Defender's Blood Alex's Destiny (An Urban Fantasy)

by A. K. Michaels

  She was amazed her aunt did not stop her from talking. Her aunt usually would butt in on a normal conversation, and this was anything but a normal conversation.

  When she had finished telling her everything up to the point where she was on the verge of leaving the country in a jet, with a Vampire no less, she expected her aunt to go mad. However, the strangest thing happened. Aunt Mary went on to tell her she had to be careful and there were some things she needed to tell Alex.

  Alex was a little scared, this was not the way she thought the conversation would go. She listened warily as her aunt first apologized for never telling her what she was about to. This scared Alex all the more.

  “Alex, baby, please stay calm, I know this is going to be difficult to hear and I know I should've told you...but...your parents – they didn't die in a car crash, they were murdered. It was because your mother was a member of a very old sect...”

  “What! What are you saying? That's crazy, they were killed in a car accident – you told me that!” Alex's voice had risen, and she was fighting hard to control her breathing. This was nuts, completely insane!

  “Calm down, Alex, I know this is hard, honey, and I know I should've told you more as you got older. As the years went by, I found I just couldn't do it. I wanted to keep you safe, darling. I tried to do what I thought best...”

  Then her aunt went on and she told Alex she had an old journal of her mother’s, and she should have talked to her about all of this and given it to her years ago. However, she realized she would need it now and asked her to come and get it.

  “Aunt M, I can't believe you kept this from me. I deserved to know how my parents died and about this...this...book or whatever it is, you should've given it to me, you just should have...” Alex couldn't go on. She tried to fight back the tears that filled her eyes and failed, they flowed down her cheeks, and she swiped at them to clear them from her face.

  Aunt Mary then said something Alex couldn’t quite understand and barely heard as her aunt whispered it as if talking to herself: “I have not done my job.”

  “What?!” Alex asked into the phone, and she heard her aunt take a sharp breath in.

  “Nothing, Alex, it's nothing,” her aunt replied.

  “It's not nothing. What did you mean by that?” Alex was confused and hurting, and she was sure there was more to this than she could even begin to imagine.

  “Alex, honey, I can't even begin to explain, just get here and I'll go and get the book I'm talking about. Maybe it will help.” Her aunt was obviously not willing to explain, and Alex felt more than a little exasperated.

  “So, what about the fecking trees, Aunt Mary? I may as well ask, as this conversation is already so far out there that talking trees can't make things any weirder! What was that all about?” Alex had been sure she could sense the trees, or something, telling her to get the hell out of those woods. She had thought she was going a bit crazy, when it happened.

  “Ah, Alex, that was just your sixth sense warning you of danger, that's all,” her aunt said. But she wasn't sure she believed her. Sixth sense, talking trees, Christ, could this day get any worse?

  “Okay, we'll be there soon,” was all Alex said before hanging up the phone.

  *****

  Zach was immediately behind her and his arms wrapped around her. He did not know why Alex was upset and crying, but he could sense so many things going through her. She was extremely sad, hurt, angry and a host of other emotions. He felt them all warring inside of her and he wanted to stop them.

  He couldn’t bear to see her like this, and he would do anything to take this pain she was in away. She finally said goodbye and replaced the handset of the phone. She turned to him and her eyes were still teary and rather desolate, but she seemed to have a better hold on herself.

  “Oh dear God, what is going on?” she breathed.

  Zach looked down at her as he queried, “What is it, Alexina? Tell me, maybe I can help.”

  Alex was shaking her head as she replied, “Nope, don’t think so on this, Vampire. My Aunt Mary has just told me my parents were murdered, and my mother was part of some sect or other. And she has some kind of journal she says I will need. I always thought my parents were killed in a road accident! Why did she not tell me? I mean, surely I had the right to know this? I am so upset and confused I can’t think straight!”

  Zach now understood why she was in turmoil and really couldn’t blame her. This must have come as a terrible shock. At the same time, maybe this journal would shed some light on why Alexina was being targeted. They had to go and get it.

  “Okay, give me the address and we’ll get it on the way to the airport, it may be of some help, Alexina. Also, it will give you a chance to say goodbye to your aunt in person.”

  Alex just nodded and picked up her case, which Zach immediately relieved her of, and walked out the door.

  She didn’t even give a backwards glance to this place. It wasn’t her home. It was only a place for her to live while she had been trying to sort out her life. It held no memories for her, good or bad.

  Once they were back in the SUV, with Alex again struggling to get in, she gave an address, which was barely a five minutes’ drive away. They were very soon standing in the doorway to what had been Alex’s home before she had gotten married and moved out.

  Her aunt was beside herself with remorse and kept saying “Sorry,” to Alex. She held out to Alex a very, very old book, which was indeed some kind of journal, but the age of it Alex couldn’t discern. It was the oldest book she had ever seen, and she was scared it would fall apart in her hands.

  Alex took it from her Aunt Mary and as soon as her fingers touched it they tingled. Not in an unpleasant way, but nonetheless, it startled her. When she opened it, she could not understand the writing. It was in a foreign language as far as she could tell, but there was also some drawings and what looked to be a map on the inside of the back cover. Intriguing, Alex thought.

