by Candy Crum
As it turned out, along with being Romanian—it’s okay… you can insert a Dracula joke here. I did—they were amazing cooks. I was pretty impressed, if I’m to be completely honest. They made a massive dinner, complete with soups I’d never heard of, main courses made with ridiculously expensive cuts of meat, beautiful vegetables, and even homemade ice-cream. It was by far the most amazing dinner that I’d ever eaten, and that was including at a restaurant where I would have had to pay an obscene amount for it.
Rachel and Brett took off to the store to get some things for the morning because neither one of us packed a bag before leaving on our emergency sleep-over trip. Since I had to work in the morning and couldn’t take off, it was decided that I would spend the night at their house, drive back in the morning for work, and then come back. Amanda didn’t have to work, so we got lucky with her. Mary and Rachel were both taking the day off and staying with Khanae while she tried to locate Jeff and the female Vampire that he was with. Casi was her name.
Khanae had a mental link with all Vampires because they were all created from her. It’s limited with younger ones because there are so many generations between them, but she can still find them if she has something to go on—like their scent for instance. Lassie the Vampire. She was able to get what she needed from Rachel the night that we met her.
Sayen figured out a way to shield me from Khia, but it wouldn’t last forever. She used a mental barrier. It was kind of the same thing as the physical barrier that I’d used and seen Wendy use, only this one was made specifically for the mind. With it, Khia wouldn’t be able to get a lock on my energy, and she definitely wouldn’t be able to see a vision of what’s around me to find me. It wouldn’t be a permanent fix, but it would buy us some time.
Immortals can’t read each other’s minds, but they can still track one another using their power of vision. The way Khia had found us was by seeking out my Immortal energy, which differs from any other supernatural energy in the world. When that energy shows up, it only gives a general area—like a region of a state, or maybe a whole county if the energy is powerful enough.
From there, she focuses in and uses her power of vision to see through the eyes of the one she seeks. It’s not constant and only comes in flashes, but it gives Khia the landmarks and things to go off of when she looks for them. It doesn’t sound very accurate, but as I’d seen, it most certainly was. Deadly accurate, actually.
Since I needed to get up even earlier than normal, I needed to go to bed earlier. I desperately wanted a shower before lying down because I felt disgusting after the day.
“Would it be okay if I took a shower before bed?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’ll show you where everything is,” Aeric replied.
Even though I’d found my way around to accepting him, Brett, and the new world around me, I was still uncomfortable around him. I felt a little bad about that, considering the fact that he risked his life to save me, but I couldn’t help it. The Immortal blood was still trying to pull at me. I just refused to let it.
He made his way down the hall to a closet that stood at the very end. Inside were extra blankets, towels, wash cloths, robes hanging on the door, and other toiletries anyone might need. He handed me a towel and a black satin robe.
“Take your time, and I’ll be sure to have your things waiting for you by the time you get out,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said.
He smiled. “It’s no problem. Really.”
He turned and walked away as I headed to the bathroom. It was beautifully decorated in white and blue. It had a gorgeous white, claw-foot, porcelain tub and white ceramic tile. Halfway up the walls were painted white, with a single, thin, dark blue design that stretched around the room. A white chair rail separated the white of the bottom and the dark blue wall above. The dark and light colors accented each other well, and it turned out to be the most peaceful bath I had ever taken.
When I got out, I dried off with what had to be the softest towel in existence. Then, I wrapped my hair in it and put on the amazing satin robe. If the towels and robes felt that nice, I couldn’t wait to see what the sheets felt like. I hated to think about it—because it was extremely rude to do so—but they had to be loaded. The things they had were so extravagant, even down to the smallest item like a towel.
Rachel had come in while I was in the tub and left me a toothbrush, hairbrush, and some other hygiene things that I needed. After I finished with everything else, I grabbed the hairbrush and decided to finish up in the room. Since they were back, I figured they’d dropped off some extra clothing for me.
I made my way to the bedroom and shut the door behind me. When I turned, I jumped. I wasn’t prepared to see Aeric sitting on the edge of my bed.
“I brought your clothes up for you,” he said softly.
“Thanks,” I replied. “I really appreciate everything you guys have done for us. If it weren’t for you and Brett, all three of us would have died.”
He shook his head and waved a hand in the air. “It’s no problem, Kailah. That’s what we’re here for.”
As his eyes wandered over me, I felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. After all, it’s not that often that I stand in front of a guy that I barely know in a thin robe—and nothing else.
I cleared my throat of the anxiety that was bubbling up there. “W-well, anyway… I need to get changed and into bed. I have to get up early.” I managed a nervous smile.
He nodded and slowly stood from the bed. His eyes never left me as he made his way to the door that was “conveniently” located behind me. As I turned to open it for him, I was startled to feel that it wouldn’t budge. I looked up to find that his hand was planted against it. My breath caught as he spun me around, his face no more than an inch or two away from mine.
“Aeric.” It came out a choked whisper. Never having been in that kind of situation before left me feeling confused. Unsure how to react. “What are you doing?”
