by Brooklyn Ann
“All right, kid, here’s what I figured out.” Max grabbed two cans of Coors from the fridge, opening one and setting it before her. “I can’t let you be out on the streets, starvin’ and freezin’. That just don’t settle well with me. Y’hear?”
She nodded, sipping her beer, trying not to make a face as she tried to decide whether she liked it or not.
“So here’s the deal. Either you live here and earn your board cleanin’ this place and maybe earn some money helpin’ me in my garage, or I’ll call the welfare department and they can deal with you.”
***
Akasha slid out from under Xochitl’s Datsun, eyes burning from the memory, heart aching from missing Max. Where is he now?
The door opened, pulling her from her thoughts.
Beau poked his head in the doorway, grinning at her. “We’re taking off, okay, babe?”
“Sure,” she replied distractedly and pushed out with her feet to get the creeper rolling. These sway bar bushings look like they’ll be a pain in the ass. Still, it was easier to spot obvious problems in a parallelogram steering system rather than rack and pinion.
“Hey, ‘Kash!” Xochitl’s voice echoed in the garage. “Thanks again for fixing Little Beast. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”
Akasha smiled and rolled the creeper back out. “Just keep playing your music. When you’re famous you can send me backstage passes for every concert.”
Xochitl grinned. “Speaking of concerts….have you asked Silas about taking us?”
Although Akasha couldn’t remember the name of the performing band, she remembered camping out with Xochitl, Sylvis, Aurora and Beau to get the tickets. She also remembered all four sets of parents saying they couldn’t go without an adult.
Naturally, none volunteered and she’d been putting off asking Silas because she didn’t like asking him for favors. His pleased reactions made her feel strange…something about the gleam in those emerald eyes, the curve of his lips …that obscenely sexy accent.
“I’ll ask him tonight,” Akasha promised, struggling to get her mind back on her work.
“Awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Xochitl skipped off, her hair bouncing like a black and purple cloud.
Akasha looked at the clock to see if she had enough time to call the machinist and see if the Datsun’s cylinder head had been finished.
Nope, it was after five.
She cursed and turned back to the engine block then stopped. Silas would be home soon. Then at least she could ask him about the concert. She looked down at her hands. They were black with grease and oil. For some reason she didn’t want him to see her covered with grime. After giving Xochitl’s car one last longing glance, she left the garage and dashed upstairs to clean up.
When she had fixed her appearance, Akasha went downstairs to wait for Silas. She paced back and forth through the hallway, eyes darting every few seconds to the front door. No, I must not look too eager. He’ll think I missed him or something.
She forced her attention to a painting of a beautiful oil landscape of the Scottish highlands with a mighty castle in the background. It was crooked. She tried to adjust it but her hands were still shaking from excitement and it came off the wall, clattering to the floor. Oh, great. The damn thing probably cost a fortune.
Cursing under her breath, she scooped it up and quickly checked for damage. It was fine. She lifted it back to the wall and froze when she saw something strange.
There was a knob on the wall where the painting would have hung. At least it looked like a knob… She set the painting down and peered at it. The silver gleamed dimly, making it look like a tarnished bauble. It was cool to her fingertips. Slowly, she twisted the knob, shuddering as it moved.
Creak!
The sound made her jerk in surprise. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked around for the source. There it was. A hidden door had opened in the wall beside her.
“Holy shit!” her whisper echoed in the corridor. “A secret passageway! I knew he was hiding something.”
For some reason, being right all along didn’t feel as good as she’d thought. Her stomach pitched as the opening gaped at her, a pitch-dark abyss. Akasha fished inside her pocket for her Bic. The feeble light revealed a set of stairs going downwards. Slowly, she made her way down, noting that the air wasn’t musty as one would expect. What is he hiding down here? She hoped it wasn’t dead bodies. She glanced over her shoulder, watching for Silas’s approach until her neck cramped.
