by Amy Miles
As Gabriel pounded continuously on her front door, Roseline thought about how hard she’d worked to make sure he didn’t find where she lived. Jimmy’s bar, her usual drop spot, was over three miles from her home. And there was no way Sadie would willingly offer up that information. So how did Gabriel find her?
“Oh no,” Roseline groaned, slapping her forehead. The school’s records. Of course!
The pounding continued for nearly ten minutes before Gabriel finally gave up. Roseline tip toed to the window, watching as Gabriel slipped down the icy sidewalk, turning just before he eased into the driver’s seat of his car. The grim look on his face tore at Roseline but she refused to call attention to herself.
She walked back across the creaking floor, pacing around the center of the room for over an hour. Roseline was debating. The phone felt as heavy as an anvil in her hand, dragging her down. Finally she sank onto the stool, heart and body weary with exhaustion.
“I have to do it,” she muttered, spinning the cell phone in circles. Its movement was hypnotizing. “Oh what the heck,” she cried, flipping the phone open. Her fingers danced over the keys, shaking so badly she wondered if she’d gotten the number right.
“Hello?” Roseline burst into tears the instant she heard his voice. “Roseline?”
She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Yeah, it’s me Fane.”
Fane blew out a breath. “I’ve been worried sick about you.” The sound of a door creaking to a close on the other end of the line reminded Roseline that she had to be careful. The castle had ears. “Where are you? Why are you crying?”
Her throat caught as she imagined Fane’s brow knit with concern. “I’ve missed you so much,” she cried. “I’m so sorry I left you.”
“I know,” Fane whispered, covering his mouth as he spoke. “I’ve missed you too.”
“I guess you’re wondering why I’m calling,” Roseline laughed weakly, drying her tears.
Fane leaned back in his chair, turning on his radio. Loud bass filled the room. “Yeah, it must be something pretty important for you to risk exposure. What’s up?”
His voice was filled with warmth and love. Roseline clamped her eyes shut, wincing at the ache in her heart. She’d refused to allow herself to miss him, but now all of her feelings came rushing back in. Fane was her best friend, her only reason for living…until Gabriel.
“I think I’m in trouble.”
“Tell me,” Fane demanded, glancing at the computer he’d booted up to start tracking her call.
“No, it’s not like that. I’m fine. It’s just…” Roseline chewed on her lip. “There’s this guy.”
“Immortal?”
Roseline winced. “No. He’s mortal.”
Fane blew out a relieved breath. “Oh good, you had me worried for a moment. So why’s there a problem? It’s not like he’s important or anything.”
“There’s something weird going on with him. It’s starting to freak me out.” She filled her friend in on all of the unusual things she’d noticed about Gabriel. As the conversation wore on, she began to sense Fane’s tension. “So what do you think?”
“Never heard anything like it…” he paused, scratching the stubble along his chin. “I don’t like it Roseline. He could be dangerous. I think you need to leave, right now.”
Roseline sucked in a breath. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Fane asked, confused as to why Roseline would even bother with a mortal in the first place.
“I just can’t, ok?”
“Fine. Then let me come get you. I don’t trust that guy.” He glanced at the screen, watching as the satellite began to zero in on her location. America.
Roseline blanched. She couldn’t let Fane come for her. How could she have been so stupid? She hadn’t even put any kind of trace blocker on her phone. “I’ve gotta go Fane. Thanks for the talk.”
“No, Roseline wait!” Fane cried, gripping the phone tightly in his hands. Midwest. He just needed a few more seconds. “Please don’t go yet.”
“I’m sorry Fane. This was a mistake,” Roseline whispered. Her heart ached to linger with him, to bask in bond of love they’d shared for three centuries. He was home to her, the only definition she could use to describe her life after becoming Immortal. “I love you.”
Roseline ignored Fane’s shout as she threw the phone across the room. It shattered and fell, tiny lifeless pieces scattering across the wooden floor. Roseline snorted. “Just like my life.”
***
“So is this you’re new thing? Ditch everyone that cares about you?” Sadie growled as she slumped into her lunchroom seat the following Monday.
