Fire & Ice Page 4

  “Well I do. Go home, Elise. Tell mother and father I’ve gotten married and I’m happy and well. And the next time I send a letter, don’t follow me.”

  Elise’s stricken expression stirred something inside me. She hadn’t expected to be dismissed so quickly and it cut her. After escorting Alicia back to Darren, I wished them well and made my way back to Elise. She still sat with the same expression as when her sister dismissed her.

  “I have no way home. I spent the last of my coin to come here. What am I to do now?” her voice shook while she looked to me for answers.

  “I’ll see what I can do, Elise. Come on, you can stay with me until we get you home.”

  “I’m not sure I should,” she said as she wiped her eyes with her kerchief.

  “I will be a gentleman. I’m not one to take advantage of a lady when she’s unwilling. Let us leave.” Reluctantly, she took my arm and never looked back.

  Chapter 7

  Colorado, Present Day

  “A few human women wanted to be mine, but I didn’t cross that line. I barely crossed it with vampires,” I smirked.

  “What does that mean?” she shivered. I suspected it wasn’t from the cold.

  “I wasn’t a one-woman-man back then. Jasmine and Alex had integrated me into their lifestyle, which was all about being free. I didn’t realize how stupid that was until later,” I said slowly.

  “So you liked being free?” she swallowed hard.

  “I wouldn’t say I liked it, rather it was all I knew. You have to remember, before I met them I wandered around killing people because I had no rhyme or reason, no understanding of who I was or what it meant.”

  “Oh,” she made a face.

  I chuckled, “What was that face for?”

  “The person you’re explaining is much different than the one sitting in front of me. It’s like, instead of only doing away with the bad parts, you shut out the good parts, too. I understand not wanting to kill people, but did you really want to keep people out so badly?” she chewed her lip.

  “I don’t aim to push anyone away, but there’s something you need to understand. My emotions, vampire type emotions, are much stronger than a human’s. Take what you feel, knowing how strong it is, and multiply that times a thousand. Even that probably wouldn’t be sufficient enough to describe it.

  “When I hurt or mourn, it’s so painful I cry tears of blood. When I am happy, it warms like the sun. When I love, it’s…”

  “It’s what?” she eyed me.

  “It’s supposed to be all encompassing. Like my breath isn’t my own. Each day is lived only as a means of being with the object of that love,” I drew a shaky breath. “But what is worse, is the fear. An unshakable, gut wrenching fear that if I allow myself to fall in love, something will happen. I’m not even sure I know what love feels like,” my voice trailed at the end. I knew what it felt like, but I didn’t want to cross the line.

  “How do you know so much about it, then?” she accused.

  “I lived with Alex and Jasmine a long time. Even though she and I were lovers, she didn’t love me. Alex was her love. They lived and breathed for one another. For Alex, the sun wouldn’t rise if she wasn’t beside him. And for Jasmine, she couldn’t be without him for long before she itched for his touch. While it was irritating at the time, I don’t know if I’ve felt the same way,” I watched her squirm under my gaze.

  “I see,” she said quietly, looking anywhere but at my face.

  “Are you alright?” I asked when she was quiet for some time.

  “I’m fine,” she glanced at me briefly.

  I shook my head, “Why do you do that?”

  “Do what?” she played coy.

  “You pretend like I can’t tell when you’re lying. We may be outside, but I can cut the tension surrounding you with a spoon,” I gestured in the air.

  “It doesn’t matter what I say, Christian,” she shook her head sadly. “Please, just continue with the story.”

  I sat there, staring at her blankly. Harsh words sat on the tip of my tongue, but I held it firmly between my teeth. Lashing out when I was angry was never a good thing, especially with Lia.

  “Fine,” I shifted so I was facing away from her. “After Europe, we moved through Asia, Russia and Africa. Things started to get complicated the longer we stayed because people were beginning to fight back. In some countries, there were brotherhoods that would set traps for us at night. They’d use young men and women to draw us out and then ambush whichever vampires were there. They mostly used wooden stakes, but some became familiar with old world lore and started using chained silver.”

