Heaven, Hell & the Love In Between

by Downey, A. J.

  It also brought home the realization that though he didn’t look over the age of twenty-five or so, in his time, Alaric had been at his peak, and was one of the unlucky 50% of men to die between the ages of 21 and 30. Still, if he’d managed to survive past his thirty-first year he would have been considered in the twilight of his prime and by age forty would have been in the twilight of his years. Not many men lived past the age of 50 which was considered old just before the early middle ages. Today, 50 is considered middle aged for most.

  “What is it that has you thinking so hard I can hear it?” he asked. I smiled.

  “We have it easy in this day and age.” I said.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry life was so hard for you.” I murmured.

  “Do not be. I do not deserve such a sentiment. I was not what could be considered a good man.” He rumbled.

  “That was then Alaric. This is now, and you’ve been pretty good to me.” I pushed myself up and laid a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth which was better than his chin which was the only other thing I could reach at this angle. He flinched and I lay back down, his expression grew distant and I worried I’d done something wrong. He smoothed a hand over my hair and I was reassured.

  “Sleep now, small one.” His voice was low and troubled.

  “Okay, good night Alaric.”

  “Good night Gracelyn.” He purred and I stopped fighting it and fell fast asleep, warm and safe.

  Chapter 18

  Saturday dawned a little warmer than it had been lately and for the first Saturday in a long while I felt enough energy to go run. I dressed appropriately for the weather in my cold weather running gear, chuckling as I pulled on the black Under Armor cold gear compression leggings. I pulled a royal blue moisture wicking, long sleeved, mock neck top and pulled it down over my lean hips. I tugged on my socks and running shoes, lacing them tight.

  Running gloves, with my spare house key in secret compartment on the heel of my left palm and I was almost ready to go. My hair hung over my shoulder in a long braid and I added a black fleece band that wrapped around my head and covered my ears, tucking the ear buds from my headphones under it and into my ears. I plugged them into my phone and started the music playing before pulling on my black runner’s hoodie. I slipped my thumbs through the loops in the sleeves and zipped it up the front, tucking my phone into the pocket on my upper arm where it was meant to go and finally was ready to make like a baby and head out! Okay yeah, that was crude and corny, but whatever.

  I locked up behind myself, did some stretches in the hall way, took the stairs down to the lobby in a light warm up and stretched some more before going out into the cold. It was rough going at first but I soon found my rhythm, breath pluming the air as I exhaled. I turned into Central Park after several blocks of fast paced power walking along the sidewalk being jostled by other city goers and broke into a longer stride once I reached the running path.

  My lungs burned with cold as I ran and it took me longer than usual from my couple of weeks of inactivity to really find my zone, but soon enough I was settled comfortably into a runner’s high. I was enjoying the euphoria as I passed dog walkers, mother’s and strollers, and the occasional old couple out for a walk when I caught sight of a man in a suit standing by the path, a very familiar, very tall man in a very expensive suit. I slowed to a cool-down walk and Gunnar Volund fell into step beside me.

  “Mr. Volund, what are you doing here?” I asked between breaths.

  “I was told I must see Central Park before leaving the city. I had time before my next meeting. It is magnificent.” He smiled.

  “Yeah it’s pretty impressive…” I muttered but what I was thinking was yeah right, you just happened to decide to check out Central Park as I ran by? I grimaced inwardly at what I was thinking, I mean it did sound awfully damned paranoid. It probably really was just a coincidence.

  “You are through with your run?” he asked, eyeing me.

  “Yeah, I think so.” I had my breath mostly back by now and was stretching my quads, bringing my heel to my ass and grabbing the front of my running shoe with my gloved hand.

  “Would you care to join me for an early lunch?” he asked. I tried to think of a way to decline and came up empty.

  “Sure,” I finally caved, “As long as it’s no place fancy.” I amended looking down at my runner’s gear. If I took off my hoodie there would be obvious and unattractive sweat stains and my hair was thoroughly damp at my temples and the nape of my neck.

  He chuckled, hands in the pockets of his very expensive looking gray trench coat, and looked me over like he was imagining what was underneath. It was creepy, and I plastered on a polite smile.

  “Do you know of a place nearby?” he asked.

  “Actually there’s a really good coffee house and café near here.” I jerked my head in the general direction and he fell into step beside me.

  “Did you uncover anything new this week?” he asked.

  “Yeah actually, a couple more runes. It’ll be a while before I can piece anything together to send out for translation, if there’s even enough there.” I said.

  “Jared and I were speculating what they might say last night.” The moment the words left my mouth I wished I’d never uttered them. Volund’s eyes went dark the way the sky does when a thunder head rolls in. I shivered, and his perfect mask slipped back in place.

  “Oh?” he sounded innocent enough but my alarm bells had already started clanging in my skull.

  “Do you and Mr. Worth share a relationship outside of work?” he leveled me with his gaze and I laughed and hoped it didn’t sound as nervous as I felt.

  “No, not at all. Jared is my boss and after years of working together maybe my friend but no more.” I waved my hands back and forth in front of me by way of emphasis.

  “I try to keep my work and personal lives as separate as possible.” There I said it. That feral look was back on his face, like I’d just upped the challenge for him with my declaration.

