“Do you do that often?” I asked with concern. “Hunt them?”
“When I can, I do.” His pride swelled.
I gulped hard, unsure what to say. It was one thing to realize vampires existed, but to find out he hunted them regularly was a whole different story.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you eliminated the ones hunting me, but don’t you think it’s a little dangerous?”
He turned and smiled.
“Dangerous for me? No. Only when it comes to you, then it can get tricky. This was not your first run in with a vampire. You’ve had others.”
“I have?” I said startled. “When?” And how did he know?
Another chuckle and another smile.
“Do you remember the time you got lost at the fair and the Ferris wheel guy offered to help you find your dad?”
I remembered it like it was yesterday; the creepy ‘wanting’ feelings he had for me. I may have only been ten, but I knew he was bad news.
“Yeah, but I ran.”
“Vampire,” Nicholas said nonchalantly.
Suddenly it clicked and all the confusion made sense. The feeling I had felt at the fair, in the forest, on the beach and at the theater were all the same. The thirst, a cross between lust and hunger, was the vampire craving what they crave.
“Wait–you were there?”
He hesitated for a minute, like he’d accidentally revealed something he didn’t want me to know.
“I’ve always been there.”
My heart raced.
“Whoa, what do you mean always?”
Sadness swept over Nicholas’ face. I looked into his kind emerald eyes but the starry night sky behind him faded in a shimmery mist. Where I was transported only happened in my mind, but it felt real. I was no longer sixteen. We sat together in the front bench seat of my parent’s old Plymouth that smelled of aged leather and vanilla scented air freshener. He held my hand. I was shivering and tears fell down my cheeks. Something bad had happened. My blue pinafore dress was torn. Had blood on it. Not my blood.
“No!” I exclaimed, as the blocked memory surfaced.
I clutched my chest. I couldn’t breath. I needed air.
I clawed at the door, tugged it open and ran. Tears blinded me as my feet splashed through the wet grass. I needed to get away – far, far away. My mouth became dry like cotton and my muscles burned, but I ran on until I reached a cyclone fence that stopped me. I grabbed it and screamed, beating against it until my hands were torn and raw.
Then I felt his hand on my shoulder. He pulled me off the fence and into his arms. I sobbed.
“Why?” I screamed into his chest. “Why?”
It was all there — the fear, the dark evil eyes and the sickening cackle echoing in my mind. We were trapped. She shielded me from him. He clamped down on her neck, but watched me over her shoulder. I cried and stood in fear, feeling all her pain and then her empty silence. He dropped her lifeless body onto the ground. He wanted me next.
“He killed her…” I choked out of my tears as my body heaved.
Nicholas held me tight and I sunk into his body. The flood of emotion and anger cut so deeply I wanted to vomit. How could I have forgotten? This whole time, the past was locked in my subconscious. She was gone and never coming home.
“But how?” I asked in a whimper. “You were there?”
“I was,” he said. “But too late. I’m sorry.”
I felt his grief mix with mine and it tore my heart in two. All I knew of my mother’s disappearance was somehow I ended up on my parent’s front porch the morning after we were missing. Later my mother’s car was found at the bottom of the river. It wasn’t known if she dropped me off and left again, or if someone else brought me home, but her body was never found and no one saw what happened.
The case baffled the investigators. My dad took a lie detector test to prove his innocence. No one else had a motive to hurt her. She disappeared into thin air. It didn’t help that I couldn’t remember what happened, even with counseling. But, I believed my Dad never wanted to know what I’d blocked out, for fear of what I’d say happened.
“You took me home?”
“I did.”
I leaned my head into Nicholas’ chest and sobbed. The fact she was really gone hit me hard and I thought my heart would stop right there. I’d always believed she was alive somewhere and remained hopeful, like my father, that one day she’d come home.
Nicholas stroked the back of my hair and his comfort infused me like I’d just crawled under a pile of warm laundry fresh from the dryer. Of all places and all people, it was with him I wanted to be when I remembered.
. . .
12 - REVELATIONS
After I somewhat recovered, Nicholas helped me walk back to his car. The distance seemed longer than I remembered now that I was clear-headed and aware of my surroundings. By the time we reached his car on the other side of the meadow, I felt drained, wanting to curl up into a ball. Nicholas’ guilt made it worse, but I didn’t want to be away from him.
“It’s all my fault,” he said, after we got settled inside.
I looked at him, confused and bewildered.
“Why would you think that?”
“I could have stopped him if I was sooner. I was only in time to save you. She’d been bitten and... it was too late to save her.”
I closed my eyes. The scene was still alive, replaying in my head and the tears began. I fought the urge to run again; I would’ve if I had the strength.
“How could you know?” I said to ease his guilt. “It’s the animal-who-took-her-life’s fault. He should get the blame.”
Nicholas hung his head. I sensed his hesitation to agree.
“He didn’t get away, did he?” I asked with gritted teeth, ready to become a vampire hunter too if the filthy beast still roamed the planet.
Nicholas’s eyes tightened into a scowl.
“I gave him what he deserved.”
