Sun Kissed (The Guardian Angel Series Book 2)

by Madi, Skyla

  “Do you want to talk about last night?”

  Oh, so he hasn’t lost his voice.

  “There’s no point. You don’t believe me.”

  “Ruby.” Eli exhaled in frustration. “It’s not a simple as that. I saw him die, I saw his eyes… he was way past the point of being brought back as a vampire.”

  “He is, Eli. I can’t prove it to you but I saw him.”

  His brow furrowed. “We’ll be at Mount Kuuce tonight. We’ll clear this mess up then.”

  I exhaled out of my nose in frustration. “Fine.”

  Mount Kuuce

  The forty-eight hour car trip had come to end. The winding mountain we had to ascend popped my ears and made me nauseous. I couldn’t stop my trembling knees as we rolled to a stop outside a huge wrought iron gate. The twilight sky was beautiful. There were no clouds and no stars. It was peaceful, but it still wasn’t enough to calm my nerves.

  The gate screeched as it pulled itself open. Slowly we drove forward through the wild, untamed greenery. Once we passed the first fifty meters of gravel road shrouded by thick trees, the scenery changed. The dark, mossy trees were gone, replaced by elegant gardens. The road became stable as we reached the tar driveway. I glanced sideways at Eli in disbelief.

  “Is this the place you came to when he summoned you?”

  “No. There was no beauty or color where I went, only old bricks and darkness.”

  In the distance the unnerving silence engulfed the surrounding hillside, where the castle stood elegantly against the backdrop of the inky horizon. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a sad place, even though I could rattle off a million reasons why it should be. Still, it wasn’t a happy place, either. The castle was old. It was larger than the ones we had at Sage, but this one was graceful and appealing. The aged bricks seemed to groan in pain, as if they hated the creatures now occupying it. By the looks of the glass windows that fitted nicely into the castle, it must have been renovated to fit in with today’s needs. Instead of the drawbridge and moat I was expecting, there were big, wooden double doors and a fountain.

  As we neared the end of the driveway, we were officially face to face with our prison. While I admit it was beautiful, serene, and regal, it was forbidding enough to make my stomach leap all the way into my throat.

  “It seems empty,” I commented as we pulled into the car park.

  “That’s because it’s not quite dark enough yet. Any minute now, though, I’m sure.”

  We exited the car and walked towards the door. The castle towered over us, dominating us. Eli appeared unaffected. His guardian mask was on, that meant he couldn’t show his true feelings and he didn’t.

  Five minutes later, when every one of the sun’s rays had well and truly gone, the big wooden door opened.

  “Welcome,” a short, smiling Asian man greeted us. “We’ve been expecting you.”

  His thin lips spread into a wide smile and he made no attempt to hide his fangs.

  “Thank you,” Eli replied politely, stepping inside.

  I followed closely behind him. I glanced down at the cold hard floor — it was marble and each tile was chosen with a specific taste in mind. None of them matched and yet, they seemed to paint a beautiful picture. Paintings decorated the walls and large stone pillars were placed around the castle, supporting its heavy brick frame. In front of us was a large, stone staircase which eventually split into two different directions. Flowers were carved into the stone and edged subtly with gold.

  “The look of confusion when people see my home never gets old.” Lucian chuckled, descending the stairs. “Is it the garden? Or the modern design of the interior? Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a vampire and still like beautiful, serene things?”

  I swallowed hard. Seeing his face again sent chills down my spine. One by one, vampires began popping up all over the place. They seemed to have appeared from thin air. They were quick, too quick.

  “No answer?” Lucian smiled at me.

  “You have a beautiful home. It isn’t what I expected,” I forced out politely. By some miracle I was able to keep my voice steady.

  “What were you expecting?” He eyed me curiously.

  “Gargoyles, deep red carpets, coffins, dead trees, you know, the usual vampire things.”

  Lucian laughed loudly and the rest of the vampires joined in. I glanced sideways at Eli. His dark eyes were watching me in amusement.

