by K. A. Poe
“Awesome, glad you're using it. Hope to see you at the party!” he said excitedly and hung up.
“Something is bothering you,” Salem said as I hung up the phone. He took it and laid it on top of the fallen log.
“Is it that obvious?” I scowled.
“Your expressions are easy to read,” he replied. “What is on your mind?”
He climbed onto the makeshift bridge and helped me up. I sat beside him, letting my feet dangle over the edge and rest in the cold water. I didn't know where to begin, whether with what I heard from Paul or what I had read online. I decided to start with the story that was less painful to tell and rambled on about the articles.
“You believe it is a vampire doing it, then?” he said once I finished talking.
“I think it’s a lot more likely than I did before. Before it was more about Janet than anything, but now the same thing is happening to more and more people,” I blurted out quickly. “How likely is it that a bear is doing all this?”
“It’s not very likely at all,” he grimaced. “You may have been right all along. But there is more you want to tell me.”
“Yes,” I sighed. “This won't nearly be as easy as the stuff about the articles, though...”
I retold the story Paul had told me early this morning, keeping my eyes focused on the rippling creek as each word fell from my mouth. Salem was silent the entire time, waiting patiently for me to finish. He cringed at the mentioning of Raziel.
“I'm so sorry, Alexis,” he said quietly and draped an arm around me, pulling me closer to him.
“Would it offend you if I said I was tempted to...help Paul find Raziel and put an end to him?”
Salem gazed down at me, I couldn't read his expression. “It doesn't offend me exactly, but the thought of you hunting,” he recoiled as he spoke the words, “Once you begin, it's hard to stop...”
“I wouldn't hurt any more of your kind, I swear.”
“You say that now,” he shook his head. “I won't allow it. You need to avoid it at all costs. It is in your blood to be a hunter; you would not be able to stop so easily.”
I didn't respond. I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to hurt Salem, but at the same time, I hungered for vengeance against the monster that had taken my mother from me.
“There's another reason,” he broke the silence, and I could tell from the sound of his voice that it wasn't something I wanted to hear.
“What?”
“If you kill him, you kill me, and any other vampires he created.”
“No...” the word was barely audible. “Paul has been searching for him ever since the incident...what if he finds him?”
“Then I can only hope he doesn't succeed,” Salem frowned. “Had it not been for meeting you, I honestly wouldn't have cared to have died by now.”
“Salem, what if...” I could hardly get the words to come out, “what if Paul finds you?”
“He's found me before,” he grinned slyly. “I told you before; I am smarter than he thinks. I imagine Raziel is hardly any different. In fact, he is probably smarter and quicker than I am.”
“Oh...” I wasn't sure how to respond. I sulked, leaning my head against his shoulder and thinking as I pulled my feet out of the water. “I’ve got one more question.”
“More?” he chuckled. “You are full of them!”
“I'm sorry. You would be, too, if this were the other way around!”
“I suppose you are right.”
“Your accent...it sure doesn't come from anywhere around here,” I commented. “Where are you from?”
“That is one question I was actually surprised you had not asked yet. While my ancestors may have originated in Massachusetts, I was born and raised in Wales,” he smiled, appearing to be reflecting on old memories.
“Wales...” I said in awe. “How did you end up here, of all places?”
“I have traveled most of the world,” he said thoughtfully. “Eventually, I decided to settle down someplace.”
“But why here?”
“You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Alexis. I know you will object because you already know my other secrets – but this is something even I cannot quite comprehend.”
“I think I can handle it.”
“I am not so sure,” he looked up to the sky. The glow of the moon could barely be seen between the shrouds of trees. “It involves you.”
I jerked my head up from his shoulder and looked directly into his pale blue eyes. “How could it have anything to do with me?”
“That is exactly why I don't think you will understand.”
“Please, just tell me,” I begged.
“Very well, but promise me you won't laugh.”
“I promise.”
“Here, take my hand,” Salem said as he stood up from the log. By now it was already dark, but I reluctantly took his hand and followed him as we began to walk further into the woods along the path. I had to know what he was going to tell me, late for the party or not.
“I'm sure you have heard of Plato in school,” he commented as we delved deeper into the forest.
“Yeah, sure,” I said, somewhat confused. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Let me finish,” he smiled. “According to history, he wrote of humans originally having four arms, four legs, and a single head made up of two faces,” I stared awkwardly at him. “But, in fear of their power, Zeus split them all in half, condemning them to a life of searching for their other half... I don't necessarily believe in that, however...”
My expression told him I was still unsure where he was going with this. “Alexis, do you believe in soul mates?” I believe his cheeks would have flushed at that moment had he been human.
“I-well...I had never really thought about it before,” I replied honestly. “But, even so, why would you think I was your ‘other half’?”
“Raziel, actually,” he grimaced, “he said that when you bite a human, you can see their memories, and sometimes snippets of their future. He saw you...”
“What?!” I asked incredulously.
“He didn't know you were human – especially not the daughter of a Waldron – from what I gather...but, he said he saw me with you.”
