by Riley, Alexa
I nod as I listen to Ezra’s plan to walk the blocks around us and then try to scent out where she’s been watching us from. I have a feeling she’s in a car or something that keeps her confined because we haven’t found any tracks.
“Maybe we need to create something worth looking at,” I say as the wheels in my mind begin to turn.
“Now you’re starting to sound like the idiot I know and love,” Ezra says and slaps me on the shoulder.
“You mean genius,” I say as we walk through the back door and outside to the shed. “Now, where did we put those fireworks?”
Two
Dove
“Little girls shouldn't be in basements all alone.”
I jump and drop the papers in my hand. They fall all over the floor and I stand there for a moment looking at the unknown man. He shouldn’t be down here. It’s after hours and the library is closed. I know because I locked the doors myself. He looks to be in his early forties with gray hair at his temples. He’s in a suit and I wonder if he’s a professor here at the college, but the more I look at his clothes I realize they’re too nice and most professors couldn’t afford them.
“I work here,” I finally say, pushing my glasses up my nose. He tilts his head and studies me for a moment. “Is there something I can help you with? The library is closed.”
He takes another step into the room. He’s quite handsome, and the closer he gets the more his blue eyes sparkle. But there’s a nagging feeling of fear pushing down on me, and I don't scare easily. When you grow up in a funeral home, spooky is normal.
“The door was unlocked.” He gives a small shake of his head as if scolding me.
He’s lying, because that’s the first thing I do once I get everyone out of here. That way I know I won’t be bothered and no one will see what I’m researching. I’m not sure if I don’t want others to know because they'll think I’m crazy or because I think this is a secret worth protecting. To be honest, but I really need to stay off the forums where people talk about vampires. It’s starting to mess with my head, and you can’t tell who the liars are from the people who are also trying to find the truth. What I do know is what I could find on Bishop. He has a history I tracked back further than a normal man could live. In fact, he’s seems to have lived a few lives and changed his last name from time to time. It took work but I found him. Not the twins though. It was as if they’d been ripped from history. Between Kane and Bishop, I’m pretty much sure they’re vampires or something like that.
“I’m sorry. I must have missed a door, but you’re free to come back tomorrow. We open at ten.” I force a smile because I’m alone in the basement of the library with a complete stranger. No one would hear me scream and it would take a long time for anyone to even find my body down here. I already assume the worst because at this point in my life I’m not taking anything off the table.
“No, now is fine. After all, I’ve come all this way just to see you, little bird.”
It’s not the first time I’ve been called bird with my name being Dove, but the way he says it makes it sound as if I’m some breakable creature. To him, though, I probably am.
I’m already thinking of ways to get out of here, but it’s not looking so good. I could try and run past him, but he’s blocking the doorway and he’s so much bigger than I am. There’s no cell service down here, but I didn’t bring my cell phone anyway. I always forget to charge the damn thing and it’s not as if someone is calling me regularly.
He takes another step close to me and I’m thankful for the table that separates us. He tosses a book onto the table, but it doesn't look like a traditional book that belongs here in the stacks. It’s handmade and looks like a scrapbook.
“Little birds should be careful about flying where they don’t belong.”
Unable to help myself, I reach for the book and pick it up. When I open it, I see the inside is filled with newspaper clippings and I look up at the mystery man.
“How did you know?”
I’d been looking for these archived newspapers and hadn't been able to find them. They were not in our system and they should have been. I spent hours going over the microfilm trying to find them, but these dates were missing. The reason I came to the basement was to try and find the originals. But so far I’d had absolutely no luck.
“You’re good at spying and not getting caught,” he says as he runs a finger along the table. “But you’d do well to remember that while you’re watching someone, someone might be watching you.”
Every hair on my body stands up at his words. He’s been watching me? My stomach feels sick and somehow I feel violated. I know that makes me a hypocrite, but when I was spying on Ezra and Erik I felt as if I had the right to. This doesn't feel the same.
“I’m only here to warn you.” He points at the book. “Read that and maybe you’ll find out the twins aren't who you think they are,” he says as he begins to walk out. I think to myself that I already know they’re vampires at this point, and he pauses as if he actually heard what was in my head. “I’m not talking about them being vampires. I’m talking about them being murderers.”
I stand there motionless as I watch him leave. Then when he’s gone, I still don't move. I look down at the book in my hands and once again I’m eager to read it, but now I’m afraid of what it might hold. Who was he and why did he want me to have this information? I close the book and run my finger along the binding.
It’s been almost a week since I sought out Ezra and Erik. I can still see the anger on their faces when they caught that man all over Ravana. It confirmed exactly what I’d already been thinking. They were in love with her and they flew into a jealous rage and dragged him off her. I should have been disgusted by the act of violence. I couldn't fight the feeling of jealousy—they were so angry about another man touching her; they flew into such a rage over her and their possession was clear. They were always so laidback when I watched them before, but not when it came to her.
