Earth Child (Romance Novels of The Fae Realm) (3 page)

            “Have you ever met a vampire?”

            “No, of course not; they aren’t really real,” I smiled.

            “Why couldn’t they be?”

            I paused for a moment before answering, “I guess anything is possible,” and before I could stop myself I blurted out, “Are you a vampire?”

            He smiled and turned his full gaze on me again.  Immediately my heart did a little flip flop and landed in my stomach.

            “No.  I am not a vampire.  My name is Cerus,” he said, extending his hand.

            “Nice to meet you.”

            I reached out to shake the hand he offered me.  This time there was an actually jolt of electricity that passed between us.  So much so that I dropped Cerus’ hand and jumped back.  Cerus didn’t look startled or offended.  I wondered if he had felt the same jolt that I had.  Instead he gathered my books and offered them to me.  I hadn’t introduced myself and worried that he would think I was rude, I blushed.  I could feel the heat on my face and neck.

            “Thank you,” I said taking the books from him, “My name is Alexa.”

            “I know.”

            Okay, I thought to myself, does he know that because he heard Miss Grantham or because he is the most perfect beautiful stalker that I would gladly climb in the back of a van for?  Suddenly all the feelings of unease and paranoia I had been feeling in the past 24 hours came back to me.

            “I have to go to work now.  It was nice meeting you Cerus.  Thank you for the copies Miss Grantham,” and with that I quickly walked to the door.  I was halfway outside when I heard his soft whisper behind me.

            “I will see you again Alexa.”

            It was so soft and so close I could swear that he was right behind me.  It wasn’t a question though.  Looking over my shoulder I could see that he was still at the counter talking to Miss Grantham.  As if he knew I was looking, Cerus turned around and briefly met my gaze.  Once again I felt the tingle across my neck and heat spreading through me.  As quickly as it started it was over as he turned his attention back to the librarian.

            Rushing to my car I threw my books in the back, scattering the copies across the seat and onto the floor.  My tires spun on the gravel as I sped off to work.  After I had been driving for a few minutes I felt my heart beat return to normal.

            “
What
in the
world
was
that
?” I yelled to my car, “Seriously,
what
just happened?”  I was nervous, excited, and completely confused all at the same time.  All I wanted to do was get home and hide in the folds of my comforter while I tried to figure it out.  Who and what was Cerus?  He was too beautiful, too wild, and too young to be just a businessman.  There was definitely more to him than he portrayed and I was determined to find out what that was.  While I didn’t feel like he would hurt me, the fact that he knew who I was before I could tell him made me feel uncomfortable.  Not to mention the fact that I felt like I knew him already.  Whispering out loud I asked myself, “Cerus.  What are you?”

            Unfortunately, I still had to go to work.  Fortunately working at the Fotohut doesn’t require that much concentration.  I don’t actually process any film.  People drop it off and pick up their pictures and negatives in a couple of days.  I also don’t have to be there to receive the processed film.  The UPS guy simply drops it in the overnight bin.  All I do is alphabetize the processed film when I get there, and put the undeveloped rolls in collection envelopes when they are dropped off.  Customers pay when they pick up their pictures.  It wasn’t really a hard job at all.  It was better than flipping burgers at least.  I made a little more than minimum wage, but since my only real expense was gas I didn’t really mind it.

            I was still pondering on my encounter with Cerus when it came time to close.  I quickly wrote up the deposit for the day, prepared the dropped off film for shipping, grabbed both, and headed to my car.  The bank was just across the parking lot.  I pulled up to the curb and jumped out to drop the money in the overnight deposit.  Next I drove a few blocks to the post office.  UPS had a drop box outside, so I didn’t even have to get out of my car.  Just drive up, drop off, and drive away.  In a few minutes I’m home.

            A few years ago Dad bought a boat.  It took my spot in the garage.  He did say that I could park in the driveway, but in addition to all its other faults, my car leaks oil.  Dad is kind of a neat freak so to save his sanity, and the driveway, I park on the street.  It doesn’t bother me.  Secretly I long for one of two things to happen.  First that another driver doesn’t see my car and hits it causing irreversible damage and allowing me to get a new car.  Second that someone will steal it.  Both scenarios are highly unlikely.  When I pull up to the curb it is no surprise to see Sam’s little blue Honda Accord sitting in the driveway.  I gathered my things and headed across the grass to the front door.

