The Emerald Talisman (23 page)

“I moved it.”

“You what? You did?” I said a little
mystified.

“Like I said, I’m careful.”

I knew his actions were all tied to what
happened with my mother. Feeling his guilt resurface confirmed my
suspicion. I searched his face and wondered why he held onto the
past so tightly when her death was an accident.

I recalled what he told me. He had no family
besides his dad and he never spoke of anyone else. I wondered if he
had friends or if he kept everyone at a distance like he did me.
Was his secret preventing him from living a normal life?

More than anything I wanted to console him,
touch him, run my fingers through his hair and gently caress his
face. Make his pain go away. But I knew he didn’t want that type of
relationship, so I refrained.

“You know, if it wasn’t for your super
vampire powers, I’d have no idea that you were different. I mean,
you’ve even got a cross tattoo. Isn’t that like vampire voodoo or
something?” I blurted out and then wished I didn’t say after I
finished.

“Oh, you noticed that,” he said looking up at
me from the sand.

“Yes,” I admitted timidly, not meeting his
gaze.

“I got that a long time ago, when I thought I
could actually pick a side. I struggle to know where the human in
me ends and the evil begins.”

He laughed at his own sadistic statement, but
I didn’t get it. I never felt any evil coming from him.

“I don’t think that. You’ve been nothing but
heroic to me.”

“I’m honored that you’re so understanding,
but I have a very dark side to me…” he turned and grimaced. “…and
it doesn’t like that I don’t appease its wants.”

Again, he astounded me. He constantly had to
remind me he had a demon inside wanting to come out and he
suppressed it.

“My life is complicated,” he murmured.

“How so?” I said softly.

“If it was easy, I could just explain
it.”

“Funny,” I said sarcastically. “Try me.”

“Actually, it’s no big deal really. I guess
when I first started my path of vengeance it was exciting and I
felt like I’d found my calling. But night after night after night
of hunting down the leeches…” He stopped and drifted off into
thought.

“And?”

“It’s just not what I thought it would be. I
want something different now.”

“And what do you want?” I asked as my heart
sped up in anticipation of his response.

He thought hard for a minute, his face
pensive and finally said, “I want to be normal.”

I looked down and closed my eyes for a
second. I couldn’t agree with him more, but that’s not what I
wanted to hear. What I wanted him to say was that he wanted to be
with me, but I knew he wouldn’t. He’d never allow himself to. He
was too noble.

“I’m sorry,” I said with a lump in my
throat.

“No need for you to be sorry. It’s what I am
and I’ve accepted it.”

He looked speculatively into the fire and his
face became luminous. More than ever I wanted to wrap my arms
around his neck and make the loneliness go away.

“That doesn’t mean that it’s not hard,” I
said softly.

“You’re right. It doesn’t.”

I watched his jaw flex, as I felt him keep
his emotions to a dull roar. We sat in silence for a minute, with
just the fire crackling and the waves crashing for ambiance. I
watched him with tender eyes, but he didn’t give me eye
contact.

“Do you have any other friends?” I asked
quietly, still trying to be respectful.

“I can’t.”

I wanted to ask what had happened, to
understand this pain he felt, but I refrained.

“They always end badly,” he said, again
feeling guilty. “Like I’ve said, I’ve tried to have that normal
life before. It doesn’t work for me. It’s not my destiny.” He
turned to me, his expression pained. “Julia, no one can know about
today. It must be kept a secret. I couldn’t live with myself if
anything happened to you.”

“Okay,” I said, beginning to feel afraid,
hoping we weren’t taking unnecessary chances since I’d already
mentioned it to my dad.

It was then I realized a normal relationship
would be impossible. We’d always have to hide from everyone for
fear of retaliation and because of that, there was no chance for a
real future for us and he knew it.

Nicholas closed his eyes again and relaxed in
the sand. I needed to change the subject, because if I didn’t, I
was going to start crying.

“So, what did you do last night?” I asked
while gulping down the tears.

“I went looking for Phil and the rest of
them
,” he said while letting out a gust of air.