  “I see, so you and Mr. Worth are not, ah, seeing each other?” he asked plainly.

  “No, most definitely not.” I answered, mouth dry.

  “I see,” was his only answer to this. I cringed inwardly and thought to myself, well played, you may have gotten me to admit I wasn’t involved with Jared, but that doesn’t mean I’m not seeing someone.

  I led the way mutely, crossing the street in the direction of the café I’d mentioned, the gears of my mind whirring and clicking at a furious pace. True I wasn’t seeing Jared, but how exactly could I imply that I was seeing Alaric?

  Well you know Gunnar, I may not be diddling my boss but I am sleeping beside a giant of an albino man with glowing red eyes who died in 984 every night and I have to think he likes me, he’s been in my bed every night this week… naked. We even took a bath together!

  I choked down a bubble of hysterical laughter. Maybe I was insane. I felt my chest constrict with my self-doubt. Maybe I had been dreaming Alaric all along… I reached for the scale and grasped it beneath my shirt, comforted by the outline of its edge against the restrictive material. I led Volund in to the crowded café and took up a little two seater table by the front window. A waitress came by and took our order, I went with a salad. I needed something light after running, and would get something more substantial later.

  “Tell me about yourself, please…” He said as soon as our waitress left us.

  “Ah, well, I hold a Master’s Degree in the Science of Historic Preservation and I uh, I’m certified by The Academy of Certified Archivists. I’m 29 years old and moved to New York City from Connecticut when I was 25 and the museum I am working for now reached out to me with a job offer.” I drank deeply from my water glass.

  “I asked for you to tell me about yourself, while your resume is impressive I was hoping for a little more insight into Gracelyn the woman, not the historical preservationist.” He smiled and it wasn’t unkind but rather as if he were trying to be patient w
ith me.

  “I… I uh…” Truth was I didn’t know what to say.

  “My parents are dead.” I finally blurted.

  “Oh?” he asked. No look of sympathy, no empathetic platitude… Just a cock of his head and a curious look that made my insides twist with a mixture of fear and revulsion. As pretty to look at as this man was on the outside I was pretty damned sure ice water flowed through his veins.

  “Car accident, I was thirteen.” Was the only elaboration I was willing to give him. Something about him was off, way off and I just wanted our food to come so I could eat and go my separate way as quickly as possible.

  “Where did you go?” he asked.

  “My grandparents, mother’s side, took me in.” I replied and the waitress came back with our food. She was getting a huge tip for promptness from me.

  “No siblings?” he asked.

  “Only child.” I put my napkin in my lap and drizzled salad dressing over my greens from the little cup they provided on the side. He picked up his sandwich and took a healthy bite. His charming mask back in place, he smiled at me. I returned it and munched happily on my garden salad. If I was too busy eating then I wasn’t talking which seemed to be toward my benefit with this man.

  It was about now, and too late to do me any good I might add, that I’d pretty much just admitted to this predatory man that I was in New York alone with no nearby family. Even if my grandparents lived in the city, which they didn’t, an old couple in their late seventies wasn’t much to get around.

  For the first time I found myself wishing Alaric were a normal man and someone I could really be with. I didn’t really know what we were to each other, I mean friends didn’t sleep nude night after night, or bathe with their friends. We hadn’t so much as kissed either, so lovers sure wasn’t what you’d call us. He’d called me his charge, and he certainly acted as if he were my guardian. I sighed and felt the disappointment cloud my heart. I really didn’t know what I was dealing with when it came to Alaric, but at the same time it was as clear as day to me that he had my best interests to heart… I mean didn’t he?

  “You look sad.” Volund observed.

  “I get that way sometimes when I think about them.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, I did miss my mom and dad, and I did get the occasional pang of sadness, but for the most part thoughts of them brought me comfort and happiness. I’d had a good childhood growing up. Even after they were gone, my grandparents’ efforts at making up for them being gone had been nothing short of spectacular. We all knew it wasn’t the same, but Grandma and Pappy Wright had been at every school debate, every science fair and every track meet. They hadn’t missed a thing, even with Pappy’s failing health. He’d passed when I was in college.

  “Your parents?” Volund’s smooth voice broke my reverie.

  “Yeah.” I put on a false smile. He smiled back and this time it reached his eyes.

  “Tell me about them?” and I did. They were gone, and I loved them and was proud of them so what could it hurt?

  “My father was an engineer, my mother was his high school sweetheart and worked at a daycare, she had a degree in early child development and education. That worked out well for them because after I was born, I just went to work with my mom. It meant free daycare for them and plenty of other kids to play with for me.” I smiled and was surprised to see what appeared to be a genuine curve of lips that warmed his eyes from chips of ice to warm spring skies. It was when he looked like this that I could see him as Gunnar rather than Mr. Volund or just Volund in my mind. I wondered briefly what may have happened to him to make him so cold and to want to emulate his horrible Viking ancestor so much.

  “Your mother. That is where you get your kind nature?” he asked. I blushed.

