by Dawn Gray
I placed my hand on his head, the one that I had sliced, which was still covered in blood and bleeding. I watched my blood seep through his bandages and then I looked down at his eyes.
"Hey Gorgeous," I said and sighed. "Aren't you going to open your eyes for me?" I talked to him. "Julian, listen to me. You can't die; I won't let you leave me again. You have to help me get Jack back. You have to explain your brother to me and I need you. I love you." I fought back the tears and I shook my head. "Damn it, Jules. You better not die or I swear I'll come after you."
I moved to touch his face, the side not covered with the bandages and I happen to rest my bloody arm against a part of his burnt one. It looked the skin of a chicken leg does after it’s fried on an open grill. I could feel it against my skin, hard and crusty, but I looked away.
I leaned over and kissed him on the lips lightly, then sat back and looked into his face. When I looked down to intertwine my fingers with his as I held his hand, I watched, as his arm seemed to suck in the wet blood that dripped down my arm. I put my bleeding hand on this spot and let the blood flow onto him, then I took it way and watched how quickly my blood disappeared into the cracks of his charred flesh.
This was fascinating to me as I watched this process, then I heard very quiet popping sounds and I leaned down towards his arm. I could hear it coming from under the burnt flesh. This made me curious. I reached out, took hold of a cracking piece with my fingers, and pulled it away from his body. Underneath this blackened skin was, unbelievably, white, almost porcelain skin. Julian's skin. It was reconstructing itself with my blood, which I could see still seeping into the pores of his new skin.
This gave me an idea. It wasn't even really an idea, but just an impulse to do. I brought up the lower arm of my right hand, to my mouth and I could feel my teeth sharpen. I breathed in deeply, and then sank my teeth into my own flesh. The pain was immense as I dragged them across my skin, opening a wound wide enough for the blood to flow. I slid my other hand under Julian's neck, brought my newly opened wound to his mouth, and forced it in. With his mouth around my arm, I waited for a response, but none came.
"Damn it, Julian. You better start drinking," I whispered at him with a bit of anxiousness in my voice. After another minute of watching my blood seep out the corners of his mouth, I started to get upset. I connected with his mind, feeling the slightest bit of activity in there and I yelled at him with both my mind and my voice. "Julian, you son of a bitch, you better start drinking before I have to come in that little pea brain of yours and get you."
I was about to enter his mind completely, which would have been an ordeal since I didn't know exactly how to do it, but then I felt it. His tongue hit my skin and then he started to swallow, gulping at it as it ran down his throat. I could feel his tongue tracing the gash on my arm, then, suddenly, he latched on. His teeth buried themselves deep into my flesh and I jumped at the pain, I fought with myself to let him continue instead of pulling my arm away, but Quinn did that for me.
"Ashley! No!" He said and pulled me away from Julian. My body weakened the moment that he moved me, and all I could do was lay in his arms. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"Julian," I whispered and smiled. Quinn looked at me quite strange. "He'll be okay."
"She's lost a lot of blood," Michael said to him as he stepped into my fading eyesight. "We have to get her some soon."
"No, really. I'm fine," I insisted as I watched his face.
"I'll help," Lauren said and walked up to me. I started to shake my head as they explained to her what she was volunteering for, but I watched her nod and shake her head, as I continued to protest, but they didn't hear me, they weren't listening. They tried to force me to take her wrist, but I wrestled with them and became angered.
My eyes started to glow a bright red, which I could see the outline of in my vision. My top teeth grew quite sharp as I growled at whoever was holding me, and I could feel my lower two teeth grow just as sharp as I went on with my struggle. I opened my mouth to take a chunk out of whoever's arms were around my neck, and before I could close it, someone had slipped a cloth-covered bit of some sort between my jaws.
