Fateful

by Cheri Schmidt

  “Here—I’ll draw you a map.” The enthusiasm in those words was rather annoying.

  Danielle examined the directions Brianna quickly scratched out on a piece of paper. While it did look like a fairly comprehensible map, she didn’t trust herself in this matter.

  “It’s really quite straightforward, Dannie, we don’t live that far away from here. I mean if I could get to your place in Colorado from the airport, then you can surely do just as well.”

  Of course Brianna had a point there. Her cousin had rented a car and driven fine while reversing things—just as she was asking Danielle to do now. And it was terribly clear that Brianna really wanted to spend time with Will, and she didn’t have the heart to deny her cousin. “Okay, have fun with Will,” she said, unable to mask how upset she was feeling about it, not that her cousin noticed.

  “Thanks, Dannie! You’re the best!” Brianna gave Danielle a loud kiss on the cheek and left with rugby-boy in tow who waved goodbye and offered another charming smile.

  Danielle sighed and then, deciding she had nothing else better to do, lifted the paper she’d written the book title on to recheck the number she was looking for. Scanning the shelves, Danielle soon realized the book wasn’t where it was supposed to be so she began looking on all of the shelves. It said it was here according to the computer, so where was it?

  While searching, she noticed a book on vampires that had been left where it didn’t belong either. Interest about her uncle’s Dracula tale tempted her to grab it, but she passed it by. Seconds later her eyes began trailing back to the vampire book. Curiosity was getting the better of her. Danielle snatched “Vampire Mythology” off the shelf, along with the Van Gogh book she’d finally found and sat down to read.

  She first tried studying for her report, but couldn’t seem to focus. Giving in, she reached for the thick volume with those two words etched across the front in gold. Danielle hauled the heavy book into her lap and began flipping through the pages, skimming over them, reading only what caught her eye. As she did so, she gasped when she noticed some of the pages had been splattered with something brown. Something that looked like dried.... No way, had to be hot chocolate. Shoving those chilling thoughts aside, she read three different myths about how vampires came about.

  First listed were the folkloric tales. It stated that according to Slavic belief, if a black cat walked over a grave, the person would become a member of the undead. Or according to Russian belief, if a person had been a witch or rebelled against the church their body would be possessed by a demon to rise again as a vampire. The reanimated corpse would then hunt the innocent as a soulless creature that served the devil.

  Next, it talked about the mythological legends of vampirism, saying the first vampire was created by a sorceress who had loved a mortal. This mortal discovered she wielded magic and then rejected her, calling her a curse to humanity. She retaliated by turning him into a vampire, so he would be the curse to humanity instead. However, others believed the first vampire was Lilith, the first wife of Adam, who left him for Lucifer.

  And lastly, the book mentioned that vampires may have originated from the Fallen Angels. The theory alleging that the union between Fallen Angels and humans created vampire offspring. These children developed a taste for mortal blood....

  Danielle laughed out loud. After offering a whispered “sorry,” to deflect the looks she got for her sudden outburst, Danielle settled her nose back in the book.

  It went on to explain the traits of vampires: They couldn’t go out during the day or the sun would turn them to dust. That one wasn’t new. They couldn’t enter a home unless they’d been invited in. How did that make any sense at all? They could turn into a bat or puff of mist to travel. That would be cool, not that she bought into it though. On and on it mentioned cliché after cliché. Hypnotic eyes ... superhuman powers ... it wasn’t until she got to the last one that she giggled again, just not as loudly. It actually suggested that throwing poppy seeds at their feet would deter them because they loved to count. The vampire would then stop his chase to sit down and count the many little seeds. So maybe that’s where they got the idea for Count Dracula on Sesame Street.

  She snapped the book shut as a shiver moved up and down her spine. She may not have believed the information, but she was scaring herself by reading it. This was exactly why she didn’t watch horror films. They frighten her too much. Danielle knew there was no such thing as monsters, but she also knew she would likely pay for this curiosity in the form of nightmares, lack of sleep, and the dictates of her overactive imagination.

