Shades of Amber

by Morgan Smith

  I shivered, shaking my head quickly. “I don’t want to become a vampire.”

  He kissed my throat before a melancholy chuckle escaped him. “You won’t become one just by being bitten. It’s complicated.”

  He brushed his fingers over my pulse. “Your heart sounds like it’s going to beat out of your chest.”

  “How do you become one?”

  He smirked. “You don’t really want to know that, now do you? What’s made you so curious all of a sudden, hmm, Jade?”

  When he let go of me, I grabbed my robe and walked to the fireplace. I ran my fingers along the mantle as I studied the photos. My voice was quiet, but I knew he could hear me.

  “How did you become a vampire?”

  He exhaled.

  I felt him before he gripped my waist. My eyes slowly trailed up from his feet to his silky pajama bottoms and open robe. When I finally looked at his face, his preternatural beauty was staggering. His wavy hair hid one eye, while the other followed my every move. He lifted his hand and trailed his fingers down my arm, smiling mischievously.

  “How about I tell you a story?”

  I gave him my best “Are You Crazy” look. “I asked how you became a vampire, not whether you remembered any fairy tales.”

  “You probably won’t think this has a happy ending.”

  “Then why tell it?”

  He chuckled softly. “That is where we will probably agree to disagree. In order for you to understand me, you will have to learn a little history.”

  I sighed, “Uhh, you know I’m not good at history.”

  His eyes sparkled with flecks of gold as he laughed. It was a rich, melodious sound and my heart instantly fluttered. I thought about squashing the sweet feeling before it spread, but found that he already had a place in my heart again.

  He pressed a kiss to my cheek and whispered, “You know what they say about history.…”

  I smiled. “Yeah, those who don’t study fail the test.”

  He kissed me. “That’s not quite the phrase, but it does share the same sentiment.”

  I frowned, trying to remember the right one. “What is it then?”

  He pulled me toward the black overstuffed chair. I didn’t want to give into him so easily, as he sat down and pat his lap, but I found myself doing it anyway. He snapped his fingers and a fire sparked in the hearth.

  “Those who don’t pay attention to history the first time are doomed to repeat it.”

  His tone made me nervous.

  “It’s meant to sound ominous, it’s trying to warn people that if they don’t pay attention, past events can repeat themselves and alter the future. Like with Chance.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He intertwined his fingers with mine. “Maybe if you listen to the story you’ll be able to get the answers you’re looking for.”

  I leaned against him. “Okay, okay. Tell me.”

  “You already know the beginning.”

  ¤¤¤¤

  …Troy…

  Jade had to understand that my being different was not an excuse to run away from our relationship.

  “Do you remember the story I started back in New Orleans?”

  She nodded as I took her hand.

  “This story ends far from where it started. Angelique chose Christian because she believed he loved her for who she was. The day they chose to marry was one of the nicest days Louisiana had seen, almost as if the sun had come out just to give its heavenly blessing.

  “However, as soon as Christian began his vows, a dark cloud smothered the sun like a hand snuffing a flame, and out of the shadows came Nikoli.

  “It is said that he emerged from the dark like a beast out of purgatory and proclaimed that he would destroy Christian and his side of the Montague line. Then he melted into the shadows before the sun broke through the vengeful clouds.”

  Kissing Jade’s forehead, I urged her to get up. It hurt to talk about my family’s curse, but I needed her to understand me. I paced in front of the fireplace a few times. When I looked at her, she was sitting in the chair with one knee to her chest.

  “After that ominous day, they savored each moment like it would be the last and after one year Angelique gave birth to a son who was also gifted with the sight. Christian sent his best men to find his brother, but each search was futile.

  “As the child grew, he watched for signs of Nikoli and his vow of destruction, but it was not until the day of his son’s twenty-first birthday that he would see his brother again, and it would also be the last.

  “It was the greatest celebration to be had at The Amber Palace. Everyone knew it was the day Christian and Angelique’s son, Marcus, would come into his full powers. It was a ball of epic proportions, but it was not until the party ended that the real magic began. The three were lounging in the sitting room when a force as strong as a hurricane blew through the doors. They stared, unsettled by the sight of their guest.

  “Nikoli waltzed in, dropping his black cloak on the floor as he held an orb of amber light. The sphere captivated the three with its unearthly blaze, its flames licking at the air above it.

  “Nikoli’s smile turned deadly as he aimed the orb at Marcus. ‘The fact that you are so much like your father sickens me, but I shall make you better. From this moment forward you and your blood shall be forever turned. You shall reign with a thirst that will kill and a life that will not die. You, my nephew and all your future ties shall forever be bound to this amber bloodline’.

  “Christian ran in front of his son, but Nikoli had something else up his sleeve. Angelique’s screams filled the room as Christian fell to his knees with a dagger in his chest. Nikoli threw out his hands, preventing movement as the unearthly orb sailed toward its intended target. Angelique continued to wail, but she couldn’t break Nikoli’s magic.

