by Andrea Wölk
»Why didn’t you tell me earlier?« She hissed with anger and Channing noticed that her fangs had emerged. He stopped in front of her and looked down at her coolly since she barley came up to his shoulders.
He looked into her dark green eyes and then at her red curly hair and it was clear to him that he knew her somehow. Only he had no idea from where.
He looked at her stunned.
»You heard what Maroush said. You have to find out for yourself,« he said hesitantly.
»Yes«, nodded Sara, »just like you!«
»Would you have anything against me getting dressed?« He looked at her provocatively.
Her proximity to him was awakening feelings that he didn’t want to feel. The memory of drinking her bleed was too fresh and seemed too close and inviting to him now. The feeling of her body on his was absolutely present and the pure sweet honey smell of her drifted into his nose. Her body was giving off an incredible amount of heat, which seemed to burn him and the fact that he was standing in front of her covered only in a towel only made the situation worse
Sara let her arms fall and turned to go. Then she turned around again to Channing, who was standing at the window with his hands on his hips watching the rising sun.
»What happened between us doesn’t mean anything Channing. It’s not important. It’s just the way we are.«
He looked at her angrily. »Whatever you say!« he said nodding and turned back towards the window.
»If you’re interested in working out, then be downstairs in the Dojo in a half hour!« Before he could answer, Sara had left the room.
She quickly walked over to her room, which was located right next to Channing’s. This vampire was driving her nuts. Of course, like any of his kind, he hadn’t picked his own destiny, but that he should be her chosen one, the one she’d waited for so long, just couldn’t be true.
Even his posture, so high and mighty, as if the world had been waiting for him, made her blood boil. She had to admit though, that he was incredibly handsome. His height, the strong contours of his profile, his dark complexion, even the dark hair on his arms were all things that she loved about a man. Plus, he was educated and sophisticated, attributes that she usually found fascinating, only not on Dr. Channing McArthur.
In her indigo blue Tenugui, the traditional headscarf, and a white Hakama, Sara sat in the Seiza position on the exercise mat waiting for Channing. She had absolutely no doubt that he would show up. When he sat down next to her, she nodded towards him indifferently.
»I expect you to respect me, show reverence like you would any other trainings partner.«
He nodded. »Why Kendo?« he asked.
»Kendo is very similar to the fighting of a vampire. Remember the motto: He who protects misses the chance to attack! Whether we are hit or not isn’t so important. What difference does one or two more hits make? More important is our attack. Never hesitate to attack because if you aren’t absolutely sure of what you’re doing, it’s useless.
Kendo is not a true fighting sport. We attack our opponents with mental pressure. We want to break them so that they are unable to fight back against us.«
Channing nodded in understanding.
»First I want to show you a few moves with the Shinai, which you can practice without a partner, a dry run so to speak.« She stood up and Channing followed suit.
»First the Nanameburi, a heavy hit, carried out on the diagonal.«
She showed him and he copied her movements.
Then came the Jôgeburi, Shõmen-uchi and Sayûmen-uchi, which simulated a diagonal hit to the temples. Finally, she showed him a hit over the shoulders combined with a wide turn called the Yokomen-uchi. She repeated the practice moves until he could do them and then prepared for the first practice fight.
Without any really warning, Sara went for a blow to his temples. Channing dodged the blow by taking a powerful step backwards, as if flying through the air. In return he let out a loud cry and tried to land a blow on Sara’s shoulders, but she flew upwards while circling Channing. She’s been able to predict his move and was then able to dodge it skillfully. He smiled and was happy that his face was hidden behind his mask.
Next, both of them went at each other with their Shinai. They flew upwards about three meters off the mat slamming against each other and then falling to the floor. In the process, Channing landed directly on top of Sara. Breathing heavily, she tore off her helmet and started laughing.
»Never fight with a vampire! They can fly!«
Channing took off his mask and tried to free himself, which wasn’t that easy because their training swords had locked together.
»Could you get off me? You’re squishing me!« Her loud laughter echoed off the walls in the room. Channing couldn’t get up either. He tried, but fell back down onto his back into Sara’s arms.
The look in her mysterious dark green eyes just did him in. He lay next to her breathing hard totally paralyzed by her expression. He looked deeply into her eyes and saw something in them that he could hardly fathom. He saw that she was his! He belonged to her like the sun belongs to the earth and the stars to the sky. Never again did he want to look into another’s eyes or feel another body next to his. The sound of her voice as they’d made love in the warehouse echoed through his head. The way she’d thrown herself at him so passionately, he could hardly imagine ever being without her. He saw something else too. He’d dreamt about her. While he was in the hospital, he’d dreamt about a woman he hadn’t been able to save, who had sunk onto the depths of the ocean. He could see her face clearly in front of him now and he heard how he’d called out her name. Sara!
What had Maroush said to him? ›Chance is a powerful ally!‹ Maroush had been right and from now on, chance was his ally.
He jumped to his feet and held out his hand to Sara to help her up. She grabbed hold hesitantly.
»I’ve had enough for today. How about showing me your weapons?« Sara looked at him surprised.
