It was a slow process. The cat had left numerous lacerations in her fight for dear life and most of them were deep enough to expose muscle or bone. Her body felt like it was on fire as her tissues began to knit themselves back together. It drained her physically and she closed her eyes, exhausted. Whether from fatigue or loss of blood, she fell into a deep sleep.
There was something off, there was just no other way to describe it. The air felt heavier than normal and it was almost suffocating. Her body wasn't in pain any longer, either. Oh no, she thought, I must be dead. She opened her eyes cautiously. She was on the grid again.
"This is ridiculous " she said to the air. She wondered how long she would keep traveling before they found Matthias. If she concentrated on him, perhaps she could find him through the plane. All she had to go by was an oil painting and the memory she had seen in Nevar's mind. It was a shot.
She wondered if he still wore a powdered wig in this day and age, or if he had abandoned it for a more modern appearance. Certainly, he wouldn't be wearing an aristocrats' coat and breeches unless he was an actor in a play or perhaps a Renaissance fair of some sort.
She tried to picture him with salt and pepper hair; a distinguished man in his early 40's and tried to remember the way his voice had sounded in Nevar's memory. As the picture formed in her head, a path opened up at an intersection in the grid. She had to walk a distance to reach it and when she did, she hesitated, not knowing where the path would lead or what was waiting for her on the other side. There was no one to guide her if she could not find her way back.
She had found her way back before. Surely she could do it again. Before she lost her nerve, she decided to walk through the entrance. When she reached the other side, she found herself sitting in a quaint little café. There were several round tables scattered around the room adorned with simple white tablecloths. The air was heavy with the smell of coffee and sugary treats. A few patrons waited patiently at the bar, but seemed oblivious to the goings on around them. Beside her, a warm mocha waited for her on the table. Odd, she thought, had she been expected?
Yes, my dear, I have waited many a year to make your acquaintance.
The voice was so familiar. Why couldn't she place it? She felt a sense of calm wash over her. She wanted to snuggle with a soft pillow and fall asleep, so she grabbed the mocha and sipped at the caffeinated beverage to keep her wits sharp.
So much like your mother, little one, but you are not so little now, are you?
Where are you? Are you Matthias?
I always knew you would find me. When Katarina said what you had become, I was thrilled to find you were searching for me.
Do you know me personally?
It was then she felt a hand upon her shoulder. As she followed it up to its owner, her jaw dropped and her eyes grew as wide as saucers. She was so shocked that she dropped the coffee in her hand. The cup fell to the stone floor and shattered into a dozen pieces.
"Father?" She couldn't hide the tears from her voice. He looked like he had simply stepped out of a photograph. His hair was the color of rich chocolate with just a peppering of grey at his temples. He was tall and muscular, with an air of dignity about him, but what caught her attention was his eyes. He had the same piercing emerald green eyes that she had inherited. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, my darling Alyssa, you are not. You can walk the planes because you are my daughter."
"But, I don't understand, all this time, I've been half vampire and half werewolf? Why haven't I had any of the abilities of either until Nevar bit me?"
"The two genes cancel each other out. You have always had the allure of the vampire and the wolf living inside you, but when Nevar bit you, you truly became a vampire. The magnificent part is that you still retained the wolf. Your mother and I never dreamed that you would turn out as powerful as you have become!"
"Why did you both leave me?"
"Alyssa, what kind of world is this for a child? You would not have understood why your mother and I were so different from you. Even in our world, a love like ours is misunderstood."
"Where is she? And why did she bite my friend?"
Matthias pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "We have a blood connection with you, Alyssa. That is how you found me, and how I knew to expect you. We felt when you changed and she wanted to see you. You know that the wolf inside is hard to control. She never meant to harm your si-... forgive me, your friend."
"Nevar told me about your army of werewolves and how you treated them. How could you do such a thing and love my mother at the same time? How could she make others go through the pain she went through and see them enslaved?"
