I turned to look at the clock; it was nine a.m. I reluctantly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. My body was still a little sore from the vision I’d had in my sleep, but not as bad as it could have been since I hadn’t been awake to fight it. I looked in the mirror, watching as my green eyes floated above my nose. My skin was paler than usual, but there was nothing I could do about it. I mean, it was a frozen tundra outside. I’d just have to wait until summer. My phone chimed. Kale had programmed his number in my phone under K and gave it a special ringtone so I would know it was him.
Can I see you later?
There was no “Good Morning,” or “Are you all right after receiving that earth shattering news last night?” I almost texted back “and good morning to you too,” but I didn't want to waste any time. I wanted to see him. I needed his help. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see a certain part of my past, but I knew I had to. I needed to see what had happened to my parents and why the police had never found the person driving the car that killed them. I’d put it out of my mind for so long, trying to pretend I didn't want to know and it didn’t matter because they were dead, but that was all a lie. I had the power to find out the truth, and I wanted to see the person who did it; I wanted to see the person who helped end my life with them, and I wanted them to pay.
Yes. I need a favor.
Someone knocked on the door. I placed my cell on the sink and ran out to answer. Alex stood at the door with two to-go cups of coffee in his hand, dressed for the slopes. I frowned in response to his chipper smile and skiing attire.
“No,” I said as I walked away from the door.
I went to pick out some clothes and Alex sat on the bed, grinning. He was wearing a dark green sweater that seemed to know where each individual muscle in his body was and decided to put them on display. I heard my phone jingle in the bathroom, but it played the ringtone I had designated to Mia, so I ignored it. I wouldn’t be able to handle it if she were to tell me about another body. Alex offered me one of the coffees after I’d settled on a navy blue turtleneck sweater and a pair of khaki corduroys. The coffee was hot and bitter, just the way he liked it, and I tried not to gag.
“Where’s the cream and sugar?” I asked.
He passed me a handful of sugar packets and creamer. I rolled my eyes and used them to create my perfect cup of Joe.
“So, what are we up to today?” he asked.
I took a sip of my coffee to stall. Kale hadn’t texted me back yet. I wasn’t sure what time he wanted to meet, but I was pretty sure it’d be at night. “I don’t know. What were you planning to do?”
“Let’s ski a little. No lift, just you and me skiing. Then we can eat at the little café around the corner,” he suggested, and I agreed.
My phone finally went off with Kale’s ringtone. I took my clothes and headed to the bathroom, telling Alex I’d be out in a few. I waited until I heard the soft click of my door closing. I felt a small pang of guilt because of the secrets I was hiding from Alex, but Kale had said it was in everyone’s best interest that I kept everything to myself, and I reluctantly agreed. His message was short.
We will see. Same place, same time.
I agreed to meet him back at the cottage later that night. I worried Kale wouldn’t help me remember the night my parents died, but I wasn’t sure if his refusal would be a bad thing. How ready was I for the truth?
I met Alex, Lea, and Sarah on the slopes. I managed to have a great time, though I still worried about what Kale would say.
***
A fire burned bright and warm in the hearth while Kale poured me a mug of hot chocolate. It was so weird to see him doing something so domestic. He was almost one hundred fifty years old and stood in front of me with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. I sat on the stool and sipped it carefully. Before I’d come over, I had thought of a few questions I wanted to ask him about his life as a vampire and now that we were face to face, I was chickening out.
“Is it good?” Kale asked.
I nodded. An awkward silence threatened to ascend, but before it could, I decided to grow a pair and start with the questions. I didn't want Kale to bring up the favor I wanted until I was ready to talk about it myself.
“What year were you born in?” It was one of the easier questions I’d thought of.
Kale looked at me like he knew I was playing with an ace up my sleeve, but answered anyway. “1862.”
I searched my mind for anything significant from that year. “The Battle of Puebla,” I said, more to myself than to him.
Kale nodded in appreciation. “And?” He looked interested in what I was going to say next.