More than anything, seeing how fast they moved and how their eyes changed was the proof I needed, but all I could focus on was jealousy.
I still don’t get why she let another man kiss her when she had Ezra and Erik making her laugh and smile the whole night at the theatre. They looked happy together, and I knew I had to leave them be, even if it felt like my heart was breaking. But a week later I’m still not over it.
I slipped up the first night after I vowed I wouldn’t follow them anymore. The same man they dragged off of Ravana at the theater found me lurking outside of her house. He was angry and had gone through my stuff, saying he was a cop. I didn’t believe him, but he was twice my size and clearly on a mission. I’d hauled ass out of there thinking that was my sign to really keep away. I was in over my head, at least physically, when it came to watching them, but I could still do all the research I wanted. Normally digging for information is what I’m best at, but I’ve been hitting nothing but brick walls in my efforts to know more. I know they had to have a past like Bishop had, but there’s nothing to track. Maybe they’re young vampires, but I didn’t even know how all that works. Do you get turned or are you born a vampire?
Right now I might have everything I’ve been looking for at my fingertips. I open the book and the first thing I see is a wanted picture of Ezra and Erik. The date at the bottom is from over a hundred years ago, but I know it’s them even if their names are different. The picture is in black and white and the paper is worn and old, but there’s no mistaking those eyes.
I stare at it in disbelief because the list of crimes against them can’t possibly be real. They’d been accused of murdering their own father then burning the house down with him inside it. That still isn't the worst. It was believed they killed their father because he discovered they’d been responsible for the disappearance of ten women in their town—women that were later discovered in a grave on the land their family owned. The paper states the reward at the bottom and indicates the police had no leads on their whereabouts at th
at time.
I can’t stop myself from looking at the pages of newspapers that feature each missing girl. As I read, it seems they were all beautiful and young and around my age. They all looked similar, too: tall and thin with short red hair. I read the words but still find it hard to believe that Ezra and Erik are capable of anything like this.
My hands shake as I shut the book, unable to keep reading. I don’t know if the rest is about the twins or the other vampires. From what I’ve pieced together, all five of them move together, but with the addition of Juliet, it’s now six. We weren't super close, but I never wanted something to happen to her. I can’t see Kane harming a hair on her or letting anyone else either. The nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I can’t seem to shake is that Ravana is so similar to the description of all the women who went missing. They say serial killers have a type, and she fits it perfectly.
I grab my stuff in a rush and go upstairs. When I get there, I power up one of the computers and begin searching for missing people over the last year. There were a handful of women who disappeared: all tall, thin, and around the same age with red hair. It’s all the same as before. I should really watch the news more. I had no idea this was even going on because I always pick books over the television.
I turn off the computer and pick up my bag. Should I have not stopped following them? My brain tells me to stay away because they could be killing these women, but my heart tells me it can’t be true. Either way it gives me a reason to go back, but it’s not like I needed much of a shove to begin with.
I should have planned all of this out better, but before I know it I’m tripping over rocks in the woods behind their house.
“A flashlight might have been a good idea,” I mutter to myself as I stand up and brush the dirt off my jeans.
I should have known this was a bad idea when I almost broke my leg climbing the wall that surrounds their property. Why did their home have to be so far back from the road, and why did I get the bright idea to come from the point that was the farthest from their house? I’m trying to sneak in, but as much as I keep falling and tripping over crap, someone is bound to hear me soon enough. I’m sure vampires have super hearing like in all the books I’ve read. I dust my hands off, happy I didn’t bring my bag with me. Normally I take it everywhere, but I knew I’d have a hard enough time getting myself over that wall.
I stand there debating what I should do. I keep telling myself I came here because they could have a woman locked away in their home. I have to make sure they haven’t done this to someone else, and if I called the cops they would think I was crazy. Not that I wouldn’t agree with them in this moment.
I already know Ravana is fine because that’s the first place I drove by. She was leaving the house with the same man I saw the twins attack at the play. The same guy who told me he was a cop and asked me all kinds of questions.
Maybe he is a cop and wants to help Ravana. If I would have kept watching the houses like I was before the theater, then maybe I would know a little more and not be so confused.
If I’m honest with myself and face reality, the real reason I came here was to see them and maybe even get caught by them. I still can’t believe they harmed those women, but a month ago I wouldn’t have believed vampires were real. I’m starting to think I can’t believe anything anymore, which is a sad thought.
The pull I have to the twins makes my feet start moving again. The closer I get to their home, the stronger it feels, but maybe they aren’t even there. They could have gone out to one of the bars I always see them at, and then I think about what a masochist I am. I’m always bringing these things to the forefront of my mind, but maybe it’s self-preservation. It’s my brain’s way of telling me to turn around and go back to the world I belong in, because this one isn’t mine.
I freeze when I hear what sounds like a scream, and my ears strain for any sound. Then a second later, another sounds and I’m torn between running towards it or away from it.
I step back as the light over the front door turns on and a woman comes walking out.
