by Jinni James
"You listen to me Jaci. Daniel deserves more than that. He deserves more than a woman staying with him just because she owes it to him. He deserves love as do you. I have a feeling that you and Michael belong together. You are meant for one another like John and me. The way you describe Michael is how I felt with John. You owe yourself happiness."
I'm totally screwed so I decide to change the subject. "Tell me about this girl you brought home."
Avalon walks back over to the couch after refilling our cups with more coffee and sits down next to me.
"Well, I am sure you heard most of it when we were all talking earlier but like we said we thought she was dead at first. The other four girls were but they weren't chained up. This girl was chained and completely naked curled up on the floor. I checked her pulse and it was faint but it was there. I could not just leave her there for JR to finish the job. We took her to a hotel, washed her off, and tried to feed her although she wouldn't eat much. Lucky for us we bought clothes before we went to JR's. We all had to take a private plane back here because she was in no shape for anything else. I don't even think she knows what we are. We brought her back here hoping maybe you could help her and we need to figure out what she knows and maybe have you or Daniel wipe her memory before we send her back home."
I sit listening to Avalon but my mind keeps going back to that house.
I just cannot imagine how someone can just take lives like that. He has to be completely heartless. I feel a tad guilty because while they were gone trying to find JR and saving this girl I was here enjoying every minute with Michael.
"Well Ava, let’s go check her out. I need to make sure she is okay."
Avalon smiles like she knew that was coming.
"Follow me Jaci."
Chapter Ten
We walk into the dark room but my eyes allow me to see. Although the only thing I can see is a lump underneath the covers of the bed with a hint of red peeking out. She is a red head.
"Shall we wake her, Jaci?"
I walk slowly towards the bed.
"Let’s wake her quietly and gently. I am sure after everything she has been through that startling her would not be a good idea."
"Right."
I walk over to the side of the bed where her back is facing me and light the candle that sits on the bedside table. I pull the blankets down until they rest on her hips so I can see her entire back. I take the candle and run it up and down her back trying to find any sign of abuse.
Sure enough there are bruises all over her back, completely up and down her spine. I move the candle up towards her neck to see marks all the way around her neck. I am not sure if he strangled her or had her tied around her neck. I look over and whisper to Avalon.
"Was her neck bound as well as her wrists and ankles?"
Avalon looks to where I am pointing with the candle.
"No. Her neck was not bound. It doesn't mean it never was but when we found her it was just her wrists and ankles."
Avalon is right. He could have bound her neck earlier and then realized it would probably only take her wrists and ankles as she became weaker.
"Avalon, can you sit right here next to me? I am going to attempt to wake her a bit so I can examine her a bit better. Can you see if Michael can bring my bag to me? It's in the closet in my room."
Avalon immediately picks up her phone and sends a text to Michael as I lean over to gently shake this poor girl awake.
I place my hand gently on her arm and shake as easily as I can. Given how I am a vampire it takes an extra effort to make sure I do not cause her anymore harm. I look over at Avalon as she sits there concern written all over her face.
"Does she have a name?"
Avalon shakes her head back and forth. "We never could get her to talk at all."
I look down at her as she lays there.
"She is probably traumatized beyond belief. I'd be surprised if we can get her to speak at all."
I feel the tears building in my eyes but I pull all of my strength out in order to help her. I give her another gentle shake. She begins to stir. She stretches her legs then rolls over onto her back. I can tell this causes her pain by how her eyes and brows squint. She opens her eyes so I take that moment to introduce myself.
"Do not be alarmed. My name is Jaci. I am a doctor. I am here to help you."
She gives me a nod in agreement.
"May we turn the lights on so that I may examine you?"
Again she nods a yes to me. I look to Avalon who is already standing and walking over to the light switch. Since it's a dimmer light we turned it on but not extremely bright. Ava walks back over and takes her place next to me.
"Okay. Good. May I look at you?"
She nods a yes once more. Just then a knock at the door startles us all. Michael opens the door to bring my bag inside. The second she sees Michael she begins to freak out. She lets out a soundless scream and backs up as close to the headboard as she can. Her hands clasp her throat as she reaches for me. Her eyes are so wide as though she is terrified.
"It's okay. It's okay. This is Michael. He is my friend. He will not hurt you. He is just bringing my bag to me so I may examine you. You have nothing to fear in this house."
She begins to calm but her entire body is still shaking. What did JR do to her? Michael bows his head towards me and her then backs out of the room.
"Avalon, can you go get some wet wash clothes and some towels? It will work for now until we can get her strong enough for the shower."
Avalon nods and walks out of the room.
"Okay. I am going to examine you now. Is that okay?"
She opens her mouth as if to speak but then just nods in agreement.
I stand up then sit on the bed in front of her. "I am going to be touching you to see if anything is hurt too badly. If I ask you if something hurts and it does just shake your head yes. If it does not hurt just shake your head no. Okay?"
She nods a yes, and I get to work. I figure what better place to start than her head. I examine her head as well as I can with all of her red hair flowing around it.
