Memories of last night added to my anxiety. What is happening to me? I was never one for change, and the fact that all these things were happening outside of my control made it even harder to handle. But Geoffrey was here—the one constant in this strange, new world I’d fallen into. I looked up at him and took a deep breath, thankful for seeing him next to me.
His eyes surprised me, though. A rim of silver had appeared around the irises of his eyes as well. They were clear as he looked at me, yet near the edges the stress of the dream showed. I wanted to ask, but I could tell the dream had his attention, so I held off.
He’d seen the men as well.
“Have you been here all night?” I asked, cuddling into his embrace, his chest exposed by his unbuttoned shirt. The nightmare was all but gone, yet the blond stranger still nagged at my memory.
“Yes, I didn’t want to leave you. I hope you don’t mind,” he said, then he added a silent thought. You’re beautiful when you sleep.
I felt my cheeks redden as I hid behind a pillow. I peeked up to his face, and I saw he was tilting his head ever so slightly, his eyes closed, fighting off a frown. When he opened his eyes, he smiled at me.
My lip and tongue felt perfectly healed, the swelling was gone, but I couldn’t hide the slight headache. In the peace of his home my senses picked up every little detail—the clock in the main dining area, Andrew clicking on the oven in the kitchen, and Pepper discussing something with Tracy about Christmas. Their speech was too quick to hear clearly. It helped when I could focus on one thing, and for now, Geoffrey was my pleasurable focus.
“Yes, I saw the men in your dream, and yes, you are correct about Marco, though I’m not sure how you’re seeing him. I believe our memories merge when you sleep, giving you glimpses into my history… while I see glimpses of yours.”
“What happened last night?” I asked, sitting up. This was clearly something he’d hoped I wouldn’t ask about. “Hey, I need to know what’s going on, too. If we don’t communicate, then this isn’t going to work. And to put it bluntly, I don’t want to do it without you.”
His smile returned as he fingered my hair, playing with it like a child’s toy. “It’s so soft and sweet-smelling, just like you.”
He was clearly trying to distract me. I gave him a disparaging look, raising an eyebrow.
“What? Can’t your guy try to sweep you off your feet?” He kissed my cheek and sat beside me.
“You were saying?” I pressed.
“Yes, well. We brought you here. I told Ashleigh that you weren’t feeling well and she agreed.”
“What about the others?”
“I spoke with them once you were safely stowed. They understand that we’re together. They’re just not accustomed to a human willingly being with one of us—especially me. They know about our alternative food arrangements. My family has other sources, as do some of my community, but there are those among us who have… pets, which they control.”
“Pets? Do I even want to know what that’s all about?” I pictured people with collars and chains on.
Silently, he verified my vision. I cringed. “Okay then, that’s my TMI limit.” I looked up and had to ask, “Are my eyes still the same?”
An image of what he was seeing came across the link and I could see the remnants of the silver edging in my eyes, though it had dimmed. But the silver around his eyes was bright.
“What happened with your eyes?”
“It would seem that your blood has a unique affect on me. The scriptures of myth state that this is a sign of our link. But I’m thankful that you’re awake and here… with me.”
His words warmed my heart as he gently took my face in his cool palms and lightly kissed my lips. Hunger of a different kind stirred in my body at his touch, the slow burn just beneath surface. We both felt it; the link was a live wire of raw energy. I knew I would have to fight against it to keep anything from happening—and apparently, so did he. I felt the link literally shut down, becoming a cold slate barrier that walled me off from his desires.
“Whoa there, big guy—how’d you do that?” It felt oddly scary, not feeling the link’s presence. Since we’d met, it had always hummed its own life in my mind.
“The easiest way to describe it would be to say that I turned off my emotions. Think of it like a light switch. I just flipped it to the off position.”
“Is it that easy?” I wondered aloud, finding it quite disturbing. Life without emotions sounded cold and empty.
