The Covenant of Shadows Collection

by Kade Cook

  Gabrian’s attention drifts down to her left as they pass by a small white building. It has a similar structure to the greenhouse but it seems to have a different feel to it. “What is that, another oasis?” she inquires out of curiosity.

  “No. Not quite,” he says as they pass it by, not slowing. “Maybe someday I will let you see it but tonight we dine,” he announces with a wide grin, glancing down at her with a quick green-eyed wink.

  She looks back at the little building as they make their way forward into the dark. The gears in her mind begin to turn as she wonders what it could be used for but her eyes break from their hold on the little white shack. A glimmer of light catches her attention—breaking through the darkness within the tree branches. They take a few more snow-covered steps along the path and soon before them, awaits the front porch to a quaint log cabin.

  A wooden bench sits firm just below the small, aged front window. Beside it, is a pile of split wood with an axe sticking out of one of the pieces. Gabrian loves everything about it already. They climb up the large handcrafted log steps and edge toward the front door.

  “It is not much.” Shane stops and glances down at her with small upturned curve to his lips then gazes up at the hand built edifice before them and huffs a breathy laugh. “But it is home.” He unlatches the big red wooden door and steps back to allow her to enter first.

  Stepping through, Gabrian immediately feels the heat from the fire burning in the wood stove in the corner. It is the kind of heat that warms you right down to the bone, and she feels her muscles relax in appreciation of its subtle strength.

  Shane sets the bag and the beer down on the floor. He reaches up, taking the greens from her, and sets them down as well. He turns back around and helps her with her coat. “Come on in. Make yourself at home,” he says, hanging her coat up beside the door. Picking up the beer and the bag, he makes his way past her and into the kitchen. Setting his parcels on the far counter, Shane washes the remains of Earth from his hands in the sink then reaches over to turn the stove on to prepare his pans for the feast he is about to cook.

  Gabrian peeks through the steps of the staircase on her left. It cascades down from the shallow ceiling above her. Past the stairs, a large wooden table with a candelabra hanging above it welcomes her. She smells the scent of drying herbs hanging from the rafters by the wall behind it. To the left of the room sits a giant oversized chair with a handmade bookshelf placed strategically beside it, in front of the small wood stove.

  She inches toward the large table, completely preoccupied by the ease of the room as Shane holds out another beer for her. She looks down her nose at him and twists her lips into a toying pout, hesitating to take it.

  “Don’t look so worried, it is lite beer,” he says, holding it out to her again. “You will have plenty of time to wear it off before you have to drive.”

  “Is this what they call Beer pressure?” she jokes, giving him a crooked look. He shakes his head, laughing at her, and holds the drink closer to her hand. “Fine, you win. Thanks,” she grumbles playfully, taking it from him. He turns back and places the remaining two beer in the fridge, exchanging them for food. She turns to search the staircase that leads to what appears to be a loft.

  “It is where I sleep,” Shane offers, reading the question on her face. “Um, I am going to start supper now so feel free to scout around.” He grins, walking over to the glass door that stands on the other side of the table and opens it. Reaching his arm around the left side of the door casing, he flicks a switch and the space lights up on the other side. Gabrian strolls over to look through, astounded. On the other side of the door, of what she thought to be an otherwise small cabin is a whole other dimension to his home.

  The room is large and welcoming; everything is made of wood and stone. The rafters are open, reaching to the sky. At the far side of the room, there is another wood stove, crackling with fire, making the shadows on the walls dance and shift with the burning glow of embers through its glass door. Above her, on each end of the large room, are open lofts with makeshift ladders built on the side of the walls. Sky lights in the ceiling above let in the night sky, making the room’s ambience seem even more enchanting.

  Everything about the space makes her feel safe and warm. It welcomes her, embracing her with the hum of serenity, and she finds herself letting go of the harshness of the outside world—relaxing just a bit to allow some of this peace inside. She hears soft piano music playing in the background, adding even more sustenance to the already perfect atmosphere. She always thought she needed concrete and steel around her to feel at home. But tonight she learns she was wrong.

