by Dara Nelson
“I’m anxious to get this over with. They should have been stopped centuries ago, but we were never organized enough to figure out how,” she said.
“Can I ask you a question?” I said.
She nodded and waited for me to continue.
“In your history, whether actual history or legends and rumors, have you ever heard of some vampires being different from others?”
She smiled kindly. “I think this is a conversation better suited for another time, Sarah. Right now we all need to focus entirely on the task at hand, wouldn’t you agree? I will say this much though. Whatever you’re feeling or think you’re feeling, you are not alone, Sarah. There is history that will help you on your journey. Okay?”
I wanted to hear more, but deep down I knew she was right. “Okay. Later, then. I guess I can wait. Thanks Bahiti.”
She tucked her arm in mine. “Shall we head back? We don’t want to be missed, do we?”
Two days later I managed to get another brief break in the action – our fight clinic had become too intense so Gabriel told us we had to take a half hour break to cool down. I decided to take it literally and went for a swim in the lagoon on the far side of the island. I was leisurely swimming in the middle of the lagoon when something brushed my leg. I gasped and looked around as I treaded water. I had just begun to decide that it was a curious little fish that had swam away when a hand grabbed my foot and playfully pulled me down. I surprised him by quickly spinning around, grabbing his arm and pinning it behind his back and kicking towards the surface. Carlos was laughing the second his head broke the surface, “Ahhh, haaaa, ow, ow, okay Sarah, I give. Uncle.”
“Not funny, Carlos. You scared the shit out of me. Where did you come from anyways?”
“That’s my secret,” he said as he began to swim in circles around me.
I started to get pissed but then saw the playful gleam in his eye. “You and I don’t have secrets from each other Carlos, remember?”
He cocked his head to one side and stared at me with a puzzled look on his face. “What?” I said.
“Well, you’re right. It’s just that you’re the first woman that I can say that to. You’re the first woman that I’m comfortable sharing my secrets with, the first woman that I trust. It just feels strange and I’m wondering why it feels so normal and comfortable.”
“Oh, that’s easy, Carlos. It’s because we’re not sleeping together. You don’t have a reason to not be your annoying self because you’re not trying to get into my pants,” I joked.
Carlos grinned his goofy grin as he grabbed my hand. “Speak for yourself,” he cracked then he pulled me under water with me grinning the whole way.
We swam down to a huge rock. He took me around the back side and showed me his ‘secret’. We swam into the cave. He held tight to my hand as he led me down one branch, then into another, then still another. It was a maze of corridors that would have gotten me hopelessly lost some time ago. We took one more sharp right which then began to curve upward. It took my breath away when my head broke through the surface. We were in a massive cavern that had stars in it. Or what looked like stars. “Is that, is that algae?” I whispered.
“Yep. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
“Oh my God, Carlos. It’s beautiful,” I said as I swam toward the side. “Can I touch it?”
“Yeah, but be careful. These are volcano rocks and they’re sharp as hell. I usually stay in the water.”
I gingerly pulled myself up on the side as I said, “I’ve gotta get closer to see this.”
I took slow, deliberate steps, carefully making my way to the wall. “I see what you mean,” I said as I cringed after gouging the bottom of my foot.
“Sarah. Come back in the water. You’re just going to get hurt out there.”
“I’ll be back in a second,” I said as I crouched down to avoid a stalactite. I stepped up to the wall and gently reached out my finger to touch one of the twinkling stars. As I did, the entire cave came to life with blinking lights. I turned around and grinned at Carlos. “Did you know that would happen?” I said.
He nodded as he treaded water. “Yep. Pretty cool, huh? It’s all linked somehow. Touch one spot and it sends out a warning signal throughout the cave.”
“That is amazing,” I said as I began to make my way slowly back to the water. But as I ducked under the stalactite again, I misjudged my distance and stood up before I was completely passed it. The sharp point gouged into the back of my head, down my neck and upper back, cutting my skin and shredding all of the straps on my bikini top. This all played out as if in slow motion and our eyes locked as my suit fell; followed, too slowly, by my hands reaching up to cover my breasts. As I covered myself with one arm and fumbled with the torn suit on the ground with the other, Carlos shot out of the water and over to me.
“Sarah! You’re bleeding everywhere. Don’t move,” he said as he gently moved my hair to one side. I was still fumbling with my top, planning on salvaging what was left of it to cover what remained of my pride, but Carlos stopped me. “Sarah. Stop fidgeting. I’m not looking, okay? But I have to get this bleeding stopped, so please hold still.” I stopped moving and pressed my chest into my knees, wrapping my arms around my legs as I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He scraped his hand on one of the sharp rocks, opening a gash on his palm, licked the blood and then began licking the cut on my back.
“Won’t my blood just heal it?” I whispered as he licked his palm again and then licked higher on my back, getting closer to the back of my neck. I was worried about him getting to my neck – I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop my normal reaction when he did. Anytime anyone comes near the back of my neck, I shiver. It’s an amazingly sensitive erogenous zone for me. And despite the searing pain I was feeling, I knew that I would still react the same way.
