by Raven Steele
Chapter 45
The move to Skystead was harder than I thought it would be. Mostly because I had to say goodbye to Sarah and the children at the Academy. I promised to come and visit, and Sarah promised to come visit me. It was just temporary, she'd said. I wasn't so sure.
Both Charlie and I had little to move so the actual transition went quickly. What did take a while, however, was finding a home of my own. Charlie tried to convince me to stay in the same apartment building as him, but I felt strongly that I needed to be on my own. Eventually, I found a two-story home in a nice neighborhood within two miles of the Deific office.
The office itself was a miniature replica of the one in Wildemoor. Standing three stories high, it was tucked between two much taller buildings. There was nothing architecturally pleasing about it. It was such a plain, square building that one could easily walk right by without ever noticing it.
The employees were as Henry described—broken and full of despair on behalf of their friends and coworkers whose lives had been lost. Charlie was wonderful with them. His humor and gentle nature did as Henry expected. Within two weeks, the mood had lightened dramatically.
Finding Lucien proved harder than I anticipated. I recognized a few landmarks from my dreams, but whenever I visited them, he was never there. I was anxious to find him as Henry’s words had frightened me, and I didn’t want to waste any more time. Charlie hadn’t been much help. He’d been so focused with helping the people in the office that he hadn’t brought up Lucien’s name, but I couldn’t do this alone anymore.
“Charlie,” I said in his office after a staff meeting, “I need some help.”
He looked up from an open folder in his hands. “This is a first. How may I be of service?”
“It’s time we found Lucien. I’ve tried finding him myself using landmarks from my dreams, but it hasn’t helped. I was wondering if you would use your ability.”
Charlie pushed the folder away and sighed. “I know it seems like I have forgotten the task Henry gave us, but I haven’t. Lucien has been on my mind a lot.”
“Then why haven’t you said anything?”
He averted his eyes. “I don’t think it’s time yet. I have a bad feeling about Lucien. He’s nowhere near ready, and I don’t want you risking your life.”
“But you heard what Henry said! The Deific needs him. You know that for every second we waste, the Dark Prince grows stronger. I thought you wanted to finish him!”
Charlie jumped to his feet and pointed his finger at me. “Do you think I like being here, especially knowing my friends are out there fighting? I should be out there with them, destroying the bastard who killed my wife! Instead, I’ve been sent here to find a vampire who could possibly kill you. Forgive me if I’m a little hesitant!”
I was too stunned to respond right away. I’d never considered how hard this might be for him. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”
Charlie dropped back into the chair and exhaled a weighted breath. “No, I’m sorry. There’s so much going on up here,” he tapped his head “that sometimes I snap. I shouldn’t speak to you like that. And you’re right. We do need to find Lucien, but we must proceed with caution. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
“Do you still have that picture of him?”
I reached into my back pocket and removed the folded piece of paper. Charlie took it and smoothed it out. “Come see me after work. I should have something then. Oh, and would you meet with a couple of employees? I’m not sure how to help them.”
“Of course,” I said. “And Charlie?” His gaze met mine. “Thank you.”
During the next couple of hours, I spoke with two women. They had been close friends with a couple of the deceased, and they couldn’t understand why their friends had to die. They believed in the Deific and what it stood for but thought it should’ve been better protected or at least have been given a warning about the attack. My senses told me that these women weren’t necessarily looking for changes. They simply needed to talk about what happened.
“How about we start a support group?” I offered. “We could meet every Wednesday night to discuss what happened, how we can prevent it in the future, and more importantly talk about the ones we miss.”
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Susanne, the older woman, said. “I’ll post an announcement today.”
A few hours later, I returned to Charlie. He looked agitated and shook his head at me before I had the chance to speak.
He stood up and pulled his coat on. “I’m sorry, but it’s too soon. Lucien is too dangerous.”
“What do you mean?”
“The more I looked at his picture, the more I felt how dangerous he is. He’s done something horrible, and I don’t want you to have anything to do with him. Not yet.”
“I don’t care what he’s done in the past,” I said.
“You should.”
In a softer voice, I said, “Charlie, I’ve seen him do good things. There is hope for him. Besides, you’ve seen our future. You know what he’s capable of!”
“That’s in the future. He needs more time.”
I steeled my voice and stared Charlie straight in the eyes. “I need to know where he is now, but I promise to keep a distance until I know it’s safe.”
Charlie huffed and pursed his lips together. “Fine. Come with me. I think I know where he is, or at least the general vicinity.”
Thirty minutes later, Charlie parked at the same marina where I’d seen Lucien before.
“Let me try to sense something. I’ll be right back.” He got out of the car and tucked his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. A sharp wind twisted his curly hair. He attempted to smooth it back, but it was futile. He turned and gave me a forced smile.
