Amaranth

by Rachael Wade

  “Yes, Camille?” he muttered, shuffled me backward toward the side of the bed, that irresistible, sly smile still on his face, notorious for making me lose control. “Is there a problem?”

  Giving in, I dropped the extra clothes on the floor, kissed him fervently, my face flushed. “Josh is in the next room, and we haven’t talked about this,” I whispered, sneaking words in between breaths. “So yeah, there’s a prob—”

  “Don’t worry about him,” he laid me down as we hit the edge, where he hovered over me. I reached up, slipped his shirt off before I pulled him down to my level. He scooted my arms above my head and held them in place, went to work on my neck. His lips cool and breath hot, I entered my favorite paradise, the one most mortals knew nothing of. Sliding my hands down to his belt buckle, his hands met mine, but stopped them. “I’m sorry,” he said, out of breath. “Not yet.”

  He slipped off of me and grabbed the dry shirt, put it on while I lay there, speechless.

  “Right.” I shook my head, slowly sat up. “Our friends are in danger and a lot of pissed-off vampires are after us. I get it.” Shot down. “I’m sorry—”

  “No, I’m sorry. There’s more to it,” he picked the clothes up from the floor, “I shouldn’t have started that. You just looked so amazing, and I’m so happy to have you back.…” He ran his hands through his hair, knelt next to me. “You look good enough to eat,” he whispered, kissed my neck once more before he stood. “Any chance we can we talk more about it later?”

  “Sure … I guess.”

  “Are we good?”

  “Of course.” I sent him a smile of assurance, although I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied until I knew what had stopped him. “I’m holding you to that talk, though.”

  “Okay, you got it. Guess I’ll head to the kitchen and catch up with Josh before we get going.” He smiled, stuffed his hands in his pockets and darted for the door.

  Laughing to myself as he shut the door behind him, I looked around at the dresser and nightstands, searched for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, but had no luck. Thinking I might ask Josh, I cracked the bedroom door to peek out into the kitchen. Gavin and Josh were at the table, sharing drinks and laughs, apparently catching up. The conversation quickly turned solemn as they began discussing Joel’s death, and then I couldn’t listen anymore.

  I shut the door and continued my search. Finally noticing a half-empty pack on the desk near the closet, I scooted out the room’s sliding door to light up on the porch and shake off the awkward rejection. Once back inside, I noticed my image in the dresser’s vanity mirror. I began plucking leaves and muck from my damp hair. I looked like a cadaver who’d been tossed in a swamp, left lying there for a few weeks. Longing for a hot shower, I leaned over to rub some hardened mud from the corner of my eye. A gray blur appeared behind me, sent chills down my arms before I even saw the fangs.

  “You’ll be dead before you can scream, so don’t bother.”

  “What do you want?” I stood still, stared at the woman behind me in the mirror.

  “Quiet. Now do as I tell you and I won’t have to hurt you.”

  My only chance was to delay her until I could figure out a way to call for Gavin and Josh without getting all of us killed or hurt. As loud as I thought I could risk, I said, “Who are you? You look familiar.”

  “I said be quiet.” She spoke as she grabbed my arms and tied them behind my back. Opening a backpack, she pulled out a roll of duct tape and began wrapping it around my head.

  She was going to tape my mouth shut. In a second, maybe two, I wouldn’t be able to call for help.

  In my panic, I didn’t think of yelling out for Gavin, but decided to plead with her. “Please, don’t do this—” I whimpered, begged her with my eyes when she stood in front of me, placing the tape on my mouth. She was shorter than me and quite round. Almost harmless looking, like a kind, middle-aged kindergarten teacher.

  If a kindergarten teacher had cold, hard eyes.

  When she finished with the tape, she noticed and grabbed the locket around my neck and peered at it, then glared up at me.

  “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself in to, do you?” Leaning in, she put her face to my ear and whispered. “She’ll be even more furious now. You just made this harder on everyone, including your precious friends. And sleeping with one of us? That’s suicide. Stupid girl.”

