She felt a feeling of warmth she had never known surging through her body, pushing the darkness in her veins out, refilling her with nothing but light. Her body tingled with a feeling she couldn’t bring herself describe. She was caught between the worlds of pain and ecstasy, cleansed from the inside out.
Her arms wrapped around his back as his drew her closer to his body. He removed his teeth from her neck and hovered above his mark, placing the softest of kisses on her collarbone. As he pulled away from her slowly, their eyes met. His lips were now so close to hers.
After a moment of staring, their lips touched softly. The blood from her neck slowly dripped onto her shoulder as they embraced, but she hardly noticed. She was lost in him, and he in her.
* * *
Eight hours had passed, yet it felt like eight centuries.
"I have to go," Christine told him.
“I know you want to, but this is now your home. My bite will prevent the turning, saving you from the life of a vampire, but you will retain vampiristic abilities, such as their strength. The bite has also given you other gifts, Christine, such as my cunning and speed.”
Her eyes shone with delight, then quickly narrowed as she realized Mikel was not smiling; his face was somber, almost cold. “You must be careful. Your friends will still turn on you, vampire or not. Some may be jealous of your gifts or seek to bring you to your end because you are no longer full Amazon. You are, now and forever, my Christine.”
Christine looked at him, nodded in agreement, and then walked out of the cave. His eyes followed her. His heart missed her with each step she took until finally she was out of his sight and he felt as if he were split in two. He was incomplete without her by his side.
Christine arrived back at camp, unaware she was smiling. She felt something she had never felt before: love. Aaliyah looked at her and shook her head.
“Mmhm. Found someone, huh?”
“N-no,” Christine stammered. Her cheeks flushed with a warmth she knew told more lies than her lips did.
Aaliyah saw right through her sister’s facade. “Yeah, okay,” she smirked. “You look radiant. I mean, you’re pretty much glowing. You don’t have to say anything now but I want details later.”
Christine nodded in silent agreement, gave Aaliyah’s hand a quick squeeze, and walked away. Hours passed and the evening set in. Aaliyah found Christine sitting by the lake where they often fished together. She looked Christine over and noticed something was quite off with her best friend. Expecting to find her aglow again, she was shocked when Christine looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.
“Christine, talk to me. What's wrong?” Aaliyah asked.
“Well,” Christine replied, “a lot has happened. Remember the battle we had?” When Aaliyah nodded, she continued. “I was wounded."
Aaliyah quickly jumped to her feet and drew her spear. “Wounded? Where?”
"My shoulder."
Aaliyah looked at the two teeth marks which were beginning to scab over and gasped. “No,” she said, her voice thick with sorrow. “Please, no, not you.” She hugged Christine tightly and whispered in her ear, "Run! Run and never look back, sister!"
Christine was stunned by her response. She explained that she’d found a half-breed creature in the woods, a hybrid who called himself Mikel. Really, the creature had found her. He had also bitten her to prevent her from becoming a full vampire.
Aaliyah shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, Christine. A bite is a bite, regardless of where it comes from. You have to leave, and you can never, never return.” Her voice broke and she sucked in a breath to steady herself against the look of pained sorrow on Christine’s face. "I can't protect you, my sister," she said, "but I will love you always."
The words pierced Christine's soul and as she slowly turned away, tears began falling from her eyes, rolling in hot streams down her cheeks. Her heart was broken; it felt like a knife had been thrust into her chest and continuously twisted. She said goodbye to the world she knew. Now, she was on to a world full of unknowns.
With nowhere else to go, she took a deep breath and began walking. It wasn’t long before a strange feeling started to brew in her chest, that same warmth that had flushed the darkness from within her. Something pulled at her, like being lead by a loving hand back to a familiar place not quite remembered, and Christine soon found herself back at the hybrid's cave entrance
Mikel sat waiting. "Hello, young one," he said gently. “I knew you would return, but I had hoped it would be with a much lighter heart than what beats in you know.”
