Eternal Beloved

by Bella Abbott

  “What would happen to your body?”

  “My heart would rejuvenate, but very slowly. Then I’d die when my original was ashes. I’d turn to ashes myself and blow away.”

  “How do they know you’re a vampire?”

  “I honestly don’t have any idea. I’ve been very careful. There shouldn’t be any way.”

  I was fascinated, but scared. As much as my logical mind tried to protest the idea of vampires, Jared had no heartbeat. I’d heard it myself. Make that, not heard it. There weren’t a lot of explanations for that I could think of. And…his story rang true. It felt true. About the wedding; about being in love. I felt…an overwhelming attraction, and had since I first laid eyes on him. And it wasn’t lust or infatuation. It had immediately felt stronger than that. More real. And it had strengthened since then, not faded.

  But there were limits to what I could process in one night.

  “If they’re hunters, why do you say I could be in danger? I’m nobody.”

  “Whoever rammed the car saw you with me, Lacey. I can’t take the chance they’ll try to get to me through you. They have no scruples.” He looked at me possessively. “I’m not going to take the chance of losing you again.”

  My brow furrowed. “Assuming you’re right. And I’m not convinced. I mean, okay, maybe you’re…what you say you are. But how do I know you’re right about the rest – the reincarnation? You’re guessing, aren’t you?”

  “It doesn’t feel like a guess.”

  “But you don’t have any proof. It could just be projection. Wishful thinking.”

  He frowned. “I know in my bones, Lacey.”

  “What was my name? Then?”

  “Alicia.”

  The sense of otherworldliness overtook me, and I fought hard to stay conscious this time. Jared waited for me to say something. Instead, when I felt steadier, I stood with Jared’s help, trying not to get lost in the strength of his arms or how good they’d felt around me. We walked together in silence to the car, hand in hand. I peered at the coupe in the gloom and then at Jared.

  “Do something supernatural,” I demanded.

  “Remember on the boat? How the wind suddenly appeared? That was me.”

  I shook my head. “Inconclusive. But…you said you’re super strong. Like, how strong?”

  He reached down with his free hand and lifted the rear of the car off the ground without batting an eye. “Engine’s in the rear. Probably weighs a few thousand pounds.” He hefted it up and down. “Satisfied?”

  I nodded, feeling light-headed but trying to fight it. “You can put it down.”

  He did, and escorted me to my side. I looked him deep in the eyes again and felt the real world as I knew it slip away. He moved closer, but this time I didn’t back away or flinch.

  And this time when he kissed me, it wasn’t on the cheek.

  His lips grazed my jaw, and my senses flooded as his intoxicating scent hit me like a heady narcotic perfume. When his lips met mine, I moaned deep in my throat, and then he quickly pulled away and stepped back.

  “What?” I asked, my voice thick.

  “It’s…It’s too much all at once. It’ll take some getting used to. My nerves are…very close to the surface right now, and I can taste your essence…and a part of me wants more. But it’s not safe for you.”

  “Why?”

  “The blood craving’s dormant, almost gone, but not entirely. Being so close to you, tasting you, smelling you, holding you…I don’t trust myself.”

  I forced myself to remember that Jared was – if I wasn’t joining him in his madness – a vampire. And if he felt there was danger, he meant it.

  “What about the ban?” I asked, wanting to feel his lips on mine again.

  “You can’t go back to the dorm until we figure out who’s after us,” he said, changing the subject.

  “Then where can we go?”

  He gazed up at the moon again. “For tonight, we can get a hotel room. Tomorrow, we can go talk to someone who can confirm whether or not I’m right about you.”

  My brow wrinkled. “Who?”

  “A woman. One of the seers. Remember I told you there’s a world mortals don’t register? She’s part of it.”

  “Why didn’t you go before?”

  “She needs to meet you, not me.”

  I resisted the urge to move toward him and offer myself for another kiss. My lips were still tingling from the current that surged through me whenever we touched, and I wanted to fill myself with that energy. Instead, I quieted my pounding heart and eyed him skeptically.

  “And she’ll really be able to tell?”

  He nodded. “Yes. And after she’s done, you’ll know in your bones, too.”

  Chapter 20

  We drove east on back roads until we reached the outskirts of Ellsworth, where Jared pointed to a Victorian mansion with a bed-and-breakfast sign. “Looks like they have parking in the back, out of sight of the road,” he said.

  I nodded distractedly, still stunned as I tried to absorb everything he’d told me. Impossible as it was to believe, there were such things as vampires, and I was sitting a foot from one with no ill effect. Even more troubling, if it was possible for anything to be more so, was the possibility that I too had once been one, and was now reincarnated as a human.

  And…in spite of all these revelations, I was attracted to Jared like nothing I’d ever experienced.

  To say it made no sense was the understatement of the century.

  Which raised another in a series of interesting questions.

  “How old are you?” I asked in a small voice.

  “I’m twenty-two. Like I told you. Forever twenty-two.”

  “No. I mean, how long have you been a…a vampire?”

