Nevermore, The Complete Series (Boxed Set) (Twin Souls, Hybrid, Sacrifice, and Destiny)

by K. A. Poe

  “I brought you a present,” Daniel said with a sly grin. “But, you must keep it a secret.”

  “Okay!” Hannah said joyfully, anticipating the surprise.

  Daniel pulled a locket from the pocket of his brown vest and offered it to the child. “I bought this especially for you,” he said and his face lit up at the girl's reaction. “Let me put it on for you.”

  I watched as the man placed Hannah on the floor and gently wound the necklace around her neck. She pulled it up to her face and pried open the locket. There was a small black and white picture of her on one side, the other was empty.

  “Why isn't there a picture of you in here?” she asked.

  “I don't photograph well,” he replied with a light laugh.

  “Or you really are imaginary!” Hannah said with a gasp.

  “Perhaps,” Daniel smiled. “There is one more thing I have for you, dear Hannah. Can you promise that you will give it to your mother in the morning?”

  “Of course!”

  “Good girl,” he said and offered her a folded piece of paper. “Make sure daddy isn't around when she reads it,” he warned, emphasizing unpleasantly on the word 'daddy', and then patted her lightly on the head.

  “Okay!” she hugged Daniel and kissed him gently on the cheek.

  “Time for bed then,” he said, picking her up and gently placing her on the tiny mattress. He pulled the covers up and tucked her in. “I'll be back tomorrow night.”

  “Promise?” she said with a pout.

  “Promise,” he smiled and disappeared out the window.

  The vision faded and another appeared. I was now outside, peering in through a window. Daniel was beside me, discreetly hidden so that he wouldn't be caught peeping. Hannah and Maggie were sitting together on the rocking chair in the living room; our view of them was from the side. Their voices came through the window as if we were right beside them.

  “What is it, Hannah?” Maggie asked as the small girl offered her a piece of paper.

  “Daniel asked me to give this to you.”

  Maggie's eyes grew angry at the name, but she relaxed somewhat and sighed. “How many times must I tell you that he is not real, darling?”

  “He is real!” Hannah argued.

  Maggie ignored her daughter and unfolded the paper. I suspect she had been anticipating a letter covered in childish scribbles or nothing at all – instead she found a note scrawled in magnificent lettering. I could barely read the letters from where I was. But, I could distinctly hear Margaret's voice as if she were reading it aloud, although her lips never moved.

  “Dearest Margaret,

  Despite your regrets and frequent requests that I cease to visit my dear Hannah, I am afraid I cannot abide by your rules. She is mine just as much as she is yours. Come to your senses and please tell Arthur the truth. Tell Hannah the truth! She deserves to know who her true father is. It pains me to be away from her, and for you to try to convince her that I am unreal is preposterous!

  Please, if you cared for me at all, you would do this for me – for us.

  With love – whether returned or forgotten,

  Thomas D. Winter”

  Before I had the opportunity to even think about what I had just seen, I was dragged into another memory. Daniel was weak and drunk, slumped against the wall of an alley. His eyes were red and swollen from tears, and he looked younger than before. His face was flushed and red, full of life – he wasn't a vampire in this vision. Clenched in his hand hung a crumpled piece of paper that had obviously been read countless times, judging by the state of it. His voice entered my head as he re-read the note:

  “Thomas,

  I did not know how to tell you this in person. I am with child. It is unlikely – no – it is impossible that this child is Arthur’s. It is yours, Tom. I know that we had planned to set off together and that I would leave him, but things have changed, we have reconciled. I cannot do this to Salem or Arthur. I will raise this baby as his and it will never even know your name. I am sorry Thomas, but you must understand. This is for the best, for us all.

  Farewell,

  Margaret.”

  After one last swig of alcohol, he tossed the bottle furiously at the wall across from him. The bottle shattered and sprinkled tiny pieces of sharp glass all around. His eyes were suddenly alert to the sound of footsteps.

  “Who’s there?” he asked with a drunken slur.