“I’m really sorry about that…but I did call,” Roseline said, hoping this would appease her friend. But by the firm set of her lips, Roseline knew she’d have to try better. “I felt really ill and I couldn’t bare the thought of the bus ride home. I just didn’t want to spoil your fun.”
Sadie’s anger subsided slightly. She pouted but after a couple minutes her lips curled into a smile. “Oh fine. You’re forgiven!”
“Thanks,” Roseline grinned, nibbling on her apple. Her eyes roamed the room, worried that she’d see Gabriel and yet hoping she would. What should she say to him? How could she explain to him why she’d been afraid? Roseline’s talk with Fane hadn’t solved any of her problems. She still needed to figure out who or what Gabriel was.
Sadie flipped the curl of her bright red hair as she ate. Roseline couldn’t help but admire the girl’s outrageous outfit. Gone were the delicate dress, simple jewelry, and the shiny raven hair. Now, Sadie wore a red checkered table cloth top, cowboy boots that came up to her knees and a jean skirt. Her newly dyed hair was done up in pigtails just under the brim of her cowboy hat. “Haven’t we already had Halloween?” Roseline giggled.
“Oh not you too,” Sadie groaned. “Everyone keeps asking me that today. You’d think people would have some appreciation for freedom of dress!”
Roseline nodded, fighting to hide her smirk. “And what’d your mother say when you walked out the door.”
Sadie shrugged. “The usual. It’s really starting to get old you know. My mom thinks she can run my life. How pathetic!”
“Yes, very tragic for you,” a deep voice called from behind them.
Roseline and Sadie whirled around. Gabriel Marston glared down at Roseline. His voice had deepened over the weekend. It now possessed a husky quality. Roseline shivered, hating how the tone of his voice turned her insides to feverish mush.
“Gabriel…I wasn’t sure if I’d see you,” Roseline said lamely, refusing to meet his steely glare.
“Likewise,” he retorted tensely. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”
Roseline shot Sadie a pleading look but Sadie raised her hands in the air. “I’m a lover not a fighter. Don’t drag me into this.”
“Thanks a lot,” Roseline growled as she threw her bag over her shoulder and followed Gabriel out of the dining hall. Eyes glued to them everywhere they went. Some curious, others jealous, but most were outright venomous. Obviously Claire’s new mission to destroy Roseline was already in full swing. Too bad the poor girl didn’t realize how little Roseline cared about high school life.
Gabriel gripped Roseline’s hand tightly in his as he shoved through the door. The metal doors slammed against the brick siding. Roseline winced at the reminder of his increased strength. “Skipping school again?” Roseline asked.
He nodded, pulling Roseline along. She hated how tightly his fingers clamped down around her delicate wrist. For the first time, Gabriel was strong enough to hurt her, to actually break her wrist. Roseline stumbled along after him, growing nervous as they headed towards the parking lot.
“You gonna take me out and shoot me?” she laughed harshly as Gabriel pulled her to a stop in front of his passenger side door.
Gabriel didn’t speak as he held the door open, waiting for her to climb into her seat. As soon as the door slammed shut, Gabriel whipped aro
und the back end of his car and jumped into the driver’s seat. He turned the key and revved the engine. With one hand on the wheel, Gabriel spun the wheel, his tires squealing as he shot out of the parking lot.
“Where are we going?” Roseline asked, glancing nervously at the speed with which the trees rushed past. They shot out of the gates before the guard even had a chance to set down his coffee.
“To talk.”
“Why can’t we do that at school?” Roseline asked, bracing herself against the dashboard as Gabriel whipped through traffic, creating spaces where none should have existed.
“I want to be alone.”
“Well that doesn’t sound a bit ominous,” she muttered, unconsciously twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she sat back. Roseline was nervous, no doubt about that, but she wasn’t afraid. Gabriel had every right to be upset with her, but despite Fane’s warning, Roseline knew Gabriel wasn’t dangerous.