  Deciding it was time to leave, Danielle checked out the Van Gogh book. With her now heavier satchel slung over her shoulder, she stepped out into the ... wait, night? She didn’t realize the sun set so early in London this time of year. Oops, out by myself after dark—already I’m breaking one of my uncle’s rules, she thought, but told herself it was okay since it was still quite early.

  Danielle dug into her pocket, her fingers curled around Brianna’s keys. The metal was warm compared to the damp chill that wrapped around her. An eerie mist was scooting along the ground, about ankle deep, and the sky was darkened further by an impending storm.

  As she approached Brianna’s car, she noticed a tall, lanky man leaning against it, the drifting vapor snaked and curled around his boots. Danielle stopped cold in her steps.

  Though he was handsome, a creepy grin played on his face as he looked directly at her. With a brush of his fingers, he swept back the straight black hair that had swooped rakishly over one eye. There was a gothic look to him with his pale complexion, dark clothes and dark hair. It was like looking into the face of an angel from Hell. Somehow he had angelically good looks, but with an evil edge. She never would have thought it possible. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

  That little warning voice inside her head told her not to trust this man. Danielle tried to argue ... but, I’m a black belt, I can handle him. Then the words of her instructors crossed her mind. “First rule of defense, Danielle, is to avoid the situation in the first place.” She could still avoid this situation. She decided to go back into the library and call Brianna.

  When she reached the handle, she was surprised to find the door locked until she noticed the hours posted on the door. The library closed early on Thursdays. Of course, today was Thursday. Apparently they’d locked up while she was inside.

  Danielle knew someone was still there, so she rapped on the glass. The woman inside gave her an annoyed glare and went back to whatever it was she was doing.

  She tried calling Brianna; surely they were still in the area, but the phone went right to voicemail. Irritating. She left a message to call her back, and started walking, trying to find anything else open, anywhere to get off the streets. She began trying doors as she went, finding everything locked. The streets seemed strangely empty to her. Danielle then realized, with some concern, that she’d gone the wrong direction. The business traffic would be east from where she was. She attempted to correct her mistake but when she turned around her stomach lurched. That guy was following her, striding along at a slow pace. Danielle increased hers in the opposite direction.

  She turned down what looked like another street. Panic crawled up from her stomach and lodged in her chest. An alleyway. No matter where she was in the world, walking that way was never wise. But it was too late, she had no choice. Danielle could see a turn several yards ahead. Maybe there’d be hope waiting around the corner.

  Deciding she couldn’t risk trying to look confident any longer, Danielle kicked into a run.

  Just before she took the corner, she checked behind her again. He was there, still following in the same relaxed manner. If he kept coming at her like that she could easily outrun him. He didn’t seem too committed about pursuing her, which was strange. She changed her pace to a sprint, looked back, still he hadn’t done the same.

  Relief filled her because once she swung around the corner light from the lampposts f
iltered in from where it opened up to the street. She could also see people walking past.

  Danielle checked behind herself one more time.

  Her heart jerked to a stop, she nearly fell over herself, and she screamed—he was right behind her! How could he have possibly closed the gap of over a hundred feet in an instant?

  Able to now see into his eyes, she stepped backward. There was something hypnotic and sinister about his silvery-blue gaze because it made her feel like she was being drawn in under a spell. Weakening her. Shaking her head, she somehow managed to force her gaze away from his.

  That’s when the word “vampire” came to mind, Danielle had just read they had hypnotic eyes. No, that’s crazy! Now my imagination is getting away with me! she thought, rejecting the idea.

  Danielle knew she couldn’t avoid this situation any longer, it was time for the second rule of defense—stun and run. Danielle knew the best way to stun this man was to strike swiftly, and she did—with all her strength aiming for his throat. She hit the mark, but, to her horror, nothing happened! He didn’t even flinch! Shaking her aching hand, she knew she’d hit him hard enough.