He smiled as one of his hands gently moved to my hip. Once again, I was reminded of what little I was wearing as I immediately felt the heat from his hand pass through the thin fabric. I opened my mouth to say something, but he was quicker than me. He pressed forward and used his large body to pin me to the door before covering my mouth with his.
I’d only kissed a couple of guys before, but I’d never felt anything like him. My ex-boyfriends were terrible kissers. I hadn’t really known that until that very moment. I tried to push him away, not because I didn’t want him, but because I felt like I shouldn’t. It quickly didn’t matter. As his lips moved against mine, I couldn’t stop myself from returning the kiss. His lips were soft and tasted so sweet. My body reacted in a way I’d never experienced so intensely. My skin flushed as the heat spread across my body. My heart raced and my breaths quickened.
Wrapping my arms around Aeric’s neck, I pulled him closer to me. His tongue caressed my lower lip as he deepened the kiss. It felt like a fire was lit between us. He placed his hands on the back of my thighs and easily picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist and pinning me tighter to the door.
My eyes closed as he began kissing my jawline. He made his way down to the hollow of my throat before lightly licking his way from my collar bone up to my ear lobe. There was no stopping the moan that escaped me as he pulled the sensitive flesh into his mouth and began lightly sucking.
“Kailah,” he said.
“Hmm?” was all I could manage. His deep voice having an intense effect on me as well.
“Kailah, are you okay?” he asked.
“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked.
I opened my eyes, then they widened. Reality had set in just then. The first thing that I noticed was that I was actually standing in the hallway—not my bedroom. I hadn’t even made it that far from the bathroom yet. The second thing that I noticed was that I had my towel in one hand and a hairbrush in the other. Not a Vampire. The third thing that I saw was that Aeric had one hand on each
of my shoulders, more than likely trying to shake me awake. He wore a concerned look on his face, and I couldn’t say that I blamed him. Upon realizing all of this, it hit me that he can and more than likely did just read my mind. He saw the entire thing.
“Oh, shit,” I said.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. He looked completely oblivious, and I almost sighed in relief. Hope radiated through me that it was a sign that he didn’t see anything bad.
“Uh, nothing. Nothing at all. Did Rachel bring my clothes up?” I asked quickly.
“I did. I laid your pajamas on the bed and hung your clothes for tomorrow in the closet. I hope that’s alright,” he said.
“Yeah, thanks,” I responded.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked again.
“God! Yes! I’m fine, okay? It’s just, no offense or anything, but you’re kinda the last person that I want to be around right now,” I said harshly. My anxiety was weakening the control that I had over my Immortal filter.
I felt appalled at myself for lashing out at him like that after he’d gone to the trouble to make me feel as comfortable as possible. Awkward situations usually shut me down, and I suppose that I was feeling defensive. To avoid any more unsavory moments or rudeness on my behalf, I darted around him and headed to my room. Before I got the door completely closed, he called my name.
“What?” I impatiently asked, opening the door a little to better see him from inside.
He smiled knowingly. “Good night, Kailah. I’d say sweet dreams, but I suppose it’s a little late for that.”
“What’s that supposed to…” My eyes widened. “You bastard!”
His smiled widened. “Visions and dreams are a little harder to ignore than normal thoughts. They come from the subconscious and are much louder because you can’t hide them. I can’t really say if it’s the same for fantasies or not, but I certainly heard that one.”
“Oh! You bastard! Stay out of my head! You need to focus more on minding your own business. Concentrate until you die for all I care, you arrogant…” I bit my tongue to stop the last curse word forming and slammed the door. Cursing was never my thing, but since meeting him, I’d nearly hit sailor status.
Sweet dreams. His humored voice fluttered through my head, and I groaned.
Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to get to work in the morning. I just hoped that my actual dreams were uneventful. The last thing that I needed was that smart ass thinking I wanted him and using it to pick on me. I wasn’t exactly sure why I had that vision, but I knew that it was not a fantasy as Aeric had suggested—jerk.
Regardless, I had a feeling that I was going to be having a little chat with Sayen, and probably Khanae, too. The more distance that I could keep between the two of us, the better.
Chapter Three
As always, 3:30 a.m. came too soon. The bed was amazing, but I happily got up and began to get ready. Sleeping was nearly impossible because of all the stress, not to mention the dreams. I had several dreams that varied in the severity of obscene acts performed with a certain Vampire whose name I care not to mention.
Waking up from him invading my much-needed sleep filled me with rage. I knew—or at least hoped—that it wasn’t actually him that caused the dreams, but I still hated him for being in them in the first place. I wasn’t sure if it was because I really needed the sleep, or because some very subconscious and masochistic part of me enjoyed the attention he showed me in my subconscious. Regardless, I prayed that he listened to me and kept his telepathy away from my head.
After much debate, I finally decided to take another quick shower to help me wake up. I’m one of those people who get tired while driving, and I had an hour trip ahead of me from just a bit south of Louisville, Kentucky to Seymour. Though I wasn’t looking forward to it, I was certainly looking forward to getting away from that house after the night that I had before.
