I looked at the man before me, so seductive, so welcoming. I pressed my warm lips intensely against his icy ones. He kissed back powerfully, sending a charge of erotica over me; he was magnificent. I opened my eyes to find we no longer stood on the dark street; instead, we flew through the moon-lit night. We weren’t up very high, but enough to clear the rooftops. I remembered how the stranger had flown at us in the gardens, the night our lives changed. I hugged Daray, the memory fresh in my mind.
This felt marvelous, just the two of us flying through the night sky. The world had completely changed for both of us. We needed to be reacquainted with one another and from the way things were heading, we were off to a good start. Daray held me securely soaring up even higher. I felt the intense power he held over me, but didn’t fight it. Trance or not, this is where I wanted to be, fearless and free with the night breeze flowing in my hair and rippling my clothes.
We flew near the outskirts of town and I saw the water with the moon’s reflection sparking off the rolling waves. Daray flew us lower to get a closer look. Soon we headed towards the heavily grown forest sitting upon the hillside. Out in the distance, amongst the thick trees, rested a lone old battered stone house.
Daray brought us down gently, but I stumbled when reunited with the ground. He supported me and my jacket slipped down exposing the tattoo on my bare arm.
He hissed at me. “What have you done to yourself?”
“This? I really like it actually. The armband’s made up of all the zodiac symbols, notice it doesn’t join? Well, that’s because I heard your soul could never leave your body if it’s connected. The thought of being stuck in one place for all eternity freaked me out so I left it undone.” I twisted my arm around to show him a better view. From the look on his face, I could see he wasn’t impressed. “Do you like it?”
“You are a lady. No, I do not approve of the fact that you’ve dishonored your body in such a vile way.”
I was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. My tattoos held stories, meaning and memories. “I get the fact that you don’t care for it very much, but I’m quite proud of it. I’ve got the entire world wrapped around my arm and the best part is that they’re all joined in harmony.”
He hissed again, not showing any sign of agreement. I decided to keep the one on my ankle hidden. It would send him on a rampage knowing I had more than one. He could find out about it another time. I felt his intoxication creep over me as we strolled through the overgrown garden. We went along a small dirt pathway leading through an old broken down brick archway covered with dead vines and branches. A stone path twisted and turned as it brought us closer to the neglected house.
Upon reaching the front door, I felt more like myself. Daray eased up on his power and I was pleased, his intoxication left me unable to think straight. “You don’t need to put a spell on me. I’m here now. Okay?”
“Yes, my love, you are here.” He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “Welcome home.”
He slid open the front door. At first glance I saw cobwebs hanging from crooked and smashed picture frames, broken railings lining the rundown staircase, a dangling chandelier looking as if it was about to fall. Dust covered everything and the entire place had a dark eerie feel. Too scared to leave, I cringed and followed Daray as he led the way to an adjoining room.
I glanced around, taking in my new surroundings. This room was no better, poorly lit with the exception of wine bottle candleholders and some wall sconces. The flames were hard to see through the thick dust and cobwebs surrounding everything. Dark drapes covered the windows where boards didn’t. Dead flowers rotted in old vases occupying tabletops along with old torn books.
I stumbled back a step and my heart beat faster as I took notice of the four vampires in the room, occupying a few oversized chairs and worn out couch. I refocused my attention on them because I’d seen enough of the house.
They looked quite comfortable sipping glasses of red wine and I found myself mesmerized, almost envious, of how at ease they appeared. My world was upside down. I would’ve given anything to enjoy the kind of peacefulness they reflected. I watched in awe until I clued in, something wasn’t right about this. My nerves became rattled when I realized, no one enjoys drinks by seductively running their tongues up and down the glass. That’s when I realized it wasn’t wine they were drinking, but blood.
Tremendously uncomfortable, I grabbed tightly onto Daray’s hand, hoping for protection. A male vampire didn’t shift his eyes from me for a split second. “Daray, can we go somewhere else?”
Lakylee, the half-breed, lunged forward bearing her fangs snarling as she headed right towards me. I jumped out of her way and called out for Jayce. I needed his help.
Daray hissed in protest.
“Her? All this, for her? You’ve searched for so many nights, then she calls out for another man, and you’re okay with this?” She retaliated with an evil glare.
“Mind your tongue, Lakylee,” he warned. “And, your eyes.”
Irritated, she sat back down. However, her intimidation continued as she proceeded to lick her lips, smearing blood across her mouth. With a wicked chuckle, she playfully asked. “Something the matter?”
“Nope, nothing at all,” I lied. I wanted Jayce, my protectors, anyone that could come save me from the mess I’d gotten myself into.
“Sure about that?” She wasn’t fooled. Her eyes penetrated the depths of my soul.
Unsure, what to do, I tugged on Daray’s arm for assistance.
“Enough!” he scolded. He led me out of the uncomfortable room.
