by RK Close
“If I were to interpret your dream, I’d say it confirms my suspicion that Giselle is responsible for Adam’s disappearance. Was there anything else? Think, Sam,” Jacob demands.
“Well, at the end of the dream Adam was with me and we…kissed.”
“That may indicate that he’s still alive,” he says, sounding hopeful for the first time in days.
There has been so much going on that I didn’t think to say anything. I make a mental note to share any further dreams with Jacob, as soon as they happen. “It’s good that you know what she looks like, though witches can change their appearance.” Nice to know.
Witches may be the scariest paranormal creatures I’ve been exposed to. Werewolves and vampires, I can place in a defined box, but witches are like a variable with too many possibilities, and that scares the hell out of me.
Then again, I know pretty much nothing about fairies. In bedtime stories, they were mischievous, little creatures. Neither description fits me and the list of things I don’t know continues to grow at an alarming rate.
Face after face turns to look at us as we make our way through the crowded bar. No one paid us any attention when we arrived. It seems that our activities here have caught the attention of at least half the club patrons. Does that mean that half of the people in this club are witches? Chills run through my body as I realize how lost I am in this world that I’ve stumbled upon but don’t understand.
***
Jacob sees me home before heading out to check on the address he has for Giselle—Lucinda—whoever she is. Jacob tells me that he doesn’t expect to find anything because he believes Giselle is one step ahead of us. She hasn’t survived this long by being careless or stupid.
Once I’m alone in my condo, I pick up Wilbur, my poor neglected cat, then plop down on the sofa to give him some affection and clear my head. All my thoughts are of Adam. If Giselle feels we’re too close, she could cut and run. I won’t allow myself to think about that possibility.
If she has anything to do with harming Adam, I will make it my life’s mission to destroy her.
It occurs to me that I would never have thought something so vicious and heartless before. I’ve changed, or I’m changing. Not sure if that’s a positive or negative, yet.
I’m tempted to research legends on fairies, but I feel unusually tired lately, and all I want to do is sleep.
Wilbur lets out an annoyed cry when I put him aside to get ready for bed. The thought of washing my face and brushing my teeth seems like too much work, but I manage to push through the simple routine before falling into bed.
I wake to the most wonderful feeling of warmth and security. Strong arms encircle me from behind as I’m spooned up tight to Adam’s body. His cologne is musky and familiar.
A feeling of completeness envelops me as I snuggle deeper into him and the covers. His lips brush the back of my neck, sending tingles all the way down to my toes.
“Stop that. I’m trying to sleep a little longer,” I say half-heartedly.
“Do you really want me to stop?” he asks, continuing his sensual assault on my neck.
By this point, tingles have turned to a warmth building in my core that can no longer be ignored.
“You are a demanding vampire; you know that?” I tease.
“I don’t believe you would want me any other way.”
His hands slide along my bare thigh as his lips continue to explore my neck and earlobe. I can feel that I’m not the only one turned on. His desire presses firmly against me.
When I can’t stand it any longer, I twist my body to face him. I search his face—this face I’ve missed so much. Why have I missed him? Where has he been? These thoughts are tiny whispers in the back of my mind, but nothing is louder than my longing for him. It only matters that he’s here with me, now.
As if he reads my thoughts, his lips find mine and all other notions are chased away. He draws my body closer, and I want to cry from the sheer relief of his touch. This is what I’ve been missing. Him. I’m not sure how it happened or when, but I need him. There is an important part of me that is empty when he’s gone.
I love this man, this vampire.
Suddenly, we are no longer lying in my bed. Instead, I’m standing in the underground catacombs from a previous dream. Burning torches are the only light chasing away the infinite darkness of the room.
Adam is shirtless and bloody against a stone wall. He doesn’t look like himself—he looks dangerous. His appearance shocks me, and I start to move toward him, but Adam makes the first move. He lunges at me, only to be stopped by thick chains around his wrists that attach to the wall.
My breath catches in my throat as I jump back, barely clearing his reach. Adam seems deranged and ready to kill me if given a chance. I’ve only seen him like this in my dreams. His eyes are black and alien.
Suddenly, the chains fall off his wrists. The one thing preventing him from ripping my throat out is gone. There is nothing to stop him now. Adam lunges for me, and I turn to make a run for it—as futile as it may be.
I’m hit from behind as he tackles me to the cold stone floor of the chamber. We tumble and roll in a tangle of limbs. He has me pinned before I even realize we’ve stopped moving. I expect him to tear into me any second. I scream his name. “Adam!”
Hearing this seems to cause him to pause, and something in his face changes for the briefest of moments. He seems to see me for only a second.
“Run!” he roars.
I sit straight up in bed with my heart racing in my chest. It takes me several minutes to slow my breathing and get a grip on my fear. Pulling my knees to my chest and hugging them, I bury my head and cry. Sitting in bed, the nightmare still fresh, I try not to think what it means. All I want to do is forget.
***
This time I call Jacob and tell him about my dream. He doesn’t understand it any better than I do. If anything, it may have only worried him more.
