by Urania Sarri
“Is he gone?” I asked as soon as Jerome was back in the cabin carrying a couple of shopping bags to the kitchen where I was having another cup of coffee. I saw the low-fat milk and cereal I had asked for breakfast were in the bags.
Jerome put the bags on the counter and stood against it watching me.
“Yeah, he’s gone,” he said. “Sorry about that. I know you have questions and I will answer them all. I just wish you could trust me.”
I looked at him as I took a long sip of coffee.
“Let’s start with my apartment. You skipped that part about just my room having been burnt down.”
“You are right, and I’m sorry.”
I felt my headache ease with every sip of coffee I took. I put the cup on the table and placed my hands on my lap so Jerome couldn’t see they were shaking.
“You said that your friends are not who they say they are and neither are mine. What exactly are they? And you? What exactly are you Jerome?”
Jerome took a chair and sat across the table to face me. His voice lowered when he said “I’d start the other way around. Instead of worrying about who I am, why don’t you ask yourself who you are? How did you lose your memory in the first place?”
I slumped in my chair, rubbing my forehead. I hated talking about my memory loss. But there was no way I would give Jerome an excuse to avoid my questions.
I took a deep breath and repeated my life story in the fewest words possible. “Because my family died in that hurricane, for all I know. I lost everything, my memory included. The only thing I know about me is my first name because of a golden bracelet on my wrist.”
Jerome leaned closer, planting his hands on the table.
“Is this the truth, Madison? Or is this what you are supposed to believe? How about your friends? How did the three of you end up together?”
“Because they were already at the Shelter when I was taken there.”
“What about when we first kissed? Something strange happened. Do you remember?”
There was no chance I was going to talk about that with Jerome. That first kiss still kept me up at night, but he didn’t need to know.
“What does this have to do with what we’re talking about? You are out of your mind. I want to go home.” I came to my feet with a jerk.
Jerome stood up. He looked at me with a frowned face.
“You can’t.”
“Oh yeah? Watch me!” I challenged him. “Supernatural powers or not, I can walk all the way back if I want to.”
Jerome grabbed my arm and squeezed gently.
“There’s no home anymore, Madison. If you go back, you’ll be in danger. Someone wants you dead.”
I jerked free of his grip.
“If it’s true that someone’s after me, how you do know they haven’t followed us here? Why should I be safe with you?”
Jerome slumped in his chair again. “You are right. They probably know we’re here. But they can’t hurt you. It’s safe here. It’s consecrated grounds. Evil doesn’t have access anywhere near this place.”
I fumbled with the rim of my shirt. “So, if I get it right, evil is after me. Then this makes you one of the good guys, right?”
“I already told you that.”
“What about him? Samuel?”
Jerome looked away.
“Samuel attacked you because he wanted to protect me. That’s what he does. He protects.”
“I don’t get it. Why did he think I would hurt you?”
“I guess he wasn’t referring to you.”
“He knew about this Dormant thing then.”
“Samuel is not human, Madison. He can see the creatures around him as they really are.” He took in my frustrated face. “I’m sorry, this didn’t come out as I intended. Let’s say it was a misunderstanding. I’ve already explained to him that there is no reason to worry about you.”
“Should I be worried about him? What if he barges here again with a mood for a duel?”
Jerome chuckled. “I’d like to see how that would turn out. Listen, Samuel is not a problem. Of course, I will tell you everything about him when you’re ready. But we have other issues to be worried about. So, I will beg, if I have to. Please, don’t leave this place Madison. I can’t protect you out there. No one can.”
I shifted my weight anxiously. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to leave. He offered me a single option and made hard for me to refuse; even if only half of what he’d told me was true, this super strong, super-fast, dark hottie was my only chance for survival.
Once again, I wondered if one of his talents was mind-reading because he said exactly what I wanted to hear.
“Madison, I know how this seems right now. I promise you I can keep you safe here. There’s only one rule. You don’t get outside at night. Never.”
“Why?” I asked, my heart starting to pound hard.
“Because that’s when they attack.”
Later that day, I found myself enjoying Jerome’s company. I wasn’t certain how that happened, but my bad mood was gone. Let’s face it, how long can you hold on to a frown towards the only person you can talk to when there’s no one else around, and you avoid calling your best friends because you don’t want to lie to them again? Besides, Jerome was trying to make our hide-out seem like a holiday in the mountains.
On the wooden shelves, I found plenty of DVDs to watch, most of them comedies and war films. When I asked Jerome which he preferred, he told me to pick whichever I wanted. I picked Monty Pythons and the Holy Grail. After two hours of laughter and frozen pizza, my mind had shoved away the scary thoughts about what was out there hating me and wanting to kill me. Or, about how I felt lonelier than ever, being in a cabin somewhere up in the mountain with a guy I barely knew. Still, that guy seemed to make everything I went through worthwhile. Any girl on this planet would be happy to have him all to herself, and I found Jerome a delectable distraction from my worries.