  He sighed. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? Seems like you’re overloaded tonight. I know I would be.”

  “I want to know.”

  “Fair enough. We’ll discuss it tomorrow. I’ll be exactly one day older then.”

  “Jared, you’re telling me I can’t go back to campus, that you’re a vampire, that there are hunters after you – and possibly us – and I’m going to be sleeping in the same room as you. It seems reasonable to know little things like how old you are.”

  He pulled to a stop in the driveway of the bed-and-breakfast and turned to look at me. “I was made just after the French Revolution. My family was French nobility who escaped the Terror and came to America. I was made here. I’ll happily tell you the story tomorrow, but right now we need to get off the road so we don’t attract unwanted attention.”

  I held his stare and didn’t blink. “When was I…made?”

  “You were actually about a century older than me.” He gave me a small smile. “But I was willing to overlook the age difference.”

  I laughed in spite of myself, but the sound had a giddy edge to it that could turn to hysteria without much prodding. “So you’re…over two hundred,” I stated flatly.

  “We can go with 225 if you want a round number. But they say 225 is the new 20.”

  “This isn’t funny, Jared.”

  “Well…” He couldn’t help the trace of a smirk that flitted across his mouth. “You have to admit it was a little funny.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment before looking away. “I think I’m losing my mind.”

  “No. No, you’re not. You’re just overloaded. That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it tonight.”

  I frowned. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

  “I have no secrets from you, Lacey. You can ask me anything and I’ll answer honestly.” He looked up at the sign. “But right now let’s see if they have a room.”

  “You want me to go in with you?” I asked.

  “Might be better if it was just you. If my name’s on the tab…”

  I blushed. “I don’t have much money with me.”

  Jared removed a fat wad of hundred-dollar bills and peeled off five of them. “That should more than
do it.”

  I got out of the car and made my way up the steps. An old-fashioned bell hung beside the door, and I rang it once, wincing at how loud it was. A light switched on inside the house, and a frail old man peered from behind a curtained window before unlocking the door and pulling it open.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m looking for a room for the night,” I said. I’d never booked a hotel before, so wasn’t sure how to go about it.

  “We have several still available. How many guests?”

  “Just two.”

  “Private bathroom, or shared?”

  “Private would be good.”

  “That isn’t as cheap.”

  “That’s okay. Where’s your parking?”

  “Around the back. You and who else?” he asked, looking over my shoulder at the Porsche.

  “My…brother.” I thought furiously. “We’re super tired from driving all day. Coming to visit our parents in Bar Harbor.”

  “Oh, yeah? I lived there for years. What’s their name?”

  “I don’t think you’d know them. They just moved there about six months ago.”

  “You have ID?”

  “Yes, my driver’s license.”

  “We don’t accept checks. Just cash or credit cards. Room with a bathroom’s two and a quarter, including breakfast.”

  My eyes danced at the number, remembering my discussion with Jared. I suppressed my urge to laugh hysterically and merely nodded. “That’s fine. I can pay cash.”

  “Then come on in, and I’ll get you all fixed up.”

  Five minutes later I had the room key and retraced my steps to Jared. “We have a private room with a bath. Front door key and room key. You can park back there.”

  “Wait for me on the porch. I’ll only be a minute.”

  The Porsche sounded deafening in the darkness, and I breathed a sigh of relief when the engine shut off and Jared appeared out of the darkness. I opened the front door and led him up a stairway to the second floor, where our room overlooked the rear of the house. The door was open, and I pushed it wide and stepped inside.

  “The light switch is on your right,” he said. “I can see in the dark. Forgot to tell you.”

  I turned on the light, and he locked the door behind him. We both looked at the pair of beds with three feet of space between them and smiled at the same time.

  “I told the clerk you were my brother,” I explained.

  “That’s fine.”

  “You want to use the bathroom first?” I asked.

  “I don’t need to.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Ever? Or now?”

  He grinned. “Ever. Comes in handy on road trips.”

  I eyed him. “Do you eat or drink?”

  “I can. I just don’t, usually. There’s no need. My physiology’s in a state of suspended animation. Plus, because of my sense of smell, most things don’t taste…like they might to you. So there’s not much incentive.”

  I digested that and concluded there might be some positives to the vampire thing. Never having to…

  “I’ll be out in a few minutes,” I said.

  “Take your time.”

  A thought occurred to me. “How about sleep?”

  “I can doze. But it’s not really required.”

  “No, I mean, do you sleep during the day? Like in a coffin or something?”

  Jared chuckled. “Mmm, not really.”

  “What about daylight?”

  “What about it?”

  “The books…”

  “We’re predominantly nocturnal. That’s true. But as you get more mature, the light doesn’t bother you as much as it does a young vampire. It’s not our skin, although it doesn’t feel particularly good. It’s our eyes.” He patted his jacket pocket. “Don’t worry. I have great sunglasses.”

  “So you don’t turn into a pillar of salt or anything?”

  “I always wear sunscreen, if that’s the question.”

