by S. J. Wright
“Let’s just cut through the bullshit, okay?” I demanded.
Her expression went from benevolence to pure shock in an instant. Her ebony eyes widened, and her lips opened.
I leaned towards her, “I don’t know what you want from me. But you haven’t given me any indication of who you really are, and I’m getting tired of being the last one to know what the hell is going on with all this vampire crap.”
After a brief silence, I heard her chuckle in delight. She tipped her head back and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, “My heavens! You certainly have some spirit, don’t you?”
Mollified a little, I turned away and crossed my arms. At least she hadn’t attacked me.
“Oh, Sarah. You are a balm to my bitter old soul.” She rested her arms on the table and regarded me with a friendly grin. “We are going to get along perfectly well. Let me begin by telling you exactly who I am and why I’ve requested to see you.”
I watched her with suspicion as she began, but as she began to tell me her real story I found myself leaning forward, eager to hear more and feeling a fragile connection beginning to form between us. She told me of her childhood, growing up as the daughter of an actress. When I began to ask a question, she would shake her head. I wanted to know where and when. How old was she? When had she been turned?
She explained that she’d turned to prostitution when she was very young and then had become a performer. Men were easy to manipulate, in her opinion. A woman only had to appeal to their most basic physical demands to be granted access to immense power. With a faint sigh, she recalled how she met the man who would eventually become her husband.
“He was too handsome for his own good. Justin was from a very powerful family and used to having his own way. He was given exactly what he wanted. Until he met me.”
She smiled brilliantly, thinking back to those golden days of courtship. I could detect the love she had for him, the dedication that grew as the years went by. It was written on her face like ink on a page, bold and unashamed.
“Now, let us discuss Michael.”
Inwardly, I hesitated. I needed to know more before I divulged anything about the vampire in my custody.
“Theodora…” I began slowly.
“No! My goodness, child. Don’t call me that. We are going to be friends, so you may call me Teddy.”
I smiled back at her, “Teddy.”
Suddenly, it was as if a shadow had fallen over her. Her perfectly arched eyebrows drew together over her black eyes, and she became very still. Her gaze was not focused on me, but something far away and beyond my understanding. Whatever it was, it held her immobile for a few moments. Then she looked directly at me.
“You must go.” She said quickly.
I stood, feeling frustrated and alarmed, “Why?”
“You were followed.” She rose quickly from her seat and approached me with worry firmly fixed on her pale face, “We cannot be found here together. The Council was not to know that I was meeting you tonight.”
“I thought you were with the Council!”
“I am a part of it. But there are those who would destroy me for interfering.” She grasped my arm gently and moved me towards the door. “Do not go home right away. They will be expecting that.”
“Who? Other members of the Council?”
She shook her head firmly, “There’s no time to explain it to you now. Now listen to me. There is a pub one block east of here called Fanny’s. Go in there and wait for twenty minutes or so. That should be enough time for me to lead them away from here.”
“Teddy, why am I in danger? What have I done?” I asked, desperation rising hot and fast inside my chest.
“It’s not what you’ve done.” She opened the door and looked both ways down the hall before turning back to me. Her face was hard and her black eyes glittered with fear.
“They want to punish you for what you are going to do.”
Chapter 14 – Michael
Images began playing in my mind. At first, they were hazy and confusing. Sarah entering a room by herself, sitting down at a table. I had been reading one of the computer manuals that Victoria had sent me, trying to get through the last few chapters of instruction on how to set up a private discussion forum. It would prove to be both a curse and a blessing in the months that followed.
The wind was not as cold as it had been. On top of the largest gatestone, I tested the air with my enhanced sense of smell. Sadie was nearby, moving through the trees to the north of the meadow following the scent of a rabbit. I turned my gaze from the words on the page to the trees where her scent was wafting from. Concentrating, I narrowed my focus and searched for her golden fur. There she was, sniffing at the ground and moving along at an excited pace.
“You’ll never catch that rabbit.” I said loudly, grinning at her.
Her head shot up, and she stared at me curiously with her warm brown eyes. There was a fragile truce between the two of us since I’d revealed myself to Sarah. There was much more to Sadie than just the friendly, goofy Golden Retriever exterior that humans might see. It hadn’t been pure coincidence that the young dog had wandered onto the property four years earlier.
“Jones.”
“What?”
I gestured towards Sadie, who had begun to stare pointedly in our direction. My recently arisen, redheaded companion looked at the dog briefly from his lounging position on the second Gatestone then went back to reading a copy of Twilight that Victoria had included with the computer books as a jest.
Aiden Jones had been a captain in the English Navy back in the middle of the 18th century. He had been turned by a particularly malevolent female vampire while crossing the English Channel to France in 1783. Her name was Amanda Winston, and she was one of the most vicious vampires I’d ever encountered.
I’d found Jones washed up on the rocky shore north of Calais, almost completely drained of blood and half dead from lying out in the sun for three days. Curious about him and his circumstances, I gave him some of my blood and moved him in to a guest bedroom at my country home on the outskirts of the city of Calais.
