“She is still human, right?”
“By all appearances, yes, she is human. I think.”
“You think?” Simon echoed, puzzled, too, at her observation.
“The woman we see is human, but underneath there is another Mariah, almost as if she is being … contained.”
“Mother, she wears a medallion, one that bears a protection spell.” Rathe shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “When she was five, her parents were beheaded, and a gypsy rescued her. She put the medallion on Mariah, citing it would protect her from the Damned.”
“A witch?”
“Aye. She had black hair and green eyes?”
“Green eyes? Relle Besnik had green eyes.”
“Had?”
“Yes, poor Relle was murdered thirty years ago.”
“By the Damned?”
“No, hunters killed her. Mistook her for a vampire. Relle was the strongest witch produced by the Sinti and Roma clans — the Germanic Roma. Who is this woman you’ve found and how is she connected to Relle Besnik?”
“I am wondering that myself. Since Mariah ingested my blood, the runes have faded, and she is able to hear people, feel their emotions ... and has a difficult time tolerating the sun.”
“She couldn’t hear people before she took your blood?”
“She was able to read emotions, anticipate things, but not hear them outright.”
“Rathe, there is one possibility to consider. Perhaps Mariah is dhampir.”
“God, if she is dhampir and was dormant, her taking my blood has prompted the vampire in her to awaken. She will never be human again, will she?”
“Sometimes when a dhampir has ingested blood, they can detox and return to normal. Depending on the strength of will, and clearly Mariah has spades of it.” She tapped a finger to her lips. “I need to take a look at it the medallion she wears and read the runes. There could be something more to her than merely being a dhampir.”
“More?”
“A powerful spell could have been cast on her to contain her true nature, so she has the option to call upon the vampire in her, if the need should arise to defend herself.”
Glancing at the stairs, Rathe said to his mother, “She dreams about Aidan.”
“What?” She looked to Simon and then to him. “Outside. Mina, you, too.” When they stood on the front porch, she asked him, “Are they dreams or a memory?”
“Memory. She started having them the day after our blood exchange. There’s more.”
“More?”
“A vampire haunts her nightmares. He talks to her, and she’s able to speak to him. He wants her to be his.”
“God in Heaven, you know who the vampire is that has a blood bonded with her!”
His worst fear had been confirmed.
“Since Mariah ingested my blood, she is able to shut him out.”
“That is only temporary. If the runes disappear, he’ll use the blood bond to find her. She’ll never be safe, and he’ll never stop until he has her. Her daughter is in danger, too!” Rubbing a shaky hand across her brow, his mother struggled to stay calm. “We must send her away and soon. Do you understand, Rathe?”
“Shouldn’t we wait until she’s back to normal?”
Chewing on her thumbnail, his mother seemed to ponder his question. “Rathe, have you enforced the blood bond with her?”
“Yes.” he said tersely, steeling himself from his mother’s censure. “I know I should have broken the blood bond, but I couldn’t leave her defenseless.” Forcing the words out of his mouth, every fiber of his being resistant to what he was about to say, “Should I break the blood bond immediately and distance myself from her?”
“No,” she said firmly. “You and the medallion are keeping her safe. If she dreams of Aidan, her very soul is in jeopardy.”
“Mother, I broke the First Law! If any of the Elders catch wind of it, I’ll be brought before them and put on trial.”
“Damn your father for writing in that stupid law,” she grumbled, folding her arms.
“Mother, Father was only protecting us and the humans.”
The frosty glare she shot him gave him pause. “Son, your father did a great many things he thought were in the best interest of the Borne, never for the humans. I loved him with all my heart and soul, but I was not so in love that I did not see his weaknesses, or observe his many mistakes where the vampires and humans were concerned.”
Before he could formulate a response, she dropped her hands to her sides. “Relle risked her life to protect this woman. We must honor her decision and protect Mariah and her daughter. They are in grave danger.” She bit her lower lip, tears in her dark eyes. “Poor Relle. She was a brave woman with a loving heart. The world is a colder place without her in it.”