I watched him walk away from the car, grateful for our friendship. In another lifetime, I might’ve actually liked him more than a friend. He was strong, loyal, kind—
My lingering gaze paused when I found the dock where I first saw Lucien. My heart stopped beating. Lucien. My longing to be with him made my heart ache, and my body go numb. But I felt something else tug at my senses, a new feeling. It was an urgency of some kind. Something was wrong.
The car door opened and Charlie jumped in, bringing with him a strong gust of wind. “That wind cuts through you sharper than my Uncle Jack chews through a Thanksgiving turkey.”
“Did you sense anything?”
He turned to me. “Did you know my uncle actually sharpens his dentures before Thanksgiving?’
“Charlie, please.”
He let out a long, drawn out sigh. “He’s not here.”
“I could’ve told you that,” I said.
“It wasn’t a complete waste. I sense that Valium Vampire will be here in a couple of hours.”
“Who?”
“Forget it. Let’s get something to eat, and then we’ll come back.” He started the car and drove from the parking lot.
“Do you feel anything else?” I asked.
He frowned. “Like what?”
“Like something’s about to happen. And it involves Lucien.”
“I don’t. What are you picking up?”
I shrugged and looked out the window. “Maybe it’s nothing.”
But it didn’t feel like nothing. Dread had pooled in my stomach, making me nauseous.
A couple of blocks away, Charlie and I sat in a small cafe next to a wide window. Sunlight spilled in and reflected off a freshly wiped table. Charlie did most of the talking, speaking of the Deific employees. I tried to follow along, but I couldn’t get Lucien out of my mind.
“Eve?”
I looked at him. “Hmm?”
“I was asking you what you think we should do for Don.”
Don was the night janitor at the Deific. He recently went through a divorce. “I’ll go talk to him and see if I can figure out what would be best,” I promised.
All of a sudden, Charlie tensed and grabbed my hand on the table. �
��Valium!”
“What?”
“In a few seconds, Valium, I mean Lucien, will pass by this window.”
I stopped breathing and looked outside. Even though I could still hear the bustling sounds of the restaurant, time slowed as if it, too, was holding its breath as much as I was.
On the sidewalk in front of me, Lucien stepped into view. I wasn’t sure it was him at first because he was dressed so different. A black suit jacket covered his muscular chest. It was unbuttoned, and beneath it, he wore a black vest over a red shirt. His hooded blue eyes looked angry as he stared ahead, unaware of everyone and everything around him. He walked with purpose and with a confidence I rarely saw in anyone. I wished time would stop so I could capture his image, but even as I thought it, he passed by.
Go after him! My body jerked into action and moved toward the door. Outside on the sidewalk, I followed his every movement — walking away from me.
A hard thump on my shoulder sped up time. Two men walked by, one of whom had purposely bumped into me. When he was a few feet away, the man who had nudged me turned around and stared. It wasn’t his red spiked hair or his many tattoos of crossed bones all over his body that frightened me, it was his smile. It spread across his face the way oil coats the sea.
“Vampires,” I heard Charlie hiss behind me. He pulled me back into the restaurant. “You didn’t tell me he had friends.”
“He doesn’t. They’re following him. We’ll have to warn him when we see him at the marina. Let’s go.”
Ten minutes later, we were back in the same parking spot overlooking the marina. I checked my watch every few seconds, my pulse racing. Charlie tapped on the steering wheel to soundless music.
“Something feels different,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I don’t think he’s going to show.”
“Why? You said earlier he’d be here.”
“Well that’s before I saw the other vampires. It changes things.”
“What’s the point of being psychic if everything can change?” I didn’t like the sound of my voice, but with every passing second, my anxiety grew.
“Look, I never said the gift was perfect. I only said I was.”
I ignored his attempt at a joke and got out of the car. I glanced at my watch again. He should be here by now. Charlie exited the vehicle on the other side.
“I’ll go walk around, see if I can pick up anything,” he said.
I turned the other way and walked down the pier.
When we met up again several minutes later, Charlie said, “I’ve got nothing. It’s like he disappeared or something.”
I sighed. There was only one way I could find him now. “Could you take me home?”
“We could look some more if you’d like, drive around, see if I sense anything.”
I shook my head. “That’s okay. I’ll try to locate him in my dreams.”
“You didn’t tell me you were still doing that. I’m not sure how safe that is.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be okay. Would you mind dropping me off? And please stay close to your phone. I may need you in the middle of the night.”
“I get that a lot.”
I smiled. “I don’t doubt it.”
He blushed. “Oh, come on. It's been years since a woman has looked at me like that. I got extremely lucky finding my wife. Some might even call it magic." He winked.
I laughed. It was good to see Charlie more relaxed. Maybe Henry sending Charlie here wasn’t really for the other people but more for himself. I liked this side of him a lot.
Too many hours later, when I was back at my home, sleep finally came, and I was transported to Lucien. The sight of him made me sick. He was alone inside a narrow room with concrete floors; above him, a florescent light flickered sporadically. Glass had been shattered across the floor along with shards of wood from a nearby broken table. There had been a struggle, and Lucien obviously had lost. His body hung upright in the center of the room, unconscious, with his hands tied together, hanging high above his head.
