Dark

by Erika Phillips

  He rocked back and forth inside her; his stride quickened with speed as he came closer to his release. With one final thrust, he relieved himself as waves of euphoria coursed throughout her body. Both of them shuddered as they each found their passion fulfilled.

  Christian rolled over off of Jazmine and lay next to her. Jazmine couldn’t believe what she just felt. Thane had been the only one to ignite such longing in her and she had never expected anyone to fulfill her as he did. Now, she had, by some chance, found Christian. How was any of this possible? She always believed that Thane was her soulmate, but now her world was thrown upside down. The only issue was his being a warlock. Thane had taught her to despise them and all they stood for. But Jazmine could not deny their chemistry and after tonight she was not willing to lose this feeling a second time.

  Somehow fate had stepped in and given her a second chance and she was going to do whatever it took to make it last. Jazmine turned her head to gaze at Christian. His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but tonight was not the night. She could sense he was not ready to tell her everything he knew. He was hiding something from her, something important. She could not put finger on it, but she knew something bigger than the two of them was happening here.

  Chapter Six

  Jazmine fell asleep next to Christian, their bodies entwined. When she awoke the next evening, he was already gone. She reached out to touch him, to make sure he was real and this was not all a dream. Her hand touched the cold bare spot where his body had been; a sense of sadness overcame her when she realized he had left her bed with no word.

  Jazmine shook her melancholy away, she was not going to dwell on it. She needed to stay focused on the task at hand and that was to kill Luciana. Jazmine walked to the closet still naked from the night before and pulled out a light blue sweater and a pair of faded blue jeans. She put her hair up in a high ponytail and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and scrub her face.

  Once she was done getting ready, she went to knock on Christian’s door, but then decided against it. Instead, she strolled out of the room and went to explore her new home. Jazmine walked for what felt like ages. She could not tell if she was walking in circles or if she actually was going somewhere. After a few more turns, she came upon a room filled with books. She figured this must be the library.

  Jazmine sauntered over to one of the shelves and browsed through the row. Many of the books had faded titles, making it difficult to know the content. As she continued to search through the shelves, she came across a book on vampire history. She was about to glance through it when she heard a male clear his voice from across the room. “Find something interesting?” Christian stood there, his face stoic, his body relaxed.

  Jazmine smiled back, “Not sure?” she replied and took her hand off the book. She continued to watch Christian; her mind flashed back to last night. Christian smiled, reading her thoughts.

  “I rather enjoyed our evening, too,” he grinned wide, sauntering over towards her.

  Jazmine could feel herself instinctually backup as he approached. She was not frightened of him but did not trust herself around him. The pure primal energy she felt scared her. He made her want to bare her soul to him and she could not do that, not yet. Christian continued to advance on her, backing her up against the wall like a caged rabbit.

  He placed his arm out against the wall and leaned in. He was so close she could feel his breath on her neck as he bent in and kissed the small indent between her neck and collarbone. The touch of his lips made her knees buckle, about to give way. Jazmine braced her back up against the wall willing her legs to stay standing.

  Christian smiled seductively and backed a few inches away. “So, are you ready to begin?”

  Jazmine nodded, “Yes.”

  Christian walked back over to sit at the table in the room. He motioned for her to follow him. Jazmine obeyed and sat down in the chair across the table from him. “So, let’s begin with mind-reading,” he started.

  “But, I already know how to do that,” she interjected.

  “Not you reading others’ minds, but blocking someone else from reading yours,” he continued. “You seem to do this sometimes and other times, when your emotions are high, you’re an open book.”

  Jazmine knew he was right. Celeste had worked on this with her many times. She had come along way, but she needed her thoughts to be impassable by others. If she let Luciana in she was done for. Jazmine took a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay, how do we begin?” she asked.

  “First, I want you to think of a time in your life where you were most vulnerable. Then, I want you to try and keep me from seeing what you see in your mind.” Christian sat still and watched as Jazmine focused on a memory from her childhood before the change.

  Jazmine focused on the image and then imagined a brick wall forming all around it. The memory was painful, she hated to even think back to that time. She despised how weak she was back then. She never wanted to remember that girl again. Jazmine concentrated intently on creating the wall, placing up brick after brick.

  She was making progress and then she felt someone push on the bricks. At first, it was a small nudge, she was not even sure it happened. Then she noticed the mortar around one of the bricks chip away. The brick slowly pushed towards her damaging the middle section of the wall. Jazmine concentrated harder but it was no use. Christian was breaking through and he was about to see it all. Jazmine, desperate not to let him know Cecelia, wrapped a blanket around the memory. It was no use, he was too strong.

  Jazmine gave up and Christian charged in seeing everything. She felt more naked then she did last night. She was stripped raw and vulnerable. Christian stopped and she could see the look of pity on his face.

