by E. A. Abel
“When you have a minute Alivia I would like to give you a gift,” Devin said.
“Sorry brother, but right now, she is all mine,” Chace said and pulled her by the hand to the middle of the room.
“Stay right here,” Chace said.
He sped across the room. He picked up the remote control and powered on the stereo system that was behind the tall glass doors. Then he pressed another button and sped back to where she was standing.
“May I?” he asked and held out his hand.
She giggled and placed her hand in his. The music started. His choice of song was ‘Almost Paradise’ by Ann Wilson and Mike Reno.
She smiled as he pulled her close to him.
He sang the melody in her ear. Alivia closed her eyes and drifted away to the sound of his voice. Their bodies swayed gracefully around the room as everyone and everything slipped away.
When the song was over, she opened her eyes.
“You’re glowing,” Chace said as his eyes widened.
Alivia stepped back away from Chace and eyed herself slowly. It was true, her body was glowing, but not only was it glowing, she was beginning to fade.
Demeetrie rushed to Chaces’ side. “It will be alright,” he said gently. “Give her a few minutes and she will be back to her normal self.”
“How do you know that?” Chace asked as Alivia listened.
“Rosella, use to glow and fade when she was feeling nothing but the purest of love for me,” Demeetrie said.
Chace smiled at her as his eyes beamed with happiness.
She smiled back, stepped closer to him, and caressed his cheek. “He’s right, all I feel is this overwhelming power of love for you.”
Chace pulled her to him. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything. I’ll never be without you. I’ll always protect you and keep you safe. This is my promise to you.”
“Bravo, son,” Danzanelli said and clapped his hands as he approached them.
Chace stared at him.
“You have managed to win the girls’ heart and rip your brothers’ heart out of his chest all at the same time, bravo, I say to you,” Danzanelli said.
Demeetrie glared at Danzanelli. “This is not the time or the place for such nonsense.”
“Now Demeetrie,” Dahlia said. “Danzanelli and I have two boys, from our point of view this glowing angel or whatever she is, has managed to pull them apart.”
“I did nothing of the sort,” Alivia said.
“And you are speaking to whom in that tone young lady?” Dahlia asked.
Lawson, Erica, Tucker, Jules, Mercy and Devin came to stand in front of Alivia. Chace shoved his way through them.
“These people you see behind me are our friends and family,” Chace said and bared his fangs. “You, what are you exactly?”
“I am your mother,” Dahlia said.
“No, that is a title you receive as a gift when you have earned it. You, Dahlia were and always will be nothing more than an incubator.”
“Well I was not expecting to hear such rudeness escape from the lips of my son,” Dahlia said.
Chace laughed.
“And you Devin, do you feel the same way as your brother?” Dahlia asked.
Devin nodded. “Zio Sandino raised us. He protected us. You vanished.”
Dahlia stared at her husband. “I want to leave right now.”
Danzanelli nodded. “And don’t expect us to attend your wedding either,” Dahlia said and glared at Chace.
Chace clapped his hands together. “Bravo, that was an award winning performance if ever I did see one.” Chace followed them as they headed to the door. “See you in hell. Oh yes, that’s right, you were already there.” Then he laughed.
“I’m sorry Chace, I didn’t mean to ruin the relationship between you and your parents,” Alivia said.
Chace stared at her in amazement. “You had nothing to do with what just happened here. Zio Sandino has always told me and Devin that Dahlia was a little full of herself.”
“Chace is right Alivia, you had nothing to do with her shooting off her mouth,” Erica said.
Alivia nodded, but she felt guilty just the same.
Chace wrapped his arms around her. “So much for a drama free day,” he whispered in her ear.
☼
After dinner, Devin pulled Alivia by the hand to his bedroom.
“I have something to give you,” he said.
Devin picked the box up off his bed and handed it to Alivia. She lifted up the lid and stared at the necklace inside.
“Oh,” she said. “I can’t accept something so beautiful Devin.”
“It belonged to Zio Sandinos’ wife. He gave it to me a few years back and told me to give it to someone that I love and admired to protect them.”
Alivia eyed him curiously.
“Don’t worry I’m giving it to you because I admire you and you saved my life. So, I am returning the favor and giving it to you so that it can keep you safe.” He laughed. “I think you won’t have as many near death accidents if you wear it.”
Alivia nodded and took it out of the box. “Can you put it on?”
Devin took the necklace from her and slid it over her neck. He clasped it together and let go.
Alivia turned back to face him. “Thank you,” she said.
“The amethyst polished gemstone means stone of protection and enlightenment”. The owl symbolizes courage and protection as well as wisdom, truth, and insight. I hope it brings you as much luck as it did to Zio Sandinos’ wife.”
“I haven’t met her,” Alivia said.
“No, she lives in Paris. She doesn’t like to come to Newgrave. The town is too small and she says it’s boring. Zio Sandino travels back and forth. He prefers to live here.”
