He stood like a statue with his arms crossed looking around at the village. His eyes settled on The Six, all sitting across the small road in the village, on Chris’s front porch. He finally turned and looked at me after seeing the last of the tail lights and ignoring the Six.
“Hmm.” He made a noise, “You want some breakfast?” He opened the door and let me walk in before him.
“Sure.” I said walking to the kitchen and sitting down.
“Here.” He handed me a plate. Breakfast was already served up. Bacon, eggs, and toast all on the plate.
“Looks good.” I started to devour it. Yum.
“When you went running the other night,” He started with his mouth full not looking up at me, “Where did you go?”
“If you’re asking if we killed anyone or came across any dead bodies, no we didn’t. But we did smell some blood. We didn’t make much of it.” I shoved some egg into my mouth, “Where have you been the past few days with the council?” I threw a quick question out at him.
“I wasn’t going to accuse anyone. I know it wasn’t any of our people. I was with the council and that’s all you need to know for now.”
“How do you know our people didn’t do it?” I asked him, then paused to ask another question, “Why was there a council meeting?”
“Because our kind, once shifted, don’t exactly tear out the throats, not like that anyways.”
“Not like that? Like in the photos?” I asked.
“You shouldn’t have looked at those.” He took a sip out of his coffee mug. It was all gone, and he looked into his cup like he was disappointed.
“Here.” I got up and grabbed the coffee pot, pouring him some more.
“Thanks.” He smiled, “And yes, not like that, like in the photos. We don’t attack people, we know better. There is only one creature who feasts on human blood.”
“You can’t be serious? Are the Vampyres getting messy? Why would they leave a bloody mess behind on human land?”
“I suppose they want to start trouble again.”
“What then?” I asked, putting the last of my breakfast in my mouth.
“I will decide what to do later on after consulting with more of the council and the Elders. Just stay out of the woods and keep your boys at bay.” He gave a half smile.
“And what of the council father?”
“You need not worry about the council daughter.” He stood up grabbing my empty plate and placing them into the sink. “In two nights we will have our council here around the fire.”
I just sat there not really knowing what to say. I stared at the floor realizing how dirty it actually was. The cracks between the tiles were really quite gross. I shook myself out of it.
“Alright. I will stay out of the forest father.” I said.
He nodded towards me and stepped towards the back door, “I will be out for the day Angel. See you later tonight.” The back door shut.
“Ok.” I said to myself.
Well, I guess I better get something done inside today. First thing I know that I have to do is clean up the glass from the picture frame upstairs. That picture was a gift from my father when I was a little girl.
The photo, it was beautiful. It was of the meadow, past the woods, on our lands. It was where my mother had died. I know, a morbid gift from father to daughter right? He had thought it would keep her memory close to me. In truth, it has. Yet, it hasn’t. I don’t know what she looks like, except for what he tells me of her.
I stood there looking at the photo for a bit, taking the whole frame apart and just threw all of the glass away; even the glass that was all over the floor. I hung the photo back on the wall and stared at it. A meadow full of daisies.
It is so hard for me to imagine those flowers being made imperfect by blood splatters. It’s hard for me to imagine a life without those flowers. Maybe those flowers and that meadow are blessed. And maybe they are cursed. Should I stay out of the forest? Should I stay away from the meadows? What is really going on out there in the forest? Why have the killings started again?
If the Vampyres were going about this the wrong way to get my people into trouble, to get them caught, would I just have to surrender myself to them? Wave my white flag around on the borders and step over? This war between us would have never started in the first place if it wasn’t for my arrival.
I have never heard of any stories before I was born that even once implied that they were enemies. Was it all my fault? Can I blame both of my parents, or only single someone out? They cannot help that they fell for each other can they? One cannot help who they love. Would human kind kill the other’s family to try and kill the one thing that has made their daughter or son happy? William Shakespeare wrote a story about it, with Romeo and Juliet. A family feud, long before the two met. “My only love sprung from my only hate.” Another tragic ending. He must have known my parents and their families. And something that we’re not, is that what we are taught to fear? There should only be fear in fear itself.
Why would anyone wish this upon anyone else? I didn’t understand this. It is true. One cannot help who they fall for. The love at first sight, and the way people are born. They know exactly who they are meant for and what there life will be like the moment they take in the cold air. You know who you are what you are. It is true.
Will I end up like my mother? I have always wondered that. Sometimes, James doesn’t matter. Yet, sometimes he does. I love him. Maybe not the way that he wants me to. He will not be my end, but I may be his someday.
I feel like a human sometimes, having all of these emotions run through me. I don’t want a tragic ending. I have seen too much already to want more in my life.
My father would have killed himself to be with her if it wasn’t for me. He said the only reason that he is still alive was me. I look like her and that is what keeps him going. This is what makes it alright for him to wake up in the morning without her there. I know that he thinks of her often. I can see it in his eyes.
