In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete First Season: Episodes 1-5 (20 page)

Armando watched her leave with a sly smile upon his face. The girl was beginning to confide in him. The Master would be pleased. It had been difficult these last few months to even get close to the girl. Roman and Alisha had kept careful tabs on her, never allowing her to be alone. Tonight he had successfully laid the foundation for a continuing dialogue with her, and he hoped to gain her trust. He supposed he could use her crush against her, but he was leery of doing so. His Master tended to be jealous.

Yet somehow his success tonight was devoid of any pleasure, and this caused him some concern. Armando had grown accustomed to the emptiness within himself and the lack of any deeply felt emotions. Lately, to his surprise, he was beginning to feel connected once more to those around him. It was almost as if his human self had been slumbering and only now was beginning to awaken. Sometimes, when he was with Roman, he would look toward his quarry and feel what could only be described as brotherly affection. This was worrisome, dangerous, and frightening. Armando could feel himself slipping from just acting the role his Master had assigned him. Tonight, for a mere moment, he felt as though he were betraying Roman by obeying his Master’s wishes to gain Vanora’s trust. He had to harden himself against these foolish thoughts.

Armando folded the piece of paper carefully and stowed it away in his coat pocket. Soon his time here would be at an end. Soon his Master’s plans would commence, and Roman’s little world would be shattered.

*

Vanora was freshly showered and combing out her wet hair when she heard a gentle knock on her door.

“Who is it?”

“Me,” Alisha’s voice answered.

“Come in!”

Alisha scooted in and looked apologetic. “Armando told me you got home a little while ago. I’m
so
sorry I didn’t hear you come in.”

Plopping down on the end of her bed, Vanora shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” Alisha sighed, tucking her hands into the pockets of her skinny jeans. “I was really wrapped up in talking to Sheila and just totally spaced the time. I’m sorry.”

Though her feelings were hurt, Vanora shrugged. “It’s okay. The concert was kinda boring. Trey kept trying to flirt with me and it was annoying.”

“I thought you had a crush on Trey.” Alisha sat next to Vanora and cocked her head to watch her sister’s expression.

“I did. Then I found out how stupid he is.”

Plucking the comb from Vanora’s fingers, Alisha began to run it through the long, pale blond locks. “I hate to break it to you, but most boys are stupid.”

“I guess.” Vanora sighed. She didn’t feel like talking about boys. The private school she attended had small classes, and she had known all the kids for years. The only boy to show any real interest in her was her best friend’s older brother and he was a bit of a jerk. One of her most painful experiences was when a boy she liked told her that he might ask her out if she ever dyed her hair, got a tan, and started looking normal. She had never shared that with Alisha and Roman and wasn’t going to. Her siblings insisted that her albinism didn’t detract from her, but Vanora knew differently. She saw all the hostile looks, she heard the snide comments, and she knew that people saw her as a freak.

“So you spent some time talking to Armando?”

“A few minutes,” Vanora admitted.

Alisha grinned. “You still have a crush on him, huh?”

“Shut up!”

“He is good looking.”

“Shut up!”

“Okay, okay! I have to tease you a little bit. You can’t be around him without getting all glowy.”

“I do not get glowy! I’m just…naturally…uh…Oh, shut up!” Vanora scowled.

“It’s okay to have a crush as long as you know it will never work out. He’s four hundred and you’re about to turn seventeen.”

“God, Alisha! I know! Okay!” Vanora suddenly felt like crying and it made her angrier. “I know I’m sixteen and that I’ve never been kissed or been on a date!”

“I didn’t--”

“I lie to my girlfriends and tell them I don’t date because my family is super-strict and Catholic, but they know it’s because no one has asked me! Ever!” Vanora leaped off the bed and prowled around her room. She was furious at her own frustration and the utter sense of helplessness that enfolded her.

“You’re just a late bloomer.” Alisha watched her with a sad expression on her face.

