Immortals And Melodies (Blood And Guitars #2) (25 page)

Chapter 32

Aurora

THERE WAS NO TURNING back now. Nothing left for me to do but wait for my love to succumb to his mortality. I paused to take in the sight of him, Trey – my human – one last time. I studied his dark chocolate colored hair, the strong line of his jaw, and the way his lips parted.

As Trey’s heart began to slow in its pumping, I realized with a pang of longing that I would no longer enjoy the full, innocent sound of his heartbeat. I ran my fingers over his dark hair and watched his chest rise and fall with his shallow breathing.

“I’m here,” I whispered, hoping my voice sounded more confident than I felt. I didn’t even know if he could hear me as the rhythm of his heart grew more erratic, skipping beats. Using my fingertips, I traced the perfect little V on his top lip as he drew one last, shaky breath. Then his precious heart was still.

Trey was dead.

Something wet splashed onto his chest and I realized I was crying. I’d known this wasn’t going to be easy, but as I cradled Trey’s lifeless body in my arms, I wondered if we’d made the right decision. Was I really a strong enough vampire to change Trey? Or would he remain in this lifeless state for eternity, a sacrifice to my selfishness? More moisture trickled down my cheeks. I hadn’t cried like this in years, not since I’d lost my family.

I curled up next to Trey’s lifeless body on the giant bed and held him. I drew strength from the warm rays of silver moonlight that enveloped Trey and me like a blanket as I settled in for the agonizing wait. As much as I would miss Trey’s human heartbeat, I was anxious to hear the hollow echo of a vampire’s heartbeat resonating from within his chest.

The minutes crawled by, torturing me as I watched over Trey in the candlelight. It was as if time had deliberately slowed. Maybe this was Father Time’s way of getting back at me for the whole immortality thing. I would have given all of it up just then to guarantee Trey’s survival. What good was being young and beautiful forever, if Trey wasn’t here to share it with me?

Every doubt that I’d forced out of my mind since deciding to change Trey resurfaced, stronger than ever. I found myself wishing for the power and whimsy of fairytales. If only things were as simple as we’re led to believe as children. I remembered the story of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Both were saved with the power of a kiss, drawn out of their lifeless state to live happily ever after. Desperately, I bent and left a soft kiss on Trey’s lips. It was foolish. I knew that, but even that knowledge couldn’t prepare me for the agony that ripped at my heart when he didn’t respond.

I choked back a sob, the crushing weight of reality bearing down on me. What had I done? I was still a young vampire, years from being granted the use of all the abilities. What right did I have to believe that I could create another? I reached for my phone but sat it back on the bed again. Who would I call? Antonio? Mark? What would I say? There was nothing to be done now but wait, and I was in this alone. I had no idea how long it could go on. It was different with every vampire, but Antonio had told me that it was only about an hour before I’d come back as a vampire. Of course, Antonio had been well beyond his ten-year mark when he’d changed me. I was certain that had played a role. I laid down next to Trey, staring at his lifeless body, willing him to come back to me. His skin took on a bluish tint now and was growing cold to the touch. I pulled a blanket up over the both of us and tried to pretend that he was only sleeping. It didn’t work. My sensitive ears picked up the sound of the surf outside, a car driving not too far away, the crickets chirping in the night, but the only thing I wanted to hear still didn’t come. I was feeling the effects of the blood exchange. My strength was not what it should have been, but even that couldn’t distract me as I snuggled up to Trey and settled in for the wait, however long it would be. I wasn’t giving up hope. He had to come back to me. We were just starting our life together. I couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not like this.

I tried to focus my thoughts on more positive things, like the first time I'd seen Trey. He was standing alone on the stage at
Carlie's
with his guitar, hypnotizing the crowd with his sandpaper voice and emotionally charged lyrics. I thought of him simply as Guitar Guy as I watched him play that night, grossly fascinated by the power he held over the crowd despite his obvious humanity.

Then there was the time I taught him to paint at The Waking Moon. He kissed me that night and surprised me with his boldness. It was the first time I felt the emotional link that kissing him created. It had been terrifying and wonderful all at once, and I desperately wanted to do it again. I got that chance the next day when he'd invited me to the recording studio to watch him work on a song. It was only then that I realized I wasn't involved with some home-town garage band type, but the lead singer of a band who had sold more than a million records. The memory of it brought back all the feelings of shock and surrealism of that day. Any doubts I may have had about Trey and his feelings for me were washed away when he kissed me again. knew then that what was happening between us was special, unique, even if I hadn't known that Trey would change me in ways that I could never go back from. So many things had happened in the short time since that day. So many memories that I could never relinquish no matter how long I live.

I could see Trey standing in the sand as I walked down the aisle lined in flowers toward him at our wedding, just days ago. I could still see the look on his face as he watched me come toward him. He looked at me with the same awe and fascination I'd seen in his eyes the night I revealed my true self to him. He was so happy then, like no amount of pain and suffering could tear away that smile of his that I loved so much.