Just when the lighter was getting too hot and burning her fingers, the stairs turned sharply, and she could see a bit of light below. She licked her stinging fingers and pocketed the lighter. As she neared the light, an eerie feeling crept over her and the hairs at the nape of her neck stood up. The feeling intensified, and by the time she reached the bottom her body was covered in goosebumps.
A long shadowy hallway stretched across five doors. Akasha shook her head. Another basement? Does this fucking house ever end? With a trembling hand, she reached for the knob on the first door, one fist held up and ready to beat something to a bloody pulp if it startled her. The door moved soundlessly open. There was a faint light in the room. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
Akasha stood awestruck in a candlelit chamber. It was too dim for her to see how large the room was, but in the center she could make out a large bed. All of her instincts screamed at her to go back, to run out of there as fast as she could, but her curiosity was relentless and pushed her legs forward. As she approached the bed she saw that someone was in it. Yes, there was definitely a body tucked under the covers, lying as still as a corpse. The realization terrified her but her treacherous legs brought her yet closer. She could almost make out a face.
Then she saw him.
Silas lay on the bed, still as death. Then his chest moved up and down almost imperceptibly. Unbidden, a relieved sigh escaped her lips. As she drew closer, his beauty hit her full force. His chiseled features and sensuous mouth looked so inviting, making her stomach clench. She drew in a breath as her hand reached out of its own volition to touch him.
Silas’s eyes snapped open, and he saw her. Akasha gasped when she saw his green eyes glowing with demonic radiance. Time seemed to go in slow motion as his mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs.
Vampire.
The word hit her mind like a bucket of ice water. Silas sat up and threw off the covers, fangs bared, blazing gaze fixed on her like a target.
“Oh shit!” Akasha turned and fled the room, darting up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her.
Her heart pounded louder than Aurora’s drums, drowning out all sound, but she didn’t need to hear his footsteps to know he was behind her. She could feel him. Not daring to look back, she continued running, stumbling up the dark stairs, terror gripping her mercilessly.
Finally, she made it out of the passageway and ran down the hall, lungs heaving. If he caught her… no, she wasn’t going to think about that. She got to the living room and almost cried out in relief when the front door was in sight.
But then Silas appeared, blocking her escape. She tried to turn around, but with obscene speed, he caught her, imprisoning her in his arms. Cold seeped over her as she raised her eyes to look up at him. His eyes still glowed like green fire. She shivered. I’m going to die now. I might as well do it on my feet.
Gazing up at him resolutely, Akasha took in the sight of his tall dark form looming over her. His bare chest was surprisingly warm against her palms. He has muscles like iron, a part of her mused distractedly.
She flinched as his lips curled upward, revealing the glistening fangs. Time seemed suspended as she stared at him, spellbound by his dark beauty. His grip tightened on her and she held her breath, waiting to feel his teeth sink into her neck.
Will it hurt? … Or will I like it?
The slow motion movie sensation continued as Silas lowered his head. His hair tumbled forward to caress his face. Akasha’s fists clenched, resisting an insa
ne urge to tangle her fingers in those silken tresses.
His lips came down on hers.
The heat of the kiss encompassed her body like the fire in a combustion chamber. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the mind-bending pleasure. Unconsciously, she reached up to put her arms around him, but suddenly it was over.
She opened her eyes. He was gone.
Akasha sank to the floor and hugged her knees, unable to stop trembling.
Chapter Twelve
“Silas is a vampire.” Akasha surprised herself at the glib way in which the words rolled off her tongue.
It made sense given his nocturnal schedule. Financial advisor, my ass! A bubble of laughter escaped her lips.
A vampire… she lived with a vampire. She couldn’t help but wonder why he took her from the group home. There were never any odd marks on her neck in the morning, or anything. Furthermore, why did he let her live?
He’d had ample opportunities to kill her, especially just now, but he didn’t. Instead, he’d kissed her. She pressed two shaky fingers to lips that still tingled. A rush of heat flooded her body at the memory of the kiss. Akasha shook her head in a futile attempt to clear it.