  Shane yells at her from the kitchen, disrupting her perfect bubble for a moment. “Dinner will be ready soon,” he says. “I hope you are hungry.”

  “I am,” she lies, taking a sip of her beer. But she will fake her way through the meal for his benefit.

  Once dinner is ready and on the table, Shane calls to her, and she slowly saunters her way back through the glass door into the kitchen. She stops and grins, impressed at what lies before her. Shane had set the table with plates and silverware wrapped in cloth napkins. He even lit the candelabra above the table. She is indeed pleased with his efforts, regardless of how the meal turns out.

  During dinner, they talk about their plans for the New Year, about parts of the world they hope to see before they get too old to do it, and Gabrian even compliments Shane on his fine cooking skills without even having to lie about how the food tastes.

  The night is a delight. Both find that once they got past the inevitable bout of awkwardness, that their voices became meshed, making it easy to talk and laugh—immersed in the pleasure of each other’s company so much that time passes them by more quickly than they had both expected.

  Gabrian catches the movement of the clock hands and glances over at the wall, noticing the hour.

  “Oh no, the time,” she squeaks in a panic. “When does the last boat off the island leave?”

  He laughs at her glancing over at the clock as well. “It is long gone,” he tells her nonchalantly. She looks at him angrily.

  “What?” she exclaims then takes a deep breath, trying to calm her edginess. “Now how am I supposed to get home?” she says out loud, not really directing the question at him. Her eyes find his, and she wrinkles her brow. “This is not part of your plan for the evening, is it? To lure me out here then trap me on this island so I can’t get away from you?” she teases. It is not something she would agree to, but it did have an alluring quality to it.

  Shane’s expression changes, and he stares at her seriously for a second. “Yes, Gabrian. That was exactly my plan.” Gabrian looks at him confused and begins to get a bit concerned with his intentions. He sees her trying to figure things out in her head and watches the wheels start to turn. He bursts out laughing, not able to keep a straight face any longer.

  “Relax, I am not trying to kidnap you or anything.” He snickers, trying to lighten the mood. “My friend has a boat, and he is going to give us a ride back to the mainland.”

  “Oh,” she breathes out, not realizing she had held it. Feeling a bit better, she leans back against her chair, hoping her face does not look as flushed as it feels, embarrassed at her overreaction. Allowing herself to breathe again, she no longer tries to figure out whether she needs to shed her human façade and Vamp out on this guy or not.

  “Besides, everyone saw you with me on the boat today,” he tells her. “So kidnapping you and getting away with it? Probably not an option anymore.” He winks at her as he gets up from the table and begins to clear the dinner plates.

  The phone rings, and Shane quickly answers it. While he is on the phone, Gabrian gets up and clears the rest of the table. He waves his hand at her to leave the mess, but she rolls her eyes at him and places the plates in the sink.

  “That was Manny,” he says, hanging up the phone. “I told him that we were almost ready to go.” He watches for her expression, hoping he has
not rushed the evening to end too soon. “Is that all right with you? I remember you mentioning before that you had an early start tomorrow.”

  Her cheery smile fades, but she forces a mock replica of one to appear in its place and looks away quickly—feeling the heaviness of dread creep over her, not wanting to leave. “Yeah, sure. That is fine,” she says, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

  He leaves the room for a moment to turn down the dampers on the fire, slowing their burn. He returns to help her get her coat on then stops as he stands above her, smelling an arousing scent of cinnamon in her hair. He looks down at her and feels his pulse begin to race just from being close to her. She is unlike any girl he has ever met before—she ignites him. She pulls his attention to its knees, making him want to take in everything she does—cling to every word she says. He wants to kiss her so badly it hurts. He can feel his need for her painfully twist in his chest.

