by Sage Arroway
The man was standing in front of the stove, placing a filled pot of water over one of the burners. He turned his head slightly towards them as they arrived, glancing at them from the corner of his eye.
“I hope you do not mind,” he said, a faint trace of an indistinct accent adding a layer of mystery to the man, “I decided to help myself to your kitchen. The lady requires some rest, I should think, and perhaps something to drink.”
“Who are you?” Tyler asked, not moving, not sure yet what to think of him.
“You may call me Deacon,” he replied, inclining his head slightly. He gestured into the house, towards the old couch. “You are both injured, please, rest. I intend you no harm.”
Tyler wasn’t sure what other options they had. He shuffled over to the couch and carefully laid Allie down.
A breeze blew in from the shattered window and he noticed all the warmth from the cabin was gone. And the fireplace was dark; the fire long-since burned to ash. Though he had already wrapped Allie in the jacket after she had passed out, he unfolded a blanket that was draped over the back of the couch and covered her the rest of the way.
He sat beside her, slowly stroking the hair back from her face. A few faint bruises remained on one side, and a set of scratches were still pink but had nearly vanished from her cheek. He could see the image of her as the werewolf, in his mind, superimposed over her sleeping face. Compared to the others, she had been…beautiful. She still was. There had been something in the past, between her and Vanessa. He wanted answers, but he knew that they would have to wait.
Deacon approached, drying his hands on an old flowery hand towel.
Tyler took a moment to get his first good look at him. He was dressed head to toe in dark, rather monochromatic clothing, with a tailored jacket over a pin-striped vest. His black hair descended from a central part, hanging down to nearly his collar; he tucked the long bangs back over his ears in a smooth habitual motion of his hands and smiled politely.
“I’ve taken the liberty of preparing some tea, sir” he said. “Would you care for some as well?”
Tyler nodded.
Allie stirred, a soft moan of discomfort drifting through the silence. Her eyes fluttered open as she watched Deacon return to the kitchen.
Seeing the concern on her face, Tyler placed a hand on hers. “It’s okay,” he soothed her. “I think he wants to help.”
From across the room, the man spoke. “You know, Ms. Allison, of all the times I’ve been here, I never realized that this was your grandmother’s place – God rest her.”
Allie raised her head. “You knew Moll?”
He bowed. “It was my honor to have known her, yes.”
Allie’s response was almost automatic. “But you work for Vanessa? I don’t understand.”
Tyler’s head was spinning too. How were all these people connected?
Deacon walked back across the room, carrying a small cutting board with three cups. “My service to her was merely a matter of duty, a requisition from a wretched man, if you will. But worry no more, Ms. Allison, my debt has been paid.” He held out the tray to them, and Tyler moved aside as Allie sat slowly upright. “I’m here to serve you now.”
Tyler sipped the tea – it was strong, but felt good going down. His body still ached from the accident, but as bad as he felt, Allie looked to be feeling even worse.
“Are you okay?” he asked, needing reassurance that she was at ease.
She nodded, her eyes moving to the strange man who made himself comfortable beside them. Tyler kept an eye on him as well; though he seemed sincere, there was no telling if Deacon was as trustworthy as he led on.
Deacon set aside the plank of wood and sipped his tea, too.
“You’ve made an enemy of her,” he finally said. “Vanessa, I mean. I would not take her desire for revenge lightly – regardless of your past, she will not bear this failure lightly.”
Allie sipped her tea for a long moment.
“So now what?” Tyler asked, breaking the silence.
Surveying the damage to the cabin, Deacon suggested, “I shall make a few calls when I return to Apollo City and see to having the window and door replaced. I’ll see to it that this place is restored properly, out of respect for your family. Meanwhile, the two of you ought to lay low and head on home.”
“To Apollo?” Allie’s voice cracked, drawing Tyler’s concern. “Isn’t that dangerous? Vanessa will be there and I—”
Deacon raised one hand to cease her worry, “Do stay calm, Ms. Allie. You’ll be protected.” His eyes moved to Tyler. “Vanessa will seek vengeance against you, I’ll pledge you that, but she will need time to consult with the others and grow her power. Allie has proven stronger than she anticipated.”
“I never wanted this,” Allie confessed.
“I know,” Deacon said, “but it is time. The Old Blood must rise again.”
Tyler didn’t know what that meant, but he took the opportunity to ask about another growing concern. “And what about this?” he added, curling a finger between the collar and his skin. A sharp pain surged through his fingers again and he relented, grudgingly.
Deacon grimaced. “I don’t know what to say about the collar, my friend. She will return for you. Eventually.”
Tyler sighed in frustration and looked to his new love. Would he ever be free of Vanessa? He wasn’t so sure, but he vowed to Allie that he’d stay with her, against all odds and no matter the cost.
The gaunt man stood, turning his attention to them both. “Well, it’s getting late, you two should get ready and make your way back before it gets dark. My people will be awaiting your return and will watch over you from there.”
Deacon retrieved their mugs, setting them one by one on the cutting board and returned to the kitchen.
Tyler slipped closer to Allie on the sofa, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her tightly. “We’ll get through this,” he told her. “I promise.”
