Sabrina and the Gargoyle

by Marie Dry

  Sabrina closed her eyes and bowed her head in defeat. “You tried to make me forget what happened last night?” After making love to her, making her feel like the most desired and wanted woman. “You tried to erase my mind as if my memories have no value, to take my choices from me.” Sabrina didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to know the answer, but she heard her voice ask again, “Why did you marry me?”

  She had this nagging feeling that there was something about her marriage she should remember. That there was more going on here than a man and a woman falling in love and getting married.

  “Why would you think I married you for reasons other than the obvious?”

  He tried to probe her mind and she shoved suspicion and hurt to the forefront of her thoughts and shrouded the rest in fog.

  She’d never notice before, but he never said he loved her. “You can’t even refer to loving me. Let alone say it to me.”

  Again that faint crawling sensation in her mind, and she focused on the fog, on projecting suspicion and hurt. It had been a shock when he let her go home alone and stayed behind with Jo. She didn’t think anything could be worse, but this moment, when she had to face the fact that he didn’t love her, probably never loved her, was worse.

  “You are over dramatic for no reason.” In spite of his harsh words, she knew he didn’t believe that. He was just trying to distract her. But from what?

  “I never knew you, did I?” She’d only known him two weeks when they married, and it was not the kind of thing she did. Did he influence her mind? She was comfortable financially, but not rich by any means. He definitely didn’t marry her for money, and he desired her but she doubted he loved her. Not the way she loved him.

  He touched her forehead.

  One moment they were in church, the next she was in her house and she tumbled to the floor. He stood over her with his hands on his hips.

  “What did you just do to me?” She clasped her hands over her knee, but he’d held onto her while she tumbled to the floor, and it wasn’t hurt. “Where’s Wolf?”

  “He prefers to return on his own.”

  “I want to know what’s going on. Have you messed with my mind from the beginning? How did we get back here? Did you make me forget walking back here?”

  He turned away from her. “We’re going to lunch with the Greylings.” He pronounced the Afrikaans surname with that accent that she found so sexy before. Now she didn’t smile and correct his pronunciation. “You haven’t answered me.”

  He stood looking down at her, brooding. “I’ll only say this. I’m doing what I have to do for the future of mankind.” For a moment anguish shone in his eyes, was stamped on his face, and then he wiped it out. “I will do what I have to.”

  She was tempted to stamp her foot like a two-year-old. Maybe falling down on the floor screaming as well. Or she could go for the adult behavior and gibs slap him. “What is it that you have to do?”

  “We have to leave for lunch with the Greylings. You’d better get ready.”

  “You can’t seriously expect me to calmly go to lunch with your odd little girlfriend and her parents.” Great, now she sounded catty. Sabrina eyed his head. Gibs slapping him seemed good again.

  His lips twisted in an almost smile. “She’s not my girlfriend. Get ready or I carry you to the car as you are.”

  She glared at him, but turned and limped to the stairs. No way was she facing Jo wearing her comfortable jeans and old sweater.

  “And don’t ever think about gibs slapping me again.”

  Sabrina stilled and then started the laborious climb. She was tempted to show him a rude sign but her grandmother didn’t like women using profanities or showing rude signs to irritating husbands. She’d had to learn Klingon swearwords to get out of constantly being in trouble with Ouma over her swearing.

  He swore behind her and then he was there, picking her up, holding her close to his warm chest, and carrying her to the bedroom. Again she had that strange sense of guilt from him. He put her down and sprawled on the bed, hands behind his head and his ankles crossed as if waiting for her to undress and dress for his entertainment.

  Giving him a pointed glare, she went into the walk-in closet to dress in privacy. Houses this old never had en-suite bedrooms. At this moment, Sabrina was fiercely glad her grandmother had converted the small bedroom next to the master bedroom into a walk-in closet and a bathroom.

  Sabrina dressed in cream slacks and a coral colored long sleeved silk blouse. Casting a longing glance at the heels she couldn’t wear anymore, she put on a pair of flat ballet shoes.

