“Let’s go this way,” I said. Thankfully he nodded without argument.
After we walked about a quarter mile he gently placed Emily down and began to dig. He dug fast and hard sending mud and rocks through the air with every motion of his shovel. After figuring he had dug far enough he gently laid Emily down in her final resting place. This was not the burial she deserved after such a long life. She deserved a service in the little church she attended just down the road in Bara Head, just like the one my Aunt had been given. She deserved to have her family come mourn for her, and prayers said over her, but it was never to be. Before he filled the hole up again Daniel took a small container out of his jacket and opened it up. Carefully he emptied something all over the body while holding the container as far away from him as he could. After dumping the contents he dropped the container into the grave on top of the clumsily shrouded corpse.
“What did you just do?” I asked.
“Holy water,” he said, “repels people away from graves. Not to mention it burns like a motherfucker.”
“Really?” Again with the holy water. Why had nobody ever explained this to me? “How can that be?”
Daniel said nothing, simply shrugging as he climbed out of the hole, grabbing the shovel to fill it in. When he was finished we stood there for a moment. “She was very religious,” I said. Daniel nodded. “Should we say a prayer?”
“If you wish,” he said leaning against the shovel. I cleared my throat and closed my eyes but drew a blank. The words, whether out of guilt or stress, just wouldn’t come.
“I can’t think of any,” I said. My parents had not been terribly religious people. My grandparents, however, were avid church goers and took me along every chance they got. I think they were hoping to indoctrinate me, but they made the mistake of always taking me out for ice cream afterward and so I had fallen in love, not with God or the church, but with a double scoop of bubble gum flavor.
“I’m sure she’d understand,” Daniel said.
“What will her family think when she doesn’t turn up?”
Daniel’s eyes roamed around for a moment searching his brain for an answer. “Well, old people wander off all the time don’t they?” I figured he should know this since he was an old person himself, but he seemed to be asking a genuine question.
“I suppose they do.”
“Yeah, she wandered off then. Probably eaten by animals.” I shuddered knowing that in a sense she had been. That was too much to think about for the moment and so I just let the words sit alone without comment.
“We have work to do,” Daniel said after a few more moments.
“Have you figured out a way we can find out what’s going on?” I said.
“There are a few ways we can flush him out, but we have to be smart about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we need to set a trap. He might come if you’re in trouble,” he said.
“The real Gavin would come, I’m not sure if this thing will.”
“If whatever this is uses his body he might still be in there somewhere.” I had to admit it made sense.
“What do we do?”
Daniel rummaged through his jacket and pulled out a small pocket knife and another vial of holy water. “Lay on the ground,” he said.
I positioned myself on the mossy forest floor leaning up against a tree for support. “What are you going to do?”
“This is gonna sting,” he said. Before I got a chance to ask him what was going to sting he took the pocket knife and jabbed it into my calf ripping it open and tearing my jeans with one smooth motion. I cried out in pain. Before the deep gash got a chance to heal, Daniel quickly and carefully opened the other vial and poured it all over my leg. What I felt was not merely stinging, but a sharp searing of the flesh, as if someone had laid a branding iron, or several branding irons on me.
“Jesus Christ!” I screamed.
“Sorry,” he said, “the holy water keeps it from healing. Don’t worry, when we’re done you can go home and wash it off, once you clean it out it will heal in no time. You’ll have to find someone to feed off afterwards though. You’ll need a human.”
Great I thought more possible carnage. I had drained Constable Neary, and it was now going to be totally in vain. I lay back trying not to think about the blood spilling all over the ground. I knew what Daniel was thinking and I hoped it would work. He was trying to recreate the night Gavin had found me in the woods, the night he fed without killing for the first time, the night he changed.
“I won’t be far,” he said patting my shoulder. I gave him a nod, as I couldn’t manage to get out any words, and watched him disappear. After a few minutes I began to wonder how long I could possibly lay here bleeding before dying because it certainly felt like I was.
Just then a rustle came from far off. A hundred feet away I saw branches moving as someone slowly made their way toward where I was. Someone, or something had scented the blood and was coming in for a closer look.
The movement crept toward me and I pushed myself up against the old tree as far as I could. If Gavin was coming at me, yet again, I wanted to be ready in case Daniel was not fast enough. Something was on the other side of the large bush I was sitting across from, and it was getting ready to spring.
Before it got a chance Daniel pounced, crushing the shrub beneath his weight. He had landed on someone and they were rolling around on the ground together. It took me a moment to realize who it was.
“What the fuck Daniel?” Ian said. Daniel had been in tackle and kill mode, but was shaken out of it upon hearing Ian swear.
Feeling both relieved and annoyed at the same time that he had ruined our trap I started screaming, “What the fuck are you doing here? And where in the name of fucking Christ have you been?” They both stopped and stared at me.
