"Enough," Emmanuel said. "We need to get moving. Megan, feed," he commanded.
Megan's head dipped over my hand, her tongue licking at my wrist. My heartbeat increased, the blood rushing through my veins, preparing for the pleasure of the bite.
Megan pierced my skin. I took a sharp intake of breath and then relaxed into the sensation. The pain of her taking equaled the pleasure of giving.
"Enough," Emmanuel said after only a few minutes.
"A little more," I offered, reaching out and stroking her hair. "Take everything you need. I have plenty to give you."
Megan pulled away and licked at the wound—unnecessary, but she didn't know that. How could she know that with the day I'd spent, I could have healed from any wound?
Darkness fell thick and black as we made our way through the forest. Emmanuel and I rode while Megan and Dimitri walked next to us.
Walamito's bare back radiated warmth between my thighs, her heartbeat reassuring against my legs. She was strong and steady, happy to be moving.
Occasionally the mare would nod her head up and down, energy building, as if she wanted to run. But I could calm her down. Emmanuel helped me, his influence guiding mine.
When the moon rose, it reflected off Walamito's white coat, making her shine almost blue. The light cut through the trees, casting a cold luminescence over the forest.
Creatures stirred in the brush, but I wasn’t afraid. With the two vampires flanking me, and my awareness stretching wide, there was no sneaking up on us. We were the most dangerous things in this forest tonight.
What in this world would want to hurt us anyway? There were no zombies, no humans nearby, nothing but the wild creatures, the soft breathing of our horses, the steady, reassuring presence of Emmanuel's influence. My nightmare was just that, a nightmare.
Contentment and satisfaction overwhelmed me, and a tear of gratitude slipped down my face. I'd never been so happy. Emmanuel’s power filled the air, feeding me even without his touch.
I'd have to face Suki. There were challenges ahead of me. This was not a happily-ever-after story. Emmanuel, Megan, Dimitri, and I would not be able to live in this world, at peace forever. Together we had too much power. We had to help the world we'd left behind.
With this satisfaction, contentment, and power came responsibility. Emmanuel may feel he’d done his duty: been bitten, died and reborn, absolving the sins of those death-hungry creatures who wandered the planet we'd left behind. But there was too much pain and suffering for me to ignore.
I had to act.
Whether it was through Dr. Tor's vaccine, Emmanuel's incredible power, or something else…it was clear to me as we rode through the night that the answer lay in me. That I could change things…somehow.
Light glimmered from between the trees, and a moment later the sounds of music and laughter reached us. "We are almost there," Emmanuel said, a smile on his face.
A dog began to bark, the sound coming closer as we approached the settlement. Three large brindle mastiffs reached us before we breached the clearing.
They recognized the horses and Emmanuel, hopping around and touching their noses to his legs, excited by his return. Emmanuel smiled down at them. They fell in line, flanking Diamond, staying slightly behind the horse as we broke through the trees.
There was music playing, and as we entered the clearing, my eyes scanned the space, looking for the musicians, my heart aching to play. There were several fires with people gathered around them. Two story tall town homes circled the clearing. Enough housing for maybe twenty to twenty five families. Children ran among the adults, who sipped from cups around the fires, laughing and talking.
The musicians were near the closest fire: a fiddle player, banjo player, and a man on a horn. They played a song I'd never heard before, but the roots of the music lay in the same strains as those that floated through the streets of Crescent City. I missed my violin—still back in my apartment a world away.
The music was lively, and the people closest tapped their feet, following along. I stared at the fiddle player, a young woman who resembled Suki. Her eyes were closed, hair tied up into a braid that wrapped around her head. She leaned into the instrument, bending her body around it. I could see her energy pulsing with the music, and I yearned to join her. To jump off the horse and lay my fingers on strings, to play with these people, to join in their fun.
But would I be welcome?
The talk faded, and heads turned in our direction. The dogs ran ahead, entering the crowd and nudging at their masters. The population ranged in age from white-haired, stooped figures to babies still suckling at their mother's breasts.
