“I can hear you.” Rick took Matt’s arm, and steered him to the opposite end of the cabin where Matt immediately grabbed for the blood-tinged Everclear.
“Stop it!” Rick snarled.
Matt’s hands froze above the bottle. He glared at Rick in astonishment. “What?”
“You’ve had ninety years of training in domination. This is the best you can do?”
Matt drew an unsteady hand down his face. “She’s not my sub, Rick. I’m trying to find a better way.”
“Well, one of you better grow a pair and correct this behavior, and I doubt seriously that the fledgling will.” He surveyed Matt with utter annoyance. “If you don’t take control of this, I will.”
“Nobody controls me. I’m my own person!” Cat snapped from her seat at the back.
Rick stared Cat down until she squirmed under his unyielding authority. Matt slumped into a chair, and stared morosely out the window. She fretted her lower lip and stewed.
Rick watched the two people who meant the most to him agonize with more sympathy than he dared show. “You two need to dial it down, and stay away from each other on this plane. I need some peace and quiet. I have business to conduct. If you truly need something, ask me, otherwise…stifle it!”
Cat crawled into a sullen shell of angry compliance and studiously ignored them. It’d been a week since she was told the full extent of Matt’s deception. She was both gratified and horrified knowing the degree to which Rick and Matt gambled their fortunes and lives for her. Still, the broad breach of trust they created, turned their whole world to enmity. Today, she was a morass of seething anger. So, instead of enjoying Matt’s company, she amused herself with games on her tablet until she succumbed to fatigue.
Matt didn’t appear to draw a relaxed breath until Cat rested. He spent the majority of their ten-hour flight reviewing the literature about their destination—Serenity, a secluded vampire retreat renowned for their work with troubled fledglings and other vampire issues. Rick would never have anticipated her anger and rebellion. She said she would welcome being turned. How did it all go so horribly wrong?
The jet connected with a helicopter in Santiago, Chile, which took them the remainder of their journey. Cat had never been on a helicopter before, and curiosity and the thrill of the ride tempered her rebelliousness, as she gazed down at the stunning Chilean landscape.
Slowly, the congestion of the city gave way to the meadows of the countryside, slanting up to craggier ground, and finally the majesty of the Andes Mountains. The copter blades whined as they worked furiously to spin in the thin mountain air. Cat caught her breath at the sunset’s glow reflecting off mountainous red rock towering over their elite destination. The copter zeroed in on the landing pad, and then settled comfortably to the ground moments before the cabin door opened, blasting them with pristine subzero air.
A man so tall he dwarfed Matt and Rick held on to the cabin door swaying slightly in the wind. Rick studied his remarkably unlined, knowing face, framed by straight black hair. The man smiled invitingly at Cat.
“Welcome to Serenity.” He did not raise his voice at all, despite the racket created by the rotors.
“Hello.” She greeted with a smile of her own in the most pleasant voice Rick heard from her in an entire week.
Matt glanced distractedly at Rick as he climbed out. “Will you stay and have a drink with us?” His invitation was sincere, but felt perfunctory all the same.
Rick’s eyes narrowed. “No.” It was hard to let them go, but the cord had to be cut. “I have business in Colombia. You two go ahead. Get it figured out.”
He jerked the door closed. Their small party retreated as the rotors kicked into gear, and the copter lifted away.
* * * *
Cat was glad to stretch cramped muscles and inhale clean air when they alighted from the chopper cabin.
“I am Khuno, your guardian during your stay.” The tall man’s graceful fingers caressed first Cat’s left cheek, and then Matt’s right, as he stood between them. She sighed in relief at his touch. “May your treasures be revealed by the journey of your bodies and hearts.” The gentle giant paused as his words sank in. “You must be hungry. Come with me to the lodge, and then I’ll show you to your rooms.”
“Rooms?” Matt bristled back from the gentle hand.
“The elders have agreed each of you need your own space.”
“I’d prefer we stay together,” Matt protested, his stance widened, his hands on his waist.
Cat shifted nervously. “You want us apart?”
“Uh…could I talk with you privately for a moment,” Matt petitioned.