  No one replied. I watched as a woman with bright red eyes stalked toward him, knelt beside him and frowned at his pitiful appearance.

  “What's the matter, doll?” she said with false interest.

  “Nothin’ important,” he grumbled.

  “I can take away all of your agony,” she offered, taking his chin in her hand. “Would that be ideal for you?”

  He simply nodded his head. He regretted his response immediately when the woman bared her fangs and sunk them into the flesh of his throat. His screams were unbearable; he thrashed around in agony as she meant to drain him completely.

  “Please...” he whispered hoarsely, “just let me die.”

  The woman's eyes fell upon his pleading lips and she laughed, “A beggar, are we?” I watched a trickle of blood run down her chin. As she went to take his life away, a sudden sound disrupted her and she left him lying limply in the alley.

  I was at the house again, staring in through the same window. My heart leapt at the sight of Salem, his appearance was the same as I knew it to be now. He was sitting on the floor with Hannah, playing with a small black cat. Daniel was beside me once more, his appearance different from that in the alley. His cheeks were no longer flushed. His skin was ashen and his amber eyes had a ring of crimson around them. My gaze was averted as I heard an unfamiliar male's voice.

  Arthur entered the room and requested that Salem and Hannah retreat to their bedrooms. His expression was calm, but I could see the hurt in his eyes. Once their children were out of the room, Margaret appeared behind him. She looked withdrawn and her eyes showed evidence of recent tears.

  “How could you do this to me, Maggie – to our family!?” Arthur's accent reminded me vaguely of his son's. “When? When did this happen!”

  “I-I cannot remember exactly, Arthur,” Maggie sobbed. “It wasn't intentional – we were having trouble and…and things got out of hand. Please, you must forgive me!”

  Her husband was raging, his fists clenched tightly beside him. “You betrayed me in the worst way!”

  “I am sorry, Arthur!”

  I wanted to look away, but I was forced to watch. Arthur's fist swiftly met Maggie's cheek. She cried in pain, recoiling from him.

  “Arthur!” she screamed, “Please! Do not do this! The children will hear!”

  Beside me, Daniel was obviously furious – and perhaps ashamed. I could sense his urgency to protect Maggie, to stop the inevitable brawl between husband and wife, but he couldn't. It would have only made the situation worse.

  Arthur's hand met Maggie's cheek once more, and this time she fell to the floor. She curled up in a ball and started sobbing hysterically. Her husband deserted her, leaving through the front door.

  The memory I least wanted to see came flooding through my mind. Arthur and Maggie were on better terms. They each slept in the same room, in separate beds. I walked out of their bedroom and down the hall. There was a small fire burning unnoticed in the kitchen. I desperately longed to put it out, to save Salem the grief of what had happened to his family – but it was impossible. My eyes stared in horror as the flames grew higher and higher. They licked at the walls, the furniture, and the beautiful rocking chair. I was standing in the middle of the fire, unharmed as the flames weaved their way down the hall.

  I ran along the hallway, into Hannah's room where the fire was starting to crawl. Daniel was standing outside her window, looking in. I wondered if he had set the blaze but the vision did not answer. Once he saw the orange hues illuminating the open doorway he slammed through the window and went to retrieve her
.

  “Daniel!” she shouted happily in a tired voice as he plucked her quickly from her bed. “I thought you would never come back!” she frowned. “What is it, Daniel?”

  Daniel hesitated and flinched at the sight of the girl's half-brother curled up on the floor beside her bed. “What is he doing in here, Hannah?” he said in a rushed voice.

  “I had a nightmare after mommy and daddy fought last night,” Daniel cringed at the word 'daddy'; I was amazed by how much pain it caused him. “So Salem stayed with me.”

  Salem muttered something to Hannah about going back to sleep, and then realized someone else was present. He screamed at the sight of the pale figure in his sister's room.

  “Get out of our house!” Salem yelled, it was the same beautiful voice I had grown to love. Daniel paused abruptly, prepared to escape the house with Hannah, but Salem had distracted him.