  She carefully applied makeup and brushed her hair, tried to smooth out her expression. Whatever was going on with Jo, Sabrina had the feeling she’d feed off any negative emotion. Like a vampire fed off fear.

  “You didn’t tell me how we got back here,” she said.

  “Vampire powers,” his deadpan voice drifted in from the bedroom.

  “That’s not funny, Mark.”

  Putting down the brush with a deliberately steady hand, Sabrina limped back to the master bedroom. Lately, her knee ached more and more, and sometimes she wondered if it was her gathering feeling of horror at what her life was turning into that was manifesting as a constant dragging ache.

  Every nerve ending she had responded to the way he looked at her, those dark eyes heating her blood, until she had the urge to open the window to let in a cool breeze. She’d noticed it before, the way he influenced the air around him.

  “Yeah it is.”

  “Why are we going out with them?” Not that she was about to let him go off alone to meet with Jo, but she didn’t see the need for her presence.

  “I have business with Jo’s father, I suspect Jo engineered it so that she can join us.” Again she heard that strange mix of emotions when he spoke of Jo. Anger, disgust, and guilt. Why guilt? Unless he’d turned her into whatever she was becoming.

  “The way she fixated on you.” Sabrina shuddered. “It wasn’t normal.”

  “Try not to be noticed during lunch.” He pushed his hand through his hair, the way it fell in disarray made him look wild. “Jo’s dangerous.”

  “Then why are we having lunch with her?”

  He clenched the hand closest to her in the bedding. “Because I have no choice.”

  “Well, that’s all right then. After that illuminating answer that explains to me why you are messing with my mind and Jo is acting downright weird, why don’t you get up so we can go?”

  He put his hands behind his head again and relaxed. “Kiss me first.”

  “No, I might never kiss you again.”

  His lips were warm and firm against her, seducing her out of her madness. She pushed against his chest and pulled back. “You baktag, you messed with my mind again.”

  He got lazily to his feet. “More Klingon swearwords?”

  “Yes, my grandmother didn’t believe women should swear, and I have a mouth like a sailor, so I learned Klingon.”

  He took her elbow and they went down the stairs and to the car waiting for them. “Did she ever catch on to what you were doing?”

  “If she did, she never said. She asked me once what I said and I told her it was a new language I learned with my online friends.” Again she noticed Mark and Samuel carefully scanning the neighborhood before getting into the car.

  Mark and Sabrina stared out of their respective windows on the way to the restaurant. What happened to the uncomplicated, happy times they’d spend together when they first married? Shouldn’t they still be wildly in love and everyday feel like a honeymoon?

  The Greylings waited for them, already seated at a table at the exclusive sea food restaurant in Sea Point. The restaurant rotated slowly and, eventually, the guests would find their section of the restaurant jutting over the water. Beneath them, the sea surged and bashed angrily against the jagged rocks.

  Jo’s parents were tense and, instead of being intent on business, James Greyling kept glancing at his daughter, while
Jo’s mother battled tears. Sabrina could see why they worried about Jo. In just a day, her face had developed something gaunt about it. She’d been beautiful before, now she appeared beautiful in an unearthly way. Not in a good way. As if there was something alien inside her that fought for dominance. Something obviously evil stared at them out of eyes too dead to belong to the Jo they’d known.

  Could this be why Mark seemed so fascinated with her? If there were vampires out there, what else walked the earth?

  Sabrina’s heart missed a beat. Did he make the other woman into a vampire? She looked up straight into Mark’s dark eyes, and she knew he caught the question in her mind.

  He leaned over and his warm breath caressed her ear. Sabrina shivered and clenched her hand around her fork. “There are many things out there that will scare you out of your lovely panties. We have to stay just little longer.” His breath wafted warm and moist over her ear. “No I didn’t change her.”

  His tongue darted out and caressed the shell of her ear until she had to clench her hands not to moan. When he drew back she looked up. Straight into Jo’s lifeless eyes. Next to her, Mark’s body became like reinforced steel.