“Mother, dawn approaches. I’ll speak to Mariah and ask her what she wants to do.”
“I think we’ll head down to the cellar early. Good sleep, my son.”
“Good sleep, Mother.” Pressing a kiss on her cheek, he said to his siblings, “Good sleep.”
Mina hugged him. “Don’t worry, Rathe. We’ll figure a way to keep Mariah and her daughter safe.”
Hugging his little sister close, he smiled. “Yes, we will. Off with you.”
Simon asked as they returned inside the house, “Will you sleep outside?”
“Yes. Bolt the cellar door behind you.”
“Will do. Good sleep, Rathe.”
“You, too.” Rathe said as he went upstairs.
Entering his bedroom, he found Mariah standing on the other side of the king-sized bed, her back to him as she stared out the windows exposing the ocean view. Before he could open his mouth, she turned to face him and lifted the medallion she held in her hand.
“Rathe, who am I being protected from?”
✝✝✝
“I don’t know.”
Liar! Second time he lied to her! Why would she need to be protected from Aidan? He was dead. Wasn’t he?
“I will inquire about Relle’s death and find out who her clan gave their allegiance to. Perhaps they can fill in the story about Relle and why she did what she did.”
“Like a vampire master?”
“Have you heard the term before?”
She made to tell him about the green-eyed vampire, but something warned her to keep silent about him. “In movies and such.”
“Yes, in a way, it is like the movies. Noble Borne families use the gypsies as day guardians. If she was sent to protect you, it could possibly be another vampire is trying to protect you from the one in your nightmares.” He crossed the room and stood beside her. “Mariah, where is your daughter’s father?”
Steeling herself against the familiar rush of pain, she replied softly, “He was killed before she was born.”
“Murdered?”
“No, it was an accident.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” He stared at her, surprised. She explained, “We were eighteen. He demanded I have an abortion. I refused. He told me that if I wouldn’t end the pregnancy, he would. I never met someone so hateful, so determined to end a life. I tried to call the police, but he knocked me out. When I came to, he was gone. I managed to get home and saw on the news that he’d died when he lost control of his motorcycle.”
“I’m sorry you had to endure that.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “One of the reasons I’ve hidden my daughter is because of Sergio’s family. If they knew she was his, they would try to take her from me, even if she is half Rom.”
“Sergio was Gypsy?”
“Since a Gypsy saved me, handed me to a Gypsy family, I got pregnant by a Gypsy, this is getting really weird for me.” She paused. “How long do you think it will take for me to become normal again?”
“Couple of days. The more food you eat, the quicker you will recover.”
Keeping her eyes fixed on his shoes, she whispered, afraid of his response, “My skin burns in the sunlight.”
He placed a crooked finger under her chin, lifting so she looked at him. He smiled gently at her. “You know, you worry too much.”
“Yeah, I’ve been doing that a lot since I met you, Mr. Romulas.” Smiling at her the way he did made her heart thump hard against her ribs. Damn, he was one helluva a sexy man!
“Well, Miss Jordan, you can set your mind at ease. All will work out, and it will seem a dream.”
“A dream, huh? Beats the heck out the nightmares I have.”
“Has he tried to speak with you lately?”
“No, so far he’s been quiet.”
A knock sounded on the door before it opened. Mina smiled shyly at her. “Your dogs wanted in.”
“Thank you, Mina. I appreciate you bringing them to me.”
“No problem. They’re sweethearts.” Ushering her dogs in the room, Mina made to enter the room, stopping when Rathe walked toward her.
“Mariah, we’ll leave you to rest. See you after sunset.”
“Sure. See you tonight. Goodnight, Mina.”
“Night, Mariah.”
The door closed behind them.
Sighing, she said to her dogs, “Alone again, my dears.” She tossed back the downy comforter and climbed into bed, drawing it around her. Her dogs stretched out on the floor.
“No, Mariah,” Rathe said to her, “you will never be alone again. Not as long as I am with you.” She felt the caress of his fingertips down her cheek, around her throat. To further her astonishment, she felt his lips press to hers. Then he was gone.