The pain from her tortured soul poured out through her tears. She ran to him. Christine felt his arms close around her, giving her comfort. Rubbing her cheek with his thumb, he let her tears fall. She had lost everything, her soul was in turmoil from the fear of not knowing. She cuddled up close to him, listening to the thumping of his heartbeat and drifted slowly to sleep.
Christine awoke even stronger than she’d been the day before. Never had she felt so at one with someone or so completely at peace. Mikel sat up, not speaking much. Christine watched as he dressed. His broad shoulders rippled and the look on his face was stern yet gentle; his eyes were soft, as though he lived in a make-believe world she couldn’t quite reach. His hands were strong yet soft, and his heartbeat … she could hear it even when she was away from him.
Am I truly feeling love? she wondered.
He turned slowly with a grin and said, "Yes, you are. You love me and I love you, too."
Astonished, Christine said, "What?"
Hybrid smiled again and explained that he could hear her thoughts, a trait he’d gained from his vampire genes, and that she didn’t have to be afraid because he had always loved her. Weeks passed and Christine embraced her stature as a hybrid. Standing beside Mikel—who she loving called her Hybrid—she felt a sense of pride and belonging because they were truly in love.
One day, they were on a hunt and a pain hit her so hard her legs gave way and she crumbled to the ground. Pain surged through her and she cried out in agony. Hybrid ran to her side and asked what was wrong, but the pain was so intense she couldn’t speak. He grabbed her quickly and began running with her in his arms. They arrived at the cave moments later and he laid her on the bed they shared. She groaned as the pain intensified. All he could do was look upon her in horror.
"What can I do, Christine?" he asked as he held her hand tightly.
She couldn’t respond, not because she didn’t want to, but because the pain was too intense to speak through. It took everything she had just to breathe. Christine struggled to inhale when the pain suddenly stopped. Mikel slowly let out the breath he had not realized he’d been holding.
"What was that?" he asked.
She tried to shrug as sweat ran down her brow in tiny drops. “I have no idea.”
He laid down beside her and played with her hair as he had always done. Her labored breathing slowly became steady and he mouthed a silent prayer of thanks, relieved her suffering had ceased. They fell asleep happily together.
Hours passed without noise or alarm, but suddenly he was awakened by a horrible scream. Its sound cut through the night, raising him from their bed. And there she was, his Christine on the floor, blood dripping down her legs.
Hybrid ran to her in mere seconds but it felt like he was wading through mud and couldn’t seem to take her into his huge arms fast enough. "Oh, my love, what’s wrong?"
Again, the pain was too much and she found herself unable to speak. As Mikel pushed the matted hair away from her face, she lost consciousness. He picked her up off the floor. Tears filled his eyes as he felt a range of emotions: worry, panic, helplessness. His lover and best friend was dying and there was nothing he could do. He looked down at Christine’s limp body in his arms and wailed.
* * *
Christine woke from her comatose state with a cold towel on her head. A familiar voice mumbled in the background, but she couldn’t make it out. Her eyes were groggy, but as her surroundings came in
to focus, the voice became clear and she was sure that it was…
"Aaliyah!" she cried in a raspy voice.
Aaliyah's voice trembled as she patted Christine’s hair. "Little sister, I've missed you."
A thousand thoughts ran through her mind. How? Why? Is she really here?
She went to sit up and was forced back down. Aaliyah gave her a stern look. “Stay calm and don't move.”
"Why?" Christine asked.
"Well you see, there's no easy way to tell you this..."
"What? What is it, Aaliyah? Tell me."
Just as Aaliyah's mouth opened, Hybrid walked into the cave. "You’re okay!" he exclaimed as he ran to her and grabbed her hand. He looked at Aaliya. “Does she know yet?”
Aaliyah glared at him and shook her head slowly. "No."
"What is it? What's wrong with me?" Christine grew more and more restless as they prolonged answering her question.
Aaliyah smiled. “Well, you’re pregnant."
Christine’s jaw dropped. "Pregnant? How can this be?"
Hybrid smirked. "I have an idea." Aaliyah punched him hard. “Ouch. That hurts, witch.”