  He gently touches her hair, letting his hand drop slowly until it reaches her face. She looks up at him, and his heart aches again. His breath quickens as the blue of her eyes cuts through all the doubt like the sharpened edge of ice. Any previous hesitations about her are gone. She has drawn him in like a magnet to steel, and unwilling to fight against it any longer, he will succumb to her mystic spell.

  He leans in, lightly touching his lips to hers. Feeling the warmth of her breath intertwine with his, he tastes the sweetness that lingers on her soft lips, not wanting her to leave. But he restrains his desire to devour her. Shane pulls away from her warmth, causing his chest to twist with an excruciating pain.

  Gabrian, still in his trance, has her eyes closed, not wanting to open them—longing for this moment to last just a bit longer. She sighs as he pulls his mouth from hers, still feeling the heat from his skin. His hands embrace her face, gently cupping the lower side of her cheek. She has dreamed of being engrossed in a moment like this all her life, and now that it is real, she never wants it to end.

  Shane draws away from her, taking with him the warmth of his flesh and leaving only the chill in the air to touch against her skin. She opens her eyes to see him looking at her with just as much intensity as she feels. His mouth edges upward into a grin of wanting, but he sighs heavily as he opens the door for them to leave. The boat is waiting.

  They arrive at the dock and waiting for them at the bottom of the float is a more upscale version of the vessel that brought them to the island. It is a beautifully varnished wooden boat with a cabin that looks more like a cocktail lounge than it does a watercraft. A friendly looking fellow awaits them on the starboard side of the vessel. He gives them a wave, and Gabrian notices his brightly-coloured blue hue against the night sky.

  “This is a bit of an upgrade,” she whispers quietly to Shane as they waddle their way down the ramp to the boat.

  “Yeah, just a bit. This beauty belongs to a very wealthy family that summers out here on the island,” he says while she stares down at her footing. “We call them blue bloods out here. It means they come from old money that has been recycled down through the generations.”

  “Oh!” she says, surprised at this.

  “And my friend Manny, here, just happens to be the Captain,” he says, loud enough for the gentleman at the bottom of the ramp to be able to hear. Shane jumps to the bottom then reaches his hand out to greet his friend. Gabrian waits quietly as they exchange playful male banter. Once they have had their fill of taking jabs at each other, they turn their attentions to her.

  “Manny, I would like you to meet Gabrian,” Shane says, holding his hand out in her direction.

  “Nice to meet you, Miss,” he says.

  “Likewise, I am sure,” Gabrian responds as he holds his hand out to help her aboard his craft. They all cozy into the cabin of the boat where the cool night air is yielded. Gabrian takes in the immaculate-looking room with its brass handles shining and its cushioned seats fluffed and spotless. She notices an opening to a lower portion of the boat and walks over to take a peek, curious as to what is below. It is a fully-operational kitchen and sleeping area. How incredible it must be to live like this, Gabrian thinks, no longer paying any attention to Shane or Manny.

  She hears the engine roar to life and begin to rumble.

  “You might want to hold onto something, Miss, or take a seat,” Manny says to her, grinning from ear to ear, his blue aura floating happily around him as he turns off the cabin lights. “Standing can get a little tricky while I pull us away from the dock if you do not have your sea legs yet.” With a flick of a switch there are only small dim lights illuminating through the cabin, making it hard for her to see so she grabs onto what she suspects to be a wooden handle protruding out of the front of the boat as she feels the vessel accelerate backward into the darkness.

  Shane skillfully slides his way over to where she stands, putting his arm around her back, and standing steadily beside her. They both keep watch over the hull of the boat as they venture out into the open strait that lies between them and the mainland.

  “I usually have her tucked away and put to bed this time of year,” Manny says, patting the bow of his vessel. “But it has been so mild this year that I just did not have the heart to do so. Maybe in a couple of weeks, I hear we are in for some bad weather this winter.”

  Shane and Manny engage in conversation as Gabrian rests her chin on her hands, gazing out into the night. She sees the silhouettes of other boats dance against the water from harbor lights coming into view. The tranquility of the darkness surrounds her, and the steady hum of the engine sends her mind into a state of contentment. She replays the evening’s events over in her head, and a smile creeps over her face as she sighs in complete and utter delight.