At first glance I thought he was still wearing the red shirt from earlier, but as I drew closer, I saw that his arms had been slit from wrists to shoulders, bathing his body in blood.
Chapter 46
I frantically looked around for a way to help Lucien, my legs felt weak even in this dream-like state. Lying in the corner was his crumpled up jacket. Unable to physically touch anything, I mentally used magic to make the jacket rise into the air. I ripped it in two and then wrapped the halves around each arm to slow the bleeding. I then focused on the ropes tied around his wrists, but they were tied too tight.
I need to physically be here. I gritted my teeth and moaned in frustration. Where am I?
The only door to the room was closed, and when I tried to open it with my mind, I discovered it was locked. And I was not mentally strong enough to force it open. Surveying the room, I found it to be some kind of shed encased with concrete. I crossed the room to the broken table lying on top of scattered papers and searched for anything that might help.
That’s when I found it—letterhead that read Oakridge Storage Units. I willed myself back home and woke up. While I dressed, I telephoned Charlie.
He answered after the seventh ring. “I found him, Charlie.”
He yawned. “Found who?”
“Lucien, and he’s hurt.”
“But he’s alive, right?”
“Barely.” I threw on my shoes.
“He’s a vampire, so if we just wait until morning, then he’ll have healed himself. Can you call me back in a few hours?”
“No! There’s something wrong with the way he’s been hurt. He’s not healing.”
Several quiet seconds passed. “Fine. I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”
I hung up the phone and rushed outside to wait for him.
Following directions on my cell phone, I guided Charlie to the storage units. Once he parked, I jumped out of his car and climbed the gate that blocked the entrance into the units.
“Which one is he in?” Charlie asked after he removed a medical bag from behind the driver's seat. He skillfully scaled the fence and landed next to me on the other side, the strap of the bag across his chest.
“I’m not sure. Can you find out?”
I followed him as he briskly walked up and down the long gravel driveways between the cinderblock storage units. When he reached the end of the second aisle, he stopped. “In here!”
He made an attempt to throw his shoulder into the heavy door, but I stopped him. “Allow me.”
I focused my gaze on the lock built into the bulky door. It took little effort for me to break it open.
“My power pales compared to yours,” Charlie mumbled.
I rushed inside and worked quickly to untie Lucien’s hands. I tried to catch him as he fell, but his weight proved too much for me, and he collapsed to the concrete floor.
“Nice catch,” Charlie said.
I scowled. “Maybe you should help me.”
Charlie bent down and inspected Lucien’s wounds. “Those are some nasty cuts. He must’ve been cut by a Saranton knife.”
“What’s that?”
Charlie poked at Lucien’s eye as if seeing if he really was unconscious. “It’s a magical knife created for the sole purpose of paralyzing a vampire. It won’t kill him, but if those wounds don’t heal, he’ll never wake up.”
“How can I fix it?”
“Fight magic with magic,” he said.
“What does that mean?”
“Use the power within you. It will take a lot of concentration. Think of all the good in your life and your feelings for those who are important to you. If you have enough, then you will be able to heal him.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Then he dies.” Charlie must’ve noticed my shocked expression because he quickly added, after clearing his throat, “I don’t know that for sure. Look, I have complete faith in
you. You can do this.”
I knelt beside Lucien and cradled his head in my lap. I imagined our first meeting together very differently.
After I removed Lucien’s torn, blood-soaked jacket from around his arms, I stared at the wounds, trying to figure out what to do next. A lot of the bleeding had stopped, but the deep gashes remained open. I touched the beginning of the cut at his wrist and gently rubbed my thumb over the raw skin.
It felt different to be this close to Lucien physically. In my dreams, his presence was calming, but physically touching him made every nerve in my body come to life. I could hear a soft humming in the air much like the sound I heard when I felt the beauty of the rose.
My gaze roamed to his face. I resisted the urge to caress it, as I was keenly aware that Charlie was leaning over me, breathing loudly.
“Nothing’s happening,” Charlie said.
“Give me a minute.”
I looked at the wound and imagined the skin regenerating.
“Come on, Lucien,” I whispered.
I focused harder and still nothing. Then I remembered Charlie’s instructions. I thought of the last several months at the Deific. Had it been that long? During this time, the world had finally become a beautiful place. I'd made a best friend in Sarah, and I loved being around the children. They, more than anyone else, had taught me how to love and be happy with life. I thought of Charlie and the Deific, and all the great work they were doing and the many lives they had saved. And finally, I thought of Lucien. I wanted him to see and feel beauty as I did. I wanted him to let go of whatever it was that caused him pain. But most of all, I wanted him to see me.
My emotions swelled, and my whole body tingled, starting in my heart. The feeling spread throughout my limbs and finally down to my thumb that touched his wound. His skin began to heal.