"Listen, beast. I promised to be nice, but don't push it."
Christine's eyes glazed over, and she let herself drift off to a place where it was warm.
She was running in the meadow with a beautiful little girl with long dark hair and eyes that shone like emeralds in the sun. They were running free. The leaves upon the ground were pretty shades of orange; the breeze through the meadow was constant and cool. They were running toward the lake when suddenly—
She was being shaken back to reality.
"Christine!" Aaliyah shouted.
"What? What?!"
"You stopped breathing! This beast’s child is killing you."
Hybrid slowly rose from his seat and walked out of the cave. Christine told Aaliyah to be nice to him and explained how gentle he truly was and how much he truly cared. Her gaze turned to where Hybrid had exited. She was worried about how he was taking what Aaliyah had said. However, there was a more important question: was the child really killing her?
Months passed and Christine’s health had not improved. She had days where she could move a little, but the pain intensified each time she tried. It didn’t help any that Aaliyah and Hybrid constantly bickered. She was glad they were both there for her, but the continuous arguing was not helping her condition. In fact, it stressed her out even more. Yet, she understood where they were coming from. The pain of seeing her unable to do anything had become too great for either of them.
Aaliyah was always there. She came everyday at noon and left at sundown without fail. The Amazon’s war with the vampires had intensified and Aaliyah was beginning to show the effects of it. Her hair was beginning to gray at the edges. She walked with a slight limp, but still stood proud.
"Hybrid!" she called.
He walked up to her and answered in his typical form. "What is it, Amazon witch?"
"I know of an antidote for her."
He suddenly gave her his full attention. “What is it?"
She hung her head and told him the only way Christine would survive was if she ate the heart of a dragon. Christine’s eyes widened as she heard Aaliyah. She knew that obtaining a dragon’s heart was no easy task. They reigned supreme in their ruling lands for a reason. They were practically impervious.
"Dragon!" Hybrid laughed. "So, it's to the town of Gadsden I must go?"
Christine was stunned. How could he laugh at such a serious situation? This was a task many people never returned from. Dragons could not be taken lightly. She knew if Hybrid went, there was a high chance he might not return. She started to sob.
“You’re no match for a dragon, my Hybrid.”
He laughed again. "If that creature is all that will get you well, it's a small task. But Aaliya, how did you figure this out?"
Aaliyah explained the reasoning behind such an antidote. "I looked in our archives. If she was born a vampire or even a werewolf, the baby would be fine, but since she was turned, the baby has human genes, causing it to fight against the turn in her womb. Christine is undead, but the baby is alive. Christine, your baby could be the one of legends, the savior of our tribe. If your child is born, it will bring peace to the realm."
"Hahahaha! Peace to the realm?" Hybrid snickered. “From what you call a creature? Our child shall live, but not for your silly war."
Days passed and Christine was now seven months pregnant. Her skin had paled to an almost ghostly white and every breath she took was haggard and labored.
"She doesn't have long to live," Aaliyah explained to Hybrid. "Maybe three to four days at most. Her blood pressure has dropped to a crawl."
"Only that long?" he screamed. "It takes a day and a half to get to the dragon! I won’t wait any longer." He turned to get his bag.
“Hybrid,” Christine whispered. “Please don’t leave me.”
He ran to her side and grabbed her hand. "I have to, Christine. I have to. I'll kill that beast and bring you the heart on a platter. I promise."
* * *
Hybrid ran with impeccable speed through the forest and across the rivers and lakes. He ran without resting, going as fast as he could. His motivation was solely Christine and their child. If he didn’t get the dragon’s heart in time he would lose his Christine.
It seemed like he had ran for an eternity when he suddenly stopped. He could smell brimstone in the air. The land had turned desolate and all around him was dust. No trees, no green grass; just dirt. Surely he had arrived. He slowly walked forward until he saw a place up ahead.
