Dark Secrets

by P. L. Midnight

  He opened the door and walked into the other room.

  “Do you feel up to coming in here? This is really something. Victor seems to have thought of everything. We can even watch the storm. There’s a shit ton of monitors in this place. He must have cameras all over the cemetery.”

  Curiosity got the better of me. I took my sore, tired body off the comfortable couch and went into the room. It was at least twice the size of the other room, but was filled with all kinds of sealed cupboards boxes of supplies. They were labeled as to what they contained, which made it easy for Alexander to procure two bottles of water rather quickly.

  Along the far wall was another door. Another wall held a set of monitors like the ones in Victor’s hidden basement rooms. He must have spent a fortune on all this stuff, but Alexander was right he seemed to have thought of everything, except heat. It was pretty chilly in this room, too. The door near the monitors led to a primitive bathroom, which I badly needed. I excused myself and went inside.

  When I was finished, I ran my fingers through my tangled curls and wiped my face with the cleaning cloths in the cabinet. I still looked like a dirty mess, but I felt a little better. My still-damp clothes were starting to give me the chills. What I wouldn’t give for a hot shower and some clean, dry clothes, I thought.

  Alexander seemed busy watching the storm raging above us on the various monitors. He was right, I thought as I quickly drained my bottle of water. There were at least six cameras facing various directions monitoring the storm. It was bad and looked like it had dropped several inches of snow, since I’d been outside last. The wind was so strong that several of the cameras were picking up nothing but whiteout conditions. Watching the storm, I was grateful for the little hideaway, but I was so tired that I could hardly stand.

  “I’m sorry, but I need to sit down for a while,” I said and walked back into the other room. Alexander followed me into the room. He’d found a first aid kit and some cleansing wipes. He began tending my wounds. His touch was gentle and caring as he thoroughly cleaned and dressed every cut, hoping to impede any infection. Several small stones had to be removed from my knees, but he did it carefully. They felt better almost immediately.

  He came back a short while later with a stack of blankets and a set of pink sweats. I could’ve kissed him for finding them. If Victor had been there I would’ve kissed him for thinking to keep them in the hide out.

  Alexander looked comfortable in a set of orange sweats. The color suited his golden coloring and his rich cognac colored eyes. He’d obviously dressed his own cuts and cleaned up, too. I could still smell the fresh scent of the ocean and sun, which was Alexander.

  “I’m going to make us something to eat, while you get changed. I left some cleaning wipes in the bathroom, too. We’ll eat and then get some rest. This place isn’t too bad, is it? It beats the heck out of the upstairs rooms.”

  “You know it. Unfortunately, I still feel like I’ve been kicked by a horse, all over.”

  Alexander ran his finger down my check and across my lips as he grinned at me, “I can kiss it and make it all better.”

  I turned red at his innuendo, “I don’t think that will be necessary. Do we have any aspirin?”

  “I rather liked my idea, but if you insist I’ll bring you some aspirin with dinner. Now go get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready soon. Unless you need some help?”

  “No, I don’t think so, Alexander.” I added rather dramatically. “When I finish I could help you fix dinner though.”

  “No, I got this, honey. Just go clean up. You’ll feel better. If you’d let me help you, I’d feel better.”

  “I’ve got this, but thanks for your thoughtfulness,” I said in a snarky tone and grinned at him to take away some of the sting. He’d gotten us here safely and I was grateful.

  I had no idea what time it was, but I was way past being hungry. We’d hardly had time for the cake before the nightmare had started with Dark Hearts. I didn’t know what time it was or how long we’d been in the cave system. I couldn’t decide if I was more tired, sore or hungry. I was still worried about the other guys, too. We still hadn’t heard a word from them and there was no sign of any of them on the monitors.

