by Raven Steele
The vampire hobbled first to his knees and then staggered to his feet, one hand clutching his side. His knees buckled, and his other hand reached out to steady himself against the broken tree trunk.
“I could use someone like you by my side,” I said. “What do you say?”
“I’d love to,” he said, breathing heavily. “But there’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I hate witches.” He rushed me again, but this time, he jumped high into the air to flip over me.
When he was directly above my head, I stopped his motion. He remained frozen in the air, feet up, his head dangling just inches from mine. He fought against my mental grip.
“Think about what I’m offering,” I pressed. “I’m giving you life! I give this to no other.”
He stopped thrashing and stared directly into my eyes. “Let me down.”
I stepped out of the way and released him.
He dropped to the ground, gracefully completing his flip. “Your plan tempts me. Maybe I will serve you.”
“Just like that? You’d be my puppet boy?” I shook my head. “It’s never this easy.”
He shrugged. “I’m not a fool. You’re clearly more powerful than me, and I’ve been with worse. It won’t be that bad.”
“That bad? You have never been with anyone like me.”
Without warning, he lunged for me.
I easily stepped out of the way. To me, his movements were slow, but in reality, he moved faster than I’d ever seen Boaz move.
He reversed direction and ran at me again, scooping up a short branch in the process. I froze him within arm’s reach.
“You’re not learning!” I said. “You can’t beat me. Why are men so dense?” I glanced at the tree branch in his hand. “And what exactly were you planning to do with that?” The veins in my face pulsed with anger. “No answer? Well, let me show you what I’m going to do with it.”
Mentally, I took hold of the stick and turned it toward him, despite his resistance. The muscles in his face bulged from straining, and he grunted, spit running over his lips. He was strong but not strong enough. With a quick blast of mental energy, the branch stabbed through his ribs and out his back, inches from his heart. He fell over, making a gurgling sound.
I casually approached him. “You are so beautiful, writhing in pain and agony. I could watch you for hours.”
He struggled to speak.
I knelt beside him and stroked his head, but when my fingers slid through his short black hair, I pulled it hard. “Don’t ever trick me again.”
And in that brief moment, while I was distracted, he reached up and tore the necklace from around my neck.
Chapter 25
Sunlight. Blinding, glaring sunlight. I squeezed my eyes tighter even though they were already closed.
I didn’t want to wake up.
If I didn’t wake up, then I wouldn’t have to live. The thought of living right now was more frightening than anything I’d ever faced. Was that how it was with consequences? Could it be that living with them was more terrifying than committing the very act itself?
Despite the warm sunlight, a chill rocked my body. Alarica was gone. The evil that had existed within her no longer controlled my heart and mind, yet remnants of it remained, like aftershocks of a massive earthquake. They were a constant reminder of all the damage I’d caused, all the innocent lives murdered by my alter ego’s desire to destroy.
I tightened my fingers into the wet spring ground. The cool earth against my palm calmed my racing blood. The dirt brought life and death. I wasn’t sure which sounded better at the moment.
My reasoning ability was still muddled not only by Alarica’s innate darkness, but also by my own. Because of my past actions, I’d lost the ability to choose right from wrong. I reasoned, however, that if I had the awareness to recognize my conscience had been lost, maybe it was possible to get it back. I had taken a small step on that path before the necklace, but how would I do it now, after everything I’d done?
The vampire. The vampire who had destroyed Alarica. The vampire who had given me light. He would know. It was him who had told me that power was a dangerous thing. Maybe he could help me again.
Relaxing my fingers, I finally opened my eyes and sucked cool air into my lungs. I turned my head to the side. A glint of silver reflected the sunlight through the tall weeds. I squinted to get a better look. I jerked violently and scrambled away as quickly as possible until my back hit against a tree. I frantically looked around to make sure I was alone and then returned my gaze to the necklace. I must destroy it!
I spotted a jagged stone poking out from the dirt and used my fingers to pry it free. I approached the necklace slowly as if it were alive. The blood inside the glass orb appeared frozen; ice crystals spread upon its surface like miniature spider webs.
Without hesitation, I lifted the rock and brought it down on the glass. I closed my eyes, expecting it to shatter, but instead the rock merely bounced off the orb.
I peered out one eye. The blood within the sphere no longer remained solid. It was boiling.
I reached for the orb, wanting to feel its surface for any signs of damage, but just as my finger neared the clear exterior, the blood leapt at me, stopped only by the glass. I jumped and breathed heavily.
Before I could think twice, I raised the rock again and smashed it over and over until I could no longer lift my arm. Exhausted, the rock dropped from my hand. The necklace remained intact, not a single crack evident, but the boiling blood inside had turned black. I had the eerie sensation that it was laughing at me.
Defeated, I stood.
Just over the tree line, a thin trail of smoke rose into the clear blue sky. I tore a thick branch from a nearby bush and placed it over the necklace, then jogged toward the fleeting smoke, knowing it was close to my old home.
