Blood From a Stone

by Cynthia Lucas

  “So you think that stuff doesn’t happen?” he raised his eyebrows.

  “I think you’ve been watching too much Science Fiction Channel!” She sighed. “Okay. I admit, if something really strange was going on with someone…something truly paranormal that could be measured. Yeah. The military or the government probably would haul the person away and want to do some testing. And I guess it’s not out of the realm of possibility that if gotten into the wrong hands, used for some kind of unethical purpose. But that’s not going to happen to you!”

  The waitress came by and quickly took their order for a bottle of wine, salad and a couple of steak dinners with lobster tail. Willow smiled and handed her the menu before turning back to Samson.

  “I know you’ve known me for less than a week. But I’m hoping you’ll trust me. You saved my life, and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. I mean, I owe you one, right?” She laughed trying to lighten up the mood.

  He smiled and took her hand in his own. “If you say so. But I would say it’s the other way around.”

  And he was telling the truth actually. It did feel like she was the one who’d given him back his life in this past few days, instead of him saving hers.

  She stared at him with a puzzled look.

  “Never mind,” he said. “I trust you. I just don’t want to take the chance of any accidents happening.” He shrugged and she looked at him pleadingly.

  “Okay. If it were me, I suppose I would be just as cautious. But will you at least consider it? I mean…what if? What if your blood could hold the key to curing cancer? Or any of the other diseases that have plagued mankind from day one? There are just limitless possibilities, and we deserve to know what they are.”

  He paused for a long moment before speaking. “I’ll think about it. We have time. I’m not going anywhere.” That was a lie, but it was all he had to offer right now to appease her.

  He wondered if telling her about Harold might offer her some sense of empirical data. At least knowing there was one human on whom he’d worked his magic, that they could watch and monitor to see what the long term effects of his little ‘gift’ would be.

  He looked over at her sitting there next to him, so alive and beautiful. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his curse…his gift…whatever it was. He just wanted to know more about her…her life and her family. Where she‘d grown up, where she‘d gone to school. Every page in her scrapbook of memories that she wanted to share with him and what life experiences had made her into the person she now was. Because although they were sitting here now….the bottom line was that if he didn’t find a way to break the curse in the next three weeks or so, moments like this were all he would have to hold on to and to remember her by in the endless years to come.

  “Listen, why don’t we change the subject, for now anyway? We can come back to this heavy duty stuff later. Let’s just enjoy dinner and make this into the date we were supposed to have last night.”

  She nodded. “Okay. Deal. But you’re not getting out of this one that easily.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure I won’t. I remember your tenacity outside of Velvet. You just wouldn’t let it go.” He smirked at her. “But then, that’s one of the things I really like about you. You don’t give up.”

  She laughed. “I know. I’m a Capricorn. We’re stubborn goats that just climb up a hill ‘til we get to the top. Rain, wind, mud….boulders. Doesn’t matter. We just keep at it until we reach the goal.”

  “I’m not going to argue that one,” he said.

  “Speaking of goals,” she said dryly, “since we need

  ‘right reasons’ to be together, in more ways than just having dinner and such, why don’t you tell me more about yourself? I mean, the better we get to know one another the more reasons we’ll have and the better chance some of them will be right.” She smiled.

  He nodded. “That was probably the cleverest and most analytical approach to trying to find a good reason to get laid I’ve ever heard besides one of my own.” He laughed out loud. “I’m impressed.”

  She smiled and took a gulp of wine. “I figured you’d like that one.”

  “So, what got you into the antique and stone statuary business? I mean that’s not a typical career choice. Was it a family business you took over?”

  He sighed. “Well…sort of.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I hope it’s not a painful subject. I know you said your parents were gone.”

  “Nah. It’s not that, not at all,” he said. “I just got into it by accident, I guess you could say. It wasn’t really of my own choosing.”

  “Really? Then why do you stay in it? Money?”

  He nodded and smirked. “Yeah…I guess you could say that. I can’t say that it was my first career choice. I just…woke up one day and found myself in the business of stone.” He laughed out loud at the bitter irony of his ‘joke’.

  “Well, that‘s not so bad is it? I mean some people struggle with finding a career or deciding what they want to do with their life. Yours just fell into your lap?” She smiled.

  He nodded in amusement. “Yep. You could say that I suppose. It’s treated me well financially and of course the travel.” No lie there. He was indeed richer than shit and had made quite the rounds between here and Europe.

  She smiled. “Now that’s one thing I envy about your job. The travel alone would be incentive for me!”

  He paused for a moment weighing his words. Nah…he’d better not even put an idea there. Too late. It was as if his vocal cords had a mind of their own. “Maybe we can arrange that,” he said smiling.

  “Really?” she shook her head.

  “Yeah. Really.” He shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe you

  could come on a trip to Europe with me sometime. We could visit some of the historic sites…the castles. The hillsides and the mountains.” He reached out and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. And wanted to kick himself for allowing the words to fall from his lips before he could stop them. Giving her ideas…or some dream to hold on to that would never happen. Because he would be dead and gone to her in a few weeks, unless a miracle happened.

