Haeven (2 page)

My heart seemed to skip a beat as I weighed
his words, "It doesn't matter as long as I can help you. It
wouldn't be right for me to leave you here like this. You're...
different...but your life matters just as much as mine or
anybody's."

"You honestly believe that don't you?"

I nodded, "I do."

I felt him abandon his resolve, "Come," he
motioned me closer as the last of his resolve fell away. He
cautiously wrapped himself around me and I bit my lip to keep from
crying out when I felt the pressure of his teeth piercing my flesh.
My eyes closed and everything, everything seemed to just stop.

It felt like all my senses left me but then I
heard it; my heartbeat. It was strong and fast the thumps coming
one right after the other. A moment later I heard a second and knew
that it was his echoing mine only at a much slower pace. I could
feel him pulling and straining to gather more and more, to take
more and more from me and I started to grow weak.

"He's going to kill me!" I thought and
wondered how I could have been so stupid and reckless but just as I
was about to give into the idea that I had made a deadly mistake he
released me.

I slumped down into the dirt my eyes looking
straight up into the supports and the webs crisscrossing above me.
He threw himself down beside me and turned my head so I was facing
him, "Emily," he called, his voice frantic and seeming to come from
very far away. "Emily," he gave me a gentle shake. "Emily," an even
more insistent tone as he gripped my shoulders.

The world started spinning. I blinked once,
very slowly, twice. He took my chin and forced me to meet his eyes,
"Emily?"

"Daemon..." I breathed.

He urged me to sitting and I thought about
how hollow and empty I felt. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "it was too
much; I took too much!" He passed his hand in front of my eyes and
watched to see if my gaze followed it. My lids felt so heavy and
though I tried I couldn't keep them open. Then my head lolled back
and I let out a long, shuddering breath.

"No," he gently slapped my cheek to rouse me.
Again, "No!"

I could feel his hand on my face no longer
icy cold and weak but warm, smooth and strong. My eyes fluttered
and I saw him tilting his head back and the flash of his teeth as
he drew them across his wrist. He kissed me and for some reason I
wasn't surprised or revolted by the act.

Then I felt it, the cool and sweet taste of
him as he held the wound he had made to my mouth. It drifted across
my tongue and weaved its way down my throat where it turned warm
and enlivening. I could hear it again, his heartbeat, only this
time it was loud and sure and mine anxious and weak in the
background. Something else was happening too; I could feel him
racing through me and challenging me, beckoning me to come back and
to not give in and let go.

"Yes," my mind cried and my body seemed to
convulse eager for more.

I raised my hands and clutched at Daemon’s
arm unwilling to let him stop. It surprised him and he reflexively
pulled away.

Daemon urged me to sit up, "Emily," he
anxiously called as I sat there mesmerized by the sensation of his
blood coursing through me. He hugged me close and I cried as I laid
my forehead against his chest. My skin was tingling, rippling from
my head down to my toes; I could feel all the fine hairs on my arms
and legs electrified and standing on end.

"Ssh," he whispered hoping to soothe my sobs
and I could feel his regret behind the utterance as his hand ran up
and down my spine. He was shaking with suppressed emotion, "it was
the only way," he mumbled, "it was the only way."

Fretfully I looked up and searched his eyes,
"Will I be like you now?"

He took my chin and looked into my eyes. I
could see how worried he was and for a moment I was horrified and
ashamed by what we had done. "No," he kissed the top of my head,
"no, no..." and there was a hint of relief in his voice. "It was a
lot, not enough for that, though. I'm sorry. It's hard to control
sometimes. I never...oh...I'm sorry. It's uncomfortable, I know,
and it will be for a while..." I saw his jaw clench and he seemed
unwilling to say anything more.

There were voices outside, calling my name. I
just noticed them and wondered how long they had been looking for
me.

