by C. J. Pinard
“Aiden!” he called out, as the door slammed behind him.
Aiden came out from a back bedroom, a book in his hand. “What is it, lad? I thought you were visiting your folks this evening?”
Sebastian’s brow furrowed and he looked contemplatively at Aiden, taking a big, deep breath he really didn’t need. “I was. But I’m afraid I’ve had a little… accident.”
“What sort of accident?” Aiden asked, eyebrows raised.
“Well, I may have accidentally turned my brother Silas into a vampyre.”
Aiden’s eyes got big. “Where?”
“Come with me.”
Aiden set his book on the crude pine dining table and slipped on a pair of shoes that were in front of the door.
Moonlight washed over both of them as they quickly padded over grass and dirt to the large barn. Sebastian yanked open the door and pointed to the loft. “Up there.”
Aiden looked at Sebastian incredulously and then back up to the loft. He swiftly climbed the ladder with Sebastian at his heels. He walked over to the sleeping Silas and with his arms folded, he stared down at him.
“Tell me what happened. Now.”
Sebastian wrung his hands together. “I went home to see my folks and the short story is, Silas was roughing up my mother. I can’t have any part of a man hitting a woman, Aiden. I just can’t.”
“So you killed him,” Aiden said more than asked.
“I didn’t mean to. I threw him across the room and then… I may or may not have bit him and then drained him.”
Aiden shook his head. “Fecking idiot.”
“I saw how you turned Elaine so I just did what you did. I had regrets about killing my brother. I couldn’t live with myself if I ended his life in that way,” Sebastian said.
Aiden bent down and put his hand on Silas. His wavy brown hair was lying in clumps over his cold, pale, clammy face. His heart rate was starting to slow but he was taking deep, quick, shallow breaths as he slept. “He does appear to be in transition. Damn.”
“What do we do?”
Aiden sighed. “Nothing. We wait; he will be fully transitioned in three days’ time. Until then, it’s your job to keep watch over him. You’re not to leave this barn until the sun sets on the third day.”
Sebastian dropped his head. “Yes, sir.”
Aiden skipped the ladder and just jumped down off the loft, almost seeming to float down to the awaiting hay floor.
As he left, Sebastian sat next to his almost-undead brother and stared at him. He couldn’t believe this was now his life. He thought about Amelia again, but thoughts of her just turned to rage and he had expended enough of that this evening. He knew Silas was going to be absolutely livid when he woke up and realized he had been murdered and brought back to exist as a creature of the night. He will no longer be working in their father’s cobbler shop making shoes, he would have to stay with him and Aiden and learn how to fish and build ships. He wondered if Silas was interested in going to America.
Truthfully, Sebastian was a little happy he would now have someone to spend time with. The thought of living forever scared him, and he was happy he would now have his brother with him. As much of a jackass as Silas could be, Sebastian knew he would now have a healthy respect for him after tonight’s episode. He had sired his own brother; he had killed him and brought him back to life – or something close to it. He would thank Sebastian later, he just knew it.
Looking at his unconscious brother, he wondered if he would sleep for three days or if he would awaken before then. He had no memory of his own transition, and wondered if he had had some conscious moments during that time that perhaps he didn’t remember. He hoped Silas would sleep, at least tonight, as he didn’t want to face him.
Sebastian glanced at his brother again, then jumped down from the loft as Aiden had done and landed easily on the hay below. He smiled at the new trick and wondered if he could also jump back up. That theory would have to be tested later, however. He walked to the door of the barn and peered around the corner toward the farmhouse. He could see all the candles and lamps had been extinguished, which meant Aiden and Elaine were not home.
He took a chance and decided a quick trip into town wouldn’t hurt.
He really needed to get drunk.
∞∞∞
Portland, Oregon – Present Day
Thomas was glad his “MMA” training had ended early. Zach was done after his nose was broken by Tyler. He wondered if they’d be invited back to Zach’s Gym any time soon. He smirked at the thought.
