Risorgimento: Rebirth

by Maya Daniels

  Fear is useless, April. Stop it and think! Internally screaming at myself helps calm me a little.

  The closer I get to the door, the louder the voices become. Pressing both my palms to the cool wood, I lean in and plaster my ear and face on it. Whoever is talking, although louder, it seems like they are not too close to this door. That helps my brain to stop freaking out.

  “…and he decided to investigate out of the goodness of his heart?” I’ll recognize Marcus anywhere with his deep, rumbling voice.

  “I don’t like this.” Andrei’s musical, lilting words calm me down even more.

  “We don’t have to like it. We knew this was bound to happen.” The baritone of the one they call Sire resonates like a drumbeat in my chest, even from this much distance. My hands tremble, regardless that they are firmly pressed on the wooden door. “I didn’t expect things to move this fast, but we adjust and keep with the plan. We just need to be more cautious. Nothing changes.”

  “Niklas saw her! Everything changes.” Marcus’s outburst makes me jump a foot off the floor.

  “Calm down,” the Sire guy says so softly I can barely hear him. What I listen to, however, is the clear threat in his voice. Sweat trickles down my back. “Nothing changes. He saw a human that he thinks is my feeder. That is all.”

  “What did he do to her?” Andrei stops any further comments from Marcus. I press my ear harder to the door. “Her reaction was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

  “He did nothing,” Sire says, and even I can hear that he is not telling them everything. “She was in shock, trembling while I was carrying her here. Being open like that left her subconscious in charge of her surroundings. If my research and findings are correct, she reacted in recognition of the one that took part in her curse to be reborn over and over again with no one the wiser. Her spirit reacted in recognition to one of her killers.”

  “It was quite a violent reaction.” I can barely hear Andrei’s words.

  “That does not matter. We have the girl now. None of them will get anywhere near to be able to hurt her again. Marcus, we need to know everything that’s been happening in the Council towers. Talk to your contacts, find out who went in and out. Even gossip. I need to know every word spoken.”

  “On it.” Thumping footsteps are followed by the opening and closing of a door.

  “I think I should try talking to her,” Sire says, and my heart lodges in my throat.

  “She was out cold when I left her in the bedroom. Maybe it’s better if she rests a bit before we start telling her everything. I have a feeling she will need that rest.” Andrei sounds like he is pleading for my life.

  That is enough to make me swivel my head around in search of anything I can use to protect myself. Nothing I see looks like a weapon. The blood rushing through my head and the heartbeat thundering in my ears are not helping. After the third time my gaze sweeps past the heavy drapes, I do a double take. Rushing to them, I grab both sides in my fists and yank them apart. Blinking lights of the city greet me, and excitement finally pushes through the panic. I’m getting the hell out of here.

  My hand slides from the latch of the window twice because of the nervous sweat covering it before I manage to pull it off. Wrapping my fingers around the edge, I wrench the window open half way. That might not be much for some, but it’s enough that I can squeeze through it. Fresh air blasts my face, smelling of concrete, metal, and freedom. Sounds of cars passing and horns blaring are like music to my ears. It’s not creepy silent anymore. Sticking my head out, I almost stumble back and fall on my ass. I never knew I was scared of heights, but the dizziness that hits me when looking down at the tiny specs passing on the street suggests otherwise. Taking a deep breath and summoning as much courage as I can muster, I stick my head out again.

  This time I don’t look down straight away. First, I look straight ahead at the building across the street. I have no idea what kind of a building it is, my fear making everything appear blurry. The air ruffles the short hairs around my face, and I breathe the city in. You can do this. My mind encourages me, and slowly, I peer down the window. Ignoring the street below, I eye the narrow ledge circling the building. There is no railing or fire escape here. No. Just a foot-wide brick ledge that screams of death. Images of me falling through the air and hitting the street, my head splitting open and all bones breaking, flash through my mind, but I push them away. In the background, I can still hear the voices, I still have time to escape. Instead of thinking about dying, I think of Sara and Eddie. They need my help. I must try for them.