  “I thought silver was only lethal to werewolves?”

  “To be honest, we are both susceptible to death by any of these. Werewolves are human with heightened immune systems and numerous other specialties, so they can be killed fairly easily if weakened by silver. Vampires are harder to kill because we’re usually faster, but silver weakens us just the same. For us, our death is only met with a stake or by UV rays. Either way, it’s no picnic,” I laughed morbidly.

  “Slowly, we began to move underground. We were forced to live in secret. Eventually, Alex and Jasmine left me. I was on my own in places I didn’t know. Using everything they taught me, I began to make a name for myself among the underground scenes. I was hated by some, but revered by others. I took women to bed and drained them, not caring if I left a trace. Nothing mattered, you see. I had no one to answer to. There was nothing that held me to normal human laws.

  “Many nights I grew tired of the games. I wanted an existence of substance, but didn’t know what that meant. When I slept, I’d have dreams of what I know now was my old life. I’d remember my mother’s face and how she laughed at my brother and me playing in the lake. I’d remember the first time I went hunting with my father and caught dinner. But the entire time, I couldn’t figure out who these people were and it drove me mad.

  “Then I’d remember being turned. The pain shattered my mind. I started acting more reckless, even killed people simply because they were in my way. It was about a decade that I continued the tirade. Before long, I’d gained the attention of The Council. At the time, I hadn’t a clue about who they were, but then again I also didn’t care. A part of me wanted to die. The pieces of my mind were scattered across the miles I’d traveled, leaving me broken and confused.

  “During those days, Austin was one of the lackeys who were charged with reining in the rogues. Since I had no home and roamed alone, I had become one of them. As a vampire, I wasn’t supposed to be a nomad. There were boundaries set for different races and apparently I’d drawn attention to myself because I was in someone else’s territory.

  “After receiving the order to find me, it took him months to track my location. I learned never to stay in the same place for longer than a few weeks. Any longer than that and I could find myself hunted by the mobs of locals. I ended up near London, where I made the mistake of staying longer than normal. I’d found myself smitten with a particular woman and decided to test my luck.”

  “I thought you said you didn’t fall in love with anyone?” she accused.

  “I didn’t. I said I was smitten. It was a crush, mostly because she refused to have sex. She was willing, and even tested my resolve, but time and time again she’d make me wait for one reason or another. I was foolish, though. She knew I was a vampire and tried to trick me into becoming my bloodwhore.”

  “What did you do then? If she wasn’t your ‘bloodwhore’, I mean?” she relaxed slightly, but I could still sense the jealousy.

  “Like I said, I didn’t want attachments. I craved the game. So eventually, I got her into bed and got what I needed. She begged for me to stay, but I’d already stayed too long. On my way out of town, I crossed paths with Austin.”

  Chapter 8

  Canada, 1948

  The cell was dank and dingy. Water dripped along the walls, creating a draft. Normally, the elements wouldn’t affect me, but I was st
arving. It was either days or weeks that I had been left there. Only one enforcer watched me wither away. He sat in an old wooden chair, staring a hole through me. I didn’t dare utter a word. I knew it was useless.

  I lay with my face pressed against the hard cement floor, wanting to die. I didn’t know how it would happen; I just prayed it was quick. Flashes of faces haunted me when I closed my eyes. I didn’t recognize them, but I wept anyway. Part of me didn’t want to remember.

  One such face appeared more than the others; that of a woman. Ringlets hung just at her ears, strays left behind by her messy bun. Her green eyes were stricken with such sadness, it was almost impossible to bear. Something about her was eerily familiar, but the aches from hunger made it hard to concentrate. Was she a memory from before? Was she a victim of mine? It hurt to think.

  A metal door grated in the distance, followed by heavy footfalls. Muffled words were passed to the enforcer on watch, probably about me. I was so weak. Pulling myself up from the floor was next to impossible. My body began to protest with cracks and pops. Rigor-mortise had begun to set in.

