Knowledge Revealed

by D. S. Williams

  Rowena drew a bath for me in her bathroom. The room was enormous and carried the same tasteful decorating as the rest of the house. The bath was decadently large, with air jets to create wonderfully relaxing bubbles which soothed my tired and aching body. Scented bath salts soothed my skin and I leaned my head against the edge of the tub, my eyes closed as I relaxed for the first time in a week.

  I physically ached for Lucas to come back and wondered for the umpteenth time how long it would take him to quench the thirst he'd been denying. I speculated about why he hadn't hunted – was his reaction similar to mine? Had he lost his… appetite, as I'd done whilst away from him?

  A little doubt niggled at me. What if he came back and still couldn't be near me? On the drive back, I'd daydreamed about him pulling me into his arms, kissing me until I was lightheaded. Our reunion had been nothing remotely like that, and I wondered how long it would take him to become used to my scent again.

  Worse still – what if he decided he didn't want me back? What if he was considering our situation even now, as I was, and decided I was too much trouble? What if he had concluded that I wasn't worth it? Despite the warmth of the water submerging me up to my neck, I shuddered a little.

  There was a soft tap at the door and it opened slightly. “It's me. Can I come in?” Marianne asked.

  “Sure,” I agreed easily. It wasn't as if Marianne hadn't seen me naked before, she'd spent five week showering me.

  She sauntered gracefully into the room, a lithe figure in bright purple jeans, and a lacy cotton shirt. In her hands, she held a pile of clothes and she smiled as she deposited them on the vanity. “I brought you fresh clothes; and this.” She perched delicately on the edge of the bathtub and held out a disposable razor. “I thought you'd like to shave your legs before Ben covers you in plaster again. Try not to cut yourself,” she finished with a cheeky smile.

  “Thanks.” I took the razor gratefully and reached for the soap, lifting my right leg out of the water and resting my ankle on the lip of the bath. “Is Lucas back yet?”

  Marianne shook her head. “No, not yet. He'll come back as soon as he's able to.”

  “I hope so,” I said, disappointed he still hadn't returned. I didn't know whether it was a good sign, or a bad one.

  “Try not to worry, Charlotte.”

  I nodded thoughtfully, turning my attention to my leg so Marianne wouldn't see the worry in my eyes. Darkness had fallen outside and still he hadn't come back.

  Marianne watched me shaving and seemed fascinated. “Don't you get sick of doing that?”

  “Don't you?” It seemed like an odd question.

  Marianne laughed; the sound tinkling like a bell around the large room. “I haven't had to shave my legs in a very long time.

  “You haven't?”

  Marianne shook her head, smiling with delight. “No hair growth when you're a vampire.”

  I stared at her, momentarily forgetting about what I was doing. “None at all?”

  “Nope. Which is an excellent thing for legs, underarms, and bikini lines.” She screwed up her nose. “Unfortunately, it also means the same hairstyle for the rest of eternity.”

  “Wow.” I was stunned, having learned yet another remarkable piece of information about being a vampire. I returned to my leg. “I guess there are some benefits to being a vampire then. Other than the hairstyle thing.”

  “It's like anything, I think. For every benefit, there's a downside. Not much different to how it is for humans,” Marianne agreed.

  “So… why do you have razors in the house, if nobody needs to shave?”

  “All part of the illusion. If we have human visitors, we have the house stocked so it looks like everybody else's. Food in the kitchen, razors in the bathroom… it's all part of keeping what we are secret.”

  Marianne chatted happily, as I finished shaving my legs and the other parts of my body that required attention and helped me out of the deep bath before leaving me to get dressed. She'd provided a pair of black denim jeans and a close-fitting apricot sweater and I frowned as I caught my reflection in the mirror. I was painfully slim, thinner than I'd ever been in my life. It wasn't a good look.

  Once dressed and satisfied I'd done the best I could with my unmanageable mop of curls, I hobbled down the hall on the crutches Jerome insisted I use. He wanted me to keep weight of the ankle until it was back in the cast. I figured I'd better do as I was told after making such a mess of things by removing the plaster early. A smile played on my lips as I recalled the look on his face, when he'd heard how I'd removed the plaster. It had almost been worth it.