She does have beautiful hair, long, thick, and a bright red. I find myself a little envious then shut that down immediately. This poor girl has been through so much. I only find a small knot on her head that shouldn't be much of a problem. I press around the knot and ask if it hurts. She nods no. I look down her neck and shoulders seeing bruise after bruise. I press gently while asking if anything hurts. She nods no again. I make my way around to where I am face to face with her. I place my hand against the sheet that she is holding in front of her and silently ask permission to move it. She gives it up willingly. I notice bruises all over her chest then suddenly I notice something else around her right breast. Is that a bite mark? I press there and ask if it hurts. Her brows strain as she looks at me and nods yes. "Did he bite you?" She nods again.
That bastard!
I continue my examination only to find more bite marks all over this poor girl’s body. It appears JR bit her many times but never actually infecting her so she never turned. The biting was probably excruciating though since I am almost positive he didn't control her mind to do it.
No wonder this poor girl doesn't want to speak, or it could be she screamed so loudly that she has lost her voice. I never thought of that until just now. With this many bite marks all over her body she probably screamed bloody murder but given how deep in the woods they were I'm sure no one would have heard her.
I finish looking over every inch of her then sit back in the chair next to the bed. Luckily nothing is broken, nothing except her spirit. I decide I am going to find out why she isn't talking. As she lays back down she props the pillow up under her so she is sitting up a little more.
"Can you speak?"
She shakes her head no.
"Can you write?"
She nods yes.
Avalon hands me a pad and a pen that I immediately hand over to her. She takes the pen with her fragile slightly shakin
g hand and assumes her writing position as she sits up more.
"What is your name?"
She leans down as she holds the pad with one barely capable hand and then begins to write with her shaking hand. It only takes her a second; even though it is scribbled I can read plain as day. Iris Stanton.
"Iris?"
She nods yes.
"What a beautiful name."
It is a lovely name and matches her green eyes, although right now they are almost white instead of green. We really need to get some food into her system. It probably wouldn't hurt to get some blood in her system either. It looks as though she has lost a good bit probably from JR feeding from her. That is more than likely the only reason she is still alive. He kept the last woman alive so he could feed off of her.
"So, Iris, are you choosing not to speak or can you physically not speak?"
I watch as her frail fingers pick up the pen and scribble on the paper in front of her. He told me if I speak he will kill me. Oh dear God.
"Iris he is not here and we will not hurt you. You can speak to us."
I watch as she begins to scribble some more. I can't.
I see the tears begin to form in her eyes. One by one they begin to fall down her white cheeks.
"Iris, it's okay. It will be okay. Here, just lay back down."
I fix her pillow and press lightly on her shoulder so she lies back down.
"I am going to get some blood so we can transfuse some into your body. You are terribly weak and are lacking blood. Is that okay?"
She nods yes.
I cover her then walk towards the door with Avalon right behind me. We will start with blood first then hopefully she will be strong enough to eat.
While Michael, Avalon, and John decide to order in some food Daniel and I decide to go out and feed ourselves. Food can wait, however blood sometimes cannot. We need to go out before everyone makes their way back to their home, cabin, or hotel room. It's easier for us to feed when the streets are full of people.
Daniel and I start walking around downtown Aspen. I smell the wilderness in the distance. It is almost intoxicating. It reminds me of home back in Maine. While I love Aspen I am ready to go back home. I will be happy when we catch JR and maybe Avalon, John, and I can go back home, which reminds me, I have the situation of Michael and Daniel to handle first.
How do I choose between these two men? They are both wonderful guys, generous, caring, loving, and passionate. I just so happen to feel more for one over the other. Had I not seen Michael I bet Daniel and I would be perfectly happy together right now. Would we have stayed that way? Or just stayed that way until the one day I did see Michael? That could have potentially been worse. Daniel and I could have developed a full relationship, living with each other, or God forbid married when I saw Michael and then my world would really be flipped upside down. I suppose I am going to have to break it to Daniel but not right now. I can't right now.
As we are walking I realize Daniel is being very quiet while mostly looking at the ground as we walk.
"Are you okay Daniel?"
He kicks a stand-alone stone in the road then looks up at me then back at the road.
"Is she going to be okay Jaci?"
It takes me a minute to realize who he is asking about.
"Iris?"
Daniel nods. "Yes. Will she be okay?"
I stay in step with him as we walk forwards. "Yes Daniel. She will be fine eventually. Right now she just needs blood then some food and then hopefully soon after she will feel comfortable enough to talk to us."
That seems to help somewhat although he still looks somber.
"You should have seen her before Jaci. If you think this is bad. She looked a lot worse in that house. The things JR must have put her through. I would not be surprised if she ever talks again."
This has definitely affected him. I don't really know what to say to help either.
"I am sure she will be fine, Daniel. We just need to give her some time. That's all."
We walk some more until I notice a couple walking along kind of away from the rest of the crowd. Daniel looks up to see the same couple. The man was very tall and skinny with dark hair and the woman was plumper with blonde hair. Both should be fine to feed on. I look towards Daniel as he gives me the nod.
