Betrayal: The Awakening

by Kira Hillins

  She picked up the journal and read the first entry.

  Tristan lives and breathes as any normal man. He suffers the same emotions as I do, but he’s stuck in endless darkness. Fires rage in his eyes. I’ve witnessed it myself on many occasions, but I don’t understand it. I don’t know how to explain it. I can’t, and this is why I’m writing everything I know down in my journal. It’s the only way I know how to cope.

  I’ll begin by recording what he’s told me. I have to take him by his word, because I’ve already seen things that aren’t humanly possible. First thing I asked him was how he flies. His answer is that I already know. And though he rarely reveals his face, I could tell he’d grinned while I silently pondered how it is I should know. By the way, I still don’t know.

  He’s certain it’s been over four hundred years since he burned to death in the same fire that destroyed his home. I can’t imagine such a horrible way to die…

  Already at the end of the first page and Anna was disgusted. Tristan must’ve sat back and had a good laugh about this. He had lived out some sick fantasy by making Mac believe in vampires. Even she’d fallen into his charm, though, that was long ago. She didn’t want to think about it now. Her head ached too much.

  As Anna stuffed the journal inside the envelope, she knew what she had to do. To put this ridiculous story to rest, she’d go to Manzanita. For Mac, she’d face Tristan with a tight fist, and then leave him as he’d left her—alone.

  Her cell phone rang. Jack’s name flashed on the screen. She massaged her temple with her fingers then answered. “Hey, Jack.”

  “Hey. How is everything?”

  “OK, I guess. Mom pretty much has everything packed already.” She glanced over at the couch. Betty had fallen asleep with the box of tissues on her lap. “I want to go through dad’s things, but my head feels like it’s going to explode.”

  “Tell her to hold off on the pickup until tomorrow and go home. I’ll pick up some takeout and meet you there.”

  “That sounds good. But I’m not staying at home tonight.” She shuddered as a chill worked over her body. She couldn’t tell Jack she was going out of town or else he’d want to come. This was something she had to do alone. “I’m staying with Betty this weekend.”

  He sighed, disappointed she was sure. “OK. I’ll see you this evening then.”

  “See you in a bit.”

  “I love—“

  She pressed end on her phone, cutting him off before he told her he loved her. Right now, she would rather hear Mac’s grumbling voice, even if it was a plea for her to find Tristan. She could never say no to him, always respecting his wishes, always respecting him.

  She wouldn’t fulfill his dying wish because of a cockamamie story. She didn’t need protection from God knows what. Her reason to find Tristan was much different—to expose him for the slimy old con man he was.

  Chapter Nine

  Death Is Only the Beginning

  “Are you sure you don’t want me going with you?” Jack stood along the wall near the door to her bedroom, looking rather anxious. “You might need my help moving boxes around.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Anna zipped up her suitcase. Why was Jack making such a fuss about this weekend? The previous weekends, he’d never even suggested coming with her. It’s almost as if he knew she wasn’t going to Betty’s. “I’ll be back on Sunday.”

  “All right.” He sighed. “I’ll miss you.”

  She hid her annoyance behind her grin as she looked at him. She so hated his sad puppy dog eyes. They always swayed her in his direction.

  “Stop looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?” He stuck out his bottom lip. “Like this?” He batted his long lashes. Those big green eyes had a glint in them.

  “OK, I need to get out of here.” She grabbed the handle of the suitcase and laughed as she headed toward the bedroom door. “You’re such a jerk.”

  He clutched her shoulders then turned her around. Playfulness gone from his eyes, he leaned in and kissed her. “Let me comfort you,” he whispered against her lips. “Just once before you go.”

  He grasped the back of her head and pulled her with him toward the bed. He lay back on the mattress and she climbed on top of him. His warm hands caressed her back as he held her against him. To slip into the sheets and let him have his way with her sounded nice. But she couldn’t stop thinking about him—Tristan. She had to find him as soon as possible; otherwise she’d never be able to get him out of her head.

  She rose from the kiss. “I’m sorry, Jack. I can’t do this right now.”

  He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Marry me, Anna.”

  Her stomach churned with anxiety. “What…?”

  “You heard me. I want us to get married.”

  She rose from the bed. She didn’t want to have this conversation with him or anyone else, for that matter. Marriage was fine between people who loved each other so much it hurt, but she didn’t love Jack like that. He knew it, and yet, he pretended as if she returned his feelings.

  This would be the time to make her getaway, but she couldn’t move. Her heart was in her throat. With her hand to her mouth, she stared into Jack’s eyes as he came to stand before her.

  “I…I…” Unable to find words, she puffed a sigh.

  He put a finger to her lips. “Don’t give me an answer now. Wait a few months, and then, when I’ve made you a full partner at the clinic I want you to give me a yes to my proposal.”

  Her jaw dropped. A full partner? Was he bribing her to marry him? That was too much to ask for, too unbelievable, incredible. It was everything she’d ever wanted. But she didn’t want to have to get married to achieve career success.

  “I don’t know what to say, Jack. What if…?”

  “I said don’t give me an answer yet.” He kissed her temple. “And no what-ifs either. That’s your problem, Blue Eyes. You think too much about trivial things.”

