Midnight Blood (Born Immortal) (16 page)

“Not now, we have to go to school, and people might see us.”

     “Okay,” she whispered to him, “I’m just glad you’re here.”

     He opened the car door for her, and she sat down, on the already warm, leather seat. He closed the door and walked around to the other side, and climbed in himself.

     Cain pulled into the school, and parked. He looked at Shayna and smiled. His green eyes sparkling, with what looked to Shayna like excitement.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said.

     “You do?” she asked, curiously.

     They climbed out of the car, and walked to the front of it, reaching for each other’s hands.

     “I do,” he said, still smiling, “But it all depends on what your mom says.”

     Shayna wasn’t used to any of this. Cain was the first boyfriend she had ever had, and she wasn’t even quite sure, if that was what he was. She was pretty sure he was
more
than her boyfriend. She wasn’t used to surprises either,  although she had gotten the surprise of her life, the day in the attic, when she had found her father’s things, that he had hidden there for her.

     “I can’t meet you at lunch today, Princess. I have to run to the bookstore, and keep shop, while Aunt Mill goes to an appointment she has,” Cain said to Shayna, when they walked into one of the various school buildings. He kissed her forehead, wishing he could just kiss her sweet lips, “But, meet me at my car after school, and we’ll go talk to your mom,” he gave her his best, most handsome smile, and pulled away from her, leaving her standing in the hallway, with the other students shuffling in around her.

     Shayna barely made it through the day with the anxiety, of what Cain’s surprise was, taking over. The final bell rang at the end of the day, and she didn’t even stop to get the books that she needed for the weekend, out of her locker. I know the assignments, and have the internet. She told herself, justifying her decision.

     Cain was right where she knew he would be when she exited the Drama building, at the front passenger door of his car, waiting to open it for her.

He kissed her on the cheek, and whispered, “I missed you my Princess,” in her ear, before she sat down on the leather seat of the BMW.

     Shayna was anxious and curious to find out what he had planned. He
had
been able to surprise her with the hot spring. He had been right about that. As far as she knew, no one knew it was there. But what could this be? She wondered.

     “Are you excited?” he asked her climbing into the car on the driver side.

     “I have to admit, that I am,” Shayna said, “I don’t have a clue what it could be.”

     “Don’t worry,” he told her with confidence,  and putting his hand on her knee, “You’re going to love it.”

     Cain started the car, and left the school. When they walked up to Shayna’s front door, Cain opened the door, and motioned for Shayna to walk in first.

     “Go get your mom.” he whispered, as she walked in past him.

     “Mom!” Shayna yelled into the house, she knew her mother was awake, “Can you come down here please?”

     “You didn’t have to yell,” Cain said to her.

     “Yes I did,” Shayna said sarcastically, and smiled.

     Sarah appeared at the top of the stairs, a little surprised to see Shayna
and
Cain.

“What is it Shay? I’m getting ready for work,” she said, descending the stairs.

     “Um, Cain has something he wants to ask you,” she told Sarah when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she guided her to sit down on the couch, in the livingroom. Shayna sat down next to her, and Cain took a seat in the chair across from them.

        “What is it Cain?” Sarah asked, now almost as curious as Shayna, who also, was hearing this for the first time.

     “Well Mrs.Verona, I know Shayna’s birthday is next weekend,” Cain began. He made eye contact with Sarah, and continued to hold it, so that his connection to her would be stronger, “And I have planned something very special for her,” Cain glanced briefly at Shayna. “If, you allow her to go, that is.”

     Cain waited for any sort of response from Sarah, whether it be mental, or physical. His eyes lit up noticably, when he heard her think, before she said,

     “And, where are you planning on taking my daughter, Cain?”

     Cain had not fully impelled her mind, because, although he wanted Shayna to go with him, he also wanted it to be more Sarah’s decision than his own. He just gave her mind, a sort of push, towards saying yes.

     “Well,” he said looking at Shayna, knowing she had been waiting all day for this moment, “I have theater tickets, and would also like to take her to dinner tonight.”

     “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Sarah said, easing up  a little.

     “On Mackinac Island,” he added.

     Shayna eyes sparkled in delight, and a smile formed on her face. Cain would give the world to see her smile like that everyday.