I smiled. “The Mexican army defeated the French.” I wondered if he was helping me remember, or if my memory from History class was really that good. I dug deep and realized I knew a lot more about this battle. “Then the French sent more soldiers and took Puebla on May 17, then Mexico City on June 7,” I said, amazed with myself. “How did I know that?”
Kale’s face was emotionless, but his eyes held a trace of something I couldn't put my finger on.
“I don’t know. Maybe you learned it in school.”
I could tell he was hiding some information from me. I wondered if it was worth mentioning, but decided against it. There were more important things I wanted to know.
Kale had some weird self-loathing thing going on, and I needed to be careful about how much I asked about his vampire lifestyle. “Why can you come out during the day?” I stared into my cup of hot chocolate. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell he was uncomfortable with my question. “I mean, I thought vampires couldn't survive daylight or something, but when we first met, you said the sun only weakened you. What was that all about?” I paused briefly. “And do you seriously drink blood?” I blurted. I immediately regretted the rude way I’d asked the question. Maybe it was as personal as asking a female about her feminine issues.
Kale placed himself on the stool beside me and ran his hand through his dark hair. “You are asking me if I drink blood,” he said to himself, then looked me in the eyes; they shined like liquid pools of oil.
I sat quietly, eyeing him inquisitively. Kale was ashamed of what he was, and that saddened me because I was the reason he felt that way. Well, not me, but Hélène. But when he’d first told me what he was, I turned my back on him.
“Yeah, I guess I am,” I said softly. It wasn’t every day a person learned of vampires, and he seemed very different from the ones I’d seen in books and movies. I started to compare vampires from movies and books to Kale. “You can be in sunlight, and you’re not always fighting the urge to rip my throat out.” I looked at Kale wide-eyed; maybe he did fight the urge to rip my throat out. “I mean, you aren’t always fighting the urge, are you?” I placed my hand to my throat and felt my face heat up in a nervous blush.
Kale continued to stare at me, his lips forming a small smirk. He seemed fascinated with me and my babbling.
“You can see in the dark, move incredibly fast, you don’t spar—”
“Are you listing traits of fictional vampires?” he asked, amused, smirk still plastered on his face.
I almost felt embarrassed, but why should I? I didn't know about his vampiric traits, or until a few weeks ago, that he even existed.
I held my chin up defiantly. “Yeah. Until recently, Kale, I didn't think your kind existed.” I spoke with as much attitude as I could muster.
He agreed and sighed. If he was offended by me saying “your kind,” he didn't show it. Kale stood and strolled over to me. “I’ll tell you about my abilities and how I was created.” His expression changed to something more solemn. “But telling you about drinking blood isn’t something I am going to do.”
Before I could protest, he continued talking. “I can hear your heart beating.” He removed himself from the stool and walked toward me. “I can tell you have a slight murmur. It’s very faint, and your doctor probably didn't find it until
you were older, if he has found it at all.”
My heart sped up the closer he moved to me until the only things between us were my knees. The look in his eyes as he eyed my pulsing neck sent fear through me. Was I foolish to trust this vampire?
He smiled as if reading my thoughts. “I can feel your fear like a heat wave radiating from your body, and I must admit it excites me.”
Kale’s eyes changed as we stared at each other, becoming silver, then black again. My heart raced in double-time as my breaths came in short, hurried spurts. Did he have this effect on me, or was it something else completely? I stared at him, unblinking, as he moved in closer. He placed some of his weight onto my knees. Before I could stop myself, I parted them for him, allowing him to close the distance between us. My body flushed with heat, and the coolness of his skin chilled me through my jeans as he placed a hand on my thigh.
“I can sense what you are feeling and what you want, and I can use my will to control it.” He slanted his head above mine. His lips were slightly parted.