  “It was said that her screams could be heard for miles as she witnessed Christian perish. But it was the sight of the ball of light slamming into Marcus’s chest that made her go insane. Anger filled her with malice as she watched the orb engulf her son in amber flames. She called upon the strongest magic and held it behind her back as Nikoli offered his hand. ‘Now we can finally be together.’

  “She smiled at him as her magic slammed into the spot where his heart should have been. She laughed as his screams filled the room and watched with satisfaction as he fell to the floor leaving a pile of ashes in his wake.

  “Moans alerted her to the far corner where she found her son still alive. She helped him up, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw the curse for what it was—the flames had swallowed his humanity, and in his new amber eyes; she saw each and every lost life.” I released a deep breath.

  “She wouldn’t stop screaming. They said her mind snapped after seeing so much death, so many lost souls in his eyes. And when she finally did stop, she wouldn’t let him come near her.”

  ¤¤¤¤

  Jade

  There was a hole in my heart from his ancestors’ pain. I stood up. “What happened to her?”

  “I’m not sure where her story ends.”

  I frowned. “What happened to him?”

  A wistful smile spread over his lips. “Eventually, he met a girl who gave him an amber ring to signify her love and acceptance. She knew she couldn’t fault him for whom and what he was because it wasn’t his choice to be that way.”

  I watched him warily as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, and then noticed the ring on his finger. “Is that the same ring?”

  Troy nodded. “It is passed down from generation to generation for the eldest son.”

  I gulped. “Does that mean you have brothers and sisters?”

  He laughed and pulled me close. “No, cher, it’s usually just the one son.”

  My thoughts were everywhere. I wasn’t sure how to phrase my next question. I still didn’t understand how he could be human one day and a vampire the next or why he left.

  “Don’t be afraid to ask me what happened.”<
br />
  I exhaled. “I’m not afraid to ask. I’m afraid to hear the answer.”

  Spellbound

  Eyes of amber scour my soul,

  Devour my thoughts,

  Erase the cold…

  Fear

  That grips me,

  Frightening

  In its intensity.

  Like a haunting melody…

  You weave your

  Spell on me.

  -Jade

  Chapter 24

  Troy held my gaze. “I won’t lie to you, cher.”

  I looked at my hands.

  “Why don’t you look me in the eyes as much as you used to?” He cupped my face. He was so intense that I felt the urge to run.

  My mind needed space to think.

  I gripped his wrists, but he wouldn’t release me.

  “I guess I’m still not used to their color. Sometimes I look, trying to remind myself of what you are, so that I’ll stay away. Other times, I don’t because I want you so badly, and I know I won’t be able to resist if I look into them.”

  His thumb brushed my lip. “Your heart is racing.”

  “You’re a vampire because an ancestor cursed your whole bloodline! How do you expect me to act?” I pulled away and hurried for the door. “This is insane, I can’t do this.” I was almost there when he appeared in front of me. I screamed.

  “Where you going, cher?” His seductive whisper swirled around me like mist.

  I stepped back and he followed me, his robe flowing behind him like a cape. “I need some time to think about all this.” Instead of looking at his face, I focused on his shoulder and then his chest and stomach. I flushed as intimate thoughts filled my head.

  Stupid body, have you no shame?

  My back hit the wall.

  “Don’t fight this, Jade.” His hand was in my hair before I could move. “Take a deep breath and accept that this is who I am now.”

  I shook my head, trying to fight the warmth that spread through me at his touch. “I can’t. You still haven’t explained why you left me!”

  He kissed my neck and collarbone as I squirmed. “You try to get away from me, but it only makes me refuse to let you go.”

  Panic seeped into my chest as the air warmed and shimmered with power. “Why aren’t you controlling your magic?”

  He laughed and kissed the spot behind my ear. “I am.”

  “No, you aren’t. It feels like you’re trying to choke me with it.”

  The gold flecks sparked as he tried to trap me with his gaze. “You only feel that way because you’re fighting it. You know what I am. Now, there’s no reason for me to hide it.”

  I looked at the ceiling. “It’s scaring me, you’re scaring me. You’re too powerful for me to even comprehend.” My hands went to his chest as I closed my eyes. “You still haven’t told me why you left!” I shoved him, but he was an immovable force.

  “You always were my feisty little kitten.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You think you’re a lion, but you’re just my little pussy cat,” he said, tucking a curl behind my ear.

  I shoved him again. “I’m not your anything. You left me.”

  He grabbed my arms. “I left because I had already started to change. I wanted to leave months before, but I couldn’t bear to leave you.”

  I slid to the floor, sobbing as he sat next to me.

  He lifted my chin. “I didn’t want to leave you, but I knew I’d thirst for blood because of the curse. I was hours away from turning twenty-one, but if I’d told you what I was becoming, you would have tried to stay away from me.”

  I laughed and wiped my eyes. “Oh, yes. I would just try to stay away from you. Why would I only try?”

  “I wouldn’t have allowed you stay away. I would have come after you. The curse would’ve turned me into a predator.”

  My breath hitched. “And I would have been prey to you.”

