by Unknown
“You remembered something? She actually was able to trigger a memory before you turned?” she bounced in her seat eagerly speaking only to Damien.
“Yes, Jezabell,” Damien’s somber biting tone and hard glare made her instantly quiet again. I finished the story in almost a whisper.
The silence hung thick in the air for much longer than I was comfortable with. At long last it was Hendrick who spoke up, easing the tension tenfold. “So where does that leave us all?” He looked confused.
“Well Anna has shared her side of the story. But she did manage to leave out the part where I explained to her I believed the dreams were acting as a life window.” I looked to Damien questioningly at the term as he spoke. “A window into your past lives. That you were reincarnated due to the spell. That your binding spell is what brought me to you.”
Lara seemed awed over the possibility. Jezabell was reeling with excitement. But we hadn’t gotten to the bad part yet. Damien looked at me to continue. Daring me. “I told him I didn’t believe him.” I could hardly speak. Phoenix casually nudged me with his knee again to force me to continue, though I nearly choked on my words. “It’s not possible. She and I are nothing alike all right. I met her before I turned, and while those memories are vague she never indicated anything of the sort.” They looked at me, waiting for that story, too. “I am allowed to keep some privacy,” I bit out each word. Not saying it didn’t keep me from thinking about it.
Literally the day before I died, I was healed. In healing me, the Descendant, my friend Neesa, put me into a state of unconsciousness. There I met her. Shayla. The key was in the blood… How right she had been. Demetrius and his people had come for me. I sacrificed myself, and for it, Damien had stopped them. “If it is true, how do you explain two separate entities being able to meet at all?”
Jezabell looked down on me with eyes that were horribly angry, and hurt all at once. Why was she so upset? Hendrick’s head hung down, looking like a wounded puppy despite his size. Lara was hard to look at. She looked as if her heart had been broken. I’d hurt their brother, and there was nothing they could do about it.
Phoenix was the only one not radiating with tension. Unconsciously I found myself leaning against him.
Damien was the worst of course. I simply couldn’t look at him. Slowly, I stood up. All eyes following me, I walked out the magnificent set of French doors out to the even more splendid garden. Unable to appreciate it, I sunk down onto a stone bench.
“That’s impressive. I’ve never seen them all so upset without the risk of a physical threat,” Phoenix spoke from behind me, shutting the door quietly before coming to stand near me.
“What do you want?” I sighed as he stood in front of me so casually.
“That is the question, isn’t it? But truly what I want has nothing to do with why I am here.” All I could do was stare at him.
Without much thought, I truly looked at him. Saw every curve of muscle, his long arms and legs stretched by a lean, hard torso. The curve of a nearly white neck, diamond cut masculine jaw. The hard line of his tightened lips. Two blue eyes staring hard at me that gleamed with power. His brow rose slightly and I mentally cursed mind readers again. I couldn’t be certain of course just a gut feeling.
“So why are you here then?” I sighed, giving up on caring what anyone thought for the moment.
He shrugged casually. “A lot of reasons. The foremost being that someone needs to be on your side. And as much as I like Damien, trust me when I say only I will take your side on this.” He motioned to the bench and I nodded, scooting over to give him room. He sat next to me leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands joined together.
“I don’t really want to talk about it right now. But thanks. I guess.” My brow arched slightly, not sure if he had any ulterior motives at this point. Phoenix hadn’t liked me from the start. I didn’t understand why he was being nice now. My knees pulled to my chest, laying my chin on them.
“That’s understandable.” His eyes glanced to the glass door, eyeing everyone inside. I could hear their whispers but not make out the words. “Don’t worry, no one’s speaking ill of you. They’re just trying to figure a way to convince you, and what step to take next. They want to find out who turned him, and they think you might be able to help them find out. Lara thinks they can help him turn off the thoughts. Or at least turn the volume down.”
“So it’s not my imagination, you can read my mind, too. Great.” He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.
