“I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted. “Where I come from....” Damn it. She didn’t want to talk about the legend.
“The future...?” he asked. Ava nodded, powerless to stop it. His face grew pensive. “Just what year are you from?”
“One that’s really far away.” She looked at him to see if that was enough of an answer. The look on his face—intensified curiosity—said it wasn’t. “About a thousand years.”
“A thousand years?” He repeated, but not nearly as compelling as Ava. Stone’s gaze fell upon her and stayed there for the longest time. Two or three times she thought he might be about to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.
The questions he needed to ask—the ones that would bring out the truth, the reality of the situation were way beyond what Stone could probably comprehend. Finally, after several more seconds of silence, Stone managed to piece together one thought. “Maybe you should just tell me what you know.”
“There is a legend...in my time...” Ava’s words trailed off as she stalled to find the right words and decide what to tell him and what to keep to herself.
“Lay it on me,” he said.
The words that comprised the gist of the legend bounced around in her head but she failed to adequately string them into comprehendible sentences. She surely didn’t want to tell him about how for every Karellian there was a vampire soul-mate, and vice versa.
“It’s just a legend.” She nodded and shrugged. “How often do legends hold water?” This one couldn’t. If it did, she was in trouble.
But there he was. Her proof. He grinned at her and said, “How often does a vampire get staked and survive?”
She was silent for a moment before saying, “Altogether?” She began shaking her head erratically. “According to the legend...” She sucked in a breath. “Someone like me can save someone like you.”
“Well that’s a given.” He rolled his eyes at her. “So anyone like you save someone like me?”
“Who knows...?” She snorted. No way was she going to tell him about the soul-mate thing. Not happening.
“How many times can you save me?”
She felt the anxiety tighten her facial muscles and hoped it came across as a your-guess-is-good-as-mine look. Somehow, she just didn’t think it was a good idea to tell him that nobody but her could kill him now—according to the legend. The fact that he was here, talking to her gave credence to its validity. Considering that, if Stone managed to get rid of her he was home-free.
She didn’t feel good about her odds of living, considering she was the one and only thing standing between him and his immortality. Damned if her mother hadn’t been right—looks like the Immortal One was going to get her, after all.
“What?” he asked as if he knew the turmoil going on inside her.
“I’m realizing my greatest fear.” She hoped she sounded as vague as she needed.
“Which is...?”
Damn him and his prying. “You were right,” she said. “I am afraid of you, but not for the reason you think.” She didn’t want to, but she forced her gaze up to meet his. Doing that was dangerous. He held a power over her and could enforce it with just a look.
“You think I’m gonna turn you?” He sounded almost indignant.
“If anybody ever does—” She looked away. “It’ll be you.”
“I’d never consider turning someone who didn’t want to be turned.”
That was just it—she didn’t want to be turned, but the more she was around him the more she wanted him. If she fell into the desire, being turned was a natural progression.
“You ever feared something...but still wanted it just the same?” Ava’s words held as much helplessness as she felt.
His face softened as if he’d caught on. “Yeah.” He looked at her, deep into her soul. He was pulling her in, entrancing her. She couldn’t have that.
Ava’s mouth quivered and her heart’s ache was so strong that it nearly brought her to tears. Please stop, rambled through her thoughts. She didn’t want this, no matter how much her heart said otherwise.
“Believe me, Ava.” His fingertips blessed her cheek with gentle caresses. “Hurting you is not something I want to do. In fact, it’s the last thing I want to do.”
Colors began emerging around him. They were pale at first. Waves of pink, purple and blue swirled together and enveloped Stone in a cloud. Elements of good, awareness and sorrow made his feelings on the matter clear to Ava. He understood her fears, and his strong ethics guaranteed he’d do right by her. Stone had his own fears. He didn’t want to see the look on her face when he turned her into something he thought she abhorred. To assure that didn’t happen, he was going to leave her. And, his heart was breaking.
That left Ava feeling sad. Stone was the one thing that could complete her. But at what price?
Stone eased himself out of the bed. “Let’s go for a walk.” He extended his hand out to her.
