Immortal Hearts (The Hearts Series, #3)

by Muffy Wilson

  “This does complicate things, Lisbet.” You sipped Cristal and ate the bread with a fig and a handful of almonds.

  “Babies always seem to complicate things, and yet millions of people have managed since time immemorial.”

  “Yes, well... yes. Of course, we will manage—one way or another.”

  “What on earth are you getting at, Damien? Are we out of money? Did we lose the business? What has you so perplexed?”

  You stared off into a corner of the room, a distant shadow creeping over your face. The faraway look in your eyes scared me and my hand immediately went to my belly.

  “How do I begin?” I barely heard you and thought you were speaking to yourself so I remained quiet.

  You turned to me, and the shadow lifted. You smiled, took a deep breath and began.

  “I love you with a love so powerful, I cannot live without you. It is selfish, as all selfish things are because I have forsaken your safety—and now our son’s—to indulge my passion for you. I haven’t the strength to live without your smile, or your touch. I would rather die than live another moment without you. That is the problem.”

  I allowed you to pause, thinking you would continue, but when the silence persisted, I broke in.

  “Problem? How could that be...?”

  “Please, Lissie. Let me do this myself, or I will never have the strength to do it at all.”

  I leaned back in the armchair, resolved not to interrupt again and let you proceed at your own pace. You took another breath and looked away from me.

  “I’m sure you have heard stories of the Undead, or the Dark Knight. Perhaps the Prince of Darkness? None of them really do me justice. But, they are apt descriptions of how I must live my life.”

  My hand went to my mouth, open in shock and horror. It stifled a gasp.

  “Yes, Lissie, you have every right to be horrified. I have deceived you. Your reaction tells me I was right to keep the truth from you all these years. The truth is, if I stay with you, I will die and no doubt you and the baby will too.”

  I wanted to say something, but my lips refused to move. My heart thundered in my chest, racing to flee what you would dare to tell me next—yet, I could not move. The hand at my mouth dropped to my neck and clutched my robe tight. My fingertips were damp and cold where they brushed my skin.

  “I was born many, many years ago in what was then Ruthenia. It bordered Poland, Moldavia and Hungary. To the east was Lithuania. My family was wealthy and resourceful. We were cursed, or so our village people whispered. Of course, they were uneducated, many living and working on our lands. They were afraid to speak out against us in any way. It was the fourteenth century. I am sure you can understand their reluctance to defy my father and grandfather in any way. They feared for their families, their very lives. My grandfather was old then, but as ruthless as he had always been.”

  I couldn’t breathe. I grew light-headed and dizzy. I dropped my hand to my lap where it instinctively curled around my belly, over my womb, to protect my baby from what I was about to hear.

  “You are the Prince of Darkness...” I spoke in no more than a whisper.

  “Well, yes, Lisbet. You could say I am one of them.”

  I felt faint, as if my neck could no longer bear the weight of my spinning head. I tipped my head against the chair back.

  “I am so sorry, Lisbet. But it is more important now than ever before that you know.”

  “And the man looking for you, Detective Richard French. Is he a detective? He isn’t, is he?”

  “No, Lissie, he isn’t. He is a member of a small group of hunters that travel in search of... people—those like me who are trapped in an... unrecoverable... condition.”

  “Vampires...?” I whispered, unable to believe anything I was hearing.

  “Yes, Lissie. We are known crudely, and in theater, as vampires. Please, Lisbet, don’t pull back further. Surely you can see that I am not a danger to you, or our baby.”

  “My baby...”

  “I would never hurt you or the baby, Lissie. Never. I will protect you to the death.”

  “But?”

  “‘Detective’ French is here to kill me. That is why I left. It was the only way I could protect you.”

  “Protect me?”

  “Just let me finish, Lisbet, please? It is hard enough already.”

  “But if you are here to protect me—protect us—who will protect you? You are risking your life to be here with me—with us.”

  “I have fought this slayer, and many like him, over the years. There will always be more to fight. It is a tireless battle; one which I must win now that you have given me further purpose. The baby means everything to me, Lissie. Everything. I know we didn’t plan it, and I never wanted to bring a woman, let alone a child, into this so-called life. But, I have, and I will do all that is within my power to protect you both.”

  “This man, the detective... he is hunting you to kill you?”

  “Yes, Lisbet. He is under the misconception that all men of darkness, all vampires, are evil and that we pry upon the weak and disenfranchised—people without families, or loved ones, so that they will never be missed. That isn’t true.”

  “You... what do you have to do to get rid of, or stop him from following and killing you? Can’t we explain it to him? Isn’t there a way to convince him to leave you—and us—alone?”

  “I’m afraid not, my love. These people have made it their life’s work to find and kill us. They do not understand that we have evolved over the centuries. You see, they are children of the darkness, too. They use their powers to stop the ‘bad’ vampires.”

  “Oh, my God...” I gasped at your use of the word.

  “Yes, vampires, Lisbet. I am a vampire. He is a vampire slayer, or hunter, and has been chasing me for a hundred years. It is because I met and married you, that he found me. They have keenly honed senses of sight and smell—almost extrasensory.”

