NEWBORN: Book One of the Newborn Trilogy (20 page)

My voice is a whisper. “Is he watching
us?”

Gabriel smoothes my hair back, tucking it
behind my ear. “I think so but I’m not sure,” he says, his voice a
murmur. “I can’t see him. But I’m getting that old feeling of being
watched.”

To an observer, it looks like Gabriel and I
are merely two lovers camping. But the subject of our conversation
is deadlier than S’mores. I imagine a pair of eyes staring us
through the darkening trees.

“Will you stay with me?” I beg him.

He shakes his head, continuing to play with
my hair. “You know I can’t. The devil will never present itself
with me here. Don’t worry, Nora – you
will
be safe. Vampires
have a nasty habit of playing with their dinner. It won’t be an
instant kill,” he explains, his voice soothing as though this is
calming.

“I –”

“Shh,” Gabriel murmurs, raising his wand.
“Never mind. Water?”

Geez, waiting around is not helping my
anxiety!

“Position your hand as though holding a
glass,” he instructs me. “A little more,” he says, adjusting my
fingers, “Perfect. Aqui!” A glass appears in my ready hand and
fills with water. “A useful spell,” Gabriel says, grinning at my
amazed expression. “I can make any drink at all. How about
something stronger?”

If there’s ever a time to binge it’s before
getting mauled by a ferocious vampire. But I shake my head. Raising
the glass to my lips I drink deeply. Am I ready for this? I’m not
sure. Time is slipping by. Gabriel seems to be waiting for
something. “What are we waiting for?” I ask nervously.

“Nightfall,” he answers, gazing into the sky.
“When the stars reveal themselves I will leave you. Not really,” he
adds quickly, interpreting my alarm. “I will be close at hand.
Always.
In any case, you still have a friend – and a
protector – nearby if you run into trouble. Can you guess who?”

My eyes are wide. “No idea.”

“Merrifeather,” Gabriel says. “She’s been
just in the woods for the last ten minutes. Waiting. Staying
hidden. She can protect you, Nora. One piece of advice,” he begins
grandly, obviously trying to cheer me up, “Never – I mean never –
underestimate Merri. She’s been known to pull eyes from sockets two
at a time. She only does that to vampires,” he explains with a
grin.

I can’t think of a response. So I drink more
water.

“Are you scared?” Gabriel asks.

Setting my glass beside the fire, I look into
his face. “No. But I still don’t want you to leave me. Is there any
other way we can do this? Maybe circle around and chase his tail or
something? Anything?”

“Nothing,” he concludes. “This is how we
finish the job tonight. You know,” he begins as an afterthought,
“back in the day I could have got you a special award from the
Bureau of Beast Control for assisting in the killing of a vampire.
But you know – since the Puridite Movement – Immags are no longer
eligible for wizard awards. You’re considered biologically
and
chemically inferior.”

Shoving him playfully, I ask, “Why would you
tell me that? Why tell me once upon a time I could have got an
award but now I can’t? I like awards,” I say randomly. “It’s nice
to feel desired.”

Swiping his blond hair to the side of his
forehead, Gabriel grins at me. “You
are
desired,” he says,
his hand wrapping around the back of my neck. “By not only me,
unfortunately.” His skin is tingly and electric to touch, but
nothing – I mean nothing – compared to the thrumming pulse
thrilling me when his lips sink to mine for a second time. Oh
bliss! You sweet creature!

He kisses me lightly before withdrawing.
Turquoise eyes are brighter than the fire they’re reflecting, its
heat pulsating inside me. I know what he’s doing. He’s building me
up for the real thing. It’s totally working – I can’t wait! But as
I look up at the sky I realize with dread that night has
fallen.

“It’s time.”

“No,” I murmur, eyes closed, trying
desperately to hold onto the feeling of his lips on me. “Don’t
leave me.”

Gabriel is lost for a moment, then he pulls
himself together. “You have the fire,” he says, standing. “It won’t
go out. You have me and Merri nearby under cover. We won’t go out,
either. We’ll stay close – within watching distance. You will be
fine, Nora. You are so effortlessly brave.”

I have to think about that one for a moment
before disagreeing.

Stretching my hands to the luminous flames, I
warm them if not my heart. “Go, then,” I tell him furiously.

You poser
, my alter ego says.
You
don’t mind – you’re just being an opportunist
.