"Let’s go get lunch, Jaci."
Chapter Eleven
I lead my gentleman off into the wilderness while Daniel does the same with the lady. We go in opposite directions though. I don't like the feeling of someone watching me, even Daniel. I remember when he was teaching me how to feed and how hard it was for me to even begin because he was watching me. He had to though, to make sure I knew when to stop. It was very uncomfortable. Once I got the hang of it he stopped watching, thank goodness.
Daniel is close enough to where I can hear the cracking of the leaves as he steps on them. He couldn't be more than twenty feet away. Once I am far enough into the trees to feel fairly safe from peeping eyes I push my gentleman friend against one of the tall trees. His eyes are completely blank. He is just staring into the unknown. I can smell his blood running through his veins. The sweet smell of life. Humans have no idea how precious their blood is. It is only the thing that keeps them alive as well as vampires like us and yet they spill blood every day not caring about the life or the blood they are wasting.
I run my nose up and down his throat savoring the sweet scent kind of like smelling the wine before you test it. I can feel my teeth sliding down into position then I sink my teeth into his throat. I feel the warm liquid slide down the back of my throat. It feels like heaven. Like someone who has been starving for days and they finally get a cheeseburger. They devour it within seconds.
However this time I sense someone else. I hear the leaves crunching as someone gets nearer. I release my teeth from his throat but remain my hold on his arms as I look around. I can feel the blood dripping down from my lips but I cannot fight the feeling that someone is close to me. Too close.
Suddenly I feel something flash past me. I look all around me. I look up but only see stars. I look beside me but I only see more trees. I know it's stupid but I look down but I only see leaves. Someone is here, I know it. I try to listen for anything but all I hear is the wind howling until I hear a faint laugh in the distance. That is not Daniel.
"A little jumpy are we? Jaci right?" JR! It is JR! He is the one that has been watching me. I wipe the blood from my chin.
"What do you want JR?"
He jumps down from the limb on the tree he was sitting on to stand just ten feet away. How do I warn Daniel?
"Hungry Jaci? I am sorry to interrupt your meal. You see I am hungry as well. Your friends took what was mine. What do I want? I want her back along with making your friends pay."
I release one of the gentlemen's arms then turn to face JR face to face.
"What do you mean pay?"
JR lets out a laugh again. "Why, make them pay for killing my sire. They killed Nicholas. The only one that could continue teaching me how to live. The man who was giving me everything, they killed him. Now they must pay."
So this is what he wants all along. To kill them the way they killed Nicholas.
"Well Jaci, finish up dear. Don't let me stop you from enjoying your meal."
I release the man while wiping his memory and I send him on his way. There is no way I can finish with JR standing here. JR looks towards the man as he walks back towards the streets.
"If you aren't going to finish Jaci then I will finish him for you."
I attempt to get into the man's mind to make him run but JR already had a hold over him. JR takes off like a flash of light towards the man. I let out a scream as I chase him. It seems as though JR is faster than me but I do not understand why. We are both vampires. Daniel comes running up to me wiping his chin in the process.
"What is going on?"
Then he sees JR.
"Oh shit!"
Daniel and I both run to catch up to him. By t
he time we reach to where he is we see him already sucking the life right out of the man I was feeding from. Daniel and I have no time to stop him. JR sucks the man dry right in front of us. Daniel leaps towards JR who vanishes again only to reappear behind us on a tree limb.
"Do not think this makes up for stealing my last woman. I still want her back. I will come after her soon enough. Enjoy your evening you two."
JR laughs then vanishes once more.
"How does he just disappear like that Daniel? I mean I know we run fast but it's like he just disappears into thin air."
Daniel is standing over the man that JR just killed.
"I don't know Jaci. Right now we have to do something with him."
I look down at the man lying there. I feel terrible. He is dead because of me. Out of the dead of the night I hear a scream. It's a woman's scream. Daniel looks up from the man lying on the ground.
"He just took the wife."
Damn it. JR really is heartless.
"What do we do now Daniel?"
“We bury them together."
*****
Daniel and I make it back to the house finally. Neither of us said a word the entire way back. What is there to say? I feel horrible for that couple. All because we needed to feed they are dead. I should have known JR was following me. Now I know what JR is mad about and I know what he wants. He is going to come for Iris. I know he is. Now not only do we need to keep all of us safe we have to keep her safe as well. That will not be easy considering she is human.
Humans are fragile creatures. I see that now more than ever. They are weak, easily breakable, and do not heal near as fast as creatures like us. As we walk back into the house I leave Daniel to explain what has happened to John, Avalon, and Michael as I go to check on Iris.
I knock quietly but I hear nothing, nothing but snoring coming from her room. I can't help but giggle. Snoring is good. It means she is finally getting some sleep. I crack the door open and slip inside careful not to let in too much light, after all I can see perfectly in the dark. I walk towards her and sit in the chair next to her bed. I light the candle that sits on the bed side table.