Eternal Shadows (8 page)

He pulled the cord on the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Surprisingly, I could still see him fairly well. The Irish sixpence was suddenly in his hand, rolling over his knuckles twice before he flipped it into the air. I made a lame attempt to catch it before it hit his hand again. He tossed it to the hand furthest from me. “I don’t have to tell you everything about myself.”

“Sure you do. I’m stuck living with you, aren’t I?” I would not be distracted by the coin, even though I desperately wanted to get it. That would show him.

“It is in your best interest to remain here with me and the others.”

“You have a talent for saying things politely. But that’s beside the point. Spill. I want to know. You know almost everything about me.”

“I don’t remember.”

“What?” He wasn’t looking at me. The coin held his focus. I leaned forward trying to see his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I don’t remember my human life.” He stood and walked away, hovering by one of the many shelves.

“Is that normal?” The sudden threat of forgetting my father, my mother, choked me. I didn’t want to forget them. I couldn’t. Yet Millie had no trouble recalling her life. “Does everyone forget?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Relief. But it was followed by a flood of other feelings. Feelings for Rhys. Confusion, worry, sadness. “Do you know why you can’t remember?”

“No.” He was a man of many words. “The first thing I remember is waking up after I was turned.”

I let it be quiet for a moment. “Does it bother you? To not remember, I mean.”

“Sometimes.”

I watched his back, the only part of him he let me see. There was a tension in his shoulders I hadn’t seen before, even when I had driven him crazy the first two days. I had definitely hit a sore point. Time to backtrack. Annoying Rhys was fun, making him dwell on things he couldn’t change was not.

“Can we go for a walk? I’m getting kind of sick of this house. And I promise not to ask about your human years anymore. I’ll stick to vampire. I have some other more general questions, too, though.” General questions. Ha. That was funny. General questions about the general.

The coin shot up into the air, glinting in the moonlight reflecting off the window, then disappeared to God-knows-where. Rhys turned back to me and though his expression seemed under control, I could see tiny lines in his forehead from the conflict he had gone through. I felt really bad. I’d have to ask Millie later if there were more topics to avoid.

“A quick walk, and I decide where we go.”

Chapter Six: Strange New World

As soon as we stepped through the front gate, I knew everything had changed. Sure it looked the same, but it felt different. It felt wrong. I hesitated before stepping onto the street. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to go for a walk anymore.

Rhys waited in the middle of the street. He’d never looked more otherworldly. Even though he dressed appropriately for the times, it was clear he didn’t really belong. Almost like he stood outside of time. Someday, that would be me.

I pushed myself forward and kept walking when I reached his side. To distract myself, I started asking the questions I hadn’t gotten to before. “Warren said something when we were talking, I’m not quite sure what he meant, though.” I watched the cobblestones as they passed beneath my feet. I knew every building here by heart, each brick, each trellis. I knew their history and their stories, but in that moment, I didn’t want to see them. Rhys seemed to be waiting for me to continue. “He said not just anyone is chosen to be turned. That the reasons for turning me aren’t the same as the reasons for making Warren a feeder. This isn’t about keeping me quiet. It’s about something else.”

“He’s right.”

I tore my eyes away from the street and looked up at him. “Then what? What is this about? Why me?”

Rhys’s gaze constantly changed, like he was looking for something, or trying to follow directions. “The general selects his family very carefully. I’m not sure what his exact plans are for you. All I know is the order to turn you was sent down to me. But I know he likes to keep himself connected to the current times. Having a new vampire every so often does that.”

“Oh.” So I was the latest version. An upgrade of sorts. Wow, that made Rhys like…Atari or something. Amusing. “So, why isn’t he here right now?”

“He had matters to tend to elsewhere. Cade acted in his place.” He turned us down the next street, heading towards downtown.

“I have another question, about who turns who, and what exactly makes someone a part of a family.”

“Families are based on lineage, just like humans. The general turned me. He had Aurelia, a longtime friend of his turn Cade, Millie, and Madge.”

“And you turned me.”

“Obviously.”

“But, I’m still part of the family?”

“Yes, because I turned you.”

“Does that make the general my grandfather?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because we don’t think of it that way.”

“Okay, so,” I skipped ahead so I could walk backwards in front of Rhys and see him while we walked. “The general turned you, and Aurelia turned everyone else. But not me. How come?”

“Neither of them were here to do it.”

