B006XVUCOY EBOK Page 8

  "Ah, forget about it." She said to me and sat back on the floor. "They're just concerned and since I know nothing about what's been going on, I'm a little worried too."

  "When we're all tucked in, then I'll tell you about Jason, until then, you're just going to have to keep wondering." I told her and closed my eyes, thinking about the feel of his skin under my lips when I took blood from him. His little moans were still fresh in my mind, and the little vibrations that I got every time he touched me seemed to shock me now, but she didn't need to know that.

  7

  Cecilia looked at me as I stood looking out my window at Cleo's vast backyard. It stretched for miles, it seemed, but held only one thing that I wanted, and it wasn't to be out in it. She cleared her throat, a little annoying since she did it three times when I didn't immediately look at her. I turned and looked at her as she sat, smiling, on the bed, looking at me as if I were suppose to be talking to her right then and there.

  "So," I said and looked around to find a chair, which I did and sat down across from her, "what do you want to know first?"

  "The man in black?" She said and looked at me a little confused.

  "He's Jason." I replied and sighed. "The day that I called you and told you that I had seen him in a dream, was the day that we actually met. You see, after I got off the phone with you, I was cornered by Isaac and his bunch. In the midst of all the confusion, up rides a man dressed in black telling me that he's here to save my life and to get on." I looked up at the ceiling and shook my head. "We ended up in the middle of nowhere before we stopped and I found out that it was the man from my dreams, named Jason Finn."

  "So, you're in the middle of the boonies with this obviously very attractive, your age guy and you found out it was him, the man that's been trailing you for the last eight months." Cecilia laughed and shook her head. "Is this freaky or what?"

  "It gets worse." I told her. "He told me that he was my guardian, hired to protect me, but he doesn't know who hired him and so on. Anyway, he doesn't want to take me home, thought that the hunters would be waiting, so, we ended up in some sort of safe house for the night, me and Mr. Sarcastic, and, low and behold, no matter what I did, I could not help but be attracted to him."

  "You tried not too?" She questioned and laughed. "Why?"

  "I don't know, he just irks me the wrong way." I said and walked over and sat on the bed near her. "You should have seen him, he had the nerve to come in and sit on the bathroom floor while I was in the bathtub. When I got home, though, he didn't stay and that unnerved me."

  "Because you felt vulnerable, right?"

  "Because, I couldn't get him out of my head." I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "It was then, when I was talking to Cleo about him that she told me something that settled me for the time. She told me he was here, on the property, under the house in a lair, sleeping."

  "Sleeping?" She asked. "Right here, all along."

  "Yeah, and get this, he is her fledgling." I told her, using a word that I had heard other vampires call the ones that they had turned. Cecilia was laughing, taking this all in and loving every minute of it. "He came to see me that night and he and I kind of got on each others nerves, so I went to bed and he watched over me, and I dreamed. I dreamed that I was some woman that had been tortured and he saved me, but I didn't want to be a vampire, and I wasn't going to live and, well, he drained my blood, helping me die."

  "Oh, my god, Angel." Cecilia looked at me and I shook my head. "You must have woken up screaming."

  “Crying, actually, and Jason was right there beside me. I knew it was him in my dream and I knew that girl was me." I explained to her. "He told me that he recognized me, and I told him that I knew him, too, but he's been looking for me for a long time. He says that he and I have been together for six of my past lives, and that he has lost me every time, the same way, by dying."

  "And, you believe this?"

  "Passionately." I closed my eyes for a moment, thought about how tired I was and then opened them once again. "I talked to Quinn about it and he thinks that Jason's just saying that to take advantage of me, but of course, Quinn would say anything to keep me out of harm’s way, right now."

  "I don't understand one thing, though." She said and lay down beside me. "Why wouldn't Quinn approve, I mean, you are his kind, or race, or whatever, the only difference is that you haven't exchanged blood with a vampire to make it final."