  “I will not leave without her!” he yelled, cradling her in his arms. “You…you weren’t supposed to be in here.”

  “Salem!” Hannah yelled, “Look!”

  Salem turned toward where the girl pointed, and stepped back in horror as the fire swept across the wooden floorboards. He averted his eyes from the flames when he heard Hannah screaming, but to his dismay she was already gone through the broken window along with Daniel. The fire grew around him, licking away the floor beneath him. His cries of agony filled my ears – I could barely withstand it. I watched as he forced himself through the burning flames and out through Hannah's window.

  27. RAZIEL

  I thought another vision was coming when I heard Salem's voice, but I was mistaken. The weight upon me was lifted and Raziel was nowhere to be seen.

  “I was beginning to wonder if you would ever show up,” Raziel laughed. I lifted my head in search of him. He was getting up from the ground, wiping the corner of his mouth. I realized in horror that my neck was moist...my fingers found the spot and I gasped in horror. The visions had all just been a distraction. Salem was too late...I was dying; there was nothing he could do for me now.

  My eyes found Salem, crouched behind a tombstone. He glanced at me briefly, his eyes full of despair, then focused on Raziel. “What have you done to her, Raziel?!” he demanded.

  “I hadn't quite had the chance to finish...she was nearly mine!” he fumed. “For a raven she was quite easy to trick.” His laughter filled my ears.

  “You didn't...” Salem's voice was cut off as Raziel leapt at him, shoving him against a tree. The blonde-haired fiend slid his icy fingers around Salem's throat and grinned.

  “I thought you would be stronger than this, Salem,” he frowned. “What have you been up to all these years? I admit, I used to keep an eye on you after you left but I could only stand seeing you suckle on rabbits so much. Such a pity. I wasted so much time on you.”

  Salem shoved him away with little effort. “You underestimate me,” he growled and pinned him to the ground. “Tell me you didn't turn her!”

  Raziel grinned up at him. “No, I didn’t get that far...but she won't live much longer, so it matters little now.”

  “I'll save her.”

  “Just like you saved your beloved sister,” Raziel smirked. With the love he had shown in those visions, how could he speak of her like that?

  “How do you know any of that?”

  “I was there,” Raziel laughed once more. “You don't remember, do you?”

  “No...” Salem's voice trailed off as he stared transfixed into Raziel's eyes. I knew immediately what was happening – he was relaying a memory to Salem.

  “Daniel...” His voice was distant; he was still trapped in the memory. Suddenly he let out a blood-curdling scream.

  The crunching, snapping, twisting sound came all at once. I was above them, a twirl of feathers spinning on the ground below me. My leg was still undoubtedly broken, but the rest of my body felt at ease now. My mouth fell open in a loud outburst. Salem collapsed off of Raziel's body, both of them covering their ears at the piercing sound. I soared downward and perched myself on Raziel's shoulders. My beak met his flesh and he flung his hand at me. The poison didn't appear to be weakening him in the slightest; in fact, he appeared mildly amused.

  I was soaring again, but this time it was not intentional. My avian body slammed into a nearby tree and I crumbled to the ground. My body convulsed again and I acknowledged that I was no longer a raven. When my eyes were able to focus again, I screamed. Raziel had Salem pinned to the ground, a devious grin across his ashen lips.

  “You could never imagine what I saw in her memories and future,” he said as he held Salem firmly still. “It is so unfortunate that you will never know what could become of her and of her abilities...and your future together.”

  “She isn't going to die,” Salem snarled, fighting against Raziel's strength.

  The older vampire shook his head in pity. “There is no sense in fighting, my child. You are weaker than I, and you always will be unless you start living like a real vampire. Animal blood might be able to sustain you, but it will never give you the strength, the power, which human blood can.”

  “I'm not interested in power! You should have just left me to die rather than turn me into this monster!”

