. Nephil are proud people. Proud of their power and their connection to the Light realm. I don’t think they like the reminder that someone from the Dark realm is here in their city who’s more powerful than them. Someone who could Trance them to do evil if I so choose.” Alec’s eyes pinch at the corners when he says it, and I swear I can actually feel his pain, for some reason it rips a hole in me and all I want to do is make it go away. He’s so strong, so confident, always being the rock in this messed-up duo. I didn’t see it until now, but this week I’m realizing that underneath, he’s just as vulnerable and scared as me.
“Then they can hate us both, because I’m just as vamp as you are,” I counter, boring a hole into him with my eyes so he’ll understand.
“It’s not the same,” he corrects.
“Yes. It. Is.” I’m not backing down. I don’t know why, but I need him to understand. I need him to know he’s not alone in this world too. He did that for me, and he has to know it goes both ways. I couldn’t live with myself if The Son of Light thought that he was anything but
. He nods, just once, taking in my words, but his jaw is rigid, like they’re not really sinking in.
“Now tell me something,” I say in a lighter tone, trying to break the tension.
“Yes?” Alec smiles, happy to change the topic.
“What is this surprise?” I bite my bottom lip to hold back my bratty smile only to release it in a yelp when Alec scoops me up and throws me over his shoulder as he begins us on our path once again.
“Put me down!” I squeal, and kick him. My head’s arched up just enough to see everyone around gawking at the display. He gives my ass a light spank, making good on his threat, and I growl at him in disapproval, but this only makes him laugh.
“You’re seriously going to pay for this,” I bark, but it comes out flirtier than I intended, and I snap my mouth shut, realizing Alec has made good on his other promise. He’s not going to make this easy on me for a second. He sets me down and bends until our eyes meet, his gaze full of playfulness.
“Bring it on, Princess,” he taunts me with my title, knowing I’ll hate it. I raise one eyebrow. Two can play at this game. I bring my index finger up to my mouth, covering it with my lips at the base before slowly and seductively pulling it out all the way to the tip of my nail. Alec swallows hard, watching intently as his eyes glaze over with lust.
“Gladly,” I say just as tauntingly before digging my slobbery wet finger into his ear. He he recoils, smacking my hand away.
“Wet Willy!” I exclaim before sprinting in the other direction laughing hysterically. That was my big brother Will’s favorite trick on me growing up. Since it shared his name, it became his taunting trademark, and I gladly stole it from his playbook. There are plenty more childhood tortures where that came from.
Alec begins to chase me. “Hey! That was a cheap shot!” He’s laughing as he closes in on my head start, though.
“I never said I’d play fair!” I shout, not daring to look behind me as I run. He’ll probably tackle me and tickle me to death like Will used to, only with my brother I didn’t have to worry about it ending in a hot kiss. I miss being a kid, when I didn’t have to worry about any of this and thought all boys had cooties. I keep running in the hope that Alec will never catch up, and just as I finish the thought, his arms circle my waist and he once again hoists me over his shoulder in one swift movement. Where we’re going… I wish I knew.
Chapter 10: Surprise
“Oh my God, what is this place?” I ask, staring up at the structure before me.
“It’s the Hall of Grace,” Alec answers, following my awed gaze.
“It looks like The Wizard of Oz, only gold instead of emerald,” I say, squinting. It’s so bright and sparkly that I might be mistaking it for an illusion. The building is beautiful, and reminds me of a gothic cathedral similar to the one I saw in Barcelona, only instead of gray, it shimmers gold and glassy. I reach out and touch the wall next to the twelve-foot-high double doors of the entrance, thinking my hand might slip through like a mirage, but it’s as solid as a rock. It was hidden in a mass of forest, cloaked like a secret gem that I hadn’t been able to spot from the lighthouse’s view.
“Is it like a church?” I ask, slapping my hand on different parts of the wall to confirm I’m not imagining the building. It really looks like something you’d only see in a dream.
“Mmmm, not really. I mean, it is sacred and very special to our people, but we don’t hold mass here or anything. Nephil think a little differently than the traditional human religions you grew up with. Probably because of our direct connection to the Light realm,” Alec explains, opening the heavy gold door, but I hesitate to go in.
“Then what are we doing here?” I ask, not feeling pure enough to enter this sacred space. I can sense how special it is even from peering through the entryway.
“I’ll show you,” Alec says, stepping through and holding the door for me to follow. I bow my head slightly and step through, instantly feeling lighter, like I do when I Cloud Crash. I’m overwhelmed by the beauty and the power of this place bouncing off the walls like its acoustics turn the energy into a sweet melody you can almost hear.
“Wow…” I mutter, taking in the energy, letting it fill me, feeling more Nephil in this moment than I ever have before. I haven’t turned to vamp by accident in almost a week since I first got here. I think the power here helps me control it. I sigh, looking around at the ornate carvings and pillars laced with marble and gold. If I ever feel I’m turning again, I should run straight here; I can actually sense the light realm in here, like it’s a portal to another plane of existence.
