Dark Melody (Dark Series - book 12)

by Christine Feehan

  “Like you’re doing now,” she pointed out solemnly.

  “I am attempting to explain,” he conceded, “but I am monitoring your heart closely to be sure the information is not too frightening. It is not every day that one hears of another species.”

  “And that is what you are?”

  Dayan nodded slowly, his black gaze holding hers, his mind firmly in hers to catch every thought that passed through her brain. “Yes. We are as old as time and we live long lives. Our blood is different, and we have many gifts. We can run with the animals, soar with the birds, become the mist should there be need. But there is a price for these gifts. You would inherit these abilities, but you would also pay the same price.”

  “Which is...?”

  “The sun is harmful to us. Our bodies become like lead, paralyzed in the light of day. Those of us who have not chosen to lose our souls can move about in early morning and early evening while the undead are locked beneath the earth, but we are vulnerable during the afternoon. There are those who hunt us.”

  Corinne lay back among the pillows, pale and small. She took his breath away with her slight angelic smile. “Don’t look so anxious, Dayan,” she advised softly. “I am having more trouble believing this than accepting it for myself. I have never been able to run like other children. Now I am stuck on this bed, so weak I can’t carry my own baby without help. You are the one keeping my heart beating.” Her long eyelashes fanned down, two thick crescents against her white skin. “I am locked to this bed as surely as you say you are locked to the earth. The idea of running with animals and soaring with birds is very appealing to me. And I am already hunted. Remember, someone killed John and made another attempt on me. Although the threat is frightening, I can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”

  The relief sweeping through him left him feeling weak. Corinne laughed softly without opening her eyes. “Don’t get too sure of yourself, Dayan. I haven’t decided if you’re a certified nutcase and I should be screaming down the house for help. I’m too tired to figure it out right now, so you’re relatively safe at the moment.”

  “At least you are giving me a chance, Corinne, and I cannot ask for more than that. If it becomes necessary, I can remove your memories permanently.”

  “You can leave well enough alone, Dayan. I want to know you before I commit my life to your life. I met John when I was eleven years old. I thought I knew him well, but the truth is, I didn’t.”

  He brushed his hand through the silk of her hair, a soothing caress meant to ease the tension in her. “You knew him. He did not know you.”

  She felt tears welling up out of nowhere. John. She never should have married him, never should have promised what she knew she couldn’t give him. She had loved John, but not in the way she should have. Not in the way he deserved.

  “Do not cry, baby, you are breaking my heart,” he whispered softly, bending to kiss away her tears. He pulled his guitar into his lap, cradling the familiar instrument to him. His fingers began to move, flashing over the strings as if a spell had been cast over him. His offering. His comfort to her. A pouring out of his deepest soul.

  Dayan played softly, his voice filling her mind with love and happiness, with dreams of a life together, with fantasies of running through the woods in the form of a wild cat, of flying through the air like an eagle, free and content. Of silk sheets and candlelight. Of children playing in the moonlight, singing along to his music. Of life. He was offering her life.

  Chapter 13

  Lisa raised her head and looked carefully around the room. Her heart was pounding very loudly and her mouth was dry. She had no idea where she was or how she’d gotten there. Her last coherent thought was of getting something to drink from the hospital cafeteria. She was definitely not in a hospital now.

  Cullen lay stretched out on a bed, a king-sized mahogany bed, his skin color much less gray. If anything, Lisa thought he looked even more handsome than before. She touched his face with gentle fingertips, an unnamed emotion rising sharp and fast out of nowhere. She barely knew him, yet he seemed to mean so much to her already. That frightened her, as everything frightened her. Life itself frightened her. Lisa knew there was no real stability; people you loved, people you thought you knew, could turn into monsters right before your eyes and plot to destroy you.

