Lyric's Gift

by Lee, Trina M.

  Jade knew that Griffin’s words were in jest, but they made him realize that he’d been enjoying those human facets of Lyric because he lacked his very own human qualities. Though he didn’t mourn his lost humanity in any way, he did thoroughly enjoy basking in the warm glow of hers. She was everything he could ever want in a woman, human or not. And, because he loved her the way that he did, he knew he had to let her go.

  “I’m not going to her. But, I need to ask you a huge favor.” He turned to face Griffin, gripping the edge of the counter to still his trembling fingers. “Will you watch out for her? Please? At least, just for a little while. After I’m gone.”

  “Gone?” Griffin’s jaw dropped in surprise. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You haven’t left this city in decades.”

  “Which is all the more reason why it’s time for me to leave.”

  “Come on man, you’re making a big mistake if you take off now. Is this really what you want to do, or what you think you have to do?”

  “What difference does it make? I’m doing this for her. So she can have the normal life she deserves. Maybe I can give her that much.”

  Griffin stayed silent this time, merely watching as Jade left the room and returned with a ring of keys. “Here,” he thrust them at Griffin, fearing he would change his mind if he waited too long. “Stay here while I’m gone if you like. The house has been paid off for years.”

  Taking a notepad from one of the kitchen drawers, he scrawled a note in haste, which he sealed in an envelope before writing Lyric’s name on the front.

  “Just in case she comes by.” He gave the envelope to Griffin before he gave in to the urge to tear the letter to pieces. “I’m leaving tonight.”

  After Griffin made a final attempt at appealing to whatever sanity remained within Jade, he bid his friend goodnight, leaving him to battle his demons alone. Jade refused to listen to the voice in his head that told him how stupid it would be to leave town. This wasn’t about what he wanted; it was about what was best for Lyric.

  As Jade packed, he refused to think about anything but getting as far from the city as he possibly could. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and what Griffin had said. “Turn her…” If only it was that easy. But, wouldn’t that be like killing her, too?

  He tore through his closet, shoving clothing at random into bags. Only when he reached for the blankets on his bed did he stop. Her scent was all over them. He’d been unable to wash it away. With a groan, he stalked out of the bedroom. He could buy new blankets.

  By the time he was ready to leave, he had almost lost the will to do so. Tossing his things into the trunk of the Mustang, he paused to look back at the house. It hadn’t meant much to him before meeting Lyric. Now, he looked at the simple structure and saw the place where they’d first made love.

  No, he shook his head sadly. She deserved so much better than him. And, despite the way he longed for her, he knew he had to do this.

  With one final look at the place he’d only just begun to think of as home, he slid into the driver’s seat of the Shelby. Putting the car in gear, he focused on the road ahead and never looked back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  After the fifth call in a row from Brit, Lyric gave up and simply turned her cell phone off. She’d left a message for the dance troupe’s choreographer the previous evening stating that she wasn’t feeling well and she wouldn’t be available for a few days. Only Storm knew the real reason behind her absence. She just had no drive to take the stage and play the role of the glamour girl.

  In the three days since she’d seen Jade, she hadn’t mustered the courage to call or see him. Every time she picked up the phone and punched in his number, she could never bring herself to press send. Tossing the phone aside, she didn’t even toy with the idea.

  Though she wasn’t up to dancing, she couldn’t fathom the thought of staying in the small apartment another night. If she didn’t get out and get some fresh air, she could kiss her sanity goodbye.

  The television was the only sound as she pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a red tank top. It was the first time she had worn something other than a robe or pajamas in days. She’d secluded herself inside the apartment, even neglecting to answer the door when her neighbor stopped by with some of Lyric’s mail that had been put in the wrong mailbox. She had little desire to interact with the outside world.

  Lyric felt detached from the world beyond her door, which was exactly why she needed to get out and reacquaint herself with it. The pain of Jade’s desertion and his ongoing silence was something she would have to learn to live with. Somehow. If she gave in to the overpowering urge to lie in bed another day, she might never get her life back.

  Everything had changed for Lyric over the past few days. It was a harsh realization that love was exactly what everyone said it was: a game, a sure way to bring about your own emotional destruction when it all fell down around you.

  Looking into the mirror at her pale reflection, Lyric shook her head solemnly. She barely recognized the haunted person behind her eyes. It was shocking to see the raw pain reflected back at her. Seeing it made it even more real, and her heart sank. It had only been a few days, but the ache inside her continued to grow rather than fade. Would she never escape the hold Jade Kenyan had over her?

  Abandoning the notion of putting makeup on, she dragged a brush through the tangles in her hair and shrugged. She might have looked like the walking dead, but she had nobody to impress.

  When she started up the little rental car, Lyric realized that she didn’t really know where she was going. She followed the streets aimlessly, taking turns at random. Every station on the radio seemed to be playing a song either celebrating or mourning love so she drove along in silence.

  She didn’t really plan to end up at the river that ran beneath the bridges joining one side of the city to the other. But, before long she was sitting there, at the water’s edge, the rental car parked a few blocks away.