“Good,” I said, with a hard edge to my voice.
Finding out Nicholas avenged my mother’s murder strangely comforted me and made the pain soften for a bit. But after my anger subsided, I found myself even more wore out. In the last two hours I discovered vampires were real, the truth of my mother’s disappearance, why Nicholas avoided me and why he was there in the first place. My head felt like it was going to implode.
“But wait a minute,” I blurted out. “How could that be? You’d be only, what—“ I counted on my fingers. “Like eight-years-old?”
He paused and looked like he didn’t want to answer.
“I wasn’t eight,” he said sheepishly, “I was eighteen.”
“But how is that possible?” I said slowly.
“It’s because I’m not what you think I am.”
My stomach dropped and I leaned away to study his face. Could he be a vampire and just learned to control his bloodlust? He did have unexplainable super human strength and amazing agility.
“Are you one of them?” I whispered.
I cringed in anticipation of the answer. If for some reason he was, there had to be an explanation. He waited before answering and nervously shifted in his seat.
“I’m half actually,” he finally muttered out, his stern face avoiding my eyes.
“Half?”
“It’s a long story,” he said with a sigh. “I was born this way.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I said, afraid to pry.
“I don’t see any reason not to tell you, now that you know the truth.” He took a deep breath and the pain came close to the surface.
“My father is a vampire and my mother, a human. Most of the time, when a vampire falls in love with a human, the human wants to become immortal so they can be together forever, but my dad refused to turn my mom and insisted they try to have a normal relationship.
“Vampires don’t procreate by having babies, so when my mom found out she was pregnant with me, my dad assumed she cheated and left her
. When she went into labor, she refused to go to a hospital and had complications, so – my dad raised me.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling insensitive for drudging up his past. “That’s horrible. I’m really sorry.”
“Yeah … so, to answer your question, I age slowly.”
“That’s good, right?” I said, in an attempt to recover my blunder.
“Well, until you show people your driver’s license,” he said, joking to cover the hurt. His mouth curled up at the corner. “You don’t know how many times I’ve had it confiscated as a fake.”
“And you’re super strong and fast.”
“I do have all the vampire abilities, plus I can walk in the daylight – a very nice bonus.”
He flashed his white teeth and the next question slipped out of my mouth.
“Do you drink blood?”
Nicholas turned with an inquisitive smile and I became horrified at myself.
“Questions, questions,” he said teasingly, “No. I don’t. My father believes if I ever did, the vampire side of me would take over and I’d lose the ability to control my thirst. I don’t care to find out.”
I was relieved Nicholas’ vampire traits were more of a blessing than a curse and that he indulged my silly questions.
But Nicholas exuded a new found freedom and the guilt melted. I couldn’t imagine how difficult I must have been the last ten years – to be near me, but stay anonymous and invisible, unable to share the truth or the grief. I felt more connected to him than ever.
“So, you followed me after my family moved?” I asked.
“I did,” he said. “She didn’t deserve the fate she received, so I’ve protected you ever since.”
Tears welled up in my eyes again. I was grateful; not only for his valiant effort in trying to save her life, but for killing her murderer and breaking down the wall in me that held her memory. I could see her in my mind now. Smell her sweet dewy fragrance. Feel her warmth. The healing could begin.
“Thank you,” I said as I blushed. I hated the circumstances surrounding our friendship, but I couldn’t have earned a more amazing guardian.
I wanted to ask him more about his special vampire abilities but glanced at the clock on the dashboard and almost had a heart attack.
“Is that the real time?”
“I believe it is.”
“I’m going to be so dead. I need to get home.”
Before I could finish the statement, Nicholas spun out of his parking spot and took off down the gravel road.
“What are you doing?” I yelled and grabbed forcefully onto the arm rail with one hand and fastened the seat beat with the other.
“Speeding,” he said, completely at ease. “…so you won’t get in trouble.”
“Without your headlights?” I yelled louder. “Are you crazy?”
Nicholas laughed.
“I do this all the time. I have natural night vision,” he said, amused. “But I can slow down and put my lights on if it makes you feel better.”
The thought of my irate Dad standing in the doorway tapping his watch changed my mind.
“No, that’s okay. I do need to get home.”
My breath slowed back to normal when I realized he was in complete control of the car, even when he blindly turned onto the highway and weaved with precision through the traffic.
I relaxed and trusted his instincts. We sped through the streets and the dark night blurred past me outside. As soon as we turned off the freeway, he flipped the headlights on.
“This is insane,” I said as I shook my head.
“Welcome to my life.”
We pulled into the deli parking lot and I noticed my car was one of the last ones parked there. The thought of driving home alone made me nervous. I couldn’t stop the flashes of the hungry eyes of the vampire that attacked me and I pictured others waiting in the dark at home. This was worse than the imaginary boogey man I used to be afraid of. Vampires were real and quite possibly everywhere.
“Do you think you can drive?” he asked, as he parked next to my car.
“I think so. I’m feeling a little better now,” I lied.
“I’ll follow you home if you want.”
“Please?” I asked, grateful he sensed my hesitation.