  “We’re going to get along just fine,” Lucian exclaimed. “Ludiia!”

  She appeared in an instant. She had curled her long dark hair in ringlets down her back. They matched her nineteenth century black and green gown perfectly.

  “Please show Miss Moore to her room. Mr De Luca and I have many things to discuss.”

  Ludiia stalked toward me.

  “I’m not leaving him,” I blurted.

  I couldn’t trust Lucian. What if he hurt Eli in my absence, or worse, killed him?

  “Oh hush. I’m not going to hurt him. You can come back down when it’s time for dinner.”

  Ludiia grabbed my arm tightly and I winced. Her skin was so cold it felt like it was burning mine.

  “Sorry, I haven’t had any blood today. My skin is a little colder than usual.”

  The sadistic smirk that grew on her face told me she didn’t actually care she was hurting me.

  The castle was big, much bigger than I had first thought. It felt like we walked past at least a hundred rooms before we reached mine.

  “Oh, before I go, I should probably mention that Lucian has left a little welcoming gift for you.” She chuckled loudly before turning her back and walking back the way we came.

  Slowly, I opened the door. When I was sure no one was hiding inside, I entered.

  Vampires or not, they sure knew how to live in luxury. A Jacobean four-poster bed took up a good area of the room but it still left space for two armchairs and a desk. Through the door on the side, I assume, was a bathroom.

  “Ruby?”

  My breath caught in my throat and my heart sank into my shoes. Slowly I turned around.

  “No,” I whispered, backing away cautiously.

  “Why are you so afraid of me? Aren’t you happy that I’m alive?” He was hurt by my fear.

  “Y-you’re not alive… You’re a vampire,” I stammered. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans. My subconscious was threatening to shut down. Hunter was blocking my exit; I needed to get out of here.

  “Yes, I am.” Hunter reached out to me. He was real.

  I folded in on myself. I curled my face into my knees and the tears began to flow. “Please don’t touch me.”

  “Ruby, I’m not going to hurt you.”

  ‘I’m not going to hurt you’ says the vampire. I couldn’t help but link his phrase to the Big Bad Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood.

  “Don’t lie to me.”

  A cold hand reached out and touched my arm but I recoiled away. His touch was once so warm and loving, but now that was only a memory, and in its place was the cold hand of death. My chest started tightening.

  Please go away, please.

  I was so overwhelmed. Seeing Ludiia, Lucian, and the other vampires was uncomfortable, but seeing Hunter was completely different. I thought I’d lost him. He’d been murdered by Liam right in front of me. Now he was kneeling in front of me, cold and calculating, dead and alive at the same time. I prayed for Eli to come and rescue me.

  “Please, go away.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I live here. Lucian turned me.”

  I cried loudly into my lap. Not only was I stuck on top of a mountain with a bunch of vampires, I was also stuck with Hunter, my supposedly dead friend and a boy I had developed feelings for. How could I justify being torn between a guardian angel and a vampire? One was forbidden and the other wasn’t just forbidden, it was wrong on so many levels.

  With a gentle whoosh, the door closed and Hunter was gone.

  Rules and Regulations

>   I cried hysterically into one of the white silk pillows. I was so torn; I didn’t know what to do. As a friend I should be there for Hunter. I should try to help him but my past wouldn’t let me.

  My head began to pound. I winced in response. The pain flared, pulsed, and travelled down along my skull to the back of my neck. I took a deep breath that shuddered in my lungs because I’d been crying so hard. Dinner would start shortly, although I couldn’t imagine that vampires could cook a decent parmigiana or steak and chips.

  A soft knock sounded upon my door. My body automatically tensed. Please don’t be a vampire, please don’t be a vampire.

  “Ruby?” a soft, feminine voice asked.

  I turned over and looked at the girl, who appeared to be around my age, If not slightly younger. Her skin was beautiful and tan, on closer examination, she was human. She didn’t have the dark, soulless tunnels the rest of them did. Instead, she had pretty grey eyes and full pink lips.

