After Sundown: Redemption Page 7

  “Christian just, uh, left.”

  Alyssa wasn’t prepared to explain exactly how.

  Her aunt’s expression turned shrewd and a little smile played on her mouth.

  “Christian? Oh, Mr. Galiano.”

  “Yes, he brought me home a little while ago.”

  “I see.”

  That was her aunt’s only comment.

  Alyssa continued.

  “The evening went fairly well. Except for the fact that I fainted.”

  Her aunt’s brows furrowed with concern.

  “Fainted? You’ve never fainted in your life, sweetie. What happened? Are you feeling ill?”

  “No, I’m fine. And the strange thing is I don’t remember what happened. All I recall is being by myself in my room at the auditorium, then waking up in Christian’s arms.”

  Her aunt raised one eyebrow and her smile widened.

  “You woke up in Mr. Galiano’s arms?”

  “Yes.”

  Her aunt said nothing. She merely waited silently, with an expectant smile on her face. Alyssa resisted saying anything more, but when her aunt kept smiling and waiting, she finally gave up with an exasperated sigh. Her aunt wasn’t going anywhere until she filled in her experience with some details.

  Alyssa told her the rest of the story, except for the most intimate parts and the part about Christian’s disappearance. She wasn’t ready to analyze either of those events, yet. It was always like this with her aunt. Even though Alyssa was the trained therapist, her Aunt Joyce always knew how to get her to talk.

  From the time she was a small child, her aunt had been there to help her through the rough times. Not her mother, who was often “sick” in her room with one malady or another. Not her father, who thought being a parent meant criticizing his only child for the things she wasn’t good at, and trying to force her to do what he felt she should. Her Aunt Joyce had always been the one who took time to listen and understand.

  Even after her mother’s suicide, when Alyssa had closed herself off from the rest of the world, her aunt had managed to get through to her. Alyssa had become numb after her mother’s death. Too scared to let her feelings in because she knew they would be filled with pain and guilt.

  Pain because her mother was dead. Pain because she hadn’t loved her daughter enough to stick it out in this world. And guilt. Because Alyssa hadn’t seen what was happening to her mother. It didn’t matter that she was a teenager, it didn’t matter that her mother was the adult. She should have seen what was happening and helped her mother before it was too late. But she hadn’t. And Alyssa had known that if she let those feelings in, they would eat away at her, until she didn’t know what would be left. So she blocked out the rest of the world—her friends, her overbearing father and even her beloved aunt.

  Her withdrawal lasted three months. Her father had tried yelling at her, over and over. But that only had made her withdraw further. Alyssa didn’t do her schoolwork. Her grades dropped. She never went out with her friends or had them over. After the first two months, all but a couple of them stopped calling. She just sat in her room, trying to hold back the tidal wave of emotion that was building inside of her. Whatever it took, she was determined to keep everything inside, until she felt like she was going to explode. But she refused to let herself lose control. That’s what her mother had done. And look what happened to her.

  Her aunt had left Alyssa alone during that initial period. Looking back, she wasn’t sure why. Maybe her aunt felt she needed the time to adjust, or maybe she just wasn’t sure what to do. Either way, at the end of three months her aunt had had enough. She stormed into the house and told Alyssa’s father to get out and only come back when she called him. He had refused. Alyssa sat in fascination, watching their exchange. She would never forget the look on her aunt’s face as she gently led Alyssa to her room and quietly asked her to stay there until she came to get her. She had never seen her aunt look so angry.

  She closed Alyssa’s door and her aunt and father had a monster of a fight. Alyssa had tried not to care. Tried to keep herself in that numb world she had found, but her aunt’s furious face and raised voice had caught her attention. She couldn’t hear much of the argument, but she did manage to catch her aunt yelling the words “jackass” and “incompetent” in the mix. She was shocked by the fact that her father hadn’t put up much of a fight. He was a born and bred drill sergeant. Talking softly wasn’t one of his fortes.

  But that day he was pretty quiet. He yelled back a couple of times, but mainly it was a defensive statement like, “I did no such thing” or “That’s not true”. And that was that. Not too long after, Alyssa’s father came to her room and mumbled something about going out for a while and leaving her with her aunt. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. As he pulled away, she saw the one thing that made her forgive him for some of the wrongs he had done in the past and the ones he would do in the future. A tear slipped from his eye and ran silently down his cheek.

