Eternal Island (Book 1 in the Eternal Series) (21 page)

Julia started to shut the door but Abe’s hand caught it and sent it flying back into the wall, putting a neat hole in the sheetrock, the exact size of a door knob. He caught Julia by the throat and pushed her up against the wall, her feet six inches off the ground so they were eye to eye.

“I wasn’t done with you, bitch. You ever try to shut a door in the High Vampire’s face again and seeing the sun will be the least of your worries.”

Rainey cleared her throat. “Uh, Abe, maybe we should talk to Julia some other time. We really should be searching the palace with the others.”

Abe lowered Julia to her feet. “No, I think I will settle this right now,” he said to Rainey, but his eyes never left Julia’s. “You pack your shit, and make sure you get all of it, so you don’t have a reason to come back. You leave for California the minute the sun goes down. There will be no negotiation. I am High Vampire and I don’t have to give you a reason, although you already know all of them. Pick any one. I’m done with you.”

Abe turned on his heel and left the room, Rainey skittering along behind him.

C
HAPTER 29

Ariana woke feeling rested for the first time in ages. She hadn’t even had any dreams that she could remember, and the voices in her head were now a mere whisper. She stretched and turned over. Michael was looking at her like he couldn’t look at her enough.

“Good morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well? Rainey stopped by and did some kind of freaky voodoo on you. She said it would help you rest. I believe it worked; you didn’t even twitch all day. I thought you were dead a couple of times, had to get a little closer and listen to your breath.”

Ariana set up. “All day? I slept all day? What time is it?”

Michael smiled and shook his see-through wrist at her. “A watch doesn’t exactly go with this outfit, but Becky’s alarm clock says it’s nine thirteen p.m. Why do you need to know? You taking medicine?”

The old comment he used to make, every time she asked him for the time, made her smile. She laid back down on her side, facing him. “I miss you, Michael. I wish that we could go back to the way things were, but it’s all lost, isn’t it?”

“Only if you want to lose it. I plan on taking the memories of us with me wherever I end up. I’ll have them forever.” He stroked her cheek but all she felt was something cool sweep over her face. “You’ll always have our memories, and it’s time that you made new memories with someone else. He will take care of you, Ariana, I truly believe that. Let my soul rest in peace knowing that you are being taken care of, please. I want you to be happy. It may be too late for me, but it isn’t too late for you. Find your happiness and embrace it. He will treat you right; he knows I would haunt him forever if he so much as makes you sad for one single minute.”

Ariana sat up quickly. “You talked to Abe? Behind my back? About me and him being together? Am I the only one who isn’t on board with the idea of me and Abe living happily ever after? What happens to me is
my
decision!” she said, pointing at her chest.

When Michael didn’t say anything, she got out of bed, went into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Becky opened the bathroom door a few minutes later. Ariana was sitting on the marble floor with her arms around her knees, her face blank and unsmiling.

“You want some company, roomie? I just got off work. I didn’t know how long you were gonna sleep with that spell Rainey did on you, but I brought you some food, anyway. I think it’s still warm, although pizza is good cold or hot.”

Ariana unfroze at the mention of food. “Pizza? Thank God, Becky. I love you.” Ariana took the first bite and made a noise of appreciation in the back of her throat. “I swear you’re the only one on this island who can think straight. Thanks, I’m starving.” She said all that with her mouth full and Becky laughed.

“No problem, I brought you three slices, and if that’s not enough I’ll go get you some more. Oh, here, I almost forgot.” Becky pulled a can of coke out of her bag.

Ariana snatched it out of her hand, hurriedly opened it and took a big gulp. “Ahhh. Did I mention I love you?”

Becky smiled. “Ariana, not to spoil your mood, but why are you in here, and why is Michael sitting on your bed with a face like a rainy day? Did you two have a fight?”

Ariana growled around another mouthful of pizza. “I am here because I’m mad at him. And I’m mad at him because he and Abe have been discussing my future… And they’ve both come to the conclusion that I should spend it with Abe.”

“Is Michael okay with you being with Abe or not? I’m not getting it.”

“He is! He wants me to be with Abe because he thinks, for some reason, that I need someone to take care of me. I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself. And most of all, I can make my own damn decisions.”