“Damn! How did he do that?”
✝✝✝
Walking out onto the balcony, he took in the wondrous sight of the Golden Gate Bridge, boldly illuminated against the night sky. Observing the near full moon, he closed his eyes and stretched out his mind, searching for her, as he had for thirty-five years.
Inside his suit jacket, his cell phone pulsed and vibrated. Pulling it out, he saw Alexander’s name on the screen. Tempering his excitement, he answered it. “What did you find?”
“My lord, Sheriff Willard was quite cooperative, but failed to collect conclusive evidence whether or not Mariah Jordan is dead or alive.”
“Dammit, I need proof of her alive!”
“I cannot confirm, my lord.”
Forcing himself to calm down, he asked, “Alexander, I value your intake on the situation. What do you think? Is she dead?
There was a pause. “When I spoke to Murphy before his meeting with you, he was quite certain he had killed her and Romulas. Murphy’s hunters used a rocket launcher to destroy the cabin, my lord. I saw the cabin. There is no way she could have survived.”
“Hunters? Where are they? I want you to interrogate them!”
“I cannot locate them, my lord. Unfortunately, they caught wind you had collected Murphy and they fled. It would be impossible to locate them now, especially with their connections.”
“Cowards. All of them.” Staring out at the dark waters, he calmed. “Mariah is alive. I can feel her. She is alive. Alexander, send men to find her, and when they do, have them bring her to me.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Replacing his phone in his pocket, he braced his hands on the balcony rail. “My love, we will be reunited and no one shall ever take you away from me again. With you by my side, we will unite the Borne and the Damned. Together, we will rule the world. Together, we will make them pay for what they’ve done to us!”
Chapter Six
“Mariah, I know you are alive. I know you cannot speak to me because of the medallion you wear. I need to speak to you. Please, take it off and reach out to me.”
He sounded like Aidan!
Not the monster haunting her nightmares, but the lover she’d dreamt about. His loneliness … his desperation called out to her, made her want to speak to him. She could feel her hands taking hold the necklace, drawing it upward when suddenly the chain turned white-hot. She screamed, releasing it.
He howled his fury. “You cannot escape your fate! You are destined to be my bride. Forever mine!”
Jerked wide awake, she sat straight up, gasping for air. Hesitant to take the medallion in hand, she felt it was cool to touch. Examining it, she saw the runes were nearly flush with the black cross and something else was emerging — the outlines of two, howling wolves who faced each other with the cross between them. Flashes of emerald green eyes made her blink. Taken aback at the hypnotic quality, but they were not a woman’s eyes, but a man’s. Like the one in her dreams.
As she ran her thumb over the wolves, it sent a warm tingling through her hand and up her arm, straight to her heart. “Why are you hidden? Who is not supposed to see you?”
The dogs paced back and forth, letting her know they needed to go outside. Throwing back the comforter, she jumped out of bed and opened the door. As she followed her dogs downstairs, she plucked at her t-shirt, cringing at the wrinkled sight she was. Opening the door, her dogs rushed outside, barking and playing, making her smile until she stepped into early evening sunlight.
Eyes watering, she ran to the car, searching for sunglasses. Finding a pair, she put them on and found relief. The skin exposed on her arms and legs tingled, but fortunately did not turn red like yesterday. While her dogs roamed around, checking out the area, she made for the edge of the property, overlooking the dark green sea. Waves crashed into the golden-brown sand shaping the small cove below her. Scouting her surroundings, to her left was a trail leading into the forest. To her right, in the distance, a Ferris wheel, several roller coasters, and other amusement rides.
“Well, hello, Santa Cruz. Let’s see what you have to offer.”
Back at the SUV, she found the keys were still in the ignition. “Well, my babies, if we can find money, we’ll head into town and eat.” Rummaging around inside the glove box, she found a wad of cash and a bigger surprise — a handgun. Checking to see if it was loaded, she dropped the clip.