He navigated his black BMW down the one-way streets of downtown Portland and arrived at St. Matthew’s Church. It looked out of place on Second Avenue. The large, cream-colored church had pale blue accents around its framing, and it’s tall, white spire pierced the gray sky like a knife, a large cross sitting regally on top. Rain pelted the old roof and dripped down into the rain gutters, which spit water onto the awaiting sidewalk. Putting the car into park, he got out and ran to the front doors of the church.
As he entered, Malina was waiting for him in the church’s small lobby.
“Hi,” she said, leaning up to kiss him.
He smiled. “Hey yourself. Where’s Reverend Bailey?”
“He’ll be here shortly,” she answered.
He stared down at her and brushed a stray brown curl from her forehead. “How are you feeling?”
She smiled. “Good. I thought I was supposed to be sick but I feel fine. Just more tired than usual.”
“Well you need rest. After this, we’ll go home and you will do nothing for the rest of the evening. I’ll wait on you. Where did you go today?” Thomas asked.
“Well, I went –”
“You must be Thomas O’Malley.” The reverend was in all black, the only bright spot being his white priest collar around his neck. His graying hair was slicked back neatly, and he had the beginnings of cataracts clouding what were probably once very bright blue eyes. “Reverend Benji Bailey.”
Thomas shook his proffered hand. “Yes, Reverend. Good to meet you. This is my fiancée, Malina McQueen.”
The reverend smiled. “Nice to meet you, young lady. Right this way, folks.”
Now, most sylphs take on the last name of their human fathers. But Malina, being one of the oldest living sylphs, had dropped that name long, long ago and made up her own. A little bit of humor on her part, and she was quite amused with herself. But she was also excited at the prospect of soon becoming an O’Malley.
The reverend led them to his study. As he opened the heavy oak door, he instructed them to have a seat on the two leather chairs in his office. A bulky desk covered with scattered papers was perched in front of the chairs. A large bookcase with heavy old books and various Bible translations towered behind the desk. Multiple framed pictures and certificates adorned the yellowing walls, which desperately needed paint.
“So, tell me, when were you thinking you would like to have your wedding?” Reverend Bailey asked, an open calendar in front of him.
Malina looked at Thomas, then back to the reverend. “When’s your first opening?”
The old reverend furrowed his brow, then looked down at his book. “Well normally I am booked up a year in advance, but it looks like I had a cancellation for July twenty-eight. Will that work for you?”
Malina and Thomas looked at each other and smiled, then back at Reverend Bailey.
“Yes, that will work,” Thomas said excitedly. He squeezed Malina’s hand while his stomach did summersaults with excitement.
The old reverend smiled. “Great, O’Malley-McQueen wedding, July twenty-eighth, at say, two p.m.?”
“Yes, that will definitely be acceptable,” Malina said.
“Will you be requiring my officiating services for the ceremony?”
“Yes, definitely,” Thomas answered.
The reverend opened a clunky drawer and pulled out a piece of paper with a shaky hand and handed it to Thomas. “Those are the costs for the rental of t
he church and my services. There are also other services we provide, such as a banquet hall and other things. We have church members who have businesses like cake making and floral services, should you need them. Their numbers and website addresses are on there.”
Thomas smiled and stood up, putting his hand out. “Thank you so much, Father. We appreciate it. We will be in touch.”
“You know, kids, I do offer pre-marital counseling services as well. Especially for very young couples such as yourselves. Marriage can be very tough, it’s a lot of work,” the reverend added, eyeing them both.
Thomas bit back a smile and said, “We’ll keep that under advisement. Thank you.”
Malina smiled and dipped her head at him, then exited the small office. When they departed the church, the happy couple noticed the rain had stopped, and a few rebellious rays of sun were poking through the thick stubborn clouds above.
“I love you so much,” Thomas said, leaning down to kiss his beautiful brunette on her soft lips.
