He held the baby and reached for her, her skin was slippery with sweat and blood. Tears clouded his vision, but he had no time to wipe them away, he searched for her wrist, for a pulse… for anything. He found nothing, no beat in her veins, no life in her eyes. His shaking hands felt along her neck, turning her head to the side while he whimpered and prayed.
The baby stretched his chubby arm, tiny fingers flexing as he reached for his mother. The memory of his nephew, Matthew, returned. He’d been months old before he was able to focus on anything. But only minutes old, this baby was staring at Eve, needing her.
Adley held him close, his perfect little body felt soft. His thick black hair shone in the light and Adley couldn’t help but touch him. The baby looked up, his startling blue eyes held Adley’s. He couldn’t look away, he didn’t want to. A voice inside his head said there was something not right here… the force building between them. Pressure hummed in the air around them, growing louder with each second. His chest hurt, his ears were ringing… screaming until they pained.
Then his child smiled at him.
The sun went out.
And the Earth was plunged into darkness.
Chapter 33
Eve
HER MEMORY OF childbirth was vibrant at first, deep twinges which grew longer and more painful as they went on. Time was mapped first in minutes, and then in seconds and finally, by the never-ending peak of pain. Eve could recall her body working like she’d never felt before, her stomach tensing, her muscles rippling, bearing down as she delivered her son. Then her world stared to fade, the vivid colors bled from her surroundings fading to a stark white. The memory of this loss filled her. She’d felt disconnected—as though she no longer belonged in this world or this body… she wasn’t herself anymore. Eve fought, clawing at anything she could hold to, desperately needing to stay, but the bleached world fell from her grasp.
Until the woman came.
Like a dream, she’d hovered on the edge of reality. An angel. Her intense violet eyes were the first thing that caught her attention, they were vibrant in a world leeched from color. The woman’s pale skin was framed by glossy black hair. In any other moment, Eve would’ve called her stunning. But in this moment the only word that came to Eve was sad. The woman’s haunted gaze filled her mind with a mother’s yearning love, but this wasn’t her mother. Eve didn’t know her at all.
The woman moved closer until she touched Eve’s face. Love poured from this woman through her caress, love that filled her with a warmth and beauty she’d never felt before.
The woman’s soft fingers slid softly down her cheek as she captured Eve’s gaze and whispered. “This is not how this ends, Eve….” The air around this woman grew frigid and earthy. The scent took Eve’s breath away until icy claws choked her.
The colors from this woman’s eyes bled into Eve’s purified world. Violet and black turned into pinks, and shades of yellow, until one-by-one, the colors of Eve’s world returned. Her breath was warm on Eve’s cheek, and slowly the cold withdrew and she was filled with warmth. A voice called Eve, Adley’s voice. He pleaded and prayed in a deep, choking sound, overshadowed by the shrill cry of a baby… her son.
Eve breathed deep and opened her eyes. White-harsh sunlight filled her vision, blinding her. She could hear Adley crying and she used his love to bring herself back into this world and to him.
“Adley….” she croaked. Her throat was sore and tender and her body felt as though it belonged to another. But she was alive, and somehow she felt this was a gift in itself. She had come back not just to her son but to Adley. This man had become not just her savior, but the other half of her soul.
The pull on her breast forced Eve awake. She looked down into the eyes of her son. She felt like she’d been waiting for him forever. And now, here he was. His midnight hair, already thick and curly, lay against his forehead. In the direct gaze of his ice-blue eyes, she forgot how to breathe.
Eve. That is a beautiful name. The name of the woman who begat the fall of man, how... fitting….
“Eve, are you okay?”
Adley touched her carefully. She blinked, breaking the trance.
“Yeah, I am.” She smiled, gripping his hand tight. “Just thirsty.”
There was something important. A knowing which hovered near, but just out of reach…. Her son… there was something about her son. Eve focused, searching her memories but each time she felt the answer draw near, it seemed to slip away, growing more distant than before.