            “Hey Mom!I’m home!” I shouted while kicking the door closed behind me. 

            “We’re in here!” came an answering shout from the kitchen.

            The scene that greeted me was pretty typical.  Mom was busy finishing up the cooking while Dad and Sam were setting the table.  Sam’s dad wasn’t in the picture, and his mom worked a lot so Sam ate dinner (really any meal) at our house.

            “Hey Lex, are you ready to hike tomorrow?”  Sam asked

            “Sure thing just got to finish some homework tonight.”

            “Want some help?”

            What I really wanted help with was figuring out Cerus, but I didn’t want to go into details in front of Mom and Dad.  I was really confused and I didn’t really want to talk about what I was feeling with Sam either.  So I did what any one would do, pretend everything was normal.

            “Sure.  It’s just World History.”

            “So Sam,” Richard started to comment, “Nancy thinks that you and Lexi should start dating.”

            “Dad!” I was mortified.

            “Uh, no,” replied Sam.

            “Thanks a lot!  Geez Sam why not just say that I’m repulsive,” I said it like I was joking, but deep down, I felt like it was true.

            “It’s not like that at all Lex, believe me.”

            “What?” Nancy and I asked together.

            Now it was Sam’s turn to get flustered, “Don’t get me wrong, you are definitely hot, and I love you, but not like that.  You’re my best friend, but I think of you more like a sister than a girlfriend.”

            “Aww, you think I’m hot?  You are such a good friend and I love you too,” I smiled at him.

            “Yep, that’s me.  Sam the friend, and as flattered as I am that you consider me good enough for Lex, that’s all I want to be.”

            “See honey, I told you so,” Richard finished with a smug smile on his face.

            The rest of the meal passed with just the normal end of day conversation.

            How was your day?

            How was work?

            What are your plans for tomorrow?

            Pretty soon the dishes were being cleared and Sam and I were tromping up the stairs to my room.

            “Leave the door open!”  Dad reminded me.  That was their rule whenever I had boys over.  Which was funny because the only boy I ever had in my room was Sam, and didn’t we just confirm that nothing would happen between us?

            I sighed and hollered back, “Okay!”

            Once we reached my room I threw my books on the bed and seated myself at my desk.  Sam plopped in the bean bag and turned on the little television set I had gotten last Christmas.

            “Are you really going to do homework?” he asked me.

            “Sam, you should know by now that I always do what I say I am going to do.”

            “Is it going to take very long?”

            “Thirty minutes tops.  It’s already mostly finished.  Why?”

            “Because I asked Bethany Scott to prom and I wanted to talk to you about doubling with us,” he finished quickly, making a point
not
to look at me as he continued to endlessly flip cable channels.

            “Wait a minute! 
You
asked
Bethany Scott to the prom?!
” stressing my point until Sam began to blush, “Sam!  You asked Bethany Scott to the prom!”

            “Well yeah.  I’ve been helping her with her chemistry all year and the other day I just sort of asked her.”

            “And?”

            “And, she said yes, so now we’re going to prom.”

            All thoughts of my history report were gone.  Suddenly, I felt very alone.  I was glad Sam was going, I really was.  It’s just that I had already pictured us having a movie marathon that night while we each grumbled on our apparent singleness.  Now, not only was that not going to happen, but I couldn’t see myself asking anyone to go with me.  I guess I seem a little old fashioned because I wanted a guy to ask me out, not the other way around.  Sam must have looked up and seen my feelings on my face.

            “Come on Lex.  There has to be at least one guy at school you’d want to go with.”

            There wasn’t though and that was part of the problem.  My thoughts turned to a pair of startling blue eyes and white shaggy hair.

            “No.  No, there’s no one at school.”

            “Well we have time to think about it.  I’m sure we can come up with a solution.”