  “So, Sabrina, how long have you been married to this handsome guy?”

  Whatever was inside Jo tried to sound friendly and interested, but it fell flat. This wasn’t jealousy. Sabrina could’ve handled that. No, what looked at her out of Jo’s eyes was cold, ancient, and reptilian. For some reason, Sabrina suspected would freak her out, Jo had fixated on Mark, and it saw Sabrina as a rival. Mark pressed her hand under the table and she kept her expression serene, her mind as blank as she could manage.

  “A little over six months,” Sabrina said quietly. She shivered and under the table Mark tightened his hold on her hand even more.

  Jo looked from Sabrina to Mark, the motion vaguely snake-like, as if she was looking for a moment of weakness to strike.

  Something moved against her mind and Sabrina pushed confusion about Jo to the forefront. It wasn’t Mark trying to read her thoughts. This touch was different. Evil and invasive. She pushed jealousy and hurt uppermost in her thoughts.

  A wall slammed into place behind the emotions she showed Jo, and Sabrina knew it was Mark, making sure Jo couldn’t go any deeper into her mind. It took every ounce of will power Sabrina had not to run away screaming. Two people messing around in her mind was two more than she wanted there.

  At last the pressure receded and Sabrina relaxed slightly, though Mark remained a vigilant presence in her mind.

  Normally, she would’ve tried to get him out, but Jo’s invasive actions stopped her.

  The hours dragged by as Sabrina and Jo’s parents sat quiet while Jo and Mark talked. It was evening when Mark stood with his hand on Jo’s back. He cupped Jo’s head in his hands and stared deep into her eyes. She appeared entranced. For one horrifying moment the bones in Jo’s face changed, became sharp before they settled back. Her eyes held a strange unearthly glow. Sabrina heard Jo’s mother draw in a sharp breath and pity stirred. Whatever was happing to Jo wouldn’t end well.

  “I’ll walk you to the car. I’ll be home later.” Mark’s eyes warned Sabrina, but against what? What was Jo turning into? How much did he have to do with it?

  Sabrina suppressed a whimper and had to concentrate not to stumble back from them. That would cause her bad knee to trip her, and the last thing she wanted was to fall flat on her face. Mark murmured something to Jo and then escorted Sabrina to the car where Samuel waited.

  “I won’t be long. She has to be dealt with,” he murmured barely above a whisper.

  “What’s--”

  His hand tightened around her arm in clear warning. “Careful, her hearing is much sharper than a human’s.”

  “What’s going on? What are you going to do with her?” she asked much softer. Jo wasn’t human?

  He hesitated. “I’ll tell you later.”

  She nodded and he kissed her, a brief hard kiss of almost desperation, and went back inside.

  Sabrina got into the car and touched her lips. He’d explained himself. Sort of. And that kiss had been a tender kiss. A reassuring kiss. Would a man who didn’t love her kiss her like that? Could a man like Mark, who was obviously involved in something very dark and sinister, be capable of love?

  They stopped in front of her colorful home and she got out, barely aware of Samuel checking the house and then taking up his normal guarding spot at the front door. The wolf growled at her and followed her to the living room, taking up his customary stance, sitting on his haunches, and staring at her.

  Sabrina sank down on the couch with a grateful moan. She kicked off her shoes and swung her feet up. “You can’t intimidate me anymore. I saw something much worse than a cranky dog tonight.”

  It cocked its head at her, his eyes too intelligent for an animal. “So help me if you’re a werewolf or something, I won’t be responsible for my deeds.”

  It would fit in with the number of people in her life who were candidates for creepy nominations.

  For a moment there at the end she’d been convinced Jo was possessed. Sabrina could face almost any explanation, except that Mark had turned Jo into some creature. If that was the case, she’d find a way to get away from him. She bit down on her thumbnail. Could the same thing be happening to her? What if he was messing with her mind and she just didn’t realize it?

  “Miss me?”