Well, at least I’m not the only abnormal being on the planet. Sighing, she dragged herself up from the floor and hurried to the kitchen for a beer.
Akasha pounded down the beer so fast it made her dizzy— or maybe she was in shock. The walls seemed to be closing in on her, heightening her confusion. I gotta get out of here for awhile. I need to think. That decided, she paused at the door, debating on whether to leave a note.
“Dear Silas, finding out that you’re a vampire kinda unnerved me, so I went for a walk to think about it, be back later. Love, Akasha.” Again came the helpless giggle.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered, grabbing her coat and heading out the door.
Akasha walked aimlessly for nearly an hour. She could see families through the windows of the houses on 15th street, eating dinner, watching TV, laughing and talking. Normal people… If any of them knew a vampire lived up on Cherry Hill, they’d shit a brick. She walked further, trying to quell her racing thoughts, until she reached Xochitl’s neighborhood. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. Should I tell her? A chord of foreboding leveled the thought. No! Silas might kill anyone who knew his secret.
Bill, Xochitl’s foster father answered the door and called for Xochitl in a voice thick with irritation.
“What’s wrong, ‘Kash?” Xochitl asked when Bill went back to watching football.
“Uh, nothing.” she lied. Damn, is it that obvious?
Her friend rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. C’mon, let’s go to my room.”
Akasha followed Xochitl down the stairs to the basement. Maybe I shouldn’t have come. Xochitl’s too fucking perceptive.
“So, what happened?” she demanded once they were settled on the bed.
Akasha sighed. The best way to lie was to tell as much truth as possible. Besides, she did want to tell Xochitl part of what happened. “He kissed me.”
“Who?” Xochitl began, then her eyes widened. “Silas!”
“Yeah.” The room felt warmer.
Still gaping, Xochitl seized Akasha’s shoulders. “Well, what happened? Why’d he do it? Did you like it?”
“I don’t know why he did it.” Akasha stared at the floor. “I, um… was going to ask him about the concert… and uh… he just kissed me and left.”
“Hmmm….” Xochitl opened the window and turned on the fan, lighting a cigarette. “That’s odd.”
“Yeah, odd. I know.” Akasha murmured as she lit up.
It was obvious Xochitl didn’t completely buy the story. Yet her brown eyes gleamed in impish fascination. “Well did you like it?”
“Yes.” The word was torn from her.
“I knew it!” Xochitl smirked. “I knew you liked him. That’s why you hate it when anyone calls him your dad.”
“Uh…Yeah.” Akasha wanted to die from embarrassment, though she was relieved that Xochitl hadn’t guessed the truth.
Xochitl wasn’t finished. “Well, he is hot. And he can’t be that old. Do you even know how old he is yet?”
“No.” He could be centuries old!
“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Xochitl leaned forward, fascination written all over her face.
Images of a shirtless Silas holding and kissing her… of running her fingers across those hard muscles haunted Akasha’s mind, making her knees weak as her lower half tingled.
“I have no idea,” she said finally. After an endless uncomfortable silence, Akasha asked, “What is sex like?”
It was an odd question since she was technically not a virgin, but Akasha was becoming certain that sex between two willing parties was completely different.
Xochitl blinked. “I don’t know. I’ve never done it.”
“But you talk about hot guys a lot,” Akasha protested, “And the way you sing certain songs…I thought…” she trailed off in embarrassment.
Her friend giggled. “I would if I had the chance, but no hot guys seem willing to oblige me.” Her gaze turned serious for a moment. “They’re all too scared of me.”
Akasha nodded. At school, the kids parted like the Red Sea in the halls for Xochitl. It was strange that a five foot tall girl could incite such fear.
“So, what are you going to do about Silas?” Xochitl repeated.
Akasha shook her head and took a deep drag of her cigarette, mind racing as she watched the smoke get sucked into the fan. “I don’t know. I need some time to digest this. Why don’t you play me that song you just wrote?”
