Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 03]

by Embracing Darkness (epub)

  “I’m nothing special. Trust me. How do you want the potatoes?”

  “Cooked.” She shrugged. “I’m not fussy, really. So how come if you know the queen and this guy who lives in the castle you don’t want to contact them and let them know where you are.”

  “I contacted Trinity and reassured her I was okay. She has her hands full right now, trying to bring Chaos down. She doesn’t need to worry about me.”

  “But I bet she is anyway. I would be. You should call her again.” She scooped some frozen stew into a pot and turned on the burner to heat it up. “How far along was your wife?”

  “Just barely. What’s with the questions, Raven?”

  She shrugged, looking over her shoulder at him. “Just making conversation. I want to get to know you better.”

  “You already know more about me than I do about you.”

  “Okay. I can go both ways. Let’s see, we’ll start with the basics. I’m thirty-three. Became a nurse because I love helping people. My parents live in California in a nice retirement home. I have one sister who is an actress, mostly Broadway. I got pregnant after a one-night stand when I was thirty. Never got the guy’s number, no loss, I decided to keep the baby and did my best to raise him alone. When I was captured by Chaos’ men three months ago, I was about to throw myself into the river and kill myself. I had no reason to live after losing Ricky and decided my best punishment was to become some blood thirsty creatures snack. What else do you want to know?” she asked, turning to him.

  He stared at her with his jaw dropped.

  “I thought I would just throw it all out there. Which part are you the most stunned about?”

  “All of it, but mostly the killing yourself.”

  “Why would that part stun you? Isn’t that just what you wanted to do after losing your wife and unborn child?”

  “Well, yes, but…you seem so…stable.”

  She laughed a little too loudly, startling him. “I am anything but stable. I don’t think I know one person who could qualify for being stable. We all have darker moments in our lives. Some people can brush it aside, but there are others that step into it. I was ready to leap. I felt lost. I couldn’t find a reason to live. I’d lost the only thing that truly mattered to me.”

  “So you decided to punish yourself by letting Chaos suck you dry?” He shook his head. “Your son’s death wasn’t your fault and you have no reason to punish yourself.”

  “And you have no reason to punish yourself. Your wife’s death wasn’t your fault.”

  “How do you know that?” he asked abruptly, setting the potato down that he’d been peeling.

  “You weren’t the one driving. I overheard Benny telling Chaos what happened. He was the one driving the car that ran you guys off the road. You were in the back seat with your wife. Her death is not your fault.”

  “I never should have let her come out with me. I should have insisted she stay home.”

  “If you were psychic and foresaw her death and chose to let her go with you in any case, then you would be at fault. Are you psychic, Jonah?”

  His eyes narrowed. “No.”

  “Then it wasn’t your fault.”

  “Are you psychic, Raven?”

  “No, but—”

  “Then how could you have known taking your son to the park would cause his death. Pot calling the kettle black here, Raven. We both feel blame and yes, there was nothing either of us could have done to prevent the deaths of the ones we loved, but it doesn’t make either of us feel any better. Are there any spices in the cupboards?”

  He had her there. Pursing her lips, she reached into the cupboard beside her and held her hand out to the array of spices. “What are you looking for?”

  “Oregano, garlic, and pepper to start with. Why don’t they invent a wheelchair with lifts?”

  “You just moved your foot.”

  “What?”

  “You moved your right foot and you just did it again.” She’d thought she’d been seeing things until he’d moved it the second time. “Try moving it.” She watched his face become very concentrated as he stared down at his right foot. Then she saw it move. “Oh my God! You did it, you moved your foot!” Throwing her arms around him, she gave him a huge hug. “We need to celebrate.”

  “I actually could feel my foot moving!”

  “Try it again!” This time she wanted a close up view of it and knelt at his feet. When he did it again, she clapped her hands and felt like a kid at Christmas. “This is incredible. Try the left foot.”

  “I have been. It’s not moving,” he said disappointedly.

  “It’ll come. This is progress. Wow, vampires really do heal fast. I wish we had some wine to celebrate.”

  “I’m more of a beer guy in any case. Okay, back to the spices. Just grab a bunch of bottles and I’ll pick the ones I want to use.”

  “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve laughed or felt happy enough to laugh?” She set bottles of spices on the cupboards for him. “Thank you.”

  “Why are you thanking me?” He sifted through the bottles, choosing the ones he wanted to use and putting them on his lap.

  “Not only did you give me a reason to fight back, but you’re making me laugh for the first time in months. I could kiss you.”

  He spun his wheelchair around and hurried to the table. “I’m going to need a bowl and a pan to fry these in.”

  She sighed, disappointed that he would turn away from her so quickly. Sure, she knew he was still mourning his wife; still, it hurt to have him turn away. “I’ll get the bowl and pan.”

  “How’s the stew coming along?”

  “Slow. It’s frozen. But it should be ready in half an hour I think. Like I said, I’m not a cook.”