  Staring out at the rushing water, she was captivated by the absolute black of it. The current was strong, demonstrated by the fallen logs and other natural debris that floated by at an impressive speed. With her chin in her hands, Lyric watched the river for a long time, wishing it could wash the hurt away.

  As hard as she fought to keep Jade from her thoughts, it was a losing battle, a waste of energy. She wondered where he was right now. Was there any chance at all that he was thinking of her, too?

  The vision flashed through her mind so fast that she stumbled getting to her feet. It was Jade, flying down the highway in his Mustang. A flash of green reflected in the headlights, a road sign.

  Her heart faltered and nearly skipped a beat. The road sign was for a town almost halfway across the country. For the first time in a long time, Lyric cursed her visions. Not only did they tend to be far too vague, they rarely turned out the way she interpreted them to be. It was frustrating. But, if Jade was planning on leaving town, she needed to know.

  Her feet moved fast as she ran full out to the car. Maybe if she got to him in time, she could change his mind. Even if he never wanted to see her again, she couldn’t stand the thought of him leaving. A vice-like squeeze of her heart caused her to gasp. She would rather die than live out the rest of her life without Jade, all the while knowing he was out there, forever immortal.

  She drove through the city streets as fast as she dared. Her pulse pounded and fear gripped her, driving her to keep moving despite the part of her that insisted she was being foolish. If Jade wanted to leave, who was she to try to stop him?

  The battle continued inside her until she turned into his neighborhood. Her common sense screamed at her to turn around and go home, where she belonged. Her heart kept her going forward. She had to do this, if only so that she could finally let him go.

  The first thing she noticed upon pulling up in front of his house was the absence of his car. That could mean anything though, right? It didn’t mean that he was gone. Then she caught sight of the envel
ope closed in the screen door. Her stomach twisted painfully, and a lump formed in her throat.

  The house was clearly empty. After getting out of the car, she’d stood in front of it for what felt like hours before making her way up the walk. She was not at all surprised to discover her name on the front of the envelope.

  Fingers shaking, Lyric slid a finger beneath the seal and withdrew the small piece of folded notepaper inside. She held her breath when she opened the note and read Jade’s parting words to her. In small, neat handwriting it simply said, “You walk with death every time I am near. I cannot be the one that destroys you. I love you too much. Be happy.”

  Lyric had thought her tears had long run dry. She was wrong. The familiar sting of pins pricking the back of her eyes brought a fresh wave. She hadn’t cried in days, at least three. So much for letting him go. The soul-crushing ache for him was stronger than ever.

  Her vision hadn’t been wrong, but it had come too late. Jade was long gone. Even though she knew that with every piece of her being, she rang the doorbell anyway. Just in case.

  Of course, there was no answer. The place was dark, and Jade had skipped town, leaving her behind. Lyric felt abandoned and guilty at the same time, as if she had no right to feel that way. He’d said that he loved her, and then he left. Yet, she had no true claim over him. Nothing bound them together other than words spoken in moments of passion and times of affection. Still, she felt like he was hers and that the universe owed her a damn good explanation.

  The way Lyric saw it, she had two choices. She could go home and attempt to go on with her life as if Jade Kenyan had never come into it. Or, she could lay claim over her man whether he liked it or not.

  Jade didn’t leave because he didn’t want her. He left because he didn’t know how to live with himself. Though it wasn’t her job to save him, she refused to allow him to rob them both of something so beautiful because he was unable to find peace within himself.

  It was time for Jade to face up to his fears. He would continue to run from them for another three or four centuries while she faded away with time, unless she acted now.

  * * * *

  She swallowed hard when the large looming shape of Cry came into view. Fear struck a chord deep within her, but Lyric forced the unwelcome sensation down. She didn’t know where else to find a guy like Griffin. She couldn’t imagine that the odds of finding him in a city this size were good at all. After looking in the trendy Goth club she’d first met him in and coming up empty handed, she had gathered her courage and come here.

  Now, she wasn’t sure that had been the brightest idea, but it was all she had. Knowing that she’d regret it forever if she chickened out, she took a deep breath, said a small prayer and got out of the car.

  The sound of the car door slamming shut echoed in the eerie quiet. A glance at the old building revealed it to be just as it was the last and only time she’d been there. From the outside, it appeared to be empty, abandoned and void of activity. If only it were so. The darkness of the energy inhabiting the building reached out to her as if it would draw her close.

  Lyric approached the entrance, forcing each foot to keep moving, one after the other. Her every instinct demanded that she leave now before it was too late. It was not an option for her. She had everything to gain by facing the horror that lay before her now. Jade was gone. With nothing left to lose, she steeled herself for what she might face once on the other side of those large double doors.

  At first, she was caught off guard by the sense of normalcy inside Cry. The main floor was like any other bar, something she hadn’t really had time to look at when here with Jade. Certain that there was some rule about avoiding eye contact with predators, she did her best to observe those around her without meeting their eyes.

  Lyric considered and then scrapped the idea of getting a drink at the bar. It would make her a sitting duck, easy pickings for any one of these bloodsuckers. No, she would make a quick jaunt around the main floor and then leave if there was no sign of Griffin. Asking for him probably wasn’t the best plan. It would mean having to speak to one of these creatures.

