Legacy of Blood

by J. L. McCoy

  Archer slipped off his shoes, gently adjusted me so that I was lying down again, and crawled into bed beside me. He propped his head on one hand as he ran his fingers soothingly through my hair with the other. “I can’t wait until you are well again. It’s been so hard not to touch you these last five days. I want nothing more than to take you in my arms and kiss away the memory of your brush with the final death. I don’t care what happens in the future, Skye; you will never, ever do something like that again.”

  I nodded my head and looked over at him. “I’m sorry, athair. I just wanted to make Amun pay for everything he’d put us through. And to be honest, imagining eternal life connected to that monster is not very appealing.”

  Archer gently leaned over, his face hovering inches above mine. “Imagining the rest of my life without you in it wasn’t very appealing either. I love you, Skye Morrison; I love you from the deepest part of my being. I never want to go through what I’ve been through in the last five days ever again. It was soul crushing not being able to look into your eyes or hear your voice.”

  “I’m so sorry, baby,” I whispered as I cupped his cheek and gazed back and forth into his beautiful ice blue eyes. “I didn’t-.”

  Archer silenced me with a slow, sweet, toe-curling kiss. My body responded automatically and I fisted my hands in his soft brown hair. All too soon, he pulled away before things got any more heated between us. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  I nodded my head in understanding and closed my eyes as he resumed running his fingers through my hair. “How did you find me at Mount Bonnell? I made sure no one saw me leave the club. Amun said he’d kill Trey if I told anyone.”

  “It was luck really. An Dilis and I pulled up moments after you left. Hagan came out the back door looking for Trey and said one of the dancers saw you running out. I knew something had to be wrong so we took off after you. One of Ruarc’s men used his Divine Power and finally got a hit on which direction you were heading. It wasn’t hard to find you after he got a lock on you, but we were several minutes behind because we had headed in the opposite direction at first. It’s a good thing Ruarc’s man was with us or we never would have found you.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to all these powers everyone has,” I shook my head. “It’s crazy to think about, from a human standpoint.”

  “Well, good thing you aren’t human anymore,” Archer whispered as he kissed my forehead. “Those powers saved your life, baby. The sooner you accept and embrace all the wonders of our race the better.”

  I nodded and grabbed on to Archer’s hand, taking it away from my hair, and kissed the palm of it. “What happened to Amun? What did Ruarc do with him?”

  Archer sighed and for a minute, I didn’t think he was going to tell me. “They flew to their US headquarters in Massachusetts and put his chain-wrapped body in a specially made, silver-lined coffin. After he was secure, they flew him to Ireland and placed him in a secure location. Upon your death, which I pray is never, they will administer the final death if he happens to live through it.”

  “Amun got out once. What are they doing to make sure he doesn’t again?”

  “Baby, you have to trust they know what they’re doing. No one knew when Cináed entombed Amun the first time. Now that An Dilis are aware of his existence and know full well what he is capable of, Amun will never see the light of day again.”

  “I hope so,” I whispered as I closed my eyes, suddenly exhausted.

  Archer was quiet for a long time and I had begun to drift off to sleep. “I think there is something you should know,” he whispered.

  “Hm?” I mumbled tiredly.

  “During the battle with Amun, someone had Lorcán take you away for your safety. Lorcán informed us you were in the parking lot with him, almost to the van, when you suddenly just vanished from his arms,” Archer explained, caution in his voice.

  I slowly peeled my eyes open and glanced over at Archer. “I remember seeing a bright white light one second and then the next, feeling myself hit the ground. What happened?”

  Archer’s eyebrows rose fractionally and he took a deep breath before slowly blowing it out. “You teleported.”

  “I what?” I asked, confused; my eyes now fully alert.

  Archer nodded his head and then he shook it in astonishment. “You actually teleported from Lorcán’s arms at the bottom of the mountain, to a mere ten feet away from Amun who was at the top. One second you were with Lorcán, the next with Amun. It completely shocked the hell out of everyone. No one, in the entire history of our race, has ever been gifted with Teleportation as their Divine Power.”