He walked a little faster and I stumbled once in my attempt to keep up backwards. “And that’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“That’s really boring, you know. Hardly makes a worthwhile story.”

“This isn’t a story.”

I couldn’t go as fast as he was trying to make me go, so I gave up on walking backwards and hopped around to his side. He looked smug.

“Stop lingering.” Rhys grabbed my wrist and started dragging me along.

I nodded, hearing what he said, but I was far more focused on the feel of his hand around my wrist. While I wasn’t as cold as I had been, I could still tell how warm he was. But something else nagged at me. Something familiar. For the life of me I couldn’t place it.

For the un-life of me? Whatever.

I didn’t make any move to cause him to let go.

We walked quickly. As quick as I could without tripping over my own feet. Rhys seemed to be able to sense my limit without my having to say anything. Maybe he could tell because of the physical contact. Despite his kind consideration, I still had to concentrate in order to keep up. I wondered how fast he could go. Was speed a relative thing like it was with humans? Something told me I would never be as fast as Rhys.

The world blurred by. I’d never really noticed before when I ran. Of course, I had been sprinting
then…and hitting things. Now, with Rhys leading, I watched each house streak by like a smudged painting. I knew them all, yet I lost track of where we were. White, brown, and red brick smeared together into incomprehensible images. Did we look the same? If someone passed by would they see two dark blurs, or nothing at all? Rhys moved as though he disappeared from one spot and reappeared in another, but I knew we weren’t moving that fast. I’d have to ask. Later, when the wind we created stopped beating against my face in that pleasant way it did when you rode a rollercoaster.

Finally, we slowed and the world reassembled itself. I looked up and realized we stood in front of my friend Sara’s house. All the lights were off, making me wonder what time it was. I had lost track. Days didn’t seem as long anymore, and I didn’t get tired nearly as often. I assumed it was just another perk of being undead.

Rhys kept walking, but I stopped. Sara’s room was on the third floor, and her curtains were drawn all the way. She’d never done that before. I’d slept over there a million times and we always left the window open to let the moonlight in. Sara liked the night. She wanted to be an astronomer. I missed her terribly.

“What’s the story?” I asked, calling out to get Rhys to stop.

I heard him pause. “What do you mean?”

“What do people think happened? Why is my father gone? Why haven’t I been in school? Do they think we’re dead?” Could I see Sara again?

He appeared at my side again. “Your father was transferred. You remained behind to finish the school year, but have been sick this past week. You’ll return to school once you can do so without eradicating the entire student body.”

Elation jumped through me. I never thought I’d be so excited to know I could go to school. “I get to go back? Really?”

“The general doesn’t abide the uneducated.”

“I can see my friends? I can act like everything is normal?”

“For a time. Yes.”

I couldn’t help it. I hugged him.

Actually, it was more of a glomp. One of those broad-side attack-type hugs that have the potential to make the other person fall over. Of course, Rhys barely stumbled. He did seem surprised though.

“Had I known you would react this way, I would have told you earlier,” he said, his hands tentatively resting on my sides.

I released him, bouncing like an excited five year old. “You’re not teasing me, right?”

“Why would I do that?”

I shrugged, then turned back to stare at Sara’s curtains. I tried willing her to wake up and come to the window, but it didn’t work. I’d never had so much incentive to learn to control my dumb new hunger. I needed my friend. Even if I couldn’t tell her everything, I needed her presence.

But I clearly wouldn’t have it that night. Rhys took my hand once more and pulled me back through space and time, away from my still-human friend.

We came to a gradual stop. The houses warped back into their normal shapes. We were back on my street and my home loomed before me, more ominous than I would have thought possible. Light shone through every window, evidence of the life inside. While the rest of the world slept, my home continued on.

“Why is everyone still up?” My voice hitched with the question. Every house was dark but mine.

“We don’t need as much sleep as humans, and the older you get the less you need.” He finally let go of my wrist, and I felt the absence of his touch as acutely as the blatant difference between my home and the rest of the world. “You must have noticed you don’t get tired as often. You’ve been up for 26 hours already.”

How nice of him to keep track. Or maybe creepy. “I did notice,” I said, surprised by the wavering in my voice. One light, that’s all I wanted. Just one light to go out.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar.” He turned me by one shoulder until I faced him.