  The voices in the background go quiet, and I panic. Grabbing the drapes, I pull them closed behind me and scramble to push my body out the window. Gripping the windowsill with white knuckles, I flail my legs around until the tip of my boot scrapes the brick ledge. Gingerly pressing my body as close to the building as I can, I finally manage to have both feet on the ridge. With that taken care off, I grab the window and pull as hard as I can. It closes easier than it opened, and my fingers get crushed. Biting my tongue hard so I don’t scream, tears trickle down my face from the pain. Unable to pull them out, I push my shoulder on the glass, opening it enough that I can remove my now-purple fingers. Ignoring the pain, I pull it back as best I can a moment before the door opens on the inside.

  My heart stops for a second before trying to beat out of my chest.

  “Andrei!” the angry roar through the glass propels me into moving.

  With shaking, numb, purple fingers, I grip the red bricks of the hotel, inching away from the window. I don’t manage to get even a foot away from it. The drapes are ripped open, and for a long, frozen moment, I lock gazes with my death. His hand reaches up, grabbing and yanking the window open. My eyes widen when my fingers slip from the bricks, and his expression matches mine a second before gravity pulls me and I drop like a rock.

  A high-pitch scream echoes in the night before my arm is almost wrenched out of the socket and I dangle like a Christmas ornament from the window of the hotel. Another pain filled scream follows when my body is yanked to a stop in the air. Strong, calloused fingers are wrapped like a vice around my wrist while I flail uselessly around.

  "Stop moving." The Sire guy glares at me, hanging waist down through the window.

  "Fuck you!" I spit at him, flailing even harder, fighting his grip like a woman possessed.

  The asshole laughs.

  He laughs!

  Screaming bloody murder, I redouble my efforts to shake loose his grip. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm well aware that if I do succeed in making him let go, I'll plummet to my death. At the front of my mind, however, all I want to do is spite him. Even if that means I will die. Another head pops out through the window, looking down at me.

  "I'll be damned, she's not mute." Andrei is grinning like a loon.

  "Fuck you, too!"

  "And feisty, too." Andrei looks at the Sire guy, his grin stretching impossibly wide.

  The asshole doesn't smile. He keeps glaring at me like it's my fault they dragged me up here to kill me. Go figure. I keep twisting and turning, doing my best to get him to let go of me. Glancing down is a bad idea that makes my stomach lurch painfully to my throat. I gag but keep wiggling. A chuckle stops my movement, and I look up. The asshole is looking at me now, amusement dancing and twinkling in his dark, ancient eyes. He is even more mesmerizing when he smiles. My mouth drops open and I stare at him, hypnotized. They should make a law that says he will die if he stops smiling. It's sinful and enchanting at the same time.

  His smile slowly disappears, and the look he is giving me changes. The intensity of his gaze does stupid things to my insides snapping me out of whatever thrall I was under. Andrei whistles, apparently surprised by something, but I ignore him. I have no idea what comes over me. Something dark and strong, most probably insane, takes over, and I feel my lips moving.

  "If you don't let go of me now, I will kill you."

  "I know."

  That is so not the ans
wer I was expecting. I think after that word vomit, the monster will laugh in my face, or even drop me to show me that my words were useless. I'm more shocked at my own audacity then at his reaction, that I stay unmoving while he pulls me up and inside the room. When my boots sink into the plush carpet, I blink. Bracing myself for whatever kind of death awaits me, I squeeze my eyes shut.

  "She still doesn't believe we are not planning to kill her." Andrei's words make me open one eye.

  "Do you blame her?" Sire guy sighs, leaning his butt on the edge of the open window.

  Now with both eyes open, I look from one to the other. What kind of twisted game are these monsters playing with me? Are they hoping to scare me enough so I die from a heart attack because they can't drink my blood? I have no idea, and nothing makes sense.

  "No, Sebastian, I can't say I do." Before Andrei is done talking, I'm already on the other side of the room with the massive bed between them and me. The blood drains from my face.