  We laughed together, and I began to think this might not be as awful as it might seem. I tore my eyes away from his beautiful face and retreated into the bathroom, thoroughly disoriented and confused by the last few hours. My reflection stared back at me, and another question came to mind. I opened the door and peered out at Jared, who was checking his cell phone.

  “Do you have a reflection? In the mirror?”

  Another smile. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I don’t know. I just thought…”

  “Be hard to film a movie if I was invisible.”

  “Oh. Good point.”

  I closed the door again, feeling sheepish and utterly exhausted. I cleaned up as best I could, and brushed my teeth with one of two cheap disposable brushes that were part of the bathroom supplies. By the time I was finished, I had dozens of other questions, but I decided to take Jared’s advice and save them for the next day.

  I returned to the room and looked at Jared lying on the far bed, his hands folded over his chest, his posture rigid, eyes closed. I plopped down on the other bed and sighed. “Is that how you sleep?”

  He sat up, the motion so fast it was a blur, his crooked grin in place. “I was doing my best Dracula imitation. Bela Lugosi.”

  “Never saw it, so it’s wasted on me.” I fluffed the pillow. “Are you always like this, or are you just trying to put me at ease?”

  “Being serious all the time’s kind of boring. Especially after the first hundred years of being a sourpuss.”

  “You don’t sound French,” I observed.

  “I’ve had a lot of time to lose the accent.” He lay back down. “Get some sleep, Lacey. It’ll be morning before you know it.”

  “I need to… I have to say something to my roommates. They’ll panic if I don’t come home. But what do I say?”

  “You’re allowed to stay out. You said.”

  “Yeah, but we’re supposed to fill out some sort of form in advance or something. I never paid too much attention to the procedure.” I never thought I’d need it.

  Jared looked at me blankly for a moment. “Can’t one of your friends…”

  Well, yeah. And I knew which one.

  Hey, Sarah, can u do me a huge favor?

  I waited for a few moments, but there was no response. Perfect. She was busy. I didn’t need the third degree right now.

  I’m with Jared and things are…!! anyway, not coming home 2night. But forgot to fill out paperwork. Can u cover for me? Please please

  I held my breath. Still no response. Perfect.

  ok turning off phone now so sorry if I cant answer for some time!!!

  My reputation was now officially trashed, but if it worked, I didn’t care. I switched off my phone to make it true. And to save me getting texted all night.

  I stood and moved to Jared’s bed and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise, and I stepped back and sat back on mine.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while, Jared. Too bad about the bloodlust thing.”

  He looked at me with new awareness and nodded slowly. “It certainly is.”

  I rose again, walked to the light switch, and flipped it off. Back on my bed, I curled up facing Jared, feeling completely safe and secure in the same room with him even though he was a blood-drinking monster, and wondered if the whole thing wasn’t just another one of my dreams. Yet I knew.

  This was no dream.

  “Are you staring at me in the dark?” I asked.

  A pause. “Not now. I won’t anymore.”

  “You promise? I won’t be able to sleep if you do.”

  “I promise.”

  I closed my eyes and snuggled against the pillow.

  “Good night, Jared.”

  “Night, Lacey.”

  Chapter 21

  When I awoke to the morning light from the window, I rolled over and saw Jared’s bed was empty. I looked over at the open bathroom door and listened for any hint of movement, figuring maybe he was fixing his hair or something.
/>   Nothing.

  “Jared?”

  No answer.

  I checked the time. Ten a.m. I rose and padded to the bathroom and then closed and locked the door. A sniff of my shirt confirmed that I would need to get some more clothes if I was going to be gone from school any longer.

  I took a hurried shower, grateful that the bed-and-breakfast provided shampoo and soap, and after brushing my teeth again and blow-drying my hair, I emerged from the bedroom to find Jared sitting in an easy chair by the window, sunglasses on, the shade drawn to minimize the light.

  “Good morning,” he said. “I brought you up some coffee and a few muffins.”

  I crossed the room and inspected the breakfast offering with a smile. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “The least I could do after putting you through last night’s ordeal.”

  He looked like ten million dollars in his shades, his shock of hair a chaotic haystack that still managed to look amazing even in its disarray. I sat in the other chair by the table and took a cautious sniff of the coffee.

  “It does smell great.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. To me…well, let’s just say I have too much information from my senses sometimes.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I can tell what kind of soap was used to wash the pot and the cups, the type of moisturizing lotion the server applied before handling them, and that at least one of the kitchen staff smokes, and another is coming down with a cold.”

  I tried to imagine what that must be like, but couldn’t. I poured a steaming cup of rich, dark brew and filled it to the brim with cream. I gave Jared a sweet smile and held the creamer container aloft. “Can you tell me the cow’s name and the zip code of the dairy?”

  He grinned. “See? You can be funny too.”

  I took an appreciative sip of the coffee. “So what’s the plan for today?”

  “Go meet the seer and confirm you’re who I believe you are. I’ve already told Christina and Carl about the tracking device.”

  I almost dropped my coffee. “Wait. Are they…are they like you, too?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”