  She had no right in getting involved in this man’s life. He was too good, a steady rock, someone capable of attempting to protect her against killers with guns. She was damaged, and she would never be all right. Where Corinne had grown strong and accepted life, had learned to find beauty and goodness in the world, Lisa thought in terms of shadows. She was so afraid all the time. No matter how hard she tried to overcome her failings, she knew she could never face the world on her own. Where was Corinne? Where was her brother? She couldn’t go on alone.

  But you’re not alone.

  Lisa spun around, staring wildly. The room was empty. She was the only one there. And she hadn’t spoken aloud. There was only... Lisa turned back to the bed. Cullen lay with his eyes closed, but his hand was moving slowly across the comforter to find her fingers. Immediately she laced her fingers through his. “Thank God, Cullen. I’ve been so worried.”

  A faint smile touched his mouth. “I should be sorry I worried you” — his voice was quiet but strong — “but the truth is, I’m glad you cared enough to worry.”

  “Thank God you’re awake,” she said staunchly. “I don’t know where Corinne is, and we aren’t at the hospital. Your friends came and took you out. They said those people would try to kill you if we stayed there. I thought they’d take us wherever Dayan and Corinne are, but...” She looked around rather helplessly. “I don’t know, maybe they are here; I just woke up myself. I’m not even certain how we got here.”

  Cullen’s lashes fluttered as he tried to pry open his eyes to see her face. She sounded forlorn and lost and he wanted to gather her close to him. “Barack and Syndil from the band came, remember? I was talking to them. I thought I heard Darius too.”

  She pulled his hand to her chin, held it close against her bare skin. “I don’t know any Darius. I can’t remember hearing that name before.”

  “Darius is our lead singer’s brother. He handles security for the band. When Darius is around, you don’t have to worry too much about anything. If he gave the order to move Corinne and me to a safer situation, they would do it.”

  “I only saw Barack and Syndil. They were pretty nice, especially Syndil,” Lisa said. “I’ve been so scared, Cullen. The doctors said you might not survive the night and they told me Corinne and the baby both were going to die. And then Corinne just disappeared without a trace.” Lisa was trying very hard to keep the wail out of her voice, but it was there all the same and she hated it.

  Cullen managed to get his eyes open to look at her. He inhaled deeply, taking in the faint peach fragrance that always clung to her skin. She was so beautiful to him, it hurt to look at her. She tried hard to be strong, to be something she wasn’t, and criticized herself because she didn’t measure up in her own eyes. “It’s going to be all right, Lisa. I promise I’m not going to die. Barack gave me his blood.”

  She blinked at him without expression, not comprehending what he was saying. “You needed a transfusion and he gave you one? I heard Syndil say you needed blood, but the memory’s vague.” Lisa found her memories of the band members were hazy. She couldn’t form a distinct impression of any of them, though she had just been with them. She rubbed her forehead; her temples were pounding.

  Cullen tugged at her hand to get her attention. “None of that matters, honey. Let the others take care of everything else.” He smiled at her. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I know you’d rather be with Corinne, but I need you here. Dayan’s a good man — he would never allow anything to happen to her.”

  “Where was he? Why

  were you

  with Corinne, instead of Dayan?” Lisa tried to keep an accusatory tone out of her voice. A big part of he
r disliked Dayan tremendously — unless he was standing directly in front of her. Then, she didn’t know why, but it was almost as if her entire opinion of him changed. None of it made sense to her. Lisa swept a hand through her hair and looked bemused. “I’m very confused about Dayan.”

  Cullen thought she looked more beautiful than ever. “Dayan is good for Corinne. I know him, Lisa. If you value my opinion, at least trust me on this one issue. I know him — I know what he’s like. He would never betray a friendship, and he’s the closest thing to family I have. The band took me in when I had no one. Everyone I loved was dead, and I had no future. They disregarded the fact that I had actively helped to hunt them and instead allowed me to travel with them for protection. They not only offered protection and friendship, but they took me into their family and made me feel a part of it. Very few people would have been that kind to a total stranger.”

