A Guardian's Salvation

by Stein Willard

  Chapter 9

  Clarissa made a show of straightening from where she was still slightly bent over Jessica, her lips stained red with Jessica’s blood.

  “Ah, my Keeper, Geoff.” Feigning carelessness, she flung Jessica’s unconscious body onto the bed and licked her lips, with obscene pleasure. “Had I known you would come for dinner, I would definitely have left you a few sips. But as you can see …” She waved distastefully toward the woman on the bed. “… she is almost useless now.” Taking out a snow-white handkerchief from the inside pocket of her leather jacket, she dabbed at her lips and slowly folded the piece of cloth, studying the men coolly. “What brings you here?”

  “You.”

  Laughing softly, she turned her back on them, as she peered through the window, every cell in her body ready for a physical confrontation. “What does she want with me?”

  The thin man stepped deeper into the room, but stopped when Clarissa turned around slowly. “She has a proposition for you.”

  “A proposition, you say?” Pursing her lips, she tapped her chin with her finger.

  “Yes. She very much would appreciate it if you would meet with her tonight.”

  The two other vampires stepped closer too and Clarissa smiled. They were no match for her at all; she could overpower them without breaking a sweat. But, this was what was meant to happen.

  She was becoming a mole – a part of Bloody Mary’s army of killers.

  But it was all happening too fast. Mary was extremely cautious, if anything. Was she up to something that they didn’t know about? Maybe Clarissa shouldn’t come across as being too eager to meet with her. The plan, after all, was to give an impression that she was looking into forming her own band and in doing so make her cover airtight. She needed the counsel of the others, before she made a decision.

  “No.”

  “No?” Geoff’s voice came out on a low breath. Clarissa almost smiled, as she watched him sizing her up. He was not stupid. She knew he could hear the faint crackling sound, too low for the human ear. She was no longer the naive, confused fledgling that he had guarded down in Mary’s cellar for the past four hundred years. She was much stronger now. Thanks to her training and the few times she’d had to feed from the Royals to heal. He rolled his thin shoulders under his dark suit jacket. “We are both civilized, Clarissa. Don’t make this difficult for the both of us.”

  A cold smile formed on Clarissa’s lips, as she too indulged in a bit of posturing by rolling her shoulders. It was with great satisfaction that she saw the guards stiffen slightly. Good, they are afraid. Geoff was Mary’s second in command and no one would dare take him on. She dared. They should tread carefully around her. She had to give it to Mary, though, for not employing dimwits. Her eyes returned to Geoff.

  “I would love to meet with Mary, but not tonight.” She cast a meaningful glance to Jessica and grinned. “I have some unfinished business, if you know what I mean.”

  Geoff’s cold eyes flickered to the woman sprawled out on the bed and back to Clarissa. He hesitated for a moment before he nodded.

  “I will tell her that you will meet with her tomorrow night then.” He turned to the door. “You, of all people, should know that Mary doesn’t like being stood up.” The renegades filed out of the room. When she was sure she could not detect their presence in the hotel anymore, she moved to the bed.

  The room instantly filled with Royals. Bending over Jessica, Clarissa gently touched the pale cheek. Straightening, she found four pairs of eyes looking at her. Shrugging self-consciously, she gestured to Jessica.

  “I love her.” The silence that followed her statement was deafening. Not that the Royals were overly talkative in general, but still, she knew they were surprised. “Please, keep her safe for me.”

  Stepping forward, Jemima gently swung Jessica into her arms and left the room. Sighing softly, Clarissa walked over to the window.

  “I will have to pay a visit to a few people before the night is over. She is supposed to fly back to the States the day after tomorrow and I need to make sure she is not missed.”

  When she turned from the window, the others were still looking at her. It was Tahlia who broke the silence.

  “Mary fell for the massacre we staged tonight. She seems more than eager to bring you into the fold now.” The black eyes narrowed slightly. “She is very unpredictable and therefore should not be underestimated.”