  “When he returned for his cell phone, he could smell you on me...” I was horrified that I had led him to you.

  “Please, do not feel responsible. He had already found me. He knew where I was a year ago. I avoided discovery and then decided the only way to protect you was to fake my death. I am sorry that Carey had to die in the process.”

  “Oh, my God, Damien. Carey... his wife and family.” I began to cry for their loss, repulsed at what I heard.

  “Carey was one of us, Lisbet. He was about to die, and came to me for assistance. I did not murder Carey. He was my friend, a very old and dear one. We traveled many years together and shielded one another from detection on many occasions. Please, you must believe me. Carey was ill. The one thing that can kill us naturally is a blood disorder, and Carey developed it. He wanted his family taken care of and his legacy protected. It was the only way out for him... and me.

  “So, when I came up with this plan, Carey said he would help me as long as he could die in the fire and ensure that his family was taken care of financially. It worked perfectly, with one exception. I couldn’t stand being away from you.

  “Now that you know... before I knew you were pregnant, I was prepared to offer you a choice, but now that is impossible.”

  “Why? Tell me, is it because of our baby?”

  “Yes, of course it is. If it was just us, I could ask you to live with me for an eternity. That is impossible now that you are carrying our child.”

  “But, you... you were a child once. How did you become a... a... prince?”

  “It’s a long story. Listen, I have to think and come up with a plan. The best plan is to kill the detective. We can live as we always have, only you will grow old and the baby will grow up. I will stay the same. Or, we can continue with the way we are: you run or sell the company, I don’t care. Have the baby and let everyone continue to believe I am dead. I will come home at night to be with you. That could work.”

  “But, what about when our son gets older? How do we prevent him from talking about you—his father—in scho
ol, to babysitters, teachers and counselors?”

  “I don’t know, Lisbet. I’m only just faced with this turn of events. I do not care for myself, except that I love you. I care about you, the baby, and how all of this affects you.”

  “And how does it? If I go with you, what will happen to our son? Will he die? I can’t—won’t—let that happen!”

  “Nor I. I must think. I just don’t know. What I am certain of is this: if the detective returns, he will know for sure I have been here. He will smell me on you, everywhere in our home. It will be a matter of time before he kills me, and perhaps you. That defeats everything.”

  The look of horror on my face must have turned to shock and then acceptance. Both hands, once wringing in my lap, rose mechanically and I buried my face in them, crying in earnest.

  You sat up on the edge of the bed to comfort me, no doubt, but that was a tall order.

  “How can we live like this? With him hanging over our heads like a guillotine, never knowing when it will fall. I cannot—I won’t!” I yelled, the outburst muffled in my hands.

  “Then I must go, and go forever. That is the only sure way to ensure your safety and that of our child. I will find a way to lead him away from you. You keep the company, or sell it—whatever you want—and raise our child. There will always be enough money for you to live as we do. In time, you will forget and remarry. You must. You deserve to be happy. You have so much love to give.”

  “No. No! There must be another way. We have to find another way.”

  “I have to think, Lisbet, I must. Come, let’s enjoy ourselves and have a bite to eat. We’ll rest, make love again, and a plan will unfold before us. It will be the clear choice to make. I am sure of it. We shall leave our fate in the hands of God. Agreed?”

  “Yes, for now—agreed.” I sighed with a resolve unsustained by courage.

  The small repast seemed less cheerful. There were fewer bubbles in the Cristal. The black bread had developed a layer of crust and the cheese curled at the edges. It was a disaster. My beloved’s return to me was ruined. I went through the motions, aware that we couldn’t think on empty stomachs and rest was imperative.

  We ate in silence, drank with less pleasure.

  I cleared the tray from the bed and stretched out beside you to rest. With my head on your shoulder, your more than capable arms wrapped around me, I relaxed. You must have drifted to sleep right away. The soft breaths when you exhaled furled the tiny hairs on my forearm where it draped across your smooth chest, and the rhythm of your breathing gave me comfort.

  I slept.

  In a distant dream, I smelled coffee brewing.

  When I woke it was early morning but still dark and you were pacing the floor, clearly perplexed and doing what comes naturally to you—problem-solving. You smiled at me and left the room after opening the drapes. The moon, still hanging in the dark sky, poured in over me. The moonlight was cleansing. Even at this hour, I felt refreshed, ready to start anew.

  My heart was wrapped in hope.

  You returned with a steaming cup of coffee for each of us and, after sliding it closer to the bed, sat in the wing-back armchair facing me. Holding your hot cup of coffee with both hands, you leaned over, resting your elbows on your knees. You were very intense and serious.

  “How did you sleep, darling?”

  “I slept beautifully, Damien. It was peaceful, and recuperative. I feel restored and energized for the first time in months.”

  “That makes me happy, darling. I’ve been up most of the night thinking... and watching you sleep. I think I have a plan that will work, Lisbet.”

  “I knew you would, Damien. I never doubted for one second that we would have options.”