Once I finished with the shower, I threw my hair up in a messy bun. I was grateful that Rachel knew me so well. She managed to find Cherokee brand scrubs at whatever store they went to, and they were my favorites. They were the only ones that got the fits right and had the flared leg with the small split in the side. Loved them!
Usually, I wasn’t big on pastels, but in scrubs, I didn’t care what color it was. I loved them all. She bought me a solid, light pink set and a baby blue set. I liked the way that I looked in the colors. They accentuated my curved, but I didn’t like wearing those colors in the real world.
Walking into work felt familiar and it pleased me. The evidence of the battle with Khia had all been erased. No one had any recollection of anything, and I knew that I had Sydney to thank for that. Even after everything that had happened there, I still felt at home compared to La Casa de Vampír. Sayen assured me that I’d be fine, and I had no reason not to believe her. It’s not like she’d been wrong. Ever.
Usually, I worked in the ER, but the CNA working on the fourth floor Medical/Surgical unit called in, and I had to go up there. I didn’t mind. Most of the time, the patients were elderly, and it reminded me of when I worked with my sister at the long-term care facility in the next town over, Brownstown.
After I got report from the last shift, I began doing my rounds to check on the patients. That day, I only had four, so it wasn’t going to be that big of a deal. It was kind of rare to have so few patients, and I decided to enjoy it like a mini-vacation. The patients’ meds and labs checked out okay, and I wasn’t in for much. A pneumonia patient, an elderly man with severe dehydration, and a hospice patient being sent home. My other patient I was kind of surprised to see. Infection following an appendectomy. It was odd to me that she would be on our floor instead of on the second—the surgical floor.
I made rounds, passing out supplies to all of the rooms for showers and bed linen changes later. As I passed one of the RNs on duty, she barely even registered my presence, though I paid enough attention to catch that her name was Calli. This was completely normal since quite a few nurses looked down on their aides.
At our hospital, it was extremely rare. The training we received went above and beyond just, “do your job, or you’re fired.” Sensitivity training, training on how to deal with co-workers, how to treat patients, and anyone else you may come into contact with was mandatory. There is a training for everything. Calli’s behavior was both uncalled for and rare. I could already tell the new nurse wasn’t going to be my bestie of the day.
I smiled at Calli in hopes of her warming up to me a bit. There was nothing in response. Joy. I knew later on she would know exactly who and where I was as soon as she needed something from me.
Once I finished with rounds, RN Calli, who didn’t even acknowledge my existence, asked me for help with putting in an IV and also the removal of a catheter. By help, she meant go and fetch all the crap to do the IV and cath with and do them myself. That’s a big no-no, by the way. That was after she called me, “hey, you, CNA,” quickly followed by “Kerri.”
It was breakfast time, and I went to the small, private kitchen area hidden away in the middle of the unit to get a Sprite for my pneumonia patient. As I pulled it out of the fridge, a Coke fell off the top shelf and landed a little too hard on the floor, busting open and spraying everywhere.
“Damn!”
I grabbed a towel from under the sink and started cleaning up the mess, silently cursing some more at my carelessness. As I stood, a cold chill cut through me. It was like tiny shards of ice were stabbing me everywhere. It was the most powerful thing I’d felt so far. Even more powerful than meeting Khanae, only this was so much different. There was no nausea. Only fear. A single, terrifying word came to mind.
Death.
The only way to describe the feeling of the chill in the air was death.
I turned and immediately dropped the Sprite that was in my hand, waiting for it to hit the floor, but it didn’t. It stopped mid-fall as if it had been frozen in place. The world around me felt as though it stopped, and it was all because of what stood befo
re me.
An infinitely powerful spirit stood a few feet from me, but it was unlike any I had ever seen. A black, ominous vortex of energy hovered before me. There was no doubt in my mind—it was Death himself. At close to seven and a half feet tall, he towered over me. He billowed like thick, black fog, blurring at the edges as the smoky energy faded out. I understood why everyone described him as a cloaked figure. The vaporous presence blurred his features, but his cloak was something other than the apparent cloth shrouds that I’ve read about in books and seen in movies. I could see him for what he truly was, where a normal human would not be able to—if they lived to tell the tale, that is.
A translucent outline of a man lay just beneath a dark barrier of energy. Something about his cloak called to me, and I deeply wanted to touch it. I was terrified of it—of him. His eyes were only narrowed slits that even more dark, foggy energy poured from. His body was long and gangly, and that cloak of energy nearly dragged the floor. As I looked down, I realized that he wasn’t actually touching the floor at all. He hovered only a few inches above as the air shifted below and around him.
Something solid came up behind me, and I quickly realized that I’d backed all the way against the fridge without even knowing that I’d moved.
“What do you want?” I whispered. I was afraid that if I tried to use any voice at all, that I would end up screaming.
A deep noise came from him that was a cross between a growl and a groan as he lifted one of his incredibly long, demonic looking arms. The air beneath him shifted again as the black energy around him seemed to implode on itself just before he appeared even closer to me. Only a foot or so separated us. I arched my back as I tried to distance myself further, but it did no good. He had me pinned.