by Iris Abbott
****
Tara wasn’t satisfied with the silence. She struggled to process what was happening. Uppermost on her mind was the fact that she finally felt whole for the first time in her life. Even with her twin she always felt like something was missing, a part of her soul. She was pretty sure she’d finally found her other half. Ironic really, that the yin to her yang was a vampire.
As elated as she was to finally make such a deep revelation, she needed answers. Lucian, the head guardian, told them the basics but she needed a more detailed explanation. Now that she had time to catch her breath and rest she was going to get some answers. She sat up, pulled the sheet across her breasts, and held it in place with her arms.
“So, I know you’re a vampire.” She twisted her fingers together. “I know about Drew and wolf shifters, Brianna, Brittany, and witches, and the guardians, but I don’t know what else is out there if anything. I also don’t know how vampires and all the other beings came to exist.” And she wanted to know all there was to know about Raphael and his history. “What else is out there. and how come my sisters and I had no idea about the existence of other paranormal beings?”
Raphael chuckled at her questions. “Life is never going to be boring with you, is it?”
“Well, you are a vampire, and I’m a vampire hunter, so I’d have to say no.” It sounded like he was considering a future with her. Warmth and happiness washed over her.
“Boring is so overrated. Fate knew what it was doing when it caused our paths to cross.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “I’ve been alive for more than four hundred years. At twenty-four, you’re just a baby in terms of the universe. You’ve got so much to learn.”
“I couldn’t think of a better person to teach me all I need to know, especially when it comes to the paranormal universe.”
“I’ll gladly be your guide, starting now.” He shifted his body. “It’s a long story. We should get comfortable.” He sat up and leaned back against the headboard. Then he motioned for Tara to sit in his lap.
She gladly complied and nestled her body against Raphael’s. The solid muscles of his body made her feel warm, safe and treasured. She let out a contented sigh when he wrapped his arms around her waist and settled a chaste kiss on the side of her neck. She half expected to feel the sting and scorching pleasure of his bite, and she was a tad disappointed when instead, he began to talk.
“Enigma is aptly named. The town has always been a haven for the paranormal, supernatural, and mythical. Some pass through on their way to other places and some like me have decided to settle here and make it home.”
“So, how long have you lived here?” Enigma was a quaint New England town, and of all the places she’d ever visited, it was right at the top of her list of favorites. It also didn’t hurt that Zoe would be making her home there too.
“I’ve lived here off and on for almost two centuries. I also have a residence in New Orleans.”
She arched her brows. New Orleans was where they first met. She was on the trail of one of the Puppet Master’s creatures. She thought she was being followed, slipped into a busy nightclub, and ended up dancing with a tall, dark, and handsome stranger, who turned out to be Raphael.
“So that’s your town too, and our meeting was just a coincidence?”
“Hardly. As Lucian mentioned at the Halloween party before it was crashed, the council knew about you and your sisters. He asked me to keep an eye on you while you were in my town, so I did.”
“Oh.” She was a little disappointed by his confession.
He kissed the side of her neck and scraped his teeth over the sensitive flesh, causing her to shiver, but he didn’t bite. “But I was drawn to you as soon as I laid eyes on you. I would have followed you, and we would have had that dance regardless, don’t ever doubt it.”
Tara smiled. “As much as I tried to fight the attraction between us, I couldn’t do it. They’re too strong.”
“I didn’t try to fight them,” he admitted. “I knew the attraction was stronger than anything I’ve ever encountered in all my centuries of existence, and I’m not one to fight a battle doomed to end in defeat.”
“This is all so strange to me. I’ve spent the last ten years since my parents were murdered, hating and hunting vampires. Then I met you and everything changed, for the better,” she quickly added.
She sighed. “I just find it hard to believe vampires and other beings have escaped detection by humans for as long as they have. I mean my sisters and I only know because it’s the family business handed down from generation to generation. We’re humans, but we were taught to hide our purpose from others for fear of being labeled unstable or crazy.”
“For good reason,” he said. “Just as you keep your hunter ancestry and the natural born ability to spot the evil that resides in some beings a secret, so do other paranormal beings. It’s a survival strategy born over the centuries by the mass persecution of those who are perceived as different and feared for those differences.”
“The Salem witch trials,” Tara whispered so low that a normal human would have never heard her.
The arms wrapped around her waist tightened. “Yes just like the Salem witch trials,” he agreed. “It was a horrible time in the history of all paranormal creatures.”
She covered his hands with hers and squeezed. “I’m glad my ancestry didn’t scare you away. Not that I doubt your preternatural speed, agility, and strength,” she added, “because your power and strength would be obvious to anyone.”
Tara felt him shrug his shoulders. “A vampire’s preternatural senses are strong enough to detect the differences in everyone he meets, and like you, we can distinguish between good and evil. That’s how I knew you were not a threat to me despite you being a hunter. The same can be said for shifters and guardians as well.”
Tara whipped around, her long hair hitting Raphael in the face as she did so. “Speaking of shifters and guardians, what else is out there I need to know about?”