  Before that day, she had never seen her father cry, or show much emotion other than anger. Even after her mother’s death. Alyssa had always thought it was because he was a drill sergeant and they just didn’t do that. But in that second, as that tear fell, she discovered something. Her father was human. And for some reason, that helped her feel a little better.

  Her aunt did the rest. After her father left, she coaxed Alyssa from her room and into the kitchen, which was the one place where Alyssa and her mother had spent the most time together. She sat Alyssa down at the table, poured them both a glass of iced tea and sat across from her. Her aunt reached across the table, took her hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze.

  “I miss your mother, Alyssa. I miss her so much my heart hurts. She was my sister and I loved her dearly. But she had a lot of problems. Problems that had nothing to do with you or what kind of daughter you were. Those issues had been with your mother even before you were born. She had been offered help in the past, but chose not to take it. Only she could have helped herself. Not you, not me, only her.”

  After that her aunt kept quietly holding Alyssa’s hand. Saying nothing. Just looking at her with the love and concern that had always been there for her.

  Alyssa’s carefully fortified damn broke. It started quietly with silent tears running down her face. Next the tidal wave rolled over her. Her shoulders shook and she sobbed uncontrollably. At some point her aunt came around the table and put her arms lovingly around her. She didn’t say anything, didn’t try to shush her, or tell her everything was okay. She just silently held her, until Alyssa couldn’t cry anymore. Until she felt like she had poured everything that had been bottled up inside of her out onto that kitchen table.

  Alyssa would never forget what her aunt had done for her. She had saved her from herself. A piece of her soul had disappeared the day her mother killed herself, but her aunt had helped her keep the rest.

  * * * * *

  Christian was not happy. In fact, he was damn uncomfortable as he drove back to the office. And not just in the physical sense, although he did have to keep adjusting his slacks during the drive. His body did not want to calm down. It had been on full alert with Alyssa at her apartment and getting it back to normal proved difficult.

  He was disgusted with himself. Mentally, he had lost it. He had lost control of the beast. It had only been a few minutes, but it was enough to wreak havoc in him. Unleashed in that way, the vampire he was became elemental. Only two thoughts prevailed, hunger and the need to satisfy it.

  Something happened as he was holding Alyssa. His desire for her had transformed into the beast. He had become vampire without willing it. That had not occurred since he was a fledgling.

  It should not have transpired. He was too old for it.

  Luckily, Alyssa’s aunt had continued knocking on the door. That was the only thing that had kept him at bay. The worry and concern in the woman’s voice had somehow penetrated his thoughts enough to let him withdraw. It had been excruciatingly painful, to t
he point where he almost hadn’t been able to do it. But slowly, inch-by-inch, he had moved away from Alyssa.

  After taking a few seconds to collect himself, he had gone into Alyssa’s room and jumped easily out of her apartment window. He’d transformed into fog and floated to his car. His body should have calmed down by now. But he was still wound tight. He wanted Alyssa. He wanted her now, under him, as he plunged again and again into her sweetness, making her completely and utterly his.

  He pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine.

  “Dammit!”

  Christian smacked the steering wheel with his open palm. He needed to get his mind on his job and out of his pants! He stalked into the Sundown Security office and groaned when he saw Vlad. He didn’t need an interrogation right now.

  Vlad looked up from the papers in his hands. His eyes narrowed as he gave Christian a quick once over. Then his mouth spread into a sardonic grin.

  “Frustrating, isn’t it? Join the club, my friend.”

  Christian gave him a cold, blank stare. The one he had practiced using on his clients over the years.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He tried to sound casual, but because his gritted teeth punctuated every word he uttered, it was not very convincing, even to his ears.

  “Whatever you say.” Vlad shrugged.

  Christian glared at him, but the mocking smile remained on his boss’s face.

  “Unpleasant wanting something you can’t have, isn’t it?” Vlad asked as his eyes became haunted. “My little miss princess is turning out to be much more of a handful than I anticipated. And a tempting handful at that.”

  Christian wasn’t moved by his friend’s admission.

  “I’m sure you’ll handle your situation, Vlad. Just like I’ll handle mine.”

  “Right,” Vlad replied.

  But Christian wasn’t so sure. He still felt edgy and restless and he knew just who the cause of that was. Alyssa. With her crystal blue eyes and long raven hair. He focused on his friend. Tried to get his thoughts back to where they belonged.

  Vlad didn’t comment. He walked into his office, motioning Christian to follow.

  “Come sit down. Tell me how the case is progressing. Anything new?”

  Christian relayed what had happened at the auditorium with Bazhena.

  Vlad frowned. He looked worried.