  It occurred to her that she didn’t see Jade as one of them. She never had. He was her hero. Nothing like the vile things that she knew writhed and squirmed in the basement as they fed, one blood orgy after another. She certainly hoped that Griffin would never be among those vampires. If he were anything like Jade, he wouldn’t come to a place like this at all.

  After circling the perimeter of the main floor, Lyric decided that Cry was a waste of time. Nobody in his right mind would be caught there. And, judging by those who frequented the place, she was the only one there with enough sense left to believe as much.

  With a sigh that was quickly swallowed up by the loud industrial music, she turned and headed for the door. Only one person attempted to speak to her, a human. Politely declining, she pushed by and was soon outside beneath the one dim streetlight.

  Tension eased out of her like a weight being lifted. She was safe now. She’d been certain that something blood hungry would have been all over her due to the waves of fear she had to have been giving off. A hand went to her forehead as she crossed the small lot back to her car. Her temples pounded with the beginning of a headache.

  She would find Jade. Somehow, she would find him. She refused to let this one setback discourage her. He was out there, and as long as he was, she was determined to find a way to bring him home to her where he belonged, whether he knew it yet or not.

  As she pulled the keys to the rental from her purse, a sound from the shadows sent a shiver down her spine. Every tiny hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she got the frightful sensation that she was being stalked.

  The car was still yards away. The atmosphere grew thick with menace, and Lyric’s fear quickly gave way to all out terror when the vampire emerged before her. It was as if he’d materialized out of thin air, effectively barring her way to the car. She recognized him immediately. Dexter. The very same vampire that Griffin had chased away from her weeks ago. And, he looked much too happy to see her.

  The broad grin that suddenly broke across his stiff features made her sick to her stomach. She couldn’t have imagined this turning out any worse. She was dead, without a doubt. Taylor had been child’s play compared to this guy. She would have given anything right then to be able to turn back time.

  “Well, holy shit. Look what we have here.” Dexter spoke with obvious glee, looking much like a man that just realized he held the winning ticket. “And, all alone at that. You’re either suicidal or incredibly stupid.”

  He was right. She was beyond stupid for coming here by herself. Clutching her purse tightly, she couldn’t stop her eyes from darting to the car and back to him. She’d never make it, but she had to try. His eyes followed her gaze before coming back to her, looking her over like she was a fine gourmet meal. He was daring her to go for it.

  Lyric struggled to fill her lungs with air as fear crushed the breath from her. Staring into the black eyes of the vampire facing her, she missed Jade more than ever. Would he even know she’d been killed? She hoped not. He would only blame himself for leaving.

  “If you touch me, Jade Kenyan will-,”

  “Save it, cupcake. You can’t pull that one on me twice. It may have been true the first time, but I know that Jade left town. And apparently, he also left you.” Dexter clapped his hands, rubbing them together eagerly. “So as far as I can see, it’s just you and me. And, I’m feeling kinda like you owe me.”

  Lyric knew that she was in for it, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.

  “Yeah,” her voice was breathy and faint. “I guess you would feel that way.”

  He raised an eyebrow in confusion. “That’s it? No screaming or begging?”

  She knew that he was hoping to break her. Begging would be accepting her role as the victim. Though Lyric accepted that he intended to kill her, she didn’t have to play dead before she really was.

 
; Choosing not to respond, she made the decision to turn away from him and keep walking to the car. It took courage that Lyric didn’t know she had to turn her back on him. He made a scoffing noise of disbelief, and a moment later, his hand was on her shoulder. Dexter spun her around roughly, giving her a shake. She tried not to cringe.

  “You really think I’d just let you walk away? You’re mine, and I’m not playing anymore.” He grabbed her by both shoulders, jerking her towards him. Her purse hit the ground, and she flung her arms out to fight him off.

  A small scream broke the silence around them as Lyric stumbled, falling to her knees. The pavement bit into her flesh despite the jeans she wore. Grabbing one of her arms, he twisted it behind her back so that he easily controlled her entire body. The pain shot down her arm, sharp enough to make her yell a second time.

  Dexter was done talking. Baring his fangs at her, he jerked her to her feet and pulled her against him. The pain in her twisted arm was enough to bring tears to Lyric’s eyes. She thought for sure he was going to break it. Her instinct was to beg him to stop, but she refused to give in to the weakness.

  The vampire’s strength was enormous, impossible to break free from. She could do nothing but tremble in his grip when he pushed her hair back in order to bare her neck. Adrenaline flooded her, and Lyric struggled not to plead and promise, anything if he would just let her go. She stood no chance of getting away now, and the excruciating pain coursing through her arm was sapping the energy from her.

  His drugstore scent filled her nostrils when he leaned in close. Tasting her first, he slid his tongue along the vein in her neck, the one she just knew he was going to tear into. Her breath came hard and fast in anticipation of the moment when his fangs would pierce her flesh. When she felt him grow hard against her, she wanted to vomit.

  The moment his sharp canines plunged through her skin, Lyric cried out and sagged against him. The pain seemed to shoot straight to her core, hot like fire, searing a path throughout her insides. He pulled on the wound, sucking hard, and it brought another pained sound from her.