Lev cornered Alexei in the hallway, stepping close enough so that their faces were inches apart. He said nothing, only stared into the dark eyes that were so much like his own.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help,” Alexei said, and for the first time in a long time, there were tears in his eyes. He pinched them away and gave his head a shake as if restoring his bravado. “Besides, you’d be crazy to take Carly anywhere near that…that monster.”
Lev slammed a fist into the wall beside his brother’s head. “Are we not monsters?”
Alexei flinched and tried to step out of the way, but Lev held his position. There was nowhere for him to go. “No,” Alexei said finally. “We are nothing like him.”
He contemplated his brother’s words. He was nothing like Boris, but perhaps Alexei shared the same vicious nature as his maker. Admittedly, Lev had his moments, like the one he’d just shamefully demonstrated with Tony, but he’d never turned anyone and he’d never taken a life.
“I don’t ask for much. You think you’re the boss around here. I stand back. I let you take the lead, but I love Carly and will do anything to stay with her. This time I will not back down.” Lev stamped a foot on the old hardwood floor, making it creak and groan.
“I am your maker,” Alexei growled and jabbed a finger into Lev’s chest. “I am the boss! If you wanted to be with Carly so badly, brother, then why didn’t you turn her?”
Anger had Lev in rough hands. His lips peeled back revealing fangs. “I didn’t ask to be like this. You did this to me! I know the hell of this life. I would never inflict it on someone I love.”
The sounds of Carly scrambling away to another room came to him, along with the acrid scent of fear, but it wasn’t Carly’s fear; it was Alexei’s.
“I was out of my mind when I turned you, Lev. You know that. I was freshly turned myself. I…I couldn’t help what I did.”
“Not true!” Lev spat. “You always wanted me to fail. Everything was okay as long as you were doing better than I was, then and only then you’d wish me well, but as soon as I was happier than you, you had to take that from me. I know you’re happy I’ll soon be losing another woman I love, and Carly is the one I love most of all. I see it in your eyes and in the way you smile at me.” Lev lashed out with a fist, sending Alexei’s head crashing into the wall behind him. A picture rattled then fell, smashing on the floor. “You will help me, or I’ll take something from you that you love.”
Alexei recovered, shaking plaster dust from his hair. “There is nothing I love.” His words came with a small sardonic laugh, making Lev stand tall and throw his shoulders back.
“You’re wrong, brother. There is something you love very much.”
Alexei’s wide mouth twitched into a tentative smile. “What? The pretty boys I bring home? They’re nothing but playthings and food. I don’t love them; I enjoy them. That’s all.”
“I don’t mean them.”
Alexei looked puzzled. “Then what?”
“The only person who will put up with your bullshit, the only person who can stand your company. Where I’m a man who enjoys solitude, you cannot bear to be alone. You cannot exist without one thing, and that thing is me.”
Alexei giggled and threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Oh my brother, you do think a lot of yourself. I can live without you, and if I do get lonely, I can easily find others of our kind.”
“Perhaps, but they won’t put up with you for as long as I have. Admit it, Alexei; you need me. I am your brother—your only remaining relative. Without me, you’d be lost.”
A smirk curled Alexei’s lips. “What are you going to do, run away? You want to leave anyway, with that girl.” He tossed a nod toward the room Carly had disappeared into. “So why would I want to help you do that? You said it yourself. I am…” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then continued, “the gregarious type.”
“If I can’t be with Carly, I will end my life. If that’s even what this existence can be called. What kind of life do we have, Alexei? This is no way to live.”
Alexei’s smirk fell away. “You cannot kill yourself.”
Though he said the words as if they were some kind of immutable law, they rang hollow to Lev’s ears. “You’re not so clever, brother. You wrote it in your own hand years ago, almost as if you didn’t want to forget because there might come a day when you no longer wanted to exist. I found your diary. I know our kind can be killed. Yes, I would cease to exist, but that would be better than bearing the pain of loss over and over again as I’ve been doing.”
Alexei had done his best to brainwash him. Telling him they were immortal. That they would live to see the end of time itself, but Lev knew there were ways for creatures like him to be put out of their misery. One way was to be killed by one’s maker. In his case that meant Alexei, and he knew his brother would not do such a thing, for selfish reasons of course.
“You know nothing,” Alexei said crossing his arms.
“I know that if I turned right now and walked into the parlor where the fire is blazing in the huge fireplace, it would consume me, turning my so called immortal body to ashes. I know that if I waited for sunrise and walked out into the sun, even on the coldest January day, that its rays would also turn me to ashes. There are ways, my brother, and though you did your best to make me think them fairy tales, they’re true. I will endure that pain—I will seek oblivion, if you do not take me to see Boris.”
Alexei opened his mouth as if to speak, shut it again, then ran a hand through his dark, tousled mane. With a deep, mournful sigh, he slid slowly to the floor and let his head fall into his hands. “You don’t understand. I cannot tell you where he is.” His words were barely a whisper.
“You can’t or you won’t?”
