[Anthology] The Paranormal 13- now With a Bonus 14th Novel! Page 33

  His appearance was startling. The light blue eyes I had begun to admire were brightly tinted with red. Blood stained his pale hands, which he promptly hid behind his back. He looked ashamed. “I was hoping to avoid you seeing me like this,” he said quietly, keeping his distance.

  “No...It’s okay...” My voice was just as quiet. “I understand what you were doing, and I’m not upset.”

  He arched a brow. “You aren't the least bit scared?”

  “Oh, no...I'm a little disturbed.” My laughter lacked any humor. “It's just something I’ve got to get used to, right?”

  “Or you could avoid me altogether,” he suggested with a frown.

  “I'd rather not,” I whispered.

  “There is a creek not too far from here, if you would like to see it while I...clean up.”

  “Sure,” I replied warily, eying the spot again where the rabbit had once stood.

  11

  We walked down the winding path for a few more feet until it broke off, and our shoes fell upon dark soil and gentle green moss. The sound of water grew louder with each step. As I looked around the area, I saw that we came into a clearing in the dense forest. The surrounding trees formed an arch overhead and brilliant rays of light eased through the branches and leaves. Ahead of us, beneath the archway, was a magnificent, long creek lined with large stones varying in size and color. A fallen tree lay across the water, forming a natural bridge.

  I watched in awe as Salem gracefully leapt up and walked across the log. He smiled back at me expectantly, but I shook my head. There was no way I was climbing across that thing! I could easily picture myself tripping, falling into the creek and smashing my head against one of the many large creek rocks.

  “I will keep you safe, you know that,” he called to me as he hopped off the opposite side of the tree, ran his hands through the water and cleansed the blood off. “At least come to the water’s edge.”

  I obliged, walking to the edge of the rippling creek. I sat on the moist soil, pulled both of my shoes and socks off, and slowly inched my feet into the shallow water. It was freezing cold!

  “How can you stand how cold this is?!” I said as I pulled my feet out.

  “It feels pleasant enough to me.” He grinned. “Let your feet adjust to the temperature.”

  I reluctantly lowered my feet back into the ice-cold water. Gradually, it didn't feel quite as cold.

  “See, it's not so bad.”

  “It's still a lot colder than I was expecting!”

  Before I had a chance to react, Salem had crossed the water and was at my side, pulling me further into the water. Despite my shouts of protest, he continued dragging me in. I shivered against his chest as he held me. “It's even colder with you next to me.” I laughed through chattering teeth.

  He just smiled down at me. I was relieved to see his eyes had returned to their familiar pale blue. I gazed up toward the sky, noting it was beginning to darken and realized I had never gotten a chance to convince Jason not to have the party. I groaned.

  “What's wrong, Alexis?” he whispered into my ear.

  “It’s late and I didn’t get a chance to get ahold of Jason yet.” I sighed.

  “Oh, I see,” he said, the disappointment in his voice clearly evident.

  “No, not like that. Jason’s just a friend. He’s supposed to be throwing this big party tonight at my house, and I really don’t want it. I tried to call him and have him put it off to another night or forget about it altogether, but I never got hold of him.”

  “Oh,” he replied quietly. “Do you need to leave, then?”

  “Maybe...I don't know. Is there a phone at your place?”

  “No, but that could easily be arranged.” He laughed. “Or better yet...” He held out an empty hand, and his eyes twinkled violet momentarily. A small cell phone materialized against his palm. “This ought to work.”

  “You're amazing, do you know that?” I grinned and took the phone from him. I quickly dialed Jason's number—finally he answered!

  “Hey Jason, it's Alex,” I said into the cell.

  “It's about time! The party is in less than an hour, and I’ve been trying to call you for the past two hours!” His voice sounded a little strained.

  “I tried calling you this morning, but you never picked up.”

  “I was out picking up some stuff for the party. Are you at home?”

  “No...” I muttered. “I'm at least twenty miles away from home.”

  “How am I supposed to throw this party if you're not there?!” He nearly shouted.

  “There's a spare key under the owl statue beside the front walkway. I'll try to make it home before the party is over, just start without me. And remember your promise!”

  “No alcohol.” I could hear his voice relaxing. “You better make it; it wouldn't be the same without you.”

  “I'll try to make it; I promise.”

  “Great! So, have you tried out the laptop yet?”

  A sudden queasiness overcame me as I recalled the articles I had read. “Yeah...I used it a little today.” My voice was distant. “Just to test it out. I'll definitely use it more, though.”

  “Awesome, glad you're using it. See you soon!” he said excitedly and hung up.

  “Something is bothering you,” Salem said as I hung up the phone. He took it, looked at it curiously for a moment, and laid it on top of the fallen log. I wondered if he’d ever used a cell phone before.

  “Is it that obvious?” I scowled.

  “Your expressions are easy to read,” he replied. “What is on your mind?”

  He climbed onto the makeshift bridge and helped me up. I sat beside him, letting my feet dangle over the edge and rest in the cold water. I didn't know where to begin, whether with what I heard from Paul or what I had read online. I decided to start with the story that was less painful to tell and rambled on about the articles.