She looked at his chest. “You sure?” she asked, her gaze rising to meet his. He was fine. She knew that. The TRS, her blood, and the hours they’d spent resting were sufficient to bring him back to at least ninety-five percent. But once he was up and moving around, the sooner they’d need to part ways. For her sake.
“Come on.” He offered his hand.
Ava ignored the gesture and left the bed via her side. “We’d better get dressed first,” she said, picking up her clothes. She stepped toward the bathroom and stopped, looking over her shoulder. “You’ll find some vials in the mini-fridge.” She pointed to the nightstand beside him and backed away. “It’s my blood. A little goes a long way.”
She slipped into the bathroom and locked the door. Not that that could keep him out if he wanted in. Ava was in untried territory. There was nothing comforting about operating on the faith that his determination to do the honorable thing—simply because she’d saved him—would stick. But Ava was dealing with a vampire who, by nature, put survival above all else.
Ava ran some cold water in the sink and splashed it on her face. She gave herself a long, hard look in the mirror. Don’t be an idiot, girl. Get that guy out of your bed and out of your life.
She nodded, determined to do just that. Ava hopped into the shower, making her mind up to wash away her malady with hot water. After an extra ten minutes for good measure, she turned the water off and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her body and tucking it in at her breasts.
I can do this. But she knew if she had a prayer’s chance of holding to her decision, the separation would have to happen sooner than later. The longer she put it off, the less likely she was to enforce the choice.
Ava swabbed herself dry and went to the adjoining closet, opting for some standard 20th century clothing of blue jeans and a tee shirt. Not that she planned on going back to the 20th century, but she had 20th century guests and it was better not to show them any aspects of the future. If Ava was lucky—which she wasn’t feeling these days—from here on out she’d be able to steer clear of Stone’s territory.
Who was she kidding? She’d turned the guy into super-vamp, and now he was destined to live forever—unless he forced her to kill him.
The thought clawed up her back like a spiked chill. It didn’t feel any better once the notion took hold in her head. He was probably fated to live forever because Ava doubted she’d ever have the conviction to end his life.
Ava opened the bathroom door carefully and peered out, hoping Stone had already departed for that walk. If he saw her at this moment, she worried that he might know the thoughts roaming around inside her mind. Nothing good could come from a vampire finding out you were the only one who could kill him.
Ava searched the outdoor rooms and peeked through the slider before deciding Stone wasn’t in the house. Her best bet was probably the beach. She followed the smooth-stoned walkway down to the shore. When she reached the sand’s edge she looked both ways, as if she were about the cross the street.
Nothing to the left, but off to
the right she saw a bonfire’s flames about a hundred yards down the beach. She hadn’t felt cold until she saw the flames, but now she trembled from the chill enveloping her. Ava shuddered, trying to shake the feeling. Then again, maybe it was the notion creeping upon her that she was going to have to part ways with Stone very soon, or suffer the consequence.
He was sitting on a log-type bench with his back to her, leaning forward toward the fire and stoking it with a long stick.
She stilled a few feet behind him. The climate in the TRS was set to a balmy 76 degrees with the slightest breeze, just enough to blow in the soft scent of the salty sea air. Ava didn’t understand the logic behind the fire. It wasn’t really cold, even though she herself had been shivering moments ago.
She moved around the log and sat down beside Stone, leaving a few inches between them. “You cold?” she asked. “Maybe you should come back to bed.” The thought horrified her that he might not be physically up to leaving just yet.
“No, I’m not cold.” He continued to stoke the fire. “The flames are a diversion. ” On the last thought his head turned toward her. “I thought I’d seen and heard it all.” He laughed, mostly at himself.
“It wasn’t my plan for you to get this involved.”
He shook his head and gave a quick shrug. “You know what they say about spilt milk.”
Ava snorted. “I’ll try not to cry over it.” She shrugged. “But somebody’s still gotta clean it up.”
He turned to her, and by the look in his eyes he knew what she knew—that that someone was going to be her. He’d leave and she’d be left behind, waiting for his fire to go out.
