by Raven Steele
He crept to the end of the walkway and peered out just in time to see her disappearing around the corner. She was dressed all in black, including a black mask that covered most of her face except her eyes and mouth. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.
Lucien frowned and followed after her. Was she going back out to join the parties still raging in the streets? It seemed so unlike the girl he had met at the diner, but he realized he didn't know this new Eve at all.
To keep close to her without being seen, he lifted into the air and dematerialized into a gray cloud, blending into the darkness. He kept to the tops of the trees as he followed her through several backyards.
She moved with surety and confidence, her focus resolute, and she wasn't smiling. She seemed determined, almost angry. It made his heart race with worry for this new Eve. Maybe she wasn't as happy as she had claimed.
She turned and took a back road toward the center of town. Lucien stayed incorporeal until they were just a couple of blocks away from the music and the sounds of celebration, then he transformed back to himself.
Eve strolled to the middle of the roadway and walked it as if a runway. She continued this confident saunter until she reached the swarms of people. They greeted her as if she were one of their own. Laughing and talking, she gracefully touched the arms and shoulders of those she passed, feeling their skin with her fingertips. Just glancing at her, one might think she was having a careless, relaxing good time, but her eyes were acutely focused much like the way a hunter scans the forest in search of prey.
A cold chill prickled Lucien’s spine, and he moved through the crowds, a safe distance away, eyeing this new Eve with both fascination and worry. Before she had disappeared from Wildemoor, she had the gift to discern people's intentions. Was she doing that now?
Eve paused by two men who seemed to take a particular interest in her. They each grinded against her, and when she giggled, their groping increased. She stepped away from the crowd. They followed. Where Eve was smiling, they weren't.
From this distance, Lucien couldn't tell if they were supernaturals. He stepped as close as he dare, but she was still moving away with the men close behind.
She dipped into a darker part of the street and disappeared between two buildings. The alley couldn't have been more than six feet across. A vehicle wouldn't have been able to drive into it.
He glanced up, searching for access to a rooftop. It's the only place he could go without being detected. He circled around the building until he was sure he was alone, then he leapt up from the ground into a giant leap. The roof floor was dirty, but in the center someone had taken great care to construct a small green house. He passed by it, his nostrils filling with the smell of basil and cilantro, and peered over the roof's edge.
Eve was down below laughing quietly with the two men. Lucien clutched the roof's ledge, his heart lurching in his chest. Not men, vampires.
One of them snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest. Lucien wanted to jump to the ground and rip him apart. As it was, the brick ledge beneath his grip was being crushed to pieces, but a look in Eve's eye stopped him. She wasn't afraid.
Eve shoved the man away. "I'm going to leave now. Are you going to let me?"
The vampires looked at each other, then back at her. The taller of the two said, "Oh you'll get out of here, all right, but it won't be alive."
She grinned wildly, a look that frightened even Lucien, and said, "I was hoping you'd say that."
A wooden dagger slid from her long, black sleeve and into her hand. She jammed it into the taller one's chest. He convulsed before his body exploded into a whirlwind of dust. The other vampire turned to run, but she stretched out her hand and whispered something under her breath. He froze in his escape, trapped by a magical barrier.
Eve strolled up to him, clicking her tongue. "Your kind is so easily manipulated by the smallest scent of blood. When will vampires learn?"
The vampire tried to respond but couldn't.
She shoved the spike into his heart. His body melted into a pile of fat and gristle at her feet.
Lucien’s mouth fell open. She’d killed an older vampire like it was nothing.
"That's right. They won't learn,” she said.” Not until every last vampire is dead."
She dropped the bloody stake and walked away.
Chapter 9
"This might be more challenging then I thought," Llona said. She leaned against the patio railing of her hotel room, overlooking the finally quiet streets of Rouen. Liam sat in a chair near her, the rising sun at his back.
"Are you sure you still want to do this?" Liam asked. "It was only hours ago that you were ready to let Eve live her life."
Lucien stopped pacing near the sliding glass door and peered out. Parts of him felt numb, and the parts that weren't numb were cold, chilling him to the bone. Eve hated vampires. Didn't just hate them, wanted to kill them. As a vampire and someone who thought he had this amazing relationship with her, he had to know why. "I don't think she's as happy as I thought she was. Let's just figure out a way to get her memory back, find the necklace and finish this."
The finish part worried Lucien. If there had been some part of Eve who had always hated vampires, maybe there wasn't a future for them anymore. He shook his head, refusing to consider it.
Lucien had found Llona and Liam about an hour after leaving Eve. He had made sure she had returned home safely, although it didn't look like she needed any protection at all. He was glad for that at least.
But it was her final words that had scared him the most. She clearly hated vampires. What would she do if she found out his true identity?
"You'll have to keep using magic to hide your vampirism," Liam said. "Can you keep that up?"
"As long as I stay focused." Lucien leaned against the open patio door. He ached to the bone. Being near Eve had drained him. It was like traveling in the desert for years and finally reaching a sweet watering hole at last, but being unable to drink from it.