  “Are you okay?” she whispered, walking slowly towards me. Her long straight dark blonde hair draped over her shoulders.

  “I’m fine.” I sat up and crossed my legs on my bed. I was too caught up in my own problems to be jealous of her natural beauty, although it did sting a little.

  “You have a headache? Can I help?”

  I watched her curiously. Unless she had some Advil on her, I didn’t think she could do too much for me. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  “You know, I remember when I was first brought here.”

  “You were kidnapped?”

  She nodded and my stomach twisted at the thought of her being taken from her home.

  “Sorry.”

  “He took your boyfriend from you?”

  “You know about Hunter?”

  “Yes, he’s a nice boy. He doesn’t want to be a vampire, but he doesn’t have a choice.” She had a slight accent, it seemed Russian, but then again, I was never was good with languages. The girl sat down on my bed and straightened her long black skirt.

  “That headache must really hurt. Please, let me help you.” Slowly she pulled a horseshoe from a pocket in her skirt. I watched cautiously as she brought it closer to my head. I pulled away from her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Trust me.”

  Strangely enough, I did trust her, even though she lived here with Lucian. Somehow I just knew I could trust her. She pressed the ends of the horseshoe to my forehead.

  “Listen and then say it with me — good metal loosed, from horse’s hoof, draw from my brain, these nails of pain: cast them away, rust them away, keep them away.”

  I stared skeptically at her, maybe she wasn’t fully ‘there’ in the head.

  “Don’t look at me like that. If this is going to work you’re going to have to say it with me.”

  Just say it!

  “Fine.” I sighed in defeat. We began to chant together.

  “Good metal loosed, from horse’s hoof, draw from my brain, these nails of pain: cast them away, rust them away, keep them away.”

  The pounding in my head didn’t go away.

  “Didn’t work,” I said in a told-you-so tone.

  “Wait.” She closed her eyes and began murmuring in a language I couldn’t make out. A few seconds later her eyes opened and my headache was gone. The hairs on my neck and arm stood on their ends, and chills prickled along my skin. A trickle of fear mixed with curiosity warmed the core of my body.

  “I’m a witch. My name’s Anna.” She smiled innocently. Her smile began to curve downwards “You’re freaked out, aren’t you?” Her eyes had a regretful gleam to them and I felt sorry for her. She probably only wanted to make a new friend.

  I nodded. “But it’s okay … It isn’t your fault.” And then it hit me. I was so willing to befriend this girl even though I know she was different, but I hadn’t even given Hunter a chance. Being a vampire wasn’t his fault. If I really wanted to point a finger at someone, I should point it at myself. If only I hadn’t led him on or used him for comfort when Eli was gone.

  “I came to tell you dinner is almost ready. They’re having a party and would like for you to dress accordingly. In the cupboard over there are lots of different gowns. Choose one.” Anna rose from my bed and strolled casually over to the door.

  “You’re leaving?” Despite the fact that she was a witch, she was still the most normal person here, besides Eli.

  “It was nice to meet you. You live here now, so we’ll see each other again.”

  When she was gone, I climbed off my bed, ignoring my stiff leg muscles, and opened the cupboard. I was taken aback by the array of gowns. Some were poufy and others were tight. I had so many to choose from. Red was a definite no, the last thing I wanted was to resemble blood. With that in mind, I settled on a salmon colored, halter neck gown. The chiffon fabric was so light it barely touched my skin and when it did, it felt so soft and delicate. I stood in front of the mirror on a stand that was beside my bed. Even I had to admit the dress was gorgeous. I ran my finger along one of the lines of jewel beadings and appliques that ran around the waist. Despite the beauty of the gown, I had a few small issues with it. One was that it was too low cut. It still covered my breasts well, I suppose. The other issue was that it was backless; the only thing that touched my back was the three straps of silver jewelled beadings. It looked gorgeous but it might be uncomfortable to sit in. Maybe I should change.

