Analey put a hand to her mouth as I described the worst days of my existence. I wished I could’ve sparred her the horrific truth. I looked at her expectantly wondering if I should continue. She read the hesitation in my eyes and nodded for me to go on.
“My brother Phillip and Aloes were poisoned by one of our kitchen servants. By the end of the week Larson and I were the only ones left in the castle. Our family members’ bodies were in the vaults underneath the castle waiting burial. We became paranoid and terrified of our impending deaths and we stayed in the castle afraid to venture out, but we couldn’t escape our mortal fate.” My mouth was insatiably dry, and I suddenly felt violently thirsty. I left the living room and poured a glass of bourbon. I swallowed it in one gulp, aware that it wouldn’t help. I returned to Analey as she sat wide eyed and motionless, waiting for me to tell her how I had died.
“We heard some loud thuds coming from the vaults. Larson was the first to go down and when he didn’t come back up, I went looking for him. I found him at the bottom of the stairs. He had fallen and broken his neck. I ran back up the stairs horrified and panicked as I knew I was about to die. I reached the ground floor and saw a man with his sword drawn standing at the entrance of the room. Before I could even think of moving, he drove his sword through my heart, killing me instantly.” I was out of breath and couldn’t utter another word. I hadn’t realized what bringing up the past would do to me. I looked to Stella for the courage to continue.
“Mikel, what are you saying?” Analey asked. “What are you?”
“Please let me finish explaining,” I pleaded with her.
“Is all this really relevant?” she asked.
I wasn’t sure if it was, but I wanted to make her understand there was more to us than what we had become. “I think it is.”
“Okay, fine,” she said. “Go on.”
“We don’t know how long we remained dead, but I awoke on the cold floor of the family crypt with no memory of how I had gotten there. My body ached, every muscle sore and a severe pounding in my head. The worst part was the burning in my throat. My mouth was dry, but the thirst, the thirst was insane. I sat up and felt as if I’d had too much wine. I tried to shake the dizziness away as I got to my feet. Stumbling through the dark back to the castle, I went to the central drawing point of the water well and drank as much as I could. I’d expected the water to quench my insatiable thirst, but it did nothing for my severely parched throat. I shuffled into the great hall and found everyone else had made their way back home from the tombs.” I stopped talking. I didn’t want to tell Analey what we had become but I had gone too far to stop now. I felt obligated to reveal my true self to her.
“I was shocked to see their faces, their eyes. Did I look like them? Did I have that same deadly look in my eyes? I wondered. Their eyes were black and bloodshot. The veins around their eyes were raised and they looked like hungry animals.” I regretted telling Analey, but I owed her the truth the moment I stepped into her life. I knew this wasn’t a secret I could keep forever, but how I wished I could’ve protected her from the horrific truth.
“I could hear everyone talking all at once, yet their lips weren’t moving. What’s happening? My throat, I need water. I’m scared. I realized I was hearing their thoughts and they could hear mine. My father was the first to mention the curse, then my mother added that we were no longer mortal human beings. She said we had been turned.” My heart raced as I gathered the courage to say the words aloud and admit to Analey that I was not human.
“I’m a vampire,” I finally admitted the horrible truth. “My family and I were turned by the curse.” I waited, studying Analey’s eyes. She stared blankly at me in disbelief. “Please Analey, don’t be afraid.”
“How’s that possible? Vampires don’t exist; they’re not real.”
“It’s true,” I whispered.
“No, this is not happening. This is just another nightmare,” Analey said. “I don’t believe you.”
But she did believe me. She was just in shock or denial because it meant the world, she thought she lived in, was falling apart all around her.
“Show me,” she demanded.
“What?” I gasped.
“You don’t look like a vampire. You look human,” she said.
I swallowed hard. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
I deliberately focused on the sound of her heartbeat and the scent of her blood. It was a delicate sweet scent. A rush of adrenaline consumed me as the ravenous thirst rose. My brown eyes were now black and bloodshot. I could feel the veins pulsate and bulge underneath the pale skin around my eyes. I felt Stella’s hand on my shoulder as she held me back. I saw the horror in Analey’s eyes, and I turned away from her, forcing the thirst back and composing myself.
