Finding Obscurity (14 page)

The sunlight in the room was blinding as I panted and calmed my
beating heart while the electrical pulses relentlessly released into Ashton. I
was scared to hurt him and I finally let the power bounce back into myself with
shiver. Ashton grunted, dropping his head onto my chest with a sigh of relief.
“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

“Geez, Lily! You could have killed him!” Blake said with wide eyes
from the foot of my bed.

Ashton straightened up and there was a drop of blood coming from
his nose. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, smearing it across his
cheek and sat on the edge of the bed, winded.

“Ashton, I didn’t know!” Sitting up, I lifted his chin to look at
me. “Are you okay?”

He gave a pained smile and wiped away more blood from his nose.
“I’ll be fine. I’m strong enough to resist most of what you threw at me, but it
still was something I never want to experience again.”

Blake chuckled nervously. “Well, that was interesting. What in the
hell were you dreaming about, Lily?”

Flopping on the bed, I stared up at the ceiling and took a few
calming breaths. The dream was going to become a reality, but I didn’t want to
face that at the moment. “I was trapped someplace tied up, and there was
somebody curled up in a pool of blood across the room. Then I woke up to
somebody shaking me and I panicked, thinking I was going to die. I’m sorry.”

Ashton grunted. “How were you able to stop electrifying me?”

“I just tried to turn the stuff back into me. I don’t know how I
knew to do that.”

“Smart thinking, girl,” Blake said. “Maybe you’re starting to
figure out more about your powers without realizing it. That’s a good sign. I
just wish we had more time to find out how to channel it.”

“No shit! I don’t want to be any more of a freak than I already
am, but my parents sealed that fate for me! I just want to be normal.”

Ashton gave me a light kiss on the mouth. “I like you just the way
you are and wouldn’t have you any other way. I wish you knew how special you
really are.”

I shook my head. “I don’t feel special. Heck, I can’t even control
what makes me different from everybody else. Most Conjurers can probably
control all of their powers from birth, and here I am closing in on thirty and
I can’t even control it.”

“Don’t think that way. You’re different, sure, but that’s what
makes you who you are. I know you’re having doubts now but things will make
sense in the long run. Don’t give up yet.” Ashton laid another quick kiss on my
cheek, and when another drop of blood from his nose threatened to fall, he went
to the bathroom to clean up.

Blake leaned closer to me with a whisper. “Since we think you’re
half vampire… do you crave blood?”

“Ick! No! Do you see any fangs on these pearly whites?” I
whispered back and opened my mouth, pulling my lips back to show my teeth.

He held up his hands in mock surrender with a snicker. “I just
wanted to make sure.”
 

The water turned on in the bathroom. I narrowed my eyes at Blake.
“Would you feel any different about me if I did?”

“Hell no. You’re hot. I would still want you even though
bloodsucker would have a coronary if I laid a hand on you.” He smirked. “Maybe
I should make a move and then he would be out of the way and I would have you
all to myself.”

“Don’t even think about it, Blake,” Ashton rumbled from the
bathroom.

“You and your damned hearing,” Blake muttered under his breath as
Ashton entered the room.

Throwing the covers off me, I headed to the bathroom. “I am going
to shower. Can you guys get along long enough for me to do that?”

When they continued to glare at each other, I slammed the door and
locked it before I stripped and let the hot water rush over my tired body. When
I had dreams like that, it always felt like I hadn’t slept all night.
Everything I had learned in the past day or two had me reeling with mixed
emotions. I hadn’t even considered the possibility that I may be so much more
different than ever imagined. That was something that nobody would have seen
coming. So what was with the rumors that my mother had killed vampires when she
was married to one? Was there more to the story of what actually had happened
in the past? Since she was most likely raised with the hatred of vampires, then
how did she fall in love with something they were supposed to loathe? Was that
the reason that all of us were supposed to be murdered? I was determined to
find out who wanted us dead. Whoever had done that act left out one thing they
most likely would have never seen coming: Me.