“Let me help. You kinda got your arms full.”
Eve let Adley take her son and moved her legs, one at a time, over the side of the bed. Her legs shook when she stood, even though inside she felt strong, like she could move the world. She made her way into the shower. The old plumbing shuddered and groaned. The spray at first was piercing, shooting the hot water like darts against her skin. She was so very cold. So… so cold. Adley left her there, leaning her head against the rusted, brown tiles. One question clouded all other thoughts. What happened to me… what really happened?
She stepped out of the hot water, patting dry where she could reach, not caring that her clothes clung to her body where she was still wet. Her thoughts were already turning to survival. They needed a plan and a good one and while this feeling of invincibility filled her she’d do whatever she could to ensure their survival.
When Eve returned, the sight of her son lay nestled in a pile of soft blankets and sheets made her stop and stare. Adley had pulled the ruined mattress from the bed and placed another down for her. She focused on his strong hands working quickly along the bed, pulling taut a clean sheet and tucking it under before moving back to her. She’d never imagined someone would care for her like he did. His love was something she’d only dreamed of. But he was here… he was real and she wasn’t letting him go.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I am. Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Of course. I love you, Eve.”
Their son wailed. Adley bent down and scooped him up while Eve sat down onto the bed and held out her arms. His little body, wrapped in a ripped sheet felt warm against her. She lifted her shirt and released her breast to his insistent whimpers. Sparks shot through her skin while he drew on her nipple. His tiny cheeks sucked in, drawing what he needed. Adley hovered around her, touching her and then moving away. The smell of food caught her attention and felt her mouth water when he returned with a bowl of soup which he placed on the dresser. Eve couldn’t help being amused, does Adley think she can eat and nurse their son at the same time? The suckling sounds at her breast set her priorities for now.
“So, do you have a name picked for him yet?
She shook her head. “I tried, but none quite fit him.”
“You've got plenty of time. Right now, you need to eat and rest. You... you lost a lot of blood, Eve… I was scared there for a while.”
She could hear his fear in the tremble of his voice. She was alive and she was strong. Her life was filled with purpose and it was this sense of purpose that would ensure their survival. Eve glanced down at her baby. His eyes were closed. He drew at her breast once more and then released her. She carefully placed him next to her on and then took the bowl Adley handed her.
“I'll eat while you fire up that laptop. We need to find a way to kill this bastard.”
Motherhood fueled her fire. Inside, she felt stronger than she ever had before. Adley shook his head, looking at her strangely. “You amaze me, you know?”
The two of them looked so perfect, the two men in her life. Eve couldn’t help but smile. “As do you.”
Adley reached for the laptop. “He's a vampire, right?”
The word filled her with fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of losing what she’d fought so hard to keep.
A hard lump formed in her throat and she fought to swallow it. The birth and the appearance of the angel with violet eyes felt ominous. Eve couldn't stop feeling as though everything was about to change. A feelin
g of overwhelming loss filled her. Their survival depended on how successfully they could fight, and at this moment there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to make sure her son and the man she loved survived.
Her voice was thick and broken, betraying her determination. “We have to find something to use against him—garlic, crosses, holy water. If he is a vampire, he can be killed. I've killed one before, so we can kill another.”
“Do you remember anything from that night when you killed her? Anything she might have said or done?”
Adley sat cross-legged on the ground in front of his laptop. He scooped a spoonful of soup in between pecking at the keyboard. Eve thought about the night she killed Mercy. Her memories of that night were filled with so much blood and terror, it was hard to recall any one thing in particular. Yet her fear was overshadowed by an innate sense of determination to stay alive. She looked down at her son. And to protect what’s mine. “I’m sorry, no. It was dark and I was so scared. All I can remember is that I reacted. I grabbed what I could reach and I stabbed her… I knew it was either her or me.”
Adley squeezed her hand. “And I’m so glad that you reacted like that. Anyone else would’ve crumbled. But not you… no, not you. You’re stronger than you think, Eve.”