  I turned around and took a step toward the cupboard again. A cool breeze brushed my thigh. And there is issue number three. There was a long slit up the leg of the dress, exposing my thigh when I walked.

  I sighed in defeat. I wasn’t trying to be sexy, I didn’t want to attract the wrong attention. I looked through the cupboard again. It looked like I didn’t have a choice. It was hard to believe, but I chose the dress that concealed the most flesh.

  “You have two minutes,” the girl called through the door.

  Crap. I didn’t have time to change or accessorize with a jacket. I couldn’t afford to waste another minute. If I was late, I didn’t know what Lucian would do. I grabbed a diamond encrusted bracelet off the vanity. I didn’t know if it was real or not, either way, I didn’t care. It slid over my hand smoothly and matched my outfit perfectly. I freed my hair from my ponytail and let it drop over my shoulders; it was messy, so I ruffled it a little bit. If I was going to have messy hair I might as well make it look like I did it on purpose. I stole one last glance in the mirror before I left the room.

  Classical music filled the halls of the castle. Why did this place seem so normal? Where were the cobwebs, the melted candles, the coffins? Regardless of how normal these people seemed, they were still monsters. No amount of pain, classical music, or material items was going to change that.

  I found myself at the bottom of the staircase by the front door. Music was coming from every direction; I didn’t know which way to go.

  “This way, ma’am.” An old man offered me his arm. The old man walked me through a living room full of paintings. They depicted Latvia; I recognized them because they matched those Eli had in his house back at Sage Sanctum. The room was spacious; only three or four chairs decorated the room. There was a fireplace on the far left wall, although it looked like it had never been used. Vampires were scared of fires, or so I read. Maybe that’s why it looked so pristine.

  I peeked sideways at the old man, he seemed human. His skin was normal and his eyes were a deep blue. Why would a human be willing to stay here? Maybe he was under lure?

  When I was a vampire, I used lure to get out of things and to get what I wanted. Kyle’s face entered my mind. It had been such a long time since I’d even thought about him. I hope he’d made new friends or found a girl who appreciated him.

  “My, my, don’t you look … delicious.” Lucian smiled as the old man led me into a wide open sitting room.

  I returned his smile with an awkward one of my own.

  “C’mon now, there is no need to be so uptight. No one here is
going to hurt you.”

  I bit my tongue, forcing myself not to reply with a witty response. What would happen if he wasn’t around and one of his ‘pals’ got hungry? What if I accidently cut myself? It could start a frenzy. I doubt even Lucian was strong enough to take on a swarm of angry, hungry, frenzied vampires. My eyes scanned the room and I couldn’t find Eli.

  “Slow your beating heart, my dear.” He ran a long index finger across my chest, stopping above my heart. “I didn’t hurt him.”

  It took a lot of effort, but I managed to keep from cringing. If I had any food in my stomach it would have been hard to keep down. His skin was slightly warm, meaning he’d just fed.

  “There are so many humans here,” I commented, stepping back slowly. A few more humans were socializing with and grinding on vampires in the spacious room.

  “Yes. Most of them are feeders and the others are servants. They stick around in hopes of becoming immortal.”

  “And do they?”

  “No.” Lucian chuckled. “They’re merely disposable help. The lot of them.”

  I wanted to be mad at him for saying that, but I couldn’t be. These humans chose to be here. They were either addicted to the bites or hoping to become immortal. It was stupidity at its finest.

  “Ahh, Mr De Luca, just in time.” Lucian called, gesturing behind me.

  I turned around and my mouth almost hit the floor. Eli was wearing a tuxedo. I’d never seen him so formal. I drank up his appearance as he crossed the room. His black jacket was unbuttoned, revealing a collared, white shirt. His long black pants were tight, not too tight, but tight enough to make a fight more difficult for him. Usually he wore clothes he could maneuver and fight in. As he walked toward me, I forgot where I was, forgot that I was surrounded by dangerous monsters. It was just me and him.

  “Did you get much rest?” he asked me as he adjusted his long black tie.