“Um, I was just returning your truck when I smelled the blood coming from the woods and you weren’t in the house. Your yard is smashed to smithereens and the couch smelled like a dead body so I tracked the scent.” The truck. I had forgotten all about it. “Wait a minute. Why are you bleeding and not healing, and why is he jumping on top of me?”
“We were setting a trap,” Daniel said. “We were hoping Gavin would be the one to smell it and come back here.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “Honestly, if a little bit of blood attracted him don’t you think the hunters would have caught him by now?” He eyed my leg with concern. “I don’t know what the hell you were thinking with that Daniel. Bleed her out and if he does come at her she can’t defend herself, or she dies waiting.” His eyes softened as his gaze drifted back toward me. “Is it holy water?”
“Yeah,” I admitted.
“Should’ve known,” he was staring daggers at Daniel now. “Your favorite trick.” All at once Daniel’s eyes darkened as he stared Ian down, nonverbally challenging him. He was always a stereo typical looking bad ass but the look on his face now truly matched his persona. Daniel wasn’t a vampire you wanted to tangle with, but Ian didn’t seem like he’d back down from a fight either.
“Go,” he said to the biker vampire. “I’ll take care of her.” Daniel looked to me for approval to leave.
“It’s alright. We’ll think of something else.” He simply nodded at me, gave Ian one last dirty look and silently slipped into the night.
“You need to get in the shower and wash that shit out of your skin,” he said scooping me up. I could tell he was upset by the way he was walking. He was stomping like an angry two year old.
“Ow!” I said as I was being jostled back and forth with each rough step.
He realized I was in more pain than he knew. “Sorry,” he said, “I never meant to hurt you.” He slowed his pace and I heard in his voice that he could have meant that he didn’t mean to hurt me physically, or maybe he was talking about something else.
“Why did you leave?” I said gritting my teeth.
“I didn’t think you wanted me around anymore. I made a f
ool of myself.”
“You never did anything but try to help me. I’m the one who made a fool of herself. I should never have done that with you. For better or for worse I’m still married.” Before he could say anything I felt a hard cramp in my stomach and my entire body clenched up.
“We can sort it all out later,” he said, picking up his speed and running all the way back to the house. He took me straight into the bathroom and ran the shower. With very little use of strength he ripped the leg of the jeans up and all the way off. Taking the spray hose from its place on the wall he began running a steady stream of lukewarm water over it.
This hurt more than anything and I grabbed onto his jacket praying for an end to it. “It’ll start healing soon, I promise.” After about ten minutes of running the water over it the wound finally felt like it was coming back together. All the tiny nerves and fibres of my muscle were painfully knitting their way perfectly back into place. I was relieved when it was over but it had made me weaker than before.
Ian turned off the water and once again carried me into bed. I was shivering, a sensation that I didn’t often feel anymore, and when I did feel it, it was not like I remembered. Shivering now felt like a thousand tiny knives stabbing you all over at once.
“Stay right here,” he said pulling the blanket up over me. “Do not get out of this bed or do anything until I get back. I’m going to find you some blood.” Before I could respond he was gone. I curled up into a ball and tried to will myself to sleep, but I found for the first time I couldn’t do it. I had been able to do it under much more difficult circumstances, and so I reasoned that it must be a side effect of the holy water.
I had no choice but to lay there shivering in agony for however long Ian needed to be gone. Late at night in Soldiers Cove humans are scarce, and so I knew it could be a while. It seemed like lately all I was doing was waiting around for other people to solve my problems, and with that thought, frustration joined my physical pain.
After a couple of hours lying in bed rocking back and forth in misery I heard the door open and close. Ian entered the bedroom and sat next to me.
“Can you sit up?” With his help I eased my way up as he moved the blanket away and gently put his arms around me getting me into a standing position. I put my arms around his neck for support and to my surprise he leaned in and kissed me tenderly on the cheek and stroked my hair.
Without a word he led me into the living room. On my newly blood stained couch was a man, passed out cold. He had obviously been drinking, and both looked, and smelled like he hadn’t showered for days. “I’m sorry; it’s the best I could do.”
“It’s fine,” I said. I meant it. Even though the thought of feeding on this man didn’t appeal to me in the least I knew that if I didn’t I’d continue to suffer. Ian helped me kneel on the floor next to him and with arms around my waist told me, “Just drink from the wrist.” Little did he know that after accidentally killing another man today, I was certainly not going to argue.
I took the man’s wrist in my hand and looked at it, “Go on,” he said. This was no time to be picky. I ran my fangs out and bit tentatively. Even though I was weakened and hungry, I was holding back. Partly because this man, quite frankly, disgusted me, and partly because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop myself again.
The blood was slightly bitter from the alcohol but as soon as the first swallow hit my stomach I wanted more. I bit deeper sucking as hard as I could as the primal feeding instinct took over. I gulped the strengthening liquid as hard and fast as I could. It didn’t seem like I had fed for very long when Ian tried to grab the man’s hand from me. I swatted him away with an angry growl.