“That’s exactly what it is for my kind. Remember, we’re a predatory species, and without emotions, taking lives and feeding is a snap.” He snapped his fingers, which was an unnerving sound, but then I felt the link again, and the love that he felt for me. “But we also lose our humanity; we have no regret, no love, no life—just blood.”
“Well, I’m thankful that you don’t do that, then. I prefer a man with feelings.” I breathed in his scent, relishing the relief it brought. His gentle kiss pulled at emotions much deeper, but we enjoyed the moment for what it was, holding each other as the snow drifted down.
But it didn’t last long. As the thud-thud-thud of Mitch’s video game shook the house, I pushed Geoffrey out to hunt, as his eyes had darkened. He was determined to stay and sent some enticing thoughts about showering together.
“No, not today,” I said. “Today is a day for family. We should at least make an effort.” But the idea of a few stolen moments was nice and I flirted with him a little bit as I pranced off to the shower.
“Tease,” he snarled.
I stuck my tongue out at him. After a quick shower, I quickly braided my hair, then found Pepper and borrowed some clean clothes for the day.
I headed to the kitchen and helped Andrew pack up meals for the homeless. With the snow—and the temperature—still falling, the need for help would be high today. Helping Andrew reminded me of how the social workers had tried in vain to get my mother and me out of our endless nightmare with the step-jerk. Time after time they’d come, and she always said the right things to get a plan in place—but then we’d get home and it would melt away to nothing. In the end, however, he got his just rewards and left us in peace—though it was short-lived, as cancer stole her away from me.
I shook off these darker thoughts and watched as Robert and Tracy shared their holiday memories with the group.
“In my family, we celebrated these holidays with a huge feast and singing,” Tracy said, her voice full of history and wisdom. “Then we danced through the streets to include the spirits of our loved ones that had moved on.”
“How did you two meet?” I asked, sitting down in front of the fire. “Judging by the way you look at each other, I can see that you’ve been together for a while. I hope you don’t mind me asking.”
“Oh many, many years ago—before we lived here. First, let me say your Geoffrey, he’s a good man—and he wants to stay next to you. He loves you more than his own life. And it’s because of him that we met.” She paused for a few moments, her thoughts drifting through the years. A vase full of fall flowers caught her attention and she looked at it softly. Then she continued.
“It was in the backwater country, outside Baton Rouge near the turn of the century. I was maybe eighteen when I met Robert.” He met her eyes with obvious affection. “My parents had died when I was very young. I lived with my many aunts and uncles. I come from a very large Creole family on the islands. I was raised believing in evil monsters. The practice of voodoo was commonplace. And we loved to celebrate Mardi Gras. That’s when I met my Robert.”
Her smile grew automatically. “My friends and I were singing, dancing in the streets, enjoying ourselves. I remember my mask; it was a great lioness, with many gold feathers and beads. All my friends wanted the bright, traditional colors for theirs: the deep purples standing for justice, green for the strength of faith, gold for power. My lioness was
power; I was strong. But really, inside here—” she said, touching her heart, “I was lonely. I just didn’t know it until I saw him.
“Robert was singing with Geoffrey, Pepper, and Mitch on the corner as we passed. I had seen them before. Their skin so white, their voices so… compelling. I can still see his costume—great feathers of dark green and royal blue that hid his features. His eyes, so bright.” She looked up at me, confirming what she would have seen.
“His eyes were different from my kind. At first, they frightened me… but the more I saw of him after Mardi Gras, the more I became fascinated by him. He met me often after dark and we would share stories… songs. I knew somehow that he was different but I also knew I was falling in love with him.
“One day, many months later, my cousin Lita and I were making bouquets of fallen magnolia blossoms. The petals were velvety soft. I remember we were close to the swamp grasses where the alligators hide. We were always careful, but that day, Lita ran to meet her man and left me. I kept walking, daydreaming… I was much too close to the ledge. The overhang had been hollowed out by the dark waters beneath its edge. An alligator was waiting there for me, hiding in the thick reeds and water lilies.
