Intangible

by J. Meyers

  Jonas halted and scowled, sizing up each one. They laughed, a menacing sound that sent chills through Sera. One swung and Jonas lunged out of the way. Two came at him and—

  Movement off to the left caught Sera’s eye, and she gasped as Luke ran into the yard, yelling to Jonas.

  Luke’s appearance distracted Jonas enough that one of the abominable men sliced his right arm with a blade. It brought Jonas to his knees. He looked around the circle of intruders, snarled at them like a trapped tiger, and suddenly Fey appeared in front of him. From out of nowhere. She reached a hand out to Jonas, helped him to his feet, and they both disappeared.

  Sera gasped and sought out Luke, who had grabbed a spade out of the garage and was swinging it crazily at the nearest brute. Fey reappeared beside Luke just as the shovel made contact with the thug’s head, knocking him to his hands and knees, and the knife from his grasp. Jonas materialized then, grabbed the blade, and stabbed the guy in the back.

  The shocked expression on the guy’s face was the last thing Sera saw before he burst into nothingness. Jonas had a grim smile now that he was armed. Fey said something to him and Luke, and disappeared again.

  All Sera could think was Fey could disappear.

  Jonas disappeared, Luke charged at a thug, and Fey appeared behind another one. She wrapped an arm around his neck, drew a glass-like blade from behind her back, and stabbed him in the chest. In about two seconds flat. Sera’s mouth hung open—she’d never seen anyone move that fast before, anyone so fierce.

  Jonas reappeared behind another, and stabbed him in the back before the guy even registered that anything had happened. Fey took out two more and Jonas killed another as Luke distracted them. Until there was only one left standing. Only one left, period. In a matter of seconds, Fey and Jonas had killed the other six and there was no trace of them.

  Fey appeared behind the last guy. She pushed the blade part way into his back. The guy had dropped his own blade, staggered, fell to his knees—and Sera swore there was smoke coming up from where the dagger was embedded. Fey hissed something into his ear, and the guy snarled something back. Her eyes narrowed and then she sank the knife in up to the hilt. The last vampire was gone in a burst.

  Fey turned in time to see Jonas collapse to the ground, his injured arm useless at his side. Luke dropped the shovel and ran to catch Jonas before he tumbled all the way over. Jonas looked up into Luke’s face with surprise. Then he turned to gaze at Fey, and she nodded once at him.

  “SERA!” Luke yelled. But Sera was already out the door, flying down the steps to get to them.

  “Inside,” she said to Luke. “I’d do it out here, but what if more of them come?”

  He nodded and Sera gingerly ducked underneath Jonas’s bleeding arm while Luke took his other side, wrapped his arm around Jonas’s waist and pulled him up to standing. Wisps of smoke snaked up from the deep wound and Sera was sure she heard it sizzling. It smelled rancid, and she had to turn her face away and into Jonas’s chest in order to breathe.

  She looked across him to where Fey stood. She stared at Fey for a moment, unsure what to say. She couldn’t believe what she’d just seen, what Fey had just done. And yet she had to. Vampires existed and Fey could vanquish them. And disappear. Where to even start?

  “You coming?” she finally said. Luke turned toward Fey, too.

  “No,” Fey said. “I have to go…somewhere. But I’ll be back soon.”

  Sera nodded. “Okay.”

  “So,” Luke said, “we’ll talk then.”

  “Yes,” Fey said. “I suppose we will have to.” She gave them one last look, turned and disappeared.

  They started to move Jonas toward the house. Luke looked at Sera. “So, Fey?”

  “No idea,” she said.

  “And those guys she just annihilated?”

  “Vampires.”

  His eyes got huge, then he nodded his head at Jonas.

  “Also a vampire,” Sera said.

  “Excellent,” Luke said. “And we’re bringing him inside?”

  Sera nodded, then glanced at Jonas.

  “I didn’t get here in time,” Luke said quietly. “Again.”

  Jonas’s head lolled forward as they carried him up the front steps. Sera halted Luke at the doorway.

  “What?” Luke said.