"You should go," Daemon nodded toward the
window, "everyone is worried about you." I was torn. I wanted to
stay; desperately wanted to stay.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe," he said then as if just remembering
something I watched as he tugged an amulet of sorts from beneath
the folds of his shirt. He held it up so it would catch a sliver of
the light that was shining in from another of the windows. "This is
me," he pointed to the gem in the middle, only it wasn't a gem but
a hollow glass ball filled with an amber liquid. "You have given me
an incredible gift," he said very solemnly, "if you ever are in
need, a need so desperate and you have exhausted every other
resource available to you...and only then," he added in emphasis,
"open it here," and he showed me the tiny switch to release the
ball from the charm, "drink it and call for me. I
promise...wherever I am in the world, I will come to you and do
whatever I can to help."

"Thank you Daemon," I said completely
bewildered by everything he had said and everything that had just
happened. When I reached for it he grasped the back of my neck and
pressed his lips hard against mine. I barely had a chance to blink
and then he was gone.

"I'm here!" I called to my mother and father
as I slithered through the open window.

They both came hurrying over, "Emily?! What
on Earth were you doing in there?"

"Duh! Looking for Evan!"

"Evan's right here," my mom motioned him
around from behind her.

"Naturally!" I dusted myself off.

"What gave you the idea he was under there?"
my father asked.

"The screen was off and I looked everywhere
else! Geez, Evan! Why didn't you answer me when I called? You would
have saved me a lot of trouble!"

He had a wicked little grin on his face
knowing my parents were more upset with me than him at the moment.
He looked up at my mother his eyes full of innocence, "I was just
trying to win the game."

"Of course you were, sweetie," she ruffled
his hair.

I huffed out loud, "Can we just go inside
now?"

My father had bent down and was examining the
screen. I felt a pang of panic but he didn't seem to think anything
of it and just jimmied it back into place. He stood up, "Yeah,
let's eat," he said and took me by the shoulder as I led the way
back to the house.

After we were inside Evan and I washed up
then we hurried to the dining room. My mom and dad were already
seated and waiting for us. As soon as we sat down my father took up
his fork and knife and started eating. My mom did too, but not with
quite so much enjoyment as my dad seemed to have.

"Everything's cold," she sighed and tossed a
hard look at me as if to indicate that it was my fault.

"What?" I glared back. "I'm to blame? What
about Evan? He's the one..."

My dad spoke over me, "Let's just eat; Emily
and Evan both understand what they did wrong, don't you?"

"Yes," Evan nodded emphatically while I just
stared in disbelief. My father waited expectantly.

"Yeah," I reluctantly agreed.

"And it won't happen again, right?"

"Right."

"And?" my father gave me another hard
look.

"And..." for a second or two I wasn't sure
what I was supposed to say, "I'm sorry..." it sounded more like a
question than a response but it satisfied my dad and he resumed
eating.

My mother and Evan followed suit so I picked
up my fork. I wasn't feeling very hungry and while everyone else
ate I just sat there absently pushing the food on my plate around.
I thought about Daemon and wondered where he was and what he was
doing. I could feel the weight of his amulet tucked beneath my
shirt and resting against my chest.

"This is me," I remembered his words and
smiled to myself.

"Why aren't you eating," my mom asked.

"I'm not hungry," I shrugged.

She must have thought I was feeling guilty
for worrying her and my dad and using a softer tone encouraged me
to try something. I gathered a tiny bite of chicken onto my fork
and took a reluctant nibble. It tasted awful and I hurriedly
reached for my milk and took a hasty sip. It was no better than the
meat I had just tried and I nearly choked on it when I tried to
swallow. I forced it down my throat then wiped my mouth with my
napkin.

My parents and brother frowned and I
fretfully peered at each of their curious faces, "I'm...I'm not
feeling well."

I stood up and raced from the dining room. I
made it upstairs and to the bathroom my brother and I shared. I
wretched once or twice but nothing would come up. When I realized I
wouldn't or couldn't be sick I used the edge of the sink to pull
myself up and splashed some cold water on my face.