Rumbling noises came from rooms below. I tried ignoring it as I attempted to pull myself back together. Lakylee had gotten under my skin and I couldn’t shake the feeling she wasn’t going to let this go. I was on her turf and she didn’t like me one bit. I heard another noise and clearly recognized a growl.
Obviously, this was a giant mistake. These beings were more monster than human. I couldn’t stay here. I needed to get as far away from them as possible. ‘Jayce, please, I need your help.’ I couldn’t feel him and knew I was still on my own. I looked around trying to figure out an escape route. I spotted a loose board in the window. Knowing I could squeeze through it, I started to move towards it, but Daray grabbed my hand. I tried to pull away, but he shot me a look, making my heart stop. I quit fighting as he led me down a darkened hallway.
I really doubted Daray and this whole situation. He didn’t speak to me much and I seriously disliked the trance he kept placing me under. I wanted to be in control and keep my head on straight. His followers were something else altogether. I didn’t care if I ever set eyes on them again; they made my skin crawl, miserable monsters. Why weren’t they like the beautiful vampires in the books I’d read or movies I’d watched? Those vampires were flawless, sensual, and even seductive. Irresistible wasn’t anywhere close to how I’d describe the monsters in the other room. The ones Daray kept company with were scary; their dark eyes, pale skin, sheer wickedness, weren’t flattering to me whatsoever. Still, they managed to maintain a strange appeal and even came across as captivating, but either way, not one hint of goodness remained. Their souls vanished the day they changed.
Daray picked up on my overwhelming fear and turned to face me in the dark hallway. I felt his power regaining control. “My sweet, they shall not cause you harm. Come…” He teased me with his finger-tips. “I want to show you.”
It felt like a dream. He was going to show me he could make the mean vampires treat me better. We were going to start again, a new introduction. Instead he opened a secret door behind me. Letting go of the tight grip on my hand, I knew I had no choice other than to follow him. I heard the same growling noise and held my breath, terrified of what I was about to see.
Daray led the way as we made our descent. A rotten musky smell, mixed with other scents I couldn’t quite recognize, stung my nose and made me choke. I fought back the reflex urging me to gag. The narrow stairs squeaked with every step. My heart p
ounded quickly. Where was he taking me? Thick dirty black pipes lined the ceiling while a patchy mixture of grey and brown cement covered the walls and floor. Towards the bottom of the staircase it got darker and the growls became much louder. Frightened and unsure, I grabbed onto Daray’s cool hand, hoping for some reassurance. He pulled away, leaving me scared and alone. I was about to yell out when he turned on the light. Only a few feet away, were the piercing, fiery red eyes of the doomahorns. I covered my mouth, gasping. I felt their breath upon me as they huffed and struggled, trying to break free from their thick restraints. I shifted my eyes towards the steel cages containing the werewolves, who let out angry growls. A mixture of drool and blood splattered as they smashed violently against the bars.
These beasts were vicious, downright awful and for some reason, appeared angrier now than at our first encounter. They seemed disturbed by my presence so I tried backing away, but Daray shoved me closer. I stood within arm’s reach of a doomahorn; saw its terrifying eyes and something else, there was a look deep in the middle of that red eye.
Right then, something really stood out to me. They were being kept as prisoners. Maybe they weren’t allies, as the other immortals suspected? I turned, ready to faceoff over this unjust cruelty, when he forcefully spun me towards the beasts and then back towards him. Deciding we’d had enough, Daray abruptly shut the light off, grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me back upstairs.
“You wanted to show me something?”
“I already did, not to worry.”
“You did?” For a moment, I almost didn’t remember leaving this hallway.
He looked deeply into my eyes. I had his full attention and saw a kindness. He was different, not quite so cold, as he spoke in a gentle manner. “My sweets, you are always safe with me. Until the end of time, your heart will beat by my side, where it has always belonged.” His cool lips breezed along my neck, making me tingle. I found the resemblance of the man living in my memories. He wasn’t dead; far from it, he was alive, thoughtful, and caring, and standing in front of me.
We made our way upstairs into a rather large room that looked quite different from the rest of the house. It was clean, the furniture well kept, and surprisingly even color was present, in darker shades, but at least a start.
“A bed?” I said, puzzled. “Don’t vampires sleep in coffins?” I couldn’t imagine myself sleeping in something so confined, so awful. The thought made me shiver.
“Yes, yes we do.” He chuckled. “The bed is for you, love.”
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It’s perfect.” I walked in further, observing the ancient beautiful items he had. I touched a shiny silver mirror and it surged with memories of a girl brushing her long brown hair. It was mine and I was the girl, the mirror had been a gift from Daray. I ran my hands over it, reeling in old memories.
My memory flooded back quicker than I could absorb. With every new experience an old memory resurfaced. I moved around the room, eyeing and touching every tiny detail. It was truly amazing how he’d kept everything in such immaculate condition. If we would’ve been married back then, this is what our room could’ve resembled. It was amazing.
I noticed as Daray walked towards a small chest on a table over on the far side of the room. He opened it, pulled something out, and tried inconspicuously to hide it behind his back.
