Templar Vampires 02 - The Daystar

by Lyons, Rene

  Then he pinned her with his intense stare. He shut the door and crossed the room and without word or warning, pulled her to him and kissed her hard enough to leave Lex breathless and dazed.

  As if she weighed nothing, Constantine lifted her. Lex wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. He laid her on the bed before he kicked off his shoes. He sat and pulled her across his lap. Lex settled into him, comforted by the feel of his arms around her. When he shifted, she sighed, thinking he was going to deposit her on the bed and leave.

  He did set her back on her bed, but to Lex’s surprise he didn’t leave. Instead, he turned off the light and climbed in bed with her. He forced her to lie down before he stretched out next to her. After he drew the covers up over them, he tucked her in.

  Lex nearly wept when he hugged her close and kissed her forehead.

  “Thank you, Constantine. I didn’t want to be alone.”

  He grunted in answer. “Go to sleep.”

  “Will you stay all night?”

  He hugged her even closer. “I’ll stay as long as I can.”

  With her emotions thrown into chaos and Constantine’s gruffly offered comfort, Lex couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She released them as Constantine held her silently, taking in her fear with the strength of ages she wished she had.

  Raphael was right.

  She was not alone.

  Chapter Twelve

  What a beautiful time of day.

  And if Lex were being honest with herself it was a sad one as well. She stood in the courtyard with the early autumn sun fading in the sky. Night was coming, and with it the death of another day.

  Now that she knew what she was, she better understood her connection to the sun and the elements.

  After less than twenty-four hours, she was far from coming to terms with this newfound knowledge. Nevertheless, she understood she had no choice but to accept it and not wallow in self-pity. She couldn’t afford to sit around bemoaning fate. Not with renegades all around them gunning for the power she possessed.

  Hours earlier, Lex woke to an empty bed and the sensation of the walls closing in on her. Sometime before dawn, Constantine had been forced to leave her. She vaguely recalled his whisper of a kiss before he slipped away to retreat into the dark. That was where he was now, trapped in the shadows even as she turned her face to the sun to take in the last of its warming rays.

  Their existences were at such odds. He was a creature of the dark and she was of the light. And yet, somehow, she couldn’t imagine loving anyone else. Someone normal. Someone human. The very idea seemed absurd since she had the distinct feeling that fate, or God, had a hand in their finding each other.

  Seasonably cold today, the air held a chill that failed to affect her. The power thundering through her body warmed her from the inside out. This was the same warmth she was able to pass into Constantine whenever they touched. She was able to sense his relief as it seeped into him and offered him a reprieve from the torment of constant cold.

  Under the loving caress of the sun, Lex threw her arms wide and a flood of voices sounded loudly in her head. She still didn’t know who they were, but somehow, now that she knew about the Daystar, she listened a bit harder to hear what they were saying. Unfortunately, the voices all blended together, as they always did, in a loud din of indistinguishable noise.

  Breathing in the cool air, for one moment Lex was one with everything around her. She was part of the grass and dirt beneath her feet, the stone of the massive keep, the flowers and plants in the garden. Even with the birds in the sky and the clouds they soared beneath.

  But most especially, she was connected to the sun. It wove its way through her, merging with everything she was. Even her heart beat in time to the pulsating rays.

  When the voices began to quiet, their noise was replaced by the soft hum of energy. The surge of power pulsating within her traveled from the tips of her fingers clear down to her toes. It ran through her in a hot wave that brought her so close to something she couldn’t see that she swore if she reached out, she’d be able to touch whatever it was just out of her range of sight.

  A wonderful sense of calm settled within her. It lifted away the worry and fear and most of all, the loneliness of being the sole bit of life in the world of the dead. Try as she did to hold the moment, it shattered like glass all around her, slamming her back into the ordinary world.

  The sudden loss of nature left Lex shaken. She lowered her arms and looked around the courtyard. She realized night had settled in around her a moment before the keep’s doors were thrown open and Tristan stepped from the entrance.

  Catching sight of her, he came toward her. “What are you doing out here, Lex?”

  “Just enjoying the last bit of daylight.”

  He nodded in silent understanding as he came to stand beside her. “How are you doing?”

  “How should I be doing?”

  There was no trace of emotion in the tall, blond Templar’s eyes. In the month that she’d known him, there were times when Lex wondered what secrets lay hidden behind his cool façade.

  “I think you should be confused and scared, and even angry, if you want to know the truth.” He raised a brow as his gaze bore into her. “I know that’s how I would feel if I were in your situation.”

  “I’m all of those things and more, Tris. Believe me. I’m just hiding it well.” Then Lex cast a curious glance at him. “Did you feel those things when you were damned?”