  “You believe it is a vampire doing it all, then?” he asked once I finished talking.

  “Yes…I don’t know. I mean, doesn’t it seem a little weird to you? Before it was more about Janet than anything, but now I know the same thing has been happening to more and more people,” I blurted out quickly. “How likely is it that a bear is doing all this?”

  “It’s not very likely at all.” He grimaced. “You may have been right all along. But there is more you want to tell me.”

  “Yeah…” I sighed. “This won't nearly be as easy as the stuff about the articles, though...”

  I retold the story Paul had told me early this morning, keeping my eyes focused on the rippling creek as each word fell from my mouth. Salem was silent the entire time, waiting patiently for me to finish. He cringed at the mentioning of Raziel.

  “I'm so sorry, Alexis,” he said quietly and draped an arm around me, pulling me closer to him.

  “Would it bother you if I said I was tempted to...help Paul find Raziel and put an end to him?”

  Salem gazed down at me; I couldn't read his expression. “It doesn't bother me exactly, not in the sense you mean, anyway, but the thought of you hunting.” He recoiled as he spoke the words. “Once you begin, it's hard to stop...”

  “I wouldn't hurt any more of your kind; I swear.”

  “You say that now. It is more the chance of you getting hurt that I do not want to think about.” He shook his head. “I won't allow it. You need to avoid it at all costs. It is in your blood to be a hunter; you would not be able to stop so easily.”

  I didn't respond. I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to hurt Salem or myself, but at the same time, I hungered for vengeance against the monster who had taken my mother from me.

  “There's another reason,” he said, breaking the silence, and I could tell from the sound of his voice that it wasn't something I wanted to hear.

  “What?”

  “If you kill him, you kill me, and any other vampires he created.”

  “No...” The word was barely audible. “Paul has been searching for him e
ver since the incident...what if he finds him?”

  “Then I can only hope he doesn't succeed.” Salem frowned. “Had it not been for meeting you, I honestly wouldn't have cared to have died by now.”

  “Salem, what if...” I could hardly get the words to come out, “what if Paul finds you?”

  “He's found me before.” He grinned slyly. “I told you already; I am smarter than he anticipates. I imagine Raziel is hardly any different. In fact, he is probably smarter and quicker than I am.”

  “Oh...” I wasn't sure how to respond. I sulked, leaning my head against his shoulder and thinking as I pulled my feet out of the water. “I’ve got one more question.”

  “More?” He laughed. “You are full of them!”

  “I'm sorry. You would be, too, if this were the other way around!”

  “I suppose you are right.”

  “Your accent...it sure doesn't come from anywhere around here,” I commented. “Where are you from?”

  “That is one question I was actually surprised you had not asked yet. While my ancestors may have originated in Massachusetts, I was born and raised in Wales.” He smiled, appearing to be reflecting on old memories.

  “Wales...” I said in awe. “How did you end up here, of all places?”

  “I have traveled most of the world,” he said thoughtfully. “Eventually, I decided to settle down somewhere."

  “But why here?”

  “You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Alexis. I know you will object because you already know my other secrets–but this is something even I cannot quite comprehend.”

  “I think I can handle it.”

  “I am not so sure.” He looked up to the sky. The glow of the moon could barely be seen between the shrouds of trees. “It involves you.”

  I jerked my head up from his shoulder and looked directly into his twinkling blue eyes. “How could it have anything to do with me?”

  “That is exactly why I don't think you will understand.”

  “Please, just tell me,” I begged.

  “Very well, but promise me you won't laugh.”

  “I promise.”

  “Here, take my hand,” Salem said as he stood up from the log. By now, it was already dark, but I reluctantly took his hand and followed him as we began to walk further into the woods along the path. I had to know what he was going to tell me, late for the party or not.

  “I am sure you have heard of Plato in school,” he commented as we delved deeper into the forest.

  “Yeah, sure,” I said, somewhat confused. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Let me finish,” he said lightly and smiled. “According to history, he wrote of humans originally having four arms, four legs, and a single head made up of two faces.” I stared awkwardly at him. “But, in fear of their power, Zeus split them all in half, condemning them to a life of searching for their other half... I don't necessarily believe in that, however...”

  My expression told him I was still unsure where he was going with this.

  “Alexis, do you believe in soul mates?” I believe his cheeks would have flushed at that moment had he been human.

  “I-well...I had never really thought about it before,” I replied honestly. “But, even so, why would you think I was your ‘other half’?”

  “Raziel, actually.” He grimaced. “He said that when you bite a human, you can see their memories, and sometimes snippets of their future. He saw you...”

  “What?!” I asked incredulously.

  “He didn't know you were human–especially not the daughter of a Waldron—from what I gather...but he said he saw you and me, and in more than just the sense that we were together; we were…together, a couple.”

  My mouth moved to speak, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say in response to that? “You have been waiting over a hundred years for me?” I said in disbelief.

