Ciera tried something she hadn't ever tried before. She covered herself with invisibility, and then moved it outward from her body into his. She sent a silent thank you up to God as Mitch disappeared in her arms. Just maybe they would be able to get away.
Her plan had changed from that moment. Dane would see the bike driving by itself. It would be a dead giveaway. She had to carry Mitch as far as she could on foot. She was rounding the bottom of the stairs when the door was torn from its hinges and Dane appeared where the door had once been. She froze and covered Mitch's mouth with her hand.
"Ciera," Dane said. "You can't escape me. I'll find you anywhere you go." His face filled with rage as he scanned the small foyer. "Why? How could you do this to me? You know the way I feel about you, and I know you feel the same way about me. You can't possibly have feelings for this mortal when you are in love with me." He paused for a moment and took in several deep breaths to calm himself down. "Egli è la pena di morire per? You know that's what will happen. I hope that kiss was worth it, because it will be the last one either of you will ever have again. I can't believe you would do something like this after the time we shared together."
Mitch began to breathe again. He was sucking air very hard and fast through his nose. She knew what Dane was trying to do. He was thinking that if Mitch thought she had feelings for someone else, it would upset him and he would be the one to give their location away. It was working. She kept her hand pressed against his mouth and managed to press his nostrils together with her thumb and index finger. All was silent now, but Dane had sensed them.
He ran in their direction. All of a sudden there were police sirens blaring and blue lights flashing though the open door. It distracted Dane, and he looked away long enough for her to get by him. Guess Dane didn't know that there would be cops watching to see when Mitch left the apartment complex. Dane breaking the door alerted those fine police officers. She guessed human cops were good for something after all. She ran down the street toward oncoming traffic. She kept her head turned so she could look behind her.
Dane had gotten away from the cops and ran behind her for a while. But with all the noise from the city, he couldn't hear her thoughts, or Mitch's, clearly. But he would be able to see what she was going to do if he concentrated. She wouldn't be able to stay in one place for very long without him finding her.
She removed her hand from Mitch's face and he took a big breath of air. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but you were about to blow our cover." There was a bus about to stop at a bus stop, and when the door opened she ran up the steps, then went to the back and sat down. She sat Mitch down beside her, and when her body lost contact with his, he began to become visible again. Guess it wouldn't work if they weren't touching. She quickly grabbed his hand and laced her fingers with his. He disappeared again.
"Was he telling the truth? Are you with him? What did he say back there? Was that French he was speaking?" Mitch said, and a few people turned and shot puzzled looks in their direction.
She clapped her hand over his mouth again, and in a very quiet whisper she spoke, "Just because they can't see you, doesn't mean they can't hear you, Mitch. He nodded then she removed her hand. She wished she could see the look on his face. Had he really thought Dane had been telling the truth? "It wasn't French. It was Italian. I was born, raised and turned in Italy. So was Dane, but we never knew each other until around a century ago. And no," she whispered. "I was never with him; I've never been with… anyone." She felt him stiffen under her hand but she didn't elaborate, and he didn't ask her anymore questions until they got off the bus fifteen miles on the other side of town.
Dane would have notified her parents and the Elders by now, and they had a lot more skill than even she could fathom. They would be able to find her. They had to run away from here, or they would be dead by morning. Mitch would become a fugitive. If he ran away, it would look as though he were guilty of the murders. It didn't matter. He was going to prison if he stayed. There was no way to prove he was innocent, and there was no way to prove the actual murderer guilty. She didn't think the human court system would believe there were really vampires. They would have to go away forever. What if Mitch didn't want to stay with her? The cops would eventually catch him and put him behind bars for a murder he didn't commit. If he didn't want her, she wouldn't hold him captive. She would be no better than the cops if she held him against his will.
He'd been perfectly still and quiet ever since she had informed him that she'd never been with anyone before. What did he think of her now? She could slip in his mind and find out, but she always felt like she was invading his private thoughts. She knew how she hated it when Dane did that to her. He didn't have to slip in her mind to know what she was thinking though. He could read her easily and even better if he touched her. That's what he'd been doing last night when he touched her cheek, she thought. Damn. How could she be so naive around him when she knew very well what he was capable of?
"We have to get away from here," she whispered to Mitch. The street was noisy, but someone might still be able to hear them talking.
He took his cue from her and spoke softly. "I'm being watched, Ciera. If I leave and they find me, I'll be twiddling my thumbs in a prison cell for the rest of my life. And that's if they don't send me straight to the electric chair."
She stopped and, because she was still holding his hand, he stopped to. "I know that, Mitch. We can't ever come back. My people will not stop until they find us, and when they do…they'll kill us. You wanted to know about me, and I told you only because you said that you would rather die than go to prison for a crime you didn't commit. If you stay here, you'll be dead before the human police find you. What's your decision?"