Chapter Seventeen

When I came back into the living room, Blake was asleep on the
couch with Jinx curled up on his legs. A basketball game was blaring on the TV.
Ashton was on the balcony talking on his phone again and paid no attention to
me walking back into the room. That was unlike him. I had a sudden urge to
flee. I don’t know why I had the itch to run, and the only thing I could think
of was the panic of deep-seated feelings towards Ashton and my confused
reaction to Blake. Even if it didn’t make any sense that I would suddenly be
freaking out about everything I found about myself, being stuck in my apartment
with the two of them, and the fact that somebody would want to kill me if they
knew who I was, was almost too much to take.

Slipping on a pair of flip-flops, I grabbed my purse and silently
opened the door to leave. The door shut with a whoosh and I stood in the
hallway for a minute before heading down the hall and out the apartment
building. Ashton was still on the balcony and I could hear his deep voice as I
snuck around the corner of my building. I had to do this as fast as I could.
Hoping he wasn’t paying attention, I took off full bore towards my BMW and only
when the car unlocked with a beep did he turn to investigate. Alarm fluttered
across his lovely face and he yelled my name before I slammed the car door. He
was no longer on the balcony and I had precious seconds to get out of the
parking lot if he was as fast as Jeffery, Carlotta’s husband. He had yet to
show me anything that could give the impression of a vampire. Even though I
knew what he was, Ashton wouldn’t seem like anything other than a gorgeous guy
to the naked eye, but I wasn’t an expert on his species either. My tires
squealed and slightly fishtailed as I took off like a bat out of hell. I had
barely made it out in time because he had made it to my bumper in a blur just
as I peeled out of the parking lot.

I drove around restlessly and ignored my ringing phone in the
depths of my purse sitting on the passenger seat. I turned up Pink to drown out
the sound. There was one person who would let me vent my frustrations and
fears, so I drove to the south of town towards Sam’s apartment.

He lived in a small apartment complex that was new and on the
higher side of the pay scale, and nothing would have suited him better. I saw
his red convertible under the carport and pulled into visitor parking before
making my way up to his door. I leaned my head against the door and was ready
to let out a puff of air when it suddenly opened and I fell straight into
Stacy.

“Lily! You scared ten years off my life!” she cried and caught me.

I shook off the static feel when we touched and stood. “Sorry. I
was going to knock and just… well… I don’t know what I was doing.”

Sam came to the door to find out what the commotion was. “Lily,
what are you doing here?”

“I didn’t know where to go and had to get away for a little bit.
Things are a little overwhelming.”

“Well, come in and we can open a bottle of wine and have a girls
chat!” He grinned, walking into his large kitchen and grabbing a bottle of
Merlot from his fridge. The cork made a pop when it was finally opened and he
pulled three glasses out before leading us into his living room.

I sat nervously on his pristine white couch. When he handed me the
red wine, I leaned forward to be sure I wouldn’t spill it on the fabric. “Sorry
for crashing, guys. If you have plans I can leave.”

“Nonsense.” Sam waved a hand before taking a sip. “What are
friends for? Spill.”

I glanced nervously at Stacy before replying. “Things have gotten
a little intense and I needed a break to feel normal for a little bit.”

“Lily, we haven’t had time to catch up since you went out of town.
Where did you go?”

“Tennessee. I went to see if I could find my real parents since I
was adopted. I think I did, but they died after I was born so I may never know
what happened.” I shrugged.

Stacy smiled and patted me on the back as a friendly gesture. “Where
at in Tennessee?”

“Close to the North Carolina border is where they died but I don’t
think that’s where they were originally from, and that’s all I really know
right now. I kind of feel cheated that I never got to know them.”

“I could see how you feel that way. I’m sure if they could have
chosen they would have lived but things never turn out the way you ever hope
they will.” Stacy shrugged.

“Lily, there’s more to what is bugging you besides your birth
parents,” Sam said, leaning back on the couch and giving me one of those looks
that told me to spill my guts.

