by Pepper Pace
“I don’t either.” Julie said. “It must be a warding spell to keep humans away.”
“Magic.” I said slowly. That really worked? “Spells are real?” I asked.
“Oh yes. It’s quite a serious thing. Magic isn’t widely used because dark magic requires a repayment. It’s hard to find a Witch that’s willing to pay the price three fold for someone else’s greed.” I didn’t really understand what she was talking about but I was really more concerned with how this spell was making Tyler feel.
“What if I carry you? You can piggy back.” She grimaced but nodded.
Tyler was so thin that I barely noticed her additional weight. Julie and I began the slow jog again. Periodically Julie would glance over her shoulder at us.
We hadn’t gotten very far before I felt Tyler shivering. That scared me. I stopped abruptly and placed a trembling Tyler onto her feet.
“Tyler?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m not going any further. I want to go back.” She turned on her heels without a second look. She began a fast sprint the way we’d just come.
“Should I go after her?” Julie asked.
“No. Let her go. Maybe its better if she doesn’t come.”
“Yes.”
“Tyler. Take the car and go back to the Villa. Julie and I will join you there.”
There was no response but I knew that she would.
“How much further?” I asked.
“Just another mile or two.” I inhaled deeply.
This time when we ran it was at a fast sprint. When a Vampire sprints it’s a fast thing. We jumped over branches and bushes, we dodged around trees. We were moving so fast that it reminded me of the Old National Geographic show where the panthers chased down their prey. I loved the feel of the wind against my face.
Too soon we got to the grounds of a compound.
Epic Cu looked like a great old Church. There were stain glass windows and huge stone arches.
Julie and I just stood and stared at it for a long time. There were no fences, no guards that we could see and yet we could sense danger.
“They know we’re here.” Julie said.
“Yes.” I agreed. I can’t describe the feeling, but it was like sensing that unseen eyes were watching you.
“Walk slowly.” Julie said.
“You watch the front and I’ll watch the back.” I didn’t mean with my eyes. But if someone tried to transport towards us I’d sense it.
“Alexis?” This time I called him. I sought out his link. It was here. I could feel him! Alexis was here.
“He’s here somewhere.” I said.
“Yes.” Julie said. “Kim!” She blocked me with her arm. “Do you feel that?”
I looked at her in surprise. “Feel what?”
She stared at me with dark eyes. “You can’t feel it because holy items don’t affect you.” She looked around. “This place is built on consecrated ground.”
“Does that mean you can’t?-”
“No, it’s old. Much evil has been done here. I believe Epic Cu actually was a holy place at one time.”
“But then how did Vampires take it over?”
“This place is shrouded in mystery. There isn’t very much information out there about it.” She moved forward cautiously. “Let’s go.”
We had to climb down a hill to reach the beautiful building. Up close it was breath-taking. I knew that I was looking at something a thousand years old but it was obvious that someone was taking care of the place. The grass was cut back and there was a stone walkway that led up to the front door.
Julie and I looked at each other one last time then we stepped onto the walkway of Epic Cu.
***
The stone felt strange under my shoes after running so far in the woods. I considered Marcelle’s warning not to come here. I considered the warding spell that kept humans from getting close. No, we weren’t wanted here. Just because no one had leaped out at us with swords drawn didn’t make it anything different.
Julie walked one step ahead of me staring straight ahead of herself in deep concentration. Eventually we reached the landing that led us to the door.
Julie froze. “Kim, don’t you feel that?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t feel anything.”
Julie braced herself. “I can’t go any closer to the door.”
I nodded. “Stay here then. I’ll be careful.”
It was a heavy wooden door that had to have been fifteen feet tall! Heavy iron hinges that probably weighed more then me was as much utilitarian as ornate. There was a large knocker centered within reach. I strolled carefully to the door then tentatively I reached up and grasped that large knocker.
ZING! A shock of lightening threw me back three feet and I landed on my ass. Julie flashed beside me in a movement quicker then the blink of an eye. I was holding my hand but staring at the door.
“What happened?!” Julie asked.
“Silver.” I said. I shook my injured hand and fingers. I hadn’t put on my gloves. Dumb. The skin was blistered and swollen already. I stroked the burn with my free hand never removing my eyes from the door. Eventually the pain subsided and it healed enough for me not to notice the injury. Some Vampires would have gone all hissy faced but burns and I were next of kin.
I stood up and straightened my clothes. I held up my hand and shrugged as if someone was watching me. No biggie. Not leaving.
Julie stayed where she was and I walked back to the door. There was a door knob made of the same metal. Uh uh…fool me once…
I used my fist to knock…and again was blown backwards onto my ass. This time my knuckles were seared. My eyes welled up with the pain. The skin on my knuckles were much more tender. It burned through to the bone.
Julie’s eyes turned red and she glared at the door.
I stood up again. I was frowning at the wood door. Or was it wood.
With purpose I walked to the door again. I chuckled. Silver. But painted to look like wood. A master did this.
I looked at my burned fingers removing my sunglasses. Seared onto the flesh of my middle finger was a tiny little crucifix. I showed it to Julie and she hissed and shielded her eyes. I looked at the door closely.