“Am I?” She blinked away her daydreams and nightmares, fastening her gaze on Adley. “I can’t help but feel I’m living on borrowed time.”
A flash of concern clouded his face and he left the laptop to crawl to her, pulling her into his arms. “Don’t say that. Do you hear me Eve? Don’t you say that. You will get through this.”
His response came to her in stereo through his chest and reverberated in her ears, accompanied by his racing heart. She’d scared him. Guilt flooded her. She tightened her arms fiercely around him, pleased when his heart rate slowed.
“I’m sorry, Adley. You’re right, we’ll get through this.”
But her heart hadn’t raced. Its beat was steady and sure, unwavering, like her thoughts. This was more than a suspicion—it felt like a foreshadowing. Still she cleared her throat and released her hold of him. He moved back and she forced a smile for his sake and continued. “Now, where were we? Female vampire....”
He moved back to the laptop, keeping her in his sights until he settled down. “Okay, the cradle was wood, right?”
“Yes, painted white.”
“It acted like a stake through the heart, killing her, turning her to ash. So, we know this works in killing them. Now, we need to find out how to slow him down, and then we can set a trap for him.”
Her grip tightened on the sheets, her skin crawled with the thought. “You don’t mean lure him to us?”
“It’s the only way, Eve.” His gaze sought out their son sleeping beside her. “We can’t keep running forever. If we can take him by surprise, we can use it to our advantage. We can be free of this… we can start our life over again. A fresh start, just the three of us… and more if you want.”
Her breath caught. Was he saying… he wanted more children… with her? The thought of more children with Adley flooded her with warmth. She held his gaze and nodded, saying yes to everything, the trap and the future. “Okay, we’ll lure him to us and then kill him. But once this is over, it’s just the three of us. If there are others like Edric and Mercy it doesn’t have anything to do with us. It isn’t our fight and we walk away, okay?”
Adley smiled and nodded. “Deal. We walk away, hell, we’ll goddamn run away. Change our names, change states. We’ll go live on Kangaroo Island, or somewhere far away from anyone else.”
“That sounds perfect.” And his romantic notion did—just too perfect.
Adley powered off and closed the laptop. “I have to make a quick trip into town. We need food and other essentials and I can’t put it off any longer. You’re safe here Eve, no one knows we’re here and I’ll leave you with my gun.”
She shook her head. “No, you take it, Adley—”
He cut her off, rising from the floor and stepped toward her. He touched her face, and then her jaw, tilting her head up. “It isn’t up for discussion. I’ll leave it next to the bed in case someone tries to break in. I’ll be as quick as I can, okay?”
Eve could see the torture in his eyes. “I’ll be fine. I can have a scout around this place and see what we can use as weapons.”
“That’s my girl. I’ll be so quick, you won’t even know I was gone.”
He kissed her lightly on the lips before straightening and glancing at their son before moving away. Adley returned moments later, he placed his mobile and phone on the dresser. “I programmed triple zero in, all you have to do is press call if anything happens and I mean anything Eve. It doesn’t matter how trivial it is. I’ll be listening to the scanner.”
Seeing him leave blurred her gaze with tears and she wiped them away as the sound of his boots faded and the click of the lock signaled Adley had left. Eve rose carefully, making sure she didn’t wake her son.
Her steps were quiet as she made her way through the cupboards of the house, looking for anything that could be of use. An old broom sat in the corner of the doorway, the bristles flat and hard and the old wood worn. She thought the wooden spindle would make a fine weapon. She tugged on the handle, wrenching it backward and forward until the brush gave way. The turned wood felt light in her hands. Its sawn-off end now needed to be carved to a point. She had something she could use. Something she could fight with.