I thrashed and snarled, kicked and growled, but I was being held tightly and couldn't get away. I was pure animal then; I couldn't feel anything but the urge to be safe. My fight or flight instincts had kicked in and all I could do was try. Suddenly, like a wave of red, blood was poured down my throat and I could either choke on it or swallow. I tried the first and failed, then just accepted my second option. After what seemed like an hour of the crimson river flowing down my throat, it stopped and I was released.
I just slumped back against the wall and let my body lay on the floor as my neck was contorted to let my head lean against the wall, so that I could see everything. The blood haze was still there and I could still feel my teeth. To Lauren, I must have looked like an animal, because she looked at me in absolute terror.
"One time won't change you," I told her in a raspy voice, still not quite my own, after reading the thoughts on her mind.
"It changed you," she whispered to me as she touched the bandage on her arm.
"It didn't. My parents were vampires. I was a vampire already; I was born one. It just linked me to them more," I said and looked over at Quinn who was staring at me from the chair. Michael was standing above Julian, checking his wounds. I could see it in his mind, using our connection. I watched him undo the bandages and look at the skin underneath the charred flesh.
I watched him slowly peel away the blackened skin to reveal the whiteness underneath, and on top of his head, was the dark hair that he had always had.
"Holy Mary, Mother of God," Michael exclaimed aloud, which caught Quinn's attention. Quinn looked at me quickly then walked over to where his brother lay and watched as Michael cleared away the rest of his blackness. "Ashley, what did you do?"
Quinn glanced at me, then back at his brother when I looked away. In Michael's mind, I looked at the healed face of my beloved Julian, almost perfected in every way, except for the fact that his eyes had not yet opened.
You can’t hide for much longer, Julian, I whispered to his mind, and then listened to the light laughter that rose in my head.
What did you do to me? His strong, sexy voice asked me.
I gave you strength, I whispered to him. You need to open those grass green eyes of yours and show your brother that you’re all right. He won’t rest until you do.
I love you, Ashley. You are everything to me. With those words, I closed my mind to him and watched as his head turned to the side to face me. I watched in wonder as those green eyes slowly opened just as mine went black.
13
When I opened my eyes, my body was thrashing about. I was fighting with someone, or something, then my vision cleared and I looked up in horror at Quinn's violent face hovering just above me. I calmed down and looked up at him in fright, but soon his face too calmed and he touched my hair.
"Be calm," he whispered to me. I nodded. "Relax; no one's going to hurt you."
"Where am I?" I asked him softly, not remembering anything from just after tearing open my arm. I sat up and looked around. We weren't even in the small house on the island anymore, but we were definitely in someone's house. "Quinn, please, I'm confused. How did I get here?"
"You passed out after giving Julian you're blood," he said and smiled. I looked around more furious this time.
"Julian," I said quickly, and then looked at Quinn in shock. "Oh, my God! He's not dead. Tell me that he's not dead," I begged in panic.
"No," A voice interrupted me and I looked quickly over at the childish face of my long time friend. His bright green eyes sparkled at me. "I'm not dead."
"Jules," I said and Quinn back away as Julian came over to me and I held him tightly. I closed my eyes, just for an instant, and then opened them quickly afraid that this might be some frightening dream. "Where are we?"
"We're at Cleo's house, in the mountains," Julian s
aid with a soft voice, then whispered even softer with his mind. I heard what you called me.
"What?" I asked him and looked up at Quinn, who shrugged.
"Hmm, let me think. Oh, yeah it was something like. ‘Julian, you son of a bitch, you better start drinking now before I have to come into that little pea brain of yours and get you.’” He smiled at me. I then remembered everything that had happened. I looked up at Julian's black hair, just as long as it had always been, and I touched his face. "You saved me."
"No, I didn't," I said and slid out of the bed. I grabbed the bathrobe and pulled it around me, and then I looked at both boys. "I didn't do anything."
"You gave him you're blood, and that saved his life," Quinn said and sighed. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed loudly, shaking my head. "Ashley, what is the matter."