  Chapter 22: Reunion

  I'd reached the top of the stairs when Striker appeared from nowhere. Taking the crutches, he lifted me into his arms in one fluid movement. “No way are you going down those stairs with those things, Lott. You'll break your damn neck.”

  I protested most of the way down the stairs, grumbling about being treated like an invalid but Striker just grinned and ignored the arguments. He was about to deposit me on the couch when Marianne walked into the room. “They're on their way back.”

  My heart lurched in my chest, my pulse leaping at the thought of seeing Lucas. “Could you take me to meet them?” I pleaded.

  “Jeez, Lott, can't you wait till they get back here?” he grumbled good-naturedly. “What's your hurry?”

  “Please, Striker,” I begged.

  He shared a look with Marianne and she nodded imperceptibly. “It's fine. I can't see any danger to her.” She closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, apparently receiving some information. “Lucas has fed; they're coming up along the river. If you leave now, you can meet them at the river's edge. Opening her eyes, she leaned across and kissed my cheek. “Good luck.”

  “Do you know what's going to happen?” I asked suspiciously. “Am I going to need luck?”

  Marianne smiled sheepishly. “Can't tell you, Charlotte. All I saw is that you're safe and they're coming back.”

  “Great,” I muttered mutinously. “A fortune teller who only gives you bits of the fortune.”

  “Hey, I do my best!” Marianne giggled.

  Striker hitched me up more securely in his arms and walked to the front door. Opening it easily with one hand, he slipped through the doorway and took off at a run, reaching almost breakneck speeds as he ran along the river, retracing our steps from earlier. Although the speed was phenomenal, I felt safe in his secure hold. I did shut my eyes, admittedly, as we plunged into the trees, certain he would run into something. And I screamed when he sped up a few minutes later, heading straight towards the water. With an enormous leap, he launched himself smoothly into the air and we were suddenly airborne, soaring across the water below. I was convinced we were going to die but Striker dropped almost cat-like to the ground with minimal impact and continued to run smoothly.

  He grinned at me and I saw the sheer glee in his eyes, highlighted by the glow of the moon above us. “Relax, Lott. Hasn't Lucas taken you for a run before?”

  I shook my head wordlessly, my heart pounding in my chest. The tempo of his running slowed and I glanced around with interest as he reduced further to a steady walk. He came to a standstill on the banks of the river. “Here they come.”

  My eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness as I watched in the direction he was surveying. Seconds later, I spied Lucas, Ripley, and William emerging soundlessly from the thick trees surrounding us.

  “She wouldn't wait,” Striker told Lucas as he dropped me carefully onto the rough ground, holding me until I was steady. “She's an impatient kid.”

  I slapped his shoulder, which was the equivalent of hitting a block of solid concrete. He grinned down at me as I rubbed my painful hand. “Let that be a lesson to you,” he laughed. “Never hit a vampire.

  “Thanks for the warning,” I agreed grimly.

  “Everything okay, Lucas?” Striker questioned.

  Lucas nodded. He met my eyes and regarded me seriously in the moonlight. “I'm fine. Yo
u can go back to the house.”

  I watched as the three men turned as one and leapt simultaneously across the river, leaving me standing with Lucas on the riverbank. Lucas shrugged out of his jacket and laid it over the smooth pebbles.

  “Sit down, you look exhausted,” he commanded in a gentle tone. I hobbled towards the jacket and Lucas was instantly at my side, gripping my arm as he lowered me onto the jacket and crouched beside me. “You should have waited at the house.”

  “I've been waiting all day,” I replied anxiously. “I couldn't wait any longer.” I studied his eyes, searching for signs his thirst had been quenched. “Are you okay… being close to me now?”

  Lucas clasped his hands together, perfectly balanced on his toes against the rough pebbles. “I feel safer near you, the desire is more controlled.” He smiled wryly, his expression softening. “Although I must admit, you do smell absolutely delectable. I'm sorry it took so long, I wanted to be sure I had the desire controlled before I came back.”