“Eventually, it would but it would take a lot longer and I don’t want you getting back in the water when you are bleeding. I’m older, my blood and saliva combined will help you heal faster. Okay?”
I nodded and tried to brace myself. He put more fresh blood on his tongue then I felt it on the top of my back and it moved slowly up the back of my neck. A sharp inhale followed by a visible shiver followed. I felt his tongue hesitate for a moment in surprise. He pulled back for a second. “Really?” he whispered. “That strong?”
I was blushing and had pressed my head against my knees to avoid his gaze. “Yes. Just finish quickly, please?” I mumbled from my crouched position.
“I’ll try, but the neck cut is deeper than your back. Sorry,” he said as he licked his palm again. Another gasp, another shiver, followed quickly by flashes of images of the two of us writhing around together – and they weren’t coming from me.
“Carlos, stop thinking that,” I whispered.
“You saw that? Sorry. Couldn’t help it. Guess now we’re even,” he said.
“Yeah, whatever. Are you finished yet?”
“Almost. One more on the back of the neck then, lucky me, I get to lick your hair to heal the cut on the back of your head.”
“Wonderful,” I groaned.
This time my shiver got a laugh out of Carlos.
“Shut up,” I said, trying not to laugh myself. He finished with the back of my head.
“All done,” he said.
“They’re healed already?”
“No. They’ve stopped bleeding. They’ll be completely healed in a few hours.”
One arm was draped across my chest as I held up what was left of my suit with the other. “Do you think you could tie the ends together to make it stay?” I said.
He took it, tied the shredded ends together then held it up. “Only if you’re a size negative two. Look. I have a t-shirt back on the shore. You’ll be in the water. I won’t see anything. Promise.”
“What color?”
“Seriously? You’re worried about the color?”
“Absolutely. If it’s white, it’s not really going to do me any good, is it?”
>
He grinned, “Yeah but it would be great for me.”
My look told him to stop joking around. “Fine, fine, it’s dark green, okay?”
I stared at him for a moment then grabbed the top from him. “Fine. Let’s go,” I said as I walked to the edge of the water.
“Ummm, you’re welcome, Sarah.”
I stopped and smiled at him. “Thank you, Carlos. Now turn around please so I can climb down into the water.”
He grinned as he turned around. “Party pooper.”
He was a perfect gentleman as he waited for me to submerge. “You’re good,” I said, which brought him around with the goofy grin already on his face.
“Yes I am,” he said.
I rolled my eyes as I started swimming towards the entrance. “You’ll get lost if you don’t wait for me,” he said.
I stopped and looked around the cavern one more time as I waited for him. “It really is breathtaking, isn’t it? How did you find this place?”
He smiled as he looked at the cavern. “I was here with someone who turned out to be completely annoying. After two days, I couldn’t stand the sight of her anymore. We had three days until the plane could get here, so I took a lot of long walks and a lot of long swims. Basically I got to know this entire island very well.”
We turned around, he grabbed my hand and we began swimming back. He didn’t realize that I noticed the sideways glances he kept taking, but I did. But instead of getting pissed, I was actually finding it flattering. After all, they’re just boobs, right? No harm, right?
I covered myself again as I walked out of the water toward the shore. He handed me the shirt, smiled sweetly then turned around.
We walked back to the house and joined the others. Matt was waiting for me on the porch. “What’s with the t-shirt?” he said as he kissed me on the cheek.
I glanced at Carlos and smiled, “A cave ate my bikini top.”
“Excuse me?”
I kissed his cheek. “I’ll explain later. Right now I’m late for fight clinic with Gabriel,” I said then I headed into the house and up the stairs. Matt followed me into our room. He closed the door as I pulled off Carlos’ shirt. Just before I pulled on my shirt, Matt got a glimpse of my back.
“Jesus Sarah! What happened to you?”
I turned my back toward the mirror to see it for myself. “Wow. Umm, a stalactite did it.”
“It did, huh? Well, it must not have been too deep, because it’s healing quickly,” he said as he leaned in and began kissing the wound on the back of my neck. I gasped and shivered then I went on.
“Carlos helped,” I said. Matt hesitated for a second and our eyes met in the mirror.
“He did, did he? Lucky he was there,” he said.
I finished changing and spun around. “I’m sorry honey, but I’m late.”
His eyes lit up then he leaned in and planted a kiss that took my breath away.
When he finally pulled back, he was beaming at me. “Wow, honey. That’s it. Just wow.”
He kissed me on the forehead. “I love you too, Sarah. I’ll see you when you get back.”
I headed down the stairs with Carlos’ shirt in my hand, smiling and shaking my head. Carlos was waiting down on the path. “I told Gabriel that you were running late because of the injury.”
“You did? That was sweet. Thanks,” I said as I tossed his shirt to him.
“It looked better on you, you know,” he said.
“I know,” I said, smiling, as I ran down the path.