  “He’s a vampire.” She looked at Jonas. “I think we need to invite him in. Like say it out loud.”

  Jonas snorted with a slight shake of his head. Luke laughed.

  “Okay. Maybe not.” Sera’s face tingled all over as she flushed and gently moved Jonas inside with Luke. “This is all new to me, you know.”

  They gently lay him down on the floor in the entryway and closed the door. Sera knelt on one side of him, Luke on the other.

  “Why did you do that?” she said as Jonas looked up at her. “Protect me, I mean.”

  His eyebrows scrunched together. “You don’t deserve to die.”

  “But Lilith sent them, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Isn’t she going to be mad that you killed those guys?” Sera said. “Why would you do that?”

  Jonas met her eyes, and she had that feeling again that he could see right into her soul. He said simply, “You don’t deserve to die.”

  She really didn’t understand him at all. He moaned and reached for his injured arm which was still smoking. There was no way around it—she had to help him. Her hand found her necklace, but before she could place her hands on him, Jonas reached over and grabbed her wrist with his good hand.

  He leaned up toward her, his face contorting in pain and anger, and said, “Do not touch me. I do not want to change.”

  Her eyes flew wide and she glanced across him to Luke who looked just as surprised. Jonas fell back again, breathing hard with the effort, and let go of her wrist. His eyes closed, and it seemed as if he might have passed out. Eyebrows raised in a silent question, Sera shrugged at Luke. He glanced down at Jonas for a moment, then nodded.

  She had to heal him, no matter what he said. She couldn’t just leave him to bleed to death all over the floor. Especially after what he’d just done. Saved her life. No. She didn’t care what he said. She was healing him.

  Sera closed her eyes and hoped she could do this right, control the energy and only heal him. Then she placed her hands on Jonas’s arm—one hand at the shoulder, the other on his palm. Her ring glowed bright as intense white light flooded her body and shot out of her hands to illuminate his arm. The rest of his body started to glow as the energy spread, but his arm was blinding as it healed.

  She could feel the strong draw of energy going through her, and focused her mind. Heal. Only heal. She imagined muscles and skin fusing back together as if nothing had harmed them. As she envisioned his arm healing in its entirety, she could feel the energy start to change, to pull more insistently into Jonas and the brightness moved from centering on his arm to his core being. The color began to morph to light purple.

  This was it. This was the point at which it turned from healing him to changing him. She wrenched her hands away from his body, breaking the flow, halting the energy. The glow faded from his body and she could see he was breathing evenly again. She looked at her hand. The ring still had a slight purple glow for a moment, then that faded away.

  She suddenly couldn’t breathe, looking at Jonas lying there. And she was terrified that she’d screwed it up. Maybe she’d been wrong and she’d already transformed him. Or partially transformed him. He was going to be furious if she had. She glanced at the door. If she made a run for it now, she might make it to the car before he woke up and realized what she’d done. She looked at Luke. She’d have to take him with her, there was no question about that, but she didn’t know how she was going to tell him the plan without Jonas hearing.

  Jonas opened his eyes as if on cue, ruining any plans of escape. She chewed her lip, waited to see what she’d done. He lifted his healed arm and his eyes snapped to her face. He took a deep breath and
his expression turned to uncertainty.

  “What?” Sera said, leaning over him. “Are you feeling okay?” Perhaps she’d done something really wrong. After all, he was a vampire and she didn’t have a clue as to how they healed or what exactly was different about their bodies. She was only used to dealing with humans.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Jonas’s voice was like sandpaper on wood. “I feel great actually.”

  “Good!” Sera let out the breath she’d been holding. “Are you still…I mean, is everything as it should be?”

  “Am I still a vampire?”

  Sera nodded, bit her lip.

  “I seem to be, yes.”

  She brought her hand up to her forehead. “Oh, good.”

  “I’m just confused.”

  “Okay…?”

  “You helped me.”

  “Yes.” She glanced at Luke.

  “I didn’t ask for your help. In fact, I told you not to help me.”

  “She never listens,” Luke said. Sera shot him a look.

  “You needed help,” she said.

  “And you didn’t change me.”