He sighed heavily, as if trying to explain something difficult to an ignorant child. "Things were different in those days, Alyssa. Your mother and I barely knew each other in those days. Werewolves were little more than animals, meant to serve and protect their vampire masters. I admit, it was barbaric, but we learned the error in our ways long before humans did.
"Your mother was my most loyal and cunning pet at the time, and I saw her as little more than that, until Nevar and Xander rose up against us. Your mother saved my life that day, and she was the only one that remained loyal to me.
"After that, our romance began to blossom into a wildfire, but still, we had to hide the truth. I wish it were not so, but she would have been tortured at length before being killed had the truth been known. I could not live without her. I would have sought my own death, only to be denied. Such a fate is worse than death."
"Will I see her again? Why did she run away? And how did she vanish without a trace?"
"Darling, I know you have lots more to ask, but you sought me out for a specific reason, did you not?"
She started to argue, but decided against it. After so many years apart, she did not want a fight with her father to be her first memory of him. "Yes," she said slowly, "I did. I want to learn how to control my gift. I don't want to walk the planes every time I fall asleep. Can you teach me to control it?"
"But, of course, my child. Come with me, if you will."
She got up from the table and followed Matthias to the door. He turned and opened it for her. "Bienvenue à Paris, ma chérie!"
"Paris? Am I really here?" She looked around and saw the signs, all written in French. Off in the distance, she saw the peak of the Eiffel Tower. The boutiques and café all had an older look to them that spoke quietly of the history they had seen.
"Your body is still where you left it. Strictly speaking, only your mind is here. You can interact with the world to a degree, but as far as a physical body, no, you are not here."
"Well, that explains why no one seems to see me when I travel, except for Gabriel and you."
"Gabriel? That cad is still alive?" His laugh was full and filled her with a warmth that she couldn't explain.
"You know Gabriel?"
"Of course. When you have lived as long as I, there are few immortals left to meet, and he is almost as old as I am. How is it that you have come across the likes of him?"
"Walking the planes. I thought it was just a dream at first. I stole something that belonged to him."
"You mean his amulet?"
"How did you know?" she asked incredulously.
"That amulet is the only thing Gabriel cares about. If you ask me, though, it is a worthless piece of garbage. There is nothing but evil in that hunk of gold. I had desires for such things long ago, but power is worth nothing."
He was getting off topic. She decided to remind him. "How can I control my powers, Father?"
"Oh, dearest, you do not need to call me 'Father'. I have not fulfilled my parental obligations to deserve such a lofty title. Perhaps, I may earn it in time," his smile was hopeful. Alyssa could see the man she had always wanted to meet in him now, the father she had always wanted to know. "You have so much power in you, my child. It will take time, but you will learn to control it and discover how deep it goes. I'm afraid there is no switch to turn your traveling
off and on. It is simply a matter of will. Try to use every ounce of energy you can before you sleep. Walking the planes requires a large amount of energy, so if your body is exhausted, it is less likely to travel, but even this is not a guarantee. Even as we speak, your body is losing much needed energy. You must return now, or risk not being able to find your way back at all..."
She had been so absorbed in their meeting, that she had not noticed the fatigue she felt. The edges of her vision was fading. She looked pleadingly at Matthias, but felt herself being thrown backward by an invisible force. She landed back on the grid, slightly disoriented. After a few seconds, she registered where she was and started to seek her way back to her body.
"Oh no," she said to herself. "I left Jessie alone! I didn't teach her how to change back!" It was all the motivation she needed to get her sluggish body to move. She found strength she didn't know she had stored away. It took only a little effort to find her body. The thought of Jessie was all she needed.
The intersection in the grid opened up and she fell through, with less grace than she would have liked, back into her body, broken, bleeding, and naked. The pain returned with a fury. Her body was on fire and her muscles ached from fighting with the big cat. She had made matters worse by walking the planes. She had not been able to heal.