  "Exchanged blood?" I asked her and suddenly thought of Isaac. I jumped up off the bed and walked around the room. "Oh, Jesus, I forgot to tell Quinn. Isaac is a vampire; he said he was one of us now. He's exchanged blood with a vampire and he knows how we live."

  "Okay, so what you’re telling me is that Isaac, a vampire hunter, is a vamp himself and he's not dead yet?" Cecilia said and slid up to the end of the bed again. I put my hands on the side of my head and tangled them in my hair. "What exactly would Supernut, the original vampire slayer be doing letting his favorite grandson become a vamp and not kill him?"

  "But, Jacob's not dead either, remember." I told her. "We're not all that sure on what's keeping my loving uncle from dropping dead yet either." I sat on the bed again. "This could be bad, very, very bad."

  "But, then it could be good in a way, also." She said and jumped under the covers. "Think about it, Isaac is just as weak as the rest of them during the day and just as stupid about his body trail as most of them during the night. You'll find a way to track him down and kill him; the two of you seem to operate that way."

  "Yeah, if he doesn't find me first." I said and climbed under the blankets with her and reached up, clicking off the light.

  Angel. I heard my name whispered as I fell into the darkness that seemed to reach out for me. Angel, don’t go yet. Wake up.

  Consciousness seemed to grab me and bring me back to reality, slowly, opening my eyes. I sat up in bed and looked around the room, stopping at the dark figure that was standing by the window. I slipped out of the blankets; my light black gown seemed to cling against me as I walked over to look up at Jason, as he smiled down at me.

  How’s your back? He asked with him mind, not using his verbal voice, so as not to wake up Cecilia, and suggested that I do the same.

  Why did you leave so fast after we walked out of the hall? I asked him and stepped closer to him.

  To avoid an argument. He smiled and reached out slowly and touched my cheek. Quinn told me to stay away from you unless, of course, it was to save your life. He almost got an earful about the lies he told you. He knows damn well who you are, or were. He’s been watching too.

  Are you going to listen to him? I asked and stepped closer to him, putting my hands against his chest.

  If I was, I wouldn’t be here right now. He smiled down at me as I looked up into his deep brown eyes. His hands slid down and held me by my waist.

  I’m confused. I whispered at him and shook my head. I don’t know how to hold you, or even if you want me too.

  It’s never been a question of whether I wanted you to or not, Angel, because I’ve always wanted you. It was whether I wanted to let you get in me deep enough so that I couldn’t let you go, and I don’t want to lose you again. He said and pulled me closer to him. I looked at him, a bit confused but sure that I would figure it out later. I wish I could steal you for the night.

  Cec won’t wake up, a hurricane could pick up the house and drop her in the land of the little people and she still wouldn’t wake up. I smiled at him and leaned my head against his chest; he wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. It’s the rest of the house we should be worried about.

  Then, I’ll stay here with you. He said and walked with me over to the large cushioned chair in the corner of the room. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap. I sat side ways across his lap and he held me tightly. Isaac is one of us.

  I know and it scares me.

  at him. He put a hand on my cheek and pulled me down towards him.There’s nothing to worry about, if anything, he’ll fi
nd that it slows him down. I sat up and turned slightly to look

  This could start something. I whispered to him as he lips touched mine gently, sending fire racing through me. I don’t want to start something that we aren’t going to finish.

  Whatever starts tonight, Angel, will be finished in the future. He said and his lips closed over mine as he pulled me close and his kiss became more demanding. I always finish what I start.

  We kissed for what seemed like hours, and had made our way to the plush rugged floor. Jason parted from my lips and raised his head as he moved his weight from where he lay, half on me, then pulled my nightgown back down from where it had risen to my waist. His hands touched my leg and I jumped from the heat.

  "Sorry." He said softly, but verbally. I smiled at him and noticed that his hand didn't move from my leg. It has been almost thirty years.

  Since you last had sex? I asked him. He smiled and shook his head.

