«Is everything okay?» he asked.
«Yes,» Ruby said quickly. Almost too quick. The truth was, she wasn't really sure if she was okay or not. «I'm sorry. I was rambling too much. I don't think I told you my name.»
«You didn't,» he said and smiled.
«I'm Ruby,» she replied, «Ruby Blackwell. And you are?»
There she goes again saying something she hadn't said in years. Her last name always left a sour taste in her mouth. And it reminded her that she was indeed the younger sister to Kai Blackwell. They were the last of the Blackwell name. The last Blackwell hunters. She felt her skin crawl as soon as the words slipped through her lips.
«Joshua,» he replied, «I'm sorry to have interrupted your run. And for prying into your past. Let me make it up to you. Let me buy you a drink tonight.»
«Tonight?» Ruby repeated.
«You don't work, do you?» he asked, «or was that too forward of me?»
«No, no,» Ruby replied, «I'm not working tonight. That was a bit forward. And you know what. I've been having a pretty crappy week so far. So why not.»
Joshua smiled and told her he would meet her at the gate to Central Park. As he walked away, Ruby was left wondering just what happened. She never said yes to anything, especially to drinks with a total stranger. Even though he was extremely handsome, something gnawed at her to proceed with caution.
6
«Shut up!»
Joshua paced the floor, mind buzzing with thoughts. Why did he ask her out for drinks? It wasn't like he didn't know who she was. Thanks to her for confirming that. Stopping in mid-stride, Joshua let out a breath. To think that small child he had saved all those years ago, had grown up to such a beautiful young woman. Her skin was smooth with no imperfections he could see. Though it was slightly more pale than other humans, which might have been because of him. His blood did flow through her, so it was a matter of time until something in her changed.
Even the softness in her gaze held him in a daze. All thoughts had vanished from his mind. In a split second, her silver eyes had trapped him. Most of the time, Joshua could see into a person's soul the moment he held their gaze. However, with Ruby, there was something blocking him. He thought it was because he had already known what happened in her past. Regardless, he still should have seen something. Shaking his head, he tried to think past it.
There was something there between them. He could feel it's faint pull on him. Now, maybe it was because his blood flowed through her veins that he felt such a strong pull toward her. Or maybe it was something else. No matter what it was, Joshua wanted to get close to her.
As Joshua searched through his clothes for something suitable to wear, his mind shot back to the night with the hunter. That sweet metallic smell had lingered in the air longer than he wanted, not to mention he had been standing over two dead bodies. The arrogance the hunter displayed irritated him. And that underlining smell, it bothered him still. No matter what, Joshua couldn't think of that right now. Although, there must have been a reason why the hunter was there in the first place.
Bringing his focus back to his clothes, Joshua let out a sigh. Everything he owned was name brand, and far too eccentric for an evening of drinks. However, he needed something. Looking to one of his black dress shirts that had 'Louis Vuitton Paris' over it, he deiced on that with a pair of skinny black jeans. It wasn't flashy, but it also looked as though it was a normal thing to wear.
Now the only thing for him to do was wait. With a little under two hours left until he would meet her, Joshua couldn't shake the thoughts of those girls laying in the alley. Quickly changing, he decided to do a little digging. With any luck, he might find something left behind from that other Vampire.
The streets were full of people, all pushing and shoving people as they tried to get past one another. Joshua hated crowded streets, and he hated how people were so concerned with themselves that they couldn't be bothered with what was around them. Weaving through the crowds, he came up to the alleyway.
As he entered, he noticed a figure moving in front of him. Covering himself in the shadows, Joshua watched as the figure crouched down and examined the wall where the girls had been. He carefully traced his fingers along the wall cursing quietly to himself. Joshua saw no badge on him and nothing indicating what he was. That was until he moved. Something in his pocket glistened in the light blinding Joshua for a moment.
A sudden feeling of nausea rushed over him. Gripping the wall beside him, Joshua let out a breath. Looking back to the person, he tried to find the object that blinded him. There, hidden in his back pocket was a small dagger with a silver hilt. That would explain the nauseating feeling he was experiencing.
Joshua wondered if it was the same hunter as the night before. Leaning back in the shadows, Joshua waited for the hunter to finish and leave. With time passing by quickly, Joshua hoped that he would finish up soon. Luckily for him, the hunter turned shortly after and left. As he passed by, Joshua made a mental image of the man, his caramel hair, rough facial features, and strong stride, he made sure to remember them well.
After a few seconds of waiting, Joshua emerged from the shadows and headed toward the end of the alley. There wasn't much there to examine — no blood on the walls or the ground. There wasn't much of anything. Unless the hunter had taken it already. Crouching down, Joshua took a closer look. Only to find his hunch was right. There really was nothing left there. Whoever that Vampire was, had more than likely come back to clean up his mess.
«Damn it,» Joshua said.
Vampires had remained hidden from the world since the incident with the Blackwells. After that accident, Hunters from all parts of the world began hunting vampires in search of the rogue vampire who attacked them. Thus, they decided to go into hiding and only went out when they absolutely had to. Looking to the sky, Joshua let out a sigh. So why did this vampire risk it? What was his goal?