He was quiet for a long time. This was all so unbelievable, but he wasn't getting a choice to believe it or not. He really would be dead if he stayed here, and he'd thought only an hour ago about leaving with her for good, so why was he stalling now? He hadn't changed his mind about her. He wanted to be with her, but he didn't see how running the rest of his life could be much better than facing this living nightmare. He wouldn't only be running from her vampire buddies, he would also be running from the police. Everyone would always think he had committed those awful murders. He would never be able to go out in public for fear of being noticed. Even other countries had access to Americas Top 10 Most Wanted List, and he was sure to be on it by morning.
"I don't know what to do. Maybe if I have the police lock me up, your kind won't be able to kill me. Then you can find the killer, and I'll be free. Then we can leave."
"And when I find the killer, what… turn a vampire over to the cops, Mitch? If we ever do find the killer, your human police can't know about it." She took in a deep breath. "Look, I apologize again for getting you caught up in all of this. I would change it if I could."
He was suddenly angry, but mainly because he was afraid that she'd lied about regretting anything. "And what, would you take back showing yourself to me? Would you take back the kiss? I thought you said you didn't regret anything." He felt her hand touch his cheek and he flinched, then he stood very still. This was all so freaky to him. He couldn't see her; hell, he couldn't even see his own body. He felt himself relax under her palm then something soft touched his lips. He couldn't stay angry with her if she was going to kiss him every time he got upset. His one free hand dove into her hair, pulling her closer, making the kiss all the more real to him. She opened her mouth willingly as he had hoped she would, and he teased her tongue in a game of chase. Nothing else mattered to him but her. He would go away with her to the ends of the earth and beyond, if that was what she wanted.
She pulled away, breathless, and whispered, "I don't regret anything, Mitch, but I would change it to keep you safe. It would hurt me more than you know, but I would do it if I could."
"Well, I'm glad vampires can't change the past."
She laid her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Why couldn't she be human, or w
hy couldn't he be a vampire, she thought. She almost got excited at the thought of making him like her, maybe the Elders wouldn't kill them then, but she lost her giddiness all too quickly. She wouldn't burden him with the life she had no choice but to live. She made a vow with herself, right then and there, to never suggest he become a vampire. It would kill her when she had to let him go, and it was inevitable, one day she would have to let him go. He would grow old and die the way God intended. A tear trailed from her eye, down her nose, and landed on his leather jacket, but he wasn't aware of it.
She had to get them to a safe place, and soon, but she didn't have a clue where that could be. Her kind would find her anywhere she went.
There were a few places in the world they could go where vampires, witches and humans coexisted together. Those humans knew about vampires and were sworn to secrecy. She didn't know where any of those places were though, they were secret. She didn't know of anyone who would tell her without turning her in, either.
She needed to find a witch. One strong enough to cover up her trail so her kind couldn't find them. A few witches knew about the vampires, but it was because they were strong in clairvoyance. Most of the witches that knew about them were psychic, and they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. She had to find one, and fast.
"C'mon," she said, then took Mitch's hand and pulled away from his body. "We need to find a witch."
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Chapter 13
A witch? So they did exist. What else did he not know about that lived in this world with him? Guess humans weren't at the top of the food chain, like everyone thought.
Ciera stopped at a mid-sized, late model sedan. She looked around briefly then pulled the locked door open.
Mitch shook his head as he closed his eyes. Let's add being an accomplice to grand theft auto to his list of criminal acts. She held his hand when he crawled through to the passenger side. They switched the hands they were holding and she sat behind the wheel. She made quick work with disarming the alarm that was blaring, and then hotwired the car with one hand.
"What's the plan?" he asked in a normal voice when she was on the interstate. She didn't scold him for talking normal, so he guessed they were relatively safe.
She released his hand and they both became visible. Someone would report a car driving itself down the interstate. "We get out of this city and go to one where psychics are more common. There are a few here, but I don't know if they are the real deal or just trying to scam people for money. The further away from the city we go, the harder it will be for my family to track me."
"How is a witch going to help us?"
She shrugged and tried to obey the traffic laws. She couldn't lose time getting stopped, and if she made a run for it, it would be like plastering a bull's eye on her head for her family to locate her. They had to be inconspicuous. "If we find one strong enough, she'll be able to mask us so we can't be sensed by vampires. A spell is only temporary, but I'm hoping to find one who knows where we can go to be safe, permanently."
"Where would that be?" he asked as he played with her hair.
"There are a few places in the world where vampires, witches and humans all live together. They co-exist, but they are hidden very well. The witches have spells on those places where not just any normal Joe can enter without being detected. You have to know people in high places, and the only people I know in high places are the ones who want to see me dead for what I've done."
Mitch sighed. "I'm sorry that I made you tell me about what you are. I didn't know the amount of trouble you would be getting into." This was his fault. He'd wanted to see her and touch her so badly, that he had risked her life.
"It isn't your fault. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to. I knew the risk I was taking and I took it anyway."
"Because you love me?" he said with a sly smile.
