I want to make you mine
Be my forever
Until the end of time...
I relaxed and rested my cheek against his chest. Vibrations from his voice tickled my face as he sang along with the song. I was in heaven.
"Sparkie?"
"Yeah?” I lifted my head and stared into his crystal blue eyes.
"I'm really glad you came to the party. Saves me the trouble of having to find you."
I couldn't stop myself from frowning. “Why would you want to find me anyway? You don't even know my name."
"Cheyenne Wilde. And if you can't figure out why I wanted to find you, then I must be doing something wrong.” He laughed and pulled me closer. “And here I thought I was so charming. Guess I'll have to try harder."
Shazaam! If he tried any harder, I'd burst into flames. We continued to sway to the music, lost in our own world. And then a thought occurred to me.
"How do you know my name?” I asked
He wiggled his eyebrows. “I'll never tell."
"Will you at least tell me your name? I mean we have a song and all. I should probably at least know that."
"I think not.” His full lips spread into a cheesy grin.
I was starting to feel more at ease around him. “And why not?"
"Well, if I give up everything now, there will be no mystery left. You'll get bored and never want to see me again.” He sighed, shrugged, and made a pouty face.
I laughed and pushed against his chest. “Oh, whatever."
It was so strange. It was like I had known him for years, yet I didn't even know his name. The song ended and some freaky Halloween music came on, so he escorted me off the dance floor, his warm palm resting gently on the small of my back.
The glares I received as I passed the ‘Val Fan Club’ would have burnt me to a crisp if I wasn't already burning from the inside out. Mandy stood against the wall with the ‘Happy Halloween’ banner strung above her head, Brad close beside her. She smiled and winked as we walked by on our way to the snack table.
"Wanna grab something to eat and go out on the back porch?” Dracula asked.
"Sure.” Like I was gonna say no.
We snatched a bat and pumpkin decorated paper plate and plopped a few goodies on it, then stepped out onto the porch. The full moon glowed, painting the backyard with ethereal light. The air was crisp, but I wasn't cold like I had been earlier. Warmth poured over me from the nearness of his body. We sat in the porch swing, enjoying the atmosphere. No words were needed. The comfortable companionship filled the silence. It was as if we communicated on a different channel than everyone else.
After a time, he reached over and lightly traced his finger down my hand. The tiny hairs on the back of my arm stood on end, goose bumps decorating my flesh. Butterflies bounced around inside my stomach. I slowly turned my head and gazed into his eyes. The darkness of his eyebrows and eyelashes made the blue of his eyes pop. Whiffs of almonds and cinnamon, laced with spicy cologne swirled into my senses, making me inhale deeper.
He was perfect in every way. Alarm bells should've been going off in my head, but he held me in a trance—one I had no desire to break. He could have been the devil incarnate, but I didn't care. Not at this moment. Not at this time.
His deep, rich voice broke the silence. “So, Sparkie, what's your story?"
I gulped, then looked down to where he now stroked a circular pattern on my hand. “Huh?"
"Tell me about yourself. I want to know everything."
Caught off guard, I almost panicked. Did he know something about me—about being a vampire? No way. He couldn't possibly know that. Unless he was part of the evil presence in the cave. My heart quickened at the thought. I jerked my head up and stared at him, looking for any indication of evil. Not that I knew what to look for or anything. My glance slid over his face. He did have a faint scent of almonds about him. And he really was too good to be true—far too perfect. And why had he singled me out when the boys at my school had never even bothered to give me the time of day?
"Nothing to tell,” I managed to say.
His expression showed his disbelief. “I find that hard to believe. A beautiful girl like you not have anything to tell? Naaaa. I think not."
I dropped my gaze to my lap and slightly angled my body away from him. Beautiful girl? Okay, something was definitely wrong here. I had boring brown hair and eyes, bigger than normal muscles for a girl, and no boobs. Yeah, I was a beauty queen all right. That's why I had to fight the boys off.
Not that I cared.
