chapter 10
I was surprised when Peter offered to come swimming with me. I hadn’t been entirely sure vampires could swim. After all, in some stories water was right up there with garlic and crosses…. though neither of those things had any effect on real vampires. Sunlight did have some effect, though it wasn’t devastating. It mostly affected young vampires. For Peter it was simply annoying, hence the sunglasses perched on his face as he drove into the Saturday afternoon sun.
We pulled up to the aquatic center just after noon. I preferred this time of day. I didn’t have to get up early, the morning lap swimmers would be gone, and the afternoon crowd of parents with children wouldn’t descend on the place for a couple of hours yet. Peter helped me into my chair and handed me my swim bag. After he paid his fee and I got my card punched, we went to our respective locker rooms to change.
You’d think a vampire would look terrible in a swimsuit. Wrong. He looked amazing- broad shoulders, muscular chest, and narrow waist tapering down to his shorts. I will admit that with his skin tone, he wouldn’t really pass for a swimsuit model, but I wasn’t about to complain. The soft sound of water lapping at the sides of pool and echoing off the tall ceiling was a calming balm to my soul. I had come here to swim once a week ever since I left rehab. It felt wonderful to be in the water, where my body was weightless and easier to move. I wheeled over to the ladder and he helped me down into the pool. Usually I needed the lifeguard, the big lift chair, and a swim vest for this; but today I had Peter. I clung to the side of the pool while he climbed in. Once I was in the water, I could stand for longer periods of time, thanks to the buoyancy of the water.
Peter wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against him so that we floated backward together. The sensation of his slick skin sliding over mine was distracting. I sighed and relaxed against him, kicking my legs slowly. Peter was so patient with me, always there to support me. He was as graceful in the water as he was on land, and I wondered what it would be like to see him out swimming in a lake where he wasn’t confined like this. Of course then I would have to sit on shore. At least here, I got to take part.
When we were all done I made my way to the showers and got dressed, still glowing with the memory of Peter’s hands on my body, and his bright green eyes twinkling down at me with laughter. I sighed to myself. Someday soon, he was going to get sick of being my own personal aide. He had to help me do everything. Sure, I enjoyed having company at times like this, but I knew he must want an equal- someone who could swim beside him or race with him through the woods, not someone he had to carry.
I made my way to the car in a quiet mood. Peter glanced at me in concern. “Is something wrong?” He asked softly. “I thought you were having fun…”
I gave him the best smile I could muster. “Of course. Thank you. Nothing’s wrong.” Except you loving me.
He didn’t seem convinced, but he did his best to pull me out of my pensive mood, cracking jokes and goofing off until I couldn’t help but smile, my fears forgotten for the time being.
*****
Sometimes I can be so trusting. So completely naive. This is partly because of the stupid brain injury, but also because I haven’t been able to live my adult life the way a normal young woman would. I went from being a teenager to being an adult treated like a teenager. Turns out Mom and Dad were right about one thing: I’m a little gullible, an easy target.
It was approaching lunchtime. The librarians had popped out for a few minutes to get food, leaving me in charge of the place for a short time. I had just finished shelving the morning’s returns when I noticed a man standing at the desk. He was wearing a navy blue button-down shirt with the logo of a delivery service stitched on the front. I wheeled around and gave him my best friendly-clerk smile. “Can I help you?”
The man returned my smile. He was in his late twenties, handsome enough, with a good-natured face and bright blue eyes; one of those people who would be hard to describe when he wasn’t standing right in front of you. He was of medium build, with that hair color that’s somewhere between brown and blond. He was very ordinary looking. Of course, that’s probably why they sent him.
“Melody Wescott? I have something for you.” He glanced down at the tablet he carried in his hand. “From a…Mr. Marcellus.” I wheeled around the desk, grinning like a child on Christmas. Peter had gotten me a present?
The man headed for the side door that led to the street, where we usually got deliveries. “It’s kind of big, so I thought you could take a look and tell me where you want it?”
I nodded and followed him out, wondering what in the world could be that large. There was a small delivery truck parked at the curb. The man went to the back of the truck and pulled up the big rolling door so I could peek inside. I maneuvered my chair over to the curb to look. My smile faded and I looked at the man, perplexed. “There’s nothing in there…”
He moved faster than thought, clamping a hand over my mouth and lifting me out of my chair. No human could be so strong. He leapt into the back of the truck before anyone could notice us. Another man came around from the front and tossed my chair inside like it weighed nothing, then closed the door with a bang, leaving us completely in the dark.