  “Christ, he can barely move. Didn’t you feed him?” one voice said.

  “He never asked for food. He didn’t say anything at all since he was put in here,” the enforcer replied.

  “It’s your ass if he’s dead,” the voice replied.

  “Christian? Christian, can you hear me?”

  “Yes,” I choked.

  “Hold on, mate. I’ll get you something,” the footsteps scurried from the room.

  I sighed, unsure if it was from relief or disappointment. Death wasn’t coming, but my body was dying. I didn’t know such a thing was possible. The feeling was strange, to say the least. My already icy body turned colder; my flesh solidifying. To the touch, I was a corpse. It was the perfect punishment.

  My throat burned horrifically at a familiar scent. A human approached, deliciously afraid and unwilling. Every muscle in my body twitched in anticipation, releasing a wave of excruciating pain that radiated through me unmercifully. The agony was more than a human could bear, but lucky for me I wasn’t human. Oh joy.

  “Drink up, mate. We need to get you cleaned up,” the voice returned.

  “I’ll kill her,” I managed through parched lips.

  “I won’t let her die, just drink,” he said as he forced her wrist to my lips.

  Sweet venom flooded my tongue as her warm flesh pressed against my lips. Barely able to open my mouth, only the tips of my fangs punctured the delicate skin. She gasped as they sank deeper, drawing in enough blood to fill my mouth.

  I’d never tasted anything as ripe and sweet. Almost immediately, her moans filled the room and I pulled back, knowing what would happen if I didn’t. Her breathing was ragged, but her eyes were filled with hunger. She’d tasted the pleasure I could give and wanted more.

  “C’mon mate, you need to drink,” the voice came from a scruffy gentleman.

  He had an accent I couldn’t place, but I knew he wasn’t like me. No, he was a faerie. Their appearance was generally human; the thing that marked them was their eyes. It wasn’t the color, which varied, it was one distinct feature. It was so subtle, undoubtedly no one would notice, but being a vampire made it easy to see things. Just to the right of the iris, there was a tiny spec of white. An orb that sparkled if the light hit it just right and it was the only way to tell the fae from the humans.

  “Since when do faeries help vampires?” I asked sarcastically.

  “Aye, tell me ‘bout it. Now drink,” he shoved her wrist to my mouth again. I stared at the place my fangs punctured and watched the blood travel the length of her arm. It’s a shame some of it went to waste.

  Somewhat reluctantly, I obliged. I fought the urge to tangle myself around her tiny frame and squeeze the last of the crimson fuel from her body. Each tantalizing sound she made left me hungrier. She bucked and thrashed against the man, undoubtedly wishing it was I who held her.

  Heat began to radiate through my chilled body. It was comforting. I didn’t think of what I took from the girl, it was simply what I had to do. As she grew weaker, the man began muttering in a language I didn’t recognize. She slumped, unconscious, against his shoulder and I released her.

  “I told you I’d kill her,” I spat on the floor.

  “You could’ve, but I told you I wouldn’t let her die, didn’t I?” he challenged.

  The enforcer carried her off while the man stayed inside the cell with me. He was responsible for me, which meant he’d probably be punished if something happened. I managed to roll onto my side and stretch some of the stiffness out of my body. I didn’t feel as cold, which I suppose was a good thing, but I still didn’t know why I had been held prisoner aside from being a vampire.

  “My name is Fin. You reckon to be feelin’ better?” he nodded toward where I lay on the floor.

  “A bit. Why did you bring a human here? Why not try some faerie magic to cure me?” I forced myself to sit.

  “It doesn’t work that way, mate. I can only use my magic on the living. No offense, bud,” he shrugged.

  I smirked, “So why I am here, Fin?”

  “I’m afraid I cannot answer ya. That would be Austin’s job. He’ll be along shortly. Until then, there’ll be a wash basin brought in and some fresh clothes. It’d do ya well to clean up, eh?” he nodded again and edged his way of the cell.