“Daray, are you hiding something?” I walked over to him and tried peeking. “What do you have there?”
“It’s something I gave you a very long time ago and well… it will always belong to you.” He hugged me tightly — the chill of his skin oozed straight through my clothes.
“Let me see.” I reached around taking his hand, he allowed me to pull it out. I looked at him holding his clutched fist in my hands. He looked back deeply, but it wasn’t hard to see that his eyes no longer held warmth as they once did. They seemed hollow, making a chill race through me.
“I asked you a question a hundred years ago.” He got down on one knee. “Shanntal, will you be my queen for all eternity?” He opened his fist, showing me my ring. It was just as beautiful as the first time he’d given it to me. It consisted of a one-carat circular diamond, accompanied by three smaller diamonds down either side and it sparkled brighter than the stars on a clear night. All of this shine lay embedded in a delicate band of gold.
“Oh Daray, I can’t believe you’ve kept it after all these years.” I was blown away for a minute, but knew deep down inside, I couldn’t bring myself to say what he wanted to hear. I paused, unsure of how he was going to handle my response. “I cannot honestly say that I’ll be yours forever… well… right now anyway.”
He pulled away.
“Please, let me have the chance to explain myself,” I said, holding his hand tightly. “We’ve lost so much time together, my memories are just coming back. I’m asking you to be patient and let me take the time I need so we can get to know one another again. We have eternity and don’t need to rush. Please, keep my ring safe, until the time comes for you to present it again.” I placed the ring back in his hand.
He allowed me to hold him briefly, and then he shoved me away, causing me to fall onto the floor. I looked at him in disbelief. “Daray, what the…”
“I won’t wait forever!” he snapped.
“What can I say? I’m sorry. This is all happening too fast.”
He snarled, baring his fangs. My heart almost popped out of my chest. I stayed still on the floor. He returned my ring to the chest, slammed it shut, and stormed past me, growling as he left me alone in the room.
What had I done? Self-pity started to hit and tears and sobs streamed out. A few minutes passed when I finally decided I’d had enough and stopped crying. I’d give us some space and go home for the remainder of the night. I got up, and twisted the doorknob to find that it wouldn’t turn. I tried again; over and over, it would not budge.
“Daray, are you out there?” I shouted. “I’m stuck, could you open the door please?” I shoved my ear up close trying to hear if he was coming, but there was nothing but silence. “Daray? Anyone? Let me out!” I hit the door with some force, then stopped and placed my ear back against the door. Again no sound, nothing but complete silence.
Now more upset, I went over and sat on the bed, sobbing even harder. Unbelievable, I was simply another one of his many prisoners. Whatever made me think he could be the same man I once loved? Clearly, he was a monster and I’d tossed away my one chance of true happiness for this. Why hadn’t I listened when everyone warned me?
Minutes passed. I wandered around reminiscing through my old belongings. As more memories returned, the more I resented Daray. He wasn’t anything like this figment of my imagination.
I searched through my pockets; in my hastiness I left my phone at home. Perfect! I glanced around, searching for a clock of some kind. There wasn’t one to be found and I had no idea what time it was. All I knew was that it felt like time was standing still and my patience was wearing thin. I wanted out, I wanted to go home.
I ripped open the dark blinds and leaned against the window, hoping for some sign of movement. Hoping for a way out. Nothing. There was no way down. They’d have to return before sun up, worst case scenario I’d have to stay locked up until then. I perched myself up on the window ledge, and twisted a blanket around my legs as I waited for sunrise or Daray.
With all this time alone and nothing to distract me, all I could do was think. Sure as anything, Jayce was first to cross my mind. Oh, how I missed him. He never would’ve placed me in a position like this, and I wondered, what was he doing now? What would he think if he saw me at this particular point in time? As hard as I tried, I couldn’t feel any connection.
No one had ever known me in such depths. He knew the entirety of my being, both inside and out. The best part was, he loved all of it because he truly adored me. Why did I screw that up? I regretted behaving so badly and putting him through all this. It wasn’t deliberate and I should’ve taken the time to explain th
is to him properly. I should’ve picked him; better yet, I should’ve stayed with him. He’d always been there for me; as long as I’d known him he’d never let me down. Above all else, he tried his best to keep me safe and somehow swallowed his pride when he lost that quest. I’d live with the regret of my decision for eternity, hoping one day he’d be able to forgive me for the pain and betrayal I caused him.
Another thought intruded, pushing Jayce aside. Daray had spent every night of the last hundred years searching for me. He’d remembered everything about me, even when I couldn’t. He’d known me in both my lifetimes. He’d even held onto my belongings until we were re-united, and this was how I repaid him? Doubting him, turning him down when he proposed? What kind of person was I? I wanted to pull my hair out from this overwhelming confusion. I loved Jayce with all my heart and wanted to be with him, but for some stupid reason felt compelled to be with Daray. “Argh! Why is this happening to me?” I yelled in the empty room.
Escaped the Night Page 11