There was so much I wanted to tell him, but Stacy was here, and I
was unsure about what I should say or not, since she didn’t seem to know she
was any different aside from the ability of sensing emotions. Instead, I
glanced around the apartment, taking a few sips of wine, and noticed the
elegant black and white paintings on the walls and the bright red rug on the
floor. I shrugged and tried to be as evasive as possible. “Things are getting serious
way too fast. I’m confused about Blake, and I don’t want to have feelings for
Ashton.”

Stacy put a hand up, stopping Sam from speaking. “Because he’s a
vampire?”

I choked on my wine, spitting it all over the coffee table, (not
the couch, thank God) and stared at her with eyes as big as saucers.
How in the hell did she know that?

“Excuse me?” Sam shrieked. “What in the hell are you talking
about? Are you saying that Ashton is a mythical creature from the bowels of
Hell?”

Stacy chuckled. ”No, Sam, those are demons. Vampires are not
demons or even close to anything from Hell. They’re just like us but with a
special diet.”

I sputtered and gaped my mouth like a fish. “What?”

“Please. You know that I’m special and you don’t think that I’ve
never wanted to know if there are other things in the world besides people like
you and
me?
” She took a sip of wine, giving me a
pointed look, and I was dumfounded she knew about me. “I found a vampire years
ago and I could feel his emotions of turmoil a mile away. It drew me to him,
trying to help, and through my talent I could tell he was not like us. He
finally gave it up and I’ve been able to tell through my senses when they’re
around. Vampires have a different feel about them, and I have learned the
difference over the years. The whole VIP room is filled with them.” She
shrugged.

Sam sat on the couch, pale as a ghost, and I was breathing rapidly
at her confession. Stacy sat, making eye contact with me, daring me to deny it,
and I had no rebuttals. What do you say to somebody who knew everything,
blindsiding you? There were no words that came to mind on how I could explain
any of this away. Sam just learned there were a lot of things that could go
bump in the night. If I hadn’t been special to begin with, there would be no
way I could have believed any of this, but Sam believed in the occult and knew
that Stacy and I were different. He sat there and opened his mouth to say
something, but closed it again, changing his mind.

Stacy leaned back, putting her arm on the couch, smiling
sympathetically. “Are you going to say anything?”

Sam spoke up. “Are you saying that there are vampires? Like real,
live, blood-drinking, fanged people in the VIP room of Revive?”

“Yep. There are a lot of things out there that would make you
rethink the world as we know it.”

“So, do they like… sleep in caskets and burn in the sunlight?”

Stacy laughed. “No, they’re just like us and can eat, drink, and
be merry. Sure, they have fangs but they don’t come out unless they want them
to, and if one ever bites you… orgasm on the spot. Or at least that was my
experience, and I’m sure if they were killing you, then you wouldn’t be so
happy about it.”

Ashton had never once sunk his teeth into my flesh or flashed
fangs, and her comment about being bitten caused me to shudder. I wasn’t sure
if it was a shiver out of pleasure or horror, maybe a little bit of both, and I
shook my head to clear my thoughts. I didn’t want him to bite me, did I? Nope,
I was scared to death of needles and was sure this wouldn’t be any different.
Stacy never had given me the impression of somebody who would be so reckless,
but then again I didn’t really know her that well. It made me wonder what else
she may have known about from the beginning. Did she know who I was? There was
no way she could have known about my adoptive parents or the ones killed in a
fire, so I don’t know why I even entertained that notion.

Sam looked over at me. “So did you know all of this?”

I nodded. “I knew what Ashton was, yes, but not until recently,
and I don’t know much about them. I had no clue the entire VIP area was full of
vampires, but that would explain why they wouldn’t give you the job as a
bartender.”

“Yeah… it may have been a little bit of a temptation to snack on
me,” he said with a shiver. “Lily, what is going on? There’s something you’re
not telling me.”

“I’m confused about Blake and Ashton. They’re both staying in my
apartment right now and it’s driving me bonkers. I just needed to get away.”
Something told me to not let Stacy know about who I was. Not only because I
didn’t know her, but I also didn’t think that she may be able to keep her mouth
shut if she knew. If she was a friend with vampires and Conjurers, then what
would happen if they found out I may be a mix of both of them? “Stacy, are you
a Conjurer?”