  Even avoiding his eyes, she could still see his smile as it curled into a bigger sneer. Danielle shot out a couple jabs and a kick aimed at his groin. His hands flashed out with lighting speed, blocking everything with no more effort than flicking a flea from his jacket.

  What?

  “No, Danielle, run!” the protective voice in her head screamed.

  Danielle spun away from him but she didn’t get very far. She’d slammed into something solid, but … clothed? Bewilderment muddled her mind as her fingers curled into a soft dark sweater. Strong, gentle arms enveloped her. There hadn’t been anyone there before. She looked up to find that she’d run directly into another man. How had she not knocked him down when she smashed into him so hard?

  Kind blue eyes peered down at her from a handsome face. Well, they looked blue. Even backlit as he was, enough light had filtered in to make his features only half shadowed. His sun-kissed complexion made the blue of his eyes pop even more. A gentle smile graced his mouth.

  Her gaze slid from his golden hair, along his straight nose, past a full mouth, to a strong jawbone. Again it was like looking at an angel, but from Heaven this time instead of Hell. To her it seemed like she’d just met Gabriel in person. But he didn’t appear to be one of those sweet-gentle-choir-singing-halo-wearing type angels, more like the kind of angel who could beat demons off with sheer brute force. More like a warring angel or an avenging angel. Danielle could feel a muscled chest through the knitted material of his sweater.

  A strange rumbling noise drew her attention back to her pursuer. A growl? She wasn’t sure. The other man was still there, his fists curled at his sides, the knuckles turning white. But what really threw Danielle was the fact that it appeared as if her attacker knew the man who had saved her. How could that be? With one more piercing look at Danielle, that sent chills slicing up her spine, the evil angel turned abruptly and left.

  Confused and full of questions, her face returned to the man holding her. Lifting her gaze to his, she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it as an intense sense of familiarity washed over her, rendering her speechless. She felt like she was looking at someone she knew, or had known, really well, yet his face didn’t seem familiar at all. It was in his eyes. His expression led her to believe he was experiencing the same sense of awareness.

  She tried to place him, but couldn’t because his gaze felt ... hypnotic, just as the first man’s had been. It wasn’t like the mesmerizing gaze of a romance novel hero, but like really hypnotizing, and not in a good way. Though the two men seemed as different as Heaven and Hell to her, there was something about them that was the same, but she couldn’t place it.

  Sudden weakness rolled through her limbs. As Danielle’s knees turned boneless, the angel frowned, and something that looked like guilt or regret slid across his expression just before he snapped his eyes closed. The spell, or whatever it was, released her just as quickly. With a gentleness that touched her, he took her hand, kept his eyes cast toward the pavement, and began leading her out of the alleyway.

  “Let’s get you back to your car safely.” His deep, masculine voice was laced with that British accent she loved listening to and she fell in love with him. A little.

  “Thank you.” Danielle’s voice trembled. She wasn’t sure what had just happened.

  “You’re welcome, but you’re not completely safe yet,” he informed her.

  Without any direction from her, he led her back to Bri’s car. How did he know where it was? Had he been watching her too? Was she still in danger? If she was in danger, why did she feel so calm and safe—she couldn’t help but trust this guy.

  As they got to the car, he held out one hand. “Keys, please.”

  Danielle studied his face in surprise. It was sort of strange how he kept his gaze averted from hers, but for some reason she obeyed, immediately dropping her keys into his palm. He unlocked her car and opened the door, holding it for her. Danielle got inside and then swiftly, he slid the key into the ignition. She couldn’t understand why he would do that until she noticed her hands, which were trembling violently. Oh, she thought.

  He leaned down to speak to her, still avoiding eye contact. “Can you find your way home by yourself? I can see you’re not a local.”