She smiled. “You make me so very happy, Tom. I will love you forever.”
“Late lunch?” he asked.
“Sure.”
∞∞∞
Kathryn was bent over, trying to pull some meat from the stainless steel refrigerator’s bottom freezer. She was rifling through all the bags and frozen items, moving them aside to get to the meat. She felt a painful sting on her bottom, accompanied by an echoing slap.
“Ow!” she bellowed, dropping the meat and standing up.
Jonathan was standing behind her leaning against the counter, mischief in his eyes. He was biting into an apple.
“What was that for?” she asked, now smiling.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her close, lacing his arms around her. He gently rubbed the butt cheek he had just walloped. “I couldn’t help but smack that beautiful ass of yours.”
“You’re incorrigible!” she said, slapping his chest.
“You making dinner? I’m starving after our training today,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows. “Maybe. Tacos, probably. Why, you want something else to eat?”
He smiled at her, and holding up the apple, he asked, “Do you?”
“Sure,” she replied, grinning.
He bit off another piece, keeping it clamped between his teeth and bent down and slipped it into her mouth, followed by his tongue. She practically swallowed the piece whole so she could reciprocate. He dropped the apple and turned her around, grabbed her legs, and set her on the counter where he continued to plunder her mouth. He yanked the back of her hair, gently tugging until her neck was exposed. He kissed and sucked, leaving a small hickey. She let out a moan and reached down and put her hands on his waist, pulling his T-shirt out from where it was tucked in. He helped her pull it off the rest of the way and threw it to the kitchen floor. Leaning back, she unbuttoned her own shirt slowly, looking at him. Once she painfully reached the last button, Jonathan put both hands on her shoulders and slipped it off her arms where it fluttered to the floor. She was now wearing only her hot pink bra and faded jeans. Her blonde locks were lying lazily over her face and her legs were wrapped around his waist.
“God, I want you so much. You’re so damn sexy,” he breathed.
Moaning again, she grabbed his hair, pulling his head closer to her mouth and whispered in his ear, “Then take me into your room and make me forget why we ever stopped loving each other.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He scooped her up, his hands under her rear, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He didn’t break the kiss he had started after her whispers and carried her to his room. He kicked the door closed with his foot and threw her onto the bed. As she lay on her back, he climbed on and put his knees into the apex of her legs and ran a finger from her mouth, down her throat, in between her cleavage and down to her pants. With one hand, he unsnapped her jeans and lowered her zipper. Now grabbing with both hands, he yanked them off in one fell swoop and tossed them to the floor, and laid himself on top of her.
She whimpered and began to tug at his zipper, anxious to free his swelling excitement. He helped by stripping off the rest of what he had on and then did the same to the small pieces she had left remaining.
“I want you so bad, you’re so beautiful,” he gasped in between kisses and nips with his teeth on her neck.
“Then be the man I know you are and take me right now,” she groaned into his ear.
Sleep did not find either one of them that night.
Chapter 6
∞∞∞
South Shields, England – 1809
Three days later, a searing pain ripped through Sebastian’s back, followed by the air being forced from his lungs. He snapped his eyes open and found his brother staring at him, his nose pressed up against his own. Silas’s eyes were pure black with no whites at all, and his fangs were on proud display.
“What in the devil’s name did you do to me, you good-for-nothing louse!” Silas yelled, picking Sebastian up from the ground where he lay after being tossed from the loft moments earlier during a peaceful sleep.
“Calm yourself, let me explain,” Sebastian said, prying Silas’s hands from his collar and pushing him away.
“You better start talking, boy, and quick! The last thing I remember was mother and I were fighting and you came home. I have no memory after that!”
Sebastian looped a strand of hair behind his ear. His ponytail was almost completely undone from the fall. “Sit down, Silas, now.” He indicated a hay bale.