  Since the last time I saw you. I didn’t even know it was you, until just the other night. He began to use his finger to run a line up and down my bare leg, and he slipped under my nightgown, slowly moving upwards. I stopped him when he came to close to where I didn't want him to be yet. He moved his hand back down, then leaned down and kissed me again. Slowly, his kiss ended and I looked up at his brown eyes. Someone’s awake.

  It’s not Cecilia.

  No, I think it’s Quinn. He stood up and pulled me up with him. I think I should go.

  The door opened just as he had said that and we both looked at Quinn, who stood in the doorway. He flicked the light on and looked at Jason, who was standing by the window. Jason was holding both of my hands and he looked down at me, let one of them go, and brushed my cheek softly.

  Tomorrow night.

  I watched as he climbed out the window and onto the balcony, where he disappeared into the night. I looked back at Quinn, then crossed my arms and looked back out the window.

  "Angel?" He asked. I raised my hand and closed my eyes.

  He stopped what he was about to say, turned off the light and closed the door. I felt like a teenager, my father telling my boyfriend to stay away and having to feel as though I needed to sneak around to see him. In the morning, this whole situation would be resolved, one-way or the other.

  When I opened my eyes, still tucked in the large chair that I had fallen asleep in, it was very bright outside and very quite in my room. Cecilia wasn't in her bed, when I snuck over to see if she was there, and I panicked, dressed quickly and ran downstairs. I was about to yell, about to run out the door to go find her, and there she was sitting with Lauren on the couch in the sitting room.

  I stepped into the room and the two women looked up at me. "You scared me."

  "Why?" She asked me and smiled.

  "You weren't in bed when I woke up." I replied and glanced at Lauren, who got up and excused herself from the room.

  "That's because it's almost noon, you know." She laughed at me. I stretched and walked over to the couch.

  "Really?" I asked her. She nodded and looked at me, probably wondering why I had slept so long. "Jason came over last night."

  "And?"

  "And, we spent the night..." I paused and looked around the room then looked back at her, smiling, "talking."

  "Ah, ha. Yeah, right. Talking." Cecilia giggled and then got up. "Well, come on, now that you're up, let's go for a ride."

  "Before you go," a voice interrupted us. The two of us looked up at Quinn and Julian, who stood in the doorway, then back at each other. "There's something we need to talk about."

  "If it's about last night, Quinn..." I started and he shook his head.

  "It not about last night, Angel, though we should talk about that, also." He said and Cecilia sat back down. Quinn came in and sat in the chair next to me and Julian stood near the fireplace. "It's about the other night, the night of the Council meeting."

  "What about it?" I asked and looked at him. "What did the Council say?"

  "The Council said almost exactly what you said they would, stay alert and lock your doors at night, but it doesn't have to do with that." Quinn smiled at me. I was starting to get annoyed by the game.

  "Quinn, you're killing me here, what the hell happened?" I almost yelled at him.

  "After Cecilia came and got us, after the family was out safely and on the way to find you, the statehouse was set on fire, every door was latched shut from the outside and the windows, of course, were all barred." Julian spoke up. I sat back on the couch and looked at him in shock.

  "Hunters?" I asked him. He nodded and then stepped away from the mantel.

  "Apparently, they knew about the meeting ahead of time and was able to ambush the others." Julian replied to me.

  "Of course, they knew." I said softly to myself. The two older men looked at me and I glanced at Quinn. "The Council sent a message to all vampires about this meeting. Isaac is a vampire. He exchanged blood with someone."

  "How do you know?" Quinn asked me.

  "He overpowered me at the hall; he told me that he was one of us, now. One of us, meaning a vampire." I told them and looked up at the doorway as Jason and Cleo stepped into the room. I wanted to jump up and hug Jason, but he shook his head and I stayed in my seat. "What happened now?"

  "The news report just came in from the agency." Jason said and looked at Julian, then at Quinn. "There were other fires in other cities across the United States. The casualties, though, seem to be light."

