The Blood Talisman

by Kim Culpepper

  Once outside, he reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. She felt shocked and didn’t hug back immediately, but then she sank her face into his shoulder and stroked his back with her fingertips. He pulled away from her and looked deep into her eyes.

  “I am so sorry about before. I don’t agree with Ram. I just need to deal with what fate has given me. I am losing my wife and my heart is breaking but at least I have you,” he said.

  “I love you. I only want to make you happy,” she said.

  He kissed her passionately. She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. She felt aroused. He stroked her face in the same manner that he’d stroked Amalia’s face only a few moments before. Again he pulled away and stared into her eyes. It felt like he was reaching into her soul and dancing with it. He kicked his nose to hers and she giggled.

  “I love you too,” he whispered into her ear.

  “That wolf is really messing with your emotions. First it’s her, then it’s me, and then it’s her again and now me again. Alex, your indecisiveness is making my head spin.”

  “It’s inexplicable. One minute I want to kill and the next minute the thought of doing makes me nauseous. All this stress. Everything here. I can’t focus on what is good and what is not.”

  She took his face into her hands and said, “You have the strength to not let this change you. You just need to find it.”

  He pulled her hands from him and said, “It’s easier said than done. Pain changes people.”

  “It doesn’t have to.”

  He kissed her cheek softly and looked into her eyes. With each glance she fell deeper and deeper in love with him. She rubbed the stubble on his face softly. It prickled her fingers and she smiled.

  “You need to feed and keep your strength up. Would you like for me to help you like I did before?” she asked.

  “It’s okay. Ram had some food sent in for me while you were gone.”

  “I don’t trust him. You know there’s a camera in that room?”

  “In there, where Amalia is?”

  “Yes, in there where we…” Her words trailed off.

  “Oh my God. That’s how she knew. She watched us.”

  “No wonder she was so upset. It’s one thing to know we did it but it’s another completely different thing to watch it live on camera.”

  “That sick fucker,” Alex grunted angrily.

  Alex felt his temper rising within. He had learned to control it rather well but this new tidbit of information proved to be quite difficult in containing the wolf within. His eyes turned a golden yellow and pulsated black.

  Selene grabbed his face with both of her hands. The tenderness in her touch calmed him. He removed her hands from his face and held them tightly in his own.

  “Where is he?” he asked.

  “He’s across the hall over there. There’s a monitoring room,” she answered.

  He strode across the hall and twisted the doorknob to the monitoring room. It was locked and Alex pounded on the door.

  “Open this door or I will tear it down.”

  Ram opened the door and leaned casually against the doorjamb.

  “We don’t want that to happen. You’ve already caused enough damage to this place,” Ram said.

  Alex grabbed him up by his shirt.

  “Why did you have to show Amalia our night together?”

  “Take your hands off of me and I will explain.”

  Alex obliged reluctantly and placed Ram back to the ground, shirt intact. Ram unwrinkled it with his hands and stepped back away from him.

  “She needed to know the truth. You wanted to be with another woman. You would have never admitted that to her and you know it.” He continued to straighten his clothes with his manicured hands.

  “You don’t know me. Don’t presume that I would not have been honest with my wife.”

  “I may not know you but I know your type. All you wolves are the same. Quick to react and slow to take blame for their mistakes. You all let your emotions run amuck. No control at all.”

  “You don’t know anything about me!!” Alex yelled.

  He picked Ram up and threw him against one row of monitors, cracking their screens like eggs. Ram quickly stood up and punched Alex in the face and slammed him against another set of monitors. One monitor came out of its shell and hit the ground. Alex fell to the floor. Ram had proved to be stronger than Alex thought. Ram kicked him in the side.

  “Stop it!” Selene yelled out to them both as she stood and watched from the doorway.

  Ram ignored her cries of despair and kicked Alex again and again. He leaned down to Alex, looking over him like a predator his prey.

  “If I could, I would eat you for dinner, wolf,” he said to Alex, taunting him.

  Alex lay there defenseless. He had been attacked so quickly and so fiercely that he had no time to change into anything remotely close to matching the power that Ram portrayed. Ram stood up and exited the room, hitting Selene’s shoulder as he passed by her. Selene rushed into the room and rubbed Alex’s back. She tried to help him stand but he pulled his arm out of her grip and remained on the floor.

  “Why didn’t you change?” Selene asked him.

  “I don’t know. I tried but, I couldn’t,” Alex gasped.

  “You’re not strong. It’s like he has intentionally been feeding you stuff that will make you weak.”

  Selene pushed his hair behind his ears and wiped a small patch of blood from the side of his face.

  “I think… he broke… a rib… or two,” Alex panted.

  “C’mon, let me take you somewhere to let you get something to eat.”

  She reached for his arm again and he resisted her help once more.

  “I can’t… I have to… stay here.”

  “Why? I thought you had let go of her.”

  “She’s still… wife… I have to.”

  Selene rolled her eyes unbeknownst to Alex.

  The thought of a good fresh kill was very appetizing and difficult for Alex to resist but he had his priorities. He felt like he needed to be there to at least say goodbye to Amalia. He had already broken so many of their vows that being there while she was sick was an easy one for him to keep, and at least he could keep that one.

