Within The Shadows

by Julieanne Lynch

  He left without saying anything. His company was replaced by the same mute medic who was tending to me. He approached my side, and motioned for me to move forward. He changed the dressing on my back. It stung like hell, and the pain left me dizzy.

  I cried out as the gauze stuck to scabs that had begun to form over the deep cuts. The stitching was getting tighter, and I could feel my skin start to knit together. The pain was replaced by the same nauseating feeling that came from the pit of my stomach. I retched, and all the food I had consumed that morning was brought back up, undigested.

  “Tell me this will stop some time soon!” I groaned.

  “It will fade. Your body is going through many changes, and you have to accept this as a way of nature taking over.” He spoke as he lifted the basin of vomit from my lap.

  “So you do speak?” I mocked.

  “Only when I need to.”

  “When can I leave this room? I need air. I need my own bed.”

  “You can leave any time, although I doubt you will want to return to your room. It is in quite a mess at present.”

  “Oh! Yeah, I almost forgot. Can’t you find somewhere else for me?” I pleaded.

  “Mmm, I’ll see what I can do, but you have to promise to stop fidgeting. Your wounds won’t heal if you keep moving.”

  “Okay, it’s a deal.” I smiled. “Sergei?” I called after him.

  “Yes?”

  “I want to see Alex.”

  “I’ll be sure to pass the message on,” he said as he left the room.

  I was on my own yet again, left to wallow in my own self-pity. I missed my mother so much, and wished I could share the news with her. I knew she would probably freak out at the prospect of being a grandmother, but I longed for her words of wisdom. Her usual way of making a bad situation seem okay was what I needed, then and there. I needed to be the child, and have her mother protect her, even in these circumstances.

  Sometime later, Alex came by. He looked gorgeous as usual, but his demeanour left a lot to be desired. He strolled in through the door wearing a purplish-blue shirt and black jeans. His hair was messy, but I think he styled it that way. He swaggered over to my side, and sat down on the bed beside me.

  “I hear you wanted to see me,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair.

  I shuffled uneasily, pulling the covers tighter around my abdomen.

  “Yeah . . . um . . . we need to talk, Alex.”

  “Then talk.”

  “I know you don’t love me, and you know I’ve never loved you. This baby . . . Do you even want it?”

  “Well, I’m not too bothered, either way, but the child is wanted by my people, so I guess you could say the needs far outweigh the want,” he chortled.

  “How can you be so cruel? This child will need love from its parents, from us. Are you really just going to hand him or her over to the Nelapsi?” I asked.

  “My son will not need the kind of love you wish to offer. He will have only one concern, and that will be blood and power.”

  “I hate you. I really do. You could never be the man your father is. He will not allow this to happen.”

  He interrupted me. “Oh, now it’s you and my father against us all? Good luck with that. I doubt you will get very far.” He got up, and started to leave. “And, for the record, I did love you, even though it was brief. With you, I felt something I have never experienced before. If you had not reacted the way you did, it would have grown, and maybe things would have changed, but you destroyed it all. Now that you’re in love with my father, there is no going back. You will serve your purpose, and give birth to the child, but after that, the shadows can have you. You can rot in Hell for all I care.”

  I could not believe the things he said to me. He knew about the shadows all along. With this new knowledge, I was more determined than ever to break away from here. I just had to make sure that Leonid meant what he said, and, if it was true, then maybe we were meant to be together.

  Maybe.

  Chapter Twenty

  SERGEI CAME BACK, and found me trying to get out of the bed. I stumbled as I battled to put my shoes on. He looked pretty pissed at me, and I knew I was pushing my luck with him. After all, I had promised him I would stay still if he got me the room I wanted.

  “What is the meaning of this?” he screeched as he came over to my side, and helped support me.

  “I just want to be taken to Leonid. Please, I can’t be left here any longer. It’s not safe,” I cried.

  “I can’t. I would be disobeying orders.” His voice became a whisper.