“I’m actually a really good liar,” I said. “It’s gotten me into trouble as much as it’s gotten me out of it.” Just above his right eye was this little line. A crease that told me he was still waiting for my real answer. I shook his hand off my shoulder. “Look at this place.” I all but threw my arm in my grand gesture. “It sticks out like a sore thumb. Not a single house out here has this many lights on. I just—I just want normal. Can’t we at least pretend? Can’t we
try
to fit in?”

Rhys never took his eyes off me, I could tell even though I stared at the ground. “Your point is valid. We should make the attempt to blend in. I’ll speak with everyone about it.”

I raised my eyebrow when I looked at him. “That’s it? Simple as that?”

“Yes. Not everything has to be difficult, Kassandra.”

I scoffed. “Not in my life.” I let out a deep breath, then rubbed my arms a few times even though I wasn’t cold. I should have been. If I was human. I figured Warren’s blood still kept me warm. “Is there anything else you wanted to show me?”

“I could find things.” He had hooked his hands into his pockets. His casual stance helped me relax. “But you were the one who wanted the walk. Is there anything else you need to do?”

“I wouldn’t mind just walking.”

“All right.” The coin reappeared. With it came a smirk which had become very familiar. “Follow me.”

I bounded after him. He went just a bit faster than I could. “Can’t you just give me the damned coin?” I shouted into the dark.

I heard his laughter down the street. He had avoided the glow of the street lights. “You’re going to wake the whole town.” He hadn’t raised his voice, yet I heard him just the same. Score one for me or him? I decided to award myself a pat on the back for my improved listening skills.

However, he had a point. One I felt like trying out. “You’re the teacher. Remind me of all these nifty things I can do now
before
I screw up.” I spoke as though he stood at my side.

Still invisible, he chuckled again. “I wouldn’t be much of a teacher if I gave you all the answers to the test.”

The ping of the coin flipping into the air accented his words. God, I wanted that stupid thing. I felt like a dog with a ball. I stopped walking and instead concentrated on trying to find him in the dark.

Silence greeted me for only a second, then the peace was interrupted. A set of footsteps clicked almost inaudibly behind me. Then two. Then three.

Then four.

The skin at the back of my neck prickled. That feeling again. I felt it a lot lately. Most recently, the night Rhys and the others had invaded my home. The night my world ended.

As always, I didn’t know if I should be thankful, or if I should curse my perfect intuition.

“Well, well, well.” The voice came from behind me, a rich alto that chilled what warmth I still had. “Young blood. What fun.”

I searched the dark for Rhys. Nothing. Not even the ping of the coin. He couldn’t have left me. Could he? Turning slowly, I put on a brave face and prepared to meet the owner of the voice.

As I had suspected, there were four of them. Closest to me, a man with skin the color of burnt sand had his arm wrapped around a woman—the one who had spoken. Her hair hung to her waist, all but disappearing against the dark night. I’d never seen a more unfriendly smile. Two more men stood behind them, but between the lack of good lighting and the apprehension I felt I couldn’t get a good look. One thing was clear to me. They were all vampires, and they were all far older than me. And not just by human standards.

The woman ran her hand along the man’s chest while she regarded me for a long moment. “Yes, you are the one I smelled. But Rhys was with you. Surely he hasn’t left you all alone?”

A quick glance told me Rhys and I had ended up far from home. If I screamed, the others would probably still hear, though. But did I need to? My
instincts said yes, but at the same time, I was confident Rhys would have come immediately if I were in trouble.

“He’s here,” I said, glad I sounded far more self-assured than I felt.

She closed her eyes and breathed. “He was here.”

“Mind telling me what you want? I’m a little busy and don’t really have time for this.” Ah, true to form, my mouth was about to get me into trouble. Swell.

“Just saying a friendly hello.”

The man unwrapped himself from her arms, setting her aside gently, his dark eyes always on me. He was the oldest. How I knew this, I had no idea. When he slipped free of the cover of her long hair, a thick scar became visible on his right cheek. It cut through his eye, drawing the corner down. Another old slash curved around that same side of his mouth. “We weren’t aware the general had taken on a new addition to his little family,” he said, his voice low. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Malachi and this is Tabitha.” He gestured to the woman. “Behind us are Garrett and Henry. Our two families have known each other for a long time.”

I stepped back as he advanced, not really wanting him any closer. His musky scent made my throat clench. The chill on the back of my neck had now run down the length of my spine. Where the hell was Rhys? “That’s interesting. No one’s ever mentioned you.”

The undamaged side of his mouth twisted into something of a smile. “How rude of them to overlook us.”