“Having trouble?” I asked, secretly grateful
Phil eluded him.

I felt his disdain and knew he’d have zero
tolerance or patience for Phil once he found him again.

“They are harder to track than the vampires
I’m used to,” he said in frustration “I combed the city all night
and came up with nothing.”

“You were up all night?” I asked in
surprise.

“I normally am. It’s fine. I don’t require
much sleep.”

I studied his face and watched him breath. He
looked so perfect next to the fire, almost like he’d been
airbrushed. I ached to reach over, touch his hand, but my mind
warned me not too. This was someone I could never have, or ever be
with and it made my heart sad.

Nicholas’ breathing deepened as he drifted
off to sleep. I sat and drank in the peace he finally exuded while
the fog rolled in. I didn’t want to disturb him after knowing what
little serenity he did have and after his busy night. I was content
to just be close to him and enjoy the small simple moment
together.

After about an hour, he began to stir. I
looked down to see him staring up at me.

“Hi,” I said “Sleep well?”

“You let me fall asleep,” he said, faking
like he was angry.

He sat up and stretched.

“Let you? You told me you weren’t tired.”

“True. You hungry?”

To answer his question, my stomach growled
loudly.

“I’m not taking very good care of you, I’ll
be right back.”

In a flash he was gone.

I suspected he was going to the car again, so
I tried to act cool when he returned. But before I could think of a
flippant come back, he’d spread out his picnic lunch in an amazing
display. I couldn’t help but gawk. Magically, a tray of sandwiches
with grape clusters, cheese, crackers and chips appeared before me.
He handed me a plastic cup filled with sparkling cider.

“Brat,” I said, taking the cider. “How could
I possibly compete with that?”

“That’s the point. You can’t.”

I turned my head and flipped my hair at him
letting out a loud
humph
and he laughed. Life with Nicholas
was certainly proving itself interesting.

“I was wondering,” I began as I popped a
grape into my mouth. “Where do vampires come from anyway? I mean,
they started somehow, right?”

“I knew this question was coming,” he
remarked, taking the last bite of his sandwich.

“You don’t want to tell me?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… involved.”

“I’ve got all day; I think. Well, until
sunset, right?”

I laughed generously, but hoped he caught my
slip. I wanted to spend at least until then together.

“Very funny,” he said with a surly look.

“Please, I want to know.”

He took a deep breath. “From what my father
told me, it’s believed it all started back with Cain. You know,
Adam and Eve?”

“Yes.” I couldn’t believe a vampire was
giving me a Sunday school lesson on the Bible of all things.

“Well, because of Cain’s jealousy of his
brother Abel, he murdered him. So God put a curse on Cain, marking
him to be a wanderer his entire earthly life.

“Legend tells us, the serpent who tempted Eve
took advantage of Cain’s situation. He offered Cain immortality in
exchange for his soul. Cain, who underestimated the value of a
soul, agreed readily thinking this deal would put him on the same
level as God. When the serpent bit Cain, the venom transformed him
into half-man half-snake and he became immortal.

“A vampire’s immortality can be perceived to
be a pretty gifted life. To come and go as you please, to be
incredibly strong and have no limits, to be alluring and beautiful
forever, but most importantly to not have a conscience against what
you do for sport; killing humans without a thought. It’s a
downright evil lifestyle, just as the serpent wanted, with a few
drawbacks of course; the Achilles’ heel being the sun and wooden
stakes to the heart.

“The first person he sired was an accident.
When Andronicus Vampiro didn’t die from Cain’s bite, it gave Cain a
new weapon in his fight against God. He could make an army of soul
stealers all loyal to their Father, their King. But the serpent
gave Cain only so much power and after each vampire was sired, Cain
found he’d become weaker.

“But after some of the new offspring didn’t
survive, the power returned. It was easy for Cain to enforce a
decree that the coveted vampire life be given only to those chosen
because all of them are selfish, little, power-hungry,
bloodsucking…” Nicholas’ nostrils flared and anger tripled. “Sorry,
I shouldn’t talk like that.”

