He had my full attention. William rarely talked about his past. There was a sadness in his eyes that was so human – I had to do a double take.
“When the Great War ended, I found my wife laying in a field covered in her own blood. I remember it gushing from the side of her stomach, from the corners of her mouth. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I hadn’t seen her cry in hundreds of years. She looked so weak, so helpless. I yelled for her to heal herself, but she refused. She said, ‘Beloved, this world has nothing left for me. No one should have to live forever. No one should have to suffer as we do.’ She died in my arms.
“But, she was wrong. Whether we like it or not, this is our destiny. We will stay as we are, every day from here until eternity because that is how God intended it. Everyone we know and everything we love will crumble and die around us. There is no way around it. Take it from someone who lost his wife to the final death, Zoë. No one should have to watch the one they love die. No one. Do not get attached.”
–
The plane lost altitude as it finally made its way back down to Earth. We’d been in the air for at least twelve hours, maybe longer. I was back out with the group. Samantha kept her distance, which I didn’t mind the slightest bit. If my outburst was what it took to get her the hell away from me, then so be it. Annie and Cindy sat at either side of me, trying to strike up conversation for nearly three straight hours. I tried to follow their words but I couldn’t seem to keep them straight.
“Where are we?” Annie asked, leaning to look out the window. Black clouds blocked out the land below.
“Europe,” William replied, standing to his feet and stretching. A small smile, but a smile nonetheless, stretched across his face as he made eye contact with her. He tried to straighten his face when he noticed me staring at him.
“This is where it all began,” he continued, stepping over Annie to look out at the darkened sky. “And this is where it must end.”
“If our calculations are correct, we should be getting close,” Geoffrey said as he approached us.
“Very good.” William nodded, keeping his eyes glued to the window.
Markus began weaving his way through the many sleeping bodies, shouting for them to gather their belongings and prepare for landing. It wasn’t the most gentle of wake-up calls.
Ryuu dropped beside Jade on the ground, absently running a hand along her inner thigh. The love side of their relationship, I supposed. “We suspect that the General’s men will be staying somewhere in Northumberland, England, most likely in Bamburgh Castle. It would be able to accommodate his large army.”
“How far is that from where we are going to be staying?” Annie asked.
“About 250 miles,” Alec answered. “Ryuu and I have been scouting the land for quite a while. We will be staying in the Old Wardour Castle, near Wiltshire. It is where the original castle of King Arthur once stood over a thousand years ago. The current castle needs some work, but we’ll be able to rebuild and start our new lives there.”
“A real castle?” Sam’s eyes lit up.
Jade stared at her and I waited for a witty comeback. “It’s too easy,” Jade grumbled and my heart filled with disappointment.
“If it’s going to take that much work, why don’t we stay somewhere else? Aren’t there, like, other castles?” Cindy asked.
“I would not expect you to understand, human,” William started. “It is the place where it all began. It is closest to the heart of who and what we are. We will be strongest there. Besides, it has a fresh water source and plenty of land to expand.” I wondered if there was more to it than that. If there was, William wasn’t saying.
An explosion beneath us rattled the bottom of the aircraft. We pressed our faces against the windows, as did some of the others on board. Flames licked at the walls of the plane drew closer to the ground. Small explosions rang out over the land, fires smoldering the remnants of the once beautiful countryside. Black clouds engulfed the plane as we plummeted toward Earth. Maybe it was a blessing.
The jumbo jet touched ground. Maybe “touched” wasn’t the right word for it. People sailed through the air before smashing back into their seats. Hundreds of screams filled the large container as the lights flickered on and off and we skidded to a stop on uneven ground.
When the dust settled, the six of us were the only ones still standing. Moans and cries rang out in the dark plane. Some of the people tried to climb to their feet, tripping over bodies still strewn across the cluttered floor.
When the lights powered back on, Tony and Cindy were tangled in each other’s arms, Tony’s tongue half way down her throat. I choked on my shock.
It took them all of a few minutes to realize that the lights were back on and that we didn’t plummet to our deaths. Maybe it was some sort of “I-don’t-want-to-die-alone” pity make out. I hoped that was the case. Although, Tony was quite the man whore and, well, Cindy wanted to be his whore. He rose to his feet, flashing me his crooked grin.
“What the…?” Josh was as much at a loss for words as I was.
“Don’t judge me, dude,” Tony grumbled.
I held my hand out to Cindy, which she clung to, pulling herself up. Her eyes were dazed and her lips swollen from his kisses. I rolled my eyes and pointed her in the direction of the open hatch.
Tony had finally caved. I guessed it was only a matter of time, what with the minimal amount of single women to choose from. Hopefully I’d never have to hear about the disturbing scene again. Right, like that’d happen.
It was nice to know that some things never changed.
Chapter Fifteen
There was a feeling of urgency throughout the group as we unloaded the plane. There were fears that the aircraft might explode, or that the ground might crumble out from under it. Either way, we weren’t in a position to take any chances. We needed to get the weapons and food supplies off as soon as humanly possible. Good thing half of us weren’t actually “human.”