  “It will not be easy to dupe her again, Tahlia. She will put me through a series of tests to gauge my loyalty.” Cringing inwardly, she was mentally bombarded by flashes of blood and helpless cries of the dying. Could she ever go back to a life like that? It was even more difficult to consider, now that Jessica was back in her life. She didn’t want to taint the heart and body that now belonged to Jessica. She looked up at Tahlia and saw the knowing look in the dark eyes.

  “Unfortunately, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. And if it comes to that, I promise we will not hold it against you.” Tahlia stepped closer. “However, we will try our best to see to it that you are not corrupted by her influence.”

  Jonas walked up to her and with a heavy hand on her shoulder, stared deep into her eyes.

  “We will not desert you.”

  Feeling slightly better about what was lying ahead for her, she nodded. Now, all she wanted to do was to see Jessica. There was no telling when she would get the opportunity again once she made contact with Mary. If Mary got wind of Clarissa’s feelings, Jessica would be in grave danger.

  “She is with Inger and Gabriella,” Jonas offered softly.

  Nodding curtly, she waited for the Royals to exit before she quietly made her way to Howard’s room.

  Materializing before the bed, she looked down at the sleeping young man. She smiled faintly. He was good for Jessica and he meant a lot to her. She gently slipped into his dream and began planting thoughts. Once done, she rubbed over her face. Her next stop was not going to be as easy.

  †

  Her grey eyes snapped open and Jessica sharply twisted her head away to elude the sharp, acidic vapors. Blinking at the tears the harsh odor produced, she hoisted herself on her elbow and let her eyes sweep the room. Her confusion grew, as she realized she was not in her room. The room was huge and tastefully decorated with antique furniture. Her eyes grew wider, as she tracked from the thick Persian carpets to the paintings on the wall. Is that a Rembrandt? Where am I? She froze. She was not alone in the room. Someone had woken her with that awful smelling potion.

  “Jess … Jess, can you hear me?”

  She sat up quickly, startling Gabriella who was sitting on the bed next to her. Jessica blinked at a slightly disheveled-looking Gabriella. What the…? Where am I and what is Gaby doing here? Her eyes quickly swept the room again, before she turned back to Gabriella who was looking at her with deep concern etched on her face.

  “Where am I, Gaby? What happened?”

  The amber eyes were gentle as they studied her, but Gabriella’s prolonged silence increased Jessica’s level of anxiety further. She tried to swing her feet off the bed, but Gabriella gently pushed her back until she laid flat against the soft pillows.

  “Not so fast. I don’t want you to pass out again,” Gabriella said softly as she fluffed the pillows. The way Gabriella avoided her eyes as she fussed with the pillows told Jessica that Gabriella was buying time. But for what? She slowly sat up.

  “What’s going on here, Gaby? Where am I?” This time she pushed Gabriella’s hands away when the brunette tried to press her back against the pillows. “I want you to tell me, now, why I’m here and who brought me here?”

  Gabriella studied her intently for a moment before she spoke.

  “What do you remember, Jess?” Her tone was serious.

  “What…? Why? What does it have to do with this?” At Gabriella’s probing stare, she shrugged and mentally began to replay the events of the evening.

  She saw her hotel room. Clarissa was standing at the window, facing her a
nd then … then … a blur and it all began to fade. Jessica felt her heart clench painfully, as realization dawned. She turned wide, horror-filled eyes on Gabriella.

  “Clarissa did something to me, Gaby.” The admission set off a series of shivers through her body as the shock set in. A sob tore from deep inside and bubbled to the surface. How could she have been so wrong? She was convinced that Clarissa loved her and wouldn’t hurt her. She was wrong. She felt her heart breaking at her own admission. “I … I trusted her, Gaby. I loved her … and she …” She felt herself being enveloped in Gabriella’s arms. The tenderness she experienced in Gabriella’s arms reminded her so much of how safe and loved she’d felt in Clarissa’s arms and it made her sob even harder.

  “Hush now, Jess. It’s okay. I’m sure there’s a good explanation for why she did what she did.”

  Jessica pushed out of Gabriella’s arms. “No, Gaby, she’s dangerous.” Fearful grey eyes looked into worried amber eyes. “I sensed something weird earlier, when we were together, but …” She buried her face in her hands.