  “You didn’t want me to.” She’d done it. She’d actually done it. She’d been able to guide the healing energy, not just be a conduit for it.

  “So you can control it?”

  “Apparently I can.”

  “Impressive.” Luke grinned at her. “One question.”

  “Okay.”

  “Right before Jonas came to?”

  She nodded, waited.

  “Did you have your whole escape planned out or just partially?”

  Sera’s eyes immediately flipped back to Jonas. She could feel the heat rising to her face. “Whole,” she said, biting back a smile.

  “And were you taking me with you or sacrificing me to the vampires?”

  Her smile broke through. “You said one question.”

  Jonas laughed, a sudden loud ricocheting sound. Sera and Luke jumped back. “What?” he said.

  “You laughed,” Luke said.

  “You’re funny,” Jonas said. Sera and Luke just stared at him. “What?”

  “No, you laughed,” Sera said.

  “Yes?”

  “Well,” she said, “you’re a vampire.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do vampires laugh? I’ve never even seen you smile.”

  “Sera.” Jonas laughed again. “I lost my mortality, not my sense of humor. Why would you think we don’t laugh?”

  “Vampires are evil. Menacing. Scary.” She glanced at Luke. “That’s what it said online.” She waited for Jonas to respond. He didn’t. “Aren’t they?”

  “Am I?”

  “Hell, yeah. Sometimes.”

  “Are you a total delight all the time?” Jonas said.

  Luke spoke up. “Hell, no.” Sera looked around for something to throw at him. There wasn’t anything. “I speak from experience,” he said, laughing.

  “I still have my human ways,” Jonas said. “We all do.”

  As Jonas started to sit up, Luke and Sera scrambled to help him. Together they carefully helped him to his feet and guided him to a nearby chair. He lowered himself into it, and sat still for a moment. He did not look entirely well.

  “Is there something we can get you?” Luke said, giving Sera a we-don’t-have-any-extra-blood-laying-around-here look. “You look a little off still.”

  “It takes a lot out of us to heal—even when we have help.” He nodded at Sera. “Apparently.”

  Sera’s eyes got really wide as she noticed his fangs glistening. “You need to feed, don’t you?”

  “I do.” He watched Sera lock eyes with Luke. “But not on you,” he said, rolling his eyes. He took a breath, frowned, and then looked toward the windows. “You two are not safe here. You’ve got to go someplace else until I can convince them to stop.”

  “How long will that take?” Luke said.

  “If anyone can do it, I can.…I’m just not sure anyone can do it.”

  “Look, we can’t just leave our home indefinitely. That’s just not poss—”

  “Would you rather watch your sister die?”

  Luke paled at Jonas’s words, as if Jonas himself had just drained Luke of every drop of blood. “Why would you say that?” He spared a quick glance at Sera, who watched him with suddenly narrowed eyes.

  “Because there are those who wish you both dead. I thought you got that from the fight outside. You’re not as bright as your sister.”

  Sera noticed the tiniest twinge of a muscle near his left eye and realized that Jonas was kidding. She tried to hide her smile at Luke’s look of indignation, but he saw it. He stopped, looked back at Jonas, then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

  “You know this is serious, right?” he said to Sera. “It’s not a joke.”

  “I know.” Sera sobered instantly. “I’m just glad it’s clear who the brains of the operation is. Before we die, that is. Just so the record’s straight.”

  “Sera!”

  “Okay, okay. No more jokes.” Her eyes flicked to Jonas, who was watching them. “So, we go. Somewhere.” She looked at Luke again. “What about Mom?”

  “She’ll be gone for the week, so she’s safe for now,” Luke said.

  “Right. Good.” Sera paused, trying to focus her thoughts again. “What about Marc? We could stay with him, I’m sure—”

  “No.” Jonas barked it. Like an order.

  Sera’s face tightened. “Look, you’re not exactly in charge here and—”

  “You cannot trust him.”

  “I do trust him. And I think I would know better than you since I’m the one who actually knows him.” Sera spoke as if she were spitting glass.

  “Your problem is that you trust everyone. You trust too easily.”