  I nodded my understanding, gazing into his eyes. He returned my gaze, his expression calm and composed. “I'm so sorry, Lucas.”

  “I know,” he responded simply. “There is no need for you to apologize, I understand why you left.”

  “You do?” I wrapped my arms around my knees and watched the water lapping against the riverbank.

  “You were trying to protect us. Gwynn put the notion into your mind that you were putting us in danger, rather than around the other way. Once I discovered what you'd overheard, I could understand your decision to leave so abruptly. Gwynn had vocalized what had been troubling you all the time you've been with us.”

  “What she said made sense; I am putting you in danger. She said something about a Council?”

  “The Vampire Council.” Lucas supplied.

  “Yes, that's it. Who are they?”

  “Very old, very strong vampires.” He sighed and reached towards me to push the curls from my face, a small gesture that spoke volumes regarding his feelings. I wanted to grasp his hand and hold it against my cheek, but I remained immobile, watching him drop his hand and clasp his own again as he watched me tenderly. “They live in Europe and rarely leave, unless there is something they feel is a threat to their power, or find something they want and try to take it by force.”

  “They could find out about me. Would that cause trouble for you?”

  He inhaled deeply, his gaze turning towards the river. “Yes, they could. I cannot promise you that they won't and they would not be pleased about my relationship with you. But for as much chance as they would find out about you, there's an equal chance they won't. It is a risk, but not something I'm expecting to happen.” He returned his gaze to me, his eyes serious. “For that matter, there are a multitude of things which could happen to you without the Council's involvement. What Gwynn said was true. There is any number of things which could go wrong with a continuance of this relationship.”

  “Is that why you didn't stop me from leaving?”

  Lucas shook his head, lowering his eyes from mine. “No, I let you leave because I promised I would accept whatever you chose to do. Because I wanted you to make up your own mind about a relationship with me.” He glanced up, his eyes settling on mine. “And in all honesty, I thought it was better for you to leave.”

  My heart plunged and I searched his eyes, looking for an understanding of why he wanted me to leave. He continued to gaze expressionlessly at me, waiting for a response.

  “You don't want me,” I muttered miserably. It was the worst possible scenario that I'd imagined. He'd changed his mind.

  He smiled softly, shaking his head. “Of course I want you, I love you. But I will always want what you feel is best for you. I only want your happiness, my Charlotte. I can understand why you would feel our situation is difficult, impossible even. I feel guilty every single day for allowing myself to fall in love with you.”

  “Guilty?” I echoed woodenly.

  Lucas chewed the inside of his lip thoughtfully as he considered his words. “I should have kept as far away from you as possible, not involved you in our way of life. I have put you in constant danger, not least of which is the continuous hunger I fight for your blood. I am painfully aware that one slip, one lapse of judgment on my part could be lethal for you. It has occurred to me more than once to tell you to leave.” He frowned heavily, clasping his hands together more firmly. “It is my own selfishness which stops me. I want you with me, I love you so deeply and so completely that I cannot bear the thought of living an eternity without you.”

  “But you will live an eternity without me, there's nothing to stop that from happening.” The words slipped out before I'd thought them through, but I knew it was true. In the back of my mind, I was painfully aware that even if we worked out our lives together, mine would last only sixty or seventy years more. Lucas has already lived more than double that, and would continue to exist long after I was forgotten. He would be young forever; I would grow older with each passing year.

  Lucas's eyes narrowed with comprehension. “Obviously Gwynn's words aren't the only thing bothering you. You have more reasons of your own. Is that what this is about? The fact that I'm immortal and you are not?”

  “It isn't only that this relationship is dangerous for both of us,” I admitted slowly. “I'm going to get old, Lucas. You will remain exactly like this,” I brushed my fingers from his forehead to his jaw and he shut his eyes, a soft moan escaping his lips, “forever. How can I expect you to want me still, when I'm old? What happens to me when you don't want me anymore?”

  “That will never happen.”

  I shook my head. “I'm certain it will. I've seen how other women look at you, I've seen them compare me to you, and I can tell what they're thinking. They can't understand why you would be interested in me and neither do I.”