  The dog growled. She screamed and almost fell off the couch, trying to get away.

  Mark laughed, pulled her upright, and dragged her against him. “You’ll have to toughen up.” He kissed her, his tongue briefly invading her mouth, almost like a conqueror re-staking his claim.

  In spite of his laughter, the teasing words, there was something dark and desperate in his kiss. As if he wanted to lose himself in her.

  His big body trembled against hers.

  The dog growled again and she almost thought he growled at Mark for a change.

  When Mark let her go, she sank back down on the couch and battled the urge to cry. No kiss could make her forget that thing inside Jo she’d seen tonight. “What is she?”

  He hesitated and then placed a booted foot on the couch next to her hip and leaned toward her. “She’s been...corrupted by a very dangerous being.”

  “Can she be helped?” She frowned at his boots on her couch. “And take your foot off the couch.”

  He shrugged, a faint smile on his face, and sank down next to her. “No, she’s barely human now.”

  “I’m going to change and then I’ll make us some tea.” She fixed him with her sternest gaze. “Then you will tell me everything.” This time he wouldn’t fob her off or mess with her mind.

  Laboriously, she made her way upstairs, hating the limp that always reminded her of the accident and losing her cousin. In her room, she took of her makeup and put on more comfortable clothes.

  Mark watched Sabrina limp away and clenched his hands. He wanted to pick her up and carry her up those stairs. That first day when he’d knocked on her door and took control of her mind, he’d managed to control her until the moment he suggested she leave her colorful little house. She’d thrown off his compulsion twice before he gave in and accepted he’d have to play out this horrific game in this little home. He’d lived in mansions and castles and slept under the stars. This was the first time he lived in a real home since he turned twelve.

  He missed his best friend. Christopher had kept him alive during training. Everyone knew the only reason Mark was accepted was because he wasn’t supposed to live during training. If the drogge hadn’t surfaced that time, if the vampires hadn’t become aware of his ability to track the drogge, he doubted even Christopher would’ve been able to keep him safe from his own kind.

  He sneered at the dog. My own kind. There’s a joke.

  “I’d take Christopher over ten of you,” he told the wolf. “How long has it been, anyway? I lost count. Your time could be up anytime now.” He tried to remember how
long he’d held Wolf. Could a hundred years have passed?

  The wolf sneered at Mark.

  “They sensed her, I should be glad my plan is working.” Instead of satisfaction that everything was happening the way he planned it, he felt miserable. Every time she looked at him with those warm brown eyes, every time he saw the love shining there, he felt like the biggest asshole ever hatched on earth.

  The wolf gave him a taunting grin, enjoying his misery.

  “I should be satisfied, things are developing as they should, but all I can think of is how I don’t want Sabrina to look at me with dying eyes.”

  He stared at his boots on the coffee table. That first time he’d come to her house and seized her mind, she’d told him to take his scruffy boots off her table. He’d known then he would have trouble manipulating her mind. Some part of him had hoped she wasn’t the salvation of all creatures on earth.

  Eventually she would remember everything, she’d remember the day he came to her door, that moment he told her she belonged to him. That he would use her to stop the evil walking her city. What would she say when she realized they weren’t married?

  Mark leaned his head back against the couch. He should’ve helped her up the stairs. Soon, he sensed very soon, he wouldn’t have the opportunity anymore.

  “Stop enjoying my misery,” he told the wolf and pushed him back with his foot. Or tried to, the bastard’s reflexes hadn’t slowed in nearly a hundred years.

  “Mark, what are you doing? You don’t kick animals.” Sabrina rushed to Wolf who suddenly developed a limp and a pathetic look on his dumb dog face. She carefully checked his ribs.

  “The dog’s all right. Sabrina, come here.” He needed her softness. Needed to lose himself in her body until he forgot what was going to happen. How he had to use her.

  She glared at him. “I’m going to make some tea and get Wolf a treat.” The wolf gave him a taunting grin when she wasn’t looking at him.