  “Apparently so,” he replied. “When Janet and Mark came to me, they brought a picture of you so that I would be able to identify you at school. I was awestruck when I saw it was the girl Raziel had shown me.”

  “That's why you’re so protective of me, and why you have been so eager to be around me.”

  “That definitely has something to do with it.” We stopped walking abruptly and Salem pulled me close to his body.

  I looked up at him. “That's why you find me so ‘intriguing’.”

  “Indeed.” He smiled, his eyes lingering on my own for a mere moment before cautiously brushing his cold lips against mine. I shut my eyes and returned the gesture, wrapping my arms around him in a tight embrace. My fingers ran through his silky hair as we shared another kiss. I wanted the moment to last forever, but he suddenly pulled away. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

  Why was he apologizing? I shook my head. “What for?”

  “That was inappropriate,” he said, averting his eyes.

  I laughed. “Salem, there was nothing wrong about it. I know you come from a different time, where that might have been considered inappropriate, but really-” My words were swept away by the touch of his lips against mine again.

  “I'm not sorry, then.” He grinned as our lips parted once more, and he looked toward the sky. “You missed your party; I am almost certain.”

  My mind was void of any thoughts other than this moment until he mentioned the party. I was far too giddy at the fact that I had experienced my first kiss, even if it was not quite how I had thought it would be. I was unsure about the idea that we were somehow meant to be together, destined to meet. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that at all, or if I truly believed it, but at this moment, I didn't care. Soul mates or not, I knew that I wanted little more than to explore this relationship with Salem. “How long have we been out here?” I wondered. Glancing at my watch, I gasped. “It's after midnight?!”

  “Time flies when you are having fun they say, right?” He smiled pleasantly and leapt down from a small embankment into the water we had been sitting over earlier, the impact splashing chilling water up at me. I had been so caught up in his story that I had not realized the path had looped us back to where we started.

  I shivered from the touch of the icy water, and even more so as he lifted me up from the ground and cradled me in his arms–I could feel the coldness of his skin through the material of his shirt. With how thin he was, it was difficult to believe he could so effortlessly hold my weight. I wound my arms around his neck as he carried me back to his house.

  The old Victorian was invitingly warm as we entered—I half-expected Salem to put me down when we got over the threshold, but he didn't let go. I grew nervous as he smirked and carried me up the spiral staircase. I had never been to the top floor, but that wasn't what made me nervous.

  “You really shouldn't be so anxious, Alexis. You know I wouldn't drop you.” He playfully pretended like he was going to drop me and I nearly shrieked.

  “Don't do that!” I said, gripping ever-tighter to his body. “And you can just call me Alex, you know.”

  He smiled apologetically as we reached the top of the stairs. A deep red rug ran along the hallway. Framed pictures lined the walls; three of which depicted different people that I could only assume were Salem's relatives. I wanted to stop and look, but he continued walking down the hall, passed an opened door to a restroom on the left, then a closed door on the right – which I could only guess was a bedroom. Finally, we approached the last door at the end of the hall.

  He pushed it open, and I was amazed by what I saw.

  12

  The floor in the room appeared to be glass, a crystal-clear mirror reflecting everything that touched its surface. A queen-sized canopy bed sat in the center of the room, draped in shining silk black sheets and blankets. Matching pillowcases covered the four pillows that rested atop the mattress. The posts holding up the bed were spiraled silver bars that held up matching silk curtains which enclosed the bed. Two identical black nightstands sat on either side of the bed.

  My eyes w
ere fixed on the floor now, watching our reflections following us through the dim-lit room. It took me a moment to realize there was a chandelier dangling from the ceiling. Salem gently placed me on the bed, tugged the covers from beneath me and draped them across my body. The smooth silky texture felt amazing against my skin. I turned over onto my side, facing the wall and relaxing my head against the cool texture of the pillows.

  “Is this your room, Salem?” I asked, shutting my eyes tiredly.

  “Yes, although I don't put much use to it,” he said quietly as he sat on the opposite side of the bed behind me. He ran his cold fingers through my hair and a smile spread across my lips as he asked, “Would you like to stay in the bedroom this time?”

  “I already regret telling you no the first night you offered to let me stay in one of the bedrooms.” I laughed lightly as I enjoyed his gentle touch.

  “You are always welcome to stay here,” he whispered. I could feel him closer to me now. I tensed slightly as he lay on the bed and wrapped an arm delicately around my torso. Not only was this all new to me, but there was always still that little nagging thought, deep down, that he could hurt me at any moment. “If you are uncomfortable, I can leave.”

  “No, I'm plenty comfortable,” I said as I relaxed a little. “I'm just not used to any of this.”

  “Neither am I,” he confessed.

  I turned my head to look at him. “After these hundred years, you have never been with anyone like this?”

  “I've been waiting for you, my twin soul,” he replied quietly.

  “Twin soul...” I muttered the words sleepily. “I like that.”

  “Good.” He smiled again and kissed me gently on the cheek. “Get some sleep. You can call to apologize to Jason tomorrow.”

  “Oh, no...” I moaned, about to sit up. Salem held me down with a gentle hand.