     “You would be gone all night?” Sarah asked Cain, realizing what he was getting at, and ruining the joy of Shayna’s moment.

      Mackinac Island, was a couple hours away, Shayna realized, her excitement began to grow again.

      “Yes ma’am,” Cain answered, “But if it’s any consolation, we would be more than happy to take Melina, and the girls would have their own room.”

     Cain really didn’t care if Melina came along, he had gotten an extra ticket just in case, he only wanted to make Shayna happy. He had nothing but the utmost respect for Shayna, and didn’t want her mom to think he was trying anything sneaky.

     Both Cain and Shayna sat anxiously, waiting for an answer from Sarah. Cain wondering if she would ask any of the questions, he knew she was thinking. When he finally heard her mental response, he made eye contact with Shayna, and nodded his head, pleased that her mother approved.

     “Cain, I don’t think it will be necessary to take Melina along with you,” Sarah smiled at them both. “I don’t know you yet, young man, but I trust my daughters judgement. I want you guys to have a wonderful time.”

     Cain was satisfied that he had not let his power over Sarah influence her decision, to let Shayna go, too much. She truly was comfortable letting Shayna go with him.

     “Really Mom?” Shayna was ecstatic. She couldn’t believe, that her mother was letting her go away for the night with Cain.

     Sarah almost couldn’t believe it either, but she also knew, that they belonged together. Who was she to stop it.

She looked at her daughter with eyes full of love, “Have fun Shayna. But,” she gave Cain and Shayna a stern look, “Shayna
will
have her own room.”

     “Yes ma’am,” Cain didn’t hesitate to say, “Of course.”

     Shayna hugged her mom, and kissed her on the cheek twice.

“Thanks Mom. I love you,” she jumped up and went to Cain, hugging him too. She wanted to kiss him on the mouth, but knew she couldn’t. So she hugged him tighter, and whispered in his ear, “I can’t wait. I love you.”

     While Shayna packed an over night bag for the trip, Cain remained downstairs with Sarah, supplying her with the name of the hotel, which he had not told Shayna, the phone number, and the room numbers. She also had requested his driver’s license number, and his license plate number. Cain found it all a little comical, but gave everything to her, without question. Promising to have Shayna home Saturday afternoon.

     They were able to finally get out of Interlochen, after filling up the BMW’s gas tank at the EZ mart, around four thirty. Sarah had kissed her daughter goodbye, brushing her hair off of her shoulder.

“Have a wonderful time Shayna,” she had said. She knew it was time to let her daughter go for good.

     Shayna was nervous about the evening. She felt one hundred percent safe with Cain, and wasn’t going to let anything that Aiden had said ruin her night. The last two weeks, with Cain, had been incredible to Shayna, although everything was all very new and a little weird to her, she had developed unusually strong feelings for Cain. She felt like she had known him forever.

     It would take them around two and a half hours to get to Mackinaw City, where they would have to get on a ferry to the island, where no cars were allowed.  They would have to drive north along the coast of Lake Michigan, to the tip of the Lower Peninsula. Shayna sat pondering on whether she should bring up Cain’s secret, or let him.

     They had been on the road for about an hour, when Shayna looked at him, and said, “Cain,” Now or never. She thought. “Why didn’t you tell me, that you are a Changeling?”

     Cain was silent for a while. Shayna turned and looked out the window, into the dark northern Michigan country side, not sure what the silence meant.

     Finally, Cain sighed. “Shayna, My past is the worst thing that I must exist with everyday,” he said, and zipped around a corner, a little faster than Shayna would have liked. “Roslyn was the one who found me in the alley that fateful night. She told me that she had thought I was too beautiful to leave this earth, so she took me home to her father. I remember he cut his wrist with a dagger, and fed me his blood,” Cain winced at the thought of his change.

     Shayna could tell that Cain did not like talking about the night he should have died. The only other person, he had ever spoke to about it was Aunt Mill.

     Cain continued, in a soft whispered voice, that Shayna had to strain to hear. “Because most of my blood was already drained when she found me, and it couldn’t be returned to me, I turned into a Changeling. An existance no vampire wants.”