  He pulled back from her quickly and took another sip of wine.

  “What? Did the idea scare you or something. You’re the one who thought of it,” she said laughing.

  He sighed and shook his head. “No. It doesn’t scare me. In fact I like the idea. Too much.”

  She laughed lightly. “Well, I like the idea too. But you know there’s no pressure. I won’t hold you to it or anything. Let‘s just…see where this goes with us and we‘ll take it from there.”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  “What?” She looked at him with puzzlement.

  “You heard me. No. How bout we take this exactly where we want it to go and not rely on fate. Fate, like time….can be as cruel as it is sometimes kind.” He sighed. “Never mind.” He shook his head and laughed. “I guess that sounds a bit crazy, huh?”

  She swallowed hard as she stared at him. “Well, that was very poetic…and beautiful, actually. Almost like something from another century or something.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I guess it was wasn’t it?” He smiled and his eyes twinkled with intensity. “Well, since I’m on a roll here…someday, I am taking you to Europe. I want you to hold me to my words because I mean them.”

  By God and Heavens above, if he ever got himself out of this situation, he was going to take her there and have her feel the warmth of his arms around her as they sit on the side of one of the beautiful green hills to watch the sunset.

  He took her fingers in his own and brought them to his lips as a smile spread across her face.

  She pursed her lips lightly and nodded, raising an eyebrow. “Okay then! I’ll hold you to it, if you insist. I’ll keep you informed of when I have vacation time.”

  “You do that.” He winked.

  Her cell phone buzzed and her face took on a pained expression as she read the messa
ge.

  “What is it?” he asked. “What’s the matter?”

  She shook her head and put her face in her hands for a moment before composing herself.

  “The little boy I told you about…he’s not doing well. I asked Katy…the nurse on duty to let me know how he’s doing even when my shift was over. They may end up moving him to ICU later on. He’s bleeding again and they’re going to have to take him back into surgery in the morning. It‘s a very slow leak and it may still close up by itself, but they’re not too optimistic.”

  Samson put his arm around her. “I’m sorry. Are you certain there’s nothing I….”

  “No. You can’t. As much as I want you to…you just can’t. We just have to let this go and put it in God‘s and the surgeon’s hands.”

  “But…”

  “NO buts. The subject is closed. And yes, I’m sure I look like the old school marm right now.” She smiled lightly. “Some things…well, you have to have faith. You know? Sometimes that’s all we have to hold on to.”

  He nodded vaguely. Faith seemed to be some vague term with little meaning other than to place one’s trust in the random motion of the universe instead of in one’s own wits, abilities and actions. It was something he’d let go of a long time ago. Perhaps because it involved trust…and that was something he didn’t have much of.

  Their food arrived and after spreading her napkin neatly in her lap she decided to broach some other subjects. His family, his upbringing…where he went to school. She wanted to know everything she possibly could about this man she was fast falling in love with.

  “Not to change the subject, but, when we were talking earlier I thought maybe I had upset you bringing up your parents. When did you lose them? Was it together or separately?” she asked.

  He sucked in a ragged breath between bites of his steak. How was he going to answer that one? He didn’t actually know how his parents had died, and had few details of when. All that had been left for him when he had Awakened was what little information he could gather from neighbors and locals. After fifty years, most of their generation and some of the next had already passed on. He wasn‘t even sure where they were buried, and he couldn‘t very well go find his siblings, if they were even still alive, to ask them any questions. He could only imagine the look of fear and horror that would have crossed their features at seeing their long lost brother, alive and well, having not aged a day since they’d last seen him! Much less, him disappearing again in a month’s time.

  His eyes grew misty even now as he thought of his mother….the dark curls that framed her face and her sweet smile as she’d comforted him through sickness, hugged him when he’d done well, scolded him when he’d been bad.

  She, the beautifully dressed and elegant lady of her household…and despite having numerous servants and handmaidens, had insisted upon attending each of her children. She shooed away the wet nurses and breast-fed her own. Unheard of for a lady of title, and yet, she had stood her ground like a mother bear defending her cubs. Yes, despite their father’s insistence that it was the work of nannies and household help, she had brushed his words aside like a bothersome mosquito, and insisted upon tending to them in every way. Yes, their father had gotten much more than he bargained for when he’d paid the dowry to get that one. He’d thought he was getting a quiet, beauty to simply run his household, and found her instead, to be a fascinating creature, that to his surprise…and delight, kept his mind, and sometimes his patience as occupied as his body.

  As for he and his siblings, aside from their personal needs, she had taught them to read and write in both English and Latin, and mathematics worthy of any gotten in the finest Italian abacus schools. She wanted them to be able to do trade, commerce and understand the finances of running a household…and in owning land, properties as well as monetary wealth. She had invested her time well, seeing to their learning, as all of them had grown up quite well read and intelligent.