Analey gasped, as she rushed to the door. She wrapped her hand around the door knob but didn’t open it. “Why did you come here to Shadowmist? What do you want from me?”
“Analey, I don’t have time to explain everything right now, but you’re in danger and I came to protect you,” I said.
“What danger?” she asked. “More vampires or something else?”
“Both,” I admitted.
“Mikel, I don’t know what to believe or who to trust anymore. I can’t trust either of you,” she said.
I could see how much she feared me. I reached out to her, but she shut her eyes and tears fell down her cheeks. She honestly believed I intended to harm her. I wanted to comfort her, and my arms ached with the longing to hold her. My father had been right; I should’ve just watched over her from a safe distance. All I wanted was to protect her and keep her safe, but I had once again failed her. She was the one I’d been searching for and now I had lost her.
“There is just one more thing I need to know,” Analey said. “What happened to Larson? It seems as if you two are no longer friends. I sense you are more like enemies now.”
Analey was very intuitive. Larson, once my best friend and brother, was now my worst enemy.
“Yes, it’s true we had to go our separate ways. What we didn’t expect was that with the curse came great gifts. We were stronger, faster, and had special powers we would later discover. All our emotions were heightened and intense. We chose not to go out during the day because the sun felt brighter, and the noises were louder. We were new and couldn’t control our thirst or our powers. We hunted at night, feeding from the murderers and the monsters of the human race. We hid in the castle during the day, but it proved to be tedious and dreary at times. As the years passed by, I became ridden with guilt from feeding from humans. My mother and Faye had taught themselves to live from the blood of animals. Their powers weakened but they survived. I turned to them to teach me to control my desire for human blood and started hunting animals. It was quite different from what I was used to, but the thought of harming humans was enough to compel me to continue hunting bears and other large animals. I acclimated to this new diet as did the rest of my family. Larson too joined us in preserving human life. The scent of human blood tempted me as it did all vampires, but my ability to sustain was much stronger than my blood cravings.”
“But Aloes didn’t?” Analey asked.
“We believe he did, but I’m not convinced he made the switch to feeding only on animal blood. We began traveling throughout the country and adapted well to our new life as we settled in Valencia. We stayed together, immortality now binding the Cardamone and Aragon families by the wicked curse, but by the late 1800’s, Aloes grew bitter and angry with the curse. He let his rage take over and began attacking whoever crossed his path. He also began to spread his poison and created a vampire army. Larson stayed with us for a while longer, but one devastating incident pushed him over the edge.” I lifted my gaze from the ground to Analey. Her hand was over her mouth, holding back quiet sobs as she took in what I was telling her.
“Is Larson the reason I’m in danger?” Analey asked.
I nodded. “Yes.”
�
�What happened to Larson? What could be worse than dying and becoming a vampire?” she asked.
“Anaiyah,” I said.
A flash of understanding entered her wide eyes as if she knew what that meant, but then it was gone. “Who is she?”
“She was the love of his life and when she died, Larson lost every last shred of humanity that remained in him.”
“You loved her too,” Analey said, catching me off guard with her accurate statement.
“She was different than anyone we’d ever met. Beautiful and graceful, she sauntered into the old tavern where we sat late one evening, sweeping her eyes around the room. Anaiyah had the gift of premonition, her intuition amazingly on target each time. She had a way of knowing when something was going to happen and claimed she had seen us in a dream. She knew what we were before Larson had a chance to explain and she graciously accepted it. I fell in love with her and she fell in love with Larson. It was an agonizing defeat to acknowledge, but I was left with no choice. I was forced to accept her rejection and left Spain and traveled to the New England Colonies. I couldn’t bear to see them together, but I kept up with them through mutual acquaintances and it was going well for them.” I confessed.
“But it didn’t end well, did it?” Analey asked.
