by Lana Melyan
“No,” he said quietly, looking at the burning logs. “Gabriella knew. I told her not long before she died.” He leaned forward and with a stick in his hand pushed the burning logs toward each other. “That day it was only the two of us in the castle. When I went to check the Map, she came with me. I opened the Map, and there it was, the golden mark, calling me to New York. She couldn’t believe her eyes, started asking questions. I kept it together until she began making suggestions. Her imagination flew so far and in such horrifying directions that I couldn’t hold it anymore. I burst out laughing.” Samson smiled. “I said that if she’d give me her word to keep it a secret, I’d tell her what it meant. You know what she said?” He glanced at Craig. “She said ‘I swear on your life.’” Still grinning, Samson shook his head.
“Good one.” Craig smiled.
They sat in silence for a moment, then Craig asked, “How did she take it? When you told her?”
“She was stunned. She wanted to meet Runa, but her biggest desire was to see the castle. I asked Runa’s permission.” Samson’s face darkened. He sipped from his glass. “I don’t know if you remember, but that day, when you all returned from France, we said that we were planning to go to New Orleans. From there I was going to take her to Scotland, to Runa’s castle.”
Craig remembered the last time all of them saw Gabriella alive. They’d just returned from Paris. Eleanor and Hanna went to see Margaret. The rest of them were in the small living room, having brandy, gathered around the fireplace. That’s when Gabriella told them that she and Samson were going to New Orleans.
Craig took a big gulp from his glass. There was another long moment of silence, after which Samson said, “You don’t have to keep it from Eleanor. In fact, after we win this war, it doesn’t have to be a secret anymore. I am very proud of my family. Nobody got tempted by Fray’s dark ideas, nobody changed sides. Those past two centuries have proven how loyal each member of our family is to our mission. Especially Riley. He has been with me for six hundred years. I owe him so much.”
“That’s why my being here . . .” Craig spread his hands. “Samson, it feels wrong. It should have been him.”
“We’ve talked about this,” said Samson firmly. “Stop feeling guilty. When I told him about my plan, he didn’t hesitate for a second. Neither did Ruben. They had plenty of time to change their minds, but they didn’t.” Samson sighed. “Just like me and you, Riley has suffered all these years. He lost the love of his life, too. His wings are broken, just like mine, and he and I, we both know that this mission needs someone whole, someone who is still able to fly.”
It was dark now. They talked and reminisced next to a crackling fire, something they hadn’t done for a very long time. This evening was a checkpoint of both of their lives. Craig enjoyed and valued every moment of it, and he was going to treasure it for the rest of his existence.
At midnight, Samson and Craig crossed the dark threshold of the old house and climbed up the stairs. In the dim light of the single candle, Craig saw the silhouette of a woman standing in the furthest corner. Her hands were up and she was slowly moving them around, like she was feeling the air surrounding her.
“Hello, Runa,” said Samson.
Runa dropped her hands. “Sorry,” she said in a soft voice. “I was scanning the area, making sure there are no strangers around.” The next moment, dozens of big candles illuminated the room, and Runa came forward.
Tall and slender, she looked about Samson’s age. Her black hair had purple stripes, which were beautifully gathered up in ringlets. On her long neck hung an antique medallion with unreadable text. The black fitted dress she wore had a wide silver belt, which looked like two hands reaching to each other. In between the tips of their fingers was the buckle, a large oval, a dark-blue stone in a silver setting.
“It’s good to see you again, Samson,” she said, and her wine lips curled up in a smile. She turned to Craig. “Hello. I am Runa.” She came closer and held out her hand.
“I’m Craig. It’s nice to finally meet you,” said Craig, and as he took her hand, she pierced him with her gaze. Staring back, Craig tried to convince himself that the vertical stripes of fire in her black pupils were just a reflection from the candles. But then, why was his chest warming up?
“So do you approve?” asked Samson.
She blinked once and the fire stripes were gone from her eyes, and so was the heat in Craig’s chest.