Damn right I am
, I answer.

“Leave me to be bitten and eaten, if that’s
what you want!”

“You
know
I don’t want that,” is the
exasperated answer. I find myself staring into angry eyes. “Damn
it, Nora,” he says, “don’t you know I care about you? Don’t you
realize I
like
you? Or have I been too secretive?”

I have to smile at this. Yes – I have
noticed, actually. Perhaps it has something to do with him kissing
me a second ago. “You have my permission to leave guilt-free,” I
tell him. “On one condition!”

He’s looking wary. “What’s that?”

I try to control my thumping heart. “One
real
kiss – with tongue,” I add by way of explanation.
“Right here and now before you leave me to die. That’s my
condition. Take it or leave it.”

The problem now is to keep my expression
confident and determined as he comes to me, my heart rate
increasing with his every step. The pocket of his cordovan robes
accepts his wand. The turquoise of his eyes bathing me in bliss, he
raises his hands to my face – his right circling around the back of
my neck and his left brushing my right temple. His breathing is
low. Intrepid.

Tightening his grip on me to forestall any
escape, he leans in close. Kisses me once on the lips. No tongue.
He withdraws. Blushing terribly, I stare into his eyes. I expect to
see them dancing with mirth after this little joke. They’re not.
Instead, they are serious and as determined as my own.

“We’re not ready. But soon, Nora. Soon.”

I nod silently, staring at him.

He releases me. “Goodbye, Nora!” he says
extremely loudly. “I will see you tomorrow. 1:30 at the bluffs,
remember?”

Frowning in confusion, I open my mouth. Then
close it. Oh, right.

Idiot!
deems my alter ego.

“Right!” I say as loudly but far less
convincingly. “At the bluffs – 1:30 – got it. Stay safe and warm
and, and
everything
.”

“Will do,” Gabriel responds, smiling hugely
at me. “I
know
you will,” he adds, gesturing to the fire.
“Thanks to me, no less. Keep an eye out for dangerous folk! They
tend to infest the woods at night!”

The nerve!

“Yeah – fine,” I say. Asshole. “Bye,
then.”

A loud pop sounds and he’s gone.
Translocated. Or whatever the hell it is. Magicked away, if
magicked is a word. I shiver, for despite the roaring fire nearby I
feel cold. I underestimated the warmth of Gabriel’s presence. Can’t
be helped now. Sitting, I scoot closer to the fire and warm my
hands.

Surprisingly, my thoughts don’t fly to
impending doom. They go to a cuddlier subject. How on earth did
Gabriel get away with that? I said he couldn’t leave till he gave
me a French kiss and he didn’t. He totally didn’t. Then he left
anyway. Maybe if I’d been more vigilant. Forced him to stay.

Like you could force him to do
anything
, my alter ego scoffs.
Hardly!

Shut the fuck up
, I tell her.

She quiets at once. Now I’m completely alone.
With no Gabriel, Merri, or alter ego to keep me company.

Shitballs!
How did it come to this?
Why me? Why now? Why everything?

Why didn’t he kiss me? It baffles me. ‘We’re
not ready’ is what he said. What does that mean?
We
as in
me? Or
we
as in him? Or
we
as in both of us? I can’t
figure him out. Maybe he’s a hopeless romantic who thinks a date or
two should separate a first kiss and a real kiss. Somehow I doubt
it.

Holy bejesus fuck!

What if Kiri is right! What if he’s – uh –
how did Kiri put it? A strawberry daiquiri? I giggle. It wouldn’t
be funny for long. If my wizard friend and potential lover turned
out gay. It would totally make our future make out sessions a lot
more awkward. Yet he
could
be gay. He didn’t want to french
it with me…

But I can’t imagine Gabriel being gay. He’s
not – not
something
enough. For one thing, he’s too
murderous to be gay. Gays appear to be caring, peaceful people. Not
Gabriel. He’s not peaceful. Not with his vampire vendetta. Not with
his life’s work being to kill every vampire man, woman, and child.
Lunacy.

Thoughts swimming in circles, I sit by the
fire and bask in its glow. If only I could have all the answers. It
would be amazing! Everything would be so simple! Sparks crackle and
fly into the night. The far off hoot of an owl catches my ear.
Geez, I hope that’s not Merri! That’s way too far away!