  Shaking too hard to resist, I complied when she shoved me forward, hoisted me out the sliding door toward the woods.

  Flying through the trees, she landed us in a remote area not far from the house, near a parked SUV. She opened the back door and slid me onto the backseat, shoving my head down and out of sight and growling, “Stay that way.” I looked around for a way out, plotted a way to untie my hands and reach for the door handle. Still, I knew any move I made wouldn’t be fast enough. I had to rely on Gavin, hope he’d notice my disappearance and be able to pick up my scent in time.

  The woman began rambling as she started the SUV’s engine and sped away. “I hate her, you know. Curse the day I vowed to serve her. Sure, I’m a monster, but I don’t want to do her dirty work. I don’t enjoy chasing down mortals like you, you know. I can tell you’re a good one. You don’t mean any harm,” she jerked the wheel, flustered, “but you had to go and get nosey now, and look what I have to do. Stupid girl. Tsk, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. Don’t you dare tell her what I just told you.”

  She looked at me frantically through the rearview mirror. I made eye contact but broke it off, trying to remain calm. Whoever this woman was, she was taking me to Samira like a lamb to be slaughtered, and there was nothing I could do about it.

  We drove for miles until nothing looked familiar anymore, and we finally reached a tiny motel somewhere outside of New Orleans. “Stay put,” she instructed, hurried inside the office to get the key. I laid still, peered up and out the side window, searched for passersby. There were none. I rubbed my face on my shoulder to wipe the tears and hair out of my eyes, then tried to lift my head higher, to get someone’s attention. Kicking at the door with my feet, I tried working the toe of my shoe underneath the groove of the door handle to maneuver it.

  Rocking gently back and forth, I played with the handle, jumped when I saw a man’s shadow at the back window, looking in at me through the tinted glass. I could barely see his face, but it seemed like he could see me. He tried opening the door, stopped trying and pounded his fist through the window, and unlocked it from the inside. Glass shattered all around me and warm sunlight flooded in, momentarily blinding me. My eyes bulged when I saw Josh leaning in to rip the tape from my mouth.

  “You just don’t get a break, do you? Are you all right?”

  “I am now. Hurry, she’s coming!”

  A shrill scream rang from the direction of the motel office as he helped me out of the car, and I saw the woman run away from the frightened desk clerk and toward us. The coldness I’d seen in her eyes now had dark vengeance added.

  Gavin appeared from the corner of the motel, rushed to our side to meet her head on.

  “Don’t do this, Marie,” he warned as she approached us. She crept forward, testing her boundaries. “There are two of us and one of you, and we’re in a public place,” he said. “You’re not taking Camille, do you understand?”

  “No, you don’t understand. I’ll do what I have to. You know this is the only way she’ll leave my son be. Now get out of my way and give me the girl.”

  “That’s all that I’m trying to do too, Marie. Please, think of what Arianna means to Joel. That’s what Camille means to me, and I don’t want to hurt you but I will if I have to.”

  How did Gavin know this woman’s name? And why was he bringing up Joel and Arianna? It must be a small world in the vampire realm, I decided. Everybody knew everybody, apparently. Had the circumstances not been so bizarre and dangerous, it would have been kind of cute.

  “I’m sorry Gavin, but I have to think of my son,” she said. “His sa
fety and happiness with Arianna means too much to me. I’ll tell you one last time. Give me the girl.”

  Seeing that Marie wasn’t going to budge, Josh nodded at Gavin and lunged toward her while Gavin lassoed and rushed me into the SUV. She hissed at Josh as he came toward her, challenged him for a moment before forfeiting. As Gavin reversed to drive off, she fled to the woods nearby, Josh trailing after her.

  “Are you hurt?” Gavin hit the gas.

  “No, just a little shaky. What was that all about? How do you know her?”

  “She’s Joel’s mother. She doesn’t know.…”

  “Oh my God.” I shook my head in disbelief as we drove off, the guilt creeping up again.

  “She’s one of Samira’s oldest servants,” he said, “she’s just trying to look out for Joel. She still thinks he’s with Arianna.”