Creepy Jerk Number One let go of me, leaving me to slump on the floor while he searched for something in the dark. He finally came up with a small flashlight, which he turned on and sat on the floor. For my benefit, I was guessing, since he didn’t need light to see in the dark. Of course, I immediately started screaming for help. We were in the middle of traffic in an enclosed truck going about thirty miles an hour or so. No one heard me- and even if they did, they wouldn’t know what it was they were hearing, as travel and road noise reduced my screams to barely audible sounds.
The vampire didn’t react to my hysterics, and I eventually gave it up. My throat was sore and the blood was pounding in my head from the exertion. “Where are you taking me?”
He canted his head to the side as if studying something he had never seen before. “Does it matter?”
I rolled my eyes, feeling a sharp rush of anger. “Of course it f*cking matters! What the hell is going on?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. We went through a couple of big turns and then sped up. I suppose we must have gotten on the highway. The vampire swayed gracefully in the dim light, not bothered by the maneuver. “My master wishes to see you,” he said blandly.
I glared, trying to steady myself as I was jostled around. “And you are?”
He sighed. “Our coven is based in a small town some distance north of here. “
Aside from that, I got nothing out of him. Apparently, he was only the delivery boy. He watched me like I might grow wings and fly away, but that was all. After a very long time, I nodded off, lulled by the swaying motion of the truck and the steady hum of the tires beneath me. I woke when we slowed down and came to a stop. My neck ached from the awkward angle it had been in as I dozed against the wall, and my left foot was numb. Pins and needles raced up my leg when I shifted my weight.
The door was thrust open again and Creepy Jerk Number Two came into view. He was darker than the first vampire, but still very non-descript. Their appearance wouldn’t give the police much to go on if a bystander had happened to spot us. I squinted into the fading light that streamed into the dark interior of the truck. The sun was setting. We must have driven for hours. Who knew where the hell we were now. I thought of my cell phone, likely still lying on the front desk at the library. Even if I did have a chance to call someone, I would have no idea what to tell my would-be rescuer.
Creepy Jerk Number One grabbed me by the upper arms and roughly dragged me out the door. He handled me like a sack of potatoes, flinging me over his shoulder and knocking the wind out of me as his shoulder connected with my diaphragm with a painful thunk. I tried to kick him but my weak, clumsy legs missed by a mile. He raised an eyebrow and I smirked at his surprised expression. It’s the thought that counts right?
I was hustled up the sidewalk to a big, sprawling old house painted a very odd shade of grey. It almost looked purple in the fading light. I glanced around from beneath the curtain of my thick hair. We were out in the country somewhere. I couldn’t see any other houses, only sparse woods. The road was deserted. Great.
The vampire carried me in the house and to a set of stairs leading down. We ended up in a basement that was finished, but seemed to be mostly unused. The glimpse I’d gotten of the rest of the house was spotless and rich, decorated tastefully. The basement was just a basement, bland and a little damp. There were a couple of rooms with doors, and I was taken to one of these. My captor literally tossed me onto a couch and turned to leave, locking the door behind him. I cussed at him and demanded answers but of course, I got nothing.
I don’t know how long I sat there on that ugly little orange couch, alternately pissed off and scared out of my mind. Eventually the door opened and a group of men-vampires-entered the room. The two kidnappers were there. They had changed out of their fake delivery uniforms and were now wearing some sort of dark, matching outfits that looked like martial arts gear. They stood calmly in a parade rest stance as their leader strolled over to me.
I was guessing he was their leader by the way he dressed and the way he carried himself. He was tall and thin, with a starved, hawkish look to him that was not at all comforting. His dark eyes were sharp, darting here and there as they evaluated everything, like a predator. He stopped in front of me and tucked his hands into the pockets of his tan suit, probably trying to appear non-threatening. It wasn’t working.
“You must be Melody,” he said with a warm smile. “Welcome to my coven.”
I sat up a little straighter. “Who the hell are you and what do you want?”
The warm smile never left his face as he slapped me across the mouth. Hard. Pain flared up and I felt a warm trickle from my lip before I even realized what had happened. That’s how fast he moved. “You will address me with the respect due your coven leader,” he said coldly.
I dabbed at my split lip and glared up at him. “You’re not my coven leader,” I said slowly. “I don’t even know who you are.” I did my best to sound calm. I wasn’t going to swear and shout again. Lesson learned.
He knelt in front of me, putting us at eye level. His thick brown hair had fallen forward and he brushed it out of his feral eyes. “I am Cashern,” he said softly. “And I am your new owner.” He reached out a finger and wiped the blood dripping from my mouth. He licked his finger, then straightened and stood. His teeth were out. Not a good sign.