»Okay, let’s go to the shooting range.«
She put down her Bõgu, the traditional armor, and the Hakama and Kendo-Gi. Channing’s shirt was drenched with sweat and his hair was sticking to his face and eyes.
At the range, Sara handed him her weapon.
»This is a SIG P210-8, a 9 mm luxury version with the usual side magazine release and the adjustable trigger. It’s got a wooden grip and feels great in my hands. I love this thing. There’s nothing else like it in my opinion. Try it yourself. We use special ammunition, which can go through anything. If you want you can look at some of the other weapons. We’ve got a few Glocks and Brownings to choose from.«
Channing looked down at Sara, who was acting as if she’d just seen the latest Haute Couture collection from Paris. How could he choose another weapon other than hers?
»No, no that’s okay. I’ll try yours.«
He turned towards the target, which was located about fifty yards from where they were standing and aimed.
»Stop, wait, not one handed!«
Channing put both of his hands on the gun, but Sara still had something to complain about.
»Give it to me and then stand behind me with your hands on mine.« He followed her orders and put his arms around her. He bent down a little lower to view the target at her level, but the real target he was trying to hit was actually right in front of him.
»See. This is a great way to aim.«
»Uh-huh, absolutely wonderful,« he whispered softly looking at her.
Her scent drifted directly into his nose. Her hair was tickling his face and Channing couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Sara clouded his thoughts and took him totally out of operation. She turned around in his arms and they looked into each other’s eyes.
»I’m serious, Channing.«
»I am too,« he said leaning forward to kiss her. Sara fired her SIG in surprise, the bullet shooting off into the neighboring range. Then she set her weapon down on the table and put her arms around his neck.
He was surprised that she was returning his kiss. Actually he’d expected her to resist. But as usual, she seemed to react differently than he’d expected. He loved that about her. She was unpredictable, strong and independent. He dug his hands into her long red curls as she leaned her head back to take in his kiss. He carefully ran his tongue along her lips and she willingly let him enter her mouth. She tasted like sweetness mixed with a trace of adventure.
»This doesn’t mean anything,« whispered Channing to her. He smiled slightly because judging by the way she’d kissed him, it did actually seem to mean something.
»It’s in our nature. It’s just the way we are.«
Another kiss. »Of course!« she twisted herself out of his arms.
»What’s wrong?« he asked surprised.
»It’s just like you said. It doesn’t mean anything.«
He was losing his patience. Just in that second she’d wanted him and in the next she’d rejected him. He grabbed her arm, ran up the stairs with her and pushed her into his room. Channing was furious. He was angry about her games, but he was madder at himself for letting it happen. He pushed Sara onto his bed and bent down threateningly over her. His hands were clenched in fists on either side of her head. His blood was boiling and his fangs grew out farther than ever before.
»Tell me that you don’t want it. Tell me that you don’t feel anything ... Tell me you don’t want me, Sara!« Larger than life and threatening with a piercing gaze, Channing hung over Sara waiting motionless for an answer.
»I want ... I don’t ever want...« she couldn’t say anything else. Channing let her go abruptly and stood back up without taking his gaze off of her dark green eyes. Sara’s lips closed forming a thin line.
»Damn it!« he turned away and walked over to the window. He rested his arms against the windowpane and heard the rustling of the bedspread and when the door closed softly, he painfully closed his eyes. Why had he let himself get so involved? He hadn’t wanted to. Surely she wasn’t afraid of him, but he was making a fool of himself and for what? His pulse was racing so fast it was pounding in his ears. The silence was weighing like a heavy burden on his soul.
»I never ... want to be without you again!«
Sara’s voice was incredibly close to his ear. »Do you always give up so quickly?« She nestled her cheek into his back. »Go, as long as you still can, Sara.«
»I can’t. I haven’t been able to since I saw you sitting at the piano. I knew than that I belong to you. Long before you drank from me. From the first moment I set foot in your apartment in Paris. Our prophecies are always fulfilled.«
Channing turned towards her and saw the soft expression on her face. They were standing directly across from each other, but were not touching. Then he shook his head slightly.
»No, I don’t believe you. That’s what you think you feel because it’s written in that damn book of yours. Everything that I am to you is everything that you want to see in me. Take some time and think about it, and yes, you’re right, this doesn’t mean anything because it’s just the way we are!« He pushed his way past Sara and left his room. After a few seconds, the front door slammed shut.
Philippe Orlandie strolled down First Avenue from the harbor towards Pike Place market. His backpack was loaded heavily on his back. He stopped in front of a bait and tackle shop where a few people had gathered to watch a street artist perform. Philippe joined the group.
He was making a dog out of balloons for a little girl. Everyone clapped enthusiastically.
Philippe pulled his drawing out of his jacket pocket and walked up to a couple standing close by.
»Hi, I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for this woman. Her name is Sara.« He held up the drawing so that both of them could see it. They shook their heads and the man said, »Great picture, but sorry, I’ve never seen her before.«
Disappointed, Philippe walked on. It went on like this the entire day. Everyone he showed the picture to had never seen her. What had he expected? That they would bump into each other on the first day? He pulled up the collar of his jacket since the weather was everything but pleasant and made his way through the crowd. An old woman had been watching him and quickly ran after him.