  “Well, I’m not going to sit here and watch you kill yourself. You have to feed or you will become too weak. Ram’s an ass and he’s going to do whatever it takes to get what he wants from all of us. He knows that he has us all by the metaphorical balls, but I won’t let him get away with it.”

  Selene headed for the door.

  “Wait!” Alex said, stopping her in her tracks.

  She turned back to look at him. He lay propped against the cabinet that barely contained the monitors above his head. He held one arm over his ribs and the other against the floor, seemingly holding his whole body up. Glass surrounded his fingertips, and cords and black pieces of plastic were scattered across the floor. His face was bloody and his hair was a mess. His eyes still seemed puppy-doggish, wanting love, and the man he once was seemed to be fading before her.

  “I’m going to confront him. I’m a big girl,” she said.

  “I know… just… be careful.”

  She walked over to him and leaned down to his face. She gave him a long kiss on the lips and left the room.

  Alex pulled himself up off the floor and turned a knocked-over chair back upright. He sat in it softly and breathed in pain with every breath. He thought about his life and how far he had come to this point. He never knew what it was like to love two women at the same time, and he wouldn’t wish the feeling on anyone. It felt like his heart was completely two separate halves.

  Every time he was with Amalia it felt like home. He felt normal and he felt safe. Even though she couldn’t talk to him now, it still felt like that. Her beautiful brown hair always fluffy and her tan skin always smooth.

  Selene, on the other hand, was smart and playful. She fulfilled his life in a way that Amalia never could. She felt like
love and someone that he could protect and care for. Her kind words and her nurturing spirit made him feel alive and in control. Her loving touch sent chills down his spine with every fingertip. He longed for her touch every time they were close to each other.

  His choices would prove to be difficult.

  Chapter 22

  Ram and John stood solemnly at the foot of Amalia’s bed. A doctor checked her vitals and a nurse injected fluids into her IV. They both left the room after monitoring her for a few moments, leaving John and Ram alone with her. John’s war-weary face had the bruises from Ram’s attack on him earlier. He rubbed two fingers over his un-bruised eye, wiping the days of not sleeping out. Ram stood with his arms crossed, staring at Amalia as she slept in her coma.

  “Once Sol has the talisman, we will all be immortal and I will fulfill my promise to make you immortal and set your family free,” Ram told John.

  “If that’s your way of apologizing for throwing me across the room, then I accept. I can be patient. We need to find Hyperion before Sol does. We need to be sure that he is on our side. If not, we need to be sure Selene is. The one who has the most power will win the war,” John said.

  “Is that your plan?” Selene stood in the doorway, eyes furious and teeth gritted tightly.

  They both turned and looked at her then back to Amalia.

  “Yes. That is part of our plan,” Ram said.

  He nudged John in the side and smiled at him. John smiled back, reluctantly.

  Selene walked into the room and stood in front of both of them. She meant to make herself seem more intimidating but her goal went unreached as she looked up at them both. They might as well have been giants to her.

  “I would never let you or any vampire think he has power over me. While yes, I am torn between doing the right thing and helping the one I love, I will always do what is right. Keep that in mind while you are making your plans,” she said.

  “This isn’t about doing what’s right period or what’s right for Alex,” Ram retorted. “This is about who gains the most power first. Your brother isn’t going to give up because his father banished him to the desert. For all we know, he could be making plans to retrieve the talisman as we speak. Calling out your father with the death of one of his children was difficult enough. There’s only two of you left, so if I were you, I’d watch my back and surround myself with as many dangerous creatures as I could.”

  She hesitated a moment, not knowing how to respond. Unfortunately, she knew Ram was right. He knew he was right too. He smiled a pretentious smile at her. She wanted to slap him in the face but that wouldn’t have done either of them any good. She needed his resources, not only to find her father but also for protection.

  “Have you ever thought that even immortals can be killed? There are supernatural rules to this world and you know nothing of them. Knowledge is power, and I swear on my father’s unfortunate future grave that you will meet death and it will be by the hands of those that you have forsaken.” She poked a finger into his chest with every point.

  “Wow, you know how to use the big words, huh?” he mocked.

  “I want to know what you’ve been giving Alex as food.”

  “None of that concerns you. You need to be concentrating on how we are going to find your father.” He leaned in and her forehead became level with his chin. “If Sol gets to him and the talisman first, he won’t hesitate to end you and your little boyfriend. Get it?”

  “Yeah, I got it, asshole.” She stormed off.

  John and Ram laughed as she left.

  “Go prepare the other vamps. Tell the wolves they have the next few weeks off. I want the best doctor we have left to watch over Amalia while we’re gone.”

  “Yes sir.” John turned and left the room empty with just Ram and Amalia.

  Ram walked over to the side of her bed and sat down beside her. He watched her chest as she breathed. Her pink lips looked like two soft feather cushion, longing to be kissed. He gave them what they longed for. Her breath from her nose smelled like heaven. The warmth from her skin quickly filled him up with joy inside. He admired her attitude and strength. The new vamp she had become was more of a vixen than Ember could have ever been.