As it turned out, he was an interesting fellow. For an Englishman, he was a rather large specimen. He stood nearly seven feet tall, had the muscles of a gladiator and the demeanor of a demon when provoked. He had the red hair and drinking capacity of an Irishman, though he adamantly claimed to be English born.
Our friendship was based on common interests. He was enamored with French impressionist art and loose women. We’d spent three years as captain and first mate aboard a pirate ship in the Caribbean, during which we became exceedingly wealthy. When I grew bored with the sailing, I went back to Paris. We met up again in New York in 1908. He stuck with Victoria and me through many tremulous years, and due to the fact that he’d witnessed me turning Alex, he was deemed a coconspirator in my crime. Therefore, we both ended up trapped within the containment field.
I heard Jones groan and slap his hand against the surface of the stone.
“What a bloody fabrication!” He exclaimed.
I chuckled, “Which chapter are you reading?”
“Edward just showed that dim-witted wench how he looks in the sunlight.”
“Ah, yes. He doesn’t project a very masculine image, does he?”
“Masculine, my arse! He’s bent as a nine-pound note!” Jones tossed the book to the ground below the Gatestone, leaped down upon it with a sneer, and proceeded to piss upon it.
I shook my head. It wouldn’t do any good to try to placate the man. He had his Irish up.
A darkness began to settle over my mood rather suddenly. Incoming images flashed across my consciousness like a swarm of bees towards a hive. Flashes of Sarah’s sweet face, an unfamiliar building in a city, and a very familiar female vampire.
Theodora. I rose from my position on the rock and tried to concentrate. I sensed danger. Surprise. Then an image of Katie emerged from somewhere. She was wearing a provocative red dress and stumbling int
o a low-lit tavern, a cell phone grasped in one hand. She moved across the room towards two people who were arguing near the restrooms. She slid a hand up the arm of the man, her red fingernails entwined in his blond hair like snakes as she looked at the other woman.
Sarah. Rage launched me upward into the sky. When I hit the ceiling, a snarl ripped from my throat. I couldn’t go to her. It escalated the anger churning inside me, the realization that I was powerless to help. Alex could kill both of them with a flick of his fingers. I’d felt the power he was capable of. There had to be a way to get some kind of help to Sarah.
Drifting back to the ground, I saw Jones had gone completely still. The copy of Twilight lay forgotten in the dirt. Wrenching the cell phone from my pocket with a curse, I wondered yet again how far I could stretch the containment field wall.
Victoria picked up on the first ring.
“Michael.”
“Where are you?”
“Carmel. I’m driving back from Chicago.” She’d heard the tremor in my tone, “What’s happened?”
“Did Meekah say anything at all about Sarah being downtown?” I asked, already on the road that led to town, followed closely by Jones.
“No, she said nothing like that. Are you sure she’s there? Do you know why?” I heard the engine rev in the background and the squealing of tires.
“She didn’t say anything about it at all. But I’ve seen something. I’m fairly certain she’s run into Alex.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly.”
I watched Jones try to punch through the invisible bubble that was keeping us from moving further down the road. There was an iridescent spark of power where his fist connected, but he wasn’t able to stretch it. He threw a string of curses into the still night air and rubbed his hand as if in pain. Looking around, I realized we were in the exact spot that Sarah had stood several nights ago when I kissed her for the first time.
Imagining Alex with his hands on her was tortuous in the extreme. If I didn’t get some kind of help, there was a good possibility that he would not only get his hands on her again, but also possibly turn her into one of us. Sarah, a vampire. There was no way I could allow him to go that far. I was willing to do anything to stop it from happening.
“Vic, I want you to call Isaiah’s people and set up a meeting. Tell them I’m ready to deal.”
She went quiet for so long, I thought we’d lost the connection. Finally, she sighed.
“Oh, Michael. I don’t think this is a good idea.”
It was a rare thing for Vic to try to dissuade me from a decision. Her trust in my judgment had always seemed infinite, giving me the kind of courage I needed in times of trouble. When things were uncertain, when our lives were at stake, I knew I could count on her to back me up. No matter what.
“Listen to me, Victoria. I have to find a way to stop Alex. Isaiah has the power to do that.”
“What are you going to offer them?”
Hesitation gripped me. What Isaiah really wanted was my ultimate surrender and bloody demise. Could I give myself up in exchange for securing the safety of Sarah and her sister? It was a frightening path, and there was no guarantee that Isaiah would keep his word. There was even a possibility that he didn’t have the power to take on Alex.
“I’ve got to try, Vic.”
“You want them to come to the farm?”
“Yes. Jones is finally awake. He can help if we need it.”
She took a shallow breath, and I knew I’d hit a nerve. Victoria and I had never been lovers. But she had fallen very much in love with the Captain. Jones had always been a little resistant towards her emotional attachment. I’d suspected that he probably felt the same way towards her, but he was far too appreciative of her friendship to upset the balance of things.
“Any idea exactly where Sarah is right now?” She was trying to get back to business, and I was relieved.
“I’m not sure. Maybe she’ll answer her cell phone if she sees your number come up.”
“Will you try to call her as well?”
“Yes. Let me know.” I hit the end button and turned to Jones. “We need a plan, my friend.”