  "This is unbelievable." Quinn said and looked at the floor in front of him. "If the agency had been doing its job, we would have known about this before it happened."

  "It was doing its job." Jason said. Quinn stood up and walked over to him.

  "Doing your job, Finn, does not mean doing my granddaughter." Quinn told him. Jason's face, which had been relatively calm, began to look angry.

  "Excuse me!" I yelled and the two of them looked at me. I stood up from the couch and walked over to them. I looked up at Quinn and smacked him hard across the face. He looked at me, a bit confused, but mostly shocked and touched his cheek. "If you're going to insinuate that I'm sleeping around, please get your facts straight."

  "I don't want you to see him again."

  "Quinn, you are not my father, nor, are you his." I told him and stepped back. He looked at Jason and pointed a finger at him.

  "I want you to stay away from her!" He told Jason firmly.

  "This is my home." Jason said and stared Quinn in the eyes. "I will do whatever I want, as long as I live here."

  "Cleo!" Quinn said and looked at Cleo, who just stood there, like a woman of power, and looked at him without expression. She held her hand up and looked away. Quinn looked back at Jason. "Touch her again, and I'll kill you myself."

  "The issue, here, my dear brother," Julian said, and the group looked at him as he stood by the fireplace once again. "Is not what's going on in this house, but in Jacob's house. His grandson, your grandson, is a vampire hunter, and a vampire, with all the abilities and powers and we have to figure out what to do with him before he figures out what to do with those abilities."

  I watched Quinn walk over to the couch and sit, while at the door, I watched Jason turn and leave. I looked at Quinn, Cecilia, and Michael, who had joined us sometime during the proceedings and then I looked at Julian, who waved his arm as if to say that it was okay if I went after him. What they were going to talk about wouldn't have included me in the first place.

  I followed Jason out the front door and watched him get on his bike. He grabbed his helmet and was about to put it on when I stepped up beside him.

  "Jason, please." I asked him. He looked at me.

  "You heard you're grandfather, he doesn't want me near you." He said and adjusted the straps before he put it on.

  "I don't give a damn what he said."

  Jason slipped on the helmet and looked at me just before he started the bike. "I'm not going to do this again, Angel. Like I told you before, it's always the same, and it
always ends the same. Maybe you're right; this time will be different, you'll live if I stay away from you."

  "No." I said and grabbed his arm as he started the bike. He looked at me as tears filled up in my eyes. "Jason, please, don't do this. I want you to be with me, I want to be with you. Quinn has nothing to do with this."

  "Good-bye, Angel." He said and pulled away from me, leaving me standing in the driveway alone. I covered my face as the tears started to stream down my cheeks, then crossed my arms as I looked at the direction that he had driven off in, and slowly I walked inside.

  I stopped in the doorway of the sitting room, just long enough to catch Quinn's eyes and then I walked out towards the back balcony, with Cecilia not too far behind. I stood looking out at the view, my hands on the waist high wall, my body leaning its weight on them. I rocked, slowly, back and forth as I looked at the skyline. A hand touched me softly but I never looked back. I knew who it was.

  "He's not coming back." I told her. Cecilia stepped up beside me and sat on the wall, her back to the view that I continued to stare at. "He said that maybe I wouldn't die this time, because he wouldn't be there."

  "He's just letting off some steam, Angel, he'll be back." Cecilia said and touched my hand.

  "No," I snapped, "you weren't there; you didn't see the look in his eyes." I stood up straight and then turned and looked at her. "I'm leaving."

  "You're what?" She asked me.

  "I came here to find my grandfather and I found him. I thought that I'd be safe here, but it’s just like any other place I've ever been. I don't know what makes me think that this would be different, it's just stone and wood, brick and plaster, just like every other place. I'm no more safe here than out there on the road." I told her and looked out again. "But, I want you to stay here."

  "I don't think so, not without you." She said shaking her head.

  "But, you're wanted here." I told her and sighed.

  "So are you." Cleo said and I turned and looked at her.