It wasn’t hard to spot the vampires in our group. They walked through the darkness with such grace and eloquence, unlike their human counterparts who, even with the torchlight, stumbled over rocks and fallen branches hidden beneath the cover of night.
“Come on you sons of bitches! What are you, a bunch of pansies? I want this bird empty T-minus five!” Markus barked. He stood as stiff as a board, hands tucked neatly behind his back, head held high. “Did I stutter? Move it! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! Chop, chop! Quit your lollygagging! Don’t give me any lip, bloodsucker!”
“Looks like someone’s showing their true colors,” I mumbled.
“He’s not so bad once you get to know him,” Alec said as he stepped beside me, taking the large wooden crate from my arms.
“What, like Jade? Will he grow on me, too?”
“I was right, wasn’t I?” Alec smirked and I pursed my lips, snatching the crate out of his hands and storming off. I’d never speak those words aloud.
A thick layer of fog settled over the land, concealing the forest floor as I weaved in and out of the tall trees. A row of torches lit the way to the castle walls, flames fluttering in a stale breeze. It was much darker than it’d been in California. Maybe it was late, or maybe the clouds just hung lower in the sky. One thing I knew for sure, the endless night was finally upon us.
As I reached the castle my mouth hung open. In a world so full of horrors, it was beautiful. Only two-thirds of it remained and still it was perfect. Lush ivy covered the cobblestone walls, coiling around giant columns and rusted railings. Who knew what secrets lay within those walls, just waiting to be discovered? I had this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I was right where I belonged. I was finally home.
People scurried around the hexagonal castle, hard at work on the rebuild. They’d done a great job thus far – more than half of the roof and both lookout towers had already been restored to their previous glory. Around the backside of the castle, hundreds of tents were scattered across the land,
providing temporary shelter for our people until more permanent structures could be built. It looked like things were falling into place.
“Someone approaches!” a vampire woman shouted, pointing to the trees.
I looked up as a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows of the forest. As William made his way toward the creature I followed after him. Alec, Annie, Jade and Ryuu were close behind us. I could hear their light footfalls in the muddy grass.
“Greetings, Sire,” a raspy voice spoke from beneath a black hood. It was like nails on a chalkboard. I cringed. Not an inch of flesh was visible on the creature, the long robe hanging loosely around its body, concealing even its hands. Yellow eyes peered out from the darkness as it bowed.
William nodded. “This is Litharo, one of the shadow people,” he announced and the creature bowed a second time.
“We have gathered all that you have requested, Lord William. My people will follow you into the depths of Hell if that is where we must go.”
I had a feeling its “people” had already been there and back.
“Very good,” William said. “You have done well, Litharo. I am pleased.”
“Thank you, Sire.” It bowed once more.
The creature’s eyes locked onto mine. It was only a split second, but I suddenly felt uneasy. And then it was gone, disappearing back into the darkness from which it came.
“And those are the good guys?” I whispered to Alec.
“Well, kind of.”
“What do you mean, ‘kind of’?”
“They will do whatever it takes to find favor with the Lord once more. It’s said that the shadow people have spent thousands of years trying to make up for something that they did, something unforgivable. Some say that they’re neither living nor dead. They just are,” he explained.
“What are they?” Annie asked.
Ryuu grimaced. “Trust me, you don’t want to know. I made the mistake of finding out a few years back. I didn’t eat anything for nearly a week.”
“Whatever you do, never make eye contact with them,” Alec warned.
–
Traveling through the darkness, I moved further away from the castle walls, weaving around dark tents. My bare feet sloshed through the moist grass as I headed for a small lake just outside the castle grounds. I slipped into the shadows, the torchlight dancing on the water’s calm surface. It looked so inviting. I shimmied out of my cargo pants and peeled the shirt off of my sweaty skin. I glanced over my shoulder and hurried out of my bra and panties before wading into the water, dragging the filthy clothes in with me.
I stopped half way out, my back to the castle. Cool water hugged my hips, warmth from the nearest torchlight licking at my shoulder blades. I dipped my head under water, trying to scrub the blood and grime from my flesh. I cursed to myself as I did my best to wash the clothes. I had nothing else to wear. I’d probably be spending the rest of eternity as Laura Croft. I could thank Jade for that.
Something rustled in the bushes and I spun around, dipping further into the water. Josh stared at me with wide eyes. I was suddenly very thankful for my long hair, which hung perfectly over my breasts. He tried to find something else to look at and failed. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, starting to turn away.
“It’s fine,” I called after him. He came to a stop, his shoulders visibly tense in the dim firelight. “I’m pretty sure the lake is big enough for the both of us. Besides,” I added, “it’s not like I have anything that you haven’t seen before.”
Josh inched his way back around, taking a hesitant step toward the water. His eyes were glued to mine as he unbuttoned his jeans, pushing them further down his hips.
I forced myself to turn away, giving him the same privacy he’d given me. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen him in a swimsuit or even boxers over the years, but I had a suspicious feeling he wasn’t wearing either of those. I tried to focus on the clothes in my hand. What was I doing with them again?