  He was silent and thoughtful for so long it looked as if Tristan wasn’t going to answer her. Then he surprised her by breaking the silence. “My death was horrific. After Michael damned me, I woke in a field near Seacrest. My body was nearly burnt to ash and an agonizing hunger tore at my insides. It took me a fraction of a second to realize I was a vampire.” He looked directly into her eyes and in his steely gaze Lex saw the pain of his past. “No, I wasn’t scared, Lex. I was terrified.”

  Lex found it difficult to imagine Tristan terrified. He came off as a powerhouse of strength and resolve, which was what made his confession that much more profound. His honesty comforted her, made her feel normal for feeling the things she did.

  “Yes, terrified sums up how I feel.”

  He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. He cringed but at least he didn’t pull away. That helped to make Lex feel less like a leper. “I know, Lex. We’re going to do everything to keep you safe until we figure out what to do.”

  “You can’t hide me here forever.”

  Tristan cocked a brow and laughed bitterly. “You don’t think so? We have forever.”

  “Well I don’t.” She looked to the towering wall surrounding the courtyard. Suddenly, that wall turned Seacrest from home to prison in the span of one heartbeat to the next. “Hidden away behind a wall is no way to live.”

  When Lex looked back to Tristan, she realized he was staring at the walls with the same sorrow as she had. “No, Lex, it’s not.”

  Lex blew out a sigh and slapped her hands at her side. Tristan looked back at her. “So, what do we do now, Tris?”

  “We do nothing until Raphael gets back.”

  When her jaw dropped open, Lex had to remember to snap it back closed. “Raphael hasn’t come back from Briana Kerr’s place yet?”

  “Rogue called late last night and told me he ran into some trouble leaving Shakers. A member of the Order of the Rose happened to be in the area to feed, followed the scent of renegades and lent him a hand. By the time he got to Kerr’s estate, it was nearly dawn.” An expression Lex couldn’t quite read passed over Tristan’s face. “He made contact with the First.”

  Lex’s heart leapt into her throat as hope flared to life. Not merely hope, she realized, but fear as well as at least a million other emotions to go with it. “What did she say?”

  “He didn’t want to tell me what she said over the phone.” Tristan must have seen her disappointment. “He’s on his way back to Seacrest now. So, it seems we’ll know soon enough.�
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  “I think the not knowing what comes next might be the death of me.”

  Tristan laughed, his fangs showing. Lex wasn’t at all put off by the sight of them. “Well, whatever the future holds, we’ll all be here to protect you. Especially Constantine.”

  It pulled at her heart that they would all add the burden of her to their nights. “It’s not fair to him, Tristan. It’s not fair to any of you to take me on as an added responsibility. I mean, my God... ” she waved her hand through to air, indicating the chapel, “... you guys have enough to worry about without the added burden of me.”

  “What’s in there,” he pointed to the chapel, “is my responsibility alone, and you are no burden. Besides, Constantine needs you, though let’s keep that between us.”

  “I have a feeling he would disagree with you.”

  Tristan snorted. “Yes well, he’s an ornery bastard who doesn’t know what’s good for him.” Then he turned serious again. “But he does care for you, Lex. He’s just too damn stubborn to admit it.”

  Lex looked away shyly. “He’s admitted it. In his own way, of course.”

  “Of course.” He tilted his head to the side and regarded her thoughtfully. ”You fancy him, don’t you?”

  She looked back at him, her cheeks pinkening. “You know I do. Everyone knows I do. It’s embarrassing.”

  “Don’t be silly,” he scoffed. “We’re all glad someone took the time to see the man he is.”

  “He’s incredible.”

  The simple statement led Tristan to realize how right Lex was for Constantine. He knew in that moment how wrong he’d been about Lex being too innocent. If anything, her innocence just might be what Constantine needed to finally put his past to rest. At least that’s what he was hoping. As much as Constantine was a pain in the ass and a miserable prick, Tristan loved him, just as did the other Templars. They were all part of the same family, the same blood, their oath binding them for the rest of time. When one hurt, they all hurt, and Constantine’s pain affected them all.

  Constantine and Lex had a long and difficult road ahead of them. Tristan hoped, with everything he was, that once they reached the end of it, there would be happiness waiting for them.

  When the time came for the Templars to once again stand before Michael and be judged, at least Sebastian, and hopefully Constantine as well, would face their judgment with peace and love in their hearts. For Tristan, that was enough to get him through whatever fate awaited them after their time here was at an end.

  “Come on, we’d better get you back to the keep.”

  As they walked back, Tristan noticed Lex trembling. She may be putting on a brave face, but she wasn’t exaggerating when she admitted she was terrified. And how could he blame her? From one moment to the next, Lex’s entire world had turned upside down for the third time. The first being her brother, Christian’s, death, the second being Allie’s rebirth as a vampire, and now this. She bore the burden with a grace he was proud of.

  Before he stepped into the keep, Tristan couldn’t resist one last look at the chapel. Constantine’s premonition nagged at him. Yes—his fight was coming soon.

