The jerking motions started to end, and I tried to breathe normally. I felt the wetness in my jeans. Gross. I'd peed my pants. At least it wasn’t something else. I tried to say I wanted to clean up, but all that came out was a moan.
Alec said, "We are almost to help, Dianna."
My left arm could move again. I put my hand over the one that rested on my cheek. I tried to speak, but my tongue wasn’t responding. Fine tremors shook my working arm.
He said, "Shh."
As sharp stabs sizzled through my stomach, I grabbed his shirt front, "Meat." It came out in a guttural groan.
His eyes widened in surprise. "She is asking for food."
A grunt was the only response.
I felt for my bag with the one arm, but it and my hand were not working quite right yet. My bag was still on me. I took out the jerky bag and bit into it, plastic and all.
I spit out the plastic as I chewed. The jerky tasted ashy. I needed something less cooked.
Alec put a hand over the jerky bag. "Stop. That might hurt you more."
"Meat. Heal." I said around the food in my mouth.
His facial expression turned quizzical.
As I ate the jerky, the sensations the electricity caused faded. I tried to sit up, but Alec’s arms were stronger than I expected. I remained in place as he held me to him.
"Careful," he said. His eyes searched mine. "Are you one of the lost?"
Not knowing what that was I shook my head no. The jerky was gone. I felt like throwing up. I couldn't lift myself up because my muscles weren't obeying.
I growled in frustration.
Alec shouted up front, "I think she's worse." He held me tenderly and said, "It will be alright. I'm Alec. That is my brother, Dominick. We will get you to a hospital."
"No!" My voice came out like a shot. "No hospital! Need meat to heal," I said in between breaths. My stomach made loud growling noises as sharp needles jabbed it from the inside. I put my arm over it, trying to quiet the hunger pangs.
There was no response. After a moment, Dominick got off on an exit. Going through the drive-through of one of the local burger chains, he ordered five doubles with water. Dominick passed back the food.
Alec fed me small bites of the meat patties, tossing the buns back into the bag.
Mad at being so weak, I ate them in angry bites.
He stared at me with such intensity it scared me.
I felt the back of my head. It took a moment. The bleeding had stopped, but dried blood caked my hair.
Alec made a spinning gesture with his finger.
I turned my head around.
He hissed. "Damn. Hang on." Alec put me in the seat next to his. He had to lift me because my legs were still on strike. He belted me in and got a towel and water bottle from a duffel bag by his feet. He put water on the towel and handed it over.
Putting the towel on the cut hurt, but the cold of the water helped to ease the ache. "Thanks."
Both arms worked well enough, so I fed myself. I pulled the patties off the buns and kept eating. After the first three burgers were all gone, I noticed that the van had stopped moving. Licking my fingers, I looked between Dominick and Alec.
"What," I said.
"We're here," said Dominick.
"Casa de le Zachar," Alec said.
The idea that I was somewhere I didn't know, outside the city limits, with two strange men sent up red flags. Trust no one. A motto that'd kept me alive.
"Hmm. How about you tell me why we are here?"
"Steak," said Dominick. "Answers."
I felt the anger in his gaze. "Right. Well, Dominick, as tempting an offer as entering a house with two strange men is-"
He cut me off, "We saved your life. You owe us." He exited the vehicle. He opened up the large door next to me and asked, "Can you walk."
I unbuckled my belt and tried to move. I ended up falling out of the van and into Dominick's arms.
He lifted me up, like a child lifting a stray kitten.
"Put me down!"
He put me on the ground, and I almost fell over. Holding onto me with one arm, he said nothing. His face didn't show any signs of amusement.
Alec said, "You are safe here. We just have secrets we don't want prying ears to hear. Our home is warded."
Whatever that meant. I nodded as if I understood.
Alec smiled, "Magic." He grabbed his sheathed blade and the duffel bag. "Come on. Maybe we have answers for each other about the things that go bump in the night."
"Okay." I walked holding onto Dominick. My feet and legs were still not cooperating.
Dominick sighed and picked me up. He held me next to his chest. I could hear his heartbeat. The erratic beat let me know I wasn't the only one affected by our close proximity. As the smell of sandalwood enveloped my senses, I wasn't sure if I'd ever been in worse danger.
Chapter Seven
Their home was outside the city limits, where the urban sprawl hadn’t spread. The estate was a throwback to the days before the middle class existed. The main house had three stories and seemed like an odd mix of a colonial style and a barn. The dark red brick only covered the front, with many windows. Red wooden slats covered the sides, with white trim.
Towards the back of the sprawling property, there was an old carriage house, which had once upon a time held horses and wagons. Another smaller house behind the carriage house was done in the same style as the main structure and seemed even more like a barn.
The main house was done in red brick with Tudor style white wood on it, making it resemble a barn or shed. It had smooth white columns, a mix of true arch windows and Georgian windows, and various sized and styled balconies. The front four columns of the front of the house went up to the bottom of the third floor, providing support for a balcony. The building's design appeared to be a mix-and-match-style.
Had it been built without the help of an architect? Or constructed out of scraps?