  “I promise you Leonid will protect you. Please?” I begged. My eyes were already burning from the tears I had shed earlier, but now they stung like the wounds on my back.

  “Okay, but please, do not say I helped you, or I shall be done for,” he pleaded.

  I saw the desperation in his eyes. Although they were red, I saw what was left of his humanity in them. I held his hand, squeezing tight. “I give you my word, Sergei.”

  He helped me out of the small room, and through a long hallway that led us up some narrow winding stairs.

  “Are you able to climb these?” he whispered in my ear.

  I nodded, conserving my energy for the steep climb. As we proceeded up, I fought the pain that began to consume me. I could feel the burning sensation that blazed over my back as I took each step. Breathing through the pain, I whimpered as I held tight onto Sergei. He carefully helped me up each step, and finally, we were at the top.

  “Rest a little,” he said.

  I refused, shaking my head. “No! I want Leonid!”

  We moved on through a series of corridors that reminded me of the tunnels of the shadow world. Coming to a stop outside large double mahogany doors, Sergei knocked. As we waited, moonlight began to shine in through the two small windows in the back wall.

  The doors opened. Leonid was obviously surprised, but I was pretty sure he was glad to see me. As Sergei helped me into the room, Leonid took my other arm, and led me to his bed. Cautiously, the pair laid me down gently, aware of the pain I was in. I grimaced as my back made contact with the mattress.

  “Shush, don’t fight it,” Leonid whispered.

  Closing my eyes, I stopped fighting, and tried to relax. Before Sergei left, I motioned him to me. I took his hand and begged, “Leonid, promise me you’ll protect him. Do this for me . . . and . . . I’ll never . . .” My words failed me as I fell into a deep sleep.

  * * *

  I do not know how long I slept, but when I awoke, I felt more alive than I had done for weeks. The nausea had settled, and I was finally beginning to get my appetite back. The tightness of my back had loosened, and I was able to stand up on my own without Leonid’s help. He watched me as I took small steps towards the bathroom. I wanted to wash, and get rid of the feel of blood across my skin. It made me feel dirty, and reminded me of Alex’s violent attack.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Leonid asked as I began to run a bath.

  “I stink, and I feel disgusting. I just want to feel a little normal again,” I remarked sarcastically as I poured some cream soap under the running hot water.

  “Mmm, then at least let me help. You can’t get the stitching wet.”

  I cringed at the thought of having him bathe me, but, admittedly, I needed help. I was not yet one hundred percent, and I knew I had to swallow my pride.

  “Okay! But don’t look! Turn your back so I can get in.”

  He smiled, and nodded. He was so different, and so gentle. He never once made me feel like some dumb school girl who got knocked up. I think he respected me.

  I slid into the warm, soapy water, and relished the feeling as the stains of blood washed off of me. He gently sponged water over the edges of my back, being careful not to wet the stitches. My hair felt awful, but because of the stitching, I was unable to wash away the dried blood.

  Once much of the blood had been washed away, Leonid helped me to my feet, and wrapped the towel a
round me. My stomach rumbled, and I knew he could hear the loud noises of hunger. Flustered, I cringed.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “Err, famished, actually.”

  I stood, and looked at him as he smiled down at me. His fangs glistened in the bright light of the bathroom. His scent was delicious, and I craved it so badly. The longer he stood there, the thirstier I became. As he moved in closer to me, his aroma grew more intense.

  Instantly, a buzz of excitement ran through me. I wanted to drink from him so very much. I wanted to feel his warm blood sink into me, and satisfy the burning desire. I wanted to consume every inch of him.

  He pulled me gently into his arms, and placed his lips on mine. The touch was like velvet. As I kissed him back, I savoured the taste of him. His breath was like a cyclone. It made my head spin in circles, and the air between us was hot.

  Slowly, he eased out of our embrace, and looked uncomfortable. I did not want him to stop. I wanted more. As I tried to resume, he rejected me, and walked away.