"I couldn't have done that. Blood doesn't heal that way, from the outside," I told them and sat down. They both looked so confused. "My blood touched Julian's skin. His skin sucked it up, like a vacuum, it went into every part of him and it made his skin rejuvenate. I...I didn't do that, he did."
"Ash," Julian smiled and took my hand. "It doesn't matter. I'm here, you're here, we're all alive and well and that's what does matter."
"Who started the fire?" I asked him. He sat back and shook his head. "I think I know what did that."
"How can you know?" Quinn asked.
"I can find out from David. Look guys, I have an odd feeling that this is all about to come to a head and I want you to all be strong enough to handle it. You especially, Jules. We don't know if you're totally healed," I said and looked at him, pleading with him to listen to me.
"Ash, it's been a week," Julian explained.
"What do you mean it's been a week?" I questioned.
"After Julian woke up, you went into what Michael called a hibernation period. You're body shut down to repair itself," Quinn replied. He shook his head and I saw the worry on his face. "You scared the hell out of all of us by not waking up. You were ferocious when we tried to give you blood. I had to hold you down or you would have hurt someone."
"It was a side effect of the bloodletting," Julian added. "Although, you're the first one I've met that actually survived something like that."
"Okay, I've heard just about enough of how I'm the first to do many things. All I want to be the first at right now is to rip out Victor's heart and take back my son," I replied and slipped on a pair of jeans under my bathrobe. "I want to eat, I want to get dressed, and I want to shed some vampire blood."
"You're jumping into this awful fast, don't you think?" Quinn questioned.
"You need more time to rest," Julian said softly. I looked at both of them, Quinn standing by the door, in his usual stance and Julian, sitting on a chair that had been placed close to the bed.
"Boys, I love you both, but I can't just stand around any longer. I want this done and over with and I want it right now." I ran my hands through my hair and watched as the door to the room opened slowly and Cleo popped in.
"Now is probably not a good time," she added quietly.
"It never is," I said sarcastically, and crossed my arms. "What's going on now?"
"Ashley, don't be rude," Julian said to me in a fatherly voice.
"It is okay Julian," Cleo said and looked at me. "I just received this letter, it was hand delivered and it has no return address." I looked at her, waiting for her to go on. She looked at me as if I were supposed to know what was going on. "It has your name on it."
I walked over, took the brown envelope from her, and looked at my name sprawled across the front of it in fancy lettering. I opened it slowly and pulled out the brown piece of paper. I glanced at Quinn then opened it and read the writing slowly.
Dear Ms. Wolf,
As you are aware, I have your son in my possession.
My loyal friend, David Tarrot, has informed me that
you wish to meet with me and discuss any terms of
his release. I can't promise you that I will agree
to any terms that you may have, but I would like
to meet with you, nevertheless. In two weeks time,
I will be holding a masquerade at my home in Newport.
It is at this time that I would like to see you.
I will expect you at nine o'clock precisely and
you may bring any of your little friends that
you wish. Please, send my condolences to Quinn
and Julian on the recent loss of their beloved home.
Expectantly yours,
Victor La Rouge
I folded the paper and looked out the window. Two weeks? What the hell was I going to do for two weeks? I looked back at the three other people in the room, then I looked at the shirt that I had pulled on, grabbed my boots and walked passed them. It wasn't hard to find the front door to Cleo's house, but when I stepped outside, it was obvious that I wasn't going to find my way off this mountain any time soon.
I walked in a circle, my frustration growing, and then I stopped and sat on the ground to put my boots on. Once I was completely dress, I stood and put my hands on my hips and looked out over the valley below. I couldn't believe my luck, and I began to think that they brought me here on purpose.
"Not really," Michael's voice answered my question. I whirled around and faced him. "Although, once we got here, we thought that it might help you relax."
"I don't need to relax!" I snapped at him and could feel my teeth getting sharper. I watched him smile and nod at me then he walked over and looked out over the valley. I didn't look at him, as he stood there and I clenched my fist. "Michael, I need help."