            “Sure, sure,” I quietly replied.  Sam wanted a solution.  I was the other part of the problem.  Turning around I clicked on my desk lamp, switched on the monitor and made a show of ruffling through the copies I had gotten that morning.  Once again my thoughts betrayed me and I turned my attention back to Cerus.  Opening my hand slowly, I looked down at my palm, half expecting to see some sort of mark left from when we touched.  I could easily picture him in formal wear.  He would be like James Bond personified.  Cool, calm, suave and debonair.  The fantasy of every woman within a 25 mile radius comes to life.  It was silly really.  There was no way he could want someone as average as me.  Besides, I doubted if I was ever going to see him again, despite what he had whispered to me.

            “Hey Lex?  Are you just going to sit there all night or are you going to do your homework?”

            “I’m thinking.”

            Sam’s question pulled me out of my daze and with a sigh I began to work on my report.  Well, I tried to anyway.  My thoughts were otherwise occupied with visions of Cerus in a tuxedo.  It was then that I decided to just turn in my paper as it was.  In order to keep up the appearance of working I began to research another topic entirely.  Google Cerus and you get 410,000 results.  Since I wasn’t looking for a company or a blood pathogen I gave up.

            Then I remembered the glimpse of his tattoo and began to research tribal markings.  Normally I don’t like tattoos on people.  But, I couldn’t imagine Cerus without his.  It was almost like the markings were a part of him.  I kept looking, page after page of intricate designs and detailed patterns, but nothing like what I had seen on Cerus’ chest.  I reached for a pen and a paper.  I’ve never been much of an artist, but just then I had an idea.  Maybe if I sketched out what I had seen I could take it to a tattoo artist.  Perhaps they might recognize it and give me a clue to its meaning.  The ink was a deep blue, like the color of deep water.  Swirls of rioting blue they curled in on each other, a twirling whirlpool of currents, rushing toward the center where a four- sided diamond floated on the surface.

            Now that I had drawn it, I realized that it looked completely unique; much like the man who wore it.  Following the pattern with my fingers I was startled by the realization that I wanted to touch the actual markings.  I had barely spoken to Cerus.  I didn’t know if he was dangerous or not because I didn’t know anything about him really.  None of that mattered though.  If I could I would be with him forever.  I was going crazy.  Shaking my head I turned to see Sam, half asleep in the bean bag.

            “Sam,” I threw my closest textbook at him.

            “Oomph,” he groaned, “I’m awake now Lex.”

            “Did you want to talk about tomorrow or are you going to watch
Real Housewives
all night?”

            “I can’t believe people are so full of themselves like that.  It must come with wealth.”

            “You’re full of yourself Sam and you’re not wealthy.  It’s called confidence.”

            “I do not act like that!” he pointed to the television.

            “Like an over-tanned, over-botoxed, middle aged housewife from Orange County?  No, you don’t.  Like an 18 year old with a 5 year plan?  Yes, you do.”

            “Change of subject.”

            “Tomorrow?”

            “Tomorrow we are leaving here at 9 am.  I will be by to pick you up.”

            “Ugh! 9 am?”

            “Yep, so set your alarm.”

            I glanced at my clock.  It was only 8:00, but I was suddenly very tired.

            “Fine,” I said, “Then I am going to bed.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”   I stood, pulled Sam out of the bean bag and gave him a hug.  He squeezed briefly before pulling back to look me in the eyes.

            “9 am.”

            “9 am,” I repeated and with a quick kiss on the forehead he grabbed his bag and left.

            “Night Mr. and Mrs. Kassabrov!”  Sam yelled from the foyer followed by the sound of the front door closing.  Now I was alone again, with my wandering thoughts.  For a while I just sat there.  Not really sure what I wanted to do next.  It was still early.  Maybe I would read for a while.  Sam would never forgive me if I was tired and grumpy on our hike tomorrow from staying up all night to read.  So that idea was discarded.  I didn’t want to be tired and grumpy.  I loved the being outdoors.  Being in the woods, among the shade of the trees, the smell of the earth and the sound of the water as it rushed down stream were like home to me.  The buzz of the insects and the melody of the songbirds were comforting. Sometimes I felt more peace among the trees than I did in my own room.