“I can. But I didn’t need to in order to know what you were thinking. I’m able to turn it off and on as I see fit, unlike most.” His eyes looked to me curiously. “But you couldn’t hear me even if you tried, is that right?” Shaking my head no, I looked down to watch a lightning bug land on a star lily growing nearby.
His question caught me off guard. “What all has Damien explained to you exactly? Has he taught you anything?” He seemed perplexed at my lack of information.
“Yes. He’s tried to teach me to stop attacking everything that pisses me off. I don’t seem to be getting it however.” I gave him a rather menacing glare, but it was marred by a puckish smirk. Phoenix grinned. “I think Damien’s been more caught up in keeping me from killing anyone else, and keeping anyone else from killing me mostly,” my tone proved the justification was a valid one.
Phoenix’s back straightened as he absorbed the information though he didn’t comment. “You have a great deal to learn, Anna. But don’t worry. There is a great deal of time to teach you.” His lips twisted to a slight smirk.
“So teach me something then.” Despite the somber mood I couldn’t hide my intrigue.
Phoenix’s eyes sparked at my show of interest. His lips parted to speak and then clamped shut eyeing the door once more. “Not tonight, cupcake.” He nodded at the door as it opened.
Damien nodded to Phoenix. It was obvious they were talking. This was becoming more than annoying.
Damien caught my flare of frustration and narrowed his eyes regretfully. “I’m sorry, Anna. Old habits die hard is the saying, isn’t it?” I didn’t laugh, so as a result neither did he. However Phoenix looked quite amused.
“Lara wished to know if she should set up alternative room accommodations for you.” His lips pressed into a thin line. Damien was grateful I was staying but very hurt by my decision to distance myself from him while we figured things out.
“No.” The look on my face and the tone of my voice showed he’d obviously caught me off guard. “I don’t need to sleep so there’s no need. Unless you would prefer me to of course?” Did I hide the pain well? Probably not. I would need to shower and access to clothes so I had to ask.
“Of course not.” His brow scrunched between his eyes in agitation. No one seemed to know what else there was to say then.
Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, I moved. The movement was so fast it seemed to occur the instant my mind processed the want to be elsewhere. Before I knew it I was alone in the woods running.
Both men stood there staring after her in a bit of surprise. No one had ever seen her move that fast before. Even for a Vampire it was impressive, Phoenix thought absently.
Immediately after Lianna’s departure Phoenix stood up to take off in another direction with false hopes to avoid the two of them completely. Depressed couples playing Romeo and Juliet held no interest for him. Anna alone was another stor,y but that was complicated even to Phoenix.
“Phoenix, wait.” Damien stopped him before he could escape. As he turned back to face Damien, Phoenix flinched involuntarily. He knew perfectly well what Damien wanted. There was no escaping it now.
“Yes?” he questioned calmly as he turned back around.
“This is hard for her. Harder than she will admit. Please. She won’t accept my help. None of the others can protect her, and still help her with what she needs to know.” Damien’s brows were pinched together with his stress.
Phoenix sighed. “Hendrick can protect her just as
well as I can.”
“You saw them in there. She won’t turn to them. I can’t fathom how, but she seems to trust you considering.” Phoenix shrugged to the accusation. He knew Damien referred to the first day Lianna had come to the house. Phoenix did nothing without reason and Damien knew that. Thus the problem he had understanding.
“I’ll do everything I can to resolve this. But she’s distanced herself from me already. Will you do this for me? As my brother?” Damien looked utterly desperate. Of course if he hadn’t have been then he never would have asked Phoenix for help.
After a moment’s pause Phoenix nodded solemnly. He couldn’t help but wonder what he had gotten himself into.
“Let me just state for the record, I don’t believe anyone is going about this wisely.” Phoenix frowned slightly, his hands shoving into the pockets of his slacks as he strolled right past Damien to the house. “Relax Damien, nothings out there now. Give the girl some space.”