  I drew in a quick breath of air. “Teleportation? That’s… crazy. You mean I actually have a Divine Power?”

  “It would seem so,” Archer nodded slowly. “Ruarc figures your ability to absorb one’s Divine Power, and your rapid healing, are merely a byproduct of whatever Amun is. That being said, the only other thing left as an explanation is that you were given a divine gift. As far as we know, Amun can’t teleport so we’ve ruled out his influence. It looks like God has indeed gifted you with something truly remarkable. You are the first of your kind, Skye… in many ways.”

  I sighed deeply and closed my eyes again; the conversation completely draining me. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet, Archer.”

  “It will always be a good thing, Skye. You are a good person and you have to start believing it.”

  “I’ll try and start later, baby,” I mumbled and yawned. “I’m sleepy.”

  Archer chuckled softly and his soft kiss was the last thing I felt.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Rise and shine, Valentine,” Trey sang softly and I slowly pulled my eyes open to see him standing by Archer’s bed holding a massive red first aid kit. “It’s time to change your bandages.”

  I nodded my head sleepily and allowed Trey to do what he needed to do. I watched as he gently pulled the tape off the skin on my abdomen and lifted the bulky gauze. I cringed when I saw the deep wound. It was a red, angry mess. The wound was about five inches wide, the width of the hilt of the Sword of Saint Patrick, and it was open about three inches deep. “Holy shit, Trey.”

  “This is nothing, sugar,” Trey smiled kindly as he lightly began cleaning it. “You should have seen it five days ago.”

  “Ugh,” I cringed again as I turned my head away from the sight. “No thanks. This is bad enough.”

  The wound on my chest was a bit worse, but not by much. As Trey was putting the finishing touches on the bandages, Jameson popped his head in.

  “Can I come in?” he asked softly, his eyes a bit weary.

  “Jameson,” I breathed, a smile instantly lighting my face. “I can’t believe you’re here. Please, come in.”

  “Almost done here and then she’s all yours,” Trey smiled and started affixing the last three strips of translucent surgical tape.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt,” he said as he walked in, his hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

  “You’re not,” I quickly answered, not wanting him to leave.

  “There,” Trey smiled widely as he started pulling my gown down. “All fixed up. I’ll come back in a bit with some blood for you.” I watched him gather up the kit and head out the door, but not before he gave Jameson’s shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze.

  “I can’t believe you’re really here,” I whispered again, trying to break the strange silence between us.

  “I came as soon as Archer called,” he said, stuffing his hands into the front pocket of his ripped Levi’s.

  “I’m so glad you did. I hear you saved my life… again.”

  He shrugged and stepped a bit closer to the bed, but not much. “I, uh, came by a couple of times to heal you last night. You were asleep.”

  “You did? Why didn’t you wake me?”

  He shrugged again and looked down at his boots. “I didn’t want to bother you so I just healed you and left.”
<
br />   “You’re never a bother to me,” I frowned. “I wish you had woken me.”

  He was silent as he rubbed the back of his neck again; a sure sign he was feeling uncomfortable.

  “How were your shows?” I tried again to engage him in conversation and lighten the mood.

  “Good,” he nodded and ran one hand through his hair. “We sold out most of them.”

  An awkward silence once again descended on us and I fought for something to say.

  “I’m sorry,” I blurted out at the same time he did. We both looked at each other and smiled diminutively.

  “I’m really sorry for the way I treated you before you left,” I continued quickly before he could say anything. “I don’t know how much Archer told you, but the person you saw during that last week was not entirely me. Amun’s feelings were encumbering my own.”

  “Archer told me everything,” he said softly, looking at the ground and nodding.

  “Then you know how sorry I am for the way things ended between us.”

  Jameson quickly raised his head and eyed me warily. “Are you?”