“The ledge gave way, and I fell into the muddy waters. It was not deep, maybe here on me,” she said, touching her short sleeve. “But it was deep enough I couldn’t jump out quickly. My feet were tangled. I remember seeing the alligator’s eyes, just above the water. My bouquet had fallen, and the white blossoms were floating on the murky water.
“I screamed, hoping someone—anyone—would hear me, but the ’gator, he was fast. That’s when my Robert rescued me. The poor gator never saw him coming. Robert jumped in, grabbed him, and snap!” She snapped her long, nimble fingers. “His head was off, just like that.”
Just then Robert came up from behind her, kissing her on the neck, wrapping his arms around her waist. In unison their smiles grew.
“I couldn’t very well leave him to finish you off now, could I?” he teased her. He nuzzled her neck, and she let out a small giggle.
“And I’m forever thankful for his love and tenderness.” She glowed in his embrace. I knew the feeling well.
“So you saved her, then?” I asked smiling at their happiness.
“Well, not exactly,” Robert said.
My confusion played out across my face. Then Geoffrey’s arms were suddenly wrapped around my own waist, and his icy breath was on my shoulders. “That’s where I came in,” he smiled slightly, dipping his head to the happy couple.
“He knew how much she meant to me,” Robert continued. “He’d seen the change in me since I’d met her.”
“You stole my heart, you did. You scoundrel,” she teased, playfully slapping his shoulder.
I looked at Geoffrey, still confused. “Robert wasn’t strong enough to change someone yet,” he said. “He knew that she would be safe if I did it.”
I noticed that their eyes were the blue crystal color again, almost glowing after their hunting trip. Geoffrey’s skin seemed to shimmer, and if I didn’t know better, his touch was a bit warmer.
“With our kind—we don’t mature until we’ve lived a normal human lifespan, but each of us is different. He knew himself well enough to know this. And I saw how much she meant to him.”
The two lovebirds stared at each other and turned to go, hand in hand. I was quiet, not sure of what to say.
“So you turned Tracy?”
“Yes.”
“She was hurt that badly?”
“Yes, her injuries were life-ending. There would have been no saving her otherwise. But she was able to understand who and what we were. She chose to live, to stay with Robert.” His voice sounded anxious, as if he had told me more than he wanted to. I felt his mood, the heaviness, through the link. His thoughts had become darkly troubled.
“Why are you feeling that?” I asked softly. “They have their happy ending.”
“Happy is a relative term. Taking someone’s life is not an easy decision.”
“But she would have died, you said. Now she’s alive and in love.”
“Yes, but then all of us would have—should have—died a long time ago.” His face became shadowed, and this discussion was becoming much too dark.
“Hey, Mr. Gloomy… let’s go.” I had to distract him. I considered all of them very much alive, no matter what his definition was. Then I realized that Andrew had once again disappeared—and he caught the fleeting fact.
“I’ll explain that sometime.” He kissed me and sent a small thrill to my heart.
We loaded up in Mitch’s Hummer and plowed through the falling snow, singing Christmas songs. For once, my life was complete on this holiday; I’d be with Ashleigh—the closest thing I had to a sister—plus I’d be surrounded by friends. Most of all, I was warmed by the thought that I was loved.
We got to The Stage just as the snow had stopped falling and the streets were safely cleared. As usual, Ashleigh had outdone herself. She introduced us to couple after couple, though their names were gone as soon as I heard them. Geoffrey navigated the crowds like a pro, calming my social anxiety around strangers.
A full serving crew of chefs and servers dressed up as pilgrims was just the beginning of a full day’s worth of events and entertainment. Ian and Dawn, plus the rest of the crew at The Stage, wined and dined on the finest feast money could buy. Though food still didn’t agree with me, I did my best imitation of being famished, secretly wondering how they managed to pull off enjoying the feast. But then I thought better of it; I didn’t want to risk bringing on my own queasiness.