  A mixture of emotions ran through me. My increasing longing for him confused me. I knew it was not love, but deep down inside I wanted to be his only love. Where this was coming from I had no idea, but at that moment, I was willing to give it a try. If I could not have Marc, then at least I could have Leonid.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked as I followed him into the bedroom.

  He looked sombre. “It would be wrong of me to take advantage of you while you are unwell.”

  “If I didn’t want you to, don’t you think I would have said something?”

  “Giselle, I will not engage in any form of intimacy with you while you carry my son’s child.”

  I was completely taken aback, and sat on the edge of the bed. “But why? I don’t understand,” I whispered.

  “It would be wrong.”

  “Oh, great, a vampire with morals!”

  “It would not feel right to me. Others would have no problem taking advantage of you, but I want more than others seek,” he said with sorrow in his voice.

  “So, you mean to tell me that you are willing to abstain from sex with me for another seven months? You’re a man. You’ll get it from somewhere. Guys always do. You’ll return to Atarah, and I’ll be left alone again. You will forget about me!” I shouted at him as I walked into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut behind me.

  Several minutes passed before he spoke to me. “Atarah is no longer my concern. I am through with her. Giselle, I don’t mean to reject you.” His voice echoed through the door.

  “Then don’t. You can’t make me feel like this, and then do nothing.”

  “Truth be told, there is nothing stopping me from breaking down this door, and taking you right now, but because I have certain feelings for you. I refuse to follow that primal urge.” His voice was soft and broken.

  I opened the door, and looked into his red eyes. “What?”

  “I have fallen in love with you, and I would travel to the edge of the world for you.”

  Without a second thought, I fell into his arms, and held him tight. His arms closed around me, and he held me tightly against his chest.

  “I think I love you, too,” I whispered.

  I had actually said it. I could not believe what I was doing. Was I really falling for him, and, if I was, what about Marc?

  Of course, these thoughts had to be pushed to the back of my mind when Atarah walked in. She peered at me as if I was nothing, and I could see the hate in her eyes. She was evil, and she was wearing it well today.

  “Getting rather cosy, I see,” she spat, running her long fingernails across the wall as she walked closer to us.

  “What do you want, Atarah?” Leonid asked, shielding me from her gaze.

  “Oh, darling Leo, you know what I want. It only happens to be in your, what should I call her, um . . . Oh, yes, your little concubine.” She laughed. “That child is to be mine, so don’t get too comfortable, Giselle. I will take what belongs to me.”

  Anger welled inside me, and before Leonid could hold me back, I stood in front of her, staring hard into her beautiful, cold face. “You will never take my baby from me. I will see you dead before my child is corrupted by you or Alex. I swear to you now, if you come anywhere near me again, I’ll rip your frigging throat out. You’re nothing but a barren, self-righteous bitch.”

  Her eyes widened, but before she could strike me, Leonid caught her arm, and pushed her back towards the door. “For over a century I sat back, and allowed you your freedom. I gave you everything you ever needed, and for what? To have you scheme behind my back, and corrupt the mind of my only child. I have awoken to your treachery. Now, I fear, there is no redemption for you. I can assure you now, that, given time, I will repay you all the wrongs you have done. Now, leave.”

  Standing in astonishment, I watched the power surge out from Leonid as he all but carried her out of the room.

  “You do not scare me. Remember, I know you, Leo. I know all your little tricks. I just hope you’re ready for what is coming!” she screeched from the corridor. “Mark my words, I will have that child!”

  Her voice echoed in my head as I began to realise the seriousness of what was happening. “Oh, my God, they’re going to do it, aren’t they?” I panicked. “They’re going to take my baby!”

  “Giselle, I will not let anything happen to you or your child,” he said confidently.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because I will kill them.”

  Leonid meant what he said. I could see it written on his face. He was angry, and Atarah had aggravated him by threatening me. I knew the look he wore upon his face. He was planning something.