We were sitting on the floor, our backs against the couch, a bowl with chips the only boundary between us. Jerome was reading the back of a DVD case as we waited for Bruce Almighty to begin. Glancing at the window, I saw it was already dark outside, and I couldn’t help thinking of the menace lurking out there for me. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
“You’re cold. I forget sometimes you’re so human,” Jerome said, watching the hairs on my arms rise. The night was cool in the mountains although it was still late August.
He grabbed the soft blanket from the couch and gave it to me. “Here, put this around you.”
“Thanks,” I said drawing the blanket to my chest.
“So, what’s your deal? You’re not cold or hungry ...or thirsty. You don’t even need to use the men’s room.”
Jerome smiled. “You've seen me make exceptions."
"Chocolate and mexican. Not that you need food."
"That’s mostly true. Except for the hunger thing.”
“You get hungry? Not for human flesh I hope!” I chuckled.
I hoped Jerome didn’t sense the fear behind my chuckle, but when I saw his face darken, I wished I could take back that last comment.
“No need to be afraid of me. I’m not carnivorous,” Jerome said grimly. “But, I’d rather we didn’t talk about it yet if you don’t mind.”
That look was the last thing I wanted to see on his face. I attempted to turn the subject into something lighter.
“Ok, let’s not talk about any weird appetite of yours for now. There are other things we can talk about, like… don’t you have any other physical needs? Not even when girls are around?”
He looked at me again with a crooked smile. “Care to elaborate?”
I played with a curl of my hair nervously.
“What if... you saw a naked woman? Would you feel anything?”
Jerome laughed, and that was a first! Then his dark eyes glimmered with an intense craving. “You’re asking me that? After what’s happened between us?”
I shrugged. I wanted
to tell him that I could not be sure how much of what had happened between them was true, but I was feeling that I was getting closer to him and didn’t want to ruin that.
“I tell you what. If you need to refresh your memory, why don’t you give it a try? It should answer all your questions. I should warn you though. You may not be able to handle it. Last time I remember you fainted with just one kiss.”
The way he looked at me made me feel like I was already naked before him. His stare lingered from my eyes to my lips. Then back to my eyes. His lips held the crooked smile, but his eyes sparkled with the same intense need that made me shiver. I tried hard to keep a poker face, but my body betrayed my yielding to his alluring skills.
“Even non-humans would be challenged by a beautiful, naked girl’s body,” Jerome said. He came closer and leaned towards me to whisper in my ear. “Plus, I’m still partly human. But you know this already.”
I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest when his lips hovered only inches from mine. Before I knew it, my lips were on his and I was aware of the fact that it had been me who had kissed him first. But I didn’t mind. Because the joy that swept over my body brought tears to my eyes, my heart and body almost aching with an unprecedented desire that took me higher and higher in a whirlwind of passion.
The door opened abruptly, and Connor barged in looking like he had seen a ghost.
“Sorry to interrupt. We have a ... situation,” he mumbled.
CHAPTER TEN
Flight Risk
What’s this all about? I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow morning,” I asked Connor as soon as we were out on the porch. I kept my voice down, aware that Madison was probably eavesdropping on the other side of the door.
Connor stuffed his fists into the pockets of his denim jacket and watched me with a worried look.
“I know man, but this chick showed up, asking questions about you and Madison.”
“What do you mean? What chick?”
“She started saying things like being a bounty hunter, but when Jake pushed her, she admitted she was after the Snatchers.”
“The Snatchers?” I knew only one woman who was able to do that. It had been a long time since I’d left her with only a note asking her to forgive me. An urgent mission had made me flee in the middle of the night, a mission that didn’t include Hanna and took me miles away from her.
“Did she give a name?” I asked.
“She did. Said her name’s Hanna, but she could be lying for all I know.”
“She’s not lying,” I said gloomily. What was Hanna doing in Brassington Hills? She was too far from her territory.
“What does she want?”
Connor looked around like he was afraid someone could hear them.
“She’s caught one. She’s asking for you, Jerome. We tried, but she won’t tell us where she’s keeping it. She can make it talk, but she doesn’t trust us. Listen, Jerome, I don’t like this. It could be another trap for you,” he said in a muffled voice.
I swallowed hard. Hanna was capable of a lot of things, but would she betray me? “What makes you think that?”
“That chick said ... She said the slime has only told here it’s here for you and Madison. And that it’s not alone. She thinks you can make it talk. But what else is there to find out? We already know The Cthons have sent their hounds for Madison.”
I nodded towards the closed door on my left. “We have to make sure Hanna is telling the truth.”
Hanna had never lied to me before; she never had a reason to do that. But that was seven years ago, and although I had never made her any promises, I had always thought I might have broken the girl’s heart. Our relationship had been all about give and take; she was a Snatcher hunter; I helped her locate the Snatchers, and she was my inexhaustible source of energy.
“Where is she now?” I asked.
Connor shrugged. “At Jake’s. We couldn’t risk bringing her here.”
I thought about it for a moment. It would take about an hour to drive back to Brassington Hills. I would deal with whatever Hanna had brought and, hopefully, I’d be able to return to the cabin before sunrise.