He splashed into the water, making his way to the right side of the small lake, putting distance between us. I felt his eyes on the back of my head and I dipped further into the water, holding the soaked clothes over my breasts.
“Sorry about your girlfriend,” I blurted.
“It’s okay,” he said after a while. “She was kind of asking for it. Besides, I heard what William said. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it,” I breathed. He didn’t hear me, thank God.
“So,” Josh started, “you and Tony, huh? Does Alec know?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not what you think.”
“No, of course not. And I’m sure it was just a figment of my imagination that I saw him standing in your living room in his birthday suit.”
“With two dead guys bleeding all over my carpet. Right. That’s hot. You sure know what I like. Oh baby.”
Josh laughed. “You know, Tony’s always had a thing for you.”
I didn’t dare look at him. I could hardly breathe just thinking about his broad shoulders, his perfect jaw line, his strong chest. I scolded myself, remembering who he was.
“Not any more, he doesn’t,” I said. I fidgeted with the clothes in my hands, cleaning the same spot for the fifth time.
“What do you mean? You two would be perfect together.” He didn’t sound too convinced. “Better than that asshole you’re with,” he muttered, his voice tight. I let his last comment slide. I didn’t think it was intended for me.
“I’m immortal, Josh. Tony’s not.”
“And?”
“One day he’ll grow old and die, just like everyone else. And that’s something I can never do.” A sharp pain gripped my chest for a moment and then passed. I exhaled.
“Baby, one of the boxes from the plane had some towels in it. I grabbed us a couple,” Samantha announced as she stepped into the clearing. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me. “Oh.”
“Don’t worry,” I started, “I was just leaving.” But, not without ruffling a few feathers on my way. I was probably breaking a dozen or more rules from the friendship handbook, but I didn’t care. Throwing integrity out the window, I straightened up in the water, slinging the wet clothes over my shoulder. I headed straight for Josh. He made a choking sound as I coiled my arms around him, pressing our bodies together. He was so warm. His smooth chest scraped against my bare breasts and I thought I’d die. Of course, that was impossible.
“I’ll see you around,” I said, breathless.
I thought I saw steam escaping from Samantha’s ears as I made my way to the shoreline. I could feel Josh’s eyes on me, following my every move, running over every inch of my flesh. A fire built from somewhere deep within me.
I took my sweet time putting my clothes back on; after all, I’d already destroyed every moral fiber in my body, so why the hell not? I stole a glance over my shoulder as I headed for the trees. Samantha’s face was bright red and Josh’s mouth hung open. I felt both disgusted and oddly pleased with myself.
And I was right. He wasn’t wearing any boxers.
–
Before I could get within two feet of the castle walls, William spotted me. “Zoë, come here,” he called, waving a gloved hand. It looked like I was being summoned.
When I reached William, he was standing with the others. Ryuu headed toward us with six of the horses from the large stable the shadow people had built. I wrapped my hands around the leather reins when he handed them to me and stroked the horse’s velvet snout.
“I have something to show you all,” William said as he mounted the black stallion. “It is of great importance to who we are.”
Josh and Tony ran toward us, Josh back in his jeans, his cheeks still flushed. “Wait, we’re coming!” he hollered.
“I’m pretty sure you’re not,” Jade said matter-of-factly.
“Of course we are,” Tony argued. He’d gotten into the shift mentality that where I went, he would follow.
“This does not concern you, shift.
Stay here,” William ordered, snatching up a torch from the side of one of the cobblestone walls. He dug his heels into the horse’s side and it took off. I locked eyes with Josh and Tony, mouthing my apologies. Knowing Josh, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I steered the horse away from the castle, galloping after the others, through the trees and into the darkness.
–
We’d been riding for nearly two hours when William’s horse released a loud snort, coming to a halt. I pulled on my reins and my horse followed suit. I patted the paint on the head, whispering my appreciation into her large ears and hopping down to the ground. I scanned the surroundings. I must have been dreaming.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” My mouth hung open. “Stonehenge?”
“This is where it all began,” William started. “Where God first breathed life into us. Where He deemed us His servants, sent to keep peace over the land. And, for a number of years, we did just that.”
Annie took William’s hand and he lifted her down from the tall mare. “But,” she started, “that would make you nearly 5,000 years old.” She seemed to be having as much trouble wrapping her brain around it as I was.
William smiled weakly, releasing her. He stepped up to one of the massive stones. It made even a tall man such as William look so small. Pulling the glove from his right hand, he pressed his fingers against the smooth rock and exhaled. “It is all coming back to me now…” he trailed off.
To be alive for that long, I couldn’t imagine. It was no wonder why William was so hard. He’d lived through everything, experienced everything. He looked so old standing before me. What had those eyes seen, those ears heard? It seemed that I was only cracking the surface of all that was “William”.
“Why are you showing us this now, William?” Ryuu asked. “After so many years, why now?
“To know where you are going, you must know where you have been.”
Something stirred inside of me as I took a step toward the circle. I ran my hand along one of the stones and goose bumps traveled across my skin.
Until Dawn: Last Light Page 15