They wore clothing that looked handmade, everything of a similar, free-flowing style. The patterns were bold, the colors made from natural dyes that matched the forest around us.
Suki stood up from one of the fires, her white outfit sticking out among her people. The crowd parted as she moved toward us. Eyes followed her, watching for direction. "Emmanuel." Suki smiled, spreading her arms in welcome. "It is wonderful to see you."
Emmanuel bowed his head. "Thank you."
Suki looked around at the people there, at the modest, comfortable-looking homes. "Join us," she said. "We look forward to your company."
Emmanuel dismounted, and a young boy, his skin the color of dark rum and his eyes light green, ran forward to take Diamond's reins. An older boy approached me. His eyes were a deep brown, and he had the height of a man but no shadow of a beard yet. Emmanuel helped me off the horse, handing the reins to the brown-eyed boy.
It felt strange to walk after so much time on Walamito's back. My legs were stiff, and I circled my neck, loosening the muscles. Dimitri and Megan stayed close. Eyes slid over us as we followed Suki through the crowd. I heard whispers of vampire as we passed. "Sit with me," Suki said, motioning toward seats by a fire.
The music began again, and I turned, looking over my shoulder to watch them. "That's a beautiful song,” I said to Suki as I sat. She nodded. "What is it?"
She shrugged. "Just an old tune."
"I'd like to play." I turned to Megan as she sat next to me. "Wouldn't you like to sing?" Megan grimaced. "What?"
Suki laughed softly. "She can't sing." Her eyes held a cruel satisfaction. "Vampires can't sing, Darling. They can dance, but not make music."
I turned back to Megan. "Is that true? Have you tried?"
"I couldn't before I died anyway," she said not looking at me.
I grabbed her hand. It was hard and cold, a stark reminder that this was not the same girl I'd grown up with, but I loved her still. And I knew she loved me. "You have to try," I said. "Please."
Megan looked up at me with her mismatched eyes and offered a sad smile. "If you want me to. But..." she bit her lip. "I'm afraid."
"Don't be," I gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll be right there with you."
Emmanuel sat down on Suki's other side. "Let's eat first," he said. "I'm starving. Suki, what have you got?"
She turned to a young woman who'd appeared behind her and spoke in a soft whisper. She wore loose pants that billowed around her in a gray and black pattern with a matching halter top. Her bare shoulders glistened in the firelight as she nodded her head and moved away toward the closest building.
"We have a wonderful venison stew,” Suki said to Emmanuel. “You'll like it."
He grinned. "Yum." He looked so relaxed, like a man returning home after a long journey.
A different woman approached holding a tray with cups made of horn. "Beer," Suki said as she passed me one of the cups. She offered one to Emmanuel then took one for herself. "Megan, Dimitri, do you drink anything besides blood?"
They both nodded, and she gestured for the girl to bring them each a glass.
I sipped it. The beer was rich, dark, and only slightly chilled. I hummed a small sound of approval. "Delicious," I said.
Suki nodded as she sipped from her own cup.
We ate a flavorful stew served in stone bowls
with wooden spoons. The napkins were woven from the same material as the clothing the people around us wore. Did they make everything themselves? When we'd finished and the food was cleared, Emmanuel sat back, pushing his chair further from the fire. "I am ready now," he said.
Suki nodded, and I sensed a shift in the crowd.
A line formed, snaking away from Emmanuel. One at a time, men, women, and children came forward and kneeled in front of him. Emmanuel placed his hands on their shoulders, their heads. He whispered to them, smiled, and occasionally made them laugh. The look in all their eyes, from the youngest to the oldest, was the same…worshipful.
My foster father gazed at the images of his god in the same way. But he was twisted and sick. I had always associated faith and those kinds of blind beliefs with the illness inside of him, but as I watched these people finding peace at Emmanuel's touch, I reconsidered.
These were good people. I could see it in their energy, in the glows that they cast. Hardworking, loving, and faithful. It was a small and close-knit community. The lines that tied them together were thick and cherished. These were not binds or tethers; they were ropes that helped them on their way in life.
