Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles (43 page)

“This wasn’t here the last time I came through,” Silas said thinking.
 
“It was barely a trickle.
 
The rains must have caused this.”

“Let me guess,” Alec began dryly, “on the other side lies our path.”

Silas turned to regard Alec.

“Of course,” he said smiling.
 
“How far can you jump?”

Alec leaned around Silas to take a look at the gaping hole left by the rockslide.
 
It was at least fifty feet, if not more.

“I can jump it,” Alec said a little nervous.
 
The other side was a bit narrower than where they stood.
 
The slide had done a great deal of damage to the path they were traveling.

“Here’s what we are going to do,” Silas said, sitting his double burden on the ground.
 
“I want you to jump across and then I’m going to toss you the refrigeration units.
 
Just set them aside and then I will join you.
 
You up to this Alec?” Silas searched the young man’s face for fear or uncertainty.

Alec licked his lips and nodded.

“Yeah, I can do it.”
 
He set his own units down on the pathway and walked to the edge to look over the chasm that he was about to jump.
 
It was a long drop if he missed his mark.
 
The chasm didn’t go all the way to the water but if he missed it would mean a bad landing for him and either a long climb back up or a huge jump, and that was providing he didn’t break anything major and take a while to heal.
 
He wasn’t exactly sure how quickly he healed and he really didn’t want to find out.

“Take your time, Alec.
 
Don’t rush yourself.
 
Just make sure you land safely on the other side.”
 

Silas walked up behind Alec and put both hands on his shoulders and squeezed reassuringly.

“To be on the safe side you might want to jump further than you think you need to in order to make sure you land safely on the other side.
 
You can even get a running start if you think that will help.”

Alec took a deep breath and nodded.
 
Silas removed his hands and stepped back.
 
Alec made sure he was burning a sufficient amount of blood and before he could change his mind, he squatted in place, took a breath and flexed his legs under him pushing him forward and up.
 
Burning blood always caused time to slow for Alec and he tried not to think about the empty space beneath him that seemed to be inching by slowly.
 
After what seemed like forever, Alec landed squarely on the other side, exactly where he’d aimed.
 
He turned to smile at Silas and found him giving him two thumbs up.

Thankfully Alec was burning blood or he’d never have heard what Silas was saying.
 
He nodded his head that he was ready and Silas tossed over the first refrigeration unit, which Alec caught easily and set behind him.
 
Once all four were across, Silas hurtled the chasm easily and landed right beside Alec, and clapped him on the shoulder.

“You did great.”

Alec mumbled thanks and then the two men picked up their burdens and continued on.
 
Silas started out slowly like before and sped up as Alec adjusted.
 
They didn’t travel as quickly as before.
 
The trees were thicker here and their limbs blocked out more light.
 
Alec could still see easily enough but moving much faster might have meant they missed something important.

They traveled easily and without incident for another half hour before Silas slowed again.
 
This time he stopped and turned to Alec.

“We are here.
 
Remember, let me do the talking to explain who you are and why you are here.”

Alec nodded his head once and they shoved through the thick foliage and entered a circle of land with only grass.
 
To Alec’s left he could see the ocean and the fat moon that had crested the horizon.
 
It was beautiful.
 
Jacob had certainly picked an amazing place to become a hermit.
 
Alec had been so busy staring at the ocean and moon that he almost missed the huge mansion to his right.
 
It looked like something out of a movie.

As Alec and Silas drew closer Alec could see that it was beautiful.
 
It was several stories high with balconies supporting open arches on the second floor.
 
Alec bet the view from there was breathtaking.
 
It looked a lot like some sort of castle or cathedral in its build.
 
There were even gargoyles looking down from the edges and from the balconies.
 

Silas walked towards the large hulking structure and to a door that was in the back, middle part of the building.
 
He set the refrigeration units down and pressed a button that was beside the door.
 
Alec didn’t hear anything but after a moment a voice came over the intercom above the button.

“Can I help you?” A deep voice asked.

“Jacob, it’s Silas.
 
I have your delivery and…a surprise.”

The voice on the other end of the intercom was quiet for a moment.

“Silas, you know I don’t like surprises.”

“I think you’ll like this one,” Silas said reassuringly.

They waited for a moment in the darkness for someone to come to the door and open it.

“Alec, you might want to change your vision back to normal so that the lights in the house don’t blind you. It can be quite painful.” Silas smiled at him.

Alec concentrated a moment and felt his vision go back to normal and everything darkened around him.
 
The door opened suddenly and Alec and Silas were bathed in warm, golden light.
 
Silas picked up his refrigeration units and walked into the house, followed by Alec.
 
They entered some sort of storage area and sat the heavy units in front of them.
 
Alec was a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect.

Standing in front of them was a young man that looked to be in his late teens.
 
He was clean-shaven and his dark, curly hair was long and almost stood out around his head like an Afro.
 
His eyes were almond shaped and dark brown and his skin had the same dusky hue as Marcus’s.
 
His eyes were narrowed and looking at Alec.
 
The look wasn’t hostile, but it certainly wasn’t inviting.

“Silas, who is this?” Jacob asked in his deep voice.
 
It was odd to hear such a masculine voice coming out of such a young looking man.

“Jacob, this is Alec Carson.”
 
He waited a moment for the name to sink in and saw recognition spread across the man’s features.

“The Alec Carson?” he asked surprised.
 

Silas nodded and Alec blushed.

“Please come in,” Jacob said and motioned them further into the house.

“What about these?” Silas asked motioning to the refrigeration units.

“I’ll take care of those later.
 