“I should also let you know that I’m going to visit the O’Donnell family to see Deirdre before the Gathering. She refuses to speak to anyone about Madison, but she’s requested to speak to me before the meeting.”
“I’ll accompany you. It’s not safe for you to be there unprotected.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, but if you insist on joining me…”
“I insist. I’ll pick you up at nine,” Jacob says.
“Fine. Did you find anything at that address?”
“Nothing more than an empty apartment. Giselle knew we were onto her before she saw us at the club.”
“Or maybe she meant for us to see her at the club,” I suggest.
“It’s possible. This could all be part of a cat and mouse game.”
“I’m ready to be the cat. Being the mouse sucks.”
“Tonight you will be a mouse in a den of angry wolves. Are you certain you wish to attend?” Jacob asks.
“I’m afraid of what will happen if I don’t go. I can’t let Deirdre face this alone, even if it’s proven that she’s guilty of something.”
Jacob is silent for a moment. “So be it. I’ll be by at nine o’clock.”
“See you then.”
There is no other option. I must go.
***
I’m so emotionally spent from the past few days that I stay in my pajamas all day.
I try to do some laundry while carrying around my coffee like it’s IV fluids. It makes even the simplest chores more complicated because I must pick it up, put it down, and then forget where I left it multiple times.
After trying to drag myself through several mindless tasks, I decide to sit down and research fairies. It’s no longer a silly notion, like the first time I Googled vampires. This time, I’m eagerly jumping into the web search with fresh eyes. No longer do I take the folklore for granted. As I’ve learned the hard way, each story is based in some truth.
My dreams are somewhat like that. There is a message embedded in the vision that is not at all direct and to
the point. I wish there were a textbook to study.
***
My brain is fried after spending several hours researching fairy folklore. Now, crazy or impossible concepts such as; Dark Court, Light Court, Seelie or Unseelie, which happen to be different names for the same thing, magic and mayhem are part of my internet browsing history. Laid to rest are any notions that fairies are little creatures that fly around the garden.
After reading so many different sources—some reputable and some questionable—I’m leaning toward the possibility that there are different classes of fae, with the most dangerous being the beautiful ones who resemble humans. Reading some of the descriptions, I start to draw a picture of human women or men being lured into intimate relations with one of the fairy race, whom they believe to be an irresistible human.
The irresistible gene must have skipped my generation.
I need to speak to Gabriel. If only there was a way for me to reach him. Unfortunately, I can’t let myself think about him or if he’s okay. I’m already starting to wonder if I’m suffering from a mild depression from worrying over Adam and now Deirdre. If I add Gabe back into that mix, I’ll be lost for sure.
But I do miss him.
Of all the legends, I’ve read about, fairies seem the most far-fetched and the most dangerous. I stand up to stretch, as I close the laptop. That’s enough of that craziness. Time to get ready to see Deirdre and attend the Gathering. Anxiety flutters in my chest when I think about the Gathering.
***
Jacob picks me up at nine sharp. He’s dressed in faded loose-fitting jeans and a snug black t-shirt that makes me think of Adam. Everything makes me think of Adam.
I was told the Gathering would be outdoors, so I dressed in jeans, sneakers, a flannel, and a leather jacket. I grabbed a scarf and beanie just in case. Lately, I don’t go anywhere without my pendant and dagger—they’ve become as essential as clothing.
Jacob isn’t even wearing his jacket. It’s a vampire thing. Adam wears one occasionally, but I believe it’s more for show or to remain inconspicuous. Adam and the word inconspicuous do not belong in the same sentence.
I’m not a vampire, so I bundle up. It was a warm day in the seventies, but temperatures can drop drastically in the desert at night. Sean said the Gathering would be in the wilderness, someplace secluded to bring the two packs together without drawing attention.
It’s a long, quiet drive out to the O’Donnell ranch. Neither of us has much to chat about. I’m certain his thoughts are as dark as mine. After almost an hour’s drive, we pull up to the adobe ranch-style home. Tonight, there are six different vehicles parked out front. Standing on the front porch is Colin, Cian, and a woman I don’t know.
When we step out of the car, I see three sets of eyes glow with a golden light.
Are they threatened by us?
But then I realize they’re glaring in Jacob’s direction—not at me.
“I brought my friend Jacob. If there’s a problem with that, we’ll leave,” I say, my hands on my hips.
“We don’t welcome vampires into our home,” Cian says. His father places a hand on his shoulder.
“Good time to change that outdated rule. Jacob goes where I go, so if he isn’t welcome, neither am I,” I say, turning back toward the car.
Jacob says nothing and follows my lead. We reach the car and open the doors.
“He can stay,” Colin says.
I stop and look at Colin. “You okay with this, Jacob?” I ask, still watching Colin.
“I go where you go,” Jacob replies.
I can hear the humor in his voice. We slowly walk back to the other group until I’m up to the steps and standing in front of Colin. We stare at one another until I hear the woman next to Colin growl. When I look, her eyes are glowing amber flames. I give her a closer look and note that she’s quite attractive, about five feet two inches tall with blond hair and an age that’s hard to call. She could be forty to fifty-five years old. An ageless beauty.