  “Of course I am,” I frowned, my brow furrowing. “How could you doubt that?”

  “How could you sleep with my brother?” Jameson shot back; his voice was soft but his face furiously hurt.

  My mouth opened slightly in shock. How did he know? How could I answer his question without sounding like a complete bitch? “I’m in love with him, Jameson. I’m sorry, but I’ve been in love with him for a while… even while I was in love with you.”

  “We are two completely different people, Skye,” Jameson frowned. “I don’t understand how you could possibly be in love with both of us at the same time.”

  “It was your differences that made me love you,” I tried to explain. “Archer is… well, he’s Archer. I’ve always felt drawn to him, and it wasn’t just his pheromones when I was human. I’m drawn to him now as a vampire, but it’s on a deeper level now that he’s my maker too. My attraction to him is complicated, but my attraction to you never was.”

  The muscle in Jameson’s jaw worked as he let my words sink in. “It hurts me to see you with someone else… especially him of all people,” he said honestly.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, hanging my head while I fumbled with my fingers. I felt horrible I had hurt him. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I never meant to fuck everything up so bad and I never wanted to come in between you and Archer.” I swallowed hard and looked back up at him. “I still care about you, Jameson… you have to know that. I always will.”

  He scoffed and chuckled harshly. “Don’t fuck with my feelings, Skye, just because you are unsure of your own. I can’t handle any more shit from you. These past three weeks have been brutal for me. I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster ride straight out of hell; my only solace being found at the bottom of a bottle or, most recently, when I was buried deep inside one of our groupies.”

  I gasped as he disclosed the last part and my heart ached with pain upon hearing his admission. He didn’t have to tell me, but he wanted me to hear it. “You’re hurt. You’re hurt and you’re trying to hurt me in return. I get it. You don’t have to punish me. I don’t know how many more times you want me to apologize, but I will. I’m sorry, Jameson.” Tears welled in my eyes and I fought to blink them away. “I’m sorry I hurt you but you really didn’t have to tell me about the groupie.”

  “No? Well, what did you expect me to do? Pine over you for the rest of eternity?” He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and roughly ran his fingers through his hair. “I have to do something to get over you because I know I’m not enough for you; I’ll never be good enough. I’m not strong, powerful, or handsome like Archer and I know now that’s what you want; it’s what all women seem to want. I’m just me, Skye. I’ll never be him. I can’t compete with Archer. More importantly, I refuse to.” His chin started to twitch a little and I knew he was close to tears. “You held it all, Skye… everything I had. I love you, even after all the bullshit you put me through, but I’m letting you go. I have to make my heart move on before loving you fucking kills me.”

  “Don’t you ever think you weren’t good enough for me,” I frowned, getting mad and shaking my head. “You are an amazing person, Jameson. It’s me that’s not good enough for you. You were everything I ever dreamed of; smart, sweet, funny, considerate, compassionate, and talented. YOU were perfect; you were everything I didn’t deserve. I’m fucked up, honey; I hide it well, but I’ve got serious issues… issues I’ve been dealing with my entire life.” I swallowed hard and prepared myself to admit something that I’d never spoken aloud to another living soul before. “I didn’t have a father growing up so I have what Nikki calls ‘daddy issues’. Because of it I make a lot of mistakes where men are concerned. You were the one relationship I’d ever had that was normal and I completely fucked it up. I pushed you away because, at the time, I couldn’t handle being hurt anymore by men. You never hurt me personally, but I took my anger out on you over Archer and Hunter’s actions. I unfairly punished you. I’m sorry… I’m so, so fucking sorry. I don’t deserve you; I know now that I never did to start. You’re worthy of so much. Someone a lot better than me.” I swallowed thickly again and wiped the tear that had fallen. “I always do the wrong thing; I always have when it comes to men. You deserve a girl who is strong and sweet and pure… someone who will worship you, cherish you, and treat you with the love and respect you deserve. You deserve to have the world, Jameson. You deserve much better than someone as fucked up as I am can give you. I loved you, Jameson… I did. I swear I did and I still do… but I can’t deny what I feel for Archer. I never wanted to hurt you… never. I’m so unbelievably sorry for the way things happened between us.”