A slow smile spread across my mouth. Millions of teeny crucifixes were hidden in the painted grains of the metal door. And that’s why Julie couldn’t come close to it.
Julie looked at the ground. “Is it what I think?”
“If you think crucifixes on the door and the door isn’t wood then you’d be thinking right.”
“You know I can’t look at it now?”
“I know.”
Julie began cursing like a sailor. She was saying things that made me blush. “Kim, this would have killed the average Vampire.”
“All of this silver means that I wouldn’t have been able to transport inside anyway.”
“Did you call Alexis?”
I nodded. “He didn’t answer. This is why, isn’t it? We can’t telepathically link through metal. But what about that time I sought him out? He had looked at me before turning away and blocking my link.”
Julie suggested that we walk the circumference of the building. I was a bit wary considering the traps on the door. But I guess traps would have been pointless since we couldn’t get in past the front door. We couldn’t bring any humans to get past the Magic ward. The damn place was safe unless someone dropped a bomb on it, which I still doubted would even put a dent in it!
When we got back to the front of the building we put our heads together and talked. Julie couldn’t think of anyway that we could get into the place.
“We can go back to the Villa. It’s still early enough for me to make some calls and find out some more information about Epic Cu.”
I looked at the building. He was here…so close…
“Kim, there’s nothing more that we can do tonight.”
“Julie…” I whispered. “Remember when you said that this would have killed the average Vampi
re?”
“Yes?”
“There’s nothing we can do tonight…because the average Vampire is limited to night. The average Vampire.”
“What are you talking about?”
I stared at her with an excited glint. I had an idea. “I…can’t tell you. I especially can’t tell you here. Julie I’ve moved from a Third Generation, to a Master. I’m a Council member and I went against the Council’s to save my Sire. Do you trust me when I say that I have a plan but I can’t tell you what it is?”
Julie nodded without hesitation. “I trust you. You don’t think like a Vampire.”
“Sometimes it’s good to think like a Vampire but at times it’s good to think like a street smart Sista. I’ll always be that.”
“What do you want me to do?” Julie said with her first smile in hours.
“Go back to the Villa and make those calls.”
Julie suddenly reached up and hugged me. “I’ll see you later.” She watched me as she disappeared.
My glasses had been replaced. I was wearing the black pantsuit that I had put on earlier in the night. A black duster complimented the ensemble. No gloves though and no hat.
With a sigh I stared into the sky. The sun would be rising in less then an hour. I could wake in the day...Well, we’ll just see about that.
CHAPTER 5
I went back to the stoop and sat down Indian style staying clear of the lethal door. As I waited for the sun to rise, I relived Alexis and my time at the little beach house. It had been many months since I had allowed myself the pleasure of that memory. But now that I understood that I hadn’t been abandoned; that someone else had tried to control our destiny it didn’t hurt to think about that time.
Of the three men that I had loved as a Vampire, Alexis was the one that I’d had the most doubts about. He was dangerous. And I should have been afraid of him. But an undeniable attraction had overpowered any fear.
Alexis did not speak much about his life as a human. I knew only that he was Middle Eastern and had distinct Arabic features. I knew that he had spent the beginning of his childhood on his family farm before being forced into war at a young age. As an adult he had been the Governor’s tax man and had lived a life of decadence. To see him in human form was to see an extremely handsome man with dark sun browned skin and thick curly brown hair. His medium height was accentuated by his amped up body. His chest and stomach rippled with wiry muscles and his back was wide with a waist that tapered down to his muscular abs. He was so damn beautiful to look at. His lips were pouty and kissable and his brown eyes would hold me, watching me as if I were something new and wonderful. But as a Vampire Alexis was just as awesome. His skin was alabaster because he was so old. But his eyes were like black orbs and his dark hair haloing his head was striking. Motionless he looked like a statue with a Mona Lisa smile always present on his face. Some were chilled by that smile. I was turned on by it.
He had shown himself to me as a human to entice me but his human beauty; brown skin and golden brown eyes did not make me love him more. His total commitment to my safe being did that. His calm control despite his longings broke through my doubts. And the time that we spent at the beach reaffirmed my belief in him.
Everyone saw the monster in Alexis. But I saw the man in him.
As the sun came closer I pulled my knees up to my chest and I folded my arms around them. The duster’s sleeves were long and I was able to pull them past my fingers to conceal my hands. I pulled up my collar which would protect my neck from the sun. I felt fear prickling into me. Death wasn’t something that I feared. What I feared was burning. I just didn’t want to burn anymore.
My limbs grew heavy. I peeked past my arms at the horizon. It was still black but soon there would be the tiniest streak of pink…and then it would be too late to flash away.
“Alexis.” I whispered. Then the sun rose and I could feel my skin beginning to burn and just before it became unbearable I knew no more.
***
A familiar burning pain was the first thing I knew, even before I awoke. My hands and face…
I sat up with a jolt and sucked in a breath. I was suffocating! I couldn’t breath. Hands gently pushed me back down.