  “But what, Jess?” Gabriella asked gently.

  “But because … because I loved her I was willing to … try and ignore it,” came the muffled reply from behind her hands. “I am so stupid … so stupid.”

  Gabriella gently pulled Jessica’s hands away from her face, but Jessica quickly averted her eyes.

  “Jess? Jess, look at me. Please, look at me.”

  Using her fingertips, Jessica quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, but still refused to make eye contact with Gabriella.

  “Jess, Clarissa’s in the next room.” Jessica’s head jerked to the door at hearing that. “She’s worried about you and wants to see you.” Gabriella gently cupped Jessica’s face and turned her so they could look at each other. “Will you please talk to her?” Jessica tried to pull away from Gabriella’s touch, but the brunette refused to budge. “It’s important for her to see you and talk to you.”

  “No, I don’t want to see her.” She grabbed Gabriella by her forearms. “Please, don’t let her near me,” she begged desperately as fresh tears streaked down her cheeks. “Please.”

  Gabriella looked sad and Jessica closed her eyes to block the image.

  “Don’t you think you owe her a chance to explain, Jess?” she asked gently. “I know Clarissa and I know that she must have a good excuse for whatever happened between the two of you.” She gently brushed the tears from Jessica’s cheeks. “Come on, Jess, just hear her out. Afterward you can decide what you want to do.” She brushed her lips over Jessica’s forehead and stared evenly into her eyes. “Whatever your decision, you can count on me. Ok?”

  Jessica took a deep breath. She didn’t want to see Clarissa, but she knew Gabriella well and knew that Gabriella was a good judge of character. If she vouched for Clarissa, maybe, just maybe, she too should give Clarissa the benefit of the doubt. To be honest, she didn’t have a clue as to what really happened. All she knew was that Clarissa did something to her and that she ended up here … wherever she was. She felt the amber gaze on her and looked up. Gabriella had an almost pleading look in her eyes. Jessica realized that even after all this time, she still couldn’t say ‘no’ to Gabriella.

  “Ok.” She exhaled noisily. “I will see her, but … not alone.”

  Gabriella nodded. “I will stay, if you are sure.”

  “I’m sure.” She wiped at her cheeks and looked at Gabriella, who sat quietly looking at her. At a small nod from her, Gabriella came to her feet and walked over to the door. It was only then that Jessica realized the brunette was dressed in her pajamas. She wondered what time it was.

  The door opened and closed softly. Jessica looked up and immediately caught Clarissa’s eyes. She was still dressed in the clothes she’d worn earlier, but her hair looked disheveled, as if she’d been combing her fingers through it a lot. Clarissa’s face held an anxious expression. Looking at her now, it almost hurt to see how painfully rigid the Clarissa held herself. Jessica shifted uneasily under the gaze of the woman who, until a few hours ago, she was convinced was the love of her life. She slowly swung her feet off the bed.

  Clarissa cleared her throat. “How are you feeling, Jess?”

  “I don’t know.” She really didn’t know.

  Gabriella took a seat in a nearby chair. She gave Jessica a small encouraging smile before she looked away to give them a modicum of privacy.

  †

  Clarissa felt like she was falling apart inside. She had heard Jessica crying from the other side of the door, but seeing the evidence on her cheeks, hurt so much more. Her protective instinct kicked in and she slowly approached the bed. She came to an uncertain stop when she saw raw panic in the grey eyes. Jessica was afraid of her. Knowing this felt akin to someone ramming a hot iron through her chest. It hurt that much and more. Over the years they were apart, of all the expressions she had dreamed of seeing on Jessica’s face, fear was never one of them. Ecstasy, love, happiness, desire, but never fear. Tonight, in the space of a few hours, she’d inspired stark fear on Jessica’s face.

  “Jess, earlier tonight I was going to tell you something very important before we were interrupted.”

  Jessica’s eyes narrowed to slits and Clarissa heard the word liar echo through Jessica’s mind.

  “There was no one else in the room with us Clarissa, at least that I remember.”

  Clarissa cringed inwardly at the skeptical tone she heard in Jessica’s voice.