“I’m serious, you two! You can’t just call a girl over in the middle of the night and except her to show up!” the woman yells at them. I think she might be wrong because it looks like she did indeed show up. I can’t tell from her tone if she’s really mad at them or more scolding them. She looks older and her blonde hair is pulled up in a ponytail so tight it looks painful.
“Sometimes a man just needs a little help,” Erik says in a teasing tone.
I stay hidden in the shadows, unsure if they can still see me even if they look this way.
“You both scared the shit out of me! You got what you wanted, so don’t call me in the middle of the night again,” she huffs, getting into her car and speeding off.
Erik only laughs. “She’s always a drama queen.” He shakes his head. “We should look into replacing her,” he adds.
That probably wouldn’t sound so creepy if I hadn’t just read that they enjoy killing women.
“Come on, we’ve got to handle this. We’ll worry about her later,” Ezra says, slapping his brother on the back. “We have a woman in our sights and I don’t plan on losing her this time,” he adds as they go back into the house.
Erik stands there for a moment, glancing around before following his brother back into the house. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I try and decipher what they could have possibly meant, but I come up short.
It isn’t until a loud bang cracks through the silent night that I’m shocked back to reality. I swear the ground shakes beneath my feet, then the sky lights up with bright colors. The sight of the fireworks has me in a panic and I turn and run. As they keep going off, they light up the night and I can see where I’m going. It isn’t until I reach the stone wall that I stop and rest my hands against it. My breathing is heavy and I can’t hear anything with the pounding in my ears. How the fuck am I getting back over this wall?
With everything I have in me, I start to climb and almost slip when I’m halfway up. I can’t get good footing, so it takes me forever, but finally I reach the top. When I look down I can’t help but think that it looks so much worse going back over now than it did before.
A noise in the woods causes me to jerk my head back and scan the darkness. I stay frozen as both Ezra and Erik step out from the shadows, but I still can’t see them very well. The moon isn’t bright enough to show me more of them, and whatever it was that was lighting up the sky has stopped.
“Please,” I whisper, unsure why I’m saying it. Please let me go? Please don’t let me go?
They both stand there as if they’re in just as much shock as I am. Ezra takes another step towards the wall and Erik reaches out to stop him.
“Don’t. You’ll scare her and she’ll fall,” Erik tells his brother. “I can smell her fear.”
“Ezra, please let me go.” I tell him, but the glint in his eyes is intense and scary.
“You know he’s Ezra?” Erik asks me, and I nod.
“I know who you both are,” I say, but he shakes his head.
“That’s not what I meant. I meant you can tell us apart.”
“Well, yeah.” I don’t really understand the question.
Of course I can tell them apart. Sure, they look a lot alike, but you’d have to be crazy to not be able to see the difference. I see the corner of Erik’s mouth twitch and I wonder if he’s fighting a smile.
But before I can enjoy the moment or ask any more questions, Ezra suddenly breaks free of his brother’s hold and lunges for me. I let out a small scream as he comes up the wall and Erik shouts in the distance. Everything in my vision tips upside down as I feel myself begin to fall.
Three
Ezra
“What have you done?” Erik shouts at me as I carry the girl into the house.
“I didn’t mean it,” I say in a panic.
“Thank god you caught her in time,” he says as I run to the couch and he pushes all
the pillows out of the way.
“I think she must have hit her head. I don’t know why she won’t wake up.” It’s then that I finally take a breath as I lay her on the cushions. That’s when I catch the sweet scent. “Oh god.”
I take a step back as the smell of her blood surrounds me and my mouth begins to water.
“Shit,” Erik hisses as he comes up beside me.
I turn to him and see the recognition in his eyes. This is what we’ve been after for the past week. Ever since the theater and we caught the sugary scent of cotton candy mixed with something unexplainable.
“Does that mean…” I swallow then try to think through all of the things running through my mind. “Is she the one?”
“But for which one of us?” Erik says, and my eyes narrow.
Does he mean to say that we’ve both mated to her?
“Maybe we should call Bishop,” I say, clenching my fists at my side.
“Maybe we should,” he agrees but plants his feet in front of me.
Is he challenging me? Suddenly I’m looking at my brother in a whole new light and I can’t help but think that this is the mate bond coming into play. I’ve never so much as spoken a harsh word to him.
All our lives we’ve only ever had each other. When Bishop created us, we were given a new family, but deep down we had a connection above all others. This isn’t something I can sweep away because a woman falls off our wall, but something inside of me has been on edge for weeks and it feels like it’s coming to a head.
Just then I hear footsteps coming up the backstairs and I turn in time to see Bishop and Kane coming through the door.
“What’s going on?” Bishop says as he looks between us then looks at the couch. “I got a call from your housekeeper that you were going to shoot off some fireworks. She said she ran out of here angry and you both just laughed. Could you two possibly attract any more attention to us?” He stops once he gets to the couch and sees the young woman there. “Who is this?”