My eyes! They were burning. Everything was so bright! I reached out blindly to shield my face. My sunglasses were on. Why was it so bright?
“Why…” I tried to ask. My lips felt cracked.
Cool hands touched my lips and the pain eased. I strained to see but the brightness caused me to tear up. In fear I tried to sit up again but gentle hands forced me back down. My hands touched the cushions that I was resting on.
Cushions? I relaxed and tried to use my other senses.
My body was so heavy. I felt like I was underwater and I was still having trouble breathing…even though I shouldn’t be breathing. What was happening?!
I tried to calm down. “Alexis?” I said.
Hands gripped mine and a familiar voice answered. “Kim, sleep, heal.”
I felt even more tired.
“No.” I said. I tried to say that I wanted to see him and touch him but his suggestion made anything but sleeping and healing impossible.
I relaxed.
***
My second awakening was more like what I was used to. I swept off my glasses and sat up quickly. I was on a red velvet chaise.
Alexis was standing across the room watching me intently. The room was dark but my eyes clearly drank him in.
He wore white linen pants and a white shirt exactly like the ones we wore at the beach house. He hadn’t changed in the least. His alabaster skin still looked like marble and his eyes were still totally black with no whites to them. His curly dark hair still appeared silky and luxurious.
After examining him I quickly took in my surroundings. We were in a windowless room. Stone walls, floor and ceilings completely encased us. Torches lit the large room but there was absolutely nothing else in it, only a narrow wooden door leading to God only knew where.
“You shouldn’t have come here.” He was speaking to me telepathically.
Those words almost crushed me. “I wanted you to be happy to see me.”
“Happy? I barely remember that word. Yes, I am happy to see you.”
I made a face. “Gee, don’t get all giddy about it.” He did smile then. It made me feel instantly warm.
“Alexis, I’ve come to rescue you.”
He walked to me slowly. He didn’t have any shoes on. At the beach we never wore shoes. My chest tightened in yearning. Alexis’ eyes flashed gold before they turned black again. Gold meant lust…He sat down next to me still watching me.
“Malarias pushed you. Did he hurt you?”
What? I touched my neck in shock. He was reading my memories. He hadn’t been able to read them before because of the silver encasing this building.
“Why? Do you care? You never answered when I called.”
“I heard you call. But I could not answer.”
“If you could hear me, then I would have been able to hear you. Why didn’t you say something? Anything! Even if it was go to hell!”
“Kim. I could not answer. I was being judged on my crimes. You and I both were being judged. My Elders said not to communicate with you and I did not. Malarias…Did he hurt you?”
I took in a deep breath. “No. He just wanted to scare me away from this place. That’s all.” I was so hurt by his lack of emotion that I wanted to go somewhere and bury myself in a hole. ‘My Elders said not to so I didn’t’. What a crock of shit!
I stood up slowly and walked a few steps away from him. “Do me a favor and just satisfy my curiosity. Then I’ll leave.” I turned to him and watched him coldly. “What exactly did you do to be punished?”
Alexis watched me silently. He wanted inside my head to view my memories. Fuck it…two could play that game. I went into his.
Looking into someone’s memories is not like watching a television screen of someone’s actions. Being inside someone’s he
ad is like sharing that person’s body. You become them in a sense.
I traced his memories backwards. Through his eyes I saw him open the great door to see me folded on the front stoop. His unbeating heart jumped in fear. The sun was frying me. Alexis gripped me and lifted me in his arms. Swiftly he carried me down into the coolness…
Alexis roamed these rooms night after night. His memories were mostly of us, of me. It surprised me. For months I had thought he’d forgotten me…and it turns out that his thoughts were always of me. I felt so bad that I’d turned so easily to Tony. I shouldn’t have doubted him.
I pushed further and saw the familiar council chambers. It was the ethereal place that Alexis had taken me before my punishment; it was his Council. This time I could hear the argument that the other Council made against him. Malarias was the most vocal in his contempt for Alexis’ behavior. The black woman was the only one on his side. Yet still Alexis was found in contempt. And because of that I still had to have the punishment of death.
I felt fear creeping along my skin. All of this had happened many months ago so the danger was over, wasn’t it?
Alexis argued that She Who was First saw the inconsistency in their ruling, and it was her that was the creator of the law. Then he said, ‘Put her in the sun and watch her not die! And everyone will know your secret! Give her the original punishment instead of the one that serves your purpose. But if you would be self-serving then let her benefit from it, too.’
That speech got their attention. Alexis continued with, ‘she was been burned beyond any recognition. There has never been a punishment that has been so long lasting. Death is instantaneous, this was worse then death. She will be stronger for the Elder Council if she is allowed to live.’ And that was the deciding factor. The Elder Council wanted my strength…
Through Alexis’ eyes I saw the entire Council turn red eyes on him. Malarias had never liked Alexis and it was he that said, ‘Your closeness to this woman has made you the self serving one. You can not serve her and serve us. Alexis you are too strong for the Council to cast you out. Therefore you will cast her out. You will have no more contact with Kim Russell until such time that you are no longer exiled.’