  * * *

  When the vision came to him, the pain of it sliced through Constantine’s mind like a million blades. He grabbed for the wall, slapping his hand against the stone to steady himself, but the agony was too much. He fell to his knees, instinct kept his other hand curled around the hilt of his sword.

  The visions, despite what Tristan called them, were no gift. They were a goddamn curse—as if being damned as a vampire wasn’t bad enough. It hadn’t been long after he was thrown back into the world as a vampire that he’d realized he’d possessed the ability to read people’s thoughts. Stronger minds were closed to him, but weaker minds were an open book.

  The visions manifested soon after he’d been damned. The first vision had come at him like needles stabbing him in his eyes and a sword cutting clean through his brain. The rest that followed were nearly as bad. So much so that even after all this time, he still wasn’t used to the pain of them. If he could, he’d shove this fucking gift straight up Fate’s ass and tell the fickle bitch to go to hell.

  He’d just reached the hall when it hit him. With no warning, the vision came, bringing with it the usual agony. Bracing himself against the wall, Constantine slammed his eyes shut and gritted his fangs as fragmented images tumbled through his mind.

  He saw Lex standing on the stone balcony of an ancient castle. Vaguely familiar, it was as if the keep was pulled from the recesses of his mind. The sun shone on her, bathing her in its radiance. A light wind whispered all around her, lifting the glossy black strands of her hair. She wore a long white robe, which made her seem as if she’d stepped from a page in history. She stared out intensely over a land he knew all too well.

  That image was replaced by one of complete darkness. The despair Constantine sensed in the blackness was the same as what he’d experienced in Chinon. The sound of metal scraping against stone echoed in his head. As much as he tried he couldn’t lock to what lurked in the dark, be it man or woman—human or something else. When a faint glow of light came from the darkness, the silhouette of a man passed in it. Constantine knew he was seeing Lucian.

  Though Constantine knew the routine well enough by now—he was merely an observer, never a participant in the visions—he tried to use this mental connection to reach out to Lucian. All it worked to do was cause him more pain. When the two images of Lex and Lucian overlapped, his hand uncurled from the hilt of his sword. He slapped his hand to his head as his body convulsed from pain.

  Relief came when Tristan and Lex entered the keep. The connection was severed and Constantine was released from the hold of the vision. He raked his gaze over Seacrest’s hall as he fought to get his bearings now that the vision had ended. He sought out Lex, who was the anchor of his control. He used the sight of her to help fight against the agony that continued to rip through his head.

  “Constantine!”

  Oh good God, Lex, please don’t touch me.

  The words were trapped in his mind. He hurt too much to speak them or send them to Lex as she ran to him. Her concern spilled into him and made the already riotous storm in him rage harder still. For the first time since she entered his existence, Constantine couldn’t gain comfort from her.

  When she went to put her hands on him, he slammed his back against the wall and pushed her away with a hiss. He couldn’t handle the impact of her energy. Not then, when it would add to his pain.

  Thank God Tristan knew he couldn’t handle being touched. He caught Lex and pulled her away before her hands settled on him. “No, Lex, don’t touch him yet.”

  She looked over her shoulder at Tristan, which put her throat on dangerous display. Constantine groaned and closed his eyes as he fought the bloodlust that rose in the wake of the vision.

  After seven centuries Constantine thought he’d be used to this shit by now. He wasn’t. He never wanted the damn visions or the telepathy and couldn’t understand why Fate had stuck him with them. He chalked it up to another major cosmic “fuck you”.

  “What did you see?” Tristan asked, setting Lex aside. She hovered close to Constantine, careful not to touch him as Tristan helped him stand.

  Constantine opened his eyes. “Not enough,” he bitched, even though he was infinitely glad the vision was over. “I saw Lucian.”

  He purposely kept the fact that the vision had centered around Lex to himself. He didn’t need to add to her worry about the future by telling her he’d seen her in this vision. No doubt she’d chalk it up to something bad, and until he was able to understand it better, he’d not add to her fears of the future until he knew what the hell it meant.

  “Where is he?”

  “I don’t fucking know,” he gritted out at Tristan.

  Tristan helped him settle in one of the chairs near the hearth. Lex was right there by his side. She brought him his sword, which she leaned against the chair. She ma
de sure it was in his reach before offering him a small, reassuring smile.

  “Thank you.”

  His tone was gruff as emotions he couldn’t understand heightened the bloodlust that always came after a vision. Tristan came to stand before him and drew Constantine’s attention from Lex.

  “Do you know where Luc is?”

  Constantine stiffened with frustration. Since helplessness was anathema to him, it caused his fury to come to the forefront. “If I did, do you think I’d still be sitting here?”

  “So what did you see?”

  “Like I said, not enough.” Heedless of the pain it caused, Constantine shot out of the chair. His frustration at not being able to get a lock on Lucian rode him hard. “He’s in the dark, Tristan. He’s in the fucking dark and I can’t get to him.”