“You’re going to look that good forever,” I said. “Perhaps if you get tired of fighting fires…”
“Apollo,” Addy began.
“Patience, darling, I’m not finished with my story. I apologize for getting sidetracked by your handsome companion. Now, where was I?”
I closed my eyes, smiling as I remembered that last night with Sabine. I’d spent many nights since then trying to come up with the perfect description of that last evening, but no one word or phrase, or even sentence, seemed to be quite right.
‘Magical’ was the closest I can come, but you’d have to believe in magic to understand that. Not many do these days.
“Sabine,” I whispered, longingly caressing her face in my mind. “Sabine was designing the costumes for a huge play in Marseille. We’d traveled there together on the train, making love in the tiny bathroom as the cars swayed. Her play was a month long, so we found a tiny hotel around the corner of the theater and spent the time exploring the city while she wasn’t working. It was thrilling, being somewhere new together, discovering a new city. Unfortunately, the director of the play became very enamored with my darling Sabine. He began by following her to the hotel, or making her stay at the theatre with him alone after all the others had left. Of course, before long he was making advances at her, groping her when she walked by, cornering her in the countless dark recesses of the theatre and forcing his lips to hers. She was disgusted, of course. She rejected all of his advances. And each night when she came home and told me about them, she had to hold me back, blocking the door so I wouldn’t go out and confront him. She pleaded with me to let it go. She insisted she could handle him. It was only a few more weeks and the play would have been over.
“Regretfully, I agreed.” I took a moment, composing myself before I went on. The next part of the story was the worst regret of my life and I’d never forgiven myself for my actions. I should have killed the man the first time he laid his meaty paws on Sabine and yet…
“It was the last night of the play. The theatre was packed to the rafters, the audience spilling out into the aisles. Sabine was beside herself with happiness. It was the biggest job she’d had till then and she’d outdone herself ten times over. I, of course, was the proud partner, standing by her side afterwards with a lifted chin and eyes that I couldn’t tear away from her. After the show was over, and the last of the audience had finally left, the cast and crew decided to go to a local tavern to celebrate. There was a sharp chill in the air that night and Sabine had forgotten to bring a sweater. I offered to run to our hotel to pick it up for her and told her I’d meet her at the tavern. She was talking excitedly, happily hugging her friends as I left. It was the last time I ever saw her…
“I walked back to the hotel, my thoughts consumed with my love for Sabine as I strolled through the dark streets. I’d managed to save a small amount of money and I’d gone and bought a small gold ring, encrusted with the tiniest diamond I’d ever seen, but it was all I could afford. I’d placed it in my suit pocket, in a tiny velvet box. I planned to propose to Sabine that night, after all the festivities were over and we were finally alone. I’d already picked out the perfect spot; a tiny, arched wooden bridge that stood over a sparkling canal near the hotel. I’d get down on one knee and propose like a proper man. After grabbing her sweater from our room, I began the walk back to the tavern, giddy with excitement.
“I didn’t see him coming. He came up behind me, silently. But I heard him — his breath, his footsteps. I turned around, surprised to find myself face to face with the Director. My hands balled into fists as I faced him, remembering Sabine’s plea that I let it go. I had every intention of complying with her wishes, even though I didn’t want to, but the man in me ferociously wanted to stand up for my love. Allowing to stay quiet about his harassment had proven extremely difficult, but I would have done anything for Sabine. But now that he stood in front of me? Now that the play was over? Maybe that changed things, I thought. But then, I thought of Sabine, probably shivering and waiting for me to bring her sweater to her. I imagined the look on her face when I proposed later. I saw her walking down the aisle towards me, in some handbeaded masterpiece she’d created herself…and I gave in once more.
“Instead of punching him, I said hello. I tried to be civil. For Sabine’s sake.
“But that was another mistake in a long line of mistakes, because this man was a predator, a snake, there wasn’t a civil bone in his body. I saw the glint of the knife before I could move out of the way. His hand thrust forward, the blade slicing into my side with a hot flash of pain.
“ ‘Why?’ I cried, as he stabbed me again, blood bubbling up into my mouth.