“Christoph built this, didn’t he?” I ask, trying to understand this place. It looks like it could only have been made by an Angel.
“No, but this is where he entered Caliontre from the light realm and he brought some of their power with him. I guess it didn’t always use to sparkle gold like this. It was a gift from the light realm once Stella started the war. But only Christoph and my dad are old enough to have seen it,” Alec says, taking my hand to lead me to a room, and the heat of his touch feels like a pleasurable warm spirit even stronger when we’re in here. It occurs to me that I have no idea how old my father is—hundreds, maybe thousands of years old. Does he only look to be thirty forever? Obviously he doesn’t age in the same way as Nephil. I wonder what my mom would think of that. Gross! I quickly push the idea of them together away.
“Your Dad? I’m surprised to hear you refer to Roman that way after what I witnessed,” I say, falling a step behind him, very distracted by my spectacular surroundings. Alec grips my hand tightly to keep me near him and he lets out a small laugh.
“I never say it in front of him, mostly to piss him off. Our relationship is very complicated.” Alec comes to a door and stops in front of it, looking down at me. It’s funny how much of our lives mimic each other. I used to do the same thing to Bill—at least, I used to before I found out he raised me as his own. We’ve been on better terms lately. Of course, that is until I disappeared. It’s been almost two weeks. I’m starting to feel anxious about being absent for so long. Like all my friends and family will fall apart if I’m not there to take care of them. I know it’s not my job, but I can’t help but feel responsible for their happiness even though I’m miserable.
“Hey, you ready?” Alec asks, shaking my hand to get my attention. “What are you thinking about?” He turns to me with concern, holding his hands up to my cheeks to examine me.
“I…I really miss my family,” I admit, swallowing the lump of emotion in my throat.
“I know.” Alec nods brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. I suppose he does. Having spent so much time in Chicago or doing Stella’s bidding, he hasn’t spent much time in Caliontre since he turned.
“I think this will help. Can we go inside?” He steps away and nods encouragingly to the door. I sigh a long breath and gesture for him to open the door.
Stepping through, a scream gets caught in my throat, and I jump back, bumping into Alec’s chest.
“Surprise!”
They scared me to death. It’s so peaceful and quiet here that I didn’t expect to walk into a room of over twenty Nephil shouting at me. I focus on all their huge smiling faces and begin to violently shake from shock. A tear of joy almost slips down my cheek, but even in the Hall of Light I can’t manage it. It seems like I can only cry with tears of anger and frustration instead of happiness, and it sucks because all I want to do is show them how ecstatic I am. All I can think to do is run towards them. I find Henry in the middle of the crowd and throw my arms around him, almost knocking him over with my embrace. I feel arms wrap around in pairs until we are all wrapped in a circle of one giant group hug.
“They’re all here?” I whisper, shaking with adrenaline.
“Yes,” respond a dozen voices who are close enough to hear, and Henry nods into my shoulder, confirming what they say.
All the danger, all my missions with Eli and missing out on a normal high-school life. None of it mat
ters, none of it. Because standing here, embracing the twenty-two souls I turned back from the darkness, makes it all worth it. This is the best surprise I ever could have asked for.
Chapter 12: Where to Now?
“Like this, Carter?” I ask, bowing my hands in a prayer, and he nods encouragingly. Alec gathered all of my turned here to help teach me how to Portal Jump. It’s ironic, since I’m so much more powerful than them, but since they’ve been here longer they’ve all been helping each other practice. This has been the best afternoon, watching all of my turned interact. They all look so happy and comfortable together. Henry wasn’t kidding when he said they’ve become like a family here. I’m trying to concentrate on what Carter is showing me, but I’m distracted by watching the others. I hear Ally laugh in the corner as she sticks her arm through a Portal Jump that Trevor made and excuse myself from Carter for a moment.
“What’s so funny over here?” I ask, approaching Ally, who is still giggling, and she wraps an arm around me in a quick hug when I approach. I’m not a super touchy-feely person, but they all seem determined to change that about me, smothering me with affection since I stepped through the door. I share their warmth but I’m still cold, and I’ve seen the worry on some of their faces when we embrace. It bugs me. I’m supposed to be protecting them and worrying about them, not the other way around. I’d wish they’d stop, but I’m sure that’s wishful thinking.
“Oh, it’s Trevor. He thinks he’s hysterical, but really he’s an idiot to think I’m that naïve,” Ally explains, pointing at the Portal he made.
“Should I step through?” I say teasingly. We’re only allowed to Portal Jump to different parts of Caliontre, and obviously for good reason, since it’s too dangerous for any of them to return home right now. I asked Alec when we were going back to Chicago and he quickly found a way to change the subject. He left me here with all my turned, and I know he’s back there planning out Eli’s rescue and making an appearance in the underground so Stella doesn’t get suspicious. He probably thinks this was the perfect distraction to keep me from asking questions later, but he is sorely mistaken.