  Lucas sighed heavily, shaking his head. “I don't know how to convince you, my love. Your stepfather has so shattered your confidence; I don't know how to make you understand how I see you. I will love you for as long as I exist, there have been many women in my life in the past, but not one of them has made me feel as I do when I'm with you. I think I've been waiting for you, and only you for more than one hundred years – relationships in the past have not been as magical, as wonderful as what I've found with you. It doesn't matter that you will age, I will always love you. Despite your doubts, you are beautiful, so very beautiful. Your green eyes are breathtaking; your hair,” he brushed his fingers through the curls framing my face, “is so pretty and despite everything you seem to believe, you are the most desirable woman I have ever met. And I'm certain I'm not the only man who thinks so. You say you are aware of women looking at me – you seem completely unaware of the way other men look at you.” He paused for a moment, considering his words carefully. “Has it occurred to you that perhaps you are being far too hard on yourself?”

  I blinked owlishly at him, his words penetrating my mind. What he was saying was true. I looked like my mother and I'd always considered her beautiful – perhaps he really did see me differently to the way I saw myself. It didn't change anything though, it didn't matter that he found me attractive now. What about twenty years from now – when I was forty and he still appeared to be twenty-four?

  “I don't care about your looks, Charlotte,” Lucas interrupted, obviously reading my thoughts from the emotions flitting across my face. “That is not to say that I don't find you extremely attractive, the very thought of kissing you and holding you is enough to drive me to distraction – but your looks are not the only thing I love. I adore every part of you and more importantly, I love your very soul.” He lowered his head and captured my lips against his, briefly overwhelming me. When he lifted his head, he gazed down at me with a sincere smile. “Do you believe me now?”

  I nodded cautiously, my heart beating erratically in my chest. Lucas settled beside me, pulling me into his arms. I savored the opportunity to snuggle against his hard chest again and leaned on his s
houlder, breathing in the aroma that had so entranced me from the very beginning. We sat together in companionable silence for a few minutes.

  “Charlotte?”

  “Yes?”

  “I meant what I said – if you choose to leave, I will accept it. Although I am more than happy to give you everything your heart desires, I can truly understand that given what I am, I may not be the right man for you.” He heaved a deep sigh. “While I'm extremely grateful for their ignoring my orders and bringing you back to me, I don't want you to be here because you feel pressured to stay.” His words were measured, evenly spoken in a calm voice, but I could hear the torment behind them.

  I straightened up, curling my arms around my legs and tucking my chin onto my knees. “I don't think I can leave you, Lucas,” I whispered huskily.

  Lucas watched me wordlessly for a moment; reaching for my hand, he ran his thumb over the ring he'd given me. “Do you remember what I told you when I gave you this ring? I truly meant what I said, knowing that we may reach this situation. Wherever you go, whatever you choose to do with your life, you will always have my heart.”

  I smiled shakily. “I do remember your words, and I love you with all my heart.” I gazed at the ring on my finger, rubbing my forefinger over the fine gold. “That's why I can't leave.”

  Lucas watched my eyes, a quizzical expression in his. “What are you saying, Charlotte?”

  I caught his hands in mine. “My heart will be yours forever. It's been agony this past week, every single second, to be away from you. I couldn't eat, didn't sleep and I realized I don't want to be away from you. To leave now would be leaving my heart with you. I can't bear to be without you in my life.” I took a deep shaky breath. “I want you in my life, for as long as that might be. I want to be with you and your friends for as long as you'll have me. I love you.”

  “Charlotte,” Lucas breathed huskily as he captured me in his arms, his lips seeking mine. I wrapped my arms around him as he lowered me gently onto the ground and kissed me with as much abandon as I normally showed when kissing him. His aroma and sweet breath combined surrounded me and I inhaled heavily wanting so much more. I ran my hands down his back, tracing the taut muscles, which flexed beneath his skin. Lucas ran his fingers through my hair and I wrapped one leg around his, overwhelmed by the rightness of having his hard body against mine. I ran my tongue tentatively across the edge of his lip and was delighted when he opened his mouth, his tongue meeting mine in an erotic duel.