  “I thought Arianna was in Amaranth.”

  “She was.”

  “How can someone leave Amaranth? I thought once you’re in, you’re in.”

  “It’s a long story. What matters right now is she’s out there, and she’ll keep coming back. We really need to get to Paris.” He checked the side and rearview mirrors. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you. Josh and I stepped out for a cigarette, and I didn’t sense anyone had been in the house until it was too late. He’s going to chase her down, it’s okay now.”

  Sitting there quietly, I wondered if this was what our life was going to be like. I knew Gavin and I would have to run, but did I want to be a restless nomad, wandering from place to place, never having a place to call home? That was why I moved to Louisiana in the first place, after all. To settle down and start over.

  As if he read my mind, Gavin pulled over and parked on the side of the road, and turned to look at me. One look was all I needed to be reminded of the uselessness of contemplating what-if scenarios. Everything I wanted was right here in this car.

  “I need to know if this is what you really want Camille, because this is going to be our life for a while.”

  “I know it is.”

  “It might never be easy again—carefree and simple.”

  I thought of my mother and father, of two abusive relationships, of my entire life before I met Gavin. “It never was.”

  “I’ll do everything in my power to make this right, but it’s going to take time. So I need to know.”

  “You’re asking me if I’m sure I want to run with you.”

  “Yes.”

  I took a breath, let it out slowly. “Well, I am getting a tad tired of being kidnapped and chased by monsters. It’s really starting to piss me off.”

  It wasn’t a joke, and he knew it too. He looked away from me, stared at the homes nearby. I stared, too. Pondered their dependable simplicity.

  “But I’ll run with you. Under one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “Don’t ever leave me again. Ever.”

  “Not unless you want me to.”

  “And all of the circumstances aside, let’s start over. Let’s be together the way we would’ve before all this happened. I love you regardless of what you are, so promise me—even if you stay this way, you’ll never leave me.”

  He smirked, turned the ignition off. “Technically, that’s more than one condition.”

  “Promise.”

  Earnest again, he tossed the loose duct tape in the back seat. “Do you really want to put yourself through this? Is loving me really enough to endure everything you have to just to be with me?”

  Meeting his fiery gaze, I ran my fingers through his hair, kissed him gently before I attempted to set us both free. “It will always be enough.”

  With the many uncertainties, of one thing I was sure. I could not escape love, the very thing that had kept me mobile since the day I realized I was capable of giving and receiving it.

  EPILOGUE

  The brisk fall day welcomed us as we landed at Charles De Gaulle. We caught a cab to Gavin’s sister’s apartment, and when we arrived, he led me to her door, held my hand with an affectionate and eager smile, a single suitcase in the other hand.

  “You ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” He was nervous, I was too; she was the first real relative of his, maybe the only relative, I would meet.

  The lock turned on the other side of the door and I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. When the door gently opened, it revealed a tall, romantic-looking girl with dark eyes and a Victorian face. Her long, curly blonde hair fell past her shoulders, her pale skin adding to the allure of her dark eyes. She looked nothing like Gavin, aside from her skin tone and the same faint glimmer in her irises when she smiled. But I recognized her.

  “Gavin,” she beamed, wrapped him up like a teddy bear, quickly kissed him on the cheek. “Thank God, I’m so glad to see you!”

  “Me too, sis. Thanks for having us,”

  “Of course, you know you’re welcome anytime. And this must be Camille,” she squealed, leaned forward to hug me.

  “Hi, Arianna. Gavin’s told me so much about you.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, too. Come on in.”

  “You have?” I found it hard to believe, considering Gavin just sprung his sister’s identity on me just days ago. Knowing I felt responsible for losing Joel in Amaranth, he said he couldn’t bring himself to tell me right away. I appreciated the concern, but that didn’t make meeting her any easier. Especially since he hadn’t told her about Joel’s death yet.

  I followed Gavin inside and into the living room.

  “Shame on you for not telling Camille about me sooner,” she said when she returned from putting our suitcase in the side bedroom. “I’ve been wanting to meet her, you know.” She joined us on the couch.