Drink after drink, toast after toast—to the hostess and to ourselves, the celebration went on. Eventually, the time came to say our goodbyes, and to hail the mighty queen of entertaining.
“Ashleigh, I don’t know how it’s possible, but once again you outdid yourself. How, I don’t know, but you did it. It was awesome!” I said, hugging her as she teetered on her stilettos.
“Well, of course, darling! No one does it better!” she slurred as we slipped our coats on. She’d have one hell of a hangover in the morning.
“Bye, Ashleigh. Get some rest, you worked hard,” I chided her as the others waved from out the door.
“Oh, not that hard. I only wrote two checks today.”
The clouds had cleared and the winter moon shone down on the white crystals as we drove through the silent city. Suddenly, Pepper turned around with enthusiasm written all over her petite features. “Do you see what’s shining?” she said to Geoffrey.
Mitch rolled his eyes as he drove down the deserted highway.
“Yes, Pepper. I’m well aware of it, thank you.” He sounded like a condescending parent.
“Well, why not?” Robert added, as Tracy’s eyes lit up. I missed something that was obvious. Images of snow flashed across the link in my mind, but I was confused by the scenes.
“She wants to go play in the snow,” he said, one eyebrow rising.
“In the dark?” I piped up.
“There’s plenty of light, what with the moon and no clouds. Please, Geoffrey? It’s not that late,” Pepper begged.
I looked at my watch, wondering about her definition of late. Then as I thought about it, I realized I wasn’t all that tired. Once away from the aroma of food, my queasiness had disappeared. But snow? In the dark?
“Remember, we don’t need lights like most people,” he said, as Pepper set her sights on me.
“Please?” she pleaded.
“Don’t look at me; I’m just along for the ride,” I said, leaving him to the wolves.
“Thanks,” he chided, but I could feel that he wanted to let loose and have fun, too.
“Fine,” he said.
“Yes!” she gushed, but prematurely.
“But we get first choice.”
“Fine, but we’ll st
ill win,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Win?”
“The snowball challenge. It’s a yearly tradition. Though I must admit, the nocturnal element is new. It should be very fun indeed.”
I sat back and listened to the smack talk about historic battles of epic proportions. As we pulled up to the house, the snow was reflecting the moon’s brilliance.
Geoffrey helped me sift through all their extra gear. “Part of the show, my love. Our stage costumes. They help us look human.” He helped me on with my own bunny suit, tight white snow bibs, and matching boots and gloves. He looked like a model on break from an Olympic skiing commercial. I tried desperately to purge the lust from my thoughts, but failed miserably. He only teased me that much more as we headed toward the garage.
“We’re not driving?” I asked, looking back at the Hummer.
“I thought we’d try a more appropriate mode of snow transportation,” he said as a sly grin spread across his face, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm.
We headed inside and uncovered a sleek black snowmobile. How different from the bike can it be, right? Even with that thought, my stomach twisted.
“Safety first,” he said, handing me a helmet. He slid his into place as he turned the ignition over. It rumbled to life, vibrating underneath me as he helped me on.
Where are we going? I said through the link since the engine would drown out my voice.
To the back forty, he silently grinned.
“Huh?” I said aloud.
“Wait and see,” he mouthed over his shoulder.
I hung on as tightly as I could. He hit the gas, and we were flying over the brilliant white landscape. The snow sprayed up like crystalline powder over the top of us. Through the link I could feel his exhilaration at the speed as we wove our way through the open clearings and trees, the moon lighting our way perfectly.
The ground climbed gradually, and he finally slowed down as we approached a small outcropping of boulders and old-growth fir trees whose branches were weighted down from the overnight snowfall. When he cut the engine, the silence was deafening. The stillness was so heavy around us that I was afraid to breathe for fear of breaking the spell.
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