His wide shoulders rose in an exasperated shrug, “Do I have a choice?”
Chapter 15 – Sarah
I was a basket case. I kept seeing Katie’s face and how dead her eyes looked as Alex lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. Any evidence that my sister still existed had been wiped away by Alex’s compulsion. At least, I assumed that’s what it was. I’d been reading up on various vampire myths and stories over the previous few weeks. What I’d discovered had been confusing, interesting and probably fabrications. I knew that some of the myths weren’t true, but I hadn’t really had much of a chance to discuss my findings with Michael.
Sitting in the passenger seat of Victoria’s sleek black Mercedes, I dashed away the lingering tears and tried not to think about Katie. Or Alex. But it was overwhelming, what I’d just been through. What I’d seen.
“You want to talk about it?” Victoria asked.
I shook my head, “No.”
“I think you should.”
Turning my head, I gazed at her. How could she always be so composed? Was it a vampire thing? I guess I should have felt grateful for her help, given the fact that I was in no condition to drive after seeing Alex and Katie together at the bar.
“Michael cares for you very much, you know.” Her words were spoken carefully, with eloquent precision. “He has never been willing to sacrifice so much for a human.”
“What do you mean?”
She pressed her lips together for a moment, as if to stifle the answer. When she did speak again, it was in a cold tone.
“He saved me. When my human life had become unbearable, there he was. He offered me a way out of the misery.” She kept her cool hazel eyes fixed on the road before us. “Everything I now have, I owe to Michael.”
That was loyalty. I recognized it.
“He is lucky to count you as a friend.” I said softly.
She glanced over at me with a hint of caution in her expression, “He’s not perfect. You know he’s not. But he’s capable of great things. I once saw him rescue an entire family from a rogue vampire. There is a great deal of good left in him.”
“I certainly hope that’s true.”
“You doubt it.”
“Sometimes I don’t know what to think of him.” I pressed two fingers against the glass of my window, feeling the cold smooth surface but seeing nothing. My mind was somewhere else. With Alex and Katie. With Michael.
She merged onto the interstate that led south.
He was waiting on the road with a man I’d never seen before. As we drew closer to the two of them, I realized that the other one probably wasn’t human. I heard Victoria’s quick intake of breath and saw her eyes come alive when she saw the two of them. I realized a few minutes later that it was the redhead who had caused this transformation in her.
When I got out of the car, all I wanted was Michael’s embrace. The smooth tips of his fingers against my face, drawing away the pain. I didn’t care about the tension that was riding the air between Victoria and the stranger. I didn’t care about the mascara running down my cheeks.
For just a miniscule moment in time, I saw relief wash over him completely when he saw me. The tightness around his amazing eyes relaxed, smoothing out that little line between his eyebrows. His generous mouth softened, his lips parted slightly. Those broad shoulders fell. It was a slice of naked vulnerability as he watched me come towards him.
He had probably been hoping I might have missed it. But in my head, I mapped it all out like a picture that I could hold and look back on when the need might arise. I suddenly realized that no matter what games he thought he might be playing, he really loved me. In spite of his vampire’s nature.
Michael loved me.
“Are you alright?” He had quickly morphed into the guise of a concerned acquaintance.
&
nbsp; Stopping a few feet from him, I nodded. He glanced from Victoria to the redhead.
“Sarah, this is Captain Aiden Jones. He’s just risen from the caves.”
I nodded at the captain awkwardly. There would time later for pleasantries, I told myself. The captain gave me a firm nod in acknowledgement. His attention was fixed on something else as well. Victoria had stepped out of the car.
Her eyes didn’t move from the captain’s face when she spoke to me, “You’ll need to invite me back in, Sarah.”
“Actually, I think Jones might enjoy a little freedom.” Michael said, casting a penetrating glance towards the two of them.
“Oh.” I nodded, understanding him and beginning to feel my blood heat up. “Victoria, why don’t you take him down to Bloomington?”
“Are you sure, Michael? What about Alex?” She asked.
My blood went cold just hearing her say his name. My head fell as I recalled the events of the evening. My fear for Katie, the loss of her, weighed me down. Would I ever get my sister back after tonight? It was clear that Alex was just using her to get to me. Some kind of payback for turning him away or something like that. Then a single thought broke through everything, releasing a storm of guilt that hovered over me like a horrible dark faceless monster.
Was he getting his revenge for what I’d done? Allowing them to turn him into a vampire?
Michael knew immediately that something had changed. He reached my side with unbelievable speed and pulled me against him, “Sarah, give permission to the captain to go.”
“You may go, Captain Jones.” I said haltingly, the rising tide of guilt drew a little sob from me at the end of the required statement.
They left in Victoria’s car. Michael watched them drive away.
His eyes, when they came to rest on me, were swimming with serious contemplation that I found comforting. I didn’t want his sarcasm or his entrapping innuendos at that point. I didn’t want pity either. I just wanted him near me.
Calmly, he took my hand and began leading me up the road towards the driveway. His fingers were warm. When I glanced over at him, he kept his eyes on the road. We walked together down that dark road with the future looming gray and unknown ahead of us.