Once I got into my car, I immediately locked the doors behind me, even though I knew there were no vampires around. With a turn of the key, the engine revved to life and I waited for it to warm up while I blew hot air into my hands. My Quantum paled in comparison to Nicholas’ Chrysler.
I pulled out a compact mirror from my purse and added powder to my eyes. I didn’t have a clue how I was going to get past my dad without being noticed. Maybe they’d be in bed already.
After a few minutes, I looked in my rearview mirror to back out and noticed Nicholas’ concerned face in the reflection. My heart warmed at the revelation of the truth. All along, when I thought he’d ditched me, he was still there, agonizing over our separation too.
I cranked the heater and drove. Nicholas followed closely behind and his headlights shone through the back window. He couldn’t drive stealth following me and it made me grin.
Quickly, I formulated an excuse in my head for why I was late, just in case. Nicholas’ superb driving did shave off precious minutes and instead of being an hour past curfew, I was only about a half-an-hour late. But with all the drama, I knew he’d be counting every minute and exponentially adding them.
I figured out a decent story when I noticed we passed the spot it all happened and my car lurched a little, almost as if it recognized it. I couldn’t believe my late night mishap was just days ago, when it felt like ages – back when I was still naïve.
I turned on my quiet street and felt my tension release when I found my house dark and my family sleeping peacefully inside. Nicholas was at my door just as I shut the engine off. It was as if he’d read my mind.
“Thank you,” I said as he helped me out of my car.
“I can’t imagine what you must be going through,” he said his face full of concern.
“I’m glad I know,” I said, trying to sound brave. I looked up at him in the moonlight; his beautiful face and amazing eyes sparkled down at me.
He reached out, pulled me gently toward him and hugged me. I melted into his strong chest and inhaled the sweet aroma of his skin. His arms were warm and comforting. He rested his chin on the top of my head and took a deep breath.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise,” he said as he held me tighter.
I vowed not to cry anymore in front of him, but I couldn’t help it this time. A little tear trickled down my cheek.
“So, now what happens? I mean, I know I’m not supposed to be seen with you, but how can I contact you?” I asked softly, not wanting him to let me go. “What if there’s an emergency?”
He held on for a second longer before pulling away to look down at me.
“You can call me,” he stated simply.
“You have a cell phone?”
I didn’t know why I assumed he didn’t and scolded myself.
Of course he has a phone.
“I don’t get many calls, but I do,” he said with a snicker.
My cheeks grew hot and I felt sorry I doubted he’d be part of the 21st Century like everyone else. He ignored my faux pas and quietly told me his number and I told him mine.
“Memorize it. Don’t store it in your phone. Call me only in an emergency. I don’t want anyone to find out we are connected in any way.”
He scanned the forest line again and then ushered me closer to the house. I reached out with my own powers too. As far as I could tell, we were alone.
“Do you think we were followed?” I asked once we reached the porch, wondering if he sensed something I didn’t.
“Not tonight. But you can never be too careful.”
He looked at me wistfully and put a stray hair of mine back into place. My heart erupted in a flutter when his hand brushed my cheek and I tried to control my bre
ath which came out a little quicker than normal.
“But one thing I forgot to tell you. Never invite a vampire into your house. They can not cross your threshold uninvited. Understood?”
“Really?” I said with a snort. “Like I’d do that.”
“It’s just a precaution, and during the evening, stay in heavy populated areas, just in case.”
“I will.”
“Try to get some sleep,” he said as he gathered me to his chest once more and kissed the top of my head. His feelings were paternal at the moment. I took in a deep breath and hugged him back, hoping we could stay like this forever.
“I need to go,” he whispered and loosened his arms.
I looked up at his chiseled face and frowned.
“I’ll see you soon, I promise,” he said in response.
His tender eyes made my stomach burst into a nervous flutter once again.
“Okay,” I choked out, unsure how he was going to keep that promise, but knew he meant to.
“Bye,” I nervously said and let myself into the house. I shut the door quickly, hoping it would lessen the sting this time.
In the hallway I stood with my eyes closed and felt the bitter separation. The tremendous sense of loss flooded my senses like it did the first time and I ached. Luckily, this time I didn’t get the warning Nicholas was never coming back.
I tried to analyze why it physically hurt so much to leave his presence. Maybe it was because he helped me survive the nightmare of my mother’s death that connected us or some other weird nuance of my secret power. Whatever it was, I knew I would always need to be a part of Nicholas’ life.
“Julia, is that you?”
My insides jumped at the sound of my dad’s gruff and half-awake voice.
“Yes. Did I wake you?”
I walked over to the foot of the stairs and fearfully looked up.
He stood at the top in his pajamas and a frown on his face.
“Julia, you’re late. Where were you?”
“I was talking with my manager. I know, I’m sorry,” I said, my rehearsed speech rolling easily off my tongue.
“You promised to call.”
“I didn’t realize the time, Dad. Sorry.”
He turned, mumbled something and shuffled back to his room. I heard the door shut.
Talisman 1 - The Emerald Talisman Page 14