  “What I deserved was to have you like you had me, which was completely,” he said angrily. “You had all of me, Skye; every single piece of me and I only got half of you in return. Still, that fucking half meant everything to me! It was my world. YOU were my world!” I watched a single tear fall as he gazed at me, the anger melting off his face in the wake of his tear. “You were never fucked up to me. You were everything I ever wanted. I didn’t want to give you up,” he whispered, his pain apparent, “but I don’t have a choice. You made yours and you’ve destroyed me in the process.”

  I looked down at my hands and couldn’t fight the tears anymore, so I gave myself over to them. I silently cried while his silence swallowed the room. What could I say to him? What more was there to say? I had broken his heart. I had fallen in love with his friend/brother/maker and betrayed the bonds of the relationship we had. So I hadn’t technically cheated on him, but did it matter? I felt like the worst person in the entire world. I didn’t even deserve his friendship now and I think that’s what hurt me the most. I couldn’t imagine my life without Jameson in it. Just because we were technically family now didn’t mean anything if he resented me.

  After a few minutes had passed, Jameson’s sigh broke the stillness. “I’m going to heal you and go. I can’t stand to look at you right now. It hurts too much. You should be well enough in a couple of days and you won’t need me anymore. I’ve got a life to get back to.”

  I wiped the wetness from my face and neck and nodded my head. I didn’t want him to have to be around me any longer than he absolutely had to. I watched as he slowly placed one hand on my forehead and one on my chest. His eyes wouldn’t meet mine but I could still see the unshed tears in them.

  A familiar current started in my chest and quickly traveled down my body. The tingling intensified and was followed by a wave of heat.

  “Please… look at me?” I whispered softly.

  Jameson’s eyes hesitantly slid to mine and he held my gaze as a final rush of power coursed through me. I knew then, in that instant, I had damaged our relationship far worse than I thought. Every other time he had healed me, my body had climaxed as a result. Jameson had said it only ever happened when he felt strongly for the person he
was healing. I didn’t climax this time and I now knew the depths of the pain I caused him.

  My tears were not silent this time as I sobbed. I had broken his heart and now I had gotten mine broken in return. We would never be the same again after today; our friendship was irrevocably broken, all because of me.

  Jameson gazed down at me with dejected, tear stained eyes as he gently lifted his hands from my body. Without another word, he turned and walked out the bedroom door.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I heard knocking on the door and opened my eyes to see Archer strolling in. It had been a few hours since Jameson’s last visit and his final departure had been a hard one for me. Our conversations, if you could even call them that, had been short and uncomfortable but the last visit had been positively brutal. I heard from Aoife that Jameson and Archer had had it out over me again; this time words were said about me that couldn’t be forgotten. Of course, with Archer being as protective as he was toward me, he wanted Jameson to apologize for them but he had stood his ground. I was told what was said about me and agreed wholeheartedly with the assessment. I was every bit of the person he claimed me to be, and it made me sick.

  After the argument, Jameson had gathered his things, healed me one last time without a single word, and returned to his band and The Manky Langer tour.

  “How are you feeling, baby?” Archer asked with a sweet smile.

  “I’m fine,” I answered and tried to smile. The truth was I was anything but fine; I was a wreck over what I had done to Jameson.

  “You’ve said that for the last two days,” Archer frowned worriedly. “Are you really fine or do you just not want to talk about what’s bothering you.”

  I cursed inwardly and closed my eyes. I thought I had been doing a pretty good job of hiding my inner turmoil, but I guess not. “Jameson hates me,” I whispered, not wanting to talk about it but not being able to stop myself. “What he said about me… it’s all true.”