“I know,” she mused, half smiling.
Tyler could see the worry behind her eyes, and the guilt for having caused her this much chaos began to overwhelm him. Just yesterday she was so content, enjoying a weekend holiday at her family’s cabin. And though she seemed to still have been battling a few demons from her grandmother’s death, her haunted past now paled in comparison to the impending evil of which Deacon warned them.
“I’m so sorry,” Tyler offered.
Allie snubbed him, politely; she seemed to be contemplating other things. “It’s fine,” she said dryly. “We’ll pack up the jeep and head back like he said. It’s not safe here anymore, anyway.” She peered forlornly around the room and pulled her feet up underneath the blanket still wrapped around her body.
Tyler had an admission to make. “About that,” he stammered. “I kinda totaled the jeep.”
A jingling of keys interrupted the conversation before it had an opportunity to escalate. Tyler and Allie looked up to see Deacon, dangling a key ring from his outstretched hand.
He tilted his head towards the front door. “Take the Rover,” he offered. “I shan’t be needing it anyhow.”
Dropping the keys into Allie’s palm, the man reached into an interior pocket of his jacket and drew out Vanessa's gun, holding it between his thumb and forefinger as if it were a foul or poisonous thing. "You should take this as well," he said. "I certainly would have no use for it, and we wouldn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands."
Seeing Allie's questioning expression, he added, "It may seem like an average thing, but the final bullet is always silver." He tugged at the lapels of his jacket. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Allison.”
She called out to him as he approached the door. “Deacon.”
“Yes,” he turned back around to her.
What about you?” she asked earnestly. “Why are you doing this?”
He bowed slightly towards her. “Please do not worry about me, milady. I’m sure to find my own way home.”
“But, why?” she p
ressed, looking down at the keys in her hand and then back to him. “Why are you helping me?”
Deacon smiled and opened the door. “My promise to Vanessa was only to help find him,” he said, pointing at Tyler. “Had I truly been serving her, I would have advised her to bring more men.”
Tyler shook his head. “You didn’t answer her question.”
A single eyebrow rose on Deacon’s brow. His gaze moved immediately to Allie, ignoring Tyler altogether. He bowed to her once more. “Very well, if you must know,” he began. “Regardless of your nobility, Ms Allison, I am humbled by you.”
Allie tilted her head, she seemed confused. Tyler was too, but the man quickly amended his statement.
“You see,” he grinned, “your kindness never came at a price.”
Before either of them could ask what he meant by that, the air around his face and body imploded and in an instant, he was gone. Where Deacon had stood only a moment ago now flapped a large, familiar, black crow. And with a low squawk, it flew out the opened door and disappeared into the afternoon sky.
The two sat in stunned silence for a long while.
It was almost too much to process. How could Tyler have known that an innocent run-in with a sultry woman at the Lunar Bar would have resulted in all of this? How could he have predicted that his captor and his savior would be connected by something other than him—far deeper than he could understand, even now? Sure, he could’ve been more careful—double-checked to make sure he hadn’t been followed—but to what extent? Vanessa seemed the kind that would find him no matter his skill to hide. There were so many questions, too many to count, but his main focus now needed to be on moving forward and finding out what this all was really about.
Tyler finally sighed, standing. “I think we both have a lot of explaining to do,” he said.
Allie shrugged and rose slowly to her feet, helped by his supporting arm. “You’re right,” she told him, as they walked back to the bedroom together. “It’s a long drive back, I’ll tell you everything.”
Chapter 27
The sun slipped down into the rear view mirror.
They had finally made it back to the highway, and once the wheels rolled up onto the asphalt of the road, Allie brought the Range Rover to a stop. A few cars passed, but her eyes rested on the large green sign with the arrow that pointed back to Apollo City. She had so much on her mind, and plenty to explain.
Allie held her breath.
“I know you have questions,” she said matter-of-factly, keeping her hands on the steering wheel and eyes ahead. “Where should I begin?”
Tyler turned his whole body toward her and breathed deep. “You could start by looking at me,” he told her, and reached over to touch her hand.
The corners of her mouth hitched and she felt better already, though she had revealed nothing beyond the fact that his soft caress could put her at ease. She felt him again, as he reached up with his other hand, placed his fingers on her chin and turned her gaze toward him.
“Allie, I love you,” he assured her, his stare bouncing from her eyes to her lips and back again. “You can trust me, with everything. I may wear Vanessa’s collar, but I’m here, with you, and I don’t plan on going anywhere. So it’s okay.” He paused, licking his lips. “I can handle it, whatever it is. Try me.”
A genuine grin grew on his lips and she couldn’t help but give into the moment. Allie leaned in and pressed her lips hard against his. She had wanted to do that since he caught her in the woods, just before she passed out. He had the softest lips, and the warmth inside his mouth was sweet and inviting. Try me, he had said, and she did; without restraint.
A passing motorist laid on their horn and interrupted the moment. They laughed at that together and Allie wiped her lips of his moist kiss.
“I guess we should wait until we get home,” she giggled.
“Speaking of home, where exactly are we headed?”