The house was three stories, and from the side, it looked like a barn's roof with a steep angle to help keep the snow from piling up on it. It had four chimneys. The landscaping was well maintained with empty containers for flowers come spring.
Maybe it was the brick, the similarities to a barn, but whatever it was it felt like a home.
A partial brick and wrought iron fence attached to a larger security fence lining the perimeter. It lined the circle of trees and bushes of the arced driveway. At some point, a concrete path had been poured from the circular drive to the once carriage house, now garage, where we were.
Various dormant trees and some old pine trees, all dusted with snow, filled the property up to the fences. The scant layer of snow was still too small to hide the bricks that made walls for flowerbeds around the sides of the trees.
As Dominick carried me, he didn’t smile. This close his eyes looked darker, almost black instead of brown. His eyelashes were on the longer side of normal. His jawline had some stubble.
"I'm Detective Zachar. Do you know who those men were?"
His voice jerked me out of fantasizing. I was glad their property had very little in the way of outdoor illumination as I felt the blush on my cheeks.
He asked me, "How are you doing this to me?" His voice was soft out here, with none of the city noise to compete with it. Dark eyes stared at my lips.
My gaze drifted to his mouth. I wanted to know what it would feel like on mine. I looked up and met his eyes.
His dark eyes held a knowing look.
My mouth felt dry as I met his intense gaze.
His eyes drifted down and lingered on my lips, before raising again. He breathed deeply and lowered his head towards mine. The smell of sandalwood was rich and inviting.
I bit my lip, enjoy the feel of his strong arms and broad shoulders. I tilted my head back as he bent over. His full bronze lips begged for kisses.
Alec's cheerful voice broke the mood, "It is open!" He stood by the open front doors, waving to us.
I slightly jumpe
d, and Dominick tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. He straightened up. "Stay still, or I'll drop you."
"Put me down. My legs are better now."
He didn't respond or slow his stride but walked briskly towards the open door.
Dominick put me down next to the open door. He put me down with efficiency but not hard. His arms stayed around me as I tested my balance. After a moment of trying to stand on my own, he was satisfied I wouldn't fall and let me go.
I said, “I’m okay now.”
Alec made the game show gesture of waving at a prize. "Mi casa es su casa."
I almost smiled. Instead, I nodded slightly.
So the police had a man with special abilities. Since we were at his home and not the station, money had the police as unaware of monsters.
Dominick entered before I could. His body brushed mine, pressing the side of my breast.
Alec’s smile turned to a puzzled expression. Then he shrugged. Alec's face stayed friendly as we went inside. He seemed cheerful compared to when we’d first met.
My stomach chose that moment to gurgle loudly.
"Where else are you injured?" Alec's voice was concerned.
"It's healing. Do you have any food?"
Dominick turned his head away snorting.
Alec said, "Hmm. I'll make you a special dish while you wash up."
The entryway of their home was impressive with a whitish marble tiled floor and columns in the open space. Well off to the huge foyers side were a few benches and a worn, muddy rug with a wire shoe rack on it. There were a lot of unopened cardboard moving boxes scattered and stacked all over. And for such a large space, it was pretty sparse on the furniture aspect. Everything that was unpacked looked old or ancient.
There was a tattered medieval shield on a wall; a type of kite shield with checkered black and red in four sections. In the center remained the damaged image of a sword with an angel's wing on its right side. Although the shield had once been lined in gold, it was covered with dents and chips.
I wondered aloud, "Huh, so is it real? Or is it a replica from some movie or book series?"
Alec shook his head.
Dominick said, "That is the coat of arms our ancestor on the shield. She carried it into battle for the church."
"A female holy warrior? Wouldn't that be Joan?"
Dominick shook his head, "No. There are many things the church has sealed from public history. Our ancestor was one of those things." His eyes lit with pride while he touched the battered piece of metal.
"Hmm." I'd been raised by a catholic turned protestant. I knew some of the saints and their stories. But I also knew even more about zealotry. It was what had turned my Grandfather away from the church.
When the church had protected a local priest over the children he had harmed, my Grandfather had split ties. Even at the cost of losing lifelong friends. If these two were zealots, I needed to leave quickly.
You can't talk to someone who refuses to listen, Grandfather Erik always said.
"But really, we mainly come from the same things most people in the states do." Alec stepped next to me after taking off his boots and putting them on the rack. "Farmers. Peasants. Our great grandfather told us stories we all thought were fairy tales. Of our brave a many times great grandmother, and how she defeated fiends from another land."
Dominick was taking his boots off while standing. Taking a moment to admire the way his rear filled out his pants, I tried to focus. Turning back to Alec, I tried to concentrate on what he talked about. Fairytales.
"So you had a grandmother who was a knight that defeated a monster?" I tried to keep the doubt out of my voice.
Alec looked at the shield with pride, "Yes. She was the first of our line to do so."
"Your line?” A legacy? “So can everyone in your family see the monsters?"
Alec brushed his blue streaked hair out of his face and said, "Well, that part is where everything gets complicated."
I took off my boots and put them on the wire rack. The soles were toast with burned holes. I took off my singed socks since they had started to fall apart. I inhaled sharply as I stood up as pain lanced through my head. The wound on my skull opened and bled again. I held the rag to it.