  Lisa sat quietly, strangely happy in Cullen’s company. She felt at peace when she was with him. There was a soft knock on the door, and Lisa turned quickly as Syndil pushed it open and smiled at them.

  “Good, you are awake. Is he being good and staying down?”

  Lisa found herself smiling, she couldn’t help herself. Syndil was a tranquil, appealing woman, and Lisa couldn’t imagine her being anything but honest and sweet. “He’s being reasonably good,” she answered, brushing at Cullen’s hair to keep it out of his eyes. “I think his color is better and his voice is strong.” She turned to Cullen. “Are you hurting anywhere?”

  She sounded so anxious, Cullen smiled, tightening his grip on her hand. “Surprisingly I feel pretty good. But I wouldn’t want to repeat the experience. It was fairly scary.”

  Lisa and Syndil exchanged a very feminine look. “You were out most of the time, Cullen,” Lisa noted. “We were terrified for you.”

  “I’m going to show Lisa the house,” Syndil told Cullen in her gentle voice, “while Barack takes a look at you. He wants to explain a few things to you.” She took Lisa’s arm firmly. “Come with me; I will show you around so you can find everything. If there is anything you need, please tell us immediately.” As she led Lisa through the door, she bent closer with a conspirator’s whisper. “It is obvious Cullen prefers your company to any other’s.”

  Lisa found herself smiling up at Syndil, never feeling the cold air brushing her as Barack slipped past her unseen to go to Cullen’s side. Barack waited until the door was closed and he could hear Syndil talking to Lisa about the food in the kitchen before he materialized beside Cullen.

  Cullen watched him with patient eyes. “I knew you were there. You gave me your blood, didn’t you?”

  Barack shrugged his broad shoulders as if the tremendous gift of life had been a casual one. “You know how the women feel about you. I could do no other than to save your worthless hide or they would have been after me for centuries.”

  “Darius?” Cullen said the name softly.

  Barack grinned at him. “I would not want to be in your shoes when he comes to see you. It is not so much what he says; it is the look he gives you when you nearly get yourself killed that makes you wish your enemy had not missed. He is not happy you placed yourself in such a position. And, of course, there is Dayan.”

  Cullen groaned aloud. “I don’t want to think about Dayan right now. How is Corinne?”

  Barack sighed. “She does not have long to live if Dayan does not give her his blood and bring her fully into our world. But there is the complication of the child, it is said she is like Corinne, and we do not want to lose her either. They are trying.” He glanced at the door. “We have much to speak about and little time to do it. Lisa is anxious to be back in your company.”

  “You are too hard on her, Barack,” Cullen said.

  “So Syndil tells me,” he responded. “You know you are different now. You are connected to me for all time. You can touch me when you wish; there is an open path between our minds. The blood bond between us will remain for all your life. You know what we are part of the time, but we shadow your memories most of the time so you are not in danger. It is different now. You will always be a threat to our species. Should your blood be examined, you would endanger us.”

  Cullen nodded his head, his eyes steady on Barack’s face. He had already guessed as much. He had known the moment he had awakened. His hearing was far more acute. It was night, yet he could see clearly in the dark. He felt different, stronger, healthy despite the terrible wounds. He was also aware that his body was healing at a phenomenal rate of speed.

  Cullen had been traveling with the band members for some time. He had learned to accept the fact that sometimes he knew what they were and other times his memory of them was hazy and he couldn’t conjure up an image of what they looked like. On some level he knew it was necessary to protect the band from any other human seeking information about them. And it was necessary to protect himself from any vampires who might scan the information in his mind. As he traveled in the company of the band, it was likely he would someday encounter one. He knew that everything had changed for him when Barack had given him blood.

  “You are under the protection of the family,” Barack said softly, “and Darius wants you to know you always will be. But we cannot undo what has been done. There are decisions to be made. We made the choice to save your life, and the blood was freely given because of your place within our family, but only you can make the rest of the choices for yourself. We will respect whatever you decide.”