“Yes and no. I’m recognized as one but I can’t really do anything
besides read emotions.” She smiled and twisted a lock of her hair with a
finger. “I’m sure Blake knows who I am, but there are so many rumors about what
he did to Ashton’s brother, Alistair, I wanted to play dumb because I wasn’t
sure what
was the truth
and what wasn’t. The Conjurers
praise him, and most of the vampires loathe him, so why get into the middle of
that mess? My question is – why are both of them staying at your apartment?”

“They’re both after my attention, I guess.” I shrugged and decided
to play dumb as well. “It’s a little uncomfortable.”

Sam chuckled. “Yeah, two hot guys in my apartment wouldn’t be
uncomfortable, it would be a dream come true.”

I swatted him on the arm. “You know they’re both wanting to win me
over. I wish they would just leave me alone, but they won’t.”

“But which one is sharing your bed?” He winked and I was glad he
was starting to overcome the shock of all this.

“Neither. They have the choice of the floor or the couch.” My
phone began ringing again so I glanced at the caller ID to see it was Blake
this time. I had about ten missed calls from Ashton, and now Blake was giving
it a go. I put my phone on vibrate. “They keep calling nonstop. Maybe I should
go home so they would quit worrying.”

“Why would they worry about you leaving the house?” Sam frowned.

“Who knows,” I said with a shrug and stood up to leave. Stacy
raised her eyebrow as she took a sip of wine and I grabbed my purse and keys
before giving Sam a big hug. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Be careful, babe,” he said, giving my arm a squeeze as he walked
me to the door. He had more questions and knew that I hadn’t told him
everything. “I’ll wait for your call.”

I walked back to my car and turned my phone’s sound back on and
typed a quick message to Ashton and Blake, letting them know I was going to
stop by the grocery store then be back home, and that I was okay. Turning
towards the closest grocery store, I turned my stereo up when “Stay” by Rihanna
came across the satellite radio. This could have been my theme song for
everything that was going on with Ashton and the confusion I experienced on a
daily basis with the fear of loving somebody. Then there was Blake and the
internal sparks between us. The song played the haunting piano melody as I
thought about both of them. I wasn’t sure if it was a song about a doomed
relationship or somebody you aren’t supposed to love, but want them anyway. Everyone
took a meaning from a song in their own way, but either way, this song’s lyrics
hit home on so many levels. I parked the car in the parking lot of the store
and sat with the song playing as loud as it could go without busting my
speakers, as a tear slipped down my cheek.

I wasn’t sure what to do about Ashton. All my life I had made a
promise I would never let anyone in and get close to me, yet I was friends with
Sam, feeling love towards Ashton, and then there was Blake, who confused the
shit out of me. It was so hard to let go and learn to trust somebody again, but
it was happening even thought I had tried so hard not to let anyone love me in
over ten years. Within a matter of weeks, those feelings were ripped from my
heart like weeds in a garden. I watched with a sigh as a family of four walked
hand in hand towards the entrance. Would I ever have that? Did I want the
average 2.4 children? Ashton said his kind couldn’t procreate. Even if I was
supposedly only half vampire, it was not a guarantee I would be able to have a
family with him. I could with Blake, and even though I loved him in my own way,
he couldn’t hold a candle to Ashton. If I was half vampire, would I be able to
even have children? I wasn’t sure how I felt about that either. God, I was such
a mess. How can I expect to let somebody love me when I wasn’t sure who I was?
My life was so much easier when I just went home to Jinx and didn’t have to
worry about other people in my life besides my cat. The problem was that I
couldn’t ignore everyone and disappear because I cared too much for the people
in my life right now to just give up.

I beat my palm of my hand against the steering wheel a few times
in frustration before turning off the car to go get some food before we all
starved. I was also out of coffee, and that would not be good for those two
when dealing with me in the morning.