“And what would you have me do?” Damien asked as Phoenix brushed past him. The two turned to look at each other for a long quiet moment.
Finally Phoenix shrugged. “If you’re right… Then there is no issue. If you’re wrong… Then I am sorry for you. Any girl worth kissing is not easily kissed, my brother.”
“Sometimes I think loving her may make me insane.” Damien chuckled darkly, running his hands up over his face anxiously.
“A great man once said, sadness is to think of too many things in succession too fast or of one thing too exclusively. But as I have learned, the most amazing of women will always demand exclusivity of our thoughts in rapid repetition.” With that Phoenix turned around and walked back inside, taking the stairs quickly past the audience watching from the living room while Damien stared off into the woods.
The days came and went even though we never slept. Damien had spent a great deal of time in the study reading books and contacting anyone he thought may be able to help us find an affirmative answer.
For my better judgement, I wouldn’t ask him about his research. I couldn’t stand to hear that he had no answer. He spent time with me but it was limited as per my request. Most of my time was spent in the yard alone with my ear buds in, counting stars I’d never before seen.
In quick time I had become the plague of the House. They avoided me at all costs. As a Vampire I had never felt so human.
Except for Phoenix of course. He was the only one who had distanced himself from the depressing cloud hovering above it all, seeming often as if he was completely unaware of any of it. He was the only one who would take me hunting. No one wanted me to go alone though either. The others all acted as if I was a ticking time bomb. And perhaps I was.
As strange as it felt, I’d come to enjoy hanging out with Phoenix. He would at least talk to me. “So how long are you going to stay?” It was the first time in so many weeks he had mentioned it.
We walked together through the woods at a slow pace. A light rain had begun to sprinkle from the sky faint as mist. It was the first since I’d arrived here. The first time I had seen any rain since I had become a Vampire.
Taking in a deep breath, I stopped for a moment to lift my chin to the sky. The mist swirled around me. Glistening my cheeks and dewing rapidly along my brow. My clothes grew damp. The scents of the forest grew more prominent. I had missed rain.
It was a long time before I responded. Phoenix was always patient with me fortunately. “I don’t know.” Shrug. “Until I can’t stand it. Or until he gives up.” My lips twisted into a bitter sneer.
Every pater of rain against my skin I could feel, individually. “He won’t give up,” Phoenix countered with a chuckle as he brought his hand to my forehead. A single digit traced a stream of water from my temple down.
“Okay then, when I believe it’s hopeless I guess.” More bitterness. With a sigh, I stared down at my feet. A sudden swell of anger coursed through me as the hunger spread along with it.
“Interesting.” Phoenix lips twisted with a grim amusement.
“Why do you ask?” I still just couldn’t comprehend how a man went from basically threatening to kill me to being my only friend. It was strange. Yet I trusted him. It had become easy to talk to him.
“Simply curious I suppose.” Yeah right. I knew better.
“Has he... Has he said anything?” How could I not ask?
“Every day. He asks what we do. What we talk about. How you’re doing.” Phoenix eyed me curiously with a brow arched. “Why do you ask?”
My brow furrowed matching my tone in mock of his. “Simply curious I suppose.”
His head hung back and he laughed. It was a boyish laugh. It was nice to hear something like that again. It may have been a grave topic but it was the first I had smiled in weeks. He looked over to me, grinning ear to ear. Slight surprise showed in his eyes as he looked at me.
“Can we hunt now? I’m hungry.” My body felt jittery as my fingers twitched with anticipation. The rain seemed to intensify the smells around us. Including the prey of our hunt.
“After you.” Phoenix waived his hand in the direction of the meadow. As he did so I was off running and as usual Phoenix was always right behind me.
Late that night Damien came looking for me. He had resorted to contacting Neesa. But that wasn’t why he had sought me out. Damien had come to me because someone else was attempting to find me.