  "I don't need your pity," she spat out. "Save it for someone else." Jazmine jumped up from her seat about to fly out of the room. Christian was faster, he instinctively knew her next move and grabbed her wrist and yanked her hard into his chest. Her head fell against the taut muscles, she could hear his heart pound. All his emotions came pouring out and consumed her. As she channeled him, she cried, but the tears were not from her own emotions. They were the tears that he wanted to release from the pain he felt for her. He felt an uncontrollable urge to protect her and vowed to himself never to let anyone hurt her again.

  Jazmine pulled herself back from him. Christian spoke, “Please, tell me everything. I want to know your story and I don’t want to spy in your head to learn the truth.” Christian still held her in his arms. Jazmine was not sure what to do. She wanted to tell him, but she was scared. What if he rejected her for her cowardness?

  Jazmine inhaled and decided to tell him. Christian stood motionless; his face showed nothing as she started to speak.

  “I think it is best we sit down before I start.” They walked over to a couch, Christian on one end and Jazmine on the other. “Well, I guess I need to start at the beginning, which is when I was fifteen. I grew up in New Orleans, the year was 1918. My parents were poor, my father was an abusive drunk. My mother wasn’t very smart and let him do whatever he wanted. She eventually gave up her will to live and died when I was seventeen.

  “I was the oldest of six siblings. When my mom passed away it became my responsibility to take care of them. At seventeen, I started working in a factory and that’s where I met Bobby. He was older and I thought he was so handsome. And I couldn’t believe it, but he was interested in me. I was stupid enough to think that he would one day take me away from my life. I was young and naïve, and he made me so many promises,” Jazmine watched Christian as she talked. His showed no expression, his face like marbled stone.

  "He was the first man I ever slept with and it was horrible. He cared more about his own pleasure than mine. But I believed he was my ticket out. Yet, I couldn’t leave, who else was going to take care of my siblings?

  “Around that time, it became illegal to drink. So, Bobby got into bootlegging to make money. He started
out in an underground nightclub and he would bring me along. He said I was ‘good for business’-- men liked to look at me and I could talk them into purchasing his liquor.

  “Well, that lasted only so long. One night, a man offered Bobby double if he let him sleep with me. I was so embarrassed and upset that he’d even say that to Bobby, but Bobby didn’t say anything to defend me. Instead, he told him he wanted the money up front. Before I could say anything, the two shook on it and Bobby grabbed me by the arm and walked me up to the man’s room.

  “I cried and screamed, but no one came as he raped me repeatedly that night. After, I just lay there numb. That was when it all turned--Bobby saw me as a meal ticket. So, he started to sell me to his customers. By then, I’d nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Bobby would give me a cut of the money and I desperately needed it to take care of my siblings,” Jazmine could feel the tears burning behind her eyes as the images of those nights came flooding back.

  “So, I decided to at least be a part of the deals he made. I would haggle the price, never selling myself cheap. Sometimes Bobby would come in and watch. It was like he was living some sick fantasy. He’d sit there and rub himself, jerking off as another man fucked me. It disgusted me to see him, the look in his eyes as he watched. Then one night, a female customer approached him. I told him no way. I wasn’t into chicks or at least back then I wasn’t.

  “But he didn’t care, she had offered him a staggering sum of money. I’d no idea how to get out of it. So, I walked up the stairs to her apartment in the club she owned and there she was laying naked on the bed. I had the money in my hand and planned to give it back to her, but something about her was hypnotic. It was like she was controlling my mind.

  “Before I knew what was happening, I was on the bed naked as she fondled my breasts and kissed my stomach. I felt almost drunk. I remember Bobby walking in and sitting down to watch. As I lay on the bed, my body responded to her touch, wanting more. She looked up and saw Bobby watching us. Then she got up and walked over to him as he held his dick in his hand. She kneeled on the floor in front of him. The next thing I remember is looking back at him, blood gushing from his neck. Then, he lay limp in the chair, dead. Before I could move, she was back on top of me. I could see the blood dripping from her mouth. I tried to scream, but nothing came out.

  “When I came to, I was still in bed. I could feel the blood draining from my body, my life slipping away. I placed my hand to my neck and felt the warm stickiness of my blood slip between my fingers. At that moment, I grew calm. I was okay with dying. I was actually happy to be done with this world.

  "Then, I looked over and saw her sitting on a chair next to the bed. She smiled at me like she had a secret to share. She said her name was Violet, and she asked me if I wanted her to save my life. I expected the word no to come out of my mouth, but instead, I heard myself say yes. I never understood why I said that word. She smiled and took her nail and sliced her skin open just above her breast. She leaned over and placed the cut over my mouth.

  “I could feel the blood drip onto my lips. I licked them, savoring the sweet taste. All I can remember was the need to have more, I craved it. I pulled her down closer to my mouth and I sucked. Her blood mixed with mine, coursing through my veins. Everything became clearer. I could hear the faintest noise, smells were richer, my eyesight so much sharper. She eventually pulled away from me.

  “That was the last thing I remember of being human. When I awoke she was gone. It would be years later before I’d see her again. But that is a story for a different time,” Jazmine finished, spent from the emotion that she had suppressed for so long.