“No, Alisha. I’m ugly! I’m a freak. I look like a ghost! I can’t be in direct sunlight for long, I have to wear these stupid glasses—which I don’t need! I look like a freak! So…what if I have a crush on some old vampire? At least he doesn’t look at me like I’m ugly!”

“You’re not ugly! You’re gorgeous! Don’t let stupid people upset you. People who can’t appreciate you for who you are!” Alisha stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Gawd, Vanora, you’re so beautiful it makes my heart sing. You’re like a gorgeous swan.”

“I’m the ugly duckling and that’s not going to change.” Vanora stalked back and forth before her sister. “I’m so tired of people telling me I’m pretty when I know I’m not.”

Alisha snagged her arm and stopped her. “Vanora, stop it. Right now.”

Angry tears made it hard to see. She felt so lonely and lost.

“I know it’s hard for you because of me and Roman being what we are, only living by night, and now the new vampires are here. Maybe I’m not being the sister you need and I’m so sorry if I have been failing you. But I don’t want you to take out your frustration on yourself.”

“I just…feel lonely,” Vanora admitted. She wrapped her arms around her sister, resting her head on her shoulder. The tension in her body dissipated as Alisha embraced her lovingly. “I just miss how it was.”

“I know you do. Sometimes, I do, too.” Alisha kissed her forehead tenderly.

“You do?”

“I do. The new vampires are amazing and they really do make me feel less alone, less afraid, but I miss our quiet family times.”

“Me, too.”

“I’ll talk to Roman later. Maybe we can carve out some more time to spend with you. Maybe not have the vampires over on the weekends.”

Vanora smiled at the thought. She’d love to go back to their late night movie marathons, or finally finish their Monopoly game. “I’d like that.”

Alisha took Vanora’s face gruffly between her hands. “And no more about you being ugly! Stop that. You’re beautiful. Inside and out. Okay?”

Though Vanora didn’t truly believe her sister, she nodded.

“Now, go to sleep and tomorrow we’ll go do something with Sin, okay?”

“Okay.” Vanora relented to her sister’s wishes. The emotional storm was dying down inside her mind and her body was exhausted.

Alisha made a big deal out of tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. “I love you, Snow Pea. Tomorrow we’ll do something fun. You’re more important to me than anyone in the world. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Vanora whispered.

After the door shut behind her sister, Vanora turned on the lamp and slid the drawer of her bed stand open. Inside was a piece of paper that Vanora unfolded. It had taken her weeks to finally be satisfied with the image. After failing to capture a picture of Armando, she had finally drawn him. Studying sketch, she was pleased with how much she had captured his likeness. He really was handsome, and he was always so nice to her. Only when she was around him did she feel even remotely attractive.

With a sigh, she tucked it under her pillow, turned off the light, and closed her eyes to sleep.

February 2007

“So no more weekend dates, huh?” Sin scratched his underarm and stretched out his long, muscular body.

“Not for a while,” Alisha said, sighing. “Vanora is feeling ignored lately. She’s feeling the wrath of her teenage hormones.” Lounging nude on the bed in Sin’s art studio, she played with the edges of her blond hair.

“Being a teenager sucks balls. She probably needs to get laid.”

“Sin!”

“She’s a hot sixteen year old.”

“And about to turn seventeen.”

“Well, she’ll be technically legal in the state of Texas. She should be boning boys left and right. She’s a little hottie.”

Alisha rolled her eyes. “Perv.”

Sin grinned, his hands tucked behind his head. He had finally grown out his dreads and dyed his blond hair different shades of blue and green. Alisha thought he looked like a merman. “C’mon. You don’t think she’s not doing anything when she goes out with Rhonda? Rhonda has wild girl stamped all over her.”

Frowning, Alisha stared at a stray split end and made a mental note to get her hair trimmed. “Vanora doesn’t get asked out by guys. And the only one to like her is apparently
stupid.
”

“All men are stupid when it comes to women.” Sin rolled over and nudged her with his broad shoulder. “You honestly don’t think she’s having a crazy time behind your back?”