***
Silas paced the house, cursing in regret for how badly he handled the situation. If only he hadn’t been so hungry, he could have stopped Akasha from leaving. Now she knew what he was and he had frightened her away. He could only imagine how monstrous he must have looked to her with his eyes glowing and his fangs bared.
If only he’d hidden the entrance to his lair better. Silas shook his head in self recrimination. He’d underestimated Akasha’s intelligence badly. Had she suspected what he was and went looking for the secret passageway on purpose? Or did she find it by accident? Either situation was entirely possible. One thing was certain: she was lucky.
When Silas awoke that night, the hunger was at its strongest. To have a warm fresh source of blood right at his fingertips… It was amazing that he didn’t crush her to him and feast upon her right away. He almost did, but when he caught her, the strangest thing happened.
Akasha didn’t scream or struggle. She didn’t try to fight him. She stood proud, staring up at him, practically daring him to take her. She looked so beautiful then, so tender, and so brave. His eyes drank in her sweetness. She roused his hunger even as she stirred his heart.
Her glittering eyes had darkened to a purple so deep that he could drown in it. Her lush cupid’s-bow lips looked soft as rose petals. How many times had he looked at those lips and been nearly driven to madness? Yet he’d never been as mad as he was then. Unable to stop himself anymore than he could stop the sun from rising, he gripped her shoulders tighter, drew her to him and captured those lips with his own. They were softer than his richest imagining, and warm… so warm.
He’d held her tighter, feeling the delicious heat wash over him. He could hear her heart beating; a tantalizing melody that reawakened the hunger within him, but for now it was his passion that was more aroused. He relished the pleasure of this kiss, wrong as it was, with the rapture of a man who’d been starved for centuries.
The scent of her blood rose up, growing more tempting by the second. When he became torn between the desire to either take her to bed or sink his teeth in her neck, some semblance of sanity struck him like a whiplash, making him realize what he was doing.
Suddenly he was back in England, ravaging the countryside on his bloody quest for vengeance against the people who’d savaged his clan. A comely lass had fled from him, and with
preternatural speed, he’d caught her. Silas tore her gown, ready to do what the English soldiers had done to good Scots women.
But when he heard the maiden scream and saw the terror in her eyes, bile rose in his throat. Silas had released her and vomited immediately.
Returned to the present, Silas had felt Akasha tremble in his arms. The old self-disgust rose up within at the thought of those amethyst eyes filling with terror. Despite the protests of his body, he tore away from her, knowing that until he fed, the farther he was from her, the safer she would be.
After his hunger for blood had been slaked on a hapless pedestrian, the desire to hold Akasha, kiss her, to merely be in her company rose up stronger than ever. Silas headed back to the house, his mind tormenting him with vile images of what he would find there.
Would she be on the floor, sobbing in a pitiful ball of misery and terror? Or would she be swathed in garlic, a cross around her neck and armed with a wooden stake? Not that these things would cause him any physical harm, but the gesture would hurt all the same.
A thought struck him, chilling him worse than the November air. What if his vision was about to come true? What if I am the one to make Akasha cry?
When Silas returned home, his worst fears were realized. Akasha was gone. The realization beat at him, relentless. She knew what he was… she knew. Things would change irrevocably for them now. The Elders would be furious. It was frowned upon for a mortal to know of his kind and live, but he couldn’t kill her, and thanks to Delgarias’s command, he couldn’t Change her. The thought of letting her go refused to cross his mind. Akasha was his and would remain his forever. No, he wouldn’t let her go, couldn’t let her go. He… loved her.
The vampire leaned against the wall and slowly sank down to the floor, overcome with the realization. The Akasha from his visions had been a phantom, sweet and biddable in his imagination, yet distant and safe.
Akasha the woman, however, was gruff and coarse with limitless courage and a will of steel. Stoically, she bore the humiliation of being treated like a child by the authorities and the indignity of going to school with younger peers. She’d even put up with Silas ripping her from all that was familiar and thrusting her into his world. Throughout all this, she held to her goals for a stable future with a tenacity that was beyond admirable.