I could still feel his lips on mine as we’d had our first kiss as husband and wife in front of all the people who cared for us. I had realized then that I had more human friends in the crowd than vampires. It was just one more way in which Trey had changed me forever. I could feel the sheer exhilaration as we danced back down the aisle to O'Shea's guitar playing, laughing at how amazing it felt to be married. I remembered Trey pulling me into the nearest tent to steal a private moment before we joined our friends to celebrate. The way he kissed me like his life depended on it.

I smiled at just the thought of it, but the cold realization of my present reality broke through the mirage of content brought on by those happy memories. I tried to push the fear and anxiety away again, focusing instead on other things Trey and I had done, but instead of happy memories, only heartbreaking ones flooded through now.

I flinched as my mind reeled back further in time to the moment I told Trey we couldn't be together. He stood there in front of me, blindsided and heartbroken as I'd turned my back on him, fully expecting never to see him again. My mind flashed again and suddenly Trey was bent over Wes's lifeless body in the pouring rain. He was pumping Wes's chest with his hands, determined to bring back the life that had been so unfairly cut short by vampires who were angry with me for my decisions. Another flash and Trey was lying on his back in the entryway of his house, a vampire bent over him, his head bleeding. Flash again and this time Trey was slumped over the steering wheel of his Mazda, unresponsive, blood streaming from his nose. I'd never be able to forget the pain he felt as I sat with him in the back of the ambulance that day.

My mind betrayed me as I was overcome with grief at the agony I had caused Trey throughout our relationship. More than ever, I couldn't imagine why anyone would go through all of that just to be with me. I wasn't worth it. If Trey didn’t wake up from the change, I would pay for it in endless guilt for the rest of my extended life, and rightly so.

My Jasmine candles had burned down now and the moon’s position in the sky had changed significantly, indicating that several hours had passed since I’d given Trey my blood. I felt him before I saw any visible changes. Trey’s presence became intensely clear in the room, causing me to sit up in surprise. I gazed at his face for a long moment before anything happened. It started with the color of his skin as it transformed from the bluish-white shade of death to an imitation of its usual sun-kissed color, except with the almost translucent-like quality that vampire skin has. I gasped in relief as I watched his chocolate hair take on a new sheen. Then I heard it, the echo of a heartbeat, strangely familiar despite the changes.

“Trey?” I called to him.

Chapter 33

Trey

AURORA’S ANXIOUS FACE WAS the first thing I saw with my new vampire eyes. I’d been dying the last I remembered, but I was alive again somehow. It was like surfacing for air after being under water forever. Every unnecessary breath held new meaning. My lips stretched into a smile and I felt the light pressure of my new fangs against my bottom lip.

“You weren’t worried, were you?” I said.

Aurora let out a breath in disbelief. “You’re late,” she said, exasperated. “It’s been hours. I was starting to think you weren’t coming back.”

“I’d never leave you alone.” I sat up, wrapping her in my arms. She buried her face in my chest for a long moment and then sat back. “Well, how do I look?” I asked, watching her face for a reaction.

She cocked her head to the side slightly, gazing at me with curious, green eyes. Then she smiled and gestured to the full-length mirror across the room with a nod of her head. “See for yourself.” I slid to the edge of the bed and put my feet on the floor, standing. Every inch of my body felt different. I could feel it in my bones and my muscles. I was more solid than I’d ever been, but moving was so effortless that it was like being weightless at the same time. I hesitated for a second, wondering what I was going to see when I looked in the mirror. “Go ahead,” Aurora encouraged.

I walked forward, my muscles responding with precision and control I’d never known as a human. When I gazed in the mirror it was the most surreal sensation, and it left me feeling a little detached at first. Despite the subtle differences, the guy staring back at me in the reflection had my body. He had my face, my mouth, my nose, but my eyes – they were more than just different. They were bright blue, glowing in that awesome way vampire eyes do. I stretched my muscles, enjoying the new found strength in them. No amount of time spent in a gym could earn power like that. My shoulder felt better than it ever had. It was hard to believe it had been out of its socket just earlier this week. I took a step forward, looking closer at my reflection. After a moment, it happened. I recognized myself. I was still me behind this new vampire’s glowing gaze.

Aurora left the bed to close the open window against the now gently falling rain and then crossed the room to stand by me. She put a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to face her.

“What do you think?” I asked her, gesturing to my new physique. “How do you like Trey 2.0?”

“You look just like my husband,” she said, taking my hand in hers. “You’ve always been perfect to me.”

I smiled, cupping her face with my hand. “Even you look different,” I said, gazing at her with new appreciation. “How is it possible that you look even more beautiful now than you did before?”

She smiled and shook her head. “You’re just seeing things with your new sight that your human eyes couldn’t process.”

“Come outside with me,” I said, taking her hand and leading her out of the house. Even my skin reacted differently to touch, from the warmth of Aurora’s hand in mine, to the cool drops of rain that splashed onto my chest and shoulders, to the feel of the grainy sand on the beach as it filled the space between my toes. Aurora and I walked along the coast, and I took in everything with my new and improved senses. Everything had changed right down to the sound of the surf as it crashed into the shoreline. Dark clouds hung overhead, but I was pretty certain nothing short of a full-blown hurricane could put a damper on my mood.