Getting back to his feet, Joshua wandered back out into the street. It had gotten late, and he only had an hour left until he had to meet with Ruby. However, his mind was elsewhere piecing together a puzzle that was missing most of its pieces. He began to wonder how well this night would go if his mind hung onto the puzzle.
Even though he no longer had a heart, he felt it ache within his chest. He felt caught off guard when the sharp pain erupted. He hadn't felt like that in centuries. Clenching his chest, he took a few breaths. There was no reason for him to be feeling like this. And yet the thought of leaving Ruby waiting at the park pained him. Why? Pushing forward, he headed for the park.
«I can't believe you're blowing me off for a guy you just met,» Nikky whined.
Nikky sat crossed-legged at the corner of Ruby's bed, watching as Ruby tossed clothes to the floor. Ruby had gone through her entire dresser and had moved to her closet, looking for something suitable to wear for her night out. Ruby knew she didn't have that many 'cute' and 'girly' outfits. But surely she thought she had something other than jeans and a T-shirt.
«If you're just going to sit there and whine,» Ruby began, «you can leave.»
«Hell no,» Nikky teased, «as if I'm going to leave and have you go to your date wearing jeans. You're going to be wearing something so cute. You'll stop his heart.»
Ruby chuckled, it was nice seeing Nikky so pumped about her night out. However, she wouldn't call it a date. Truth be told, Ruby wasn't entirely sure why she even said yes to him. It was like her voice spoke before her mind thought of rejecting him. And somewhere deep in her heart, she felt a tiny bit excited. It had been a while since she had gone out for drinks with anyone besides Nikky or Reid.
«Tell me again,» Nikky said, «who is it that you're ditching me for? There had to be a special reason you said yes to him.»
«His name is Joshua,» Ruby sighed, «he's...well, he's handsome for one thing. And he's not loud like you are.»
«Very funny,» Nikky replied flatly, «listen, you've got nothing in your closet. Let me whip home and get you something ni
ce, okay.»
Before Ruby could reject her offer, Nikky had already jumped off the bed and darted out the door, claiming she wouldn't be too long. The silence filled the room after Nikky left, leaving Ruby alone with her thoughts. She still couldn't wrap her head around why she said yes so quickly. Sure, Joshua was handsome. But he was a complete stranger to her. Or was he? He had felt strangely familiar to her. She just couldn't figure out why.
Crossing the floor to her bed, Ruby sat at the edge and placed her arms behind her. Leaning back, she let the silence engulf her. Though she hated the silence, once in a while, it was nice to recollect herself.
You killed them.
Sitting up quickly, Ruby looked around her room. There was no one there except for her. Yet that voice sounded so close and so loud. Her heart began to hammer in her chest, and her breathing fell in short breaths. It was nothing. There was no voice. There was only her in her room. She repeated those words in her mind hoping to calm herself down.
You burned them alive.
«Shut up!» Ruby shouted.
The voice wasn't real. There was no one else in the house. There was only her. Placing her hands over her ears, she tried to conceal the voice. Feeling her heart beating ferociously in her ears, Ruby tried to concentrate on that. Her chest felt tight and her breathing became short and rapid. She panicked and raced to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on her face, she let out a few deep breaths.
«You're okay,» Ruby whispered to herself, «there's no one here but you.»
As she focused on her reflection, she noticed something strange. Her skin began to grow pale, and her eyes became clouded in black with the iris glowing a magnificent scarlet color. It smiled at her as it mouthed the words 'it's all your fault they're gone'. Tripping to the ground, Ruby let out a scream.
«RUBY!»
In the distance, she heard footsteps racing up the stairs. Two sets. Two people. She heard her bedroom door open, and the footsteps grew closer to her. She wanted to cry out for help, but her voice was trapped within her throat. Fear had gripped it as she heard her reflection repeat those words. Her body trembled against the side of the tub.
«She's in here,» Nikky called and ran to Ruby's side.
Feeling Nikky's warm touch on her arm snapped Ruby out of whatever nightmare she was having. Looking to her friend, Ruby wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly.
«It's okay,» Nikky said softly, «I'm here.»
«What happened?» Kai barked.
«What the hell is he doing here,» Ruby demanded as she moved away from Nikky.
«I ran into him on my way back,» Nikky explained, «he was going to come and see you... When we opened the door, we heard you scream. Are you okay?»
«Yeah. I think I saw a rat or something.» Ruby lied.
It was better than Nikky didn't know much else about her nightmares. At least until she could figure them out herself. However, out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Kai's disapproving look. He knew she was lying, and she hoped he wouldn't call her out for it. Instead, he let out a breath, turned and headed downstairs.
«I brought you this,» Nikky said, trying to ease the tension out of the air.
Looking at what Nikky was holding, she was shocked to see something so white. Ruby wasn't one to wear white. Her closet and dresser were living proof of that. Everything she owned was black or navy. But seeing her friend bright smile, Ruby shared a soft smile and took the bag from her.
When Nikky left the room for her to change, Ruby took a few minutes to collect herself. What she had seen was just a figment of her imagination. Something her mind had concocted from the nerves she was feeling. Or was it? Slowly she approached the mirror. She studied herself for a few seconds waiting to see if it would change again. When it didn't, she let out a breath and changed.