“There are several shifters in Enigma, not just wolves and cats.”
“Cats?” she croaked. “Like tigers and lions?”
“No, like domestic house cats,” he said with a grin. “The guardians were created by ancient Egyptian gods to keep other paranormal beings in check. They needed to blend in with humans, so the gods made them in the image of man and the idolized housecat.”
Tara’s mouth dropped open. “Unbelievable.” She started to laugh. “Does Kara know? As stubborn as she is when it comes to the guardian, I think there might be something between her and Alexander.”
“I don’t know what your sister does or doesn’t know about guardians, but it’s definitely possible that something is brewing between them. There is a legendary magnetism that seems to draw guardians and witches together.”
“We’re not witches,” she corrected out of habit more than conviction.
“Your ancestors were,” he reminded her.
Tara laughed out loud. “I love my twin, I really do, but this is Karma. I hope that guardians are just as stubborn as vampires.”
“I prefer to think of myself as persistent, but yes, guardians are stubborn by nature. It might as well be in their DNA. It’s how they were designed. After all, they are the beings charged with keeping balance in the universe and chasing down rogue beings.”
“So in the overall scheme of things, guardians are very important.”
“Yes, Enigma was founded by guardians. This paranormal haven wouldn’t exist without their forethought and vigilance.”
“Do guardians ever go bad,” she worriedly asked.
“No, it’s never happened, ever.”
That was one less thing for her to worry about. She sucked on her bottom lip. “I guess we got off topic, there’s just so much to learn, and I want to know it all,” she excitedly announced. “So any other shifters I need to know about?”
“Raptor shifters.”
“What?” Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open. �
��Like the birds of prey?”
“Yes, falcons, hawks, eagles. Craig Aquila is an eagle shifter who works for the Enigma Police Department. He’s the go-between for the council and local law enforcement.”
“I bet that comes in handy when deranged human puppets are terrorizing the neighborhood.”
“Indeed it does, some things would be hard to explain otherwise.” He frowned. “Some of the most famous unsolved serial killer cases were actually rogue paranormal beings that were eventually stopped by guardians.”
Tara clenched her hands into fists and frowned. “Like the Puppet Master?” She shivered all over. “What else should I know about?”
“There are mermen who originally came from the ocean surrounding Enigma. Now they spend most of their time in human form and away from the ocean. They all have extravagant backyard pools, however.” He chuckled. “You wouldn’t want to sneak up on one of them. You might get a face full of water courtesy of a slapping tail. Greek gods of myth have also been known to visit Enigma on occasion. Athena, the Greek Goddess of warfare and strategy, especially likes to visit Enigma but none of them have been around lately. Several dropped in on the Halloween party a few years back. That party was one for the books. Brittany, Julie, and Selena met their soul mates then.”
Tara could relate, but she didn’t dare admit it, not yet. She turned the conversation back to paranormal beings. “Greek gods and goddesses? Next, you’ll be telling me Santa Claus is real.”
“Of course he is. Last time I saw him, he was with Athena at the before-mentioned party. He sought out her help to fulfill a child’s Christmas wish. The child, his mom, and step-dad are residents of Enigma now. The mom is a flight nurse and the step-dad a pilot. They work for the local hospital.”
“Fascinating.” She couldn’t wait to share all of this information with her twin. Having Christmas spirit and knowing Santa really exists are two different things. “What was the boy’s Christmas wish? Do you know?”
“He wanted a father. He got one, and the town got a top-notch helicopter pilot for the hospital. A win-win for everyone involved.”
Tara felt her mouth drop. She really shouldn’t be surprised by anything now that she knew vampires weren’t the only mythical creatures who existed, but Santa Claus, wow! “I had no idea.” Tara couldn’t hide her astonishment. She would never look at Christmas the same way ever again.
She turned around and straddled Raphael’s lap with her legs. She wanted to be facing him for the next part of the conversation. It was time to get down to the nitty-gritty. “Tell me about vampires. Where did you come from? I learned enough to know you're born not created, but how is that possible?”
****
Raphael’s lips twitched into a smile. He loved that Tara was so curious especially about him and the legend of his ancestors. He knew the story well, but he’d never related it to anyone before. It was taboo for paranormal beings to discuss their true identity with any human. There were a few exceptions. Tara was one of those exceptions, the most important. He knew after they danced together in New Orleans that she was the only one for him, the other half of his soul. His heart was now irrevocably bound to hers. Tara needed to know the legend so that she knew what she faced, hopefully for several centuries to come.
****
Tara watched as Raphael got a faraway look in his eyes and then they glazed over completely. She sensed he gathered his thoughts and words. She snuggled closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. When he began to speak, Tara looked up and focused on him.
Longing and an indescribable need for Raphael ran soul deep. She didn’t think love at first sight existed until tonight. She hadn’t believed in a lot of things before now! The very foundation of her beliefs was being challenged. It was both scary and exhilarating.