I couldn't feel breath on my skin, but I could still feel the chill of his hand on my thigh. I stifled a moan that normally would have been embarrassing. What was wrong with me? This wasn’t what I came here for. I needed to clear my head, but as long as I stared into his eyes, my body was not mine to control. He was doing this! It wasn’t just because I’d wanted to feel his lips against mine from the first time I’d seen him. He was amplifying that need in some way so that even a once rational mind would give in to whatever he wanted. “Stop,” I whispered.
“Stop what?” he asked, in a voice so pleasant I almost forgot what I’d asked.
“Please,” I whispered. My mind was fuzzy. I hoped he could see this was going further than I wanted, and my trust in him was beginning to waver.
“You wanted to know. Now you can see firsthand what I am capable of and why you shunned me all those years ago.”
I could sense his anger and sadness, but I couldn't do anything about it. I was still enthralled by his gaze. Enthralled. The word popped into my head and traced its way to my lips.
“Enthralled.”
The word caused Kale’s stare to waver before he backed up. It felt as if a heavy curtain had been pulled from over my head. I took a deep breath and tried to still the anger that raged inside of me.
“What did you say?” Kale moved back even farther, as if being close to me made him sick. His face twisted into a snarl, and he continued talking as I wrestled with myself for full control. “Just now, what did you say?”
Once I’d gained some sort of composure, I jumped off of the stool and stared at him accusingly. “You tell me, Kale! The almighty vampire that can control a girl’s feelings for him and turn them into something she’s not ready for!” I ignored the apologetic look on his face.
He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
“Why did you do that?” I demanded. “What were you going to do—bite me?” I startled myself with the revelation of how he would get his prey to allow him to bite them. I backed up suddenly, knocking over the stool. Reflexively, I placed my hand to my neck even as his apologetic look deepened and turned to regret.
“No, Ella. I don’t use enthrallment to drink from anyone. I swear it to you.” He moved closer. His palms were in the air as a sign he meant no harm.
I didn't think he was lying, but I still couldn't forget the look in his eyes as he’d stood between my thighs, listening to my heart beat. I blushed at the memory. He lowered his hands and righted the stool, his face becoming a mask I couldn't read.
“You have been here long enough your friend will be worried about you if you don’t return soon,” he said, as he walked past me and to the door.
I followed him after I removed my hand from my neck, embarrassed at the fact I felt the unconscious need to put it there in the first place.
Even though he was in the wrong for using his powers like that, I felt bad for snapping. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I had no control over what was happening, and it scared me. Okay?”
Kale faced me, and it took everything in me not to flinch. I knew how much power his gaze held, and I didn't want to encounter it again.
“What scared you? The fact I have the power to intensify your feelings for me, or the fact you have feelings for a Nosferat? A disease bearer.” Shame was laced heavily in his voice.
My heart ached at the sound of it. I dropped my coat and placed my hand in his. My feelings were all over the place, and I wasn’t sure if my heart belonged in the past with Kale or about our future, but there was one thing I was sure of.
“I don’t know what I feel about us, Kale. This is new to me, even though I have lived this before, but I know I don’t hate you because of what you are. It’s my fault. I took your life. I am truly sorry for that. I guess the real question is, will you forgive me?” The lie I’d told Laurent had provoked him into making Kale into a vampire. It had to hurt him for me to have twice turned my back on him because of who he was, but before we went any further and before I would allow him to protect me, I needed his forgiveness.
“You did nothing wrong. But if it makes you feel better, then I forgive you for whatever it is you feel you’ve done.” Kale picked up my coat and handed it to me. “Hélène lived in a time where vampires wouldn’t learn to control their thirst. I, on the other hand, have done so, and I am not a full vampire because of how I was changed.”
I shrugged on my coat and waited for Kale to continue.
“My blood wasn’t fully replaced; I was infected by a small amount of blood, meaning some of my human blood still remains. That is why I don’t suffer the same ailments as a true vampire, but still possess some of the qualities.” Kale wrapped my scarf around my neck. “There are very few true vampires left, and they are nomadic in nature. They never stay in one spot, and they keep to themselves.”
“Oh, I didn't know there were different kinds of vampires.”