  He nodded. “You saw how it started to affect me those last few days before my birthday. I left so you wouldn’t have to fear me.”

  “Right, because hating you and thinking you’re dead is so much better.”

  Was I actually mad that he protected me?

  I wrapped my arms around my knees and rested my chin. “You’re right I am glad you left.” I paused until he met my solemn expression. “If you’re still cursed why did you come back?”

  “I couldn’t stay away anymore. You’ve always been special to me. I came back after a while. I thought I’d be happy if I could just see you, but it wasn’t enough. All I can think about is making you mine. And when I found you at the library on our anniversary, I couldn’t resist.”

  I shot to me feet, but he was in front of me before I’d taken a single step. He pressed me to the wall with his body as he placed a hand on each side of my head.

  “You and I are meant to be together; you gave into me tonight.” He nuzzled my neck. “You admitted that you need me.”

  “But that was before I knew everything—how much it really has changed you. You’re immortal now, aren’t you?”

  He looked surprised by my question. “My body can heal faster than normal, if that’s what you mean, but why does it matter?”

  “I’m still mortal, Troy. I really only have one life to live.”

  “That can always be remedied, cher.”

  My mouth was practically on the floor. “No, I told you, I do not want to be a vampire!”

  “No one said you had to become a vampire, and I didn’t say I’d live for eternity, either.”

  I rubbed my neck. “I don’t know what to do. I’m afraid of letting you get close. Your magic is so strong that I can almost taste it when you use it to lure me in.”

  Troy wrapped his arms around me, and I let him. “It isn’t like I force it on you. You only notice it because you fight so hard to resist it.”

  “I’m tired of fighting.” I put my hand over the white bandage. I was so exhausted that I almost forgot it was there.

  I wish I had the strength to stay away.

  I looked up, surprised to see him watching me. “What are you doing?” I asked, cautiously.

  He smiled, not saying anything as he brushed my hair behind my shoulder.

  “I want to go home, Troy.” I sidestepped him and walked over to the bed. Irritated by his silence, I turned around and almost ran right into him. Digging in my heels, I stopped so quickly that I would’ve fallen over if he hadn’t caught me.

  “How do you do that?”

  He shrugged, “I was blessed with the same sight and magic my ancestors had, and cursed with the same fate. If you think about it, I’m a triple threat. I know that you won’t be able to lie to yourself forever, Jade.”

  “So you can see things before they happen?”

  His fingers brushed the bandage on my forehead. “Sometimes.”

  “Did you foresee Chance’s attack on me in the alley?”

  Something passed over his face. “No. I didn’t predict that.” He leaned against the side of the bed, crossing his arms. “I followed you, waiting to see who was trying to separate us.”

  I swallowed my nerves and looked him in the eye. “I want to sleep in my own bed.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean no?”

  He grabbed my hand. “You’re hurt. What kind of boyfriend would let you stay home alone?”

  “You can’t keep me here against my will!”

  “We both know you want to be here, Jade. I’m just waiting for you to stop fighting it.”

  I leaned against him.

  He was right. Shouldn’t I be happy he was here, and not lying six feet under? I studied him as he laid next to me. He was still the same guy who’d pursued me at school, not relenting until I’d finally agreed to be his girlfriend. But he was also very different. He was more dangerous, more obsessive, more irresistible.

  What would you do if the one who got away came back into your life?

  I stared a
t the ceiling, contemplating my choices.

  Troy pulled me into his chest. “All you have to do is stop fighting.” He gestured to a large flat screen that emerged from a hidden compartment. “We can be normal, Jade. We can watch TV until you’re ready to fall asleep or do whatever you want.”

  I opened my mouth.

  “But you can’t go home.” He sat up and ran his hands through his hair. “I know you, and what I didn’t know before, I discovered after weeks of following you. If I let you go home you’ll run again.”

  I wanted to say something sassy, but he actually looked sad, and maybe even hurt. I bit my lip, surprised when I felt bad. I didn’t want to go, but that tiny, logical part was screaming for me to get out.

  I put my head on his chest. “Okay, let’s watch TV.”

  Imagine This

  Life is never as simple

  as it seems,

  Especially when

  living in a dream.

  To know that

  monsters do exist…

  Well,

  I never imagined this.

  -Jade

  Chapter 25

  When I opened my eyes, I had the room to myself. Exhaling slowly, I wrenched the comforter back and pulled on my red robe. I stopped at the sink and leaned my head against the mirror, waiting for the water to warm up.

  Taking a step back, I bit my lip, as I stared at the way the white bandage marred my appearance.

  My right hand shook as it touched the edge of the tape.

  What if it looked bad?

  I laid the bandage on the sink and lifted my eyes to the mirror.

  If I thought my hand was trembling before, it wasn’t nearly as bad as when I reached for the place where my cut had been. I put the bandage back on my forehead and raced downstairs.

  After a few seconds, I heard muffled voices. Taking a deep breath, I tied it, and then marched toward the back of the house.

  Bingo.

  I ran my hand over the door before pressing my ear against it.