"Why, Sparkie, are you shy? Tsk. Tsk. You are beautiful, ya know?” He took my hand in his, turning me back toward him. “You're ten times better than the group of blonde fakes inside. That's the truth."
"You sure seemed to be enjoying all the attention from those blonde fakes,” I stated with more force than I intended. Dang. You'd think I was jealous or something.
"Are you jealous?” A grin spread across his face.
Could he read my mind? Wait, couldn't vampires read minds? What a stupid thing to think. I'm a vampire and can't read minds. Duh! I was losing it for real.
"How could I be jealous?” I raised one hand, palm up. “I don't know you. I don't even know your name."
"I kind of like that you're jealous, Sparkie. It means you liiiiiiiike me,” he said in a sing song voice.
"You sure think highly of yourself.” I rolled my eyes.
He clutched his chest and fell against the back of the swing. “You wound me."
I busted out laughing. He was too real to be part of anything bad that had happened in the cave. I really should quit letting my imagination go crazy.
The back door opened and Mandy stepped out onto the porch. “Cheyenne, it's 10:45. We have to go."
"Oh, my God! Are you serious?” I looked at my watch. “Crap! I gotta get home."
I jumped up and scrambled through the door. Once I realized I hadn't even said goodbye to Dracula, I paused and stuck my head back through the door.
"Bye ... whatever your name is."
"Maybe I'll tell you next time I see you.” He winked. “Because there will be a next time."
I shot back through the door, grabbed my purse, and met Mandy at the front door.
"You ready?” She glanced toward the back of the house as if she expected Dracula to join us.
"Yeah, I'm ready.” Not able to resist, I glanced back as well, hoping Dracula would follow. “Thanks for letting me know. I guess I kind of lost track of time."
"I can see how you would be distracted. If it wasn't for Brad mentioning the time, I wouldn't have paid any attention either. And by the way, shazaam girlfriend. Dracula is hot. You weren't kidding.” Mandy shook her hand in front of her face as if she had just touched something hot.
I sighed and shook my head in agreement. “And what's the deal with you and Brad? I thought you couldn't stand football players."
She just grinned.
"Well, he seems nice enough. And he's cute. I'll give you that. But a football player?” I laughed and nudged her on the shoulder.
As we walked back to her car, we continued to chat about the two guys who had turned our perfectly ordered lives upside down in one fatal swoop. Actually, my life had already been turned upside down and Dracula only added to my confusion. The butterflies wiggling around in my tummy were evidence to the fact.
The moon lit the street, making it easy to see in the dark. It was a good thing, because all the lights were out for some reason. We had one light across from our house that never came on because the sensor thing-a-ma-jig was covered by a huge tree. I glanced up to the top of the pole near where we walked. No trees anywhere near it. Strange.
The brisk wind picked up speed, blowing the hat off my head. I chased after it as it continued to roll down the street on its side. Mandy's laughter faded as I continued to follow after the errant hat. Before long, the distance between me and Mandy had increased to an uncomfortable one.
A whiff of almo
nds touched my nose. I paused, only too aware of what that meant. The warning Mom and Dad had imparted before I left flashed into my mind—never be alone. My gums began to burn with a vengeance.
A cloud eclipsed the moon and darkened the neighborhood, casting every object in shadows. Only one porch light was visible and too far away to make a difference. If it wasn't for my enhanced vision, I wouldn't have been able to see a thing. As it was, I could no longer see Mandy.
I was alone.
Panic surged through me as my hair was snatched off my neck and something wet and demanding brushed against my throat. I twirled around, lashing out at the unseen evil lurking in the dark. Deep laughter vibrated against my eardrums. My chest constricted—the malicious intent too much to process at once. Hot, stinky breath fanned across my face.
I shuddered. The threat was real.
"Hey, Cheyenne, where are you?” Mandy shouted.
Oh, God, I didn't want Mandy to be in danger.
"Stay put. Wait until the clouds move past. I just stepped into a hole and almost twisted my ankle. I can hardly see anything,” I yelled back at her.
