Bloods Gem

by Gloria Conway

  I hung up and found something to hit. I beat on a tree as hard as I could cursing the night.

  “Finally,” she said, as I walked into the room.“What took so long?”

  I mumbled under my breath still cursing. “Well you can sit there and curse all you want, or we can figure this out together. Which is it?” I glared at her shaking my head, wondering if she had anything to do with this sudden departure. “Did you talk to her? What did you say to her?” I demanded walking towards her.

  She put her hands out in front of her, “Calm down. I didn’t even visit her Dan. I called in pizza for her and the only person who saw her was some human delivery guy. I just used my spirit to check on her and I saw her leave and followed her to the airport.”

  I put my head down knowing she was telling me the truth. “I’m sorry I accused you. I know you would never… I’m so stupid!” I punched a hole in the wall next to me. “I shouldn’t have left her alone. She had too much time to think. This is my fault!”

  “Dan you realize in just a few hours you can see her again. Get on a plane and go.”

  She was right. I was over reacting. I nodded agreeing with her.

  She shot me a quick smile. “Don’t worry about anything I'll call the airport now. I'll make sure you're on a flight tonight and reserve you a room if you need.”

  I hugged her tightly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you Sis. Really. I love you and thank you for putting up with my bullshit and my temper.”

  She hugged me back. “That’s what sisters are for!” She kissed my cheek “Um, Dan where does she even live?” She asked.

  “Oh, you’ll love this,” I said smiling. “Arkansas. The good ole U. S. of A.”

  She smiled. “That’s not so bad. Me and Mom have been there. It's really nice actually. And a lot of country, which means. plenty of food.”

  She left to make the arrangements. Picking up my phone, I started texting Faith. My hands shook as I typed.

  Listen, this might not mean anything to you and you might not even care at this point, but believe when I tell you, I was on my way over to tell you the whole truth. There were a few things I needed to do at home before I could tell you anything. I’ve taken care of these things and now you're gone. I had you in my mind the whole night and if you give me the chance to look in your eyes again and tell you the way I feel, I know you’de accept me. This is my last attempt to try to get you to come back. If it doesn’t work, well, I’m coming to you. Up to you. Either way, I will see you again.”

  Pacing back and forth I wondered what she thought about my text. Then she text me back.

  You don’t know how much I want to believe you, but I can’t just abandon my family and my life. I can't live there with you. My life is important and it’s all I know. I didn’t tell you this before, but before I even came to London I had dreams about you. Almost every night I saw your face. And before we met I saw you again. I had flashes about what was coming next. In the hospital before you came, I saw you walking towards me. I don’t know what all this means, but it’s linked somehow. And if you know, you need to tell me. I’m going home. I can call you when I’m there, but it’s best we don’t see each other.

  Dreams… about me… How could she see me if I didn’t present myself to her in spirit? This made no sense. I could understand the flashes when she came to London but not before.

  Celeste had returned. “All ready. Your flight leaves in two hours,” she said happy with herself.

  “Thanks Sis. But I need to ask you something.”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Is it possible for a gem to see their Ill-suen before being presented, if long distance?”

  She shook her head. “No… I don’t think so. But sometimes the gem can gain some abilities right before she meets her Ill-suen. Why, what’s up?” “Faith told me she saw me in her dreams before she came to London. And I didn’t leap into hers, or even think about it before I met her. I didn’t allow my spirit out of my guidance while I dreamed.”

  “That is strange Dan. I wouldn’t know, but mom would. You know, since she was human like her, I the beginning.”

  “I should go ask mom before I leave. Thanks.

  “Oh wait, before you leave, I need to tell you something. I don’t know if I'll be coming back anytime soon. She’s happy where she is and I don’t want to take that from her. Once I get everything settled, after a few months, will you please come visit, or maybe even move there with us?” I asked.

  “The visiting I can do. But moving? I don’t know. I would like to start a family of my own soon.”

  “I understand,” I put my head down rubbing my temples.

  At my parents room, knocking on the door, I hoped not to disturb them.

  “Come in!” I heard Mother call.

  I peeked in, “Mum, can I speak with you for a moment?”

  She gestured me to come in. They were laying in bed reading. My dad glanced at me then returned to his reading. I went on Mother’s side and sat beside her. “Mum, I just have a quick question. If you don’t mind.”

  “Yes son. Speak.”

  “Is there a way a gem can see things before coming in contact with her Ill-suen, perhaps having visions of her Ill-suen?

  “I haven’t heard of such things my son, but anything is possible with the magic that surrounds us,” she said. However, in the book of the Ill-suen there is mention of a young lady named Saiph. She was said to have traveled the world to look for her mate. She wasn't sure who he was because her dreams only showed blurry visions of his face. But she knew his voice so well when she did find him she fell to her knees. His name was Ian. Ian had not yet set off for his journey yet but when they met, he instantly unold on her. It was a truly passionate encounter. I hear they are still together. Amazing I thought. “Thanks Mum.” Feeling better. I kissed her on the head and said my farewells.

  I text Faith while sitting in the airport.