  After a very tearful goodbye, they headed back to the front door. Just before they were over the threshold, her aunt took hold of Zach’s sleeve. “I don’t know you, Vampire, but I am telling you this – you look after my girl – 'cause if you don’t, I will find you and you will not like the outcome! Okay?”

  Zach was about to laugh but stopped short, when he saw the look in this old lady’s eyes. He wasn’t scared exactly, but she definitely gave him food for thought. “I will keep her safe. You do not need to worry about that. I am bound to her in a way that is beyond your grasp, and I will not let anyone or anything harm her. Okay?” He used her aunt’s closing word back at her.

  “Good. I am glad we understand each other. I will give you a tip – find out what my girl’s name means,” she whispered to him.

  Zach was a bit confused at this, but gave a very slight nod to confirm he had heard her. He moved on, but the look in her eyes had him wondering. She had felt a bit off to him, in a magical sense, but he knew she was no Witch. He would have known, if she was.

  She had also shown no fear. When he met someone for the first time, especially a human, it usually elicited a frisson of that emotion. It was yet another thing on this case that was rather puzzling, he mused.

  Alex was very quiet, once they got back on the road and Zach was worried for her. She had been through a lot in the last few hours. He had no idea how she was going to cope, though he had a strong inkling she was much tougher than she looked.

  He certainly hoped so anyway.

  “Alexina, I think once we’re settled on the aircraft, we should take some time out to get to know each other better. What do you say?” he asked, and she raised her eyes to his and just nodded her head.

  She was too busy thinking about the things her Aunt Mary had told her, and she was in shock. Maybe a nice getting to know someone talk would help her to get some perspective.

  She noticed they had passed the turn-off for Glasgow Airport and was just about to ask where they were g
oing when Zach spoke. “We’re going to Prestwick. We try to use smaller airports whenever possible, less hassle than using the large international ones. There was a private airport in Cumbernauld we were going to use, but the runway was too short for take-off for the jet, so we landed at Prestwick. Everything is ready, and we will go through a private security check and straight out to the plane. We will be in the air very shortly. and it will be some time before we land in the US, so we can talk and you can try to relax. If you want, there are sleeping arrangements on board, so you can have a lie down.”

  “Okay,” was all she replied and continued staring out of her window.

  Chapter 4

  Before she knew it she was walking out to a very fancy jet. It was sleek and jet black and looked as if it would be very fast. How she thought that, she didn’t have a clue, but she guessed Zach would not use an aircraft that wasn’t capable of high speed. They walked up the stairs and into a beautiful space. All cream leather with chairs, as well as some sofas, and a galley at the front. Further back was a door, which she guessed led to the sleeping arrangements.

  They sat in two chairs on either side of a table and strapped in, Zach having put her suitcase on one of the sofas for now. It wasn’t long until they were high above the clouds, though as it was dark she couldn’t see anything.

  She hadn’t seen the pilot as yet. When they came aboard, Zach had just given a double knock on the door leading to the cockpit, which she assumed was the sign for him that they were on board. Zach had then pulled up the stairs and secured the door.

  She realized she was thirsty. Again before she could ask, Zach got up and went to the galley and came back with a couple bottles of water. Could he read her mind? She wouldn’t put it past him, she thought.

  When he opened his and had a drink, a look of confusion was on her face. She thought Vampires only drank blood? “I can eat and drink if I want, Alexina. It doesn’t keep me alive, but I do get thirsty and I enjoy eating. We only have blood for sustenance. It’s not required every day, but we do need it. There’s nothing more I like than a good meal.” He smiled and then settled back in the chair.

  “Okaaaay – that’s about the hundredth time you’ve pre-empted answering what was in my head. Can you read my mind?” She was a bit scared, as she asked him this. Her mind was hers and hers alone and sometimes it was a scary place to be.

  Zach smiled and once again she got butterflies in her stomach. He answered her query though she was sad when his smile left, but then realized she liked his voice just as much.

  “Not exactly, I’ve not been around you long enough yet to be able to do that. But I can read emotions and well, basically, your face gives most of what you are thinking away. The looks of confusion etcetera, so I just analyse the situation and assume what it is that you are confused about and answer accordingly. I think now may be the time to get to know each other a bit better. Do you want to go first or shall I?”

  She thought for a minute, processing what he had said and then gave a nod and said, “You first.”

  “Firstly my name, my full name is Zachariah Smith – ”

  She almost laughed aloud and said. “Smith? You have gotta be kidding me?”

  Zach continued, “Nope, Smith it is. My original name was Schmitt, I was born in Germany, but many centuries ago. I started using Smith a long time ago. I have not been back to my home in Germany since I left, not long after being turned into a Vampire. At the time I was terrified I would harm those that I loved and, well, once I had mastered my Vampire powers etcetera, I realized that wouldn’t happen. However, many years had passed and my mother and father would have been long dead. I had no siblings, so there was no point in me going back.”

  Alex thought he looked sad and she felt for him. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it had been like.