“I approve. You made a good choice.” She stared at Craig for another second, then turned to Samson. “He has what it takes.”
Craig shifted uncomfortably as he realized they were talking about him.
“I know he has it,” said Samson. “And I wanted you to know it, too. I wanted you to know you can trust him.”
Runa glanced at Craig. “By the way, we have met before.” She tilted her head. “You just didn’t know who I was.”
Craig glanced at Samson, then at Runa, trying to remember if he had seen this face before.
“Don’t torture yourself. It was long ago, and, if I remember it right, my hair was blonde and short then. It has been a long while,” she said, now addressing Samson. “Decades. You knew that I couldn’t summon you—after your Book closed, your Map stopped working. What’s your excuse?”
“I have been followed by vampires most of the time. I couldn’t risk coming here,” said Samson. “You have enough of your own problems. I didn’t want to add mine to your pile. That would be a poor payment for your kindness.”
“I knew the Book had been opened the moment it happened. I’ve been expecting you. How have you been?” she asked with concern. “The transitioning bodies? Did you find them?”
“No.” Samson slowly shook his head. “But now, with our powers back, we might succeed.”
“I wish I could help you, but I can’t locate them.” She spread her hands. “I have nothing to work with. They don’t have souls or heartbeats, we know nothing about them, and we don’t have even a drop of their blood or any of their personal possessions. But,” she raised her finger, “you were right when you said that Fray didn’t move them too far. They are there, somewhere around Green Hill. I can sense an enormous power awakening in that area.”
“I felt that, too.” Samson’s eyes narrowed. “But I thought it was us.”
“No,” said Runa, moving toward the table. “It’s bigger, it’s much bigger, and it keeps growing.”
“Thank you. It’s good to know that we are looking in the right place.”
Samson moved closer to the table, too, and his eyes stopped at the square, mahogany box lying on it. It was two inches high and about eight inches wide. The box had a golden pentacle on its top, and its sides were covered with familiar golden symbols.
“I already had it with me when you called.” Runa picked up the box and ran her long fingers over the top before handing it to Samson. “Go on, open it. I know you want to make sure it’s there.” She smiled.
“I know it’s there,” said Samson, returning the smile. “I can feel it.” He took the box.
As Samson lifted the lid, Craig drew closer and looked inside. On the brown velvet lay a golden disc about five inches in diameter, with a large hole in it. Its surface was covered with symbols.
“This is the Key?” Craig asked, a little surprised.
“You didn’t expect it to look like a regular key, did you?” asked Runa, raising her brow.
“This is the Key,” said Samson with tangible delight. He placed his hand on the disc and closed his eyes. “And its power is back,” he muttered. Samson closed the box and put it at the bottom of the bag hanging on his shoulder.
“Do you have one, too?” Craig asked Runa.
“I did,” said Runa with a deep sigh. “But it’s gone now.”
“What do you mean, gone?”
“The Key can be used only once. I used mine centuries ago, to save my witches from being burned in the fires all over the world.” Runa rounded the table and picked up an envelope from a
chest of drawers. It was dark brown with a big stamp in the middle—a glittering, colorful pentagram. She stroked the stamp. Then she put the envelope into a leather folder, zipped it, and handed it to Samson.
“I’ll deliver it safely,” said Samson, and he deposited the folder in the bag.
They looked at each other for a long moment. Craig felt like he was intruding in some private, wordless conversation and looked away.
“Samson, are you sure you want to do this?” Runa asked quietly.
“I am sure,” said Samson.
Runa nodded with understanding.
He held out his hand and, as she took it, he said, “Thank you for everything. Goodbye, Runa.”
“We’ll meet again.” A mysterious smile crossed Runa’s face. “And sooner than you think.”
13
The single, tender ray of sunlight, which snuck in through a narrow gap between the curtains, fell on Eleanor’s cheek. Enjoying its warmth, she lay motionless for a few more minutes, but as it reached her eyes, she pulled herself up. She sat in bed and thought about her dream. She was hunting, and there was nothing special or unnatural about it—she had been chasing vampires for decades—but the fact that it kept repeating itself over and over made her wonder.
