by Bella Abbott
I staggered to where the crossbow had landed at the far end of the hall. I spotted it by a debris pile and retrieved it. It was still cocked, but the quarrel wasn’t loaded. I glanced around, spied the shaft a few feet away, and scooped it up with a wince, my ribs protesting every move.
Once I’d fitted the bolt into the firing slot and seated it, I turned to where Jared and Victor were trading blows that would have killed anyone normal. I raised the weapon to fire, my finger hovering over the trigger, but then the moon disappeared and the area fell into darkness again.
I swore and took cautious steps toward the sound of the struggle. I had crossed half the area when Victor cried out like a wounded animal. The final part of his howl cut off abruptly, and I heard something heavy strike the floor, followed by silence.
I froze, crossbow in hand, waiting for enough light to shoot if a target presented itself, but the moon had finished cooperating and there was a lull in the lightning. A cold gust blew icy rain into my face, and I shivered as I held my breath, the crossbow trembling as the strength to hold it seeped from my arms. I wanted to call out to Jared but didn’t dare.
“Lacey?” Jared said from only a few feet away. “You can put down the bow.”
“Jared!” I looked around. “You’re…where are you?”
Lightning flared in the clouds and I saw him to my right, holding his stomach, slightly hunched over. “Oh my God, Jared,” I cried, and dropped the bow and moved to him. “How bad are you hurt?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be healed by the time we’re back to shore. What about you?”
“I…I don’t think anything’s broken, but I should probably get an X-ray.” I took his face in my hands, barely able to make it out in the gloom. “I thought he was going to…to kill you,” I said, and then looked past him to where Victor was a dark lump on the floor. “Is he…?”
“Yes. I used the arrow he shot me with to finish him.” He paused. “But his strength…it was extraordinary. And…I…lost my night vision when I stepped into the ruins.”
“He told me he’d cast a spell that drained your power, and took a potion that gave him strength to match yours.”
Jared’s eyes widened. “What? How…?”
“He said a sorcerer. New Orleans. That’s all I know.”
“How did you break the spell?”
I could barely speak from cold and terror and relief all roiling inside me, but I forced the words to come. “He used bracelets in four of the building corners.” I told him about throwing one of them outside, and he grunted. I felt his arms around me, and then his lips crushed against mine and he was kissing me ravenously, our mutual hunger intense enough to power a city. I shuddered as we kissed, the sensation of our mouths locked together so exquisite I never wanted it to end. I growled deep in my throat when he pulled away, and tried to pull him back. Then I remembered his injuries. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” I asked.
“I should be asking you that,” he said. “You’re the one who needs X-rays.”
The ache in my side intensified when he mentioned it, and the heat that had built in me faded, replaced by the chill of reality.
“What about you?” I asked.
“Give me a minute or two. I should be strong enough to deal with his body. We can’t leave it here to be found.” He glanced over at Victor’s corpse. “Did you know him?”
I nodded in the dark, figuring he could see me. “Yes. He’s the brother of one of the graduate teacher assistants at Ridley.” I explained how I’d run into Victor before, and told Jared about how he’d managed to kidnap me. I finished with an apology that took every ounce of fortitude I had. “I’m so sorry, Jared. You were right all along, and I almost got you killed. I…I don’t know what I was thinking. I really don’t.”
One of his fingers caressed my lips. “Shhh,” he whispered. “It’s over. What’s important is you’re safe.”
“No,” I corrected him. “What’s important is I’ve decided I want to be with you. Whatever happens, I want us to stay together. I’ll deal with the girls and the fame and–”
“What girls?” he asked, and then I could sense his grin even in the dark. “You mean from the shows? They’re nothing, Lacey. I love you. Only you. I’ve waited forever to be able to say that again. Do you really believe anything could come between us?”
He kissed me again, long and languorous, the passion as intense as before, but his touch gentler. He sighed and stroked my wet mop of hair. “You’re everything to me, Lacey. I would move heaven and earth to be with you. Don’t ever doubt it, not even for a moment. It’s the one thing you can count on forever.”
I laughed as tears rolled down my face. “I love you too, Jared. I do. More than anything. More than my life. It’s true. I’d rather die than be without you.”
His lips brushed my cheek and traced along my jaw, and goosebumps rose on my arms and back as his mouth neared my neck, where my carotid artery pulsed with my lifeblood only inches from his teeth. I felt them graze the base of my throat, and then he stepped away.
I stood motionless, waiting, not knowing what to do, but sensing something important was playing out. I closed my eyes, remembering how I’d felt when I had the crossbow. I’d have done anything for Jared. I’d risked my life by crying out to him and trying to reach the bracelet. Worse, I would have killed without hesitation to save him, even if it had meant I might have died trying.
I felt him move closer, so near I was breathing his intoxicating scent, and I gave myself over to him – whatever he wanted, whatever he needed from me, was his to take. I would offer no resistance. He was mine and I was his, and a strange sense of calm flooded through me as I sensed him only a whisper away.
“No, my love,” he murmured in my ear. “Not here, not now. I would rather die than that,” he said, and stepped away. He moved toward Victor and called to me over his shoulder, “Stay there. I’ll deal with this mess and be back for you in a moment.”