  “We only met a few months ago,” he replied. “I haven’t exactly had time to bring her to Paris to meet you.”

  “Yeah, but the way he talks about you, it’s as if you’ve been together for years and he’s just hidden you away from me all this time.” She looked over at me, glowing. “What’s that all about, anyway?” She turned back to him and fixed curious eyes on him. “Why haven’t you told her about me until just now?”

  “Let’s just say the past few months have been hectic, that’s all. We have a lot to catch up on.”

  “It seems we do,” she replied curtly, suddenly eyeing the locket around my neck. “Well Camille, it’s nice to officially meet you.” She extended her hand and gave me a wary smile.

  “You too, thanks.”

  “Camille, you must be starving after that long flight, I have roast chicken in the oven. Are you tired? You’re welcome to lie down, just make yourself at home, whatever you need.” She stood and headed toward a door that appeared to lead to the kitchen.

  “Thanks sis,” he said. “Camille slept most of the flight, so I’m sure she’s hungry.”

  “I hope I’m not putting you out, you didn’t have to cook for me,” I chimed in, uncomfortable I needed human food.

  “Don’t be silly. I prepared when I knew you were coming. ”

  “Oh, okay then. Cool, thanks.”

  “Oh brother dear, why don’t you go see my newest additions to the record collection while Camille and I hang out in the kitchen?” She batted her eyelashes.

  “I haven’t seen you in months and you’re already trying to get rid of me?” He winked at me then headed off toward the piano, leaving us alone.

  She whisked me off to the kitchen. “So, this situation with Samira is quite a mess, wouldn’t you say?” She began sorting through the fridge.

  “I’m not sure if that accurately describes it.” I rolled my eyes and thumbed through her recipes on the counter, working hard to conceal the sadness I felt over her lover’s death. She seemed so happy, so at peace. Though she was no longer with him, she appeared content, probably just knowing he was out there somewhere, still existing in the world. At least that’s how I’d feel about Gavin if we weren’t together. Knowing he was alive, and that I had loved and lost him, wo
uld be better than not having him at all.

  “I’m not going to lie. You guys have certainly gotten yourselves into some trouble. Word is spreading fast in our circles, and it’s not going to be a pretty fight.”

  I dropped the recipe card I held on the counter. “There’s going to be a big fight?”

  “Well, something has to be done. Gavin certainly can’t go back by himself and face her, that’s useless.” She started slicing fresh watermelon and crisp stalks of celery.

  I thought a moment, nodded and picked up the recipe card. “I guess I was hoping he wouldn’t have to go back at all. But I know how important this is to him. Plus, our friends are there. They’re waiting for our help.”

  “Yeah, poor Gabe. At least Gavin won’t be going back alone. The resistance has been building, and he’ll have plenty of help to back him up. But it’s going to take some planning, that’s for sure.”

  “I’ll do whatever I can to help. I mean, if it weren’t for me barging in and ruining his plan in the first place, he wouldn’t be in this situation. None of you would.”

  She stopped cutting for a moment to look at me. “If you didn’t go get him, he might never have come back, Camille. I’m thankful you got my brother out of there. I’m not opposed to his plans, don’t get me wrong. But I wish he would’ve gone about it differently … waited longer … brought more help with him. At least this time he’ll be able to do it right. When he first mentioned his crazy plan, I told him to wait for me, to let me help him. I know Samira better than he does, but you know Gavin, he’s so stubborn.”

  I slid the card back in, tossed the recipe tin shut and nodded, thankful she wasn’t upset with me. She already had reason enough to hate me. “I hope you’re right. I just made it much harder now. There’s always the chance …”

  “Things will be complicated for a while,” she continued, chopping lettuce, “and Gavin has a tough road ahead of him by going through with this. Yes, there’s no guarantee it will work. It might turn into the riskiest war our kind has seen in centuries, even more so than the last. But there is no easy way to deal with Samira. And there’s never an easy way around a relationship like yours. Been there, done that.”