Someone knocked on the door, and before Eleanor could react to it, it opened.
“You’re awake,” said Hanna, coming inside. “How was it, sleeping at the new place? Did you dream about Craig?” She grinned. Hanna pulled open the curtains, then pushed aside the duvet and dropped on the bed at Eleanor’s feet.
“It was my first night in his bedroom and I hoped to,” said Eleanor. “But instead I had this ––”
“Don’t tell me that you had another nightmare,” interrupted Hanna.
“No, it wasn’t a nightmare. I was hunting a vampire, a woman in a black dress. But the dream kept repeating, like a worn out record. It was weird.”
Hanna’s eyes unfocused, her mind seeming to be somewhere else.
“Are you okay?” asked Eleanor.
“Yeah. It’s just . . . I missed this so much,” she said, looking at Eleanor fondly. “You know . . . I missed us. It wasn’t that long for you, but for me. . . .”
“Of course, I know.” Eleanor leaned forward and squeezed Hanna’s hands with her own. “I missed us, too. We have a lot of catching up to do.”
“I was thinking,” Hanna said thoughtfully, “how hard it must be for Kimberly now.”
“I know.” Eleanor nodded. “We need to spend more time with her. But we need to be careful, because I think we’re freaking her out.”
“I already called her. Since there’s no school and we’re not going to the warehouse with the boys, I asked her if she wanted to go out with us.”
“When are we meeting?”
“In an hour, so you better get up.”
After a quick shower, Eleanor went downstairs. Hanna was waiting for her in the kitchen with freshly made coffee.
Ruben, Riley, and Ned were about to leave. They were already in the hallway when Hanna called them back.
“Guys, come here. Look,” she said, pointing at the kitchen window.
All five of them stood on a good distance from the window and looked out. There, in their driveway, sat a police car.
“It’s Mike,” said Ruben. “He found us.”
“How?” asked Hanna.
“He’s a policeman, Hanna,” Riley said. “You rode him around in your car and you ask how?”
“I knew it,” grumbled Eleanor. “You shouldn’t have let him go.”
They watched Mike get out of the car. For a moment he just stood there, looking at the house. Then he approached the mailbox and put something in it. Mike looked at the house again, scanning from porch to roof like he was trying to memorize it, then got in his car and drove away.
“I’ll get it,” said Ruben, and dashed out. He came back with a small envelope in his hand. The envelope wasn’t sealed. He sat down, pulled out the piece of paper in it, and read it aloud.
“Everything is taken care of. The girl’s parents have been notified. I wrote down my phone number, in case you need my help. Mike. PS: Sorry, couldn’t keep my mouth shut—“
“Oh, no,” gasped Hanna.
“I went to the cemetery today,” Ruben continued reading, “to visit my father’s grave. I told him everything. Thought he would like to know.”
The five of them stood in silence for a moment, then Riley said, “Come on, we have work to do.”
“Ruben told me that you managed to recover Nicole’s body,” said Kimberly as she, Hanna and Eleanor sat at an outside table at a small cafe.
“Yes, we did,” said Hanna.
“That’s good,” said Kimberly quietly. “Any news about Alec?”
“No.” Hanna shook her head. “We didn’t have much time to . . .” Hanna looked at Eleanor, then turned to Kimberly again. “We were a little busy.”
“Kimberly, we’re sorry we couldn’t come to school yesterday,” said Eleanor. She put her forearms on the table and leaned forward. “We didn’t mean—”
The waitress wedged between them, holding a plastic tray with three cappuccinos. Eleanor removed her arms from the table and leaned back again.
“That’s okay. I understand.” Kimberly shrugged. “It’s not important for you anymore.”
“Who said it’s not?” protested Eleanor.
“Of course it’s important,” said Hanna. “It’s not like I’ve finished high school a hundred times.”