“ ‘She’s mine, she’s mine, she’s mine,’ he chanted, stabbing and stabbing, his arm ripping upward with each thrust, shredding my organs. Finally, he ran away, leaving me alone and bleeding in the dark, lying on the street in a puddle of my own warm blood. Everything faded away as I lie there under the stars, everything except Sabine’s beautiful face. It was all gone. My life. My love. My very existence…
“All gone. I woke up to blinding light and a gentle face staring down on me. Jasper was a beautiful vampire and he was good to me. He’d found me on the brink of death that night as he was out hunting. He could have finished me off, but he didn’t. He told me later that he felt sorry for me. Dying all alone like that, without anyone around to tell me that they loved me. It was a tender act, on his part. How could I resent him for giving me the gift? For giving me another chance?
“I never saw Sabine again. It was the greatest loss of my life. But how could I subject her to what I’d become, to the darkness? I had no idea what I was doing, who I had become, I was like a helpless toddler. Thank goodness I had Jasper and not one of those creators that turn their back on their creations. But losing Sabine hurt in the worst way. I made up for it by tracking down that director and ripping him limb from limb after terrifying him so badly he shit himself and cried like a baby. But that only helped the pain a little. Nothing could replace Sabine.”
“Apollo, with all due respect, why are you telling us all of this?” Addy asked.
“Because I want you to understand. I want you to understand why I’m asking you to do what I’m asking. My background is important. The immense and all-consuming love that I felt for Sabine is important for you to understand what I need now. I see the way you look at Leo, don’t you feel the same for him?”
“Yes, I do,” she replied, glancing over at him, her eyes beaming with love.
“That’s what I’m talking about!”
“What?”
“That’s why I’m here! I’m here for love, you guys! And what’s more important in the world than love?”
They looked at each other, shaking their heads and smiling.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing! Exactly.”
“Apollo…” Leo said, shaking his head as he turned back to me. “How can we help you?”
“It’s not you I need, Leo. It’s Addy.”
“Me?”
“Yes, darling. You see, I’ve fallen in love again!” My heart soared as I clapped my hands and thought of my sweet love.
“You’ve fallen in love?”
“Yes, and it’s absolutely marvelous! Her name is Trixie! Oh, she’s such a beauty. And French, too. Just like Sabine. In fact, she reminds me so much of Sabine, I suppose that’s why I’ve fallen for her. She’s like a young Audrey Hepburn, with big doe-like eyes and the tiniest little body. She’s like a young bird…frail as one, too.”
My heart sank as I thought about how sick Trixie was.
“Well, I’m glad you’ve found love, Apollo,” Addy said, “but I’m afraid I still don’t understand what that has to do with me.”
“Of course you don’t,” I replied. “Let me continue. To be blunt, I’m a man of great means. I’ve acquired great wealth over the course of a long life. I’m respected by the Council and some might even say I have a bit of power in the
vampire community. I could easily use my wealth to acquire anything my heart desired. But, as we all know, money cannot buy everything.”
“My dear Trixie is sick, Addy.”
“Sick?” She asked. “How?”
“She’s dying. Quickly. You see, I fell in love with her at first sight, if you can believe that. It’s so cliché, isn’t it? But as I said, she reminded me so much of Sabine, so I was immediately drawn to her. I should have allowed her to roam free at the sanctuary and meet her fate, but instead, I intercepted her.”
“You intercepted her? You took her from the sanctuary, Apollo?”
“Call it what you will,” I replied. “She’s mine now.”
“Yours? What do you mean? Have you turned her?” Addy asked.
“Heavens no,” I replied, defensively. “I wouldn’t condemn her to this darkness.”
Addy and Leo looked at one another and I saw that guilt wash over Addy’s face. Leo was young. I doubted he’d had even a glimpse of the darkness that awaited him. I wasn’t going to subject my beloved Trixie to that. Not if it wasn’t necessary.
“But if you have to call it anything, call it a rescue. Isn’t that what you did, Addy? Rescue Leo? From Dane’s deadly embrace? From the hunt, in the dead of night. You even killed Stefan to rescue Leo, didn’t you?”