Khuno’s hand fell to their shoulders and he lowered his voice almost to a whisper, his wise gaze seeking theirs, gaining their complete attention. “That won’t be necessary, Mr. Brenner. This is a therapeutic decision. Modifications come with progress.”
* * * *
Matt’s mausoleum abruptly glowed with LED light. Only moments ago he surrendered to an exhausted vampire’s deathly rest. “Bedroom” in the vampire lexicon was something less than the padded, upholstered comfort of the best hotel suites. Stark-carved marble as a resting place would horrify any mortal, but their accommodations were plush by vampire standards. Matt rose on his elbows, slipping slightly on the high polish of his slab. He squinted into the sudden glare.
“It’s midnight, and your first challenge begins,” Khuno intoned gravely.
“My challenge?” Matt questioned. “I’m not the fledgling.”
Khuno’s brow rose, and he gave a transcendent smile. “Indeed?” He turned and led Matt from the room. “Nevertheless, you have a challenge.”
With a soft “humph” of annoyance, Matt followed, and could have sworn he caught another smile on Khuno’s lips before he stifled it. He was led to a plain, but functional staging area with long tables where hiking paraphernalia, bed rolls and plastic pouches of blood were neatly organized.
“Please wait here,” Khuno directed. “Miss Temple will be joining you shortly.” He gestured to the long, low-slung sofa. “Refresh yourself, if you’re so inclined.”
Yes, Sensei. Matt worked hard to keep the sarcastic reply unspoken.
* * * *
Cat didn’t stir when the lights flickered on above her crypt. Drawn and bone-wearied by the events of the past few weeks, only Khuno’s gentle nudging woke her. He peered deeply into her sleepy eyes. She felt weak and weary.
“You must feed regularly, Catherine,” he admonished. “You’ve been nervous, and upset, and that’s distracting you from a fledgling’s most vital duty. Without blood at steady intervals, you will not survive.” Cat was wistful, and Khuno searched her heart. “Is this what you want, Cat? Do you truly wish to die? Are you angry you were turned?”
“No.” Cat sighed. “I’m angry about what happened before. They lied to me, Khuno. Brutally. They made me think I was insane.” Tears swam in her eyes. “I don’t know if I can get past that and back to where we need to be.”
“We may be able to help you with this, but the journey will not be easy.” His smile faded. “Nevertheless, it begins. Come with me.”
When they walked into the staging area, Matt was already sipping a cup of O positive, and had another poured for Cat. She picked up the cup he proffered and sniffed disdainfully.
“What made you think I’d want O positive?”
Matt clenched his eyes shut, reaching for his last vestige of patience, and then slowly reopened them. “Sometimes, you drink what you have.”
Khuno stepped between them. “Your words are walls, not bridges. Therefore, no more words.” Matt’s gaze flew to Cat’s, and their shocked gazes met. “The elders will tell you when speech is allowed again. Until then, you will both remain silent.” Cat opened her mouth to protest, but before she could form words, Khuno squelched her outrage with his finger against his lips. “Shh, you need silence to find your soul.”
Cat blinked and remained mute, for a change. Matt cleared his
throat with a tilt of his head.
Khuno turned to him. “Complete silence,” he reiterated. “From both of you.”
Cat’s lips curved in a satisfied smile when Matt narrowed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief, but complied.
Khuno drew his finger along a line in the wall and a hologram appeared. A contour map revealed terrain of incredible depths and dizzying heights. Matt’s look back at their meager survival gear was filled with doubt.
“Your journey will take you deep within yourselves, and far beneath both earth and water.” Again, Cat made to speak, and again Khuno’s look silenced her. “You must interpret what nature presents to you as well as the clues the ancestors have left. We’ve prepared your gear with exactly what you’ll need.” He gestured to the readied backpacks. “Travel, but leave no trace. At the end of your journey, there will be understanding.”
“A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,” Matt muttered, garnering a censorious look from Khuno. He sighed and drew his brows together pensively, as Cat worried her lip in confusion. “Look,” he challenged Khuno, “Cat is no outdoors adventurer, and this is a long way from her convent upbringing. I have military training to help me. I can read a topographic map, which leads me to anticipate the worst on this little adventure. How do you expect me to guide a fledgling to success on such an arduous journey, without the benefit of words?”