  A door banged open behind him and it was Alex being helped into the room by Selene.

  “Get your face off my wife!” Alex growled.

  Ram sat silent and turned back to her face. He grasped her hand as Alex promptly plopped down on the other side of her bed. Selene stepped away but remained close to Alex’s side.

  “You don’t have a right to touch her,” Alex said.

  “We’ve become quite close in the past few days. She has helped me and I her through some pretty terrible things. So yes… I do deserve to sit her beside her and touch her for comfort,” Ram explained.

  Selene interrupted their argument and said, “When will she be waking up?”

  “It should be any moment. It’s been about thirty minutes since they injected her with…” Ram’s voice trailed off.

  Amalia slowly opened her eyes, blinking tiredly. She stared at the ceiling, trying to focus. She grasped both Ram’s and Alex’s hands. Selene reached over and patted Alex’s shoulder to comfort him. He reached up with his other hand and rubbed the top of hers.

  Amalia opened her mouth for air and speech.

  “Shhhh… take it easy,” Ram said.

  Alex and Selene glanced over at him like he had lost his mind. He actually seemed to care. It was unnerving. They didn’t want Amalia to be taken in by his kindness, given his deceiving nature.

  Amalia made a few gurgling noises and raised her head up to look at them. They all had genuine concern on their faces and it was somewhat of a comfort that so many people cared. She lay her head back down and looked at Alex. He leaned in closer to hear what she was trying to mouth and say.

  “Don’t give up on us,” she whispered to him.

  “Never,” he said in response.

  At this answer, Selene removed her hand from Alex’s shoulder and stood back from the bed a little.

  Amalia turned and looked at Ram. She squeezed his hand and motioned for him to lean closer to her.

  “Thank you for kindness.” she mumbled.

  “You showed me kindness in my weakest moments. It’s only fair for me to return the favor,” Ram said.

  “You kissed me?” she asked.

  He nodded yes, with confidence. She blinked her eyes at him, then smiled at him and he smiled back. Alex felt left out but he didn’t want to upset her by saying anything stupid. But he couldn’t stay quiet for long.

  “I’m so sorry,” Alex said, interrupting their silent love session.

  She looked over at him angrily. The fire in her eyes was no longer a loving one. It was a burning fire of abhorrence. Even in her helpless position, she still made him feel small.

  “We are going to help you. You will not die from this. We are going to find the Immortal and we will be immortal. Selene here has to kill her father to do it but she’s willing to make the sacrifice,” Ram said, making Selene’s decision concrete.

  Amalia looked at Selene and, for the first time, Selene felt like her friend was forgiving her. Selene walked closer to the bed, standing at the footboard.

  “You owe me,” Amalia said. “Don’t let me down.”

  “I won’t. I promise,” Selene whispered.

  Alex and Ram were staring at her. Ram had a ‘yes, finally’ look about him and Alex had a sorrowful expression. They all turned their focus back to Amalia as she began to cough. Blood spewed from her mouth and dripped down her chin. Alex ducked to avoid the splatter but Ram stayed still, not being bothered by the blood at all.

  Ram reached over to the nightstand beside her and picked up a needle with a milky clear fluid inside. He injected her IV with it slowly.

  “This will put you back under until we can obtain the talisman. Then you will live forever,” Ram explained to her.

  She rubbed his leg as a gesture of thanks and t
urned her vision back over to Alex. He stared at her lovingly with tears in his eyes as she closed her. He would be the last face she’d see this time.

  “Amalia? Amalia?” Alex said.

  “She’s under. The medicine works quickly,” Ram explained.

  Alex released her hand and walked away, out of the room, by himself. Selene hesitated for a moment and then followed behind him. He stood across the hall with both hands above his head, against the wall. He was softly banging his head against it. He looked almost like a crazy person to her, but she knew it was all emotional.

  She walked over and grabbed one of his belt loops with her finger and softly pulled him away from the wall. He obliged and stepped back a few steps. She lifted her arms up over his shoulders and he rubbed her arms tenderly.

  He kept his head down, facing the floor. His longer than normal hair clouded his forehead with tufts of darkness. He looked much different from the boy that she knew long ago. He’d always worn his hair in a buzz cut and now it hung perfectly framing his face.

  He released his hold on her arms and she lowered her own arms back to her side. He turned and faced her. There were no tears in his eyes; only the regret on his face remained. They embraced and he hung his head on top of her shoulder.

  “C’mon. We have to be positive and strong or Ram will run all over us. He thinks he’s in charge, which is what he needs to think. There are rules that have to be considered. The talisman is very powerful. He has no idea what he is really asking for,” Selene whispered into Alex’s ear.

  He leaned back from their hug and looked into her face, searching for answers to all the new questions that had suddenly arisen from her statement.

  “I will tell you everything you need to know soon. This just isn’t the time or place,” Selene said.

  “There’s nothing more to tell. Let’s gather ourselves up for our journey, shall we?” Ram said from behind them.

  They both turned and looked at him. He walked away and Selene followed behind him, reluctantly. Alex paused for a moment and stared into the doorway where Amalia lay. She looked peaceful again as she silently breathed in and out amidst the annoying beeps of the blood pressure machine.