“God, I wish!” With an exasperated sigh, Alisha toppled onto her side and stroked his chin lightly. “Honestly, I hate to admit it, but I think her albinism really does hold her back. I’ve always stressed to her that her condition has no bearing on her as a person, but even I notice the weird looks she gets. I hear the shitty things people say to her.”

“Eh, I think she’s pretty. But then again, I think she resembles her older, hotter sister.”

Alisha smiled. “Flatterer.”

Sin gathered her up in his long, arms, his tattoos shifting over his hard muscles. Resting against the hardness of his chest, Alisha felt safe and warm. Sin always made her feel alive and human.

“I love you,” Sin whispered, kissing her lips.

“Love you,” she answered.

Snuggling her, Sin gently stroked her cheek, his blue eyes staring into hers. “I want to talk to you about something important.”

“That sounds…scary.”

With a slight shrug and a smile, he said, “Maybe. Depends on how you take it.”

“Okay.” Alisha eyed him warily.

“Let me talk and just listen. Don’t interrupt until I’m done. I’ve been practicing this for days and I’m nervous.”

The sincerity in his gaze and voice made Alisha even more curious and anxious about what he was about to say to her. “I’m listening.”

Taking a deep breath, Sin slowly exhaled. “Okay, we’ve been together for a while now. And it’s good. Really good. You’ve kept me in Houston for so long it kinda boggles my mind. I have serious wanderlust. I hate being in any place longer than a year max. But here I am! Because of you.”

That drew a smile out of Alisha, and she nestled into her pillow to listen to him ramble on.

“I know when we first got together you had some…qualms.” Sin hesitated, shifting onto his hip and resting his head on his hand so he could gaze down at her. With some obvious trepidation, he plunged on. “The whole thing about your brother Roman was a ruse. I know that now. I found out Roman’s dead a while back. I thought it was weird how Vanora never mentioned him and would avoid answering my questions about him. So I did a little investigating and found out how he died.”

Alisha tensed, her stomach clenching. What did he know?

“At first I couldn’t figure out why you would lie to me about your older brother not liking me until I realized it was your safety line. Your way out if you didn’t like me.”

Alisha started to open her mouth, but then quickly shut it.

Sin gave her a somewhat wistful smile before flopping back on his pillows. “I also know there is something wrong with you physically. I’m going to guess it’s something to do with thyroid since your skin is always so cool. And I also suspect you’re bulimic. I do hear you throwing up after you eat.” Sin rubbed his face vigorously, drew in a deep breath, and kept talking. “But I don’t care about any of it. All I know is that you make me so damn happy. I feel energized when I’m with you. My art is fucking amazing. I’m crazily in love with you and I know if you would just open up to me, we can handle whatever you’re dealing with.” Rolling over, Sin cupped her face with one hand. “I want us to be together. Really together. You and me, living together, none of this leaving right before dawn shit. I want to wake up with you at my side.”

“Sin,” Alisha breathed, her throat tight and mind unable to fashion any sort of response out of her muddled, terrified thoughts.

“I got a call from a friend in LA. He’s refurbishing this old warehouse into apartments and it has great light. He says he can hook me up with a studio. I think we should both pack it up and head out there. You can get out into the sunshine and get a tan. We can start off a new life.”

“I can’t,” Alisha whispered.

“Look, I know you’re worried about Vanora. But she’s almost seventeen! She’s nearly an adult. You’ve been telling me for the last year that your uncle and aunt want her to move to Austin. Let her do that. Let her go be with her cousins and hang out in a town that’s made for young people. You’ve been putting your life on hold for your sister and, honestly, Alisha, I think she’s doing the same for you. It’ll be good for both of you.”

Alisha closed her eyes, her heart breaking into a million pieces. Sin’s kisses covered her closed lids, her cheeks and her lips.