Sekhmet's Curse (Pearl Vampire Chronicles)

by Dara Nelson

  “I’m not speaking to you. Go get the hostages back on the road. I’ll meet you at the car.” I spat as I turned and stormed off toward the car. Carlos glanced desperately at Matt, who stared at him for a moment, then pointed his chin toward me, “Go. Talk to her. I’ve got this.”

  Carlos didn’t need to be told twice. He took off toward me. “Sarah?” he whispered.

  “I thought I told you to help with the hostages,” I hissed, without turning to look at him.

  “Sarah, please. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me. I can’t have you mad at me.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it hurts too much.”

  That stopped me. I stared at him for a moment. “Well, you should have thought about that before you did this. I told you how embarrassing it was. I told you that I didn’t want it to happen again. Yet, despite that, you just couldn’t help yourself, could you? You just had to see how far you could push it. You had to know if it would happen again. You had to fucking feel it for yourself, but what about my feelings, Carlos? I know you two love how I am, sexually. And most of the time I love it too. But this? This is just wrong, but I can’t help it. I don’t want to be the carnival side show freak, but I am. Step right up and see the vampire lady who gets aroused every time she kills a human. That’s me, Carlos. Don’t you get it? That’s me and I hate it. So please, please, don’t make me feel it again. If we’re put in a situation where we can’t help it, that’s one thing, but please don’t ever force it to happen again like you did tonight.”

  He hung his head and looked so remorseful that my heart melted. “I won’t, I promise. And I’m so sorry, kiddo. Can you please, please forgive me?”

  I stared at him for a while, wishing I could still be mad at him but knowing that I couldn’t. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his neck. He kissed my neck and squeezed me tight. “I really am sorry, hun. I just couldn’t stop myself. I know you don’t like what happens to you, but I think it’s totally fucking awesome,” he pulled back and grinned his goofy grin at me so that I couldn’t possibly get mad at him.

  “Carlos, if it happened with anything else, I would probably think it was awesome too. But this? Killing people? No, that most definitely is not awesome.”

  “Sorry. Sometimes I forget how young you are.”

  “It’s not that I’m young, Carlos. It’s who I am. I will always be more human than I am vampire. That’s my nature. It’s my character. It’s what makes me, me. And I really hope that never changes, no matter how old I am. Does it really not bother you at all to kill people?,”

  “When you’ve been around as long as I have, you see a lot of bad shit, Sarah. These evil motherfuckers, the horrible things that they do to others, makes them not feel human to me. They are the animals, and sometimes it’s necessary to put them down,” he said.

  I lifted my head to respond but saw Matt talking to Robert, “Hang on a second. I need to talk to Matt.” I linked with Matt, ‘Honey? Can you drive the Suburban for a bit? I mean fast and with the lights off until we’re about a mile from the border. I don’t want any more kidnappers to find us. I don’t want any more encounters. Please?’ Matt nodded, said something to Robert and then Matt climbed into the driver’s seat as Robert squeezed himself into the backseat with the others. Carlos and I climbed into our car and we all sped off.

  Forty-five minutes later Matt pulled the Suburban to the side of the road. We were only a half mile from the border and we could see the lights from it up ahead. Matt climbed out of the Suburban and I watched as Robert said something to him, shook his hand then climbed into the driver’s seat. Robert turned on the headlights and headed toward the bright lights of the border, the lights that we all knew meant safety and freedom for all of them. Matt walked back to the car and climbed into the back seat. I drove, silently, for at least twenty miles before they couldn’t stand it anymore. “I’m really sorry, Sarah,” Carlos said as he placed his hand on mine. I looked over and tried to smile at him. “I’m not mad at you anymore, honey. I’m furious with myself. I know we’re not human anymore, but I hate this side of me. I don’t want to be a monster. I don’t want to be someone that people are terrified of. That’s not who I was, that’s not who I am, that’s not who I want to be, ever.”