After some distance, the trees thinned out, and where my parents’ mansion once stood, only the walls of the east wing remained. I scanned the area looking for signs of life. If someone had come to inspect the source of the fire, they weren’t here now.
I approached what was left of the home. Several fires burned low in different areas, and coals glowed brightly. I carefully rounded the back to the remaining brick walls. There I found a few of my family’s belongings that had not yet been destroyed. I held no sadness for the lost items. They were only reminders of a life I didn’t want to remember.
Using a stick to poke through what remained, I tried to ignore the searing heat, even when blisters formed on my feet and lower legs. Luckily, it didn’t take long for me to find something I could use.
I bent down and used the bottom section of my gown to wrap up a small, circular metal box. And even though the metal burned through the materials and to my hands, I maintained a tight grip. Pain was something I was used to.
Back in the forest, I removed the tree branch from over the necklace. The blood within it was frozen again. I fell to my knees, letting my mother’s jewelry box roll out of the nightgown and to the ground. The word Sable had been etched into the circular lid.
The box, once a brilliant gold, now was a dark rust color with burned splotches. I opened the lid, knowing it would be empty. This box only ever contained one object—my mother’s favorite ruby ring. She wore it more than any other piece of jewelry, and the box was only used to house the ring at night.
Carefully, I used a stick to lift the necklace from the ground. As I lifted it, the blood within the orb once again came to life. It thrashed inside the glass as if searching for a way out like a caged lion. I placed the necklace inside the jewelry box and closed the lid. With the necklace no longer in view, I let out a sigh of relief but didn’t relax too much. My task was not yet over.
I picked up the box and carried it to the long driveway leading to the destroyed mansion. The row of gnarled, angry-looking trees stood impervious to the earlier blaze. I walked past each one, eyeing them closely until I stopped in front of the third
tree. It had a gaping knot in the center of the trunk as if a mouth forming the word “Oh!”
Using the same stick I’d used to transfer the necklace to the box, I dug at the base of the tree. I shoveled until the branch snapped, forcing me to use my hands. I dug as far as I could until the rocks became too big. After placing the jewelry box inside, I quickly buried it and made the top appear as if the ground had never been disturbed.
I stood and inhaled deeply. With the necklace out of the way, I could finally concentrate on what to do next. There was no question that I would have to leave the state. Erik and Sable would come looking for me. My only hope was that they’d think I had died in the fire.
In the meantime, I needed help, and there was only one person whom I felt I could trust—Liane. I had to find a phone.
It took me about twenty minutes to find my way to the nearest neighbor. I wasn’t worried about them recognizing me, as I’d never met them before, nor had my parents. According to Erik, our neighbors were below even a friendly nod. It wasn’t that they were poor, in fact, quite the opposite. They had a huge stucco home and drove a Ferrari, but they were regular humans, which placed them well beneath the rank of the Segurs.
The housekeeper who answered the door didn’t hesitate in letting me inside. One quick look over me, ash and soot covering my bottom half, she asked, “You were in that fire, weren’t you?”
Before I could answer, she told me her name was Lucy and that she was the one who had called the police the night before when she saw the fire on her way home. They had told her that because of all the recent fires in the cities, and because the fire was so far out in the country, no firefighters would be coming. Instead, they sent two police officers who, according to Lucy, simply watched the house burn down.
“They may as well have roasted marshmallows on that there fire,” she said with obvious disgust. Then she asked me the one question I was hoping for. “Did everyone else get out okay?”
“Only me and Eve, the Segurs’ only child, were home,” I said. I couldn’t tell her I was Eve. I didn’t look anything like myself anymore, and who knew if they’d ever seen me from a distance before my transformation. I made my eyes tear. “I tried to get to her, but the fire spread so quickly! And then I was so overwhelmed by smoke that I passed out not far from the home.”
“You poor thing. This is just like all them other fires in the city,” Lucy said, biting at her lip. “It’s scary, it really is. All these terrorist attacks. I’m thinking of moving with my children, maybe out west. There don’t seem to be as many fires there.”
The inside of my chest collapsed. This was my fault. People were frightened because of what I had done.
Her brow furrowed and she clucked her tongue. “I wonder why terrorists would go after the Segurs?”
I shrugged. “Do you mind if I use your phone? I need my friend to pick me up so I can go to the police. I’ll let them call Eve’s parents with the bad news.”
“Of course, whatever you need.” Lucy handed me her phone. “I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re finished. I’ll make you some breakfast.”
As soon as she was gone, I dialed Liane’s number. She answered on the fifth ring.
“Liane?” I asked, but a giant lump in my throat prevented the word from coming out right.
“Eve? Is it really you? Where in the hell have you been? I’ve been calling and calling. One more day and I would’ve stormed Boaz’s castle. Why haven’t you called? I’ve been so bored—”
“Something’s happened, and I need your help,” I blurted.
There was a brief silence on the other end. “Of course, anything. What’s up?”
I was either too afraid or embarrassed to tell her everything, so I didn’t. “I don’t think I mentioned this, but I moved home a couple of weeks ago.”
“Oh no! Are you and Boaz having problems?”