Emmanuel held his hand out to an older man with white hair and eyes glazed with approaching blindness. "My son," Emmanuel said as the man laid his wrinkled hand in Emmanuel's palm. "Sit with me." He offered a place on the bench next to him. The old man lowered himself shakily down next to Emmanuel. "I want you to meet Darling," he said.
The man smiled at me, his teeth still strong even if his vision was fading. I held out my hand. "It's nice to meet you," I said.
"Likewise." He clasped my hand with a strong grip, his skin dry and papery.
"Darling," Emmanuel said. "This is my son, Jacob."
"Your son?" I said, my voice quiet, the truth dawning on me. This was Suki and Emmanuel's child.
"Yes." Jacob released my hand and wrapped an arm around Emmanuel. "It doesn't seem fair, does it?" he asked with a big grin. "To have such a handsome son when the old man is in such bad shape?” Jacob laughed deeply, and Emmanuel joined him, as well as the rest of the people standing close enough to hear.
"Your eyes?" Emmanuel said.
"Yes, Father, they are going."
Emmanuel laid his hand on his son's forehead. Both men closed their eyes. Energy pooled between them. And then, I don't know how Emmanuel did it, but he pushed his chi into Jacob’s head so that it flared with light. It burned behind his closed lids. Jacob wrapped a hand around his father's wrist, the cords between them pulsing with energy. Emmanuel removed his hand and patted his son's shoulder. "Better?" he asked.
Jacob blinked a few times. The cloudiness was gone. "Yes, Father, thank you," Jacob said.
I stared at Jacob, and he winked at me. "You're even more beautiful when I can see you," he said with a small chuckle.
Before I could respond, Emmanuel motioned for the next person to step forward—a young girl, with skinny arms and legs, a round belly, and big brown eyes. She looked nervous at first, holding a teddy bear and picking at the well-worn fur, until Emmanuel reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder.
She grinned up at him. I saw the energy he gave to her, a small pulse, just a touch, but from Emmanuel that was a lot. To think of all he'd given me. Was it generosity or a means of control?
Emmanuel glanced at me and frowned slightly, as if he'd read my mind. I smiled at him, trying to banish my doubts. Megan leaned into me. "Can you believe it?" she whispered, looking at Emmanuel. "He is real."
"Is he?" I said with a small laugh. "Or are we both dead or crazy?"
Megan took my hand and squeezed it. "I think we've been saved," she said.
Or were we lost?
Chapter Three
Emmanuel spent time with everybody in the community, and when they'd all had their turn, he reached for my hand. "Let's go to bed, Darling."
"Yes," Suki agreed, standing up. "It is late." I stood, as did Megan and Dimitri. "I've prepared rooms for you.” Suki walked through the center square, headed for one of the houses.
Emmanuel threw his arm across my shoulders and tucked me into his side as we followed. Energy passed between us, gentle and slow, not the fire of the day. There was something sweet about it. Tears burned my eyes, followed quickly by a gripping fear. None of this was real. It could never last.
"Hey," Emmanuel whispered, his lips close to my ear. "Everything is okay, you're safe here."
I nodded and tried to smile. Suki stopped in front a white house, with a thatched roof. She pushed open the door—there was no lock.
The hall we entered smelled of home-cooked food and fresh pine. A small flame flared onto a candle. Suki passed it to me, her smile warm in the soft light. "I know your friends can see in the dark, but it's nice to have light in a strange place."
"Thank you," I said, taking the holder from her.
She turned to Dimitri and Megan, who waited on the threshold. “I invite you into this home. But only this house. Your rooms are in the basement.”
Dimitri bowed. "Thank you for your kind hospitality."
Suki nodded and motioned up the stairs before us. "Emmanuel, you have your regular room. I'm assuming you want Darling in with you."
"Yes," he answered.
"Then I will see you all tomorrow." Suki let herself back out into the night, closing the door in her wake.