Becky held out her hands, palms open, trying to pacify her. She decided a change of subject would be the best way to calm Ariana down.

“Okay, I get it. Now, do you want to hear the latest news? The whole island is on lockdown, still. The Force is out there, looking for Max. I, personally, don’t think they will be out there much longer, though, with Abe leading them.”

“Why do you say that? Is he a bad leader?”

“No, no. It’s just he’s got other things on his mind, of late. Plus, everyone thinks Max left the island before we even knew he was gone.”

“What other things does Abe have on his mind, besides finding a man who beat the hell out of his pregnant wife? That should be his number one priority.”

“Well, he did check on you about five times before he went out. Michael even left the room so he could sit by your bed and be alone with you for a minute. I don’t think Abe and Michael’s talk was that bad, Ariana. Michael knows he won’t be here much longer, and you can’t blame him for wanting you to be happy. And it’s damn sure clear that Abe would do anything for you. Wash my car, honey. Okay. Rub my back, honey. Okay.” The girls started laughing. “Cut them both a little slack, I would say. They just want you to be happy.”

Ariana took a deep breath. “Yeah, I know. I’ll try. It’s just that everything is happening at once. I can’t catch my breath, and there’s another emergency. I just want a day, just one day when nothing happens.”

“Good luck with that,” Becky laughed. I don’t suppose you know what happened while you were asleep, do you?”

“What happened?”

“Abe kicked Julia off the island. He thinks she had something to do with Max’s escape and we all know she was the one who brought Michael here. I guess Abe has just had enough. Long overdue, if you ask me. She left about an hour ago. They escorted her to the plane before they went on their search. Elton is flying her to California as we speak.”

Ariana’s eyes grew wide. “Oh my God. You’re kidding me!”

Becky shook her head and helped herself to a slice of Ariana’s pizza. Ariana was quiet for a while.

“How will Michael get back to where he’s supposed to be, now that she’s gone?”

“Oh, shit! I bet Abe didn’t think of that one when his boot was in her ass.”

Both girls sat in silence, contemplating their options.

“I bet you could do it,” Becky broke the silence. “You can do anything with your mind, so you just gotta figure out what to do, and do it.”

It sounded so simple, in theory. “Thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” Ariana said sarcastically.

There was a knock on the door.

“It’s Abe, I can hear his thoughts. He wants to make sure that I’m okay and apologize for his dream.”

“What dream?” Becky asked, picking up food wrappers.

“The one he was having when you sent me to wake him. I’ll tell you about it later; he’s pretty anxious.” She walked out of the bathroom, gave Michael a sour look, then looked to the bedchamber’s door. “Come in.”

Abe burst through the door and his eyes met Ariana’s. “Could I have a few words with you, Milady?”

Ariana walked past him and out the door he’d just come through, leaving him staring after her.

“You can quit with the ‘My Lady’ stuff. I know why you’re here and I can’t possibly expect you to be able to control your dreams when you can’t even control your waking thoughts, so I’m not mad at you. And I’m doing fine, thanks for asking.”

“I didn’t.” Abe looked confused.

“You did, in your head. I understand you and my husband have been busy planning my future. I’m sorry to disappoint you both, and I know I promised Becky I would give you a break, but I’m not going to just sit back and let someone else run my life.”

Abe’s mouth was hanging open. When he managed to make it work again, he spoke in a low voice. “Look, Ariana, I don’t want to fight with you. Can we just take a walk and talk for a while? Please. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. I’d just like to get to know you. I have no intention of telling you what to do, not now, not ever.”

He held out his hand to her but she ignored it and walked to the elevator in her pajamas and flip-flops.

“Alright, I guess I can handle that. I’ll try and let you speak the questions before I answer them.”

“I don’t mind that you can read my thoughts, I’ve got nothing to hide from you.” He smiled briefly. “I guess Becky told you we’ve been out, looking for Max. None of the witches are getting any vibe from him, so he’s either gone, or he burned up in the sun today. I think he’s gone to the mainland, somewhere, and I hope for his sake he stays there. You heard about Julia?”