  “We must leave at once,” he said. “Get dressed. I will be back shortly.”

  He left the room before I had the chance to say anything else. I knew I was healing, but I was not so sure about travelling again, and I certainly did not want to go back to the Kerguelen Islands.

  My stomach churned as waves of heat and dizziness overcame me. I had thought they were long gone, but now the nausea depleted me of the energy I had conserved. I vomited into the waste bin, and continued until it felt as though the lining of my stomach had all but been removed. I sat back against the wooden panelled wall, and waited for the moment to pass.

  Gradually, the room stopped spinning. The heat that had overcome me began to die, leaving my skin clammy and sticky. I hesitated to move, at first, wary of the sickly feeling taking over again. In spite of myself, I got to my feet. I carefully pulled on a pair of black jeans, and cautiously pulled a pink jumper over my head, trying my best not to let the material rub against the stitching. It hurt, but the pain was bearable.

  By the time I had dressed myself, and fixed my hair into a loose braid, Leonid had returned, along with Antoine who always seemed to turn up whenever there was a crisis. He seemed his usual jovial self, but I could see the worry etched on his face. They both exchanged a wary look, and I knew things were getting serious.

  “Okay . . . What’s going on?” I asked, folding my arms.

  “Whatever could be wrong, sweet Princess? You have two fine men at your disposal. If something were to arise, believe me, we are more than ready for action,” Antoine remarked as he peered out of the window.

  “Bylun is waiting, and I assured him we wouldn’t be long,” Leonid said as he helped me to my feet, not that I needed help. After all, I had successfully dressed myself on my own.

  “Has something happened?”

  “Giselle, we must leave now,” Leonid beckoned.

  “Not until you tell me why.”

  “Now is not the time for stubbornness. We have minutes before they come,” he replied as he coaxed me towards the door.

  “Who’s coming? Leonid, who is coming?” I begged.

  “The gluttons. The Nelapsi young.”

  The name resonated through my head. Alex had told me about them when I had first come to Armenia, but something about the name, and the rea
ctions in both Leonid and Antoine sent warning signals rushing to my brain. I knew, then, that things were going to get bad, real bad.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  WE RUSHED THROUG blacked out tunnels where I could hear the sounds of dripping water, and the rush of tiny feet beneath me. My hand remained firmly clutched by Leonid’s as he led the way. Behind me, Antoine followed, steadying me whenever my feet let me down. Neither of them spoke. Because of the seriousness of the situation, I refused to utter a word. I was frightened for myself, and for my unborn child.

  We came to a stop in the darkness, and, all of a sudden, a ball of light hurt the back of my eyes, making me squint. Antoine held out his hand, and in his palm sat a small, round ball. Its flame had a subtle orange glow, and gave me enough light to see the steel door in front of us.

  “Where are we?” I whispered.

  “At the foothills of the mountain,” Leonid answered as he pushed hard against the door.

  “Bylun is on the other side waiting for us,” Antoine said casually as he held the flame up closer to me.

  “How?” I asked, pointing at his hand.

  “We all have our own party tricks. This is mine.” He smiled.

  From behind us came a loud crash. All three of us looked back in the direction of the long line of blackness. In the distance, the sounds of rushed feet were accompanied by the noises of inhumane squeals. High-pitched shouts and laughter echoed around us, and the hairs on my skin stood on end. I was frightened, and I did not know if there was any chance of escape.

  Leonid pushed harder to no effect. Gritting his teeth, he heaved against the door. Finally, it edged open, and light came streaming in. I was pushed through the doorway to be met by the white bearded man who had helped me before. His smile was a welcome sight. Taking me by the hand, he hugged me tight.

  Bylun.

  Behind me, I could hear a scuffle. Screams, shouts, and bloodcurdling noises came from the direction of the tunnel. Antoine shouted something at me, but because of the noise, I could not make out what he said. I soon realised that Leonid was nowhere to be seen. I knew he had been right by my side when I left the tunnel, but now he was gone.