She glanced briefly at him, her expression telling him nothing, and then looked back to the road. He didn't have to know she loved him. It would only complicate things more for them in the future.
He lost his grin and moved his hand away from her hair. Her unspoken words left his chest aching. He was in love with her, and she was supposed to love him. That's how love was supposed to be. Two people fell in love with each other. It couldn't be one sided. But he knew as soon as the thought crossed his mind, that was how it was in this cruel world. His mother and father were a prime example. She loved him, but he didn't love her. Or he would have stayed with her and supported his child. He looked out his window. The city was behind them now. Very few lights were visible from houses in the far off distance.
Ciera glanced at Mitch. She could tell he was upset, but she refused to give in to her temptation. She would have to let him go someday soon. And if she told him how she felt about him, it would only make it harder for him to let go. She would get him to a safe place. He may have to live with vampires and witches, but he would be safe. They would protect him as if he was one of their own. And then she would leave him and go back to her family, and let them destroy her. She couldn't watch him die, and she couldn't live without him either. It was the only way to keep him safe, but he didn't have to know about her plans until she was already gone.
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Chapter 14
She'd been driving for about eight hours. Mitch had gone to sleep not long after he'd asked her the question she had chosen not to answer. Sunrise was coming fast, and she would fry when it came up unless she made herself invisible. She couldn't do that and drive. Humans couldn't comprehend a car moving without a driver behind the wheel.
She felt him wake up. She hadn't entered his dreams. He needed to be well rested, and she knew he didn't get the rest he needed when she visited him in his subconscious. She couldn't have done that and driven the vehicle anyway.
Mitch yawned, then opened his eyes, blinked a few times and sat up quickly. "Oh God, it wasn't a dream."
She glanced at him with a hurt look on her face. "Did you want it to be?"
He sighed and relaxed in his seat. "Not you, just the part where I'm being hunted by the police and creatures of the undead."
"I am one of those creatures, you know," she said shortly, and then looked back to the road. She didn't want to hear his response. What he had already said had hurt enough. "You're going to have to drive soon. The sun is about to come up."
He leaned back in his seat and stretched. She couldn't help but admire his perfect body. He had taken his leather jacket off before he fell into his slumber, so he was only wearing his white under-shirt and his slacks. "Where are we?"
"We just crossed the Arkansas line. I was thinking that Louisiana would be our best bet to find a reputable witch with all the hoodoo and voodoo down there. Maybe we can stop at a few psychic reading places if we pass any along the way to see if they sense us. If they don't, then they aren't strong enough to do what I need them to do anyway."
His body gave an involuntary jerk and his eyes shot around to look at her. "Arkansas! How long have I been asleep?"
She shrugged. "Eight hours or so," she said as she pulled into a convenience store. "I'll go in and get you something to eat and drink. The bathrooms are on the outside of the store, so you'll be able to go if you need to without being seen. I'm not positive your face isn't all over the news. We don't need to chance it."
He nodded, got out of the car and headed for the men's room.
The store sold Hunt's Brothers Pizza, and she knew the love Mitch had for pizza. She told the cashier that she wanted the large all meat pizza on top. She grabbed two twenty ounce cokes from the round ice bin in front of the counter, paid and exited the store.
Mitch was sitting in the driver's seat when she came back around the corner. She got in on the passenger side, handed him a coke, and lifted the lid of the cardboard box. "I have come to realize all of your eating habits in the last few weeks."
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He smiled as he opened his eyes then took the piece
she offered. He sighed with uncontained pleasure when he took the first bite. "Hunt's Brothers?" he mumbled, around the food in his mouth.
She flipped the box closed so he could see the little man on the front of the box. Hunt's Brothers was written above his head.
"I miss the food in Arkansas. I usually only eat what can be delivered to me in Decatur," he said as he backed out, then pulled out of the parking lot onto the road.
Her brow furrowed slightly. "You visit here much?"
He smiled as he looked over at her. "I'm from here. This is where I grew up. My mother's house is only a couple hours from here."
She looked at him with concern. "Mitch, it will be best not to involve your mother in all of this. They will kill her to bring you out of hiding."
He shook his head, and his features turned dark in the dim lighting of the interior of the car. "It isn't possible for anyone to hurt her. She died a year and a half ago. The house is mine now. I haven't been in it since before she died. I send a friend of hers a check every month to make sure it's kept up, and to keep the damn kids out of it. We lived in the nicer part of town, but when teenagers or crack heads catch wind that a fully furnished house is vacant, for some reason they think it's their new playground."
She squeezed his hand, lightly. "I'm sorry, Mitch. I didn't know. What of your father?"
"I don't have one," he said shortly.
It was clear he didn't want to talk anymore on that subject, so she changed it. "So, I guess you know these roads pretty well?"
He nodded. "I even know where there are a few psychic reading places here. I don't know if they are legit, or even if they are what you are looking for, but we can try them out and see."
Ciera clapped her hands happily, then took a slice of pizza from the box and bit the tip off the slice of pizza pie.
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