  I will address everything you wish to know as soon as I’m there with you in person. See you soon Love. She responded quickly.

  Your seriously not coming here are you? Are you insane? If my boyfriend finds out about us… you… He will go mad! Not only that, but explaining you to my mom. You don’t know my address or where to look!

  I hated that she kept mentioning her boyfriend. He really didn’t matter to me.

  Please stop talking about your boyfriend. None of that matters anymore, and he wont cross your mind when I'm the one kissing you. I promise, I will make you forget about him. You and I have something rare and lasting… oh and BTW I don’t need your address. ;) I’m not texting anymore. My flight is about ready and I'll see you soon, my love…

  Chapter Fifteen

  Daniel

  Impatient, the plane seemed to be at a standstill. I could see out the window knowing I was wrong. I knew we were getting closer. My phone kept beeping but I ignored it. I knew she would try to stop me from coming. But I wouldn't let her get to me. Even if she tried to hurt me intentionally and I completely expected that, I knew she would be doing it to keep me away, not because she felt any different about me.

  Having empathic abilities I pick up on emotions, hormonal states, and thoughts of others. I knew she loved me. Being able to read body language helps. A lot. Every flinch, expression and tic gives a tell. And I knew all the tells. I was glad I was given these powers and grateful for my mother and father for conceiving me. But I didn’t want to live one more day unless she was with me. I couldn’t think of not having her in my life. I just couldn’t live without her.

  I decided to run from the Little Rock airport. It gave me a chance to hunt. When I got to Siloam Springs, I would check into my room and locate her though scent.

  The memory of her scent was strong, and wasn’t going away anytime soon. Taking only fifty minutes to reach my destination, I felt energized.

  I hadn't ran that long in awhile, but it was effortless. Looking up into the sky, I knew the brightness would soon rise. I tried t
o beat the sun in an effort to protect my skin from blistering. Not only was it painful but the appearance was hideous.

  I found the hotel with no problem. Smaller then I expected but the biggest they had in this small town. Once I got into my room, I looked around the curtains were pulled shut. I crawled into bed and closed my eyes.

  I watched her from a distance the next few days. Admiring and admittedly, lusting. It was hard not possess her. I yearned for her but stayed in control. I watched her every move. Like the way she bit her bottom lip as her eyes went from left to right when she was thinking hard about something. To the way she tried to hide herself away from everyone when she got depressed.

  And when I watched her sleep on occasion, her chest moved up and down as she breathed. Often times, she would moan making it hard to be in the same room without breaking the chair I was sitting in. In those cases I unfortunately had to leave before making a scene.

  I yearned for the day to be with her, absolutely hers, and her mine. I never imagined wanting something so badly in my life as this, the anticipation was killing me.

  Chasing Faith's boyfriend in my dream, I cornered him behind Faith's house in the woods. He was crying and screaming for help. I tackled him to the ground, laughing hysterically, like some crazy monster. His eyes bulged from his head in horror. I told him to let her go and I would spare his life. He covered his eyes, crying while I was on top of him laughing. He yelled, “Anything, I'll do anything. Just let me go!” I picked him up and threw him in the woods. Back at Faith's house, I decided to show myself in her dream. I flew through her window and saw her laying on the bed. Her spirit had already left her body, so I had to leap into her in spirit form to follow her spirit. Her spirit lead me to a place with a lake and a waterfall. She stood in the middle of the lake humming. Approaching her from behind I wrapped my arms around her. She turned to look at me. She smiled and looked away. Trying to get her to acknowledge I was really there I spoke to her.

  “Faith, I’m here. Please speak to me.”

  She began crying. Holding her to my chest, I stroked her hair, trying to think of something to say to comfort her.

  “Do you want to know what I am Faith? I will show you. Come with me,” I said.

  She glanced at me and nodded. Cradling her in my arms, I flew from the lake and took her to a small town in Texas inhabited by other vampires. A clan existed there, a family of vampires who lived as we did. Faith and I followed them on a hunt. I set her down next to me and assured her they couldn’t see us, holding her hand as we walked next to them.

  A herd of deer ran passed us. Like a pack of wolves the family moved after them, staying out of sight. I picked her up so we could follow. I stopped as one of the male vampires brought down his meal. Faith put her hands over her face after she saw him rip into the animal.

  She began screaming for him to stop and I flew her home. At the front of her house I explained, “This is what I am. I feed on blood. Some call me a vampire, but we are different. We are called the Ill-suen. Half vampire and half spiritual shape -shifter. This is how I am with you in your dream. I found your spirit through your dream by leaping into your body. But don’t worry, I wont need to leap again. I only need to do that once.”

  She cupped her ears. “I don’t want to hear anymore. This is too much!”

  I walked towards her. “Listen. I’m still good. I’m still myself. I wont hurt you. And I won’t kill another human again.”

  She looked up at me, taking her hands from her ears. “Again?”

  I nodded, “Yes. I haven’t killed many, but it’s not like I’m proud of what I’ve done. I promise you now and always I won’t kill another human unless it’s necessary to protect you or my family.”