“Not really,” I lied. I didn’t want the conversation to go anywhere near Boaz and the fact that he was dead. That conversation would have to wait until I was safely out of the state. “I just felt it was time to return home.”
“Oh,” Liane said. I heard the confusion in her voice. “Then what’s wrong?”
“My parents’ home burned down last night. There’s nothing left.”
“That’s horrible! How are your parents?”
“They weren’t home.”
“That’s good, right?”
I paused. “Liane, I need you to promise you won’t repeat a word of what I’m about to tell you to anyone.”
“Of course. That’s what sisters are for.”
“I’m glad you said that.” I tapped my fingers on the windowsill in front of me. “I need your help getting as far away from here as possible, and you can’t tell a soul, not even Boaz.”
“Why?”
“I need everyone to think I died in that fire.”
“But why, Eve?”
“Please, Liane, just trust me. This is my chance to get away. They all must think I’m dead, even Boaz. He’ll tell my parents otherwise.”
“But I thought you loved him.”
“Maybe. I just need to get away. Will you please help me?”
Liane sighed. “Sure. What do you need?”
“I need to borrow some money and clothes. And a ride to the nearest bus station or airport.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely.”
“All right. I’ll do it. Where are you now?”
“I’m at a neighbor’s house, two miles east of my parents’ home. Their address is 215 Birch Street just outside Chesterfield. It’s a large white stucco home.”
I could hear Liane scribbling in the background. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. It will probably be a few hours.”
“Thank you, Liane. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“It’s nothing. I’ll see you soon. Be safe.”
The receiver on the other end clicked. I waited a few minutes before returning to Lucy in the kitchen.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she said when I walked in. “And when you’re finished, you can shower. I’ll have clothes waiting for you when you get out.”
I ate, showered, and dressed quickly. With each passing second, I mapped out my next moves. I would head to Wildemoor, a place my parents didn’t like. I would get an apartment and a job, maybe as a waitress. It’d been my plan before Boaz came into my life.
Liane arrived early. After thanking Lucy for her hospitality and assuring her that I was going directly to the police, I hurried out to meet Liane before she could come into the house.
She jumped out of the car and threw her arms around me, embracing me tightly. After releasing me, she said, “I saw the home. It really was destroyed, wasn’t it? Looks more like a bomb went off than a simple fire.”
I averted my eyes. “Let’s just get out of here.”
“You got it,” she said and returned to her seat behind the steering wheel.
“Is this new?” I asked when I closed the passenger door. The black-leathered seat felt like it had never been sat in before, and the inside of the Lexus was immaculate.
“It is. You like it?”
“It’s amazing.”
“It was a gift. So what’s with your light hair?” Liane asked. “You look so different.”
I ran my fingers through the long strands. “Thought I’d go all-natural.”
“It’s… interesting,” she commented and then laughed.
Liane and I checked into a hotel just outside Coast City near a bus station. During the drive over, Liane had kept the conversation light. She spoke of William and their latest adventure to Louisiana. Not surprisingly, this adventure had included a monkey. It pained me to hear of their fun and what I’d be missing. The only thing I wouldn’t miss was the part where we were cruel to others.
“Do you ever have regrets?” I asked Liane once we had settled into the room.
Liane jumped onto the bed and stretched out, a licoric
e rope between her lips. “Like what?”
I sat on the bed next to her. “About the things we do to people. The tricks, the manipulation, the control.”
“It’s all in good fun. Besides, we’re supernaturals, powerful ones at that. And since when did you care?”
I shook my head. “I just feel bad sometimes.”
Liane sat up and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. “I’ll admit it. Every once in a while I do too. It just sucks that I won’t have anyone to talk to about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re leaving. Who knows if we’ll ever see each other again.”
I hadn’t thought about that. “You’ll come visit me, won’t you?”
“I’m sure I will.” She reached over and grabbed her purse off the nightstand. “Speaking of travel, here is your bus ticket to Wildemoor. It leaves at 5:30 a.m. Once you get there, take a cab to the Weston Hotel downtown. I’ve booked you a room for a full month. I figure that should be enough time to get you on your feet, maybe find a sweet job pole dancing.”
I laughed and playfully shoved her. “I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”
“I’ll think of something. Now come on. Let’s go have our last night out on the town.”
I frowned.
“Not as witches,” Liane added. “As sisters.”
Before sunrise, I dressed quietly, careful not to disturb Liane who I knew was not a morning person. She’d also drank quite a bit at dinner the night before and would probably have a massive headache if wakened too early. Instead, I wrote a short note, thanking her for everything and promising to call her as soon as I was settled.
I stepped outside into the crisp, early morning air. I was about to begin a whole new life, and it would be entirely my own creation. This exhilarating thought made me walk faster toward the bus station. Other than an occasional dog barking, the streets were deserted and quiet.
I stopped at an intersection and looked both ways before crossing. As I moved to take a step forward, someone grabbed me from behind. A cloth that smelled of chemicals and jasmine pressed against my nose and mouth. I only struggled for a brief moment before the strong fumes overcame me.