  They reach Northeast harbor, and the boat slowly glides into the dimly-lit dock. Shane helps her off the boat, and she waves to Manny as they climb the ramp toward the parking lot. Shane reaches down and takes her hand into his, intertwining his large fingers delicately with hers as they walk silently to her car.

  She reaches into her pocket and pushes the unlock button on her keys. “Well, this is me,” Gabrian says, placing her free hand on the roof of the car. She looks down for a second then bravely gazes upward into his eyes. They gleam a beautiful emerald green even in the dim lights of the dusk to dawn lamp above where they stood.

  Shane remains still with her hand in his, quietly taking in her beauty.

  “Thanks for today,” she utters, scratching her forehead, feeling the awkwardness of the silence between them. “And the boat ride and dinner...”

  Shane shakes his head and gathers himself back from his absence, trying to figure out how to end the night with her properly. “Yes, of course. You are welcome. I am just glad that you trusted me enough to drag you off into the middle of the ocean.”

  They both laugh, and Shane looks up at the night sky then glances back down at the boat. “Manny is waiting for me.”

  “Yes, of course. You should go,” she chokes out, turning her eyes away from him and looking down at the exquisite, brown floating taxi rumbling in the water behind them—sad that the night is over for them. She lets go of his hand and awkwardly reaches for the door handle on the car.

  “Listen, this is foolish of me to think,” Shane spits out roughly and stops her from opening the door. “But...I am leaving again for training tomorrow, and I am not sure if I will get a chance to see you again before you leave to go back to New York.”

  “Okay…”

  “What do you think about the idea of having dinner with me if for some reason I might happen to show up in Manhattan sometime?” he asks her, scuffing his feet in the loose gravel—biting his lower lip as he utters the uncertain words.

  Her heart flutters at his evident vulnerability, and her face gives away her immediate approval of his suggestion. “Well, I think maybe, if you just happen to show up in Manhattan then you should give me a call, and we will see if I am available,” she says, realizing how corny she must have sounded. He laughs nerv
ously at her and shakes his head.

  “Okay, fair enough,” he says, softly nodding his head. He glances toward the dock where Manny patiently waits for him. Then with a look of determination, Shane reaches his hand out, softly touching the side of her face. He leans down and presses his lips to hers. He pulls back just for an instant then unable to deny his fire any longer, he kisses her again—hungrily this time, searching for the taste of her mouth.

  Gabrian swoons with his every touch, unable to breathe anymore. She does not want to. His mouth is so sweet and inviting and she can hear the thrum of his heart as it beats faster the more intensely they kiss. With every second of their embrace, her body feels as if it is being set on fire, but the heat of his skin sends shivers through her—a sensation she could get used to.

  Out of breath and now out of time, Shane restrains his hunger for her, softening his touch and gently biting her bottom lip then moves his mouth to press against her forehead, kissing her on the temple one last time before looking to the skies in torment. He quickly turns, taking his leave and runs down the ramp to catch his ride home. He waves as he jumps on board the boat and slowly disappears with Manny into the water and the shroud of night’s darkness. Gabrian finally gets into the car and starts the engine. She dreamily drives home in the dark, staring out into the starry night and searching for her favourite constellation—Orion. Enjoying the remainder of her evening, she drives slowly, not really concerned about how long it takes her to return home.

  Hidden in the blackness of the night, an eerie dark mist rises up from the floor. It twists and writhes around in the shadows that cover the backseat of Gabrian’s car, cloaking its existence. It stops moving and takes form. Gabrian suddenly gets the strange sensation that someone or something is watching her. She checks all around then glances back behind her but sees nothing but her purse sitting in the middle of the backseat. Shaking her head and furrowing her brow, she quickly dismisses the onset of sudden insecurity and returns her attention back to watching the road, continuing her stargazing.