Paul had been hounding Neesa and everyone else so much she couldn’t be found without Ryce by her side. So she knew not to trust Paul. Good. He’d even started going up to Riad’s. Every. Single. Night. Not being entirely willing to talk to him yet, and not taking the offer of having him removed as a problem, I decided to email him. It was the first time I’d used Damien’s laptop. Before then I hadn’t even been aware they had internet. Phoenix hung out, lingering by the glass wall acting uninterested, which made me believe he was anything but.
My plan backfired. Within a moment’s notice I had a return e-mail demanding I call him or he would find the location where the IP address was coming from and come find me himself. Such an overzealous human. So, I called him. “Hello, Paul.” Idly, my tongue ran against the edge of my top right fang.
“Anna! It’s about damn time. What happened to your old phone? It was disconnected last month.”
“Relax, Paul. I lost it somewhere in New Mexico. I had it disconnected.” We had the number changed.
“You could have called.”
“I didn’t have your number. It was in the old phone. Hence no phone calls. I stated all of this in my e-mail. Or did you not read it?”
“Of course I read it. But you didn’t have to wait so long to e-mail me, either. Where are you?”
I should have thought about t
his before I answered him. “I loaned Neesa my laptop. Didn’t have a computer. I’m in Texas.”
“Yeah. Right. You need to come home,” never had I heard such physical strain in his voice. I wondered if he was still being controlled or if my murdering demon had just sent Paul so far over the edge he was never going to return to sanity now. I had a horrible feeling that was the case.
Just before I’d left my life to go with Damien, Paul had come to my loft in Burlington. Beckett,one of the dirty Crossbreeds who’d had a hand in my death had gotten to him. Made him crazed, and in the only term I know how to explain simply, possessed him. Paul tried to rape me as he was trying to kill me. He hadn’t really recovered from the incident well mentally. Neesa had told Damien that his irises were still black.
“I’m not coming home, Paul. I’m with friends, and we’re going to Mexico on Saturday. The next week, Europe.” Lies come much easier when your immortality depends on them.
“No you’re not. Fine, if you’re going to be that way I will just come and get you,” his voice made it sound more threatening than as if it were an offer for a safe way home.
“You really think you can find me?”
“You’re not in Texas, and you’re not going to Mexico, and you’re su
re as hell not going to Europe. What is this about, Anna? What are you running from? Listen if this is about that night in your apartment, I’m sorry but you need to just forget about that, and get over it. You need to come home so I can take care of you!”
“I have to go, Paul.” Blood pooled in my mouth. Damien tensed where he sat beside me.
“Cut the bullshit, Anna. This is really stupid. If you don’t come home within the week I am going to come get you. Are you stuck there?” Worry. “I can pay for a ticket home.” Generosity masking desperation. “You can’t leave me!” Anger. “I won’t let you!” Savagery. With that Phoenix was gone.
“Paul, this has nothing to do with you. I will come home if, and when I am good and ready. Do not call this number back. It will be disconnected.” Before he answered I hung up and chucked my phone across the room. Damien had shot up, catching the phone before it hit the wall. A second later he was instantly back by my side. He seemed relatively calm and connected to the world today. Worry seemed to do him good. It gave him a focus other than chasing ghosts of the past.
“He yells a lot,” Damien tried to be calm as he commented. It was blatant he would gladly rip Paul to shreds at any sign of an okay from me. He had been the one to offer. That was kind of tempting, but I could never go through with it. I couldn’t look at this as Paul’s fault. If anyone’s it was mine.
“Yes, now he does. He didn’t used to be this way. He used to be my best friend. I remember it vaguely. He was always kind. But I guess it’s my fault he’s like this now. After Beckett and all.”
“You’re not to blame. Love is an overwhelmingly powerful thing, Anna. It can drive people mad. Obviously.” Damien had told me once that Paul wouldn’t have been so easily swayed if he was not already so connected to me. That at some level, Paul was already capable of such obsession. Time for a subject change!