Khuno surveyed him with deep disappoint and disapproval evident in his expression. “For a supposed ‘Dominant,’ Matt, you seem to have a great deal of trouble understanding and obeying orders. Silence is to be observed at all times.”
Matt’s lips thinned into a fine line of irritation as they followed Khuno along bustling hallways. The retreat came alive at midnight with the footfalls of sires and fledglings completing their own tasks. Finally, they emerged from a back exit, and then walked toward a rustic dock.
Cat stopped, struck by the magic of the night. The air was alive with sounds of nature she never heard before. She heard low, vampiric whispers from behind the tree line, and the full moon illuminated the bright eyes of small animals too shy to come close to the vampire resort. A part of her wanted to share the wonder of this moment with Matt, a part of her wanted to escape him.
A sleek canoe waited for them in the water, lapping gently at the shore. Well, escape would be hard in that.
Khuno pointed. “Matt, there.” He indicated a paddle toward the back, then pointed to the front. “Catherine, there.” He untied the line before he tossed it into the canoe. “Work together. Maintain your silence. Return when you’ve attained your truth.” He smiled serenely at their chagrin, and waved as he shoved the canoe away with a sandaled foot.
Cat knew that, as a vampire, she wasn’t supposed to ache. Still, she eyed the miniscule form of the island toward which they paddled, and knew they had to be hours away. She glanced at the horizon. How could they possibly make it before sunrise? Fear tickled at her throat. Once again, she’d be forced to trust Matt’s superior experience and knowledge. Trust wasn’t easy for her where he was concerned.
Matt’s muscles worked to push them farther and faster toward the island. His strength and stamina far exceeded hers, and he must be working hard to beat the rise of the sun. Their tandem rowing became mindlessly repetitive and hypnotic, and allowed her to ruminate over the past week after she understood the full extent of his betrayal. Certainly, he fractured her trust. Still, only a week ago he admitted to sacrificing her absolution in favor of her safety.
“I never actually expected your forgiveness,” he’d said.
“What do you mean?”
“I never let myself count on us being together again. I tried to strangle that hope, all the while I was looking for a way to keep you safe.”
He had a complete and utter need to protect her, Cat realized. It was an intrinsic part of him, and always would be. Was that really so bad? The lengths to which he’d taken it in wiping her memory were extreme. Yet, given his tragic history, was it unforgiveable? What would she have done if he simply cut off the relationship without all the drama? Was he correct in saying she would have fought his decision? Would her obstinance have gotten her killed as he feared?
Now that he was her sire, and they were together again, if she couldn’t find a way back to trusting him, everything would be lost. Might she start the process by being completely honest and transparent herself?
Cat ran a tentative tongue over dry lips. Her exertion manifested as hunger long before she became fatigued. She was starving, but how could she stop paddling and let Matt see her weakness? She glanced back at him. He was head-down in concentration and effort. She studied the man she’d loved for nearly a year.
He was so outrageously handsome, even when furious with him, she couldn’t deny his physical flawlessness. The black t-shirt he wore stretched over a muscled chest while he drove them forward, the cotton jersey of his sweatpants pulled tight across his rigid groin. In the dim light of the moon, his hair was thick ebony tangles curling around the sculpted curves of his pale face. Those huge, blue, soulful eyes glanced up at her, and a one-sided grin flitted across his perfect lips, before she slid her gaze away. Cat’s heart fluttered. How could she love him and hate him so passionately at the same time?
* * * *
Matt watched Cat, anxiety steadily building in him over her anemic color. Forbidden to speak, he gestured at their blood supply, urging her to refortify. Though vampires were always pale, she edged into waxy by her refusal to eat as she should—a way to defy him which ultimately only hurt her. She secured her paddle, and then bent forward to the knapsack containing nourishment, every move lithe and undaunted.
God, he loved her so much. What if he couldn’t make this work? She held up a bag in offering to him. Well, at least she still considered his needs. Matt refused, turning back resolutely to his canoeing and correcting their drift toward the small island.