  “Yes, you are right. You were unconscious when our uninvited guests barged through the door.” She gestured to the bed. “May I come closer, please? What I need to tell you will take a while. Do you mind if I sit on the bed next to you?”

  †

  Jessica quickly looked toward Gabriella and when she looked back at Clarissa, she caught a flash of pain in Clarissa’s eyes, before the blonde looked away.

  “Hurting you would be tantamount to ripping out my own heart, Jess.” When Clarissa looked up again there was a lingering sadness in her eyes. “I love you so much.” Clarissa took a careful step closer. “Earlier this evening you thought of me as your woman.”

  Jessica reared back in shock. She again felt unease slither down her spine.

  “Yes, I heard your thoughts and you were right. I am your woman in every way. I belong to you with all my heart and soul and because of that, I will have to take the biggest wager in my life, ever. I have to tell you who …” Clarissa took a deep breath. “No. I have to tell you what … I am and … and risk the chance of losing you … forever.” Even though Jessica had her doubts about Clarissa, she knew that it wasn’t easy for Clarissa to say these things. The anguish in the blonde’s voice was almost impossible for her to bear. “I love you Jessica, with every fiber of my body. Please, listen to what I have to say and please, my love, please try and understand my situation.”

  At the ardent declaration of love, Jessica closed her eyes. How she had wanted to hear those words. Hearing them now only added to her confusion. She opened her eyes and, with slight alarm, noticed that Clarissa was a step closer than she had been a few seconds ago. She held up a shaking hand to indicate that she wanted to maintain the physical distance as well as that she wanted to remain in charge of the situation. Clarissa nodded and reluctantly took a step back.

  “What did you do to me?”

  “I rendered you unconscious to protect you from a group of very dangerous men.”

  Frowning, she averted her eyes. It felt like they were talking in circles. She wanted to hear the truth.

  “What is going on, Clarissa? What is it you’re not telling me?”

  She noted the quick glance Clarissa threw Gabriella’s way before focusing her mesmerizing, sienna eyes on her again.

  “I am immortal, Jessica.”

  The statement was met with silence. Jessica saw that both Clarissa and Gabriella were staring at her expectantly. Immortal? What does that mean? The only point of reference for her regarding immortality was the Highlande
r movies she’d watched as a teenager. She knew they lived long lives, amassed vast fortunes and what else …? This surely must be some kind of a joke. Anger spiked in her blood. How dare Clarissa joke at a time like this? She gave the blonde a cold stare.

  “Don’t waste my time, Clarissa.” She pushed herself off the bed. “I’m leaving.” She had almost reached the door when Gabriella stopped her with a hand on her arm. The amber eyes were dark with an undecipherable emotion.

  “She’s telling the truth.”

  “What? Pah, don’t tell me you believe in this … this paranormal nonsense too,” she lashed out, disbelief on her face. Gabriella was one of the most level-headed people she knew. What could have happened to make her believe in this crap? She looked at Gabriella, waiting for her to laugh and tell her that they were simply pulling a prank on her and that everything was just fine. But Gabriella didn’t laugh. Instead her eyes were somber as she stared intently into Jessica’s. “Gaby …?”

  Gabriella nodded and Jessica slowly turned to face Clarissa.

  “Is it true?” Even as she asked the question, she could read the answer in the dark eyes. “What does it mean? Who are you?”

  Clarissa maintained eye contact. “I am a vampire, Jessica.”

  This time the word echoed loudly in the silence. A vampire. A bloodsucker. A monster. Clarissa was a … monster. All the myths fed to her through movies and books, rushed through her mind. Involuntarily, she felt herself taking a step back and jumped when she brushed against Gabriella. Swinging around, she fixed her ex with an anxious look. Was she one of them too? “Gabriella …” Her tone was pleading, even as she moved away from Gabriella.

  “No, Jess, I’m human,” Gabriella said softly.

  As if an afterthought, Jessica lifted her hand to her neck. Had she …? Was she going to become …?

  Clarissa took a step in her direction and alarmed, Jessica quickly moved behind Gabriella.

  “Please … stay where you are.”