I’m sure you are thirsty.”
 
He didn’t wait for an answer; he started off through the house with Silas and Alec in tow.
 
They had entered through what looked like a storage area and followed Jacob down a small hallway that opened into a huge kitchen with an island in the middle and a hearth on the far side.
 
There were candles lit here and there throughout the kitchen and very few electric lights were on.
 
The kitchen looked like something you might find in an Italian villa, minus food, cookware or anything cluttering the long counters.

Jacob went to a cabinet and opened it to pull out several glasses.
 
Two of the glasses he took over to some sort of silver dispenser sitting on the counter near where a stove should be.
 
He pressed several buttons and held the glasses under them as warm red liquid poured from the nozzle.
 
He kept turning to look at Alec like he wanted to make sure he was still there.
 
As soon as the liquid began filling the glass Alec could smell the warm irony tang of blood.
 
Jacob handed one of the glasses to Silas who took it gratefully and held the other toward Alec with a question on his face.
 
Alec tried not to look nauseated and only shook his head no.

“I apologize but the only other thing I have to drink here is water, which you are welcome to if you like.”

“A glass of water would be awesome, I’m really thirsty,” Alec told Jacob and watched as he went to the kitchen sink, turned it on and filled a glass with water.
 
He handed the glass to Alec and watched curiously as he took a sip.

“So you really don’t drink blood?”

“I eat regular food and drink regular drinks,” Alec said awkwardly and downed the water.

“Interesting.” Jacob led them through the huge mansion to a candlelit sitting room that was very open with comfortable couches against the walls.

“Not that I’m upset mind you, but would you like to explain what Mister Carson is doing here?
 
I’m sure he didn’t come all this way just to help you carry supplies.”
 
Jacob sat and motioned for them to make themselves comfortable.

Silas looked at Alec who nodded his head for him to explain.

“Alec has some unique questions about what it means being a vampire.
 
He wants to know if he still has a soul and if he’s damned for all eternity,” Silas began.

“And you thought that due to my experiences I might be able to answer some questions for him.”

Silas nodded his head.
 
Jacob stopped and thought for a moment.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said narrowing his eyes at Alec.
 
“I propose a trade.
 
I’ll tell you my story and answer your questions if you will tell me yours and answer mine.”
 
Jacob sat back and sipped the blood in his glass.

“That sounds fair,” Alec said and clasped his hands in his lap.
 

“I’m sorry if I’m intruding.
 
Silas has told me you respect your privacy, but I have questions that only you seem to know the answer to.”

Jacob waved away his apology.

“It’s fine Mister Carson.
 
You’re one of the few people that Silas could bring here and get by with it.
 
I’ve wanted to meet you since I first heard about you, I just didn’t think I’d ever get the opportunity.”

“Please call me Alec.”

“Thank you Alec.
 
I keep up with the things that go on in the world around me and you’ve been quite the talk of the
underworld
as I like to call it.”
 
Jacob smiled showing perfect white teeth.
 
There was something about the exotic way Jacob looked that made him beautiful.
 

“Well, I don’t know about being the talk of the underworld but I appreciate your time and will answer anything I can.”

“I hate to ask Jacob, but could I use your computer?” Silas asked.

“Of course.
 
You remember where it is?”

“Yes.
 
This might take a while so please feel free to start without me and I’ll catch up to you when I can.”
 
Silas stood and downed his glass of blood and walked into the kitchen to drop off his glass before checking on whatever it was he needed.

Alec and Jacob sat quietly for a moment.
 
When Alec looked up Jacob was admiring him with his dark almond eyes.

“Alec, I have a strange request for you.
 
May I sketch you for a painting I want to do?”

Alec was taken aback by the question.

“Ah, I suppose so.”

“Good,” Jacob said jumping up.
 
“Follow me.”

Jacob walked through his huge mansion with Alec following until he reached a room.
 
He entered and flipped on a light that did a great job of illuminating the room.
 
There were easels, brushes, paintings, half-finished paintings and paint strewn on workbenches throughout the room.
 
Jacob grabbed a huge dark cloth and threw it over a bar hanging on the wall then walked over and grabbed one of the easels and a large pad and piece of charcoal.

“Since I have a lot of free time, I like to draw and paint.
 
Gives me something to do.”
 
He smiled his brilliant white smile at Alec. “Okay, take off your shirt.”

Alec stood there for a moment before he grabbed the neck of his shirt and pulled it over his head and laid it aside.
 
It was weird standing shirtless in front of a stranger.
 
The old Alec never would have done it.

Jacob admired Alec a moment thinking and then walked to a shelf on one of the walls and pulled down what looked like a folded up white sheet and handed it to Alec.

“Drape this over one shoulder and take off your pants please.”
 
He winked at Alec to show he understood how odd his request was.

Alec wasn’t sure exactly what Jacob had in mind but he wrapped the small sheet around his shoulders and took his cargo pants off along with his shoes and socks.
 
Jacob tilted his head looking at him and thinking and then walked over and started adjusting the thin material.
 
He draped it over Alec’s left shoulder and let it hang down to the floor.
 
Alec looked down and realized that it barely covered certain parts of his body.
 
From certain angles everything would be visible.
 
Jacob nodded his head and pulled Alec over to a box.

“Put your right foot on the box like you are getting ready to step up on it but keep your other foot on the ground.”
 
Alec did as requested and adjusted the sheet for modesty.
 
Jacob bit his lip thinking then walked over to an old wooden chest and opened it.
 
He rummaged around looking for something and finally pulled a sword out.