"Oh, okay. But it's kind of creepy out here. I swear I keep feeling something touching me, brushing against me."
My heart slammed in my chest. No, not Mandy.
"It's me you want, you evil bastard,” I said under my breath, trying to keep the attention on me. “Leave her alone."
More laughter. It taunted me.
"What do you want?” My voice rose with alarm.
"Mmm ... you,” the slimy voice answered. “The sweet scent of your blood makes me crazy with wanting. And the rhythm of your pulse teases me."
Don't show your fear. Don't show your fear.
Fear triggers certain animals to attack, but I had no idea if those words of caution would help against an otherworldly creature. Still, it couldn't hurt. Besides, I'd read that some sickos use fear like an aphrodisiac.
I fought for courage, attempting to quell the adrenaline surging through my veins. “Well, you're gonna have to keep on wanting cause I ain't putting out for the likes of you."
It chuckled in a feral kind of way. “Fear does turn me on, but I rather like your feisty side. It'll be a joy breaking you."
The bastard read my mind. Irritation began to overtake my fear. If it wanted to hurt me, it would've already done so by now. It wanted to toy with me. “I'm not a horse in case you haven't noticed."
"I'm really going to enjoy what I have planned for you, my little defiant one. And I do want to hurt you. But you're right, I want to play with my prize before I make my ... kill."
"Who are you talking to?” Mandy interrupted our conversation, causing me to direct my attention back on the full danger of the situation.
"I'm just cursing to myself. I tripped over something in the street."
Suddenly, it embraced me from behind. The breath whooshed out of my lungs.
The vise around my waist tightened, making it difficult to inhale or speak. “Make no mistake. I can and will have you. It's just a matter of when,” it said into my ear.
I was released as quickly as I'd been seized. Air filled my burning lungs. I hacked and clutched my chest. My legs buckled and I dropped to the rough pavement, bruising my knees and skinning my hands. I jerked my head around, looking for the sadistic bastard.
No longer did I sense the suffocating evil. It was gone.
Light began to pool around me. I glanced up and watched the dark clouds feather and separate, allowing the moon's glow to peek through again.
Mandy's footsteps slapped against the asphalt, alerting me she approached. I ran my tongue across my incisors and flinched. I dragged in deep breaths, trying to calm myself, hoping my fangs would retract before Mandy caught up.
Sooner or later, I'd have to tell her—just not now. Not before even I knew what was fully going on with me, with everything. My life was seriously spiraling down the toilet at a rapid rate.
"Hey, you okay?” Mandy asked once she reached me.
"Yeah, I scratched up my hands when I fell.” I made like I was checking out my hands, buying a little time to return to normal.
"That was really creepy—how dark it got. And I had like bugs or something that kept landing on me.” She shook her head and grimaced. “I hate bugs."
"I know, I know. It's hard to believe you can tumble on a four inch beam, but you're scared of a little bug.” I laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Those bugs were huge, thank you. Besides, bugs bite."
Yeah, especially the bugs she referred to.
When we reached the car, Mandy beeped her alarm off, and we slid into the front seats. My shoulders slumped as I sighed in relief. I used to think I was an adrenaline junkie, but I'll be rethinking the whole fright for fun thing.
[Back to Table of Contents]
4
Hunter of What?
We pulled into my driveway at exactly eleven. I told Mandy goodbye and hurried into the house.
As I'd expected, Mom and Dad eagerly awaited my return. Both already had on their sheer, cobalt blue clice robes. The crystals and gold trim shimmered in the entry way lighting. Mom extended her hand, my specially made robe dangling from her fingers. I slipped it on. The silkiness of the fabric whispered across my skin. It was like no material I'd ever felt. Mom turned and proceeded to Dad's office. As I followed, I studied our clice symbol ornately stitched on the back of Mom's robe. It seemed to glow with its own inner light. I blinked, checking to see if my eyes played tricks on me—a mere illusion of my mind. It was probably enchanted. I smiled to myself. At this point, anything was possible.