  She shook her head. “Why can’t you just be normal? Why can’t I be in love with someone like me? What’s wrong with me!?”

  I took her hand in mine and smiled. She had just verified what I had assumed.

  “Its okay. I will take care of you and I won’t hold you back from your human life either. I can live as you do Love. Just trust me.”

  She looked up at me. “How? You’re not alive! You’re a walking corpse! I mean. You’re just messing with my head to try to get me pregnant or something. I’ve read about stuff like this!” She backed away.

  I rolled my eyes, annoyed by her ignorance. “Okay, I did one thing to you. And that was at the cafe. I forced an attraction knowing I over did it. I’m sorry for that but there’s no mind tricks here. I’m telling you the truth. Please don’t be afraid of me. Plus, I’m only half dead,” I said grinning.

  “How can I trust you?” She asked.

  “I know it will be hard to trust someone like me. Let me prove myself to you. Whatever you want or need for me to show you, I will do.”

  She looked disgusted. “I can’t even have sex with you.” She shot me a glare.

  “No one said anything about sex my Love… And I wouldn’t want that unless you did. Though you’re tempting, you’re not ready for that anyway, I can tell.”

  I laughed at the idea, knowing it was impossible to have sexual relations with a human without harming her.

  “We probably shouldn’t consider our relationship in that way--ever. I don’t think I could. If you stay human, it could hurt you.”

  I felt the need to make excuses for personal reasons on top of my insecurities. “And I can easily lose control in that situation. Even though I’m this. whatever you want to call me, I can still have children and have a normal relationship, as any human can.”

  She looked repulsed. “I just don’t know how to view you now. It’s just weird… To me… What …would I…” She stumbled over her words.

  “Shh. I'll give you time to think about this. But there’s something else I need to tell you before I let you go from here…”

  “There’s More?”

  “I’m afraid so Love. I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. You’re… You were made for me. Literally. When an Ill-suen males is born, one of you is born for us, in time. You are called my gem. We seek out our gems after our training. Usually when we turn a hundred.

  Her jaw dropped. “You’re one-hundred?!”

  I didn’t understand her reaction to what I was telling her. Why is she so put off?

  I continued. “A little older Dear. But we are immortal. After we reach manhood at eighteen, we stop aging. But We don’t retain human form completely until we reach one hundred.”

  “So what did you look like before you became what you are now?”

  I shook my head. “You sure you want to know?”

  “Yeah I’m sure,” She said, interested now.

  “Imagine a human boy with really long nails, blue eyes and fox -like features. That’s what we look like when we’re younger. But we can make ourselves look anyway we want. One of our abilities at that age is that we can shape- shift into anothers image. Attractive huh?”

  I chuckled. She shook her and stared as if trying to see the monster I described.

  “You know I can hear your thoughts in here right?” She placed her hand on her head. “And out there?” She asked, referring to reality.

  “Just some thing’s. Only when it concerns me,” I smiled.

  She flopped down on the ground covering her face with her hands. I sat beside her, rubbing her back. “It’s okay Love. I’m not going to embarrass you more by reading you. I'll tune you out.”

  She looked as if she were about to ask a question and then paused.

  “I told you I’d tune you out, what do you want to ask?”

  “If we… did stuff here, in this dream world, would it be like doing it in reality? If you were to kill someone here, would they be dead outside?” “No. We cannot kill someone in this state. What we do here is here only. So if I was to, oh I don’t know, suck your blood right here and now, you’d be fine when you woke up.” I shook wishing I would of rephrased. She sat silent.

  “Why do you ask? Is there something you’d l
ike to do?” I asked curious. She shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “What? You can ask me anything,” I told her.

  “Why me? I mean, you can have any girl in the world. You're the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, and I’m just, well, average.”

  “Faith, you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen and I’m not just saying that. I have never really looked at anyone the way I look at you. Or, have I ever found anyone as appealing as you. We share a bond that nothing else can compare to.”

  I knew she didn’t want to believe. She had confidence in herself and I was sure I would be able to make her see what I felt for her. She tossed her hair, almost as a nervous reaction. She cleared her throat, and jerked her head back. I knew it was another question. “So. What can you do? You have a lot of powers?”

  I belted out a laugh. “What can’t I do?” I said over confident.

  “Really?” She replied.

  “Well. Where to start. uh. hmm. I can create illusions. I can also turn myself into Brad Pitt if you wish,” I smirked. She laughed, slapping the side of my arm.

  “That’s impressive. Isn’t that just overwhelming, to have so much power?”

  I shrugged. “It’s a gift” I glanced up to the heavens wondering if she noticed. “Well Love, I’m going to have to do something in order for you to remember this dream. Okay?

  She looked at me with some trepidation.

  “It won’t hurt or anything I promise. And I'll only have to do this once.”

  “Tell me what you're going to do.”

  “Stand up and ill show you.”

  I helped her up and she stood a few feet from me.

  “Turn around Love. Please trust me.”

  She slowly turned with her eyes on me. Walking up behind her I whispered in her ear. “You want to remember this don’t you?” I kissing her neck.

  She closed her eyes and whispered, “Yes.”