“My apartment,” she offered. “We should be safe there until we figure things out.”
Tyler regarded her with an arched brow and Allie noticed.
She exhaled heavily, “You must be so confused.”
Tyler nodded, and let her continue.
“My name is Allison Graves. I’m of the Old Blood, or what you said people are now calling first-gens. We don’t change with the moon, we change with our hearts.”
She heard Tyler swallow.
“So, yes, the legends are true,” she continued, glancing away. “My mother was old blood, the purest of all the breeds. My father, well…I’ve heard conflicting stories, but he’s Old Blood, too, as far as I know.”
Allie paused for a moment, keeping her faded recollections to herself, before sharing. Her gaze fell upon the horizon—it seemed nearly as distant as her memories. She drew in a long breath and prepared to keep talking.
“My parents died in a brutal attack when I was nine. Apollo City was different then, it was thriving, thanks to my family. My mother’s side, Grand Moll and my grandfather, had been in power for as long as anyone in Apollo could remember. Generations,” Allie emphasized.
“Legend has it that that year a new breed rose and challenged my father. I don’t remember much about that night, except Moll grabbing me and taking me into the basement of our home and telling me to be quiet. She told me we were playing a game of hide and seek, but deep down I knew better. The next thing I remember, the cabin was my new home.”
Tyler shifted in his seat. “What happened?”
“No one’s ever said. I just know both of my parents died that night. Moll and Pa were all I had left after that.”
“So what happened to them to?”
“My grandfather died a few years later of cancer. It had nothing to do with the war,” she told him
“War?” His voice trailed off as he spoke, as if he’d never heard of such a thing.
“That’s why Moll kept me away,” she explained. “She said a revolution was coming and if they found us we’d surely be killed. So I planned to live out the rest of my days at the cabin—just me and Moll—wild and free. There was no need to hide there, no need to be anything other than ourselves.
But then, one morning I came down from the mountain to pick up some supplies for the winter. I couldn’t have been gone more than half a day. And when I went back, the house was empty. I thought maybe Moll had gone out to chop some wood, so I headed around back and that’s when I saw her. There was blood everywhere…”
Allie could feel the tears forming in her eyes. Tyler reached up and wiped the first one just as it fell.
“Thanks,” she whispered, trying to pull herself together.
“You don’t have to tell me the rest,” he said, tenderly, giving her a moment. “Just tell me where we go from here.”
Allie sighed. “It’s hard to say,” she began. “I’ve known Vanessa for a long time, and she’s evil. Even when we were kids, she was a dreadful person. She hasn’t changed. And when she wants something, she’ll stop at nothing to get it, especially if it means outdoing me. So it’s safe to assume we haven’t seen the last of her.”
Allie saw Tyler reach up slowly and tug on his collar again out of the corner of her eye. If he was trying to be discrete about it, he failed miserably.
“It’s no use,” she told him. “Only Vanessa can remove it.”
He cut her off. “There’s got to be another way.”
“Not that I’ve ever heard of,” she sighed. “She’s collared you, and the worst is, you put it on willingly.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“It means we’re going to have a hard time convincing anybody to help us get that thing off.”
Tyler argued, “I thought you said Vanessa was the only one—”
Allie didn’t feel like explaining any further. She had heard of people—underground folk—who could reverse the effects for a fee. But rather than get into that, she steered the conversation to something more immediately relevant.
�
�One more thing,” she included. “My roommate Blake, she doesn’t know about any of this. I’ve tried to live a pretty normal life since Moll died. I moved back to the city about a year ago, assumed a new last name and took a job at a law firm. As far as she knows, I’m just her best friend Allie, so we’re going to have to think of something to tell her.”
Tyler shrugged. “Why don’t we just tell her the truth?”
Allie shot him a look of surprise, but he amended his statement before she could disagree.
Smiling, he joked, “We’ll just say you ran into me on your way up to the cabin!”
They both had a good laugh. Allie needed that, and besides, it broke the tension between them before they continued the trip back down the mountain towards Apollo City. She put the SUV into gear and pulled back onto the road, turning onto the eastbound lanes that led home.
The rest of the trip was made in relative silence. Allie had some tough decisions ahead of her; regarding her future with Tyler, and how she would deal with Vanessa. Four days ago she’d had a simple life— a decent job, her own apartment in the city, a mortal friend who made her feel somewhat normal—but now that all seemed like some sort of dream. Life as she knew it had changed, and was changing still as she looked over at Tyler and placed her hand on his thigh.
By the time they rolled up to her apartment, Allie was exhausted. They had made good time coming into Apollo, but she knew they still needed to unpack the car, and her bags. Past that, there would probably be some heavy discussions about what Deacon had told them. But right now, the thought of a long, hot shower to soothe her sore muscles and wash the events of the day away sounded so much better.
A soft moan dropped from her lips.
Tyler responded, inquisitively. “What was that for?”
“Nothing,” she breathed. “I just can’t wait to get cleaned up and crawl into bed. It’s been a long day.”
“I second that,” he smiled in agreement.
He helped her with some of the things from the car, carried them up like a gentleman. As they approached the door, Allie fumbled with her keys.