  Zach continued, “I travelled for many years until I came into contact with another older Vampire who took me under his wing, so to speak. He taught me the ways of the Vampire and introduced me to the Council. I was taken in by them and trained and started working for them. It was a different world then. No planes to hop between countries, so I travelled a lot! I had not yet mastered moving myself then, so it was the old fashioned way, horse, carriage, boat, or simply walking for days on end. It was a harsh time, but I look back on it quite fondly, as it made me the man I am today.”

  Alex responded, “What happened to the Vampire that took you in? Is he still alive?”

  A pained expression crossed his features and he frowned. “I’m afraid not. He was killed by another rogue Vampire a long time ago. I miss him. He was like a father to me.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” she replied.

  “No, it’s okay, we agreed on this get to know you conversation, and I’m sure there will be things in your past that are hurtful to remember.”

  At this, tears appeared in her eyes, and Zach was up and at her side before she could blink them away. “Come, we will sit on the sofa. It’s much more comfortable than these chairs,” he said. He unclipped her seatbelt and led her to the nearest sofa, the one opposite where her case lay.

  She took a deep breath and started her story. “My full name is Alexina Brodie. I took my mother’s maiden name when I got divorced a couple of years ago. My parents were killed when I was very young. About five I think, it’s all a bit hazy, but it was around that time. We were all supposed to be going out for the evening, my parents, me and my maternal grandmother, my father had no living relatives. However, I got ill that day, just a kid’s sickness bug, but enough for me not to go. My Aunt Mary was roped in to babysit me and my parents left. Just before my mother went out, she took her necklace off and put it on me. That was the last I saw of any of them.” Alex stopped to take a deep breath.

  Once she had calmed herself, she continued, “The next morning my aunt was crying and explained there had been a car accident and that they had gone to Heaven. I was devastated and cried for what seemed like forever. The strange thing though, we moved the very next day. I didn’t think about it at the time, after all, I was a small child and was hurting so bad I didn’t take in anything, other than how I was feeling. My aunt just told me we moved so I wasn’t reminded of them every day. It sorta made sense, so I never questioned it, even when I got older.” Alex stopped again, as if thinking about something.

  A second later she shook her head and went on with her story. “We moved about a dozen times in the first couple of years and then settled down in the house we were just at. She took such good care of me and did her best, but she wasn’t my mum or dad. I missed them so much, I made her life a misery with tantrums and so on. I regretted it when I was older, but at the time I couldn’t help myself. Only now it turns out they didn’t die in an accident! She says they were murdered. I can’t understand it. We were just an ordinary family. Why would anyone have wanted to do that?”

  She started to cry again and Zach cuddled her close to him, trying to ease her pain. “I’m so sorry, Alexina, if there’s anything I can do, please let me. I want to help.” Zach’s tone was one of someone who cared, she was surprised as they had only just met.

  She was also surprised at just how good his arms around her felt, and she turned her face to his before replying, “No, it’s okay, it’s just been a shock, on top of everything else today. It just took me by surprise and opened old wounds.”

  She sniffled and hunted for a hanky in her pocket to wipe her nose. She knew she must look a right mess. She wished she could do that dainty cry that some women could do, but no, she was a swollen eyes, runny nose type of gal.

  “You said you were divorced?” Zach queried.

  “Yup, biggest mistake of my life, I thought he was ‘the one’ you know, but he just wanted a wife to further his career in the bank. I should have seen through him, but I was blind at the time. I so wanted a husband and kids that I put up with a lot of crap that I wouldn’t normally have. I learned quickly he didn’t love me a
nd more importantly, I didn’t love him. My dream of kids was so strong I kept trying to make it work. But it wasn’t to be.” Alex’s voice was sad as she spoke.

  “You can still have that, Alexina.” Zach tried to make her feel better.

  “Are you mad? I’m nearly forty. I don’t want my kids in high school when I’m an old woman,” she retorted.

  “Alexina, I will tell you what you told me earlier – you look good for your age!” They both burst out laughing, and she looked at him and saw he seemed sincere.

  “Well, thank you, kind sir,” she quipped before continuing, “but I have given up on that. I just try to get through each day as it comes at the moment. I’m just sad as I always wanted my own family. I wanted to be a good mum, just as my mum was to me before she died.”

  “Never give up on anything, Alexina, never. This world can throw quite a few curve balls in one’s life.” Zach’s voice was low, and damn if she didn’t find it downright sexy.

  “Why do you do that?” she asked.

  “Do what?” he frowned.

  “You know, use my name so often? You use it in practically every sentence.”

  “I like it, that’s why. Your name is beautiful, Alexina, and I have no idea why you would use Alex. It doesn’t do you justice, not one bit.”

  She was taken aback and wondered if he meant it? Did he like her, maybe? Oh for goodness sake, give yourself a shake woman. Don’t be ridiculous, look at him. He was a very fine specimen of the male persuasion, and he could have any female he wanted.

  She was just an ordinary, down to earth Scots woman, who really didn’t have a lot going for her at the moment.

  “That reminds me of something your aunt said to me, just before we left.” Zach got up and opened a drawer underneath the table they had been sitting at and pulled out a very hi-tech laptop.