"I know you do," he replied and looked at me slowly. "And, that's why we thought here might be a good place."
"These powers are coming so fast, my body is in overdrive. I can feel the power surge and it's doing nothing but making my temper flare up," I told him and closed my eyes. "What can I do to stop it?"
"Nothing," he said softly. "That's why these two weeks are important. That's why you need to relax; it takes a bit for your body to get used to the change and this time might be enough for that to happen."
"But, Quinn and Julian," I said and shook my head. He put a hand on my shoulder and gently gave it a squeeze.
"Quinn and Julian can take care of themselves, they don't need you to worry about them, and you don't need to worry about how you feel about them right now, you need to concentrate on you," he whispered close to my ear.
"But, I love them both."
"And, no matter what you do now, or how much you think about it Ash, you will still love them both when this is over and you will still be caught between them. Don't think about it; think about yourself and your son," he said and then kissed my cheek and walked away
I looked out at the valley again and pulled my long hair back then let it go. I sighed and shook my head as I leaned on the railing in front of me.
"Two whole weeks," I said quietly and walked away from that spot.
Later that afternoon, as I sat in my room, I thought that I would try to levitate other things besides dishes, namely myself. I sat on the bed, Indian style, and closed my eyes as if I were about to try to meditate. I smiled as I felt myself leave the bed and then I opened my eyes to see the floor several feet below. I moved my legs out straight and lay as if I were on my stomach on the bed. I crossed my arms and rested my chin on them as I looked at the view from that height outside my window.
There was a knock on the door, and then I heard a low voice from outside.
"Ash, are you awake?" I heard Lauren's voice.
"Yes, I'm awake," I replied.
"What are you doing?" She asked through the door. "Can I come in?"
"I'm levitating, and yes, you can come in," I replied.
"You're meditating?" She asked and walked in the door, then closed it behind her as she looked around my room.
"No, I'm levitating," I told her again and watched her face as she looked up at me in awe. I could
almost see the shock on her face, but she quickly recovered and walked over to me.
"Um, do you think you could come down here?" She asked me as she stood below my face looking into my eyes. "You're really weirding me out."
I smiled at her as I slowly made my way down to stand on my feet in front of her. She hugged me, then backed away and looked me over.
"I haven't changed, Lauren. I'm still me," I whispered to her.
"I know. It's just that the last time I looked at your face, it really wasn't you," she said and sat on the bed. I leaned against the windowsill and crossed my arms.
"That was me," I told her and watched her face start to turn white. "Inside, that is what I look like, a monster. I'm a vampire because I was born one. I don't mean to upset you and I didn't mean to scare you, but I wasn't in my right mind."
I heard a crashing sound downstairs and Lauren and I looked at each other then walked down to see what it was. As we made our way down the stairs and into the living room area, I poked my head around the corner and noticed the four others surrounded by ten men dressed in black. A big muscular man, with a crew cut, was addressing Quinn, who stood with defiance on his face, asking where I was.
Quinn snarled at him and the man laughed as if Quinn were some puny little mouse that he could squash with a flick of his pinky finger. I pulled Lauren away from the door and then brought her over to the small door that lead under the stairway. I opened this small door and looked at her.
"Stay in here. You'll be safe," I said, then saw the disagreement on her face. She was about to tell me no, but I stopped her by raising my hand. "Listen to me; this is for your own safety. They're immortal, they can handle people like that. You're not and you could be caught in the middle of this and die. I couldn't live with that. Stay here until you know that it's safe."
"How will I know?" She asked me. I smiled and took her hand.
"Michael will come and get you if I don't," I replied and watched her tuck herself in the small hiding space. I closed the door, and then locked it so that she couldn't get out. I reached over to the coat rack, took the long black coat from it and slipped it on. I walked over to the doorway and stepped into the room. Quinn and the man were in a face off, but as soon as I let my presence be known, they all looked at me. "I heard you were looking for me."