  “Marriage isn’t trivial.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  She slipped on her shoes. “I need to go. It’s getting late.”

  “I’ll walk you out.”

  Jack followed her to the front door. She opened the closet in the foyer, retrieved her black hooded shawl, and then slid it on.

  He kissed her. She usually loved kissing him. He was good at it. Sometimes, he’d make her melt like ice cream on a scalding hot day. This time it felt awkward.

  Dismissing the unease as nothing more than heartache, she backed away. “I’ll call you later.”

  He followed her to the driveway. “I’ll be here when you need me. I love you, Anna.”

  She hurried to the car. Ignoring those sad puppy eyes, she started the engine. Running was never her style, but she sped down the driveway, then out onto the road.

  Night fell like the shawl she wore over her head, warm and comforting. She loved the dark. Maybe it had something to do with her childhood. All those evenings she’d waited for night to come just so she could see Tristan walk up the sidewalk. Sometimes he’d stop and speak to her, but most of the time he’d just wave on his way to the bar.

  Pushing the hood to the back of her neck, she glanced at the envelope on the passenger seat. Mac’s journal was stuffed inside. She wished she’d stuffed it in her suitcase before she left, as it seemed to call to her with a ghostly voice—Read it.

  “I’m not ready yet,” she whispered. A chill crept up her spine. Talking like Mac was in the car with her was ridiculous. It was just his journal filled with stories about Tristan who he’d believed in wholeheartedly.

  Read it, Anna.

  “Tristan lied to us. He made us believe he was a vampire. You know how ridiculous that sounds? And even if I believed now, I don’t know why you’d want me to find him. He’s bad news. He’s dangerous.”

  A deer darted out from the thick brush. “Shit!” Anna braked hard. The tires screeched as the car came to a skidding halt within inches of hitting the animal that stopped i
n the middle of the road. Its eyes glowed yellow as it stared straight into the headlights. Heart pounding, hands sore from gripping the steering wheel so hard, she watched it prance across the rest of the road and disappear in the dark brush.

  The envelope with the journal fell to the floor. Anna pulled the car over under a low-light streetlamp. A little more in control of her scattered brain, she looked down and gasped. The journal had slid out of the envelope and had opened about half way through the book.

  Read it.

  “Fine.” She picked it up, and then read the first line she looked at.

  He doesn’t believe he’s a vampire, but I do. Friends are closer than he will ever know. I can’t write down details. I can’t confess. But I hope he figures it out soon. I hate to see him so alone.

  Mac wrote riddles that she didn’t understand. Even if she deciphered his words, why should she believe in them anyways? She’d put memories of Tristan away in a tiny box in the back of her mind then locked it up and threw away the key. But now, here she was on her way to find him.

  Tristan would be an older man now—in his fifties maybe. He’d probably already forgotten and went about his pathetic life. She read on.

  A woman saved him by drinking his blood. His burns healed, but something dark, a demon, joined with his soul. Now a hunger for blood rages inside him. He calls it an illness, refusing the idea that he’s a vampire.

  He craves to kill. It frightened me at first, but now I trust him with my life. It’s still strange to have befriended such a creature, though I shouldn’t call him that. He’s a man. I don’t know what else to say about it.

  There’s a cure—with your medical expertise and his knowledge of the whereabouts, I’m certain you will find it together.

  Anna set the journal down in the passenger seat. Tristan was indeed a sick man who didn’t deserve to be walking around free, no matter how old he’d become or what life he led now. There were people out there into the whole bloodsucking thing. They performed rituals on each other, cutting their skin so others could drink their blood. The thought made her ill.

  How could Mac have been so drawn to someone like that? She’d been drawn to him as well. To think that all those times she’d visited him as a child, and claimed that she was his, he could’ve killed her.

  She picked up the journal again and flipped to the next page.

  Madeline is the source of Tristan’s immortality. As a vampire, he’s survived gunshot wounds, stabbings, even limb loss. And through regeneration, he’s come out without a scratch or a scar. I’ve seen it for myself.

  She belted out a laugh. Tristan could regenerate? That was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard. Oh, but of course, he carried a special disease, unknown to everyone else but him and this woman whom he claimed had infected him.

  Many costume shops and makeup artists could make a person look maimed or diseased. Fake blood was easy to find if needed for proof. A memory of the last time she saw Tristan crept over her like a nightmare. The hair on her arms and neck stood.

  His black eyes had glowed that night he left. She was sure it was caused by the flames in the fireplace. Like an ignorant teenager with a crush, she had believed in him, just like she had when she was a child. Dummy—she’d even tried to kiss him.

  Palm to forehead, she shook her head in disgust. She’d carried such strong emotions throughout most of her young life. It ruined her childhood and kept her from making friends. It was lonely, to never be able to think of anything else but him. To want to live in the dark with him.

  His pale skin and perfect lips were what drew her in. The way he’d looked at her, like a spider to a small insolent gnat—she was dinner.

  “Damn it!” She tossed the journal down on the seat. She’d read enough. No way would she believe it. Not even if God himself had written the book. She should go home and forget about this trip and Tristan.