  “Just heat it on low until it unthaws and then turn it up to medium until it bubbles,” he explained as he took the bowl she held out to him. “So what did you eat if you didn’t cook?”

  “Take-out or microwavable stuff. Anything that was quick essentially.”

  “It shocks me that you manage to stay so thin. Trinity is like that. She can pack it away but never gains an ounce. Could be that she works out though. I never thought to ask her what kind of metabolism vampires have. Might be something I need to know now.”

  “There were quite a few heavy vamps working for Chaos, so I would think they gain weight just like humans.”

  “True.” He dumped the potatoes into the bowl, sliced up into cubes then added the seasonings. “You said your sister is an actress. Would I have seen anything she was in?”

  “She’s done some made for TV movies, but like I said, she mostly does Broadway. Do you watch Harlequin Romance movies?”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  She smiled as she stirred the pot. “Then you wouldn’t have seen her.”

  They worked together to make their meal, and for the first time in a very long time, she enjoyed eating.

  ***

  If there was anything Chaos hated it was waiting. He was never a patient man, and being cooped up with nothing to do but stare at the clock only made it worse. Not to mention his men acting like imbecilic children racing along the corridors in the wheeled office chairs. But he let them have their fun. They were cooped up as well. Everyone was developing a little cabin fever. But soon enough they’d be able to venture out again and when that time came, he was going to rule.

  And Trinity and Basil would be history.

  There was a crash in the corridor and Chaos stood and closed the door of the office he was hiding out in. The power was out and though they didn’t need light to see, the men had found some high powered flashlights they were using to light the corridors and rooms. He wondered what they were going to do when the batteries wore down.

  Chaos sat in his office,
in the high back leather chair aimed at the large window at his side. It was a little eerie to look outside and see no street lamps on, no people mulling about, no houses with lights on. He really missed the activity in the city. This was not how he had planned things to be.

  He swiveled in his chair at the knock on the door, then waved Fritz into the room. By the smile on his face, Chaos deduced that he had good news. He sure hoped so.

  “I am about to make your day,” Fritz chimed as he closed the door behind him.

  Chaos steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair and leaned forward. “Is that so? Do tell?”

  “The men are back with the explosives.”

  Dropping his hands, Chaos stood. “This is wonderful! How did they manage to get them here so soon?” A full day ahead of schedule.

  “They drove non-stop, not breaking for the day but instead covered the windows to shield the sun.”

  “Brilliant. I must commend them.” He rubbed his hands together, smiling. “Let’s get this ball rolling.”

  Chapter Eight

  His belly was full—a little achy—but it felt good. And once he was able to shower, Jonah was sure he would feel even better. He was, however, more than a little uncomfortable showering knowing Raven was standing only a few feet away, separated by a wall, sue, but close enough to just pop in if she felt uneasy about leaving him to shower alone.

  He was more than capable of washing himself, even if his legs didn’t move on their own. He’d managed to undress himself, hadn’t he? Sure, it had been hard, but he’d managed it.

  Looking down at his now bare feet, Jonah wiggled the toes on his right foot. It felt incredible to be able to do that. Now if only he could get his left one to cooperate.

  “How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine, Raven,” Jonah reassured her, then turned the dial to start the water. He felt weird sitting in his wheelchair while he showered.

  “Hey, do you think it would be okay if I took a shower too? I’ll be in the stall beside you if you need me for anything.”

  In the stall beside him? He wasn’t too sure he liked that. But he couldn’t deny her the shower. “Sure. But I’ll be fine so don’t worry about me.” He certainly didn’t want her running in, stark naked while he was stark naked. Sure, she’d seen him naked, still…

  “Okay. Thanks. I really need a shower.” She laughed and her voice was a lot closer to him now.

  Jonah tried not to think of her next to him, and washed himself off.

  “This feels so good. This showerhead is actually pretty decent. It has a massage function. Oh, my muscles needed that.”

  He could actually see her standing with her back to the spray letting the water massage her neck and back. Stark naked. Then turning and letting the water slide over her breasts and down her—He jerked his thoughts back, appalled with himself for thinking of her body. Grabbing the soap, he noticed he had a boner. And he was even more appalled with himself now.

  “How’s it going in there?”

  “Fine!” he blurted out, then willed his penis to shrink.

  “I’ll be done soon, if you need help—”

  “I can manage this on my own, Raven.” He knew he sounded gruff and he was sorry for it but if a man couldn’t take care of himself in a shower he was useless.

  “I’m just trying to help.”

  He’d hurt her feelings. “I know. I’m sorry I jumped on you—jumped down your throat,” he amended, feeling like a complete idiot. He was sure she caught the sexual connotation in his statement.

  “I understand, Jonah. I really do.” She shut the water off.

  How could she when he was having trouble understanding himself? Especially thinking of another woman sexually. Ariel had been the only woman he had ever been with, ever planned on being with, and now she was gone.

  Still…how could he be thinking of another woman?

  “I’m going to look for some scrubs to wear. My clothes are beginning to smell rank. I shouldn’t be long.”