My mouth moved to speak, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say in response to that? “You have been waiting over a hundred years for me?” I said in disbelief.
“Apparently so,” he replied. “When Janet and Mark came to me, they brought a picture of you so that I would be able to identify you at school. I was awestruck when I saw it was the girl Raziel had told me of.”
“That's why you’re so protective of me, and why you have been so insistent upon being around me.”
“That definitely has something to do with it,” We stopped walking abruptly and Salem pulled me close against his body.
I looked up at him, “That's why you find me so intriguing.”
“Indeed,” he smiled, his eyes lingering on my own for a mere moment before cautiously brushing his cold lips against mine. I shut my eyes and returned the gesture, wrapping my arms around him in a tight embrace. My fingers ran through his silky hair as we shared another kiss. I wanted the moment to last forever but he suddenly pulled away. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.
Why was he apologizing? I shook my head, “What for?”
“That was inappropriate,” he said, averting his eyes.
I laughed, “Salem, there was nothing wrong about it. I know you come from a different era, where that might have been considered inappropriate, but really-” My words were swept away by the touch of his lips against mine again.
“I'm not sorry, then,” he grinned as our lips parted once more, and he looked toward the sky, “You missed your party, I am almost certain.”
My mind was void of any thoughts other than this moment until he mentioned the party. I was far too giddy at the fact that I had experienced my first kiss, and having shared it with Salem made it even more special. It was
still hard to comprehend the idea that we were somehow meant to be together, destined to have met...I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that, or if I truly believed it, but at this moment I didn't care. Soul mates or not, I knew that I wanted little more than to be with Salem. “How long have we been out here?” I wondered. Glancing at my watch, I gasped. “It's after midnight?!”
“Time flies when you are having fun they say, right?” he smiled pleasantly and leapt down from a small embankment into the water we had been sitting over earlier, the impact splashing chilling water up at me. I had been so caught up in his story that I had not realized the path had looped us back to where we started.
I shivered from the touch of the icy water, and even more so as he lifted me up from the ground and cradled me in his arms – I could feel the coldness of his skin through the material of his shirt. With how thin he was, it was difficult to believe he could so effortlessly hold my weight. I wound my arms around his neck as he carried me back to his house.
The old Victorian was invitingly warm as we entered - I half-expected Salem to put me down when we got over the threshold, but he didn't let go. I grew nervous as he smirked and carried me up the spiral staircase. I had never been to the top floor, but that wasn't what made me nervous.
“You really shouldn't be so anxious, Alexis. You know I wouldn't drop you.” He playfully pretended like he was going to drop me and I nearly shrieked.
“Don't do that!” I said, gripping ever-tighter to his body. “And you can just call me Alex, you know.”
He smiled apologetically as we reached the top of the stairs. A deep red rug ran along the hallway. Framed pictures lined the walls; three of which depicted different people that I could only assume were Salem's relatives. I wanted to stop and look but he continued walking down the hall, passed an opened door to a restroom on the left, then a closed door on the right – which I could only guess was a bedroom. Finally we approached the last door at the end of the hall.
He pushed it open and I was amazed by what I saw.
12. SEEKING THE TRUTH
The floor in the room appeared to be glass, a crystal-clear mirror reflecting everything that touched its surface. A queen-sized canopy bed sat in the center of the room draped in shining silk black sheets and blankets. Matching pillow cases covered the four pillows that rested atop the mattress. The posts holding up the bed were spiraled silver bars that held up matching silk curtains which enclosed the bed. Two identical black nightstands sat on either side of the bed.
My eyes were fixed on the floor now, watching our reflections following us through the dim-lit room. It took me a moment to realize there was a chandelier dangling from the ceiling. Salem gently placed me on the bed, tugged the covers from beneath me and draped them across my body. The smooth silky texture felt amazing against my skin. I turned over onto my side, facing the wall and relaxing my head against the cool texture of the pillows.
“Is this your room, Salem?” I asked, shutting my eyes tiredly.
“Yes, although I don't put much use to it,” he said quietly as he sat on the opposite side of the bed behind me. He ran his cold fingers through my hair and a smile spread across my lips as he asked, “Would you like to stay in the bedroom this time?”
“I already regret telling you no the first night you offered to let me stay in one of the bedrooms,” I chuckled lightly as I enjoyed his gentle touch.
“You are always welcome to stay here,” he whispered. I could feel him closer to me now. I tensed slightly as he lay on the bed and wrapped an arm delicately around my torso. “If you are uncomfortable, I can leave.”
“No, I'm plenty comfortable,” I said as I relaxed. “I'm just not used to this.”
“Neither am I,” he confessed.
I turned my head to look at him, “After these hundred years, you have never been with anyone like this?”
“I've been waiting for you, my twin soul,” he replied quietly.
“Twin soul...” I muttered the words sleepily. “I like that.”
“Good,” he smiled again and kissed me gently on the cheek. “Get some sleep. You can call to apologize to Jason tomorrow.”