Instead of heading into the city this time, Gabriel headed south. His strong hands clamped and released on the steering wheel as he tried three different times to speak. Each time he clammed up and fumed a little longer.
“You came by my house,” Roseline said.
Gabriel nodded. “Four times.”
Roseline sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“Oh come on Rose. We both know you were ignoring me. I could hear you upstairs.”
She shot a wary glance his way. “How?”
Gabriel frowned. “I don’t know,” he growled, yanking the wheel to throw them around a corner. “You’ve got a lot of answering to do. Who lives in a house that’s almost completely empty?”
Roseline’s fingers clenched tightly against her palms. Fear slowed her pulse. She wasn’t ready to answer that question. Not yet. “Please stop. You’re driving like a maniac.”
“So?” Gabriel challenged, his eyes as cold as a frozen lake.
“Are you so angry that you’d risk killing us?”
Gabriel groaned, shaking his head. He swerved to the side of the road, slamming on his brakes. The car slid a couple feet before coming to a stop on an ice patch. “Why did you run away from me at the game? I played the best game of my entire life and my girlfriend didn’t even stick around to celebrate with me!”
Roseline’s head jerked up. “I’m you’re girlfriend?”
Gabriel groaned. “Of course you are Rose. But don’t change the subject. Why did you leave? You knew I needed to talk to you.”
Even though she’d gone over this answer a million times in her head, not a single word of it felt right. She’d gone back and forth between daring to tell him the truth and coming up with some harebrained explanation.
“I don’t know what to say Gabriel. I felt sick…” Roseline whispered, staring down at her lap.
“Sick? You think I’m gonna swallow that excuse? I’m not Sadie, Roseline. I know you. You were scared. I could see it in your eyes. I could feel it.”
Roseline looked up. “You could feel my fear?”
“Yeah,” Gabriel nodded, his voice losing some of its intensity. “I was so worried about you. I thought maybe…”
“What?” Roseline asked, placing her hand over Gabriel’s.
He blew out a breath, suddenly feeling very foolish. “I thought maybe you were afraid of me.”
Roseline winced. “Why would I be afraid of you,” she hedged.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Ok, can we stop the innocent act? We both know what happened Friday night and I think you know more about it then you’re letting on.”
Reaching out her hand, Roseline gently cupped Gabriel’s face. His beautiful eyes pleaded with her. “Please Rose. What’s happening to me? I know you know something”
What could she say that wouldn’t freak him out? She’d lived with the unbelievable for three hundred years and yet Gabriel was still a mystery to her.
“Gabriel, I’m not sure how much I can…” she cut off. As one, they turned towards the sound, terror racing through their veins. The sound of locking breaks filled her mind as Roseline watched the semi stutter towards them across the icy intersection. Gabriel’s head swung slowly towards her, his eyes glowing brightly as the truck closed the gap.
In a blur of movement, Roseline snapped Gabriel’s seat belt and pulled him into her lap. She wrapped her body around him as the semi came through the driver’s side door. Headlights filled Roseline’s vision as she turned her back on the truck, taking the brunt of the impact.
Roseline remained conscious long enough to cocoon Gabriel as they were thrown from the vehicle. Pain radiated through her body as she slammed to the ground, her hands finally releasing Gabriel as darkness overtook her.
The distant wailing of ambulance sirens called Roseline back from the void. Blood seeped from a deep gash along her hair line. Her other injuries were beginning to slowly heal, but not quickly enough. The pain was almost unbearable. Roseline fought to remain conscious as her ribs began to slowly knit back together, shattered knee caps withdrew their pieces as they reformed and her jaw began to pop back into place. Her left arm hung loosely, every bone fragmented. Her right arm was fractured but remained mostly in tact.
Gabriel lay unconscious next to her. His legs were completely shattered, right arm twisted at an odd angle and by the looks of the dark bruising on his stomach Roseline guessed that his splintered ribs had torn through a vital organ. Blood was rapidly filling his stomach. “Hold on Gabriel. I’ll get help.”
“Oh thank God you’re alive,” the semi driver cried as he fell to his knees in the blood stained snow. “I called for help but they’re stuck back there in traffic behind the pile up. I’ll try to get you some help.”