  With a mock salute, I watched him leave the dungeon. Austin must have been the sorcerer who captured me. The only reason I was caught was something about not being where I was supposed to. Like I knew what that meant.

  “I see you’re feeling better. Someone finally decided to feed you, did they?” he said from the shadows. Of course I knew he was there. I could almost smell the magic rolling off of him.

  “So nice of you to be concerned,” I grumbled.

  He chuckled, “Where were you headed when we intercepted you?”

  “Nowhere in particular. Call me a wanderer,” I waved him off.

  “The problem with that is you can’t just traipse through territories without a reason for being there. That’s how wars begin,” he growled.

  “Wars? Territories? What is this? I’m supposed to believe I’ve been detained here because of land rights?” I scoffed.

  The enforcer came and left the wash basin and clothes as promised. All the while, Austin didn’t take his eyes from me. Something about the way he studied me left me restless. Jasmine and Alex said nothing of territories or any wars as long as I’d known them. On the other hand, that didn’t surprise me.

  “Get cleaned up. I’ll be back to get you on the hour.”

  “What for?” I splashed the water on my face.

  “Your trial, of course,” he said and evaporated into thin air.

  “Of course,” I said to no one and did as I was told.

  Chapter 9

  Colorado, Present Day

  “Initially, the confrontation was hostile. Never being told about The Council, I believed he was just another human who hated my kind. It wasn’t until he shackled me with magical bindings that I realized he was telling the truth. For the first time since I’d been turned, I was afraid.

  “I was left in a dungeon for weeks, awaiting my trial. I couldn’t sleep for the faces flashing behind my eyelids and I couldn’t eat for the lack of humans. I was completely alone for the first time in a very long time. If it weren’t for Austin, I’d probably be dead right now.”

  “What did he do?” she asked in a low voice. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Was it because she cared for him?

  “He explained to me why I was there and who The Council was. Somehow, he believed my story and I was able to explain why I was unaware of the laws. I was lucky to have him as the tracker assigned to me. The Elders were lenient, only requiring that I stay within the boundary land set for vampires and not kill any humans unless absolutely necessary. I had no choice but to stay there a while, seeing as how I couldn’t remember exactly where I was from,”
I shuddered.

  “It was too convenient that other vampires were being staked for lesser crimes than my own. I should have been sentenced harsher. For some reason, I was spared and for decades I couldn’t figure out why.”

  “I thought you said you started to remember things before that?” she inclined her head toward me.

  “Yes and no. I could remember faces and conversations, but I couldn’t remember where. I’d catch glimpses of the past, but nothing concrete. It was quite agitating.”

  “So how did you end up back here?”

  “Austin used some herbs and spells to help me remember. It worked too well. Not only did I remember where I came from, but I began to remember my turning. Every time I fed from someone, I’d feel the pain of the venom all over again. It wasn’t long before feeding at all became difficult. That’s when Austin helped me make the elixir,” I pulled out the flask and took a small drink. Her heart pulsed loudly in my ears, making it hard to concentrate.

  “So you don’t like biting people?” she asked in confusion.

  “Uh, not exactly. It’s in my nature to thrive for nothing else. I enjoy it too much. That’s also why I hate it. I don’t like hurting people, Lia,” I affirmed.

  “But you said people like it?”

  “Yes, and those are the ones I despised. I was a predator. I didn’t want the willing ones; I wanted the ones who ran. What fun is it to have all these abilities and not use them?” I asked morbidly. Her eyes grew wide, but she wasn’t afraid. Something else conflicted in her mind, but she did well to hide it.

  “I see,” she turned away as blood flooded her cheeks.

  “I didn’t freak you out, did I?”

  “No, I just don’t think I need to hear about your preferences. It’s….well, let’s just skip over that, okay?” she kept her back to me, but her voice shook.

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  “I’m not afraid,” she laughed shyly. “It’s actually incredibly sexy to hear you talk about it that way. There must be something wrong with my brain.”