She struggled to open her eyes and saw Jessie, still in wolf form, curled up beside her. She appeared to be asleep, but her ears were pricked and alert. "Jess, call for Xander!" it came out as a hoarse whisper, but she knew Jessie's ears had heard her.
The wolf opened her eyes and lifted her head. She whined softly at Alyssa and touched her cold nose to her cheek. "You have to reach for him, Jess. He will hear your thoughts, just reach for him." Alyssa could barely speak, let alone use her powers. It was up to Jessie.
Jessie loomed down at her friend. Alyssa looked to be in worse shape than she was before. She was pale and her eyes looked hollow. She wanted to cry. How could she do this? But she had to! 'Lyss needed her. She called on the wolf, fed her with her sorrow, and asked for her help. The wolf complied and took control. Jessie was lost before she realized what was happening, but she managed to hold onto one small part of herself.
The wolf reached out for Xander and sent him an image of Alyssa's broken body. Jessie was horrified that the wolf had not cared to censor the thought, but she had no control left. She felt Xander's fear rising through her and felt him as he transformed, clothes be damned. He was on his way and moving faster than he had ever gone before.
But it was Nevar who arrived first on a wisp of smoke. The wolf stood over Alyssa like a huge guardian. No, this wasn't Nevar. She recognized the scent now, but the image she saw was a far cry from the one she had seen in Alyssa's memories.
He looked too young, a man in his mid-thirties. He was muscular, not the thin, haggard figure she had seen. He wasn't dirty and he was dressed nicely in business casuals. His hair was the color of wet sand and his eyes were hazel. Were it not for his menacing scowl, he would have been quite handsome.
The wolf returned his scowl with a ferocious snarl. A smile curled his lips and he made a horrifying screech. The sound was so high-pitched, Jessie thought it would split her head in two. The wolf staggered under the pain and Gabriel seized his chance. He had locked his arm around her throat before she even saw him move.
Jessie was terrified, but before she could begin to fight back, she felt her body breaking apart. She shattered into a million pieces and dissolved until she was nothing but air. The last thing she saw, was a large charcoal grey wolf burst through the trees.
Xander caught only a fleeting glance of the new wolf before she vanished into thin air. It had to be Jessie. He knew he could never track mist, that would have to be done by a vampire, so he turned his attention to Alyssa.
She was very still. No heartbeat, and no breath to indicate she was still alive. It was the curse of all vampires to live in a constant state of death. He knew of only one way to help her, and he was unsure if it would even work.
He changed into his human form and crouched over her. He wished he had his knife, but her teeth would do the job easily enough. She was nonresistant as he opened her jaws and clamped her teeth over the vein in his wrist. He tilted her head so that the blood flowed into her mouth.
Finally, he felt her swallow and draw more from him. A feeling of euphoria washed over him and he wanted this to never end. He could hear her thoughts as her mind began to rouse from unconsciousness. He felt her body healing. He was giving her sweet life and fire and he wanted to give her all he had, but just as the darkness started at the edges of his vision, she stopped, leaving him feeling empty as the euphoria faded.
I cannot take any more from you, Xander. You have given me plenty. I am in your debt.
Xander was still coming out of the haze of her feeding when he felt her lick his wrist. She had closed the wound he willingly inflicted upon himself and gently, she kissed the healed skin. Her body was growing warmer and had a richer color to it now. He could still see the wounds upon her flesh, but they looked weeks old instead of hours.
I might be tempted to hold you to that debt.
A faint smile danced on her lips and her thoughts lit up like the dawn. His heart faltered and a lump grew in his throat. He had always been good with the ladies, but with this one, he was getting too close to the edge. He should know better by now, but he had always been something of a daredevil, too.