Devin noticed the ring on her finger. “Chace just gave that to you?” he asked.
“Yes, last night before I went through the realm to save you.”
Devin nodded. He swallowed hard.
Chace strolled into the room and eyed them questioningly.
“Look, Devin gave this to me as a gift for saving him.” Alivia showed him the owl.
“That is Zio Sandinos’ or rather it’s his wife, Marys’,” Chace said tracing his finger over it.
“Yes, Zio Sandino gave it to me a while ago,” said Devin.
Chace shrugged. “Are you ready to dance all night long beautiful?”
Alivia giggled as Chace led the way to the wide staircase at the end of the hall.
Devin stared after them. It was time to set his plan in motion. He wouldn’t let Chace have her. Alivia that beautiful creature had risked her life to save him from Hellsgrave. Whether she knew it or not, she loved him. Why else would she have risked everything to rescue him? He grabbed the hollow cross that he had stole from Mercys’ shop and stared at it. Everything that had happened in the last few months was for a reason. He knew that now.
It was his responsibility to stop Alivias’ family from dying in that gas explosion.
He was the only person who could save her from feeling the pain that she had suffered through caused by their death. It was his destiny to prevent Alivia from ever meeting Chace. Alivia was his soul-mate and the only thing standing in his way to having her love him was his brother Chace. He smiled and slid the hollow cross in his bag.
He opened his closet and pulled out the winged staff with snakes wrapped around it that he had borrowed from the ancient tomb. He walked to his desk, grabbed the map to the House of Travel that he also took from the tomb and put it in his bag.
He hesitated at his bedroom door and listened to the laughter that was coming from downstairs. That will be him soon enough, he thought. Then he sped out through the double doors of his bedroom, across the courtyard and through the woods.
He walked behind the building of the ancient tomb. He cleared the path as he pushed aside several hanging branches. He took the map out of his bag and glanced at it just as he stopped in front of the maple tree. He wa
lked around the tree and spotted the sacred oak tree right away. He banged the staff onto the ground three times. A door became visible in the middle of the tree and suddenly opened up. Devin smiled and walked through it.
Minutes later, he was standing in the middle of the road of highway nine leading into Coven Creek. He glanced down the road and spotted Alivias’ mothers’ Honda Civic coming straight at him at full speed.
Devin didn’t move.
By the time Amelia noticed him standing in the middle of the road, it was too late. She slammed on the brakes and swerved her car to avoid him. The car screeched and slid along the road spinning. Seconds later, it landed in the ditch.
Amelia, Alivia and Lawson got out of the car.
“Are you out of your freaking mind,” Lawson said as he ran toward him.
Amelia ran to where he was standing. “What the hell is wrong with you? You almost killed us!”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Sorry, you’re sorry?” Amelia asked in disbelief.
“Leave him alone,” Alivia said, coming up to them. “He looks lost.”
“Are you lost?” Lawson asked.
Devin shook his head.
Alivia stared at him. “Fine, let’s just leave it at he’s just some kind of crazy person looking to get hurt and let’s go.”
Amelia shook her head. “Thank heavens no one was hurt.”
“Can we go now? I really have to go to the bathroom.” Alivia whined.
Amelia glared at Devin and then nodded. “Come on you two and give me a hand to push the car out of the ditch.” Amelia said as she began to walk back toward the car.
That’s when the ground shook. Devin turned his gaze away from Alivia and her family and stared down the road toward the gas station. He smiled when the blast from the gas pumps exploded in the air. As the thick black smoke began to rise up, he knew he had changed Alivias’ future.
Amelia ran back to where he was standing. Alivia and Lawson kept their eyes fixed on the gas station. Then Lawson looked at Devin.
“I believe if it weren’t for you we would be toast right about now,” Lawson said and held out his hand.
Devin shook it.
Alivia followed Lawsons’ lead and extended her hand. “I’m Alivia Marks.”
He took her hand and shook it. “Hi, I’m Devin De Luca, pleased to meet you.”
Amelia smiled and said. “We own the Grand Coffin Café in Coven Creek. After what you just did for us, I believe we owe you a free meal on the house.”
“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I have other plans, but what about if I come by for breakfast tomorrow morning?”
“Great, see you then.” Lawson said. “And thanks again man.”
Devin glanced one last time at Alivia and walked down the street in the opposite direction of the gas station.
When he was far enough out of sight, he sped to the Casa De Luca. He entered the den and hid behind the door as he waited for the past Devin to enter the room.
He smiled as he took the hollow cross out of his bag. He would stake the past Devin in the heart with the hollow cross and place him in the cellar of the Tarantino ruins. No one would discover his body there. Alivia would be his and Chace would be what he always was, a ruthless sex craved vampire.
Devin smiled.
Could life be any more gratifying then it was right at this moment, he thought.
The End
Watch For, Book Two, In The Trilogy, The Blood Will Run.