  "Ah." Sebastian—aka Sire asshole—chuckles. "I see you've heard of me." His gaze travels from my head to as much as he can see of me because of the bed, then comes up again. "I should feel honored."

  "I would disagree." That's all I manage through numb lips.

  This guy is the monster the rest of them fear. Well according to what I've heard, anyway. I'm here, in this room, with nowhere to run, and he is here standing all relaxed and shit in front of me. I wonder why. Maybe because he can kill you before you even know it, April. You idiot! my mind screams at me.

  "You have nothing to fear from me." His entire focus is on me. I tremble involuntarily. "What is your name?"

  My mouth dries up like the Sahara Desert. Trying to swallow and talk at the same time is a bad idea because I choke on my own thick tongue. A coughing fit makes me double over, tears streaming down my face while I'm fighting to suck in air. A sizeable warm palm pets my beck gently, and a glass of water is thrust in front of my face. Grabbing it with both hands, I gulp it down greedily, coughing and spitting the entire time. The hand never stops petting my back. Gradually, I get myself under control. I feel like I've swallowed a flaming sword. Every breath burns my throat.

  "April." Croaking out, I gulp down the remaining few drops of water.

  "April…" My name on Sebastian's lips is like icy fingers creepily crawling up my spine. It's him petting my back gently.

  "More water?" Andrei's question gets me to look up.

  The concern is twisting his angelic face, and I almost laugh. This is so insane that I think I'm still sleeping in the sewer and having a nightmare. He is still looking at me expectantly, so I nod. As if happy to be able to do something, he gives me a small smile and darts out of the room, leaving me alone with the bogeyman of all monsters. The one that's still petting my back gently like a mother would do to a sick child. Or so I think. It's been so long that I don't think I even remember what that felt like.

  "What's going on here?" My voice cracks, but I push on. I don't care how pathetic I sound. "Why am I here? And why haven't you killed me yet?"

  "I have no intention of killing you, April," Sebastian murmurs, his breath softly tickling the skin of my neck. How the hell did I end up this close to him? "Nor will I allow anyone to hurt you in any way. I know you don't believe me, but you will. Soon you will believe everything, I promise."

  "I can tell you now that that's never going to happen."

  "Au contraire, my dear. I assure you that you will see things in a very different way."

  The tip of his nose touches my skin, his mouth with those vicious fangs the size of my pinky too close for comfort to my neck. That reminds me of my stench, and I try to shrink away from him. I'm not sure if these monsters can read minds, but he definitely read mine.

  "You should go and have a shower." When those hurtful words are spoken, I yank my body away from him, but he doesn't let go. Pulling me back, we face each other, the tips of our noses almost touching. "It doesn't bother me. It was smart to hide your scent. It kept you hidden and alive. That is no longer necessary. Now, I will protect you. Besides…" Pulling back a little, my stomach does a somersault from his penetrating gaze. "Nothing can hide the alluring scent of you from me." I gulp air, but he keeps me prisoner with his eyes. "Nothing."

  He had his wish come true.

  I finally believe his words.

  He will never let me go.

  Sebastian

  It’s difficult to see her face from all the dirt and grime that is smudged around it from her tears. Still, those eyes reach out all the way to the center of my chest. I would hate to have to compel her; I need her willing, not fighting me every step we take. Whatever I was expecting when I found her, it wasn’t this.

  The girl barely looks human…even for a human. Dressed in clothes two sizes too big, she shouldn’t look intriguing, yet, she does. Malnourished, her hair unbrushed for years, still can’t cover her high cheekbones, large expressive eyes, or thick pillowed lips. Nor can any humanity cover the fire that I saw in her gaze when she spat at me while hanging from the building, eleven floors up, at my mercy. I’m sure she would’ve bitten me if I was close enough. That thought makes me smile.