  “I suppose so, I know I got my love of science from my dad. He was always explaining things to me and was always so excited. He would take me up on the roof of our house in the summer time and set up his telescope and we would spend hours up there staring at the sky, and planets and make up stories about how life was on other worlds until my mom would call us into the house again.” My eyes became unfocused and I stared out the window, belatedly realizing they were misting up with the fond memory.

  “What about you?” I asked, and tried to subtly dash the moisture away. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and turned his neck to the side until it gave an audible pop. It was the first sign of discomfort I’d ever seen in him.

  “I grew up in a privileged home.” I waited for more, but none came.

  “And?” I prompted, resuming the demolition of my salad.

  “My father is a great man, I made him proud the day I built my empire.” The ice was back in his expression, his lips curved into that unsettling feral grin.

  “I do not know how he felt when I crushed his business beneath my own, but to me it felt good. I rivaled his greatness and using what he taught me, surpassed it. Our ancestor would be proud.”

  And the monster was back. I wished he’d stayed away…

  “What about your mother?” I asked quietly.

  “Like me, my mother was but a decoration for my father. Something pretty to be seen with, to have on his arm.” He waved a dismissive hand in the air. His accent had thickened when he talked about his family. His mother especially. I think he may have felt more for her.

  “What was she like?” I asked and his expression shut down.

  “I do not wish to speak on this anymore.” He said, and the tone of his voice was final.

  “All right.” I murmured. So Gunnar Volund had daddy issues, interesting. Something had definitely happened. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get close enough to find out what. Something about the large Swede scared the shit out of me. Sent the warning bells in my head to clanging and after he spoke about crushing his father’s business, the expression on his face, well the air raid sirens were adding their wail and red flashing lights were there too. I suddenly wanted to go home and take a long hot shower.

  Gunnar Volund was obviously a man who was used to getting what he wanted and I was beginning to think my paranoia of earlier wasn’t so paranoid. I finished my water and excused myself to the restroom. I took a few minutes to get my wits about me. When I came out the pleasant mask was back on Volund’s face and our bill was paid.

  “I will see you home,” he smiled.

  “Oh that’s okay, I’ll walk.” I smiled back.

  “Nonsense, this New York, I understand it has crime, violent, not like Denmark. You would be a prize to this criminal element.” He held out his arm.

  “I’ve lived in the City for over four years, no trouble yet.” I laughed. His expression hardened.

  “I insist.” I took his arm, suddenly afraid. We stepped out onto the sidewalk and sure enough, there was the black town car, Maximillian holding the door open, expression grim. He looked at me and I swear to God flinched. I slid into the back seat perturbed.

  We rode in silence to my building, I opened the door before Maximillian could get out to open it for me. I smiled sweetly at Volund and thanked him for lunch.

  “I will call on you early in the week about that dinner.” He said and I nodded, my eyes felt a little wide. I wanted to go to dinner with him as much as I wanted to shoot a lethal dose of heroine.

  “Of course.” I quipped and rushed to my building’s lobby door, punching in the code to open the door. I turned and waved as if nothing was wrong and Volund grinned at me like a fox from the back seat of the town car before Maximillian closed the door. I suppressed a shudder and got into the elevator, letting it whisk me to my lunch surging and pressing threateningly at the base of my throat.

  There would be no dinner with Volund and I was beginning to not care if I had to be rude about it.

  Chapter 19

  Alaric didn’t come that night. It was the first night since he’d first appeared he hadn’t shown and I stood in the center of my bedroom at three in the morning and wrung my hands. Was it something I had said? Had I done something to make
him not want to come? I really wanted to tell him about Volund, get his thoughts on the situation… Well, mostly I just wanted to know I wasn’t imagining things. The last time I’d told him about the man he’d said he hadn’t liked him. That he was ambitious and that if he couldn’t have it he would take it.

  I paced back and forth across my bedroom floor and chewed my lower lip, rolling it under my teeth until I could taste copper from doing it too much. I scrubbed my face with my hands and grasped the scale from his armor. With a final sigh I got into bed and lay there, worrying about him.

  “Where are you?” I asked my silent bedroom. I sighed after long moments and murmured into the dark,

  “Well wherever you are, I hope you’re safe.”

  I closed my eyes and fell into a restless sleep full of dreams that made no sense but were still terrifying.

  Chapter 20

  Sunday was sorta rough. I woke in a pretty foul mood and decided to hole up in my apartment with a book. I was so not fit for public consumption being a terrible Ms. Grumpy Pants. I read, took a nap, ordered some take out for dinner and binge watched the entire first season of Treasure Quest on my Kindle huddled in comfortable warm clothes on the end of my couch. I was really disappointed to find out that there hadn’t been a season two of the show. It had been fascinating, all about recovering historical finds off the ocean floor using deep sea remotely operated vehicles or ROV’s. Granted they were looking for treasure not history, but the crew had a deep appreciation for the history involved with their finds too, and I felt kindred with some of them.

  I sighed as I moved around my small kitchen, cleaning up after my takeout meal and froze. Had I heard that or was it just my imagination? I stood still, ears straining and there was no mistaking the heavy thud of scale on my bedroom carpet. I shot around the corner into my small hallway and caught a glimpse of his large black clad frame moving the mail out of the center of my carpet.