  “I-I don’t know my way around. At all. This is only my second day here,” she admitted. Danielle wanted the help. She was too shaken, and knew she was likely to wind up driving down the wrong side of the street. Forget about trying to read a map or do all of it from the passenger side of the car.

  “Very well, I’ll lead you. What is your address?”

  She surprised herself again by telling him without hesitation, knowing that giving such personal information to complete strangers wasn’t something to make a habit of. But for odd reasons she couldn’t yet comprehend, he didn’t feel like a stranger at all.

  After instructing her to shut her door and lock it, he promised to return with his car. In a matter of moments he pulled up next to her. Danielle immediately knew it was a Jaguar, although she didn’t know what model. The shinny paint reflected the available light making the car appear as though crafted solely from wet black paint that had been trimmed in polished chrome. The characteristic hood-ornament sparkled as it tried to leap from the front like a nimble cat. She was fully aware that it happened to be a very expensive car. However, he appeared too young to be driving such a luxury. Must be his father’s, she mused.

  He signaled for her to follow. She moved her car in behind his and her stomach twisted with how awkward it felt to drive like this.

  The soupy mist was getting deeper as they went, up to the doors now. She watched as it twirled and twisted from the wake of his vehicle. It only heightened the petrifying feelings that continued to torment her.

  As they drove along the dark road to her uncle’s home, Danielle got the creepy feeling she was being followed. She glanced into her rearview mirror and saw movement in the darkness. A cold pressure settled on her shoulders, like menace itself touched her. What was that? Couldn’t be him, had to be her imagination. She was feeling really freaked out by the night’s events, which began with her foolish curiosity about vampires.

  Her “angel” finally drove up to her house and stepped out of his car. Danielle breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into the driveway. When he nodded for her to go inside, she started then turned back, wanting to thank him, but he was already gone. The taillights of his Jag were swallowed up in the misty darkness.

  After entering the foyer, she turned the lock and leaned against the door for support. Only then did she notice her physical reaction to everything—heavy breathing and a pounding heart. Lifting a hand to her chest, she tried to steady her breaths before she got lightheaded from it. Her parents would be furious with her if she’d gone to London for school, only to go missing within the first week. One thing she
did know, she’d be taking her uncle’s advice a bit more seriously from now on.

  Danielle knew dinner was ready, she could hear the soft voices of her family drifting from the dining room, and she could smell the spicy aroma of a well seasoned meal. But she couldn’t face them yet. Needing a moment to gather herself, she raced up the stairs.

  Curling up on the bed she placed her face in her arms folded across her knees. What just happened? Why did she have to run? She was supposed to be able to defend herself, but her black belt skills were useless. Unable to make sense of it, her fingers tightened in the sleeve of her shirt. Any self-confidence she’d had before melted away under a rush of shame, doubt, and hopelessness.

  “Dannie, are you all right?”

  Danielle jumped at the sound of Brianna’s voice. A reaction Brianna clearly noticed. “I-I’m fine.” Like that was believable, she thought sarcastically.

  Suspecting her cousin noticed by the way her mouth turned into a deeper frown, Danielle expected her to say something about it. Instead Brianna said, “I see you made it home all right. My map was good, wasn’t it?”

  “Truthfully, I didn’t use the map. Someone led me home in their car.”

  “What?” Brianna had seated herself on the bed. Her hand went to Danielle’s shoulder as a gesture of comfort. Danielle looked up over her arms and the events of the evening tumbled out.

  “Did you try your karate?”

  “Yes, but ... it was worthless against him.” She buried her face in her arms again. This is what she felt most ashamed of.

  “Why?”

  “He deflected my strikes as easily as if I’d been a child...” Danielle shuddered at the memory. “I hit him. Hard—he should have at least reacted to the pain, but he just stood there.”

  “You’re scaring me, Danielle!”

  “I’m sorry, but he was really creepy. He made me think of vampires like Uncle was talking about.”