Moonlight waned. The first faint glow of sunrise glinted off towering walls of white marble, surrounded by an aquamarine lagoon. After gliding toward a meager strip of land, Matt jumped into the shallow water and pushed the canoe ashore. Cat gracefully followed his steps to the pebbly ground. They both gazed upward, awed by the solid marble caves and hollows the water wore away over millennia.
Matt turned in the direction of an alarming skitter emanating from the cave. The sound of disturbed gravel alerted something primal within the caverns of the island, and in seconds, he heard a thunderous flapping of wings. He ducked away from the blur of darkness surging out of the nearest cave, and instinctively drew Cat against his chest, protecting her within the grip of his arms. She huddled under his chin, and buried her face in the strong column of his neck. He splayed his fingers, protecting her face from thousands of leathery wings beating against the early morning air. Bats. Harmless, but frightening.
Gradually, Matt’s protective hold on her weakened and fell away. Unable to speak, he looked into her eyes, irrationally hoping to find an answer there. What would it take, for them to come to an understanding right now? Was this quest really necessary? She’d already been through so much because of him. Couldn’t he spare her this? For God’s sake, if he loved her, surely he could shoulder the majority of the burden. Why did the seeker on this quest have to be Cat?
Dust motes danced in the morning light, their deceptive beauty belying the danger the sun’s rays posed to a fledgling. Matt grabbed Cat’s hand, and pulled her into shade, under a canopy of smooth, cool Parian marble marking the entrance to a shallow cave. It was a momentary reprieve. Looking up at the roof, he realized wide cavities dotted the ceiling, and would soon flood with sunlight. He jerked her into the recesses, worrying, even as they went, that the sun relentlessly followed. His gaze fell upon cave drawings, and he drew her to his side as he studied them.
She pointed at drawings of waves on the wall, then to the ones lapping outside. She whimpered and shook her head violently, backing away. She can’t swim, Matt realized. Tears welled in
her eyes, and she trembled. Immediately, it hit him that this was more than a lack of knowledge. Cat was phobic about water. He flashed back to her attempt to tell Khuno earlier. The cave drawings clearly pictured swimmers submerging in the lake.
Matt let her go momentarily to fully shoulder their backpacks. He needed to be ready for anything. He turned back in alarm as a tortured, stifled scream lodged in her throat. In the moments it’d taken him to secure their gear, Cat became completely engulfed in a shaft of sunlight, the pain of the burn paralyzing her movement. He grabbed her from the dangerous clutches of the sun’s rays and plunged them directly into the icy waters of the glacier lake. She struggled against his grasp as soon as her hyper-heated body hit the water. It was all he could do to drag them deeper and hold her under as she fought in terror.
How deep do we need to swim? How far under before we can break for ground? Matt took a moment to get his bearings, trying to remember his glimpse of the ancient directions etched into the cave wall. Unable to assuage Cat’s panic, he subdued her and propelled them down through the darkness. She fought like a wild thing. In an effort to calm her, he opened his mouth over hers and shared his breath with her. Breathe with me, baby. Breathe with me, he thought. He desperately wished his consciousness could somehow connect with hers.
Matt’s cool breath revealed the truth, a truth he was sorry Cat hadn’t had a chance to learn. She clutched at outmoded, human physical laws. They were vampires. Neither of them needed to breathe. She calmed as his breath entered her lungs.
Within moments, they were caught and drawn into an eddy of cobalt swirls. Minutes drew into an eternity while Matt prayed he was right and they would land in an underground cave. Cat, Cat, somewhere past where we’ve been is our place, hang in here with me. We can only do this together. Once they finally reached safety, she was limp with the exhaustion of her pointless struggle.
In a final rush, the water gently lifted them against a dry white shore of fine powdered marble. Cat fell to her side, gasping for needless breath. Matt stood over her, pushing wet curls out of his eyes and assessing their location. They were safe at the entrance of a narrow underwater cave. Sunlight filtered harmlessly through the vivid turquoise water. The light was murky and low, but intense enough for a vampire’s keen sight.
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