Kale shrugged. “There are only vampires and half-breeds called Chorý.”
The word wasn't familiar to me. “Choree?” I repeated, doing my best to pronounce the word correctly.
“Something like that. It means ill or diseased,” Kale explained.
Headlights illuminated the foyer, signaling my cab’s arrival.
“I don’t like that the word means disease. It seems silly,” I huffed.
Kale smiled and shrugged. “Well, it’s a perfect definition for what’s happened to me, Ella. Laurent wanted to make sure you never came near me again. He just did not know that as time went on, the world would start to romanticize vampires—fictional characters or not.”
People may very well glamorize fictional vampires, but if they knew the truth, I didn't think they would handle it as well.
The cab ride back to the lodge was quiet and quick. I had wanted to ask Kale to help me remember my parents’ killer, but I wasn’t sure I could handle it just yet. I would still ask him, but I would just have to wait until I was ready.
Chapter 23
* * *
“I can show you the truth.” —Kale
“And what truth is that, son of a farmer?” —Hélène
* * *
“So, what are your plans for college, Alex?” I asked, as I packed my things for the trip back to Cedar Grove. The rest of the trip had gone great, except for the call from Dr. Lithe requesting I come in for a checkup. He wanted to know how I was doing and if the meds he’d prescribed me had any side effects he needed know about. I was actually happy to plan a trip back to Virginia Beach because I wanted to get my car and the rest of my belongings. The thought of driving Alex’s stick shift made my stomach hurt. Plus, if he came home, he would need his own vehicle. Kale and I had come to a mutual agreement that he would not fight off any more guardians once we arrived home, and he would help Jace keep an eye out for me because the deaths of the two girls could be linked to Laurent’s men. Apparently, he was sending out Trackers to find me, and according to Kale, it was
only a matter of time before he did. We hadn’t discussed what would happen when Laurent located me. I knew Kale wanted me to leave town without any sort of notice, but I couldn't do that to Eric and Sarah.
Alex continued to flip through the channels. He’d continuously drilled me every time I returned from my talks with Kale, and it was hard not to confide in him. He seemed to believe I needed some alone time to think and read for my assignment.
“My dad still doesn’t think I am making this decision for the right reason,” he said, as he peeked at me.
I wondered why his father thought he wanted to come home, but I hadn’t asked Alex yet. I was taking baby steps in hopes he would tell me on his own.
“Good thing I don’t need his permission to change my mind.”
I shook my head. “True, but his opinion should at least matter to you, Alex. He only wants what is best for you. If he questions your reasons for moving back, then maybe you should talk to him about it before you make your choice.” I was trying to sound rational.
Alex looked at me, and his expression said he’d made up his mind and there was no changing it.
“So?” I prodded again.
“I’m gonna transfer and come home.”
It took everything in me not to jump for joy. Alex staying in Cedar would add more to my plate, but I couldn't help being excited.
“I just need to find out the best way to do it, you know? I've been thinking about it for a while.” Alex got off of the bed and moved over to where I stood.
My suitcase was packed and ready, and he hefted it up over his shoulder and moved toward the door. I looked around one last time and then went into the bathroom to check for any stranded toiletries.
I met Alex and Eric in the hallway, and we all headed downstairs. The silence was odd. Two days earlier, Alex and his father had been hanging out like in the old times, and now it seemed they weren’t even talking to each other. This was the reason I thought Alex should talk to his father again—to avoid an awkward situation. I looked up at Eric’s face and noticed the stress lines that had once seemed to be disappearing making a comeback. His posture was different, and I knew that he was worried about his son and his decision to transfer. I didn't understand why Alex leaving NYU to study at Virginia Tech was such a big deal. They were both great schools. I needed to find out why Eric was so worried about Alex wanting to come home. It wasn’t like it was some girl swaying his decision, or at least I didn't think it was. Alex would have told me if there was a girl here in Cedar he was interested in.
Few Are Angels Page 18