I trembled like a sapling in a hurricane when he vanished into the night, my heart fluttering as I tried to understand what had just passed between us. When he returned a few minutes later, I could feel his energy, his strength, more powerful than only moments before, his vital essence radiating from him like a beacon. He retrieved the crossbow and took my hand, and we walked through the drizzle toward the water, my steps still unsteady but his sure and measured.
The sailboat was beached beside Victor’s motorboat. I turned to look at Jared, barely able to make him out, and then leaned into him. “What did you do with him?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Seriously.”
A long pause, and then his voice, soft as a summer wind. “There’s a well on the other end of the island. He’ll never be found.”
“Are you sure?”
He squeezed my hand and chuckled. “Don’t worry. I have some experience with this.”
Chapter 35
Jared and I sat in his rental car by the Ridley gate, holding hands like high school crushes, though the events of the prior night were still vivid in my mind. By the time we’d made it back to the mansion, Jared had completely healed. The miracle of his anatomy had regenerated the damaged areas without any lasting ill effects. I, on the other hand, had been exhausted, and had collapsed onto the bed within moments of walking into the bedroom. My body, after all, required more than an hour or two to heal itself.
We’d spent the next day in each other’s arms as much as we’d dared, Jared’s willpower stronger than mine, and after an afternoon visit to a doctor to confirm nothing in me was broken, I’d decided that I wanted to return to Ridley while we worked out how to move forward. There were no easy answers to the questions we faced, but we’d talked for hours, and it was obvious that whatever happened, we would find a way to be together.
Jared raised my hand to his full lips, kissed the back of it lightly, and then smiled at me, his blue eyes hidden by his sunglasses. I did the same with his and sighed in frustrated contentment.<
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“You’re shooting tonight?” I asked.
He nodded. “That’s right. Only two more weeks to go at Ridley, and then we spend a month at the studio for some interior scenes, and it’s a wrap.”
“In Hollywood?” I asked, trying not to sound alarmed. The idea of being separated from him that long instantly made me anxious.
He shook his head. “No. Jersey. That way I can fly back every couple of days and see you – and maybe you can come down on weekends.”
“You had me worried for a minute.”
Jared grinned. “No way am I letting you out of my sight for any longer than I have to.”
“That’s what you say now. Once you’re heading back out on tour, I have a feeling the story might change.”
“We need to figure that out. I won’t go if you can’t come with me.”
I shook my head. “That’s crazy. Of course you will.”
“No. If it’s a choice between supporting the new album or being with you, you’re going to win that one every time,” he said, his tone earnest.
“Maybe I can fly out when I don’t have classes.”
He frowned, unconvinced. “I want you with me every minute, Lacey. We’ve spent too much time apart already. Many lifetimes.”
“But that’s impractical. You can’t just trash your career because I can’t hang out on your tour bus.”
He waved a hand. “I don’t care about that. Nothing else matters but you and me, Lacey. The music was just a distraction.” He squeezed my hand. “This is what really matters.”
“That’s not fair. The songs are really good, and you’ve worked so hard…”
He leaned over and kissed my cheek. I was comfortable enough with him now to where I didn’t recoil, even though it was the side I’d spent so much of my life keeping hidden. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “We have some time before I need to commit to anything.”
“And we still need to decide what we’re going to do about…us,” I reminded him.
Much of the day had been devoted to discussing our few options. Jared insisted that he could control himself around me as long as we didn’t get too hot and heavy, but that wasn’t a long-term solution – I wanted more than an occasional peck on the cheek, and I could tell he did, too. That only left two possible choices: I had to become a vampire again, or Jared had to become mortal. All things being equal, he favored becoming mortal, but I wasn’t convinced. We’d gone back and forth on it, but I’d decided not to argue over which was a better option – given that both were impossible, as far as we knew.
“I haven’t forgotten,” he chided. “As soon as I have some time, I’m going to call in every favor I’m owed and research the possibilities. One way or another, we’ll solve this, Lacey. I promise you that.”
“I believe you,” I said, trying to sound upbeat, although based on everything he’d told me, it didn’t sound optimistic.
I turned to him and we kissed, this time with lips parted, my hand in his thick hair, my breathing urgent. When he pulled away I was panting, and it was all I could do not to cry in frustration.
“I want you,” he said, his voice a whisper. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything, Lacey.”
I nodded, my throat tight. “It’s not fair, Jared.”
“We have another chance. For whatever reason, we were meant to be, and the universe arranged it. Nothing’s going to stand in the way of our being together, Lacey. I’ll find a way.”
“I hope so, Jared. This is killing me, and it’s only been a few days.”
“I know, Lacey. I know.”
I gave him a final fleeting kiss and then turned to fumble with the door handle. “You want me to avoid the set?” I asked, confirming our earlier discussion.
“I think that’s best. I’ll never get anything accomplished if you’re there. But I’ll see you after the shooting if you want. It’ll be late, but I don’t have a curfew…”
I nodded. “I’d like that. Just call me. I’ll wait up.” I opened the door. “Good luck with it.”
“I’ll see you in a few hours, my love.”