He believes that her spirit is still here. There is this old Cherokee legend about the Cherokee Rose he refers to a lot. When I was a child he would tuck me in at night and tell me of it.
“Daddy, tell me the rose story again.” I said to him in excitement.
“Alright, alright, ok,” He tucked me in and sat down on the bed next to me so that he could whisper the story into my ear, “The legend of the Cherokee Rose goes like this my dear child. The legend tells of a warrior, a brave warrior.”
“Who was you!” I giggled.
“No, no, not me.” He smiled and touched the tip of my nose with his pointer finger. “This warrior was on the war path and he was caught by another tribe, and he was condemned to death. To have him be consumed by the sacred flames. But the young warrior fell ill after being caught. Well, the Chief wanted this young warrior to get better before he was to be given back to the great creator.
The warrior was to be kept with a family of a man, a wife and daughter. The daughter had nursed him back to health, but in the process of helping him get better, she had fallen in love with him.”
“You should have started the story with Once Upon A Time.” I laughed again.
“Oh Angel…” He smiled and then continued on, “This young girl; she felt sorrow for him and sadness because she would have to watch the man she fell in love with, die. He did not want to have her see him like that in front of the rest of the tribe.
During a conversation one night between the two, he had suggested that they run away. Escape with one another, so that they could stay with each other always. She of course, agreed. And who wouldn’t?
They left together as soon as the night came and darkness crept in. No one would hear them escape because of those night sounds and the others would be sleeping.
After they had started running she stopped and wanted to go back to get something that would give her a memory of her family and her people. After a few moments she had
returned to him. She was carrying a vine plant with little white flowers on it. Yellow in the middle and it had smelled of sweetness.
They kept going on their journey until they made it back to the warriors land where they built a home to live. She then planted this little vine with white flowers on the outside of their home. The people there called it the Cherokee Rose, in remembrance of this young girl who had planted it long ago. To the small weak girl who was brave enough to fall in love with someone who was not of her kin and defy her people.”
“That’s a great story father…” I yawned and fell asleep. Every time.
My father believes that her spirit lives all around him, watching over him. He sometimes sees her looking out through my eyes, he says. He believes that every spring when the Cherokee Rose blooms, and the sweet smell circulates in the air, that she is there. That was when she died.
In many ways, I believe that she may still be here too. A lot of people believe that our natural born enemies do not have souls. That it is taken away from them the moment they are turned. I believe that your soul is yours and no one else’s. It can’t be taken away until you let it go in the end. There are lost souls everywhere. I don’t think that my mothers soul has drifted very far. She lingers here waiting for the day that my father gives up with life and stops his cycle of shifting so that he may grow old and pass into the spirit world and be with her. This is what I believe.
I was still standing here in my room with those thoughts going through my head and staring at the glass-less frame when I was distracted with a loud knock on the door. It startled me and made me jump. I really didn’t want to move, or go to the door to see who it was. I just kept standing there hoping that whoever it was would just go away.
Another knock came.
I went to look out my window to make an attempt to see who was down there, but I didn’t see anything or anyone.
Another loud knock.
“I’m coming…” I muttered. I walked down the dark stairwell towards the front door and opened it to see a smiling cheerful face.
“I’m back.” She smiled.
Standing in front of me was a girl who was about the same height as me with long straight brown hair, and dressed in blue jeans and a tight white t-shirt. “Rayna!” I screamed at the person who was standing there. I leapt out of the open door and gave her a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re back!” She hugged back. Rayna, my best friend since forever, as we are only a few years apart.
“Me too!” She laughed, “You didn’t think I forgot about you, did you?”
“Well, kinda.” I smiled letting my hug loosen. “It has been over a year now.”
“So.” She stuck her tongue out at me. I stuck mine out back at her. “I see your boys haven’t changed much.” She motioned towards the guys who were all rallied around Micah and discussing the adventures he and Rayna were on. I nodded in agreement.
“You heard about the killings?” I asked her suddenly. Her face went somber. I looked away towards the ground.
“It’s in our nature to come back home to danger.” Micah said as he walked over and up the stairs. Micah was Rayna’s lover. They have been together now for a couple hundred years. He was tall, toned and gorgeous, with long black hair that waved past his ears.
“A newspaper from here arrived where we were. It was the first thing we saw on the front page.” Rayna said.
“Why would a paper from here, in Central New York arrive down in New Orleans where you were?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but it did.” She said.
“So then what should we do? You obviously received the paper for a reason and you came back. Do you do what we have always done, and gear up for a fight?” I asked.
“Yes. It’s as simple as that.” Micah stated.
I went over and sat down in my father’s rocking chair and the others leaned against the rail or stood up on the porch watching me. “No, it’s not.” I reached over to Rayna who was sitting on the porch floor next to me and put my middle and index finger to her temple to let her hear all of the things that have been going on and to see the things that she has missed out on over the past year she and Micah have been gone.