  Cullen nodded, understanding more than Barack knew. When his memories of them were clear, he remembered every detail and he had learned a great deal about their species. They were offering him a choice, and he was grateful that he was even being consulted.

  “It is not a decision to be made lightly, Cullen,” Barack counseled. “You must know I will always be able to read your mind, whether you choose full knowledge or to have your memories removed. I would know if you betrayed us to anyone, including your future wife. I see clearly into your mind. You want Lisa to be your partner, but she will never be able to accept our species as we are. She must always see us as human. She could not accept Corinne’s differences, and she would be unable to live with the knowledge. If you choose us as your family, you can never reveal what we are to her. You are someone who values honor and integrity. You want a full partnership with your wife. She will always be in our lives, because she loves Corinne and Corinne loves her. To Corinne, Lisa is family, as you are to us. But you will have to keep this knowledge from Lisa for all time. We have lifemates. We understand the bond between male and female. If you choose to remove the memory of us, we will understand. Remember we will still have the same feelings for you, and you will remain under our protection. It is up to you.” Cullen smiled, his teeth very white. “You are my family.”

  “As Lisa will be.”

  “Exactly. As Corinne will be. Lisa loves her as a sister. My wife will be connected to you for the rest of her life. If I choose to forget, then I can’t give her my protection and help to shield her from the things she can’t accept. I know what Lisa is like. She needs a protected environment, someone willing to shield her from the things she can’t accept. I want to be that person. Not you or Darius. Me. I never thought I could feel alive again. You know strength, Barack, but you don’t know what it’s like for someone to struggle like she has to do to live in a world with people capable of doing monstrous things she can’t understand. You have it in you to kill if need be. She is incapable of shouting at anyone. It hurts her when people raise their voices at one another. You think of that as a weakness. I look at her and see someone too good to live in a world like this one. I want to shield her. I want the chance to have her love me.”

  “We will love and accept the one you choose to share your life with. Forgive me, Cullen — I will work on my failings. Syndil has pointed out this same flaw, and I do not intend to continue with this behavior if I can help it. I will get to know Lisa and I will always protect her. You can count on that.”


  “Thank you,” Cullen said quietly. “I’ll retain my memories and work to guard our family, as you, Dayan, Julian and Darius always do. I don’t want to forget any of it. Neither the good nor the bad. You are all I have.”

  “Then so be it.” Barack gripped Cullen’s hand hard for a moment, then backed off. “I have sent your answer to Darius and the others. If you have need, you have only to follow the path in your mind and you can speak with me.” He grinned. “Of course, you can do the same with Darius.”

  Cullen stared up at him for a moment, thinking that over. He should have known that Darius had taken his blood to open a channel to his mind. Darius

  always

  protected his family. It was his nature. “Go away. I like looking at Lisa better. But tell Dayan we are praying for Corinne and baby.”

  Corinne slept fitfully, with strange images flitting in and out of her dreams. When she woke, sometimes the healers were in the room with her, but most of the time there was only Dayan. There were times he lay beside her. Often he sat quietly holding her hand and staring lovingly down at her face. Other times she woke to the sound of his music, a soothing harmony of voice and guitar. She tried a few times to overcome the terrible lethargy that seemed to have invaded her body, but it was too much trouble and she closed her eyes time and time again with the image of Dayan filling her mind and heart. Strangely, she wasn’t afraid anymore, not for herself and not for her baby.

  She had no idea how much time had passed before she managed to really wake up. She lay quietly taking inventory of her body. Corinne could hear her heart beating, as well as that of her child. She moved her hands protectively over the baby and murmured softly to the child, wondering if she could hear her. As she talked to her daughter, she looked around the beautiful room. It was full of treasures, from the artwork to the carvings on the high ceilings. The room was very large, the colors muted and elegant. The carvings looked like strange, beautiful hieroglyphics. Some of the symbols were soothing to her, while others made her heart pound if she stared at them too long.