  “You do not mean that,” as he spoke, I saw a glint of silver extracted from the pocket of the brown vest he wore. “I had my reasons to keep you as alive as possible. I had such high hopes for you, dearest Salem. You were young, clever, and had so much potential. I suffered much anguish after you deserted me, but it wasn't because of my own feelings,” he smirked. “There is so much you missed out on. If you had known the truth, you would be begging me to take you back, begging to go back in time to be reunited.”

  “What are you talking about?” Salem asked, a hint of fear in his voice, but I couldn't perceive why.

  “It is not my place to explain, and with how tonight's events are turning out, you might very well never know.”

  “Wait!” Salem protested – against what I wasn't sure. “How did you know where to find Alexis?”

  “A Sire has a direct connection to that of his offspring. I can look into your thoughts and memories as if I was inside your very mind,” he explained. “Not every Sire possesses this ability, or perhaps is not aware of how to access it...but, that scarcely matters anymore. None of this information will matter in the next few seconds. It is such a pity, dearest Salem...” he sighed and spoke almost affectionately. “I will always remember you as being my first. But enough of that, I am going to enjoy carving out your pathetic heart.”

  Salem's screams reached my ears immediately and I struggled to stand until the sharp pain in my leg reminded me that I was helpless. With some relief, I felt myself becoming the raven once more but I barely had enough strength left to hover even a few feet off of the ground. Raziel blocked Salem from my view, and while I didn't want to hurt him, my mouth fell open and the cemetery was filled with the loud, piercing sound of my caw once again. The source of the silver glint I had seen moments earlier was lying beside Salem – a short, curved dagger painted with vibrant red blood.

  Raziel trembled at the sound, his ghastly hands cupping over his ears. My gaze fell upon Salem and my heart sank. His head was to the side, his serene face masked in splatters of blood and grime, his eyes shut tightly. A deep gash ran across his chest, but I knew he wasn't dead. Somehow I knew that if he was, I would have felt it – or at least I had hoped. The caw filled the air again and Raziel faltered, and I watched Salem's eyes flicker open.

  My strength was waning and I felt myself crash to the ground once more. With what little energy I had left, I watched the scene before me as I felt my eyelids drooping. Salem, despite the wound in his chest and obvious agony he was in, gathered himself from the ground and tackled Raziel into the nearest gravestone. Fighting the urge to shut my eyes, I could see his fangs bared against his Sire's throat.

  His voice played through my mind from a distant memory. “Raziel is more important to you alive. If you kill him
, you kill me, and any other vampires he created.”

  “No, Salem!” I cried, although I wasn't sure it was loud enough that he could hear me, “Don't!”

  He ignored my ill-attempt to stop him, if he even heard it at all. I shut my eyes tightly and felt the moist tears trickle down my cheeks. Raziel's blood-chilling scream made me shudder and I covered my ears awaiting the most painful sound I could imagine: the sound of Salem screaming as he too died. It never came.

  “Clearly...” Raziel's voice broke through the screaming, “I did underestimate you...”

  I was reluctant at first, but slowly I let the darkness swallow me.

  “Alexis. Wake up, please...” Salem's voice begged from the shadows. I opened my eyes and smiled at his flawless face.

  “I knew heaven would be beautiful,” I mumbled.

  “Heaven?” Salem shook his head. “You're not in heaven, Alex.”

  My brows furrowed. “What did I do to deserve to go to Hell?”

  He shook his head again and lifted me into his arms. “You aren't dead.”

  “I must be. Raziel killed me. You killed him, and that killed you,” I stated this as though it were a fact.

  “No, Alex...” his expression grew worried, “You didn't die, you were close, but you definitely didn't die. And as it turns out, Raziel's tale of killing one's Sire must have been just another way to keep his 'offspring' at bay.”

  “How am I not dead?”

  “I intervened before he had the chance to kill you, remember?” he replied tenderly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “It was almost too late...”

  “You saved me,” I smiled weakly. “Oh, Salem...the things he showed me...”

  “I know,” he whispered, pulling me against him. “Hannah didn't die in the fire. I had been so certain she had...the memory of her dying had been so vivid, almost as if a false memory had been planted in my mind.”