  As soon as Alexander left, went to the bathroom. I got out of my ruined, dirty clothes. I put them in a pile. I’d find out where I needed to put them later. I cleaned up the best I could and put on the soft, warm sweatshirt and sweatpants. My tennis shoes were dirty and ruined, but I cleaned them up the best I could so I wouldn’t get Victor’s hidey-hole dirty. I put on the clean socks and felt better just being warmer and dryer. Without a mirror, it was difficult to imagine how my hair looked. After snooping around in the bathroom, I’d found a brush and managed to pull it through the unruly mass of curls that hung around my face.

  I sat down on the couch to relax for just a few minutes. A short while later, Alexander was waking me, “I’m sorry, honey, but you need to eat something before you fall asleep for the night. It’ll warm you up.”

  I didn’t want to get up, but even with the blanket I’d put over myself, I was cold. I stretched a bit and smiled at Alexander, “You’re right. I’m a little chilly. Something warm sounds good.”

  “You’re more than a little chilly. Let’s get you some of my famous chicken noodle soup, straight from the can. I also opened some peanut butter crackers. It’s not exactly a homemade meal, but it’s warm and filling.”

  “It sounds great.”

  “I think anything probably sounds great as long as you’ve gone without food.”

  “I really like chicken noodle soup, too. It’s one of my favorites. Thanks for getting everything ready,” I said as he reached for my hand to help me off the couch. We walked into the other room and picked up our soup and crackers. Alexander grabbed two bottles of water and sat down on the couch. He’d placed a little table, that he’d found, near us. It worked great for holding the food.

  It was good and the warmth of the soup was already starting to warm me up. I spoke between bites. I still liked verbal communication, because it felt routine. I needed normal with everything going on in my life.

  “This is pretty good.”

  “It’s not bad and my idea of cooking,” he said as he grinned at me, giving my thigh a bump with his. “If it comes in a can or a box, I can probably make it.”

  “I take it you don’t fare well with the frozen meals in a bag.”

  “Actually, those are like my favorites. They’ve got every flavor you can think of and I can’t even screw up those suckers.

  We both chuckled. “I take it you’re not a cook.”

  “Nope, I never saw the need to learn to cook with all the great junk that comes in boxes and cans. I leave the culinary accomplishments to Victor.”

  “I guess that means I won’t be getting a home cooked meal if I come to dinner at your place.”

  “Honey, for you, I’d hire a chef to make a five star dinner if you promise to stay for the after dinner activities.”

  “I’m not sure I want to know what kind of activities you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, I believe you’d like them.”

  I decided to ignore that remark and got us back on subject, “Victor can really cook well, but so can Vincent. He makes the best blueberry pancakes ever.”

  “If you say so I’ll have to take your word for it. I’d rather eat dirt than pancakes.”

  “You’re kidding. Blueberry pancakes are one of my favorite foods.”

  “Dirt sounds better. Hey, do you want to watch the storm for a while. I found a couple of folding chairs. I thought we could talk awhile. I might be able to eat some more if I stay awake for a while.”

  “I’ve noticed you guys eat a lot…of food.”

  He lifted his eyebrow as he sat facing me on the couch, but made no comment about my hesitation. I blushed at my implied meaning. He said only, “It takes a lot of food to stay this cool.”

  “Really, let’s go check out the monitors, before I
can’t stay awake, oh humble one.”

  I watched the two monitors that were still showing something. It was almost completely dark, so we could only see from two of the monitors. That was enough for me. There were at least six inches of snow on the ground from what I could tell. More of it was blowing and drifting everywhere. It was a nasty storm and didn’t look like it would be stopping anytime soon. I didn’t think anyone would be out looking for us in the storm, but Alexander wasn’t taking any chances.

  “I’m sorry. I’m going to have to leave you for a little while. I can’t see anything from the west camera. I need to make sure no one is out there looking for you.”

  “Alexander, I can’t believe that anyone would look for us during this horrible storm. Besides, it’s dangerous for you to go out there alone.”

  He reached over and took my hand as he spoke, “I like it that you’re concerned about me. Honey, I can’t take any chances with your safety. What if one of those bastards was able to track us here?”