“Kimberly, this is my first time in high school,” said Eleanor. “The three of us went there together for three years. Like you, I want to finish it properly.”
“Really?” Kimberly’s face brightened. “So you’re coming to graduation tomorrow?”
“Graduation is tomorrow?” Eleanor looked taken aback.
“Oh. I see.” Kimberly pulled her cup closer. “You already have plans.”
“No. That’s not what I meant.” Eleanor smiled apologetically. They didn’t yet have plans for tomorrow, but to spend the whole day at school seemed like a waste of time at the moment. “I meant that today I’ll have to go back to my house and find my cap and gown. We ordered it a while ago. I don’t remember where I put it.”
“You’ll have to go back to your house? Where’ve you been?”
Eleanor was trying to make things better, but it seemed she was only making them worse. Her attempt to show Kimberly that nothing had changed between them was backfiring, proving the fact that she and Hanna had been together the whole time, leaving Kimberly alone and out of the loop.
“She stayed at our place last night,” Hanna said, coming to the rescue.
“My dad is still in LA,” said Eleanor. “I didn’t feel like staying alone in the empty house after Melinda’s . . . you know.”
“Yeah,” said Kimberly. “I understand.”
To make Kimberly feel more involved, Hanna and Eleanor told her everything that had happened in the past two days, up until the moment when Mike showed up in their driveway. When they got back to the graduation theme, Kimberly pulled out her phone and read a message.
“I gotta go,” she said.
“Now?” asked Hanna.
“Yeah,” said Kimberly. “He’s waiting.”
“He? He who?”
“James. I’m meeting James.” Kimberly grabbed her bag off the back of her chair and stood up.
“You’re meeting James?” Eleanor raised one brow. “You mean your ex?”
“I need him to help me with something. See you later.” Kimberly waved and walked away.
“What’s going on?” asked Eleanor, staring at Hanna.
“I don’t know.” Hanna shook her head.
They remained pinned to their seats for a few more minutes, then, with a heavy sigh, Eleanor stood up. “If we’re going to graduation, then I really need to go home.”
The moment Eleanor walked into the house and closed the front door behind her, she was plunged into dre
ary silence. She threw a quick glance at the empty kitchen and went upstairs to her room. Next to her bed, on the floor, she saw her notebook. She picked it up, opened a random page, and read the first sentence.
She looked at his face and then touched the wound on his cheek. The blood seeped into her silky glove, but the next moment it was dry, and the wound healed right in front of her eyes.
A shiver ran down Eleanor’s spine. She turned a few pages:
Those short meetings in the lodge were the source of her happiness, but with the baby growing inside her . . .”
Eleanor closed the notebook. There was no need to read more. She knew that everything she had written in the past two years was the history of her previous life, of her life with Craig from the moment she first met him. She had shown Hanna and Kimberly a couple of her short stories, but never this. This was her first attempt to write a novel, and she wanted to finish it first. Otherwise, Hanna and Craig would have known who Amanda was long ago.
Eleanor looked at her laptop on the edge of the bed. It was dead. She plugged in the charger, then walked to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a fresh T-shirt.
As she put the jeans on, a noise came from downstairs. With the T-shirt in her hands, she went to her bedroom door, but before she reached it, the front door slammed.
“Melinda,” came her father’s voice from the hallway.
“Oh my God,” whispered Eleanor. She stopped, paralyzed. She had planned to call him, but the last few days passed so quickly, and after everything that had happened, it had absolutely slipped her mind.
“Melinda?” her father called again. “Amanda, are you home?”
“Yes,” she said, putting on the T-shirt. “I’m here.” Wearing a big smile, she ran down the stairs.
“Hi, Dad.” She hugged him.
“Hi, honey.”
“You startled me.” She pulled back. “I didn’t know you were coming today. Why didn’t you call?”
“I did,” said Lindsey, taking off his jacket. “I thought you were at school, so I called Melinda. I called several times, but she didn’t answer. Where is she?” He headed to the kitchen.