Dad pushed open the door to his office and ushered us in. The room had been transformed much like the one where I had my induction the night before. Blue and white candles of varying height flickered from every available surface, casting shadows through the dimly lit area. The pungent, musty fragrance of patchouli added warmth and atmosphere to the room. Eight of the clice ancients were present, obviously waiting for my appearance. I placed my hands palms together in front of me, touched my forehead, and bowed as I had been instructed to do when greeting the ancients. I received a bow in return.
All present lifted their hoods, setting their faces in shadows. I did the same, not wanting to appear ignorant of the ritual. Dad crossed to his floor-to-ceiling book shelf, moved a few items, and jiggled something toward the back. I frowned and pursed my lips, wondering what the heck he was doing. A click sounded, and the shelf slid to the left, revealing a small recessed room.
I gasped and gave Mom a questioning look. She just smiled. Okay, so there were yet more secrets to learn. My mouth dropped open as I studied the intricate beauty of the room. The wood-planked walls bore lace-like carvings surrounding a large rendition of our clice symbol that centered above the table at the front of the room, like the altar in churches—blue vines twined into a heart with a black ‘P’ woven into the design. Soft blue lights created a luminous radiation that bathed the room in a calming aura. Mom stepped forward and lit the candles.
A crisp flow of air brushed by me. Almonds lightly peppered my senses. I froze.
No. Not in my home.
Roxie barked just outside the door, scratching the wooden surface with her sharp nails.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I glanced around the room. No one else seemed to notice the vile intruder. Could I be imagining it? Another whoosh of air circled me, then disappeared. I lifted my nose, attempting to locate a whiff of almonds. The barking stopped.
The unwelcomed guest no longer remained.
How did it get in here in the first place? Didn't vampires and other such entities have to be invited into a home? No, of course not. Most of the myths I'd grown up hearing ended up being a bunch of b.s. anyway. Why would this be any different? Not that I believed in myths, but then again, I had never believed in vampires either.
Amarande, the oldest of the clice, raised his arms and the room quieted. “We have gathered to
night to explore recent happenings revolving around our young Cheyenne. We may be witness to an event I've only had the honor of being part of once in my long life. This could be a huge blessing to our clice, taking us into a new century."
All gazes fixed on me. I gulped. My stomach dropped and fluttered like the sickly sensation you get when you're on a plummeting rollercoaster. I chewed the inside of my cheek. Whatever would be revealed I wasn't gonna like. I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
"Cheyenne, come to me child.” Amarande motioned for me to step forward. On wobbly legs, I complied. He lifted his aging hand and stroked a finger along my heated cheek, then tilted my chin up to meet his weathered face. “Your parents have informed me of what occurred within the cave. We need you now to tell us in your own words everything that happened. And it's also important we know what you felt as the events took place—specifically your body's reactions. Do you understand?"
"Yes.” After I explained the whole experience and added in what had happened after the party, everyone had the same expressions on their faces as my parents had when I first told them what had happened. Apparently, it was a little more than a big deal. No one said a word. They just let me keep gabbing until I had nothing left to say. I folded my hands in front of me, waiting for someone to say something. Anything. I was starting to get really wigged out. I felt as if I was on display at a freak show.
Finally, Amarande spoke, but not what I expected to hear, “Take off your robe, please."
Mom and Dad nodded, encouraging me to do as he said. I undid the clasp at my throat and slid the robe off.
"Turn around,” he said as the rest of the group circled me.
I twirled and faced the closed door. Amarande lifted my shirt, then tugged down the band of my pirate pants near my right hip. Omigod! What the heck was he doing? Gasps exploded through the small room. I twisted my head, trying to see what the fuss was about. And why were Mom and Dad just standing there, eyes wide?
"She bears the mark,” several of the ancients said in unison, excitement lacing their words.
I felt the blood drain from my face. “What mark? Please tell me. You're scaring me.” I panted, my ribs expanding and contracting in short jerky movements.
Cave of Terror Page 6