“Oh.” She said breathlessly.
“If they catch us…” I started but she interrupted.
“They don’t want us Angel. They only want you.” Micah said.
“They will kill us if they have to, to get to you.” Rayna said.
“I know.”
“We are hunters, and we have to do our job and get to the bottom of this.” Rayna said.
“It’s been years since we’ve had to do anything because all has been so quiet.” I said.
“And what about the cops?” Chris asked.
“We’re smarter than the cops. And faster too. We can out run them and out smart them.” I said, with a grin.
“And we’ll all help.” James said.
“That’s Angels call.” Micah said.
“No. I can’t have you six out there with us, especially when we don’t know what’s really out there.” I said.
“We can take care of ourselves.” Tobey said.
“I said no.” I stood up, “It’s not happening, sorry.”
James coughed. I looked over at him, Meet me at the beach tonight James. I put into his head. He gave me a quick nod that only I could see.
It was nearly midnight now on the beach watching the water crash into the pebbles and sand in the moonlight. I was very happy that Rayna and Micah had come back home and were willing to help the village; go out there and try to get to the bottom of these killings.
I have bad feelings in my stomach. None like I have ever felt before. I tried to swallow and it was painful. I wanted to cry badly but there was nothing coming out at all. I don’t know how to react to anything like this. In all my years I have never been faced with such feelings like this. I had always did what was expected of me. I was a hunter and a tracker. That was who I was. I did what I had to do without questions, now all I want is peace and quiet. For the most past.
Peace is not a likely word that can be used often when talking about Vampyres and Were’s. There will never be world peace or no war. Never. There will always be death, destruction, greed, war, famine, and so on. Peace is a word that has gone extinct a long time ago.
The shore was deserted and lonely now at this time of night. I was sitting near the water, on a large rock, waiting for James to show up. He’s always late. I had this feeling like I was being watched and from the corner of my eye up along the forest I saw him. A clad figure in the darkness. A lone man standing out there staring down at me. He seemed all to familiar to me. Black hair that was blowing in the breeze and his eyes were practically glowing a greenish-blue color. His skin was so light he looked like he was glowing. He smiled at me and bowed his head downward and then backed up into the forest and was gone.
I didn’t sense any threat from him, whoever he was. I just simply turned my attention back towards the water and the moon. The reflection of the moon on the water was stunning tonight. It was like there were two skies.
“You’re glowing tonight.” James’ voice came from behind me. I turned to see him just standing there watching me with a grin on his face, though he had a bit of sadness in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I raised and eyebrow in question.
“Nothing.” He responded quickly moving towards me. He stopped and leaned up against the rock I was sitting on and looked up at me. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, looking away again.
“You have always been a bad liar.”
“I’m not lying.” He said without contact. Therefore I knew he was lying.
“You just lied about lying.” I almost laughed.
He didn’t say anything but just looked out towards the water listening to the waves. I watched the way that the water reflected in his eyes. I had always loved to look into his eyes, but right now, he seemed to not want to even loo
k into mine. I was always told that the eyes are the windows to our souls. And our souls will tell you everything.
“Look at me.” I said reaching up and putting my hand on his face, pulling it towards me. My small pale hand touched his tanned skin and looked amazing. It looked funny to see my petite hand on his face.
“Why?” He turned looking at me.
“You don’t want me out there do you?” I squinted looking into his soul.
“I’m going out there with you.” He said.
“I don’t want you out there. Not until we have figured out what the hell is going on.” I paused, “I don’t want anything to happen to you or to anyone else. Rayna, Micah and I know what we are doing. We’ve been doing this longer than any of you.”
“So that makes it ok for you three to go out there and get yourselves killed? Just because they come back doesn’t mean you have to act like you’re a big shot and be all suicidal. Damnit Angel!”
“What James? What do you want from me? To be normal with me? Is that what you want? Because nothing will ever be normal with me or us! We will never be humans. We are what we are. I am what I am, and this is my job. I’m first in command of all the hybrids out there and this village, my village and people are in danger of whatever is out there. You can’t stand there and tell me not to do my job.”
“Yes, I want normal for us. I know that won’t happen. I’m not really telling you to not do your job…I don’t know what I’m saying.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
“James…”
“Just let us go out there to help you.”
“No.” I said again. “This is my final decision. We don’t know what the hell is out there. I’m not going to just let you guys go out there and get killed. Your blood would be on my hands.”
“None of us would die…” He said.
“You don’t know that.”
“Damn, Angel! You are such a pain in the ass sometimes. And reckless.” He paused, “Look at you Angel. For the longest time all you wanted was to just relax and not fight. Now, a little human blood spills and you want to get out there…”
“James. Stop this.”
Fate of the Blood Moon's Path Page 7