“Stay here tonight,” I told Connor. “Madison will be safe as long as she stays inside, but I’ll feel better if she’s not alone. Not a word about Hanna.”
“You still think someone should be staying with her during daytime as well?”
“I do. Flight risk.”
Connor’s eyes widened. “You think she will run away? After what’s happened?”
“She’ll certainly consider the possibility. I’ve done my best to keep her mind off it but I can’t guarantee her good mood will last while I’m gone.”
“Times like this, I wish I had your talent of mind control. Well, maybe some other times too,” Connor chuckled.
He had no idea. My talent to control minds was what made me a real catch for the Cthons. The reason they wanted me to join them. They thought that a vampire with skills like mine would help them take over the world. I, on the other hand, hated myself every time I manipulated a human creature’s feelings; especially Madison’s.
She still counted as human.
Connor grabbed my arm. “We’ve never dealt with one of them before. It could be dangerous.”
“You think I don’t know?” I said opening the door. I needed an excuse that would not upset Madison. That was not what I had expected the night to evolve into and, judging by the way she’d kissed me a few minutes ago, neither had she.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Airlia
I couldn’t sleep a wink that night. When Jerome told me that he had to help Jake with something that came up, I thought he was lying again; the way his eyes avoided mine had betrayed him.
“This is bullshit,” I told him. “You don’t have to lie to me anymore. Look at me! We are together in this, right?” Palms on his chest, I pushed him hard.
Jerome did not budge. He looked at me, and I saw his brow was furrowed with worry.
“I just don’t want you to get upset. I will tell you everything about it when I get back. I promise.” He took my hand in his and squeezed it softly. “Connor will stay with you until I’m back. Remember our rule. You stay inside whatever happens.”
I forced out a smile. “I’ll be fine. I don’t need a babysitter, I’ve told you before.”
Jerome shifted his weight for a moment, then he released my hand, took the car keys and left.
I didn’t even bother to ask Connor what had happened. The way he avoided me saying he needed to sleep, blubbering about how exhausted he was before crashing the couch, put me off. Besides, I wanted to give Jerome the chance to keep his promise.
I lay in the king-sized bed up in the loft, flinching at every sound coming from the forest outside. Even the slightest noise seemed magnified when it broke the silence of the night. The wind whistling among the trees, the rustling of the leaves, the crunch of pine needles with every move of whatever was out there searching its prey, made me hold my breath and wait until the noise faded away, passing by my shelter.
I was able to close my eyes only after the first light of day made it into the loft. But sleeping was not less torture. Nightmares haunted me; dark shapes chased me among the trees in the dark.
I am not sure I was dreaming; everything in that nightmare seemed real. The eerie voice, the fear, the need for air. The dark catacombs. Blue. Megan. Dismembered. The nauseating, coppery smell of blood. My friends’ blood. The Watchers’ blood. Mutilated limbs scattered in the dimly lit caves. Catching fire one after another. The sickening smell of burnt flesh. The screaming. My screams. And Jerome. On his knees. Chained. Covered in blood. Tortured. His lifeless body. His unblinking eyes. His arms stretched on the sides, chains on his wrists forcing them to stay fixed on an invisible cross. Ready to be torn apart. And I was there to watch. Unable to move. Petrified.
The future. My future. Jerome’s future.
Then the catacombs blurred under a strong wind
that blew everything away. Around me only silky blue skies. The flapping of wings. Layers of ethereal white unfolding, coming to shape in front of me.
A body. A female body. Her head was gracefully rising from the fair silky folds; like the head of a proud swan.
Airlia. The Guardian.
She was blindfolded. Because in the depth of her transparent eyes The Great Rhetra was clear. A sacred plan that had to remain concealed. She rose in front of me, huge and compelling. Her lips did not move, but I heard her voice with my heart as the creature told me what had to be done.
I woke up with a start.
I heard whispers coming from downstairs. Jerome was back. Forgetting I was only wearing a tiny top and my pink shorts I ran downstairs to meet him.
I found him in the armchair talking to Connor, who looked shocked, both hands cradling his head as he watched Jerome. It didn’t take me long to realize what had caused Connor’s worry. Jerome’s t-shirt was drenched in blood, ripped from his neck to his shoulder and his upper arm in a way only a pair of claws could have shredded it. His shoulder and upper arm were covered with a gauge that was already soaked in Jerome’s blood. It wasn’t hard to picture the gashes under it.
Two pairs of eyes watched me as I gasped coming to a halt at the bottom of the wooden flight of steps.
“Please don’t freak out,” Jerome said in a calm voice. “I’m okay.”
I went near him with faltering steps. “What happened to you?”
“I was attacked. Something tried to snatch me.”
“Am I supposed to understand what that means?”
“It means I got close to an evil creature and it tried to rip my arm off. As you see, it failed.”
He was making an amazing effort to sound cool, but the deep crease that had made its presence between his eyebrows betrayed his strain. It was obvious that he’d had a hard night out there.