"So what's the plan then?" Llona asked, sweeping her long hair to one side. "We can't just blurt out the truth. She'll never believe us."
"We need to get her to trust us," he answered.
Liam stretched out his long legs and looked directly at Lucien. "Actually, you need to get her to fall in love with you again, then somehow find a way to combat whatever spell she whammied herself with."
"It's going to take a lot of magic either way," Lucien added. At this point, he felt it's all he had. He loved her, he couldn't deny that, but if she didn't return that love, only magic would be able to bring her back.
"And you," Llona said, eyeing him suspiciously. "I know it must hurt to think that Eve hates vampires but don't take it personally. You have no idea what's going on in that head of hers. Besides, she's not Eve right now. Eve is buried beneath layers of pretend memories. You need to break through those and find her."
He was afraid it might come to that. The spell Eve had used on herself was a powerful one, probably conjured using Genesis. He still had yet to figure out how to access that part of himself, the part Henry insisted existed in everyone.
Llona reached inside the pocket of her jean shorts and removed her cell phone. "I'm meeting Eve, I mean Reina, in a couple of hours for breakfast. Why don't you guys join us?"
Liam rose to his feet. "Good idea. At some point, Llona and I will leave you two alone so you can do whatever you did the first time she fell in love with you."
Do what I did the first time? Eve had fallen in love with him without him even knowing it. He'd asked her once what she had been drawn to. It had taken her a thoughtful minute to answer, and Lucien had been worried she couldn't think of anything, but then she'd said, "It was your courage and selflessness. You faced Alarica when all others ran." He wouldn't have called what he did bravery—more like stupidity—but that's what did it for her.
"I hope it will be that easy," he said to Liam, but Lucien had some serious doubts, especially if
she discovered he was a vampire.
"I'm going to shower," Liam said.
As he walked by Llona, Lucien noticed they each subtly reached out their hands, their fingers brushing in passing. He quickly looked away, embarrassed that he had seen the small, intimate moment.
"I'm going to go get ready too," he said, but before he could get halfway across the room, Llona's phone rang.
Liam stopped and turned around. Lucien did the same. If Llona and Liam were anything like him, then people only called when there was trouble.
"Hey," Llona said into the phone, her hand gripping it tightly.
Lucien focused his hearing, and by Liam's expression he was doing the same.
"We've got a problem." May's voice.
"What is it?"
"There's a lady here from the DSRD insisting that she have access to the school."
Llona's eyes met Liam's. "Does she have a warrant?"
"No, but she has a team of big, tall scary men behind her ready to storm the place. She said it was on the President's orders."
"Do you think they are still looking for the necklace?"
"Probably, but I get the impression they are also after these girls. They asked to see everyone's records, including their medical information."
The air turned cold, chilling even Lucien's skin. Auran blood was supposed to be sacred and powerful. It gave Liam the ability to walk in sunlight. Lucien could only imagine the tests the DHRD would want to perform on those girls.
"They can't do that," Llona said, her voice quiet.
"I don't know what to do, Llona. Dr. Han is talking to them right now while teachers are gathering as much personal information as they can find and storing it in the secret basement rooms, but if they come in ..." May's voice trailed off.
Lucien got the impression that there was simply too much at the school for them to hide. He didn't know a lot about Auras, but there must have been something about them Hansen wanted, in addition to finding the necklace.
Llona was still staring at Liam, a look of desperation in her eyes as she clung to the phone.
"I'll go," Liam said. "You need to stay. Eve's going to need help once her memories return. Plus, if we can find that necklace, maybe we can use it as a bargaining chip to get the DSRD off the Auras backs."
Lucien startled. "We can't give him the necklace! It's dangerous."
"We don't know anything about it yet," Liam said.
"You mean you don't know anything. I've seen its destruction firsthand."
"Llona?" May said through the cell phone.
"Sorry," Llona answered. "We're just discussing what to do."
"Henry is there," Lucien said to Llona. "He can assist."
Llona spoke quickly into the phone. "Talk to Henry.”
"We have. He's already been a huge help."
Llona's lips tightened as if she didn't want to say her next words. Finally she choked them out. "Liam will be there too."
There was a slight pause on May's end. "You sure?"
Liam walked straight to Llona and took her hand. "It's okay."
She smiled, but her eyes were sad. "I am. He can be there in the next—"
"Two hours," Liam answered.
"Thank you, Llona," May said. "I know how difficult this is for you."
She blinked back tears. "Be safe."
"You too."
The line went dead.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Liam said.
Llona threw her arms around him.
Lucien cleared his throat. "I'll be in my room getting ready."
They didn't acknowledge him when he left, which is just as well. He wanted them to have whatever time they needed without interruption. In their world, those small moments were more precious than the air they breathed. Sometimes they were the only thing you could fall back on when tough times came. And they always came. He and Eve used to share that kind of love too. It crushed his heart to think that may not be the case anymore.
Lucien took his time getting ready. Eventually there was a soft knock on his door. He opened the door. Llona stood before him, her eyes red.
"I'm all set," she said.