As Eve hefted the broom handle, she thought about her life. She’d never really stopped fighting, whether her enemy was the cold, hunger, or Edric Hasting. The outside world faded out as she searched her memories, her thoughts and actions, trying to find the end and the beginning of it all. But, there was no defining moment she could find. Somewhere in the midst of running for her life and meeting Adley, she’d become strong, determined, no longer a victim—only a survivor. The handle was the start of all she’d become. Eve would fight for those she loved. She’d fought and she’d won once before, and she would do it again.
The minutes flew by as she scoured the house and small tin shed, gathering everything she could find. Knives, an axe, and broken chair legs, she laid them all out. She carved the wood broom handle to a point. The spike wasn't neat, but she felt hope the makeshift stake could put an end to a vampire. The sound of a car slowing caused Eve to stand. Her stomach churned and her breathing quickened. She glanced toward the bed where her son lay sleeping. She gripped the sharpened boom handle and moved toward the front of the house as the last word reverberated inside her mind…vampire… She’d spend time wondering how this had happened later. How something out of a horror movie had become real.
The sound of the slowing car passing had her heart racing. Eve peeked through the faded lace curtain, catching a glimpse of a car driving past. She had to hold on. Adley would be back soon… She rubbed her arms to chase away the goose bumps. Please, Adley hurry….
Chapter 34
Adley
ADLEY LEFT BEHIND his heart and his future as he drove from the house. The hollow inside his chest throbbed. He spun the wheel toward town and eased down the accelerator. He hated to leave her, but he needed to fuel the car, find clothes for his son, and food.
He’d hated lying to Eve. But he couldn’t look into those precious eyes and tell her the truth—that for him there was no future and no getting out of this alive. He pressed harder on the accelerator as tears filled his eyes. He’d made peace with his death before he met Eve. He knew what needed to be done—but fuck if that woman didn’t test his resolve. That image of the future with her almost bought him undone. He pressed hard on the brake and the car skidded and stopped, jolting his body forward. He swung into a park while his mind re-captured the image.
In that moment when he held her and spoke of a life they’d have on an island where the cold winds blew straight from Antarctica he believed every goddamn word. The image was more than a dream—it was real—it waited for them. Isolated from everyone else, the image bu
rned so bright in his mind. Eve stood on a gentle slope with the sound of the ocean pummeling the rocks behind her. The icy wind caught her hair and tossed the gleaming strands behind her. Her cheeks were rosy, matching her lips from the cold. She was happy… so damn happy, it was painful to see. In this vision she reached for him, guiding his hands to swell of her stomach—his baby, an addition to their family. He turned his head to find his son, who walked amongst the herd of kangaroos, his quiet manner causing no more than a twitch of their ears as they hopped along, nibbling at the ground.
Adley pressed his hand against his chest as the ache grew. He moaned and leaned his head against the steering wheel. His tears fell, splashing onto his lap. She will find happiness… she will find it with someone else… He gripped the wheel, clenching it until the skin on his hands stretched and burned.
“No!” Adley pulled himself forward and smashed back into the seat. “No. No. No!”
Fairness. Failure… those went hand-in-hand. His sense of duty dueled with his heart. What kind of man was he, if he didn’t fulfill his promise to his own flesh and blood? What kind of man would he hope to offer Eve, if he was weak and a failure?
But he’d do it… he’d find a way to survive this, and find absolution with Eve. As long as she was safe he’d be happy, that thought was all that kept him going.
Adley fought with his demons and stared out of the windscreen. Bright colored stalls spread out across the front yard of a white church. Books, food, and second-hand clothes. Adley’s gaze followed a family who wandered from one display to the next. The adults held hands while their two kids ran ahead, laughing and smiling. Adley ran his hand through his hair as inside he ached. Adley had to look away, catching sight of the billboard sign at the front. Market this Sunday, fruit’n vegies, bric-a-brac and kid’s items. Come, join the festivities and say farewell to Father Christian.
Paranormal After Dark: 20 Paranormal Tales of Demons, Shifters, Werewolves, Vampires, Fae, Witches, Magics, Ghosts and More Page 48