  “I don’t see how…”

  “I didn’t think they’d be able to find their way into Victor’s inner sanctum either, but they did. They are desperate to find you, Emma. I have to know that you’re as safe as possible before we go to sleep. I don’t think we’ll be leaving anytime soon, so I’ll have to eliminate any danger.”

  “You can’t face them alone if they’re out there.”

  “Why not, I have before. I’m a warrior, honey. This is what I do. I don’t think they’re here. I just want to clean that camera off in case we need it. Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you even miss me.” Neither one of us had a coat, so he put on another sweatshirt and walked up the steps after giving me a peck on the lips and assuring me, again, that he’d be right back.

  I sat on the couch for a few minutes, but decided I try to see him on the one of the cameras. It had gotten decidedly colder in here since he’d opened the crypt to go back into the mausoleum. I’d heard him close it back up, but even the short time it had been opened had filled the place with frigid air. It seemed the one thing that Victor had forgotten was heat. I was getting so cold that I was ready to warm my hands over one of the candles.

  One of the two cameras that had been working showed nothing, because it was so dark outside. The other one was located near an old light, which seemed to illuminate the area enough for me to see nothing but snow. It was awful outside. The wind if anything seemed to have gotten stronger. The trees I could see were being blown mercilessly from more than one direction as they leaned away from the brutal force of the wind.

  I hoped Alexander would be all right out there. He really wasn’t dressed for the weather any more than I was. I didn’t want anything to happen to him. I hadn’t even gotten to know the ornery angel at all and he was risking his life for me. If he didn’t return, I’d likely die with him, because I knew I’d go out looking for him. If I did find my way back inside, mine would be a slow death as the supplies eventually ran out and no one found me. Worse yet, I could be found by Dark Hearts.

  I stared at the screen until my eyes got sore. There was still no sign of Alexander. It was just the icy winds and the blowing snow battering the trees. I was really starting to worry. I’d started praying for him to return. I wondered if I should go after him, when two things happened at once. Alexander’s voice spoke silently into my mind, Don’t you even think about it. I’ll be in shortly. It’s nice to know you think I’m hot and that you’re worried about me.

  I don’t recall thinking you were hot.

  You do and we both know it, honey.

  Just hurry up and get back in here. I don’t want you to get hurt.

  Ah-ha, I knew it, you do care about me. You just want to know why I call you honey.

  I care about you, now get back inside, please.

  The second thing that happened was that another one of the cameras came back on line. It, too, was near a light so I could see more snow and bitter winds brutalizing the trees and slamming against the tombstones. The old tombstones stood their ground, but many were nearly hidden by the drifting snow.

  I sat back down on the couch and wrapped a blanket around myself. I rocked back and forth with my arms folded trying to get warm. I could’ve made a cup of tea or something, but I was just too darn tried to move. The colder I got the more my body felt the abuse of the day. I was so sore and tired that I couldn’t sleep either. I didn’t want to sleep in case Alexander telepathically called for assistance.

  A few minutes later I heard the crypt open and the skeleton slide aside as a cold breeze drifted down the stairs. Seconds later the panel and fake coffin slid back into place. I was getting ready to call out to make sure it was Alexander when something white whizzed by my head. Another white blob smacked my arm.

  He walked in snow covered and grinning like a school-boy as another snowball landed atop my head. I gave him a grumpy look. This was not the time for a snowball fight, especially as cold as I was. He was definitely not much more than seventeen.

  I’ll have you know that I’m almost as old as that old codger Miles and that fossil Victor.

  You don’t act it. This is hardly the place for a snowball fight. Can’t you see that I’m already cold.

  “I’m sorry, let me help you. I couldn’t resist, you looked so cute sitting there all cuddled up in your blankets.”

  “You don’t look sorry. Your eyes are twinkling with that fire glow in them.”

  “Mhmm, so now you’re noticing my eyes.”