»Young man, wait one second!« she called out rushing up to him.
»May I have a look at that drawing?«
»Oui Madame, with pleasure.« He handed the small picture to her. »Well, young man, if I’m not mistaken, this is Sara Keane. She’s an actress at the theater here. Go to the 5th Avenue Theater and ask about her. I’m sure they’ll be able to help you there.«
»Merci Madame. Thank you for your help. It was very friendly of you.«
The theater box office had just opened up and hardly anyone was waiting in line. A middle aged blond woman was selling tickets. Philippe put on his best smile and spoke to her in French. This usually worked with women who just couldn’t escape his French charm
»Madame, I need some information. I am looking for a woman who, I think, works here. I sketched her portrait, but wasn’t able to finish it before she left. Unfortunately, I lost her address, but maybe you can help me.« He handed her the drawing. »Yes, this is Sara Keane. She was one of our actresses, but she doesn’t work here anymore.«
»Merde, I’m sorry, I don’t want to be impolite, but could you perhaps tell me where I can find her?«
She looked into his trusting brown eyes and felt that she couldn’t just send him away.
»Well, as far as I know, Sara owns a house up in Blue Ridge on the beach. It’s located on a cliff. Ask when you get up there. I’m sure there’s someone who can help you.«
He smiled and said good-bye, winking as he left.
Wounds
Chapter 10
»Don’t you vampires need any sleep?« Eva was lounging comfortably in Shia’s arms running her index finger along his lower arm. He laughed softly and the deep rumble in his chest made Eva sigh in comfort.
»Not much, anyway. We rest after we’ve fed or after a battle, so that our bodies can recuperate faster. But we really only need to sleep a few hours. Only little humans need a lot of sleep,« he said provocatively running his hand tenderly along the contours of her body.
»What happened to you last night?«
»We ran into a few of the hunters of darkness. We were able to save the women, but more creatures kept coming out of every hole. Something’s up here in Seattle and I’d love to figure out what.«
»Who do you think is behind this?«
Shia shook his head slightly. »I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.«
He ran his fingers along Eva’s breasts, which rose and fell with each breath.
She stretched her body greedily towards his touch and let out a sigh.
»I don’t want you in any danger. I’m worried about you, Shia. Even though I know you can’t die.«
He raised his shoulders and thought about this a minute.
»Have you ever thought about how it would be to live forever?«
Eva wasn’t ready for the question. »What do you mean?«
»You’ve studied myths. I’m sure they’ve dealt with this question.«
»No, they haven’t.« Eva twisted out of his arms and sat up. Hesitantly, she said, »that question usually comes up when someone, who’s immortal, is dealing with someone who has forty, or if things go well, maybe fifty years to live. And who maybe could still be seen a maximum of ten years in public.«
Shia sat up and looked at her confused. »You aren’t talking about the both of us, are you?«
»Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing. And if you’re honest, it’s exactly what you think too. Be realistic. In twenty years people will either think that I’m your Grandmother or that you’re a freak who goes for old women so that you’ll inherit their money. Only that I don’t own anything I could leave to you.«
He shook his head. »That’s crazy Eva. How old are you? Twenty-eight? Maybe thirty?«
»Thirty-six and in November
, I’ll be thirty-seven.«
»Oh, then we can be thankful that it’s only March, otherwise I would be dating an old lady ... No, that’s really crazy, Eva.«
She pushed the covers aside and stood up.
»Maybe age doesn’t matter to you anymore, but I fight against it everyday. And don’t you think that it hasn’t been clear to me from the beginning that what’s going on between us has no future.« She wanted to go into the bathroom, but hadn’t figured on Shia’s speed. Before she’d even reached the door, Shia was blocking it with his naked body.
»Just a second, my dear, what is this all about?«
»What does it look like?«
»You’re my soulmate. You couldn’t leave me, even if you wanted to.«
»Shia, I’m a human being, a mortal. There is no way you can connect with me. The last couple of days have been wonderful, but this isn’t realistic. You have to wake up.«
He walked up to Eva threateningly and lifted her up into his arms.
»I’ve been alive for a hundred and forty years and nothing has ever seemed more tangible than this, believe me, Eva,« he said carrying her back to the bed.
»I’ll show you how tangible you are to me.« He let her fall to the bed and then leaned over her, pushing the blond hair out of her face.
»Shia, please, believe me. It’s not going to work just because you want it to.«
He leaned over her and kissed her lips. Then he stopped and said: »No, it’s going to work because I love you!« Shocked by what he’d just said, he thought for a moment in surprise. Eva noticed a change in his eyes. She couldn’t believe his words, but what she was now seeing in his face, touched her deeply. Even though she didn’t want his love, Shia’s own shock felt like being punched in the stomach.
She slipped off the bed quickly and went into the bathroom. She got his things out of the dryer and threw them at him so that they landed at his feet.
»Here, your things are dry. I’m going to take a shower.«
She slammed the door so forcefully that it was clear she didn’t want any company and that she didn’t expect Shia to be there when she finished.