“Way back in time almost at the beginning of civilization in Mesopotamia, there was a wealthy old man who had gone through three wives and was still denied a much-wanted son. The man knew he was nearing the end of his time and he desperately wanted an heir. Against his latest wife’s wishes, he bargained with one of the lesser gods. The god was generally thought of as evil, but the old man was desperate. The god who sometimes took the form of a combination of canine and bird of prey was hungry for power and wanted to rise among the gods.”
Tara shivered. Raphael absently stroked her hair. She leaned into the comforting gesture. “Go on,” she encouraged. “What kind of deal did they make and what happened?”
“The god wanted at least ten blood sacrifices made in his honor. One for each month of pregnancy and then one after the child was born. The old man agreed. He made his first sacrifice the next day and another one exactly one month later. His wife began to show signs of pregnancy and the old man continued with the sacrifices.”
“But something went wrong,” Tara guessed.
“Of course. The old man died with two months of pregnancy and three promised sacrifices left. The wife, who had never wanted her husband to bargain with the evil god, refused to continue the sacrifices.”
Her scalp prickled, and there was a quiver in her stomach. Tara sucked in a breath and slowly released it. Even though a feeling of dread pressed into her, she still had to know what happened. She intently listened to his continued words.
“Two months later she gave birth to three small and sickly male children. The God who often took the shape of a winged canine visited her bedside and told her that she had given birth to three males that would always remind her of her folly. Since he was denied his blood sacrifices, she gave birth to one child who would need the blood of others to survive. The other two males were made in the evil God's likeness. One could shift into a wolf at will, while the other could take the shape of the fiercest bird in the region, a falcon.” He paused, and Tara closed her eyes as she tried to process his words.
Tara’s startled gasp filled the air of the bedchamber. She looked up at Raphael in time to catch the twisted grimace that crossed his face. She caressed his cheek with a soft and loving hand, silently encouraging him to continue.
“The midwife noticed the strange looking fur and feathers of the second and third born children. Fearing that a dark evil was at work and that the children would be a curse to every human in the vicinity she left them outside to the elements.” He shrugged. “Obviously they survived because wolf and raptor shifters still walk among us today.” He cleared his throat and continued.
“Meanwhile the first baby grew two fangs before it was a week old, and the mother now a widow and fearful for the life of her only child allowed the baby to nurse blood from her instead of milk. She prayed for his well-being and asked for mercy from the greater gods. The baby grew stronger every day as it continued to be fed blood.” Raphael offered Tara a small smile. “The intake of fresh blood fought disease and sickness, and the baby grew into a healthy child, teen, and then young adult. Somewhere around thirty, however, he stopped aging.”
She continued to stare at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, and he kept talking. “The legend goes that the intake of fresh blood, thanks to a blessing by the greater gods, continually healed his body from damage, including aging. Therefore, as long as he continued to drink fresh blood without catastrophic injury and severe loss of blood he could live forever.” He paused.
Tara was fascinated by the legend, but she sensed there was more. “What happened next?” She wanted to know everything.
“The original vampire eventually found a wife. He shared his blood and its healing powers with her, and she was able to live as long as he did. They lived for many centuries and had almost twenty children. All but three of those children were males. The gods the mother prayed to were not able to completely lift the curse of the evil god. Therefore, all male descendants from the original vampire are born with fangs and the need to feed on human blood to survive. Those children went forth all over the Earth, found mates, and the vampire population began to grow.”
“Why are vampires mostly active at night?” Tar
a asked.
“The earliest vampires did most of their hunting at night so that they could hide and keep their true nature a secret. Eventually, over the centuries vampires developed an allergy to sunlight. Severe burns including those from the sun do too much damage too quickly for our blood to heal the body.”
“Thus the need for fifty SPF, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and dark sunglasses,” she said.
“That’s right. If I continue to share blood with you, which I will since we’re a couple, you will be susceptible to sunlight as well. It won’t kill you, but you’ll need to watch your exposure. Always wear sunglasses when you’re outside during daylight hours and wear a stronger SPF than what you’re used to,” he warned. He looked Tara straight in the eyes baring his deepest secret.
“The only way a vampire can die is a catastrophic injury that causes them to bleed out including severe trauma directly to the heart and decapitation or a severe burn over a large area of his body.”
She was surprised but pleased he trusted her enough to share such personal and vital information with her. “Wow,” Tara breathed in deep and then slowly let the air out of her lungs. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “So vampires and animal shifters are related in the cosmic scheme of things. That means you and Drew are kind of like distant cousins.”
Raphael nodded his agreement. “That’s one way to look at it, but it would be very distant,” he laughed.
“Where were you born? Something about you reminds me of Italy.”
He gave her an approving nod and a big smile. “The oldest of the original vampire’s sons traveled the world and eventually settled in what is now Italy. I was born there during the early seventeenth century. Alessandro, the vampire who hosted the Halloween party, was born about a decade before me in the same region. We’ve known each other for centuries.”
Tara sucked in her bottom lip and nipped at it. She needed clarification on something. “And with all these blood exchanges there’s no chance I’ll transform into a vampire?”