I shivered as I stepped from the car, hearing Jared call me his love still surreal to me. I looked back at him behind the wheel and filled with a surge of overpowering emotion. “I love you, Jared,” I said. I will never get tired of saying that.
“I love you too, my beloved.” Or hearing that.
I closed the door and made for the gate, forcing myself to leave the only man I’d ever wanted, my thoughts a rush of conflicting images. It seemed impossible that we’d be able to solve our situation, yet…somehow I was optimistic, even though I had no right to be. Just as the feelings of doubt and self-loathing had disappeared once I’d decided that my future lay with Jared and doing whatever it took for us to be together. My birthmark no longer troubled me, and the visions of Jared with other girls no longer had any power. As to who I was – Alicia or Lacey or both – I had a lifetime to figure that out. At least.
When I walked into the dorm room, all three of my roommates were there, classes having let out a half hour earlier. Serena was sitting at the table surrounded by textbooks, as usual, and Kate and Sarah were sitting cross-legged on Kate’s bed, playing cards. They looked up at the sound of the door opening. Kate gave a delighted squeal and leapt to her feet.
“You’re back! I thought you were going to be gone all week?” she exclaimed.
“I was able to deal with things faster than I thought,” I said. “How are you guys doing?”
“Sarah aced the first physics exam,” said Serena, perhaps not without a touch of envy.
“Who cares about us?” Sarah said. “What’s going on with Jared?”
At least Sarah was consistent, I thought – with the focus of a prizefighter and the tenacity of a pit bull.
“Everything’s good,” I said, keeping my tone breezy. “But I’m going to have to study triple time to make up for the classes I missed.”
Sarah waved my comment away. “Whatever. When are you seeing him again?”
“I don’t know,” I deflected. “Maybe tonight if he’s not too beat after his shoot.”
“Are you a serious couple now?” Serena asked.
My face scrunched up as I thought about how to answer that. “We’re taking things slow. But I really like him.”
“Did he buy you a Rolls yet? Or a ring?” Sarah asked.
I laughed at her determination. “We couldn’t agree on the color.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
I winked at her and let silence work for me. Kate and Sarah exchanged a knowing look, and I moved to my bed, where Cyrus was dozing on my pillow. “Did I miss anything while I was gone?” I asked.
“Only that our roommate is dating the hottest guy in the country,” Sarah said.
“And giving us no love at all,” Kate complained.
“You can use your imaginations,” I said, edging Cyrus to the side so I could sit, and receiving a dark glare from him in return.
“Pictures would help,” Sarah said. “Maybe full frontal, wearing only his shorts?”
“And the shorts are optional,” Kate added.
Serena smiled at me. “I didn’t know a white girl could turn that red.”
“I was in the sun a lot,” I parried.
She laughed. “That must be it.”
“So you’re going to continue to stonewall us?” Kate asked.
I nodded good-naturedly and imagined Jared without a stitch of clothing, drawing on my memories from my prior incarnation. A smile spread across my face and I lay on the bed with a contented sigh.
“For now.”
Chapter 36
I looked up from where I was sitting by the window of a cabin Jared had rented for a month in the woods north of Ridley. He shouldered through the door with an armful of firewood and shook a dusting of snowflakes from his jacket. An early storm had dropped eight inches of snow the night before, and the tail of the front was lingering on the wa
y north to Canada, blanketing the trees in white.
“Thank you,” I said, and took a sip of the tea I’d made to fight off the chill.
Jared offered a crooked grin and nodded. “Anything to make you more comfortable.”
It was a Saturday in November; Jared had finished shooting at the end of October, ending my biweekly commute to New Jersey via private jet to be with him while he filmed the rest of his movie. That had gotten increasingly difficult as word of our relationship had spread, and invariably there were paparazzi lurking wherever we stayed, hoping for a photo of Jared and the mystery girl who’d become his shadow.
I’d grown grateful for the security at the academy, which had clamped down on trespassers after a trio of freelance photographers stalked me to the cafeteria one afternoon. It was impossible to keep my identity a secret, but I’d figured that as long as I stayed on campus, I would be safe. Nothing could have proved more false, which was brought home to me when a drone had appeared at the dorm window, its camera trained on the room.
The administration had convened and come up with a plan to better police the grounds, and now a tense truce was in place between the paparazzi and the school. Celebrities and their kids went to school all the time, I reasoned, though I’d never had to give a thought as to how they managed it before.
“What’s on the agenda for the day?” I asked. Jared carried the firewood to the stone hearth and placed three split logs on the iron rack.
“Nothing special. We can make a snowman. Or go into town and see if there’s anything you’re interested in eating.”
I eyed him skeptically. “Do vampires make snowmen?”
“This one will if you want to.”
I’d grown used to being with Jared most of the time I wasn’t in school, but the frustration at being limited to how intimate we could be was a constant source of tension for us both. The good news was that we’d probably talked more than most couples did in a decade, and I felt closer to him than I would have thought possible – even if perennially unfulfilled. I knew he felt the same way, and upon waking each day I reminded myself that we had time to arrive at a solution to our problem…even if it didn’t feel that way.