  Matt leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the seat, resting them on my shoulders, “Sarah. You could never be a monster. It’s just not in you. Actually, you’re the exact opposite. You can draw the monster out of others and allow them to be good. Just look at what you did with Jonas and Aquila, honey. I’m still working on forgiving Aquila, that damn Seraphim, for kidnapping you and f-f-forcing you to give birth to his child. That delivery almost killed you Sarah, giving birth to Seraphim’s kills most vampires. But Aquila didn’t want you to die and somehow he knew that you were strong enough to survive. And he knew that, despite the fact that he did this against your will, he knew that your heart was so big that you would grow to love the son growing inside of you. And he was right. You loved that child and, because of that, you were able to forgive Aquila. And Carlos spent ten years under Jonas’ cloak of evil, ten years that he spent making sure that his family was safe from Jonas’ wrath before he was able to turn him in and get away from him. Jonas then rotted in his own prison on a deserted island for over a century before he escaped. When he found Carlos and decided to exact his revenge on the people that Carlos loved, none of us thought that we’d ever survive. Jonas was one of the oldest, strongest and, Carlos would agree, most evil creatures on the face of the planet. There was no way that we could beat him physically. We were done for, toast, or so we thought. But of course we should have known that you, with your big heart and endless supply of love, could reach through the black, impenetrable shield around Jonas’ heart and find the good that even he didn’t know that he had. Nobody else could have done that. You are love, Sarah. Plain and simple, you are love.”

  My mouth hung open as I stared at him in the rearview mirror. I glanced over at Carlos, who was also just staring at Matt with his mouth open. Matt’s eyes flicked to both our faces, “What?” he said.

  “Dude,” Carlos began, “How the hell do you do that?”

  “Do what?” Matt said.

  “Say the most perfect, most romantic, most loving things to her? You’ve got me wanting to kiss you right now,” he grinned.

  “Oh shut up,” Matt blushed.

  “No, he’s right Matt. I might be love. But you are the most loyal and most forgiving person I’ve ever met,” I said.

  “Well, shoot. If you are love, Sarah. And he’s loyal and forgiving. What the hell am I?” Carlos said, pouting with a twinkle in his eye.

  I winked at Matt in the rearview mirror then we both grinned and said, “Trouble,” at the same time.

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “We’re kidding, Carlos. You’re fun,” I said.

  “Fun? That’s it? I’m fun?”

  “You make everything fun and exciting. You’re love of life infects everyone around you.”

  “Sounds to me like we form a perfect triangle, then, don’t we? We all bring something different to the table,” Carlos said.

  I thought about this as I pulled the car over to the side of the road, “Okay, up and over the fence, then we can fly to El Paso and catch a hopper to Albuquerque, then home. Come on guys, I’m exhausted. Let’s go home,” I said.

  I settled into my seat on the plane, kissed the back of both of their hands that were clasped in mine and leaned my head back. I drifted off to sleep within seconds, completely unaware of the conversation that the two of them were having with Bahiti, a stunning centuries-old vampire back home at our compound, in their heads, ‘You’re sure it’s a Seraphim, Bahiti?’

  ‘Yes, Matthew. It definitely is.’

  ‘But it’s not Aquila?’

  ‘No. But he doesn’t seem menacing either. This one never gets too close and he appears to be searching for someone. But, but,’ she hesitated, not sure if she should say more.r />
  ‘But what, Bahiti? Tell us everything,’ Carlos thought.

  ‘Well, it’s just that there’s something very familiar about this one, and different than the others I’ve seen. His eyes, they’re shaped differently and they’re green. I’ve never seen one with green eyes before.’

  ‘Oh shit,’ Matt said. Matt and Carlos looked at each other. “Do you think it’s him?” Matt said.

  “Why would he be looking for her? Do you think he wants to hurt her?” Carlos whispered.

  “Bahiti said he didn’t seem menacing. If he was there to hurt her, he’d probably harm anybody he came across, don’t you think? Maybe he just wants to meet her. Maybe he’s just interested in knowing his mother,” Matt said.

  ‘Matthew?’

  ‘Oh, sorry, Bahiti. I was just talking to Carlos. Don’t do anything to the Seraphim unless he actually attacks. We’ll be there tomorrow afternoon to see what’s going on, okay?’