I finished the training then we all met to finalize our plans. On Wednesday we finally agreed on a date to leave – Friday morning. We would re-group in Peru and head to the Fortress together. Two nights left here. Two nights and then who knows what would happen. I walked down to the beach by myself and sat on a piece of driftwood with my head resting on my knees. Matt and I hadn’t been alone together since we got to the island. I mean, stuck on an island with all these vampire ears meant that there wasn’t any place at all that we COULD be alone. Alone and unheard. I tried to take comfort in the fact that we had been together, A LOT, before we got here. But we were walking into the unknown and who knew if we’d walk out together. A sobbed escaped my lips and I felt a hand on my back. I glanced up and tried to smile as Carlos sat down next to me. He put his arm around me as I laid my head in his lap and cried. “It’s gonna be okay Sarah. We have to believe that,” he said.
“I know, and I’m trying to believe that, Carlos. But that’s not really why I’m crying,” I said.
“Then what is it?” he said.
“You’ll laugh,” I said.
“No, I won’t,” he said.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“I’m exhausted, stressed out and I need to BE with him, Carlos. But I can’t because there isn’t anywhere on this freakin’ vampire-infested island that we can be alone.”
He stared at me for a second then a huge grin broke out on his face.
“Don’t you dare, Carlos. You promised you wouldn’t laugh,” I said.
He held up his hands. “I’m not laughing Sarah. I’m happy because I can help you.”
“How?” I said.
“Because I know of a place,” he smiled.
I sat up and stared at him. “Well? Are you going to share?” I urged.
“I’m thinking,” he grinned.
“Thinking what?” I said.
“Thinking of what I’m going to charge you for my little secret.”
I glared at him. “Okay, okay,” he said. “I’ll tell you, but first you have to tell me.”
“Tell you what?” I asked.
“Your fangs,” he said. “Any more episodes?”
I looked down at my hands and nodded.
“When? What happened?” he said.
I stared up at him, then squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. “No, I can’t,” I whispered.
“Sarah, no secrets, remember? Tell me, please?” he said.
“I don’t have to tell you,” I said, “I can show you.” I faced him, closed my eyes and opened my mouth. Concentrating, I released my fangs then quickly retracted them.
“Whoa,” he whispered. “You can do that whenever you want?”
I nodded with my head in my hands.
“But you can control them?” he asked.
“So far,” I said.
“Do it again,” he smiled.
I shook my head. “Uh-uh.”
“Ahhh, come on… please?”
I rolled my eyes then showed him again. He grinned. “That is so… awesome,” he said.
“No,” I whispered. “No it’s not, Carlos. What’s wrong with me? Why can I do it? Why am I different?” I sobbed and put my head back on my knees.
He rubbed my back. “Ah Sarah, come on. It’s okay. I don’t know why or how you can do that, but I’ll help you figure it out. Really I will.”
I turned my head towards him, “Promise?”
He nodded then leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Now, I’m going to make your day,” he grinned. He nodded out toward the cliff on our left. “You see those rocks out there, about a hundred yards offshore?”
I looked and nodded.
“On the back side of the biggest one, there’s a cave. A dry cave with sand on the floor,” he winked
I looked at him, then at the rocks, then back at him, then back at the rocks. Finally comprehension struck. “You mean—?” I whispered.
He grinned and nodded. “Uh-huh. Total privacy, nobody can hear you from over there. Nobody. Not even an island full of vampires.”
I jumped up and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Oh my God, Carlos, you are the best.”
“That’s what they all say,” he said as he grinned and hugged me back.
I pulled back, grinned at him, kissed him on the cheek and ran towards the house.
I put on my new bikini, the one I had picked up when we stopped at Paradise Island. It was the tini
est bikini I had ever worn, but I figured it was the best way to get Matt’s attention. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me, then headed towards the beach. I knew Matt was with Andrew, Michael and Gabriel on the beach, discussing the fortress and last minute strategy. The sun was just setting and this part of the beach and ocean were in complete shade. I could hear them talking, deeply concentrating on what they were doing. I smiled as I stepped on to the beach about twenty yards to their left. The slight hesitation in his words told me he’d seen me. I dropped my towel and walked towards the ocean. I smiled as I heard his breath catch.
“Whoa. Ummm,” he stuttered. “Sorry… but… I have to… ummmm…” was all he managed. I sped up as I heard his footsteps coming towards me. I ran into the water and dove under, heading towards the rocks. I surfaced once to look back. At first I couldn’t see him, but then suddenly there was a dark shadow underneath. It streaked towards me and he surfaced right in front of me, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me so passionately that it took my breath away. I felt his hands fumbling with my suit, but I pushed them away.
“Wait,” I gasped. “Follow me. I want to show you something.” We swam the last twenty-five yards together and I led him around to the back side of the rock.
“No way,” he said. “How did you know this was here?” I took his hand as we walked up the gradual slope to the dry sand in the back of the cave.
“Carlos told me,” I said as I untied the top of my suit, dropped it to the floor and took him in my arms.
“Thank you Carlos,” he mumbled as his lips crushed onto mine and we sank down to the sand.
Chapter Fifteen
We stayed there for the final two days, sleeping a little and loving each other a lot. We watched the sunrise from the mouth of the cave on Friday morning. I laid my head on his shoulder. “Thank you,” I whispered.