“Leila,” Colin says firmly.
She never takes her eyes from me, but she drops her shoulders a fraction as she tips her head to the side, cracking her neck with the movement. My eyes widen as I look back to Colin for an explanation.
“This is Leila, Mojave Pack enforcer,” Colin says.
“Does she bite?” I ask. Sometimes I can’t keep my thoughts to myself.
“You bet I do,” Leila says, smoothly.
There’s a promise in her eyes that says she can back it up. Pack enforcers are nobody to mess around with. I must have a death wish since I’ve managed to land on the wrong side of two so far.
Eyebrows raised, I give her a look. I have the sense that I might like Leila if we were meeting under different circumstances.
And why are all Pack enforcers women?
When we are finally led into the house, I’m greeted with cozy yet sophisticated style. I’m not sure what I expected, but this rugged luxury was not it. Leather furniture, tasteful Western art, and fur rugs surprise me. What did I expect—handmade furniture, fixtures from the seventies?
I’m led through a galley-style gourmet kitchen that could easily compete with Adam’s. After the kitchen, we enter a wide hallway that tees off at the end. We turn right and enter a spacious bedroom, decorated for a female in green and purple shades. Sitting across from one another, next to a roaring fire, are Deirdre and Sean. He leans toward her, holding her hands.
Deirdre jumps up when we enter the room. Sean stands more slowly, as if he’s a hundred years old. It’s obvious what this is doing to him.
Deirdre starts crying and Sean pulls her into a protective embrace. Cian stands in the corner looking lost and broken as well. I can almost feel the heartache in this room. Their concern has the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. I’m missing something here. This feels like a funeral.
Pack law. That’s what I’m missing. I don’t understand the rules. I’m Alice, and this is Wonderland—nothing is as I expect it to be.
Colin steps toward his daughter, and she turns her tear-stained face to him. She twists and grabs him around the waist and buries her head in his chest. He doesn’t hesitate to hold her in a tight embrace. The rest of us watch silently as Deirdre is comforted by her father.
After a short while, she sniffs and accepts a tissue that Leila hands her. She looks at me again with red, swollen eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I only intended to scare you.”
Jacob steps a little closer to me. At first I don’t understand what she’s saying, but then it hits me like a brick…
Deirdre was the wolf that attacked me.
33
Blood
I’m shocked beyond words. This seems to be happening more and more. My attacker was Deirdre. The wolf that scared the bejeezus out of me was this wisp of a girl, barely eighteen. I walk across the room to stand in front of her and search her face. At seeing my hesitation, she reaches down to her right arm and begins rolling up the fabric of her blouse. She pulls back the material to reveal a large white bandage with a pink stain of blood leaking through. Deirdre pulls back the bandage part way to expose a large gash that is far from healed and still looks fresh.
I raise my eyes to consider hers. There, I find remorse and sorrow too great for one so young. From my perspective—that wolf was trying to kill me, but my instinct tells me she’s sincere. I’m not sure it matters anymore.
Looking around the room, it’s obvious that her family had no idea she was the one who attacked me. Her involvement in this entire mess seems to have thrown them for a loop.
Cian is the one to speak first. “Dee, how could you do such a thing?”
Deirdre looks so young, innocent, and lost.
Sean looks at me and asks, “Your dagger?”
I nod. Colin O’Donnell gives me a strange look.
“Why did you try to scare me, Deirdre?” I ask, trying to understand her motives.
“You were getti
ng too close. I didn’t want you to expose my family,” Deirdre sobs.
Oh, crap. Deirdre knows. I give Jacob a nervous glance. Now the shit is going to hit the fan. This is not the time to discuss the sex tapes in my possession. Actually, I was considering not telling Sean or Cian about the photos. Let sleeping dogs…keep sleeping was my train of thought, anyway.
I look nervously at Sean. “What is Deirdre talking about?” Sean demands in his faint Irish lilt.
Looking down at the ground, I try to gather my thoughts for the best way to say it—or not say it, if I can talk my way out of this.
Without warning, I’m roughly pulled backward. Movement erupts from all over the room before I understand what has happened. With a warning hiss, Jacob has moved in front of me. It takes a few seconds for my brain to assess the situation, but his actions seem to be in response to Cian and Sean moving toward me.
From our right, Leila says, “Back off, vampire.”
Everyone’s eyes are glowing, and Deirdre begins to cry harder. It’s Colin O’Donnell who steps calmly between his sons and Jacob.
“Sit down, boys.” Colin’s voice seems to echo off the walls like a megaphone.
Both his sons immediately sit down and Leila moves to stand beside them. Jacob’s body language relaxes just a fraction as he steps to my side. I have no idea what just happened but I’m hypersensitive to the fact that a simple misunderstanding in this room could end in death…for me, most likely.
Colin turns to me. “We’ve had enough secrets tearing this family apart. It’s time for truth.” His stern face tells me there’s no avoiding it. Does he know that I didn’t want to tell them about the pictures?
I know he’s right.
“Well?” Cian demands impatiently.