Alexei lifted his head, a single tear slid down his cheek. “I won’t.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Damn you!” Lev reached down and yanked Alexei to his feet. “You will take Carly and me to see Boris.” He gave him a shove toward the doorway to the parlor. “Go see if Tony’s okay. Take him home quickly then get back here.” Lev threw Alexei a steely glare. He’d half kill him if he had to, and he could tell by the look on his brother’s face that he knew it too.
Lev prayed that Boris would have a few suggestions or maybe a trick or two up his sleeve. He was certainly ancient enough to possess more knowledge than Lev and Alexei combined. Time equaled experience, and experience equaled intelligence in the world in which they existed. It was true of the human world as well, but to a limited degree, as a human lifespan was miniscule. When Lev boiled it all down, the plain and simple truth was that he’d run out of options, and despite the warnings about Boris from Alexei, he was willing to take his chances.
Alexei took a step toward the parlor and turned to Lev. “Tony will be fine. He needs sleep more than anything. When he wakes, he’ll leave. I’m sure of it. Don’t think I’ll see him again any time soon.” He laughed but it was without humor, and Lev noticed his eyes were puffy and red. Tears stood ready to fall.
Alexei wiped his tears, sniffed, then said, “Look, I’ve made it my business to keep tabs on Boris—I think you might already know that. But the reason why is that I have to know where he is at all times because…because he’s looking for me.”
Lev was dumbfounded. “He’s looking for you? But why? It’s been many years. I’m sure he’s gone on to make others. Why are you so special?”
Alexei smiled, and it transformed his delicate features, making him beautiful again. He didn’t have to answer the question after all. Lev’s handsome brother was a magnet, much as he himself was, but the difference between them was Lev’s desire to repel the pull. He never craved the attention, unlike Alexei.
“A decade for us is no longer than a minute for a human. You know that,” Alexei said, not needing to explain but wanting to. “Boris, well, let’s just say he likes me and very much wants me back.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Even if I did take you to see that mon
ster, he won’t help.”
Lev felt anger begin to rise again but pushed it away. He had questions. “How do you know Boris is on the hunt for you? And why hasn’t he found you yet? It’s not like we move around a lot.”
Alexei howled a laugh. “You are naive, brother. Do you forget he is my maker? I feel that monster calling to me, trying to pull me to him. As for not moving around, well, we’re not on the run. Besides, staying put is the reason why he hasn’t found me. Think about it, Lev. We are together, you and I. We don’t see others of our kind. That’s how I kept word of my location from spreading.”
“Is Boris far from here?” Lev asked, anxiety creeping into his voice.
Alexei looked hesitant, not wanting to answer.
“Is he far?” Lev asked again.
“No.” Alexei’s reply came out like a sigh. “He’s here in the city.”
Lev’s eyes flashed with interest. “Really? Why would you want to be so close to him if he’s such a monster?”
Alexei patted his brother on the back. “It’s easier to keep an eye on him when he’s near.”
“So then at least tell me where he is. Carly and I can go on our own. You’ll be safe, and with any luck, we’ll get what we need.”
Alexei shook his head. “You’ve never set eyes upon this beast. He’s unlike any other creature of the night. He’d kill you just as soon as look at you. Worse still, with just one look he’ll know you’re my brother. If he cannot creep into your mind and steal the information, he’ll torture you into telling him where to find me.”
Lev straightened and looked Alexei in the eyes. “I won’t tell. You have my word.”
“Why won’t you listen to me? He’s as ancient as they come. Lev, if you’re looking for any kind of compassion, you won’t get it. There is nothing human left in him.”
“Then his wisdom is vast!” Lev said, jumping on Alexei’s comment.
“Yes, I will admit that, but”—Alexei placed a hand on Lev’s shoulder—“do you not see the flaw in your plan?”
Lev waited for his brother to continue, curious. Alexei gave his head a little shake. That smile, the one that turned him from merely handsome to mesmerizing, returned. “Whether I help you or not, I will end up alone. If I refuse to help, you say you will leave, even destroy yourself, and if I do tell you where to find Boris and suppose by some miracle vise he does help, you’ll leave with Carly. I’ll lose you no matter what. I’ll be alone.” His smile faded, and his hand fell to his side. “Look at me. Look at what I’ve become. I don’t want to lose you, brother. There is no good in my life except for you.”
Lev let his anger and frustration with his brother fall away and, against his better judgment, pulled Alexei into a hug, squeezing him tight. His brother returned the embrace.
“It’s not a flaw,” Lev said. “I’ve thought it through. I know either way you’ll be alone, but really I’m the one without a choice. Life without the woman I love would be no life at all. If you truly care for me as you say you do, you’ll let me go.” He let his mental wall down, allowing Alexei into his mind, and could see by the look on his brother’s face that he finally understood.
Alexei nodded and pressed his lips into a grim line of dissatisfaction. “I’ll take you to Boris.” He sighed. “And if I manage to get away from him, back to the relative safety of this home, I will be damning myself to a life filled with Tonys. I shall have to make do with the boring, mind-numbing company of pitiful mortals.”
His brother’s heartbreak was almost palpable, but Lev knew Alexei would get by, that he was made of tougher stuff than Lev was.
“Shall we go then?” Lev asked.