“You already have,” Roseline smiled weakly. Using her right hand Roseline hit the driver on the head. He slumped to the ground. “I’m so sorry. I really don’t want to do this.”
Her desperation to save Gabriel drove Roseline to do the unthinkable. As her teeth pierced the man’s soft flesh, tangy blood pooled into her mouth. She drank deep, feeling the healing fires light all over her body. Bones quickly mended and tiny internal tears sealed shut. Tears streamed from her eyes as she drank, her guilt finally pulling her away. The pain lingered but it was bearable now.
The unconscious man slumped to the side, very much alive but certainly low on blood. The wounds at his neck were already beginning to seal, covering any sign of her plunder. Roseline wiped the crimson stain from her mouth, clamping down on her tears as she raced to Gabriel’s side. “Hold on. I’ll save you.”
Bending down, Roseline brushed her lips against Gabriel’s, the taste of blood still on her breath. He groaned, parting his lips as his tongue licked at the final traces of blood left in her mouth. Gabriel’s body flinched. Roseline reared back, staring down at him in amazement mingled with no small amount of horror.
Gabriel cried out. But it wasn’t a cry of pain; it was a cry of relief. With trembling hands, Roseline lifted Gabriel’s shirt. Slowly the blood pooling in his stomach began to recede. His legs twitched, popping and cracking as the bones began to move.
Without thinking, Roseline bit into her arm, applying pressure to the wound. Fresh blood dripped into Gabriel’s mouth. He swallowed, sighing with relief as his body began to rapidly heal. “Oh my God!” she cried, rearing back as his arm snapped into place.
Roseline crawled backwards, too horrified to react until she heard footsteps approaching at a run. She did the only thing she could. Roseline escaped in the opposite direction.
***
“Dude, you don’t look so good,” Oliver said as he stared down at the yellowing bruises covering Gabriel’s face.
Gabriel winced as he pushed himself up in bed. Needles in his hands still connected him to various medicines. “The doctors tell me it’s a miracle I survived. The Land Rover was totaled and they found me ten feet from the car.”
“And all you ended up with is some internal bruising?”
“Yep,” Gabriel coughed, holding his si
de gingerly. “Amazing huh?”
Oliver whistled. “No kidding. Thank goodness this didn’t happen before we won state!”
Gabriel winced, fighting for a convincing nod. “Hey, have you seen Roseline? Is she doing ok? No one will tell me anything.”
“Oh not that girl again,” Oliver groaned. “Dude, when are you going to wake up and realize Claire’s claimed you? You know this fling with that new girl will never last.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gabriel grunted, shifting in bed. His backside was numb, had been for the past four days of observation. He was sick of the hospital, sick of the nosy nurses and uppity doctors. He was fine but no one would listen to him. All he wanted to do was see Roseline.
“Can you please just find her room for me?”
Oliver frowned. “She’s not here Gabe.” He looked over his friend, glancing at the huge bump on his head. “Are you sure you’re feeling ok? I could get the doctor if you want.” He’d already begun backing out of the room.
“No. She has to be here. I need to know that she’s ok. That truck…” Gabriel’s voice faded out, tears swimming in his eyes. “I think she saved me.”
Oliver blanched. “There wasn’t anyone in the car with you Gabe. The paramedics found you and the semi driver. That’s it.”
Gabriel fell silent. Oliver shifted from foot to foot. He’d done his job. He’d visited Gabriel and now he was ready to split. His friend was acting too freaky for his liking. Without saying a word, Oliver slipped from the room. Gabriel didn’t even notice.
As the hall lights began to kick on, Gabriel blinked, realizing the passage of time. There was only one thing on his mind. Turning his forearms over, Gabriel glanced down at the black markings that’d appeared on his arm. At first he hadn’t been able to decipher any pattern to them until he’d brought both arms together. The symbols formed a jagged cross. “What am I?” he whispered to the empty room.
Chapter 8
“Ditched your boyfriend huh?”