     Shayna was sure that the feeling that she felt inside at that moment was pretty similar to the one Cain had, when he recovered from his transformation, and found out what he had become.

“That was selfish of Roslyn,” she said quietly.

     Cain looked at Shayna, she never ceased to amaze him.

“That is exactly how I felt that night. She
had
been selfish. I told you I wished I had died that night,” he said.

     He accelerated the BMW faster, and they raced along next to the Lake Michigan. Shayna knew Cain would never let anything happen to them, but she became nervous, when she felt like at any moment, they would leave the road and sail into the glistening water.

     Cain went on, “She made a deal with me. She didn’t want to be a vampire, and she wanted to actually die before she turned.”

     Shayna’s full attention was on Cain. She knew what it was like, to not have a choice, about who you would be, and what you would be.

     “She was only sixteen when she found me,” Cain told Shayna, “So she told me to return to her the night before her eighteenth birthday, and she would complete my change. And then I, was to take her life. I agreed,” it was getting dark out, Cain appeared to close his eyes briefly and sigh before he continued, “So I left my home for two years, and I came back the night before her eighteenth birthday. When I came to her bed chamber, she told me she could not fulfill her end of the deal, she had found somebody she loved, and wanted to spend the rest of eternity with him.”

     Shayna spoke up before he could go on, “ Couldn’t she have still changed you?”

     “Yes, she could have. But she refused. She had promised her lover that she would never share her blood with another, and she meant to stand by her promise. I understood, and I got up to leave, but I kept thinking that, she should have left me behind the stables that night. I didn’t know what to do, or where I was going, I was so angry, I just had to get out of there.”

     Cain reached for the gear shift, and Shayna placed her hand on his and said.

”But you didn’t.”

     “No,” Cain said quietly, “I didn’t. My mind filled with absolute rage, and I was blinded. Everything happened so fast, I only meant to make her change me. I didn’t know if I would have another chance. Cain shifted the car, the engine purred. “I had spent the whole time I was away, researching what I was, and what she was. I knew the existance of a Halfling Princess was rare,” Cain closed his eyes again, it was draining to remember.

     Shayna looked up, and almost screamed when she saw nothing but water in front of them in the dimming daylight. Cain opened his eyes, and the car followed the road around the bend, without crossing a single line.

     “Shayna,” he spoke again, “The moment I tasted her blood my world was over,” he looked and Shayna with intensely sad eyes, “I never meant to kill her, I couldn’t stop. I tried.”

     Confirmation obtained. Shayna knew he hadn’t meant to kill the girls in her dream. She had seen what had happened, but now there was a new question burning on her mind.

“Why did you come to Michigan Cain?” she asked, unsure if she really wanted the answer.

     Cain’s lips parted a little and Shayna new he hated telling her.

“I came for you. But, I never thought in all eternity, that I would end up having the feelings that I have for you. I could never bring myself to drink your blood,” he needed her to understand him, that he loved her. He needed her to trust him. He took her hand, and squeezed it, “I don’t want to change, if it means I get to keep you for the rest of my existance.”

     Shayna took in a deep breath, “Which isn’t as long as
my
existance would be,” she said. She had read in the Halfling book, that Changelings only have around five hundred years to have a Halfling Princess change them,or they would truly die forever. From what Shayna could gather, Cain only had about two hundred left. “I love you, Cain,” she told him, “I have never thought that you would hurt me. I just wish that you would have been the one to tell me. Not some hawk on a power trip, trying to save me from myself,” she smiled at him, she understood.

     “I think Aiden means well,” Cain said, “He just hates me.”

       “Why?” Shayna asked, she had meant to ask Aiden, but he always took off before she got the chance.

     “I haven’t been able to figure that one out, yet. He’s
really
good at blocking me out of that part of his mind,” Cain himself, wished he knew why his younger brother hated him so. “Shayna I mean what I said, I will stay a  changeling for you. I don’t want your blood for my own selfish reasons. I want your own transformation, to not be tainted by the presence of my blood in your body,” the BMW suddenly came to a stop, and Cain took both of Shayna’s hands in his, and looked deep into her eyes, “I mean this Princess, I love you and I will forever more, exist for
you.
”