  Christian sat still, saying nothing. But she could see everything in his eyes. He was allowing her in and she no longer saw pity in his eyes. Instead, she saw the strength he saw in her and love; not just sexual, but something more. “I think our lesson is over for today,” Christian stated, and he took her hand in his and led her out of the room.

  Chapter Seven

  When they reached her room, he opened the door and escorted her in. Her emotions were raw from all she had disclosed. Christian led her to the bed and sat her down. Jazmine was not sure what was happening, all she wanted was to stop the pain in her heart. She needed to forget the memory she had just shared. She wanted Christian to take her and make her feel something else.

  Christian must have felt the same, she speculated. He continued to stare into her eyes and took off his shirt. "I'll never let you feel that pain again. I'll do everything in my power to protect you. No one will ever hurt you again," he told her and then kissed her softly on the lips. Jazmine knew that what he said was the truth. He would risk heaven and hell for her.

  “I need you to make me forget,” she gasped as he continued to assault her mouth with his. Christian smiled at her and grabbed her hand in his. He picked up her hand and looked at her sharp fingernail, placing it against his chest. With one swift movement, he made a slice on his skin. Jazmine watched as the blood trickled down his chest.

  “I want you to drink,” he demanded of her. Jazmine sat there confused, unsure of what was happening. “Drink and you’ll know my story,” he repeated to her.

  Jazmine delicately placed her lips on the cut. She was intrigued and turned on. She wanted to know who this man was. She had borne her soul to him and now he was offering his to her. She did not hesitate and immediately suckled on the blood that spilled from his chest.

  The moment she drank, images invaded her mind and she saw everything. She was transported back in time, into his memories. She could see that he had lived a long time ago. It was somewhere in the late 1600s. He was a young boy, only ten or twelve. She saw him with his mother and could feel the love he had for her. He adored her and protected her from others in the village. Then, Jazmine saw an image of his mom being dragged away, the townspeople all around her cheering, "Witch, witch!"

  Jazmine saw him standing in the crowd, watching as the people placed her on a pyre, wood piled at the base. He tried to run to her, to stop them, but someone was holding him back. A man dressed in all black with a cape around his neck. He cried for her and screamed for them to stop. But no could hear his screams as he was pulled away. The fire was lit underneath her feet. She saw his mother being burned alive while the man took Christian far away.

  Jazmine could feel his pain, it became her pain. She tried to run from the memory. She did not want to see anymore, it was too much, but he would not let her leave his mind. He continued to show her more. She wept as she watched him scream at the man to take him back. Tears streamed down Jazmine's cheeks as the memory faded.

  She lay on the bed; her heart was broken for this boy. When she opened her eyes, she saw Christian looking at her intently. "You see, you have to learn how to hide the hurt, or your enemies will use it to destroy you. That's the last time you'll cry over your past or mine. You'll learn how to show someone only what you want them to see," Christian informed her his voice rough.

  He placed a single kiss on her lips and then he got up from the bed and exited the room. Jazmine did not move, still paralyzed by the vision. She did not know what to think. She knew he had shown her a part of him that no one would ever see again. Jazmine closed her eyes, the image still fresh, and fell asleep thoroughly exhausted.

  ********

  When Jazmine awoke several hours later, her head throbbed. She felt tired, her sleep disturbed by the images that ran through her mind all night. She was not sure what time it was, but she was hungry and needed to feed. She was about to go get something when she saw a glass on the table. She walked over and saw that someone had anticipated her needs and had supplied her with nourishment.

  Jazmine took a long sip and savored the sweet, salty flavor. The taste reminded her of Christian and for a second, she wondered if he had given her his blood. She looked over at the door that separated their rooms. She wanted to go over and knock, but she didn’t.

  Her thought was interrupted by a knock at her door. “Come in,” she
called out. The door creaked open and Shane stepped inside.

  “I wanted to check on you and see how your first day went?” he asked, glancing around the room.

  Jazmine was not sure how to respond. In her eyes, it had been a complete failure and she was not sure that she could really defeat Luciana anymore. She smiled at him, “Well, I think Christian is a great teacher.” Jazmine was not sure what else to say so she stood silent for a long moment, hoping he would take the hint to leave.

  “Well, I’m glad to hear it. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” he stated and then abruptly exited the room when Jazmine offered no more information.

  Jazmine nodded. She started to wonder if coming here had been a mistake. She was not sure how she could help them like they believed she would. She was not special in any way and she did not understand why they treated her as if she were. She knew she needed to learn as much as she could and then she needed to leave.

  Jazmine was afraid that if she stayed too long, she would lose herself and that frightened her. She would not allow whatever was happening with Christian to deter her from her path. She needed to learn how to control her desire for him, even though her body craved his.

  Jazmine decided that she needed to find a way to focus only on her lessons and somehow limit the amount of time they spent together when she was not learning. She finished her drink and walked over to the door and brusquely knocked. There was no answer. She put her hand on the knob and turned it. It was unlocked. Interesting, she thought. Jazmine opened the door a crack and peeked in. She was half expecting Christian to be standing right there but he was not. She timidly stepped into the room, acutely aware that she was an intruder in his space.