  ‘It’s hers, isn’t it? It’s the one Sarah gave birth to,’ she thought.

  ‘We think so, Bahiti.’

  ‘Okay. We’ll watch him until you get here. I’ll see you tomorrow,’ she thought and then she pulled out of their heads.

  “We have to tell her, Matt. This isn’t something that should be sprung on her when she walks into the compound. She needs to be ready. She needs to know,”

  “Needs to know what?” I mumbled then I stretched and yawned. I saw the worry on both of their faces and sat up straighter in my seat. I was wide awake now. “What’s going on, guys?”

  “Why are you awake so soon, Sarah? You’ve only been asleep for a few minutes. What woke you up?” Matt said.

  “I had a weird dream. Stop trying to change the subject, Matt. Tell me.”

  “I’m not trying to change the subject, Sarah. I’m trying to figure out if your dream has anything to do with what’s going on, so please tell me what it was, okay?”

  “It doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on,” I whispered.

  “How do you know, Sarah?” Carlos said.

  I looked at both of them then looked out the window when I told them, “Because it was about Aquila.”

  Their silence forced me to return my gaze to them, “Something’s happened to him, hasn’t it?”

  “Is that what you saw in your dream?” Matt said.

  “No. But he was calling to me. He was asking me to help him. Something was definitely wrong and he needed my help. What’s happened to him, Matt? You have to tell me.”

  “I don’t know if something has happened to him, Sarah. But there’s been a Seraphim hanging around the compound like he’s waiting for someone.”

  “A Seraphim? It’s not Aquila?”

  Matt looked away while Carlos shook his head, “No, hun, it’s not Aquila.”

  “But, but, but, the only one of the species left besides Aquila is, is, oh no,” I whispered as I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. I pressed my head to my knees. The pain in my belly told me exactly who it was. I felt their hands rubbing my back, caressing my hair, stroking my arms, but it didn’t matter. Nothing was going to take this pain away, nothing. “Why is he there? Do you know? Has he said anything?”

  “No, hun. He won’t let anybody get close enough to him. They think he’s waiting for something, or someone,” Matt said.

  I turned my head to look at him, “Me. He’s waiting for me, isn’t he?”

  Matt nodded, “I think he might be, hun.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut, “I can’t do this. I’m not strong enough.”

  “You’re kidding us, right?” Carlos said, “Jesus, Sarah, you are stronger than anyone either of us has ever met.”

  “I’m not strong enough for this, guys. How am I supposed to look into his eyes and talk to him? His eyes, Scotty’s eyes, they’re the same. It’ll be like talking to a ghost for me, my son’s ghost.”

  (In my human life, my husband, Rob and my young son, Scotty, were killed in a car accident. The Seraphim that I gave birth to had the same eyes that my former son had)

  “Maybe he just wants to meet his mother, Sarah,” Carlos whispered.

  I shook my head, “Can’t be. They don’t have those kinds of emotions. They’re more animal than human.”

  “But maybe he’s not, Sarah. Maybe you passed something more onto him,” Matt said.

  “Don’t tell me that, Matt. Please don’t tell me that,” I said then I winced when I felt the plane descend slightly. We were preparing to land, which would put me just three hours from facing him.

  Matt and Carlos looked at each other again. I hadn’t spoken a word in the limo and we were over two and a half hours into the drive. I just sat and stared out the window, with Matt next to me and Carlos across from me. They were clearly worried but not sure what they should do. Carlos popped into Matt’s head, ‘Say something to her,’ he thought.

  ‘Me? Why me? You’ve always been able to connect with her better than me in that way.’

  Suddenly I broke their concentration with each other. “Ivan, can you please pull over for a second?” The car had barely come to a stop before I jumped out the door, followed closely by Carlos and Matt. The hot sun beat down on my back as I leaned over with my hands on my knees, gasping for air. “Sarah?” Carlos whispered.

  “He knows I’m coming. I can feel him. He’s tense, nervous, and curious but he’s also scared about something. Something’s happened. That’s why he’s here. Something’s happened and he’s looking for my help.”