I shook my head, thinking back. “She began demanding that Larson change her, but he refused. He didn’t want her to suffer as he did every day with the thirst that controlled him. When he wouldn’t do it, she found me, but I, too, refused to change her. Larson couldn’t bear the thought of living without her, so he eventually gave in to her senseless demands. If he’d know the horrible outcome, he would have let her go, but he was selfish and would do whatever it took to keep her by his side for eternity. Even if it meant doing the unimaginable. I was furious when I found out he had given in to her. I tried to talk him out of it, but Larson was determined. He said he loved her and would do anything for her, even if it wasn’t what was best for her. But no one, not even Anaiyah with her clairvoyant sight, could predict the consequences of her desires. Larson blamed himself, but Anaiyah was born with a weak heart and couldn’t endure the change.” I stopped talking to see how Analey was holding up. Her eyes were filled with wonder but also fear.
“Anaiyah’s death was the end of Larson’s humanity,” Analey said.
“Yes. Madness and bitterness consumed him and any consideration he had for human life was completely gone with the last beat of her heart. He left a trail of blood and destruction as he traveled from one country to another. I kept track of him by the carnage he left in his wake. I tried to reason with him, to bring him back to humanity, but there was too much despair in his heart. After some time, Larson disappeared, and I never saw or heard from him again. I’d heard he rejoined his father, and in doing so, his plan to change the world or destroy anyone who tried to stop him.”
“He wants to change everyone to vampires.” Analey grasped the gravity of the Cardamone’s evil agenda.
“Yes, but we have been thwarting his plan, by staying one step ahead of him and protecting the one weapon that could stop him,” I said.
“What kills a vampire, a wooden stake?” Analey asked.
“A wooden stake only weakens a vampire. There are only a few ways to kill us. You must drive silver through our heart or reach in and pull our heart from our body. Fire and decapitation will also do the trick. Although the human is not strong enough to force our heart out or head off. So, silver is the best weapon.” I told Analey all the ways we could be killed except for the one I wasn’t ready to reveal to her.
“Silver? I thought that was for werewolves?” she asked.
“It dates back to the beginning of our creation, with Ambrogio and Selene,” I said.
Analey shook her head. “This is all too much for me. I don’t want to hear anymore, and I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“Analey please just wait.” I begged.
“No. I can’t.” She turned and ran out the door.
Every fiber in my body told me to go after her, but I resisted. She was already so frightened and confused. It would only do more harm if I ran after her. I buried my face in my hands, heartache swelling within me. I worried about the damage I’d caused by entering her world. I didn’t know if she would ever forgive or accept me, but I would never forgive myself for the pain I’d caused her. I sat helplessly on the couch, my dead heart in pieces.
twenty~ four
Analey
Iran out of the house, frightened and confused. It felt as if the walls were rapidly closing in on me and the roof threatening to collapse. My heart was racing, anger replacing the fear. I was stunned by all the lies I’d been told and secrets they had kept from me. Stella, who claimed to be family and Mikel too, had lied to me. They had betrayed my trust and broken my heart.
I could now see the similarities in Stella and Mikel, details I’d failed to notice before. With the realization of what Mikel and Stella were, the tears I’d been holding back began streaming down my face. I feared for my life. Mikel was a monster and probably wanted to kill me. I now believed in things I never imagined could be real. I didn’t want to believe it, but more unimaginable truths were about to be revealed. I could sense it as an animal sensing an impending storm.
A sea of mixed emotions swirled inside of me. Though I wanted to ask Mikel what any of it had to do with me, I didn’t give him the chance to explain more. I thought I’d heard Mikel calling my name, but I didn’t care. I ran faster, wanting to get as far away from him as I could. I imagined them coming after me, their teeth sinking into my skin and my warm blood flowing into their mouths. I looked over my shoulder expecting to see red eyes and sharp fangs behind me, but no one was following me.