"So, not everyone in your family can see the others? Monsters? Fiends? Whatever name you call them?" I asked.
Dominick came up next to Alec and nodded. He said, "We see things as they are. Those were not just stories. Nor just warnings about poorly supervised children. No, they were history. The history of a group of fighters, which fought evil beings in the name of God. Not every fairytale is history, but the ones told to us were."
My eyebrows rose upwards. I asked, "So is there somewhere I can clean up?"
Dominick shook his head and said, "Alec will help you.” He looked me up and down before turning away dismissively. He said, "I have work."
Alec led me through a house that was pretty but only halfway unpacked. His body was tall and lithe, but strong. He obviously worked out and moved like a professional ballet or modern dancer.
Their muscles often looked lean until they used them in a complicated series of movements. Then suddenly, you realized, they had barely any fat and were all controlled power.
He led me upstairs to his room. The room was the size of my entryway, eating area, and living room combined. Blue and cream wallpaper covered the walls. It had a huge metal four poster bed with a string of lights on it. A set of twin closets to one side nearest the door. The room had an armoire and low chest of drawers. Everywhere else was bookshelves filled with books, computer and electronic equipment, parts, and boxes.
The bedroom had a full bathroom off of it. After putting some of his clothes on the bed and getting me towels, Alec went downstairs to cook.
Looking at the shower, I debated. I was in a home outside the city with two strange men. Could I take a shower? Looking at my reflection, I saw the gore all over me. Bits of the alley clung to me, and it wasn't just blood. I said, "Fuck it."
I turned on the shower and stripped. I rinsed out my now stained bra and undies and put them on a towel on the towel rack to dry. I hoped they’d dry some before I had to wear them again. Hopping in I used the lavender shampoo and tried to stop the howl of pain as the soap covered the cuts. As I washed my long hair and clumps of things fell off it.
I got out and used the towels to dry my body and hair. But my hair was a tangled mess, with dark tendrils sticking together. So much had happened. Out there a vile darkness hunted. It was inescapable.
Inexplicably, it was linked to me. My breathing started to increase while the shadows in the small bathroom seemed to breathe. There was a knock on the door.
“Foods almost ready,” said Alec’s voice.
“I’ll be down soon,” I replied.
I quickly put on the damp underwear and borrowed clothes. My hair remained on the wet side, but I didn’t want to ask for a blow drier. I hurried downstairs.
The kitchen was to the right as you came down. It had been remodeled, but the cabinets looked hand carved with many details. They were a dark brown, with shining white countertops. The floor was done in slate tiles. It had an island that matched the design of the other cabinets but done in a slightly off-white. The island had white shiny stone countertop that had an insert spot with a large removable butcher board. The sink was copper and looked custom. The appliances matched the cabinetry and looking like a picture out of an interior designer magazine.
I asked, "When did you guys get in town?"
He looked around, "Really obvious we moved recently, huh?"
Alec opened the fridge and pulled out some tofu and veggies. He grabbed a cutting board and started preparing something. It looked inedible from lack of meat.
I still had the bag from the take out. I peeled off the meat from the last of it and ate while I listened.
"Well, we just moved in. We've lived in Fort Augustine for almost three years now."
Alec’s hands mo
ved deftly as he prepared something I'm sure a vegetarian would drool over, but had me doubting if I could choke it down. He and Dominick greatly resembled each other, but Alec's features were a delicate version of Dominick’s.
Alec's hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows were black versus darkest brown like his brother's. His nose was slightly longer, but thinner overall. His lips were just a bit fuller, and more defined in shape. His face had the same strong jawline but seemed more delicate. Everything about him appeared softer. Not weak, just not as brutal.
"We used to live in a pretty shady part of town, over by Western," he said as he deftly chopped vegetables.
I nodded. Gangs infested Western Avenue.
"This was a nice change. Dominick got worried about me. Too many gangs fighting for too small a territory." He ate some of the veggies, to test for taste. He added some salt and pepper.
I refrained from pointing out that salt and pepper were not able to fill the role of meat.
"What about you?" I asked.
Only a stack of discarded buns remained inside the greasy crumpled bag. No meat. Sighing, I gave up and grabbed a carrot to munch on. At least the crisp crack sound it made was somewhat satisfying. I sat on a wooden bar stool.
Alec pointed to a cabinet door behind me and said, "Garbage is over there."
I tossed the bag and washed off my greasy hands in the sink. Wiping them off with a paper towel, I sat down. The pounding in my head faded. My legs finally felt normal. Still hurting, but taking my weight easily.
Curiosity was driving me wild. "When or how did you get your speed and Dominick his strength? Do you heal faster than normal? Does the red take you? What do the monsters look like to you and your brother?"
Alec stopped mid-chop on some large mushrooms and said, "Wow. We were born this way. We don’t heal, but there are some in the Order who do. The red?” He scratched his chin. “You have to elaborate on that. The monsters appear as bug or fish people. The tainted have three slashes over their right eye.”
“The tainted?”
“We have answers and questions for you too," Alec said.
I nodded but bit my lip.
Dead Wrong Page 5