“How about if we agree this isn’t goodbye?” she asked. “We’ll just call it, until I see you again.” But she knew it was a lie. They wouldn’t see each other again. She’d avoid it, like the plague.
Still, she plucked a batch of business-size cards from her back pocket and dealt him one from the bottom.
“What’s this?” he asked, inspecting it. He flashed her an odd look, which wasn’t surprising since there was nothing on the card but a 15-digit number.
“That’s my card.” Suddenly, she said felt silly for offering it—which didn’t make much sense, considering she was trying to distance herself from him. Even so, she said, “If you ever need to find me, dial the number. If I’m in your time period, I’ll answer. If not, leave a message. As soon as I enter your era it’ll show up in my voice mail.”
Ava couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again. As long as he had her number, there was always the possibility.
He gave her his number. She plugged it into her phone, but that was a nice gesture at best. Unless Stone kept the same number forever.
Forever was a long time.
His gaze mingled and lingered with hers. He gave a sad smile that suggested he didn’t want to go but knew it was best if he did. She could see it in his eyes, he dreaded the day she’d look at him with disgust over having been turned by him in the heat of the moment.
He sucked in a breath, as if summoning a bit of courage. “Can you send me away from here without going with me?”
“It’s been done, but the council doesn’t like it. Travelers are oftentimes rather disoriented upon landing, so they prefer we take them.”
“Can you make an exception?”
“If it’s in my best interest, and I’m returning the traveler to their original time period.”
“Well I think it’s in your best interest if you send me away rather than taking me back yourself.” He bobbed a slow, heart-wrenching nod. Ava got the feeling he was trying to convince himself as much as he was her.
Mickey and Skeet’s muffled voices flowed in from behind. Ava peeked over her shoulder and saw that they’d just stepped off the wooden steps onto the sand and were heading toward her and Stone.
Stone nudged her upper arm with his shoulder. “I told them, when she comes out, give us five minutes and then come out.”
Getting up was hard. If she stood, that meant he was leaving. If he stayed, that meant she would be turned.
Stone nudged her again. “Get up, Ava,” he whispered softly against her ear. “I have to go.”
She looked at him. He nodded and flashed her a piece of a smile.
Okay. If he wanted to go so badly, who was she to stop him? But damn, did he have to be so effing noble?
Mixed emotions seeded Ava with the strength to stand. She snapped the pouch off her belt loop and began laying out her Sun Stones. Stepping inside, she looked at him and tried to mask her sorrow with a smile. He rose and stepped inside the circle with her.
Mickey slowed, remaining outside the circle, but Skeet prepared to step inside.
Stone had already encased Ava inside his embrace when he whispered, “In a perfect world...I could stay here forever.”
“In a perfect world...” She laid her head on Stone’s chest and locked her arms around him. She could only hold onto him, everything else was beyond reach.
“Ava...” He made her look at, but she didn’t want to. “If you ever need anything, anything at all.”
“You, too.” She tried to smile. “You know how to reach me.” Tears stung her eyes and she tried, in vain, to stop them. No such luck.
He rested his forehead against hers. “Don’t cry.” He breathed the words out with a sigh. “After everything you’ve done for me, I hate to see you cry.”
He moved his lips across her cheek in search of her mouth. Just as Stone and Ava were about to kiss, he and Skeet both vanished.
~~~~
Epilogue
New York City
One Week Later...
Standing in front of the mirror in his bedroom, Dexter Stone covered his eyes with a pair of extra-dark Ray Bans. He studied himself for a moment before turning away and grabbing the leather jacket lying on the bed. He moved toward the door, shoving his arms into his jacket sleeves.
He should’ve been bothered by the sunlight seeping in through filtered curtains, but he paid it no mind. He was on a mission. Stone had to find Ava Valentine. She was the only one who could clear up the mystery.
Why was he able now to step into the sunlight and not be obliterated in an instant?
~~~~
I hope you enjoyed reading Staked, the first book in the Time Brokers series. Be sure to check in at my website at SandraWrites.com for more information on the upcoming second book in the series, Hot Commodity. Lengthy excerpts in PDF are also available at my website for all available titles.
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