  “Not true.” Sera looked hard at Jonas. She spoke every word very clearly. “I don’t trust you.”

  He was silent for a moment, his mouth a hard line. “My mistake,” he said, face unreadable. “Your problem is that you trust the wrong people.”

  Sera took a deep breath in preparation for telling Jonas just what his problem was when Luke cut in.

  “Why don’t we stay at Fey’s?” he said, looking from Sera to Jonas.

  Breathing heavy and still glaring at Jonas, Sera said, “Fine.”

  Jonas just nodded.

  “Great,” Sera said. “I’m going to go call Marc while I’m packing.” She looked directly at Jonas once more. “So he knows where I am.”

  Then she turned her back on them both and walked away.

  I don’t trust you. Jonas heard the words play over and over again in his head as he walked down the long tunnel to see Lilith. He had to stop her. He had to try again.

  Why did he care, though? What was this girl to him? He hardly knew her.

  And yet, he did. He’d watched her for the past two months and had seen all the good she had done.

  He knew her heart. He knew she and Luke didn’t deserve this death sentence. He knew they were much more likely to be the saviors of the Realm than its destroyers.

  Her actions told him who she was. Yes, she’d transformed another vampire—against his warning. And that grated on him. But she was also right. Someone had asked for her help and she’d helped him. She wasn’t searching out vampires and turning them against their will. She was helping vampires who asked. If he admired her for helping humans in need, then he had to admire her helping vampires too.

  And she’d healed him. Without changing him.

  Though, he felt different somehow. Almost as if he were stronger, quicker than he’d been before. Which was impossible. A vampire’s abilities did not improve over time. They were what they were—as set by a vampire’s creator. Still, he did feel better, refreshed.

  Because of her.

  He’d fight to the death for her. Just as he would have for his sister, if he’d been able to.

  Jonas paused outside of Lilith’s lair, and braced himself, one hand on the rough stone wa
ll. It felt cold and hard under his hand. Like Lilith. Unlike Sera. He couldn’t let Lilith see that he cared what happened to Sera. He had to keep himself distant, convince her to do the right thing.

  Lilith didn’t believe in weakness. And humans were a great weakness, indeed.

  Sera dropped her bag by the front door and turned to Luke.

  “I checked the windows,” she said.

  “I got the doors and lights. Kitchen?”

  “Everything’s off.”

  “Good.” Luke bent down to pick up Sera’s duffel bag and froze. Sera’s eyes snapped onto his face instantly. He was having a vision, she knew the signs well. No matter how long the vision felt to Luke, they were only about seven seconds long, during which time Luke didn’t move or breathe. She waited, watching his face anxiously.

  He gasped suddenly and stood up straight, her bag forgotten on the floor. Sweat beaded up on his forehead, his breathing came in huge, short gasps, and he was as pale as he’d been when Jonas suggested they stay elsewhere. She’d never seen him look so scared.

  “You had a vision,” Sera said. He was going to tell her this time. She was not going to give up until he told her.

  Luke was silent. Just looked at her.

  “What did you See?”

  Silence.

  “Luke,” Sera said, reaching out to touch his arm. “Talk to me. Tell me what you Saw.” If she thought it might work she’d push the idea into him that he tell her, try to force him into it. But it didn’t work on him at all. His mind was too strong.

  Silence.

  And then she knew. No vision had ever terrified him. Never. In seventeen years. It was as if his own life were at stake. But he didn’t See his own future. He only saw other’s. She suddenly had a terrible feeling that she knew exactly whose future he’d Seen.

  Her voice was a whisper. “Do I get hurt?”

  His face contorted, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Oh my god. Do I die?”

  He closed his eyes.

  “Oh.” The air rushed out of her lungs on that one word. She was going to die.

  Luke’s voice was tight, tortured when he said, “We gotta go.” He bent down to pick up Sera’s bag again, then headed out the door. Sera looked down at her feet. Their book bags lay there. She should probably pick those up, she thought. Luke was already on the porch, waiting. She reached down and grasped the bags, then woodenly stepped outside.