  Her eyes narrow to slits, and my smile only grows. Andrei called her feisty. Feisty doesn’t even cover half of what she is. She is a fighter, and she’s perfect. Something of my thoughts must’ve shown on my face because she kicks out so suddenly that I don’t have time to move out of the way. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for her, she hits my thigh. She was aiming for my groin, but thankfully, it was not meant to be. Her jaw clenches, no doubt from pain, while I feel her boot barely graze my skin. Her body trembles in rage when there is no reaction from me. I let her save some of her dignity. Twisting my mouth as if in pain, I shake my leg to stretch out the muscles. The smile blooming on her tear-streaked face is well worth the effort.

  “Will you go in the shower on your own, or should I get in there with you to make sure you obey?” My words are not received as well as I hoped.

  “I don’t need your shower or anything else from you, asshole.” Her nails claw at my arms in hopes that I will release her. “You’ll just have to kill me like this, while I’m stinking up your nice apartment.”

  “You keep forgetting that it doesn’t bother me. I thought since you are a woman, you’d appreciate it. You don’t have to hide anymore. Ever.”

  I can feel Andrei lurking outside the door to the bedroom. Smart male, letting me handle this on my own. From the moment I had her in my arms, I find it more difficult by the second to have others around her. Luckily for all of us, when Niklas was here, my logical brain overpowered my instincts. I’m not sure how long that will be the case. The feeling grows stronger the longer I keep my hands on her. With that thought, I set her gently down on her feet and release her reluctantly.

  “What I will appreciate more is being free. I don’t suppose that offer is on the table.”

  “What you don’t understand, girl, is that you will finally be free.”

  “What does that even mean?” screeching in my face, she finally makes me flinch. “You do understand how fucked up this whole situation is, right? What do you want from me? Either kill me or let me go. Stop messing with my mind.” A sob bursts from her lips. “I can’t do this. I won’t play your games.”

  “I’ll make you a deal…”

  “No!”

  “You don’t even know what I was going to offer.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at her.

  Stubborn little thing.

  “Unless you were offering for me to walk out that door, the answer is no.” Lifting her chin defiantly, she stares down her nose at me. It’s quite a talent, I decide. “The answer will always be no to everything else.”

  “Even if in the end you know exactly why you are here? Why I’ve been searching for you?” Curiosity glitters in her gaze, but she shakes it off.

  “You don’t even know me, dude. Whoever it is you’ve been looking for, I’m sorry to burst your bubbl
e. It’s not me.” Mimicking me, she crosses her thin arms over her chest.

  My lips twitch, and she glares at me. It’s an intense glare. I cannot fight the urge. The smile I’m trying to suppress crinkles the corners of my eyes. Her own narrow at that and I throw my head back laughing for the first time in decades. The door opens slightly, and it’s Andrei’s shocked face peering through it. His mouth is slightly open while he stares at me. I can’t blame him. Ignoring the male, I look at the woman in front of me.

  “Let us decide if that is true after I’m done telling you a story.” When she says nothing, I sigh profoundly, rubbing the back of my neck. “Andrei can stay in the room too if it makes you feel better. No one will touch you or get near you. You have my word.”

  “All I have to do is hear your story, and you’ll let me go?”

  “Ah, no. You have to take a shower. While you are doing that, I’ll tell you my story. Then you will eat.” Her stomach rumbles loudly, and whatever she is about to say is left behind her thinly pressed lips. “After that, we will see what you think.”

  “You really are insane if you think I’m going to take my clothes off with not just one, but two monsters in this room.”

  “If any of us wanted to hurt you, in any way, it would’ve been done by now many times over. We are not animals.” She angers me, implying that we will act like we’ve never seen a woman before. Who does this little girl think she is dealing with?

  “I’ll have to disagree, big guy. Your kind is worse than animals. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” Her hand lifts up, her fingers trailing over a scar I didn’t notice until now.

  Someone has attacked her, and by the looks of it, almost chewed off half of her neck. Rage makes me see red, and I’m in front of her before she can blink. April tries to move away, but I hold her firmly, inspecting the puckered skin. Andrei is looking over my shoulder, a growl vibrating from his chest.