“Silver bullets?” Popping one out, she examined it. Touching the silver brought to mind images of a sword, Rathe killing the two vampires at the truck stop. Setting the bullet in the clip, she replaced it in the gun, and put it back in the glove box.
“Well, babies, we’ve got money. A cheeseburger actually sounds pretty good today.” Seeing the skin on her arms turning pink and itched, she sighed. “Suntan lotion is a must purchase today.”
Taking her toothbrush and paste out of the plastic sack, she brushed her teeth and rinsed, using the last of the bottled water. Putting them back in the sack, she opened the door for her dogs, and they jumped in.
“First stop is food for you. Next is suntan lotion for me.” The sun was becoming harder to bear the longer she was exposed to it.
Driving down the dirt road and onto the highway, she was relieved Rathe had dark-tinted windows on the SUV, giving her some relief. Downtown Santa Cruz was crowded with tourists. Lucky opportunity when a parking spot opened, close walk for her and her dogs to walk to the world famous Boardwalk. She left the dogs in the car, windows down, and went into a nearby pet store, purchasing a bag of dog food and leashes for them. After feeding them, she went to the pharmacy and purchased the highest level of suntan lotion she could find. Outside, she slathered the lotion on. It wasn’t enough.
“I guess it’s gonna take a little longer to adjust to sunlight,” she said to Salish and Bear, who nuzzled her face. “Stay here, babies. I need to buy a long-sleeve shirt.”
Purchasing a black, lightweight, long-sleeved hoodie, she finally found real relief. Hooking the leashes to the dogs’ collars, she walked them down to the Boardwalk. She smiled as people laughed, enjoying themselves around the carnival-like atmosphere. Spotting a hot dog vendor, Mariah inhaled the delicious aroma of roasting franks and changed her mind about the cheeseburger and went to stand in line. Sensing someone was watching her, she had the strangest compulsion to use her mind to ‘search’ for the person.
Surprised she could read they were hunger, so very hungry, but not for blood. Unable to s
ee if it was a girl or guy, she didn’t have the chance to find out because it was her turn to order. She purchased eight hot dogs and ‘felt’ her stalker was behind her. Whipping around to confront the person, her jaw dropped when she met the biggest pair of brown eyes she'd ever seen. They belonged to a very thin, petite girl with short, curly, flaming red hair. She saw in the girl’s mind her disappointment at having failed to lift the cash out of her pocket. No money to eat with, she had lost the only opportunity to steal some to buy food with.
“Here you go.” Handing the girl four of the hot dogs, who hesitantly took them, Mariah asked her, “What do you want to drink?” The girl stuffed one of the hot dogs into her mouth and was chewing happily, she told the vender, “Two regular sodas, please.” After paying, she took the cans and inclined her head toward the grassy picnic area. “Let's sit in the shade.”
“Umm, thanks. I sort of lost my money.”
“What's your name?”
“Lydia.”
“I’m Mariah.” Pointing to her dogs, “That’s Salish and Bear.”
Sitting down on the grass, she handed one of the cans to Lydia, who giggled when Bear began to lick her dirty face. Salish placed her huge head in the girl’s lap. The wolf looked at Mariah, as if saying ‘we cannot leave her’.
Eating in silence, she watched the red-hued sun as it faded beyond the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean. Colorful lights and the festive atmosphere chased away the worry and fear she had endured for two days of becoming a vampire. Breathing in the ocean-scented breeze, she choked when the smell of rotted flesh wafted into her nostrils. Jumping to her feet, she started when Lydia grabbed her hand in a painful grip.
“Mariah, we’ve got to get to the crowds. They can’t take you when you are around people, only if you’re alone!”
Lydia pulled her and her dogs across the parking lot. The girl said, as if she were reciting a ritual, “We have to stay in the crowds. Can’t get us if we’re with people.”
“Lydia, do you know what they are?”
“They’re coming to feed.” Lydia skidded to a halt, grunting when Mariah plowed into her back.
Whisper to Me (Borne Vampires Book 1) Page 8