Feeling it trickling down my cheeks made me
realize that I was desperately thirsty and I started cupping
handful after handful and slurping it down. When I had finally had
my fill I looked up and studied my reflection in the mirror. I
tilted my head this way and that and couldn't seem to take my eyes
away from myself.

"It's uncomfortable, I
know..." 
Daemon's words echoed in my head.

There was a loud rap on the door and I jumped
when I heard it, "Emily, are you alright, sweetie?"

I took a deep breath and braced myself, "I'm
fine. I'll be right out."

I turned back to my reflection, blinked once
or twice and tried to shake the uneasiness away. I dried my hands
and wiped my face before feigning what I hoped would be a look of
unconcern as I opened the door.

"What's wrong, honey?" All her earlier anger
was replaced with heartfelt concern.

"I think I'm just tired," I mumbled.

She lay her palm against my forehead, "Are
you sure sweetie? You look a little pale," she took my hands and
gave them a gentle squeeze, "and you feel like ice," she said
completely forlorn.

"I was just washing up and the water was
really cold," I shivered in emphasis.

"Hmm," she bit her lip, "Well if you're sure
you're just tired maybe you should get ready for bed and try to get
some rest." She braced herself and looked as though she expected me
to argue against it.

"I think I will," I yawned.

She looked suspicious when I readily agreed
but said goodnight anyway and kissed my cheek before heading back
downstairs. I went to my room and changed into my pajamas. Once I
was ready for bed I pulled the covers back and tucked myself
in.

I really thought I was tired and would fall
asleep quickly but every time I closed my eyes they popped right
back open. Eventually I gave up and for a while I just lay there in
the dark staring at the ceiling and picturing everything that had
happened that day.

"He could have killed me!" I suddenly
realized. "What if I had died? What would he have done? Would he
have left me there? Would they have found me? What would they think
had happened to me?"

Absently, I reached for Daemon's amulet and
studied it as I held it up to a sliver of light that was shining
from outside. Thinking about him brought tears to my eyes.

"It was my fault. I made him...I begged him
to let me help him...and I...I...I liked it. I loved the way it
felt; being swept away from myself and into Daemon. Then...oh, then
his blood was racing through me and electrifying me from the inside
out. It was...it was...incredible," I closed my eyes and felt all
over again the strange ecstasy of hearing our heartbeats crying out
for one another.

By then I knew it would be impossible to fall
asleep if my thoughts kept running in the same direction.  I
anxiously tried to think of something else but everything I tried
to distract myself with made me realize that he was not the only
thing that was bothering me as I lay there wide awake with his
charm in my palm and my fingers running over its smooth surface. It
was too bright, or at least it seemed too bright to sleep. And the
noises! It sounded like the crickets were right outside my window
even though my bedroom was on the second floor. Then there was the
air rushing from the vents and the hum from the air conditioner
every time it kicked on.

"Ugh," I moaned and buried my face in my
pillow.

When I turned the chain Daemon's amulet was
on got caught on one of the sheets and gave me a bit of a choke. I
decided I had better not fall asleep with it around my neck so I
sadly slipped it off and hung it on my bedpost. It must have been
after midnight by then and after arranging myself and forcing my
eyes shut one last time I finally began to drift off.

Hours later I was awakened suddenly.

"I know you're here Daemon," a woman's voice
grumbled. "I can feel you! I can smell you!" she moved from the
shadows and picked her way across my room.

"Who are you?!" I demanded.

I surprised her and she swiftly turned
towards me, "Better yet," and the next thing I knew she was beside
my bed and had me by the throat, "who are you?" she lifted me up as
I struggled against her. She turned me towards the window so she
could get a better look at me.

Choking and sputtering, "I'm...I'm..." and as
I tried to say my name she gave me a little toss and I landed
roughly back on my bed, "Emily."

"Where's Daemon? I know he's...here...," her
voice changed suddenly sounding full of disbelief. Then she frowned
and looked me over again. She bent in close and clutched my chin
forcing my mouth open. She sniffed my breath and turned her head in
derision. "What did he do to you?!" she demanded.