  “You’re impossible and I’m freezing.”

  That comment got his attention. He immediately dusted himself off and walked across the room to help me brush the snow out of my hair. He pushed the leftover snow to the floor. He left the room, came back with a broom and quickly swept up the remaining snow. He also handed me two fresh blankets and took mine to drape over a towel bar in the bathroom. He should be half frozen from what I’d seen out there. It had to be below zero with the wind chill factor, but he didn’t look the least bit uncomfortable as he came back into the room.

  “I’ll get you a cup of tea or do you prefer coffee?”

  “Tea is fine, but I can help. You’re probably a lot colder than I am.”

  “I’m fine, really.” He went into what was a little kitchen area in the enormous storage room. I sat on the couch for a while and decided I should be helping. I silently walked into the room and was amazed at all the facilities inside. I hadn’t noticed earlier that there was a bar area with a small microwave, coffee pot and a mini sink, which must have gotten its water from an underground spring or something since there didn’t appear to be pipes anywhere.

  I still couldn’t figure out how the little mini refrigerator, the microwave or the computer monitors worked. There must have been a generator hidden somewhere. Even though it was still chilly inside, there had to be some kind of heat, too, for the computers to function properly. All thoughts of how the place worked vanished from my mind when I saw Alexander. There were two mugs on the bar. One had a tea bag inside it and the other had steaming hot coffee in it. What held my attention was what he was doing to the tea. His fingertip was just touching the water, making it glow orange like a flame. As I watched, the water started bubbling in the cup and steam flowed over the top of each cup before he was finished.

  I almost fainted at that sight. I’m sure my voice squeaked in surprise as I asked, “What are you doing?”

  He turned quickly so focused on what he was doing that he hadn’t heard me come into the room, “Oh, I’m just heating your tea.”

  “I think there is a lot about you that I don’t know.”

  “I just hot stuff. Don’t frown like that, honey, you have nothing to fear from me. Come get your tea and I’ll answer any questions you have.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  We sat down on the couch with our mugs in hand. Mine was the perfect temperature. I sipped the steaming brew avoiding Alexander’s penetrating gaze.

  “I hope you aren’t afraid of me, Em
ma. Nothing’s changed, I’m still the same guy you know and love.”

  “You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you and for the record, I’m not scared of you?”

  “I’m always sure of myself, but you like that about me. I seem to remember you mentioning my level of self-confidence or did you call it vanity when you were discussing me with your friend.”

  “I knew it. You were ease dropping that day.”

  “It wasn’t my fault that I happened to overhear you that first day of school.”

  “You didn’t need to remind me of that, you know.”

  “No, I didn’t, but you look so cute when you blush.”

  “I’m too tired for this bantering with you, Alexander.”

  “I like it when you say my name all formal and everything.”

  “I guess you are one of my warriors now. Alexander sounds more like the name of a warrior than your nickname does.”

  He got that lopsided grin on his face as he sat sideways on the couch looking at me. I knew he was still in teasing mode as he said, “Oh honey, you can call me anything you like as long as you call me before the others. Now would you like to know why I call you honey?”

  I ignored his teasing tone, the way he lifted his eyebrow and his dazzling smile as he turned on the charm. Of all my shields, Victor and he would be the most challenging with their overabundance of self-confidence and smug attitudes. I did feel safe with them, but the constant verbal sparring got tiring, especially when I felt like crap. The aspirin he’d given me at supper hadn’t even helped much. It had been a long day. I decided to change the subject. I really didn’t care why he called me honey. It was kind of nice and most of the others had nicknames for me anyway. I figured he’d tell me if he wanted me to know. I still wanted to know more about his water-heating trick.

  It’s not a trick. I’m not using any tricks on you. You understand that you’re already drawn to me. You feel it every time I’m near you. You were worried about me earlier. Emma Stephens, you’re going to fall in love with me. I promise more than your blood will be captivated by me before this is over.