Silas eyed him angrily but did as he was instructed. “Why are we in this godforsaken barn anyhow?”
“Listen, brother, what happened at home was an accident. I saw you hit mother and I lost all control. I did not mean to kill you.”
Silas’s eyebrows went up. His eyes had gone back to normal, fangs retracted. “Kill me? But I’m not dead, I’m still alive.”
Sebastian shook his head. “But you’re not. You’re kind of in between. You belong to the world of the undead now. Not quite alive, but not dead. You are a vampyre, as am I. And Silas, make sure you avoid the sunlight if you want to continue to be… this.”
Silas rose and began to pace. Just then, the door to the barn opened. Moonlight flooded the barn and a cool night breeze blew through.
“What is all the shouting out here?” Aiden asked.
“Aiden, my brother has awoken,” Sebastian said, indicating his brother.
Silas turned his head to the side and looked at the stranger, then back to Sebastian. “Aiden? Your fisherman boss? Is he an undead creature, too?” he asked, sniggering.
Aiden flew fast to Silas, causing him to involuntarily gasp. He grabbed Silas by the throat and lifted him up.
“Listen to me very carefully, you little sewer rat. This is my barn. The house over there, that is my home. And the ship we are building, that is my ship. I saved your brother’s life and he lives with me now. And because you have been sired by him, you will now live here, as well. But I won’t be having no disrespect coming from that filthy mouth of yours as long as you are in my presence or the presence of my wife. Got it?”
Silas’s face was indignant as he nodded. Aiden dropped him to the hay floor.
Aiden turned to leave the barn, but before exiting, he turned back around and looked at Sebastian. “Take him into town to eat.”
After Aiden was gone, Silas looked at his brother, and rubbing his neck, he said dryly, “Charming bloke.”
Sebastian shook his head and smiled. “He really is. C’mon, let’s go.”
The vampyres borrowed two of Aiden’s horses and went into town, discussing Silas’s new condition all the way. Sebastian explained what had happened to him when he drowned, and how Aiden had taught him how to feed. He explained to his brother that he would now be drinking blood for nourishment. Silas did not have any response to this, but instead, kept quiet for once, just listening as his brother explained all the unbelievable details of his new existence.
Stopping at the largest tavern on the main road, they hitched the horses to a post out front and went inside.
They both found a table in the back and sat down.
“I’m famished. What are we going to eat here? I’d kill for some beef stew,” Silas said.
A wicked smile twisted up on Sebastian’s lips. “I don’t think you’ll be wanting to eat that, brother.”
Silas looked confused. “We can’t eat food at all?”
Sebastian shook his head and scanned the pub and spotted two working girls. “See those wenches?”
“Yes, what of them?”
“Quite tasty,” Sebastian said.
“Seriously?”
Sebastian got up from the table. “Follow me, and don’t speak. Just do whatever I do.”
Silas shrugged and followed him to the bar. “Two beers, mate,” Sebastian ordered to the barkeep. He looked away and eyed the two girls.
“Right away,” said the bartender in a strong Scottish accent.
Once the bartender brought the drinks, Sebastian paid him and handed one to Silas.
“You sure I can drink this?” Silas asked.
“Yes, just drink it.”
Sebastian approached the two women. “Hello, ladies. Fancy some company?”
The taller of the two spoke up first. Her red hair was in a braid down her back and she had a smattering of freckles on her face. They made her look childlike and innocent, but her green eyes sparkled with naughtiness. “Sure, boys.”
Silas elbowed his brother aside and introduced himself. “I’m Silas.” He had always had a weakness for redheads.
“I’m Eve,” the redhead replied, smiling.
“And you are?” Sebastian asked the pretty blonde with the dark blue eyes.
“Mary,” she replied.
“I’m Sebastian.”
Sebastian grabbed Mary’s hand and led her toward the door. “Let’s go outside, it’s dreadfully stifling in here.” He shot a look at his brother and jerked his head toward the door.