  As she started the engine, she wondered what it’d be like to find him. It was a little scary to see herself standing in front of him, staring into his cold dark eyes.

  She shifted the car in gear and steered out onto the road, with hope that the deer stayed in the field where it belonged. No more surprises. That was the motto she decided to personalize and stick on the back of her car.

  Read, Anna.

  The journal beckoned to her. She stole a glance at the address written on the envelope. If Tristan wasn’t in Manzanita, she’d have to go to England. How in the world would she find a way to go without Jack? He wouldn’t allow her to do this by herself, but she could handle this better without anyone bogging her down.

  He’d try to make it out to be some sort of romantic trip where he’d badger her until she agreed to elope to some chapel. He’d give her the princess treatment, pampering her with truffles and breakfast in bed.

  “Forget that.” No matter what it took, she’d leave Jack here in the States, where he belonged.

  She slowed the car and pulled to the side of the road. She turned on the overhead light then poured out the contents of the envelope.

  A key glimmered on the seat. As she brought it forward, she remembered it was the same one she’d used to get into Tristan’s house.

  Had he been there all this time without her knowing? Was Mac reaching beyond his grave to tell her this is where she needed to begin the search?

  It had been ten years since she’d stepped foot inside that house. It frightened her beyond words to go back there and have a look around. But if it meant solving this mystery, it would be worth it.

  She was sure Betty would understand why she’d disappeared this weekend. After all, it was Mac’s dying wish for her to find Tristan and make sure he was all right in the dark, dreadful world in which he lived. She would find this so-called vampire who’d ruined her father’s life, and she would make him pay.

  Chapter Ten

  Memories

  It was afternoon by the time Anna parked the car. The weeds were so overgrown that she couldn’t make it all the way up the driveway. The thought of going inside to see the old place, letting memories of the past wipe out hatred for just a little while, gave her the energy she needed to get out and start the short hike to the house.

  She drew in a deep breath. The air was clean and crisp. The sun warmed her skin. It was nice to be staring at blue sky instead of Seattle’s gray clouds. Although, she loved the rain, this brighter change gave her a boost of courage. Then there it was.

  The home she had loved as a child looked just how she remembered it. Dark and scary. Some of the black stone had broken off and fallen on the ground. The windows were cracked and pieces of pane were missing.

  As she passed the statue of the stone angel, crumbled to a point she barely recognized it, fear washed over her. It was like an invisible wall pushed against her in an attempt to keep her out. She should listen to the warning, but she hadn’t come this far to chicken out. She’d started this mission pissed off. If she left now, the anger swirling inside her would never be resolved.

  She unlocked then opened the door. A foul smell filled her nostrils. A chill shivered up her spine as she covered her nose and mouth with her shirt then went inside. She scanned the living room and kitchen for whatever caused the odor. A dead animal maybe, or possibly a homeless person had taken up residence and left his soils here to rot.

  She strode through the kitchen then into the sunken living room. The old stereo still sat in the same spot. The cooler with the beer from the party she’d thrown on graduation night sat beside it, covered in dust and a few old spider webs.

  She walked down the hallway, peering into each empty room until she reached the master bedroom in the back of the house. This was where she’d played as a child. She was surprised to see the four-posted bed that she’d taken naps on untouched by the elements. She was sure the kids at her party had jumped on it. They’d stepped on the sheets and bedspread. But now, it was made.

  Had Tristan come back here? Was he here now—in the basement?

&nb
sp; More chills clawed at her skin. OK. Nope. Nobody’s here. It’s time to forget about this and go home. Don’t even think about going into that dark dungeon with the secret entrance.

  She shuddered. The eerie whistle of wind screamed a warning through the broken window. Danger lies in wait in the depths of the basement. Get out now while you can. Go home!

  “I have to do this.”

  Tristan’s room called to her. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she’d checked the most probable place to find him. This is what I came for. Those words repeated in her mind as she stalked down the hall to the door to the basement.

  She rested her hand on the handle. Whatever was giving off this stench was coming from behind this door. Palms sweating, she twisted the knob. The hinges shrieked as she opened the door. A gush of rotten smell wafted into her nostrils. Nausea crept into her throat, but she swallowed it down.

  No matter what I find, I will be strong.

  She stared down into the dark. Shadows urged her to come inside and make herself welcome as it devoured her, but she couldn’t get her legs to move. Maybe if she just shined a light inside, she could see if anyone was there without going in.

  She lifted her cell phone from her pocket. As she gave the phone a quick twist to turn on the flashlight, it rang loud. She let out a short, echoing scream. Her skin rose with goosebumps as she hurried back into the sun-lit kitchen.

  Jack’s name lit the screen. This was not the time for him to be calling.

  Palm to her temple, she leaned forward against the counter. Catching her labored breath, she touched the button and answered. “Damn it, Jack, you scared the hell out of me!”

  “Nice, Anna,” he said in a solemn tone. “I was only worried about you.”

  She glanced at the cabinet and a memory hit her like a punch to the gut. The three hearts encased in glass were in there. Tristan had left before she had a chance to give it to him. Heartbroken, she’d tossed them back inside the drawer before she left this place for the last time.