“Yeah, I did. And I wondered if you thought for one minute about Michael and how we can put his soul at peace, now that she’s gone.”

“I wasn’t thinking about Michael when I told her to leave, I’m sorry. I wish I had, but I won’t lie to you. I guess we’ll have to find another way to get him where he needs to go. Besides, he’s not such a bad guy. He’s kinda growing on me.”

“I could try to send him to Heaven, I suppose, but I don’t even know where to start. These powers are all new to me. And I can’t even begin to think how I would feel if I had to be the one sending him away.”

“Ariana, I know there isn’t any chance for me and you as long as he’s here, and not just because you wouldn’t let it happen, but because he asked me to be considerate enough not to make him watch us together. It took a lot of balls for him to let you go; the least I can do is respect his wishes. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t be able to give you up, much less watch you be with someone else. I guess I’m a little selfish, or maybe he’s just a better man than I am.”

Ariana realized they were headed toward Lidia’s room and wondered what the Shaman had said after he checked Lidia over. Abe knocked on her new door and heard a soft “Come in.” He opened it and let Ariana walk in before he followed her.

Lidia’s face lit up as she looked at Ariana. She jumped off the couch and grabbed her in a big hug.

“Thank you so much. I can’t thank you enough for saving me and my baby. I’m Lidia.” She stuck her hand out.

Ariana thought Lidia looked very familiar, for some reason. She took Lidia’s hand and smiled back. “I’m Ariana. I’m so happy I could help and it’s so nice to see you so well after that horrific bathroom scene. You had some major injuries. What did the Shaman say?”

“That you are a miracle worker and he wants you to start working for him as soon as you can. Here’s his card. Please call him; it would be a shame to waste such a wonderful gift. He can’t do anything as powerful. You might even consider starting your own clinic, in time, and having him work for you.”

“There’s an idea. That ole’ man needs to be replaced. You could call it ‘Ariana’s Healing Touch’,” Abe said smiling as he put both hands up in the air to illustrate the sign he was talking about. “You could do house calls, and heal fevers, and…”

“Okay, Abe. I think she got the gist. You’re going to overwhelm her,” Lidia said. “Why don’t you go find something to do for a few minutes while I get to know Ariana better, okay?” Lidia shifted her eyes toward the door and back to him trying to give him a hint. She needed him out of the way so she could find out how Ariana really felt about him.

Ariana frowned, suddenly uncomfortable. “Um, Lidia, there’s really no need. I know why you want him to go, and I can tell you I like Abe just fine. It’s just everything is a little complicated right now and I need some time to sort it all out. Thank you for caring enough about him to talk to me. It’s just not going to happen right now.”

Lidia stared at her with her mouth open.

“I can read minds. Did he forget to mention? I didn’t mean to read yours, but I haven’t figured out how to turn it off yet. It’s all too new to me. I am getting better, though.”

“Well, I guess I should have expected you could read minds as well, with all the healing power you possess. What other tricks do you have in your bag?”

Ariana thought for a second and Lidia’s glass of iced tea floated off the coffee table and into Lidia’s hand. She stared in amazement.

“She can do a pretty neat trick with fire and water, but we’ll have to go outside if you want to see it,” Abe snickered. “Her spatial awareness still needs a little fine tuning.”

Ariana shot him a dark look through narrowed eyes.

“I would like to see it, yes, if you’re up for it, Ariana. I’ve been cooped up in this room for too long. Jonah just left a little while ago. He wouldn’t let me do anything for myself. Kept telling me to sit down and take it easy like I am fragile or something. Will you show me your tricks?” Lidia asked.

“Of course, I’d love to.” Ariana looked at Abe. “Do we need to drive to the park, or do you think my spatial awareness is good enough for the flower gardens out back?”

Abe laughed out loud. “I think the bushes could use a little pruning and watering. Don’t go crazy, though. Jack takes pride in his job; he’s the gardener. Come on, let’s go.”

C
HAPTER 30

Abe led them out of the room and down to the back of the palace.

Once he and Lidia were a safe distance away, Ariana closed her eyes and concentrated on fire. She brought all of her emotions to the surface, the way she had done the night before, and then let it all go with one word from her lips.