  And of course, she had tried to teach him as well as the others right from wrong. His brother and sister had seemingly taken quite well to the idea. They had obediently done as they were asked in all things, including when it was time to marry.

  And then there was he…the wayward son, dallying with housemaids, squandering money…drunkenly cavorting in the local alehouses night after night, sleeping with whoever came along, and possibly leaving behind a trail of bastards in his wake. Carelessly taking for granted all that was his, and the feelings of those he’d left broken hearted.

  And yet, his mother had stood by his side during all of his journey from the blissful, carefree days of being a boy into the rebellious teenage years and right on through to manhood.

  Her love was indeed unconditional, and despite his debauchery, and his careless ways, she’d never abandoned him. Only encouraged him to do the right things and be a better man. How many times he wished he’d listened to her throughout the passing centuries.

  And then there was his father. The tough, business- like lord of his lands and his household. He’d raised his children with the same confident but caring hand that he applied to all things in his life. And he’d done his best to advise his son in all things as well. If only he’d listened. And what he wouldn’t give right now to hold his father to him and tell him he was right about everything.

  Willow’s hand on his arm awoke him from his dreamlike reminiscence.

  “Hey. I’m sorry. I can tell this isn’t a good subject for you. We can skip it and you can tell me some other time.” She smiled.

  “No…no. It’s alright. I lost them both…in an accident.” There. That was certainly not so much the lie.

  “Was it recently? A car or airplane crash?”

  He nodded. “It was a long time ago.”

  “I’m sorry.” She rubbed his back lightly. “I know you never get over losing them. Time makes it easier but the pain never goes away.”

  “No it sure doesn’t,” he said, taking a sip of his wine. And how true it was. Even after five centuries.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Are your parents still alive…any brothers or sisters?”

  She smiled and nodded. “Yep. Two brothers. And both of my parents are alive and well. They live a couple of hours north of here up near the state line.”

  “So then you’re close to them?”

  “Oh, yeah. We visit a lot. Maybe you could meet them. That is if you don’t think that’s pushing things too fast. And, of course, you meeting them could potentially be viewed as one of our ’right reasons’”. She raised her glass and smiled impishly.

  “Well, how can I argue with that?” he said matter-of-factly.

  “You can’t…but you’d better use caution in agreeing to that one. Once you meet the father, you’re done for,” she laughed. “That combined with my brothers wanting to make sure you don’t break their little sister’s heart.”

  He smiled warmly. “I don’t think I’ll need much convincing to not break your heart. Not if it’s within my power.” Never would he have believed back in his former life that he’d utter those words and actually mean them…and yet, here he was and he’d never been more sincere.

  She stared at him for a long moment, drinking in the beautiful turquoise blue of his eyes and basking in the warmth of his words.

  Her moment of reverie was soon broken however by a sudden sensation of the room seeming to waver like an oasis in the heat of a desert mirage. For a split second she felt as if they were one and the same…their souls intermingled. And she knew in that split second with certainty that he was indeed being honest with her about how he felt. But there was something else he was guarding.

  The feeling was gone in an instant but it had disturbed her and a sweat broke out on her brow and she felt a slight anxiety and dizziness. WHAT on earth had just happened?

  He shifted in his chair. Samson knew exactly what had happened to her in that moment because he felt it too. What the hell was going on? Perhaps that fleeting moment back at her place when he’d k
issed her and felt her soul was something more than he’d imagined it was. Maybe it worked both ways. Kind of like what had happened with Harold.

  If that was indeed the case…oh, boy. This should be interesting. He was puzzled because with Harold it had worn off minutes after he’d saved his life, and so far hadn’t returned. So why was this happening with her, again…now?

  There was no time to worry about that right now. He needed to play stupid he supposed and pretend nothing had happened. Not likely that it would work, but he’d give it a try.

  He reached out to her arm. “Hey are you alright? You look flushed. You’re not allergic to shell fish are you?”

  She shook her head no, quickly coming out of her daze. “You didn’t…I mean….did you just feel what I felt? Don’t lie to me. Please.” She looked him dead in the eye pleading for the truth.

  Shit. How was he going to go through with this? Maybe a Plan B was in order.

  He took her hand in his own, and said, quietly, “Yeah. Actually I did.” He sighed and looked at the floor.

  She inhaled deeply. “It’s okay. After last night’s little escapade…I guess this is just icing on a cake who’s layers are growing by the minute. Thank you for being honest with me.” She blew out a long calming breath and squeezed his hand. “I could feel you just then. I don’t know how or why. And quite honestly, it scares the living shit out of me, but I could feel…you….your soul. I don’t really know how else to describe it.” She shrugged. “Is this what happened to you with Cisco? With the cat? Is that how you knew Cisco wasn’t going to hurt us?”

  He nodded. “Pretty much.“

  “So then. Does this mean you can read my mind or something?“ She laughed and shook her head. “I mean…it’s kind of intrusive…if you can. Has this happened to you before? With me, I mean?”