Is that the sound of a beating drum? No! Wait! It's the wings of a giant dragon. He was a hybrid. He was afraid of nothing, but this sound had raised the hairs on his body. Human fear gripped his heart as he continued to march forward. He had no choice. The love of his life was dying.
Back in the cave, Christine had once again slipped into a coma. The baby was moving and kicking roughly, struggling with its transformation within the womb. Aaliyah tried to comfort her, but there was no comfort for death. A cold rag for her head to chill her fever and a hand to hold was all she could offer.
“Hurry, Hybrid,” Aaliyah whispered as she watched her friend lie motionless.
Hybrid moved forward fearlessly, driven by the chance of saving his unborn child and his beloved. He heard the sound of screaming. It sounded like a howl but slightly different. Hybrid walked slowly toward the sound to find a nest and inside of it … baby dragons!
He grabbed one quickly, but fast enough to stifle its cries before the dragon started screaming for its mother. He muzzled it and ran fast like the wind, hoping to get outside of its nesting place before the mother returned.
He made it outside of the city and was close to home. Maybe ten more miles and his beloved would be safe again. While running, his mind daydreamed of Christine and seeing her whole again. Suddenly, the sun turned dark. Wait! It had turned too quickly. Hybrid looked up and saw it was an angry dragon, the mother of the nest he had just robbed.
The dragon mother bared her teeth and extended her black claws. She growled and let out a ferocious roar, sounding like booming thunder. The beast sent a shiver down Hybrid’s spine as he prepared for the fight of his life. The dragon stood ten feet tall, darker than coal and her eyes were red with the flame of revenge.
Hybrid prepared himself again, feeling the power within him from the heritage of the wolf and the strength of a vampire. He lunged forward, soaring through the air, only to be swatted out of the sky. He hit a tree, hard. Three of his ribs were instantly broken. The dragon ran wildly toward him, but he dodged and escaped.
He hit the dragon with all of his might, but it was unshaken and struck him again. He was bleeding freely from a large gash on his side and his right ankle had been crushed. The dragon, sensing the kill, leaped toward him. He again stood, knowing that he must kill the dragon. The beast lunged toward Hybrid who ducked under it only to meet the
flames of the dragon’s mouth.
Hybrid was now burning; his skin charred on his right side. The dragon snarled with delight as she prepared to devour him. The dragon walked to the kneeling Hybrid, mouth stretched to eat him when Hybrid lunged forward, thrusting his hands inside the dragon’s mouth, one at the top and the other at the bottom. The dragon tried to break free, but couldn’t. Flames filled its mouth so it could burn him, but it was too late and with a last push, the dragon’s jaw was broken. Burned and bleeding but still alive, Hybrid ripped out the heart, picked up his bag, and limped toward home.
The last mile seemed like an eternity. His ribs were broken, body severely burned and ankle broken, but he pushed forward for the chance that his love would live. Finally, he was at the cave. His legs gave way and he screamed out in agony.
Aaliyah came and saw him lying there. A tear began to roll down her cheek. He’d made it back, but it was too late.
"Christine's gone," she said.
With all his might, he crawled to the bed of his beloved and opened her mouth; he placed the still-beating heart of the dragon inside and said a prayer. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes seemed to turn to hours until suddenly Christine's chest moved.
"She’s in labor," he told Aaliya. "Our heart stops when wolves go into labor."
Aaliyah ran to her just in time and within the next hour, a beautiful little girl emerged from Christine. Aaliyah held the child in a blanket and Christine's eyes opened. She sat up and saw Hybrid badly injured. She cried out and tried with all her might to get to him.
He laid down in front of their home at the opening of the cave. She was now okay, but at what cost? Christine got her baby from Aaliyah and showed her to Hybrid. He nodded and a smile crept across his badly-burned face.
He told Christine not to worry, but the tears that fell from his eyes said differently. He may have saved her, but had given up his own life to do so. The sun began to set. She cuddled closer to her love, holding their child. They laid together, not knowing if this would be the last sunset they would watch as one. He held her tight to him despite his burns and before long, his breath on her neck made her doze off.
Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels Page 160