  “I’ll be okay, Raven,” he reassured once more as he shut off the water. He wheeled himself to the rack where she’d left two towels hanging for him. He wrapped one around his neck and the other…hm, how was he going to wrap it around his waist?

  He looked down at his right foot, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Should he try? The towel rack was there for him to hold himself up if need be. He had to at least try.

  Taking hold of his legs, Jonah lifted each one and set his feet on the floor before grabbing the armrests on his chair. With his breath held, he pushed himself up. Pulling one hand away, he quickly grabbed the towel rack and nearly did a face plant on the wall when it gave. He plopped back down into the chair, hitting his elbow on the arm rest.

  “Damn it!”

  “What? Are you okay?”

  He managed to throw the towel over his lap before Raven raced into the room. “I’m fine.” He shifted it to make sure he was completely covered.

  “What happened to the towel rack?” she asked, bending down to pick it up off the floor.

  “I pulled it out of the wall. I forgot vampire’s strength is more powerful then a human’s.” He never would have accomplished that before he’d been turned.

  “You just pulled it out of the wall when you grabbed the towel?” She questioned him, running her hand over the holes in the wall where the rack had once been connected. “That’s pretty frickin’ impressive.”

  He could hear the disbelief in her voice but it wasn’t until she met his gaze that he see it on her face. “Okay, fine, I was trying to stand up and thought using the towel rack would help. How was I supposed to know I’d yank it from the wall?”

  “Why were you trying to stand on your own? You could have fallen and seriously hurt yourself.”

  “Well, lucky for me I’m a vampire and I heal quickly.” The comment was laced with sarcasm. “Mind leaving me to get dressed now?”

  “Do you need help?”

  He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. It was the only response he was giving.

  “Fine. But if you need anything—”

  “I know the routine, Raven. Thanks.” Then he waved his hand at her to leave.

  She turned her back to him, her black hair still wet from her shower flipped to the side as she walked off.

  He really shouldn’t be so rude to her when she offered her help. Yet it grated on him that she would think he needed the help. It annoyed him that he did need her help. If only his stupid legs would hurry up and heal so he could get back onto his own two feet.

  He wheeled over to where he’d set his clothes and saw a new pair of pajamas taking place of his old ones. Not only was she helpful to him, she thought of things he wouldn’t have. She really was an extraordinary woman. She’d dragged him on her back, out of his dungeon and away from his captor. That took a lot considering the woman couldn’t weigh more then one ten. She was a strong woman. Sure she’d struggled after the loss of her son, but who wouldn’t have? He was right now, fighting to keep above water over his losses. She was doing remarkably well for someone who only months ago had wanted to give up.

  She was an example to him that he too could keep his head above water and move on. Even though right now the pain of losing Ariel was so great it threatened to take him down, he knew he would hold on and he knew he would get past it. No, he would never forget Ariel, and yes, he would always love her. And he knew what Raven said was true. Ariel would give him a royal tongue lashing for even thinking about ending his life. And that was what kept him going.

  He didn’t want to disappoint the only woman he’d ever loved.

  Jonah pulled the first pant leg over his foot and tried with all his might to will his leg to lift. When it did— however brief it was—he gave out a silent cheer. Slipping
his other foot into the pant leg, he was disappointed when it wouldn’t lift. Then he saw his toes wiggle.

  “Yes!” he shouted, throwing his arms in the air.

  “What?” Raven came racing into the room.

  “I can move the toes on my left foot!” he laughed, looking down at his foot and moving the toes again.

  “You moved your toes. You really did it? Oh, Jonah, this is incredible.”

  Leaning down, she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a huge hug.

  “Um…naked here,” he added, suddenly realizing he’d set the towel that had been around his waist on the floor beside him when he’d grabbed the pants.

  “You have got to stop being so bashful.” She pulled away keeping her eyes on his. “You’ve been more naked to me than clothed in any case. Can you move your legs?”

  He supposed she was right, still…he grabbed the towel and draped it over his exposed genitals. “The right one lifts a little, but not the left. Why would that be?”

  “It’s just a matter of time and healing. Your body is fighting to regenerate itself, that’s not an easy achievement. We need to do more exercises with your legs. Hurry and get dressed and we can get to it.” She leaned down and kissed his head. “I’m so happy for you.”

  She left the room and Jonah sat there a moment just staring. His body was feeling warm all over from the kiss. It was a nice feeling after being so cold.

  ***

  Basil shut the car door as he exited and the sound echoed a little too long in the still darkness. Was it day, or night? Even he’d lost track. He’d have to figure it out before he took Chaos down. He didn’t want to risk the chance of taking him out in broad daylight. The last thing he wanted was third degree burns on his body. He’d suffered that before when his father had been in an angry mood because Basil had refused to obey him. He’d hung him by chains on the posts by the front door and stood in the shadows while the sun rose and scorched his body blood red.

  That had been the last time his father had tortured him, thanks to Cooper. He’d saved his life that day, and for that Basil was eternally grateful.