  “How do you,” Carlos began asking, but I interrupted him.

  “I don’t know,” I snapped, “How did I know without a doubt that Matt wasn’t going to harm me when I first saw him? How did I know that Jonas had good in him? I don’t know how I know these things, damn it. I just do.”

  I felt bad for snapping at him, but I’d have to worry about apologizing later. Right now all I could concentrate on was what was about to happen. Right now all I could think about was meeting my son. Or, rather, meeting the son that I gave birth to. Since I was never a part of his life, I couldn’t really call him my son, could I? My heart screamed at me that I wasn’t ready for this but my brain brought logic to my panic: you’ll never truly be ready, Sarah, so just get your ass up and do it, it said to me. I stood up, turned around and looked at Matt and Carlos. The concern on their faces was so heart-warming. I smiled at them and gave them each a quick kiss. “I’m ready now. Let’s go see what he needs.” We climbed back into the car, with me in the middle, Matt and Carlos on either side of me, my hands clamped firmly in theirs. Within a few minutes, we could see the wall of the fortress ahead. “Do you know where he is, Sarah?”

  I nodded, “He’s in the trees between the cave and the fortress. He’s afraid of all the vampires. I’m going to have to do this alone, guys.”

  “Uh-uh, no way, Sarah,” Carlos mumbled.

  “He’s only a child, Carlos. He’s not going to harm me. Please stop worrying. I’ll be where you two can see me, but I have to go to him alone or he’ll run. Please?”

  “How fast do these things reach adulthood?” Matt said.

  “It takes them about a year, I think. He’s only about seven months old, so he’s about the equivalent of an eleven or twelve year old boy.” I said.

  “A very strong, deadly, twelve year old boy. Don’t forget that, Sarah.” Carlos said.

  “I know and I won’t. I promise.”

  We pulled into the courtyard a few minutes later and I had to force myself to relax. Every muscle in my body wanted me away from this place and it took every ounce of strength I had not to run. Ivan brought the car to a stop and opened the rear door for us. Before he climbed out Matt turned, looked at me and waited. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a few deep breaths. Finally I just mumbled, “Fuck it, Sarah. You’re never going to be ready for this, so just go.” I opened my eyes and nodded at him. We all climbed out into the sunlight. My eyes instantly moved left and found him in the trees. He seemed surprised that I
found him so quickly and I saw him tense up. I smiled slightly. The three of us walked toward the back corner of the yard where the waterfall is (my favorite spot). “You guys wait here on the bench please,” I said then I walked about ten feet away from them and looked up into the trees. The child flew towards me, hovered then backed away into the trees again. I stepped farther away from Matt and Carlos and watched as the child did the same thing as before. “I think he’s afraid to come down here into the yard. I’m going up on the roof.”

  I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and I glanced quickly at Matt and Carlos, “Don’t move, please. I’ll stay on the edge of the roof where you can see me, okay?”

  They both nodded and sat back down, but I could see that they were both ready to pounce in the blink of an eye and it made me smile. “My protectors,” I mumbled as I floated up toward the roof. I sat on the edge with my feet dangling down and smiled at them. I scanned the trees and had just started to worry that he had left when I heard the thud about twenty feet behind me. I tensed but didn’t move. We stayed that way for a few minutes. Finally I said, “Can you understand me? I won’t hurt you.” I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect for an answer. Maybe Aquila had only taught him Latin, which is what he spoke when I first met him, trying, successfully, to make me believe that he didn’t understand English – he learned what our plans were that way since we didn’t feel concerned about talking in front of him.

  I was just losing hope of him speaking English as well when he whispered, “Of course you won’t. I know that.”

  “Then what are you afraid of?” I said.

  “I am not afraid,” he said matter of factly as he slowly started walking towards me. “I just don’t trust you or the others. Father told me how you captured him.”

  I turned and looked him in the eye, “We have no intention of trying to capture you. Please believe that.”

  “Those are your mates?” he said as he nodded toward Matt and Carlos, seated on the bench below, watching us.

  “Correct. They are.”

  “And they are down there because you told them to stay there?”