“It’s okay,” I said with a blush.

“So the Royal families keep tight reigns on
all their kin, only allowing the youngest to wander. They also
don’t kill their own kind because if you killed someone in your
lifeline by mistake, it would be over for you as well. Like the
thread of their life-force severs.

“So, you can imagine my reputation. Since
vampires don’t kill each other, they have no natural predators,
except me. And I kill indiscriminately and don’t leave any
witnesses, they don’t know who or what I am.

“You’d think, since they know where I’m
physically located, they’d send their smartest and strongest after
me. But they never do, proving that they’re nothing but a bunch of
power-hungry cowards who feed off the weak and strive to be
important amongst themselves. Funny thing is they don’t even need
human blood to survive – it’s more an addiction than anything.

“But this has created my life long dilemma. I
know how to stop them permanently, but it would kill my father and
possibly me in the process. Maybe one day I will, but all I want to
do right now is protect you and not worry about the rest. And
that
has proven to be a challenge, for you’re the biggest
vampire magnet I’ve ever encountered in my life.”

I forced out a fake chuckle at the remark,
but became overwhelmed with the thought of something bad ever
happening to Nicholas. I could never bear it. But then the
psychic’s prediction rang through my head.

The innocent that saves us all from them.

Remembering her words sent a chill down my
spine and I felt the blood drain from my cheeks
.
Nicholas
responded to my horror-struck expression and stared back with a
face full of concern.

“You okay?” he asked.

My mouth went dry. What could possibly happen
that would possess me to go after Cain? Maybe if I was a vampire
I’d be able to fight them, but even then I wouldn’t want to murder
myself, Nicholas’ father and Nicholas in the process unless…

I closed my eyes and felt the world sway as
the worst thought crossed my mind.

I would do it to avenge Nicholas’ death.

The terror overwhelmed me and I struggled to
stay lucid.

No! Never! She had to be wrong!

“Julia? Answer me!”

I felt warm calming hands grasp my shoulders
firmly. The sensation felt like he pulled me up and out of the
horror I was drowning in. I forced my eyes open and met his, a
piercing effervescent green.

“I’m fine,” I choked out.

His eyebrows pressed together. He didn’t buy
my answer.

“I guess it’s good I have a body guard since
I’m a magnet, right?” I said hoarsely, lifting the corners of my
mouth a twinge trying to force a smile.

Nicholas’ face didn’t change, as his gaze
flicked from one of my eyes to the other.

“I’m fine, honest,” I said, feeling a little
bit more in control of myself and my voice. “It just scares me
someone has that type of power over your life.”

Nicholas relaxed a tiny bit and studied me
one last time before drawing me into his chest. My breath became
short as his touch sent me into oblivion and I welcomed the
distraction.

“You don’t have to worry. I’ve got it under
control,” he said softly, gently caressing the back of my hair.

I let out a gust of air in response. His
confidence infused my body and I let go of the unknowns of the
future. Her prediction couldn’t be true. First, she was crazy and I
doubted her abilities. Second, I lacked athletic ability and
therefore incapable of fighting anything, especially evil. And if I
did have some special power, Nicholas would be the first I’d
save.

But I didn’t care. I didn’t want to entertain
the thought of being some heroic avenger. I just wanted to be
there.

In his arms.

Forever.

. . .

16
– FALL OUT

Time flew by. Before I realized it, we’d
spent the whole day together – a perfectly glorious day, far better
than any dance I could’ve attended. But as I watched the sun make
its way closer to the horizon, a pang of dread filled my stomach.
Its light controlled my destiny now and he’d have to take me home.
I already started to miss him.

“So what are your plans for tonight?” I
asked, trying my best to sound indifferent.

“Finding
their
lair and keeping an eye
on you.”

He glanced over at me wistfully, his face
slightly bronzed from the sun. I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Well, if it will help, I promise not to do a
repeat of last night,” I joked in an effort to cover up my concern.
“Actually, I’ve got a ton of homework to do.”