“Yes, yes but Carly mustn’t come. Best to keep her out of harm’s way.”
Carly had made her way out of the shadows and now stood next to Lev. She hooked a hand through his arm and addressed Alexei. “He can’t hurt me. I’m already dead, remember?”
The trip into the city took only minutes. Alexei and Lev were used to traveling as quickly as a thought, but Carly held her own. Now that she was without the encumbrance of a physical body, she too was able to speed through time and space.
Once there, Lev realized they were in a clearing in a forest. The night smelled of damp earth and the start of decomposing foliage. Fall was in the air, and soon the shadowy trees that surrounded them would be bare. He noticed a swath of mown-down grass just a few feet away. Alexei headed toward it, leading them along the gloomy path until they stopped at a set of intricately designed wrought- iron gates, standing like sentinels guarding the long driveway on the other side.
The house at the end of the driveway was daunting, all turrets and garrets, giving it the look of a Victorian castle. Lev tested the barred entrance. The gates were locked.
“Up and over?” Alexei said, and the three of them linked hands and in unison leapt, though Carly managed more of a float. They cleared the gates in one bound, landing on the crushed stone of the driveway as delicately as a cat pouncing in grass.
“I hope you have a plan, brother,” Alexei said as he eyed the towering stone mansion in front of them.
“I…I was counting on you, Alexei. After all, you know the man.”
Alexei was silent for a moment, then laughed so hard he doubled over and clutched his belly. When he regained his composure, he said, “So, what am I supposed to do? Knock on the door and ask Boris if he could please help you and Carly stay together? Explain how she has a soul and you don’t? Tell him she can move on to the other side and you can’t? Do you really think he’ll give a rat’s ass?” Alexei cocked his head, a smirk played on his lips. “I have a feeling he’s going to be more interested in the fact I’ve come to see him, than he will be in helping you. I’m only here because you gave me no choice, and, so you can see for yourself who, or maybe I should say, what you will be dealing with.”
Lev thought back to the moment they’d had before leaving to come find Boris. The hug they’d shared. Did it mean nothing to Alexei?
The double doors to the mansion flew open, snagging their attention. All three turned their heads as a huge man stepped outside with shoulders so wide he blotted out the light shining from behind him.
Even from a distance, Lev saw that he was grinning.
CHAPTER NINE
Carly let out a shriek and took cover behind Lev. “Can he see me?” she asked, her voice shaky.
Alexei answered for his brother, “Oh yes, my dear. I am sure of it.”
A towering, barrel-chested figure started slowly down the front steps, but then, in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly there, standing in front of the trio, his gaze glued on Alexei.
Yearning emanated from Boris. Lev felt it pulling at him—a stark contrast to the fierce-looking brute peering down on them. He wore a tattered old suit with sleeves that were too short, and the seams of the threadbare jacket threatened to rip apart across his great chest. A hole worn through the top of one of his shoes offered a peek at a white sock over his big toe.
“I knew I’d see you again, comrade.” Boris’s voice was as big as he was—booming and deep. He clasped Alexei’s shoulder, and Lev noticed his brother flinch as Boris’s nails curled into his leather jacket.
Reluctantly, as if not wanting to take his eyes off a prize, Boris turned his bulbous head toward Carly and sniffed the air like a dog. Lev heard the whistle of the man’s breath as he inhaled.
An eyebrow shot up in a question mark. “You are dead, yet you are not one of us.” Boris’s words were more of a question than a statement. “What kind of creature are you? There is no pulsing of blood in your veins.” He scratched his nearly bald pate in puzzlement.
Lev stepped protectively in front of Carly, who’d been peeking out from behind him. “She’s not among the living. She is, well, I guess she is what people call a ghost.” He knew Carly wouldn’t like him describing her with that word, but it was the only thing that came to mind.
“Are you serious?” Boris reached around and pulled Carly out
from behind Lev by one slender arm, giving her a look that said, “No need to worry. I won’t hurt you.” It was the look a man gave a suffering animal caught in a trap.
He studied her as if she were merely a sculpture, letting his gaze roam from head to toe. “How is it I can see you? I’ve never seen a ghost before. Hell, I did not think they even existed.”
“I don’t think many…people can see me,” Carly said, “other than the three of you of course, but that’s because you’re, well, you’re…special.” Her voice trembled. “But since you can see things mortals can’t, how would you even know if you’ve never seen a ghost before?” She smiled. Her eyes crinkled, making her look more like a child than a grown woman.
Boris returned her smile. “Smart girl. But truly, will wonders never cease? I am still amazed by you.” He touched her hair, lifting it and letting it fan back onto her shoulders as he walked a circle around her. “And that dress? Going to a party perhaps?” He laughed.
Carly tipped her head in a gesture of respect. Boris moved away from her then and turned his attention to Lev. His smile broadened, showing crooked, stained teeth. Fangs poked through leathery gums—tissue time had hardened. “You are as beautiful as your brother. I did not know you existed. Alexei never spoke of you.” He stepped closer and nuzzled his face into Lev’s neck, sending a shiver of repulsion down Lev’s spine. He wanted nothing more than to move away, yet instinct rooted him to the spot.
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