I turned to Dimitri and Megan. "Are you two okay?" I asked.
They both nodded. "Yeah, of course," Megan said. "Are you?"
"Yeah, yeah," I said.
Emmanuel squeezed my hand. "Come," he said. "I'm tired, let's go to bed."
I followed him up the stairs. The candle threw flickering light onto the white walls and the hardwood floors. They were a deep, glossy brown. The steps were worn pale in the middle, as if many people had climbed them before.
The whole house had a feeling of being loved and lived in. Emmanuel led me to a big bedroom with a four-poster bed that appeared to be made from the same wood as the floors. It was pushed against the wall, facing windows that looked out onto the gathering space. The fires still smoldered, but the people below were cleaning up, preparing to head in for the night.
Emmanuel wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my hair. "I'm so glad to be sharing this with you," he said.
"It's wonderful," I said. "How long has this community been here?"
"For as long as humans have lived in this world."
"There are so few here—why?"
"This is the first world the zombies came to."
I looked up into his warm brown eyes, with their glints of gold and purple. I'd seen similar eyes in so many faces tonight. "Are you from this world originally?"
He didn't answer, just lowered his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and turned into him, my arms snaking up around his neck, my breast pressing against his chest. He kissed me tenderly, sweetly, as though we had all the time in the world.
I let him lead me, keeping pace with him, my fingers slowly twirling through his curls, enjoying the silky texture, the feel of him against me. When he broke the kiss, I couldn't help but smile. It felt so good.
"Do you want to bathe before bed?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered, and he led me to a bathroom off the bedroom. A copper tub filled with steaming water waited for us. "Wow," I said. "That's nice."
He laughed. "Yes, I love it here."
We took off our clothes, not a bit of shyness between us. How could there be, after the day we'd shared? Slipping into the warm water, I felt my muscles relaxing. The stress I'd been holding in my shoulders—my fear of the future, of Suki, of everything—seemed to melt away as the water lapped at my clavicles. Emmanuel faced me, his long legs on either side of mine.
I closed my eyes and leaned back. Laughter floated up from below. This was the first land infected by the zombies. "What happened to them?" I asked. "To the zombies?"
Emmanuel shifted, the water sloshing around us. “Without human fles
h, they lose their energy and drop. These woods have been cleared by this community, but there are lots of parts of this world where the ground is littered with skeletons that never truly die. They are just under the soil; that is why it is best to travel by horse."
"Because they will bite you through the dirt?" I opened my eyes, alarmed at the thought.
"If you step on one, yes. It will bite you." Emmanuel’s hand cupped my calf.
"I never saw one when I was child," I said, contemplating the reality of a world where zombies lie in wait under the earth.
"You were very far north. Too cold for zombies. They freeze in place." The candle flickered and the copper glimmered, the water reflecting the warm tones.
"Really?" I bit my lip. "That seems like some kind of solution, doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?" he smiled. "A solution?" His hand ran up and down my calf, as if it had a mind of its own.
"Well, couldn't you freeze them?"
"How, Darling? How do we freeze a whole world?" He gave me a half smile—almost condescending but not quite.
"I don't know," I said. "But—" I chewed on my lip some more, staring at the water.
"I love it when you do that," Emmanuel said. I looked up at him, brow furrowed. "You don't even realize you're doing it, do you?"
"What?"
"Biting your lip." His eyes were focused on my mouth.
"Oh, no, I guess not.”
He picked up a bar of soap and passed it to me. "Let me watch you wash yourself."
I held the slippery soap in my hand and thought briefly about freezing zombies before his fingers found my knee and then my brain switched back to that hunger. That need.
In bed, Emmanuel pulled me close, the light of our connection bright behind my closed lids. I was sated and peaceful but…still. "Don't you worry?" I whispered against his bare chest. "About what happened to our friends?"
"You mean Michael and Dre?” Emmanuel asked.
"Yeah, weren't you guys in a band together for years? Don't you want to try to save them?"
Dark Secret Page 3