Addy’s faced hardened.
“You love him that much.”
“Apollo, what do you want?”
“I want you to know that I understand, because I did the same thing you did. I fell in love with a human and I rescued her. Now, I need your help, though.”
“How can I help?”
“You can save her life, Addy. You’re the only one, her only hope.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She was born with a congenital heart defect. She’s had dozens of surgeries throughout her life. Her organs have suffered, her kidneys and liver are failing now. Her heart is shredded. She’s been on a heart transplant waiting list forever, but now that everything else is failing, they’ve removed her because she isn’t healthy enough to receive the heart. Her doctors have refused to do anything, I’ve tried bribing them, bribing her hospital, just last week in fact. But nobody will touch her.”
“Apollo,” she began shaking her head. “If the doctors say she’s inoperable…”
“What do they know? They aren’t the best heart surgeons in the world. You are. You have more experience than anyone, Addy!”
“That’s not true, there are few on the East Coast.”
“I’ve contacted them both, they won’t do it.”
“Well, Apollo, if they won’t do it, then they would know if it was too risky or not. They’re the experts.”
“So are you.”
“Sure, but we always agree on risky procedures. We’re no different in that respect.”
“There is a difference, Addy,” I said.
“What’s that?” she asked, her eyes squinting in confusion.
“I don’t have anything to blackmail them with.”
“Apollo!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Please…”
“If you don’t find Trixie a new heart and allow her one last chance at survival, I’ll tell the Council that you killed Stefan and I’ll tell them Leo killed Dane.”
“How did you know that?” She asked.
“I saw the burned linoleum in your kitchen, darling. I knew Dane was an evil bastard…”
“Dammit,” Leo said, cursing himself. “I was going to replace that this weekend.”
“It doesn’t matter. The world is a better place without Dane and honestly, the Council would probably applaud you for it. But they wouldn’t take too kindly to knowing it was you who killed Stefan, Addy. And that you turned your lover, as well. I don’t have to remind you what would happen if they knew, do I?” I asked.
“No,” she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “But Apollo, a heart transplant? That’s asking an enormous amount. Do you know what goes into a heart transplant? Even if I could get my hands on one, which I really don’t think I could…”
“I’ve already got one lined up. And a full medical staff and facilities, as well.”
“What! You can’t be serious?”
“I am. Don’t I look serious, darling?”
“Apollo, Trixie is going to die. If my colleagues say it’s too risky, then it is. I’m sorry, but there’s no other outcome.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. That’s where you are all wrong. Trixie came to me for a reason. It’s destiny, Addy! I know you have to believe in that, after all this time. Wasn’t Leo your destiny? You went to the sanctuary to save him, against all odds, and here you are sitting in your lovely home together.”
“But Apollo…if I didn’t turn Leo, he would have died, too. In fact, he did die. He had a heart attack in the hotel room and I made a choice.”
“Well. That’s beside the point. You still went through the trouble of traveling there and rescuing him from sure death in the hunt. You had hope. Like I do now. Maybe things will turn out differently. Maybe Trixie will die. But now that I love her, I can’t turn down a chance to save her, no matter how small. Wouldn’t you do the same thing, Addy?
“Tell me you’ll help me, Addy. I don’t want to have to blackmail you. I’ll pay you handsomely, put in a good word for you with the Council, even get you pardoned, if you want. I have favors that need returning. I have power. What I don’t have is what you have. Skill. Courage. The ability to give a sweet woman one last chance at life.”
I paused, watching her blue eyes carefully, my heart racing as I waited for her answer, the answer that would change both of our lives and hopefully save the only person in this entire world that meant something to me…
ARE you ready to find out what happens next in The Sanctuary?
The Sanctuary #3: The Vampire’s Promise, is coming August 15th, 2017!
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I’m so excited to finally be sharing The Sanctuary with all of you. A new Sanctuary novel will arrive every single month so be sure to check back often and join my email list for new release notification! I hope you love this series as much as I love creating it,
-Athena XOXOXO
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Also by Athena Blackrose
Join The Sanctuary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
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iends
The Sanctuary 2: The Vampire's Passion Page 15