Not knowing where I was going, I kept running. The houses were all adorned with skeletons and ghouls. Eerie orange lights glowed as they waited for the Hollowed holiday that was just around the corner. The Halloween decorations seemed to sneer at me as I ran past them. I ran down the unfamiliar path, panting toward some unknown destination. I’d been running for a couple of miles now. The unrelenting terrain sped up my breathing, but it slowed my movements to a sluggish jog. I considered my options as I came to the next intersection. My brow drenched with perspiration as the labored rhythm of breaths going in and out calmed me enough to explore each route. I glanced to the left and a small incline up Dales Lane met my gaze. To my immediate right, my eyes met the wicked glare of an impending uphill battle that would easily cease my journey.
I finally resolved to continue straight on Ravine Road. My run was congruous with the melody of my slow but steady pace. My feet thudding against the black pavement, my rhythmic breathing and rapid heart palpitations all harmonized perfectly as I continued. My destiny lay a few more miles ahead. The road curved and stopped at a dead end. The water from the earlier rainfall ran downhill along the edge of the street. A faded shred of newspaper floated helplessly through the flowing water. A cold shiver rolled down my spine as I was forced to go left, not knowing what perils I would encounter around the curve, but quitting was not an option. I pushed through, uncertain if I would make it. Determination breaking through my fatigued gallop, I picked up the pace. My destination was almost in reach; I could sense it in my body. Ignoring the slight burn in my chest as the frosty air traveled through my lungs, I fought my way through the last couple of miles.
A dense fog, illuminated by the brightness of the moon, enveloped me as I contemplated what I should do. I couldn’t go back home because they would be there. And even if I was wrong, and they didn’t want to feed off me – I shivered at that last thought—they had lied to me about everything and I couldn’t trust them. I thought about going to Kami’s house or calling Kian, but I couldn’t risk putting any of my friends in danger. They had tried to warn me, but I had dismissed them. I felt foolish for recklessly choosing Mikel over my friends. But it was too late now, the choice had been made and I was on the run.
Soft drops of mist moistened my f
ace as I trudged along to Raven Circle. Three more streets past there and I would be headed to the woods.
The Vanishing Woods. I halted.
I wanted to turn back, but what I’d learned about Mikel filled me with more terror than did the chilling stories of the woods. I continued down the two-lane road, squinting through the darkness and the fog. The road curved slightly then straightened for another quarter of a mile. The black pavement abruptly bent in a sharp curve and felt as if I was circling back around. At the end of the winding lane, I saw the entrance to the woods through a dirt footpath.
As I considered entering the forest, I had a peculiar presentiment that I was leaving behind my ordinary mortal life and entering an eternal reverie, one more nightmarish than fantasy. As I looked to the edge of the woodlands, the trees transformed to dark silhouettes against a blanket of white fog. The light of the moon seeping through the haze played tricks with my vision and I saw tall shadows lurking and slithering within the lofty redwoods.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and my eyes welled up with tears as I thought of Mikel. I was certain he was in my dreams because he had some vampiric power allowing him to invade them. He and Stella both were in on all the lies. More tears fell at how betrayed I was by the two people I’d cared about the most.
“Stop it.” I scolded myself and angrily wiped away the tears. I couldn’t afford to think of Mikel in that way anymore.
He wasn’t Mikel.
He was a vampire.
He had killed before and could kill again.
With trembling trepidation, I stepped off the paved road onto the narrow trail, constantly reminding myself to be brave as I stepped onto the uneven ground of dirt, roots, and leaves. I didn’t know what I would find when I got there, but like a magnet, something was drawing me deeper into the woods. The dried leaves made an eerie, crackling sound as they crushed under my feet and the canopy of tree limbs shrouded the moonlight. I stopped one more time making a weak attempt to maintain my composure. Leaning against the hard trunk of a tree, I took slow deep breaths. I slid down, and at the base of the big tree, I forced my tired mind to make sense of it all. The tree bark felt rough and jagged against my back as I replayed the details of Mikel’s story.
Edge of Forever: The Death and Life of Analey Rose (The Immortal Souls Book 1) Page 18