  “The plan that works the best for me is this: what if we just keep things as they are? I will stay hidden to the world. You return to the company and do whatever you must. You will resume authority and become the presumptive CEO until the board of directors confirms your position. You will be free to make either of the following decisions: you can put the business up for sale and manage it until it sells. I have the names of business associates who have approached me in the past and were interested, so it shouldn’t take very long to wrap up a deal. Or, you can set up a management team we trust to run the company, and bank the proceeds in my off-shore account indefinitely. We can disappear together for the length of your lifetime after you sell the company. People would think you wanted to change your life—move—after my death, because it was too painful to remain. No one need know you are carrying our child. Our problem is that, either way, I must continue in hiding and can never return. If I do, Detective French will kill me sooner or later.

  “Or...”

  “Or what, darling?” I mewed, sipping the hot black nectar.

  “I can lure the Detective to a neutral site unrelated to us in any way, kill him, and our life will return to normal. He’ll be found and his murder never solved. I will reappear. We’ll concoct a story about hitting my head when I was thrown from the boat after it exploded off the coast of Nova Scotia. I was then rescued and nursed back to health by a well-meaning fisherman’s wife and family. We will explain my not remembering a thing for months. Something like that. I think it could work. I can go back to the company, you can have our son, and our life will resume the rhythm of our destiny.”

  “Damien, murder? Have you ever... could you?”

  “No, Lisbet, I have never. And yes, I could do anything if it meant protecting you and our son. The money, the business, the connections mean nothing to me. I have plenty of money and more favorable connections than I need. You forget, I have been at this for centuries and amassed great wealth—all of which is replaceable. You, and the baby, are not.”

  “Murder? I don’t know, Damien. The detective lost his wife and was left to raise his three children. They would have no one to love them, to live for them, tuck them in at night and raise them. I don’t know if I could do that to three kids just after they lost their mother to cancer. It seems cruel to orphan them.”

  “Is that what he told you? Lies, all lies. He is a vampire that was indoctrinated as a Dark Knight. He has chosen to use the same powers I possess for what he believes is the welfare of those who sleep in the night. And he has, over the centuries. I know how he works. We were once brethren fighting the forces of evil side by side.”

  “Then why does he want to kill you?”

  “Somehow, he believes I am responsible for the death of his lineage—which I am not. I considered him as a brother, a kindred spirit. We fought back to back in the face of darkness. He saved my life a dozen times, and I his. I would not do him nor his family any harm... ever. My enemies, however, have filled his head with nonsense and deceit in an effort to get him to do their killing. They have convinced him that I am responsible for the deaths in his family.”

  “And were you, Damien? Were you responsible for killing his family and loved ones?”

  “You shouldn’t have to ask that of me, darling, but no. I was not. I have been trying to convince him for a very, very long time, to no avail, that they are falsehoods. His blood runs too hot for revenge to listen to reason anymore. So, I did the only thing I thought possible—I disappeared. And safely, I might add. These many years, I’ve hidden in plain sight among the living with you.”

  “I don’t know, Damien; I don’t know what we should do. But murder? I don’t think I can—could...”

  “I know. It is a lot for you to digest. What you must keep in context, my darling, is that the detective is dead already. In point of fact, I would not really be killing him. He would simply dissolve into the darkness and his human body would be lifeless.”

  “If he is already dead, how could you then ‘kill’ him?”

  “There are several ways, the details of which I will spare you, but anything silver plunged into his heart will stop him.”

  “But he is your friend...”

  “At one time, yes, he was a friend whom I loved like a brother. H
e has long since become a threat to me and now he is a danger to you and our son. He has left me with no other choice. I cannot let anything happen to you.”

  “Oh, my love, there must be another way. If not, then I elect for your first option. You will remain in hiding, I will return to work and sell the company. Such drastic action will be understandable to others. They will conclude that it is too painful for me to continue with the business we built together. I will secure the proceeds in your off-shore account and we will disappear—forever. I could not have the detective’s death on my conscience, even if he is already dead. He appears to live; I have spoken to him. He was sympathetic to my sorrow and shared about his wife’s death. He even thought I looked as his wife did when she was pregnant with their children, and suggested I see my doctor.”

  “He did? He knows you’re carrying my child? He was never married, Lisbet; he never had a wife or children. He knows. This puts things into a different perspective. We must decide quickly and act fast if we have any chance of survival.”

  “Oh, God, Damien. I am so scared. What do you want me to do...?”

  “Get dressed. Quickly.”

  With that, I jumped out of bed, leaving my coffee on the nightstand and ran to the bathroom to wash and dress. I moved furiously and with deliberation to face whatever was to come at us next.

  It never occurred to me to think that Damien was the same as the detective. He was also a Prince of Darkness, a member of the undead—a vampire. He was dead, too. Oh, God, my baby...

  The doorbell rang, followed by a persistent pounding on the door.

  Damien hollered something at me that I couldn’t make out. I hopped out of the dressing room, at once putting my pants on and pulling a T-shirt over my head. My pants had grown tight at the waist—a quick reminder of my priorities. Nothing was going to hurt my baby—no one, nobody, nothing.

  “Calm down, Lisbet. Pull yourself together. Let’s see what he wants. I will not leave you this time. I’ll listen to your every word. You are safe, darling. Trust me. I am here.”