He grabbed my hair pulling my head all the way back while at the same time ripping the man’s wrist out of my mouth. “It’s enough,” he growled back. I was so hungry; all I wanted was another taste. He said I’d had enough, but it wasn’t enough. Hungering for more I fought him struggling to get away; I was consumed with the thought of bleeding this man to death. I had balked at his blood before, but now I wanted all of it.
He put his mouth next to my ear and spoke softly. “Stop it. Stop it right now,” he said. We were so close, and I was so in the grip of thirst and instinct that I could smell his blood. I had tasted it before and it was calling to me again. If I couldn’t bleed the human, I’d bleed the vampire.
Without warning I bit down hard on Ian’s neck. He gasped in surprise. I felt his hands loosen their grip and a few moments later they were softly and slowly caressing my stomach. I sucked the wound I had created so hard that the blood filled my mouth completely and some was spilling out, running down the length of my neck.
He pulled me away from the wound and took my mouth to his, the taste of his blood lingering on both our tongues now; we kissed softly and slowly letting it drip between us.
His fangs ran out and I could tell he wanted to bite too, however he simply lowered his head to my neck and licked his own blood off. Without a word he picked me up and carried me to the bed. I was stronger now physically but my resolve not to give in to my feelings for Ian was weak. We made love and I let myself get lost in the sensation. I had no thoughts for Gavin or hunters or innocent people dying. I just wanted him and nothing else.
When it was over we lay together in silence, my head on his chest. His rhythmic breathing soothing any fear or worry I’d previously felt. I ran my hands over his smooth and sculpted stomach and chest wishing we could stay this way forever.
He grabbed my hand, threading his fingers through mine ending the touch I had been enjoying so much. “I better get our friend back before the liquor and blood influence wears off,” he said. I sat up to let him move and he sat for a moment facing me. I could see in his eyes he was searching for a way to say what he was thinking. “I want to talk to you about something when I get back ok?” I nodded.
He cupped my face in his hands, once again kissing me quickly and gently on the lips, then left with the man slung over his shoulder once again. I lay back, closed my eyes, and without meaning to, pulled the covers up over me and fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty Four
The sun streamed in my bedroom window through the protective glass. Before opening my eyes I knew someone was in the bed with me. Reaching out I felt a strong, steady hand grasping mine and then kissing it.
“Good morning,” Ian said. I opened my eyes to see him lying there under the blanket with me. At some point after I fell asleep he had come back, removed his clothes again and crawled in next to me. He opened his arms and I slid into them as he hugged me close.
“Sorry I fell asleep,” I said.
“You looked like you needed it, so I didn’t want to wake you.”
He pressed his lips together and opened his mouth to say something else, but then stopped himself. “What’s wrong?” I said.
“Rach,” he said after a long moment, “Let’s leave together.” I sat up, looking at him with stunned silence. When I said nothing he seemed to take that as a sign that I needed further convincing.
“Please? There’s nothing here for you now. We can go somewhere nobody knows us. Paris, London, Africa. You’ve probably never even been outside of Nova Scotia. You’re going to live for hundreds of years. See the world… see it with me.” Ian’s face was awash of hope and nervous excitement.
“I’ll take care of you Rachel. I know I’m not what you thought you’d have, but I can be good to you. I can make you happy.” I felt a stab of pain in my heart. I knew he meant all these things, and I wanted so badly to run away from here with him, but my gut told me I needed to stay and see Gavin through to whatever end he had coming. He had saved me and I owed him at least that much. The awful reality of what he’d done hundreds of years ago registered suddenly and I knew we had to address it before this could go any further.
“Ian, what you did, all those years ago…Holly told me what happened.” Ian’s brow drew up in surprise and a look of fear settled on his face. “I could never be with
anyone who was like James. The thought of it makes me sick.”
“I fell out of step with my brother’s ideas a long, long time ago Rachel. Nobody seems to understand that though.” Ian sighed. “And I’m tired of trying to make amends for it. It’s been hundreds of years and still, some people can’t forgive me. I’m tired of repenting over and over again,” he said, clenching his fists. “I’m sorry. I know James probably didn’t agree with your turning. He held on to his hate for way longer than he should have. But it’s only because of Evangeline.”
“Evangeline?”
“Yes. He fell in love with her, and turned her, and she hated him for it.” His hate for me made a little more sense now, but didn’t excuse what he’d done. “She staked herself and he hated all of you after that. Said she would have been fine if the rest of her people had just accepted it and not told her what a monster she was. The villagers told her she should kill herself and she did, and he blamed all Acadians after that. He became so bitter and twisted that he wanted all of you dead.”
The Vampires of Soldiers Cove: One Crow Sorrow Page 15