“My people have seen you in the presence of vampires- and not just any vampires. You seem to be of some value to that little bitch Leah.”
I looked up at him, not getting it, “So what?”
He laughed. “So now we see just how valuable you are to your precious coven leader. Will she trade her territory to get you back?”
It took me a full minute to process what he had just said. Understanding crashed over me and I felt like a fool. Her presence, her effect on Peter, and the entire coven- Leah was the master vampire. I frowned at my warden. I may be a little slow, but even I saw the dilemma here. If I told him I had only met Leah once, and that I meant nothing to her, then he could just decide to get rid of me. I didn’t want to think about how. But if I lied and told him I was of some value to her, then he would try to ransom me off. It would buy me some time, but I was pretty sure it would also get me killed when he found out I was lying. This man did not strike me as the calm, reasonable type.
I sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you,” I said hesitantly. “I don’t know what my value is to any of the coven.”
He narrowed his eyes at me in thought. “We’ll see.” He headed for the door, pausing to toss a glance back over his shoulder. “If I were you, I would hope to God she wants you back. It’s been some time since I’ve drained a human....” Pausing, he crossed the room again. I flinched when he grabbed my arm, roughly snatching the charm bracelet from my wrist. I shut my eyes and said nothing as the door closed behind him. He was only trying to scare me. I hope.
Soft, unprepossessing, earthy Leah was a master vampire. What would she do? If she didn’t care to rescue me, would Peter come for me? Would she let him? I looked around the little room. It was designed for holding normal, human-type people. There was the ratty orange couch where I sat, a very small room with a toilet and a sink, and a case of water bottles. I’d seen dead bolts on the outside of the door when they carried me in here. Even if I could walk over there and pound on it, I would never be able to break those locks.
I curled up on the couch, put my head in my hands, and cried. Sure, I’d like to say I was all tough about it, but that would be a lie. I rarely ever left my house and now I was who knows how far away from home, at the mercy of some territory hungry psycho, and surrounded by people that weren’t human. I doubt anyone even realized I was missing yet. Peter would probably be the first one to realize. Mom and Chelsea wouldn’t notice for a day or two. And even then, they’d just assume I was avoiding them. This Cashern guy was probably contacting Leah right now. What would she say? My mind wandered in circles. There was just nothing I could do but wait.
Finally, Number One returned. He had a camera hanging around his neck. Big ol’ freaking tourist. I sat up and wiped my hand across my eyes, trying to erase the tear tracks. He stood looking down at me for a minute or two, no expression on his face. “Leah says she doesn’t know you,” he said evenly. “Cashern believes she is lying. He wishes for us to send her a little postcard to jog her memory.”
I frowned at him and he held up the camera. “Say cheese,” he said with an evil smile. The flash nearly blinded me. I was still blinking to clear my vision when he punched me in the face. Blinding pain exploded in my head as he connected with my eye. He was probably holding back, otherwise, I’m sure the blow would have killed me. It sure didn’t feel like holding back. It felt like someone had just hit me upside the head with a sledgehammer.
“Son of a bitch!” I gasped, and moaned. No one had ever hit me before, and now I had been struck twice in one day.
He grasped my chin, holding tight when I attempted to struggle away. Turning my head to the side, he examined the eye. “Oh yes, that will be a pretty shade of purple in a few hours.”
I swatted at him and he flung me back on the couch. He stated to leave, but hesitated as he reached the door. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He spun and returned to me. I tried to get away, but he twisted his fist in the front of my t-shirt and pulled me up so my feet were barely touching the floor. Without a bit of preamble, he sank his teeth into my throat. It didn’t hurt, thank God. Vampires could control the sensations humans felt when they were bitten. They could make the pain feel like pleasure. This vampire didn’t let the pain slice through, but his bite didn’t carry the warm pleasure of Peter’s bite. He made it not hurt. That was all.
I struggled weakly, but it did no good. I began to feel lightheaded, and gave up the fight. He lifted his head with a sigh and tossed me back on the couch, not bothering to close my bites. I lifted a hand to wipe the small trickle of blood away, but he stopped me, grabbing my wrist in a flash. “Hold on just one minute, dove,” he said with that nasty smile. He snapped a picture of my wound before releasing my wrist, then turned and left without another word. I flung a water bottle at his departing back, but it bounced harmlessly off the door. Too slow, as usual.
I slumped back on the couch and dabbed at my neck with the hem of my shirt. F*cking vampires. I closed my eyes and refused to let the tears start again. Peter would come for me. I was sure of it.