He was careful to guard his thoughts. She would never let her body rest if she knew Gabriel had Jessie. He had never seen a werewolf travel as mist before. The consequences of traveling that way was death and he couldn't let Alyssa know. Yet, Jessie had adapted so quickly to being a werewolf, it was curious. It should have taken weeks rather than hours to transform on her own. He was certain there was more to Jessie than they knew.
He contemplated the easiest way to get Alyssa back to the manor and decided Nevar was his best bet. He pulled her close to him, wanting to feel her against his bare skin. She was cool to the touch, so she must have been exposed to the cool night air for some time. She tried to protest feebly, but then she relaxed in his arms as her body began to warm up.
Had it not been so far, he would have carried her this way. He enjoyed her for a moment before reaching out to contact Nevar. It was more difficult than communing with Alyssa. He had to filter the images from his thoughts and use only language that his friend would understand, and still there were times that the wolf slipped through and distorted the message. This time, the message came through all too clearly: Alyssa.
As soon as he reached Nevar, the connection broke and Xander saw the mist slipping through the trees. He rushed to her with a thick felt robe in his hands. He did not dare mention that Alyssa was content to nestle in his warmth, but let him slide the garment on her.
Her eyes fluttered against his chest, revealing the softest green eyes he had ever seen. The wolf in him stirred but he contained it. Instead, he nuzzled her through his thoughts and hoped she knew he was not giving her away. He was not running away this time. He would be by her side again soon.
Alyssa could feel the longing in Xander's thoughts and in his blood. He had given her more than he should have, and she had almost not been able to stop herself. If Nevar's blood had been fire, Xander's was an inferno.
The difference between vampire and werewolf blood could not have been more different. It was no wonder the genes cancelled each other out. The fire she felt was the effect of whatever magic or power existed in them. The blood itself had been more alive in Xander, rich in oxygen and flavored with the taste of steak and a hint of wine. Nevar's had been rich and warm, but had a sharp tang to it, like the taste of metal.
As Nevar lifted her from Xander's arms, she heard the wolf howl mournfully in his thoughts, but found a wall inside his mind. He was letting her hear what he wanted her to hear, but he was hiding something from her. Judging by the look in his eyes, it was bad.
"We shall wait for you at the mano
r, Xander."
She had just opened her mouth to speak when she felt her body dissolving into air and become weightless. Nevar's mind was completely shielded and she felt lonely in the silence. She didn't feel any anger coming from him, what she felt was fear. Xander's blood had given her body enough energy to heal, but she was physically exhausted from the effort. Still, she had the energy to communicate with him.
Is Jessie on her way back to the manor already?
It was the wrong question. She could feel him shift as if he had taken a deep breath and held it. His fear changed to sadness, and a hint of anger rose in him, but she didn't feel that it was directed at her.
No, Alyssa, Gabriel has her.
Alyssa felt like her world came crashing down on top of her. It was her fault. She had brought Gabriel's wrath upon her and now she had dragged her best friend into her mess. If anything happened to her, she would never forgive herself.
She barely noticed the heaviness of gravity pulling her down or the gentle way Nevar laid her on the bed in the guest room. All she could think about was Jessie and how to get her back. Then, a thought came to her. That's what Xander must have been hiding from her. He had been trying to protect her, as always. She threw her face into the pillow and began to sob uncontrollably.
Nevar felt her anguish and wanted to comfort her, but he didn't. He wasn't sure what stopped him. He had warned her to be careful, but deep down, he blamed himself for not being there when he needed her. Just like his wife and son, he had failed her and the ache he felt was unbearable. He didn't deserve her. Xander had been there for her twice already. He had always known that he had been better suited to play the role of guardian. He turned from her tears, very near tears himself, and stared out the window to wait for Xander.
Jessie's body was in a million pieces, but she was somehow still alive. The world was flying past her so quickly, it was little more than a blur. She could feel a presence entwined with her but she was unable to escape from it. It laughed at her in her thoughts. The wolf snarled and lashed out at it and she felt a charge of electricity burst from the sky.
The Amulet Page 16