"You don't have to stay in Rouen," Lucien said. "I can do this on my own."
She turned and walked into the living room and out the door. "We can't take any chances. We need to find that necklace before anyone else is hurt."
He caught up to her, and while they waited for the elevator, he asked, "Can Liam really get back that quickly using his wind ability?"
"He's extremely fast." She stepped into the elevator. When the doors closed, she added, "It probably seemed strange that we acted like that when we had to separate. I know it will only be for a couple of days."
"You don't have to explain."
She kept speaking. "The last time we were apart, I almost died fighting a coven of powerful witches."
He didn't know how to respond beyond: "I'm sorry."
"I thought we could have a normal life, you know?" The elevator doors opened and she stepped out. "But I'm finally realizing that when you make the choice to actively fight against evil, especially in the supernatural world, trouble always finds you."
Lucien knew the truth of her words firsthand. They didn't have normal human problems like dealing with a broken down car or scrambling to pay rent each month. No, they had to deal with murderous witch covens and magical necklaces that possessed the people they loved.
He moved in front of her to open the door leading outside. He waited for her to pass before saying, "Or maybe you're finding the trouble."
She nodded thoughtfully and walked by him. Where she tilted her face up to greet the morning sun, he lowered his and walked close to the buildings to keep to the shade.
His pulse raced the closer they came to their destination. How could he help Eve remember their love for each other? Would it be strong enough to bring her back? He knew he couldn't love her any more than he already did, but as for her, well, she left him then decided to become a vampire hunter. Even if she did get her memories back, who's to say she won't continue to hate vampires?
Llona stopped suddenly. "You need to do your whole non-vampire glamour thing. We're here."
He silently cursed. He should've done this already at the hotel. What if Eve had seen him?
Closing his eyes, he called upon magic, and said the spell he had created earlier. It took just a small moment to complete the process.
"Done," he said.
"Good. Remember to get her talking about the past. Maybe with you around it will trigger something."
She opened the glass door to a small café with shelves of books lining the back wall. A glass counter held all kinds of pastries and fruit. The smell of vanilla and cinnamon filled the air… and something else: lilacs. He raised his head. Eve was sitting at a circular table reading something on her cell phone.
"How's it going?" Llona asked as she walked up to her.
Eve glanced up and smiled, her eyes twinkling. She looked refreshed with her hair in long curls and wearing a yellow summer dress, not at all like someone who had killed two vampires only hours ago.
"I'm good," she said. "How are you guys? Hey, where's Liam?"
"He had a family emergency, but he'll be back before the end of the week, I hope," Llona answered. She pulled up a chair. Lucien did the same.
"I hope it's nothing serious."
"We don't know much now, but I'm sure everything will work out."
Eve glanced at Lucien, her smile dropping a little. "I thought you'd be gone."
His hands twisted together beneath the table. "I rearranged my schedule to make it so I could stay. I apologize for leaving you so suddenly last night. It was very rude of me."
She laughed, a charming sound that melted his insides. "Don't sweat it. It's not like you owe me anything. We barely know each other."
He stared directly into her eyes. "Something I wish to remedy."
She blushed and turned her attention to Llona. "So
you said you were from Coast City. What part?"
"More toward Cold Spring. I'm going to a school up there, Lucent Academy. Have you heard of it?"
"I haven't, but I've only been to that area once. My mother took me to Coast City when I was twelve to see Wicked. It was magical."
A waitress came to their table to take their order. Even though Lucien didn't like the taste of food, he ordered a coffee and a muffin and would make sure he ate every last bite to avoid any suspicion she might have of him.
The two girls continued to talk, sharing stories about their childhood, while they ate their food. Lucien could tell Llona was searching for holes in Eve's past, but Eve had carefully constructed an unbreakable history, right down to the dress she wore at a cousin's wedding six years ago. These questions weren't working. He needed to get her talking about her secret life.
"Since the whole world knows about supernaturals now, you must be familiar with the ones who live in this city," he said. "What's your opinion about vampires?"
Her smile disappeared and her eyes flashed before she blinked, carefully schooling her expression. Lucien didn't think Llona noticed, but he sure did.
"I feel bad for the species, of course," she said. "They seem to have it worse than other supernaturals with all that blood lust, but, if I'm being honest, I wish the President would find some place for them all to live away from the rest of us. They don't belong."
"You can't mean that," Llona said.
"I know it sounds harsh, but I've encountered many and have yet to find one with an ounce of humanity."
"Then you're not meeting the right ones," Lucien said, his voice sharp. "If all you're finding are evil vampires, then you need to start looking somewhere else."
"Have you met a vampire?" she asked, ignoring his curt voice.
"A few. And they are truly good, fighting their blood lust daily." He thought of Henry. "One in particular that I just learned about has been saving human lives for centuries."
"That may be what you heard, but," she inhaled a hitched breath, "vampires murdered my mother."
Lucien leaned back in his seat, startled by her confession. Her feelings toward vampires ran much deeper than he had expected. His head began to pound, and he slumped into the chair.