«Nikky,» Ruby called, «are you sure this is okay?»
Ruby emerged from the bathroom wearing a short blue marble skirt that fell to her thighs and a white tank top. Ruby had never been one for skirts or dresses. So as she stood there waiting for Nikky to say something, she felt a little embarrassed.
«Holy shit,» Nikky said, «damn, girl.»
«Isn't this a little much?» Ruby asked.
«No,» Nikky replied, «you want to make a good first impression. Besides, you haven't been with anyone since... well, since I don't know when. I want you to go out and have a good time, okay. Just don't do anything I would do, okay.»
«Okay,» Ruby sighed.
After Nikky fixed her hair, Ruby walked down the stairs to find Kai sulking in the kitchen. His sour face looked at her with a disapproving stare. Ruby felt her irritation rose to the point she wanted to do something or say something to him. However, as she looked at the outfit she wore, she decided he wasn't worth it — this time.
«You shouldn't be going out like that,» Kai sneered.
«Screw you,» Ruby barked, «I can do whatever the hell I like.»
«Ruby,» Kai warned as he grabbed her arm tightly, «be cautious who you spend your time with.»
Ripping her arm out of his grip, Ruby glared at him before walking out the door. Her anger boiled in her as she walked down the street. How dare he say that? Letting out a groan in frustration, Ruby stopped a few blocks away from her house. As if she wasn't going to be careful around Joshua. Her heart fluttered at the thought of his name. Joshua wasn't like most of the guys in New York, that was for sure.
He was grateful when he walked, and his sultry voice left goosebumps whenever he spoke. He was on a whole other level compared to the others. And that air of mystery around him, probably made him more desirable from most of the women he's been with. Shaking her head, Ruby tried not to think of the past.
As she rounded the corner toward Central Park, she saw him. His hair made him stick out like a sore thumb. She waited for a few seconds, as she looked him over once more before she crossed the street to meet him. He looked out of place, standing there waiting. But seeing how dressed up he was, she felt a little relieved to see she wasn't the only one trying to make a statement. Smiling to herself, she made sure to remember the way he looked right now.
«Joshua!» she called as she approached him.
7
«What are you looking for?»
«Joshua!» Ruby called.
Hearing her soft voice call to him, Joshua turned to see a young girl walk toward him, waving while she did. Had it not have been for her mulberry hair, He would have mistaken her for someone else. He eyed her carefully, making sure that she was really standing there dressed like that.
«Sorry,» she started, «I may have overdressed. To be fair, this outfit is my friend. She let me borrow it for tonight. I'm not one to wear this kind of outfit. Sorry, I'm rambling.»
Joshua smiled. She was nervous; he could tell by the way her heart was beating. It was hard to believe that, only hours ago, he had seen her wearing leggings and a tank top, with sweat dripping down her forehead. And no, she stood before him wearing a skirt and tank top. Her hair hung down past her shoulders in waves.
«It's alright,' He said softly, «no need to apologize.»
He wanted to make sure she would be comfortable around him. He anticipated her every move and tried to keep himself from causing her to fear him. What little innocence she still had within her, he wanted to keep it safe for as long as he could.
«Shall we?» he asked.
«Let's,» Ruby replied.
They walked slowly down the road. With each step, he could hear her heart skip a beat. At a glance, he could see her whisper something to herself. Smiling to himself, Joshua thought it would be best not to draw attention to her awkwardness. Continuing on their way, Joshua led her down a few streets hoping that they would make it before the place filled.
After Dark Bar & Lounge was a high-class lounge, where people would sit, drink, and talk. It was usually packed with high-class businessmen and women. Joshua had overheard a conversation about after leaving Ruby earlier in the afternoo
n. Having scoped it out after hearing about it and after seeing how 'trendy' and 'comfortable' it looked, he had instantly decided that was where he would take her.
As they rounded the corner and came up to the bar, Joshua knew Ruby must have known about given her shocked expression. As he studied her, he wondered if maybe it was a bad decision bringing her there.
«Are you sure?» she asked, «I hear this place is pricy.»
«We can go somewhere else if you'd like?» he asked.
He felt a little disappointed asking her that. He wasn't sure why. After all, they were only going out for drinks; they didn't need to go to the most extravagant place. However, when he had gone there earlier, he had felt excited to see her under the dim lights. Shaking his head, he looked back at her, hoping that she didn't notice anything. Confirming she hadn't, he let out a breath. He didn't quite understand why he suddenly felt like that or why he had a sudden sense of nervousness wash over him. Perhaps, he was only picking up what she was feeling.
«No,» Ruby said, «I've always wanted to go here.»
Taking her hand in his, he felt a sudden spark. Looking at her, he saw her wide eyes. She had felt it too. He apologized quickly, saying that it must have been from the satin shirt he was wearing. She smiled at him, and he felt it again. A warm feeling where his heart would be beating like crazy. He led her inside and asked the host for a table on the roof. There was one thing Joshua had remembered from the conversation, and that was the rooftop of After Dark was one of the best in the city.
Dark World Page 5