“Oh, no...” I moaned, about to sit up. Salem held me down.
“There's no point in bothering him now, Alexis. He is probably asleep or at least on his way home from the party,” he assured me.
“You're right,” I sighed, shut my eyes and fell asleep in Salem's embrace.
When I woke up, I found Salem lying beside me, his arm still around my waist. I turned over and smiled happily at him. “I was certain I was dreaming again.”
“Well, if you are, I hope you never wake up,” he kissed me gently on the forehead. “You should call Jason after you have eaten.”
“I will,” I mumbled as I stretched. “What's for breakfast?”
“It's already been taken care of,” he grinned. I eyed him suspiciously. “Follow me downstairs.”
Resting on the dining table was a plate of French toast triangles sprinkled with powdered sugar, a small portion of strawberries, and a glass of orange juice. Beside the plate was a glass vase with a single red rose in it. I blushed at Salem as he took my hand and led me to the table. “You shouldn't have...” I said quietly, admiring the food hungrily.
“It isn't as if I slaved over a stove to make it,” he smirked, “hopefully you still enjoy it just the same.”
“Of course I will!” I insisted and sat down. Salem sat across from me and watched me eat. I savored each bite. “Do you eat regular food?” I said after swallowing a mouthful of toast.
“No, it serves little purpose.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Certainly...” he frowned, “But at the same time it's better for my diet!”
We both shared a good laugh at that and I finished my meal. Salem then passed me the same phone I had used last night and I redialed Jason's number. It took longer this time for him to answer.
“Hello?” Jason’s groggy voice came through the cell.
“Hey Jace, how was the party?”
“It was fantastic!” he said excitedly. “It's too bad you didn't make it, though. Are you sure you are doing all right?”
“Yeah, I'm fine,” I replied casually. “I'm glad you had a good time. I just wanted to apologize for missing out on the fun.”
“It's all right. Maybe you'll be there next time,” he sounded hopeful. “I will come by again this afternoon to clean up.”
“It's still a mess?”
“Just a little,” he laughed lightly. “Don't worry about it; it'll be taken care of. Where were you, anyway?”
I quickly thought up an answer, “I was out driving, and I guess I lost track of time. There's just been so much on my mind lately.”
“Oh. I understand,” he paused, “Well, I'm just glad you're okay.”
There was that phrase again – I understand. I knew they didn’t, they couldn’t. I wished I could tell Karen and him everything. “I’ll be fine. Hey listen, I need to run a few errands, but I’ll have to talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay, have fun!”
I put the phone down and stared across the table at Salem. His mind seemed to be elsewhere at the moment and I frowned. “Salem...” I said it quietly, part of me not wanting to disturb him. He blinked and looked at me.
“Yes?”
“I'm beyond late for school,” I said as I looked down at my watch. It was after noon. Jason must have skipped school, too.
“Problem solved,” he smiled, although looking somewhat ashamed. “I called in for you. You are sick with the flu, if you weren't aware.”
“Oh, I am, huh?” I laughed and shook my head.
“Yes, and you are strictly on bed rest.”
“I’m not entirely opposed to that idea,” I replied, reflecting on how comfortable the bed upstairs was.
“I have this nagging feeling that you are correct about the attacks in Denver,” he said suddenly, extracting me from my comforting thoughts.
“But what can we do about it?”
“Something I would much rather avoid,” he scowled, staring blankly at the dining room table. “You need to request that Paul takes you to see Janet...he will know whether Mark is the cause.”
My eyes widened. “You want me to go to Denver?”
“Either that or try to convince Paul to go on his own.”
“I'll try,” I stared at my half-empty plate. “Where can I throw away the rest of this?”
“Don’t worry about it. I will take care of it,” he said, grabbed the plate and dumped it and the remains in a trash bin that was concealed behind one of the mahogany cabinets.
“When should I try to talk to Paul?”
“Anytime - the sooner the better.”
I nodded. “I guess I’ll drive over to the shop.”
I left Salem's house reluctantly, but promised I would return as soon as possible. The drive along the winding road was becoming more familiar and less scary. The thought of going to Denver both thrilled and terrified me. It was a sudden decision, but Salem was right – it had to be done, before it was too late.
Paul was at work today, fortunately. I could see his figure moving around behind the glass windows. He was talking animatedly to a female customer. I left the Alero in the parking lot and discreetly entered the store, aiming straight for the air freshener aisle. I listened patiently to him and the customer as I waited. Once their conversation ended, I turned around the end of the aisle and nearly bumped into my father.
“Alex!” he shouted in shock. “What a nice surprise.”
“Hey,” I greeted him casually, “could we talk...in private?”
“Of course.”
The back room was identical to how it was two days prior. It felt like it had been so much longer ago. I leaned back in the familiar chair as he took his seat behind the desk again. I fidgeted anxiously as I tried to decide what to say to him.
“Is everything all right?” He asked in a caring voice.
“Yeah, I'm fine...I just need to ask you a favor.”