The heat of the fire and confusion of my
thoughts pounding me, I sink into a stupor. Resting my head on my
knee, I wrap my arms around myself and stare into the flames. My
eyelids begin to droop.

* * *

“What’s wrong?” I’m staring into pained
faces.

Dad pulls a chair out from under the kitchen
table. “Best sit down, Nora.”

“Why?” I’m refusing to sit.

Dad is never
this
somber.

Mom is watching him sit down with a strange
expression on her face. I realize it’s jealousy.
She
should
have pulled out the chair. “Just sit down, Nora,” Mom says, her
voice crooning exhaustion.

My eyes never leaving the pair of them, I sit
down. “What’s wrong?” I know something is. I can’t help the panic
in my voice. I can tell something’s wrong from their demeanors.
What? What have I done this time?

Mom and Dad are staring at each other
expectantly. Mom stares harder. Dad looks away with a sigh. “Your –
your Mom and I,” he begins in a soothing voice, “Have… we’ve been
discussing –”

“Just say it, Gene!” Mom yells at him.

“No!” Dad shouts across the table. “There’s a
right way and a wrong way to do this, Cindy! We are going to do it
the right way!”

Mom never could be outdone.

She turns to me. “We’re getting
divorced.”

* * *

“Wake up darling… wake up. Do wake up,
sweetie.”

A singsong voice is coming at me through a
haze of years. I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want to wake up to
this world. To a world where parents divorce and homes crumble
around childhood bedrooms. I don’t want any part of this world. No
– I won’t wake up. I don’t want to.

“Wake up!”

My eyes slam open.

A woman is staring at me from across the
fire.

The first thing I
notice is her eyes. Feverishly bright red. Her face is elegant with
sloping cheeks and curved lips. This effect is dulled by the face
paint that dances across her expression, making her look mad. She’s
wearing a revealing dress made from colorful feathers. The effect
is startling.

“You’re all alone aren’t you, sweetie?”

Holy fuck!
My murderer has
arrived!

I want to look around for Gabriel or Merri
but I know I can’t. So I stare back into brilliant red eyes. Trying
to give nothing away.

The vampire stares back at me. Cocking her
head to one side, she says, “Shame. I’ve been following you all
afternoon. Waiting to see if you’d part ways with your wizard
friend. I’m so glad you did,” she adds, her face contorting around
bared teeth. “Now I have no worries at all.”

“You – you what?” I’m stalling for time.

She looks at me like I’m stupid. “You know
what I am, don’t you?”

I nod. My heart is beginning to race.

“Well done,” she says, her expression
satisfied. “Ignorance often comes before death. For you it will
just be death!”

“I’m not frightened,” I lie, staring into her
bright red eyes, at her flyaway face paint. “Kill me if you’re
going to!”

The vampire’s expression grows tight. She
looks angry. “Oh no,” she begins dangerously, her tone drenched in
heated patience, “I have no reason or desire to be swift. You won’t
steal my fun, human!”

My breath is catching in my throat. Oh geez,
this is it. The end. I’ve arrived. Everything I will know is in the
past. Doom alone waits. The question is whether I will meet it with
grace or not. I must – I realize – for no other end befits me. I
must show the world death is not the end.

Red eyes reflect flames. I’ve encouraged her.
Slinking around the fire, the vampire comes to me. The closer she
comes, the wilder she appears – the brighter her eyes glow, the
more dazzling her dress of feathers becomes. She looks like a demon
from a far off world. Long finger-nailed hands reach for my throat.
Before she touches me I see her nails are of deepest maroon.

“You’re sassy,” she tells me, grasping my
throat. The feel of her touch is ice cold. “I hate your type,” she
scorns. “Stealing away my pleasure. Death is not to be met with
courage and chivalry but fear and cowardice!”

“No!” I gurgle.

“No, ma’am,” she instructs. I can’t do it. I
can’t bring myself to formalities. She doesn’t deserve it. Nor do I
deserve the indignity of addressing her as such. She thinks
differently. “I have
so
little patience,” she says angrily,
grasping my throat still harder, “for noble humans. Address me as
ma’am,” she demands, “or die!”

Struggling, I manage, “No!”

I’m thrown to the ground. My head bangs
against dirt. My thoughts are spinning around stars and tree
branches. This is it. I’m dead. This is when she bites me. The
question is whether she will eat. Yuck!