  “Are you sure you incapacitated her for the rest of the night?”

  “Yes. Her mind was completely open to me. No blocks, no defenses. I slipped right in.” Christian’s face filled with disgust as he recalled the evil and twisted caverns of Bazhena’s thoughts.

  “Bazhena was directing everything towards Alyssa when I hit her with my mind. I could sense how much pain she was in. She won’t recover until the next sunset.”

  “This is the second time she’s gone after Miss Edwards,” Vlad noted. “The first time, I thought she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but now I know it’s personal. Bazhena wants Alyssa for some reason, but why? Can you possibly enlighten me, Christian?”

  “She’s the Wendigo,” Christian muttered.

  “The what?” Vlad looked confused. He remembered Christian calling Bazhena by that name the other night. When she tried to attack Alyssa. But he didn’t know what it meant.

  “Nothing. A memory just came to mind.”

  “Tell me about this Wen—what is it?”

  “Wendigo. You know the Native American tale don’t you? I remember hearing it, while I was stationed as an officer in St. Augustine. Mostly from the Ojibwa or Cree Indians who came down to Florida from up north.”

  “I’ve never heard about it.”

  “I’m surprised. The Wendigo is a story that men have spoken of since even before I became a vampire. Legend tells of a half beast, half phantom creature that has supernatural strength and speed and moves faster than the human eye can follow. It is supposed to be able to blend into the trees and winds. It can change shape at will. Some say the Wendigo can scare its victims to death with a single look. It’s also said to whisper into the wind, calling its victims, luring them to their death.”

  Christian rose from his seat and walked over to Vlad’s window. He peered out into the darkness. This story was bringing back unpleasant memories. Still he continued.

  “Its name can be roughly translated as ‘the evil spirit that eats mankind’. And that’s what it’s purported to do. It can devour its victims in more than one way. Either by feasting on their flesh and blood, or stealing their mind, turning them into a cannibalistic zombie, devoid of all personality. It’s also said that if a person is in the presence of, dreams about, or is bitten by a Wendigo, they will become one.”

  Christian turned from the window and stared intently at Vlad.

  “Any of this sound familiar?”

  “Of course. It sounds like you’re describing a vampire. What’s your point, Christian?”

  “Nothing really. It’s just that when I was still mortal, I heard that tale pretty often. And when Bazhena claimed me for the first time, with Elena’s bloody body lying dead in her arms, it was all I could think of. Even today, when my thoughts turn to her, I imagine her as the Wendigo.”

  “You actually believe that rubbish?”

  Christian glanced towards the door. The man who interrupted his story looked perfectly human, perfectly normal. Of course, just like everyone else at Sundown Security, he wasn’t. He was tall and muscular, with shoulder-length brown hair and gold eyes. Not brown or green with gold specks, but the kind of true gold that glows in the night when light reflects off it. That was the only clue hinting at his true nature. He was an immortal of magic and legend. He was a dragon slayer.

  “This cynicism is coming from you, Eric?” Christian asked. “Someone who spends his days chasing dragons? Isn’t that somewhat hypocritical?”

  Eric grinned and shrugged his shoulders carelessly.

  “Maybe you have a point.”

  “Did you need to talk to me about something, Eric?” Vlad asked.

  “Yes, but it’s not urgent. I can wait until the two of you are done telling each other children’s tales.”

  Shooting Christian one last smirk, Eric closed the door on his way out.

  “That guy can be really irritating.” Christian grinned and shook his head.

  “Maybe. But he’s damn good at what he does.”

  Vlad’s serious tone held Christian’s attention. Vlad looked worried. His boss was an old vampire. That meant he was very powerful. If he was worried about Bazhena, then there was something to be concerned about.

  “Any suggestions on how to deal with her?” Vlad asked.

  Christian could think of many gruesome ways to deal with Bazhena, but he knew that’s not what Vlad meant. There was a rule against vampires killing each other without cause. And up to this point they had no cause.

  “I’ll ask around. See if anyone’s heard anything. Bazhena usually isn’t discreet when she travels. She’s as flamboyant as she can be without catching too much mortal attention. And she likes to talk about herself. That could help us. I’ll keep a closer eye on Alyssa, spend every evening with her or close enough that I’ll be able to pick up on any disturbances.”

  Vlad nodded.

  “I’ll find out what I can also. And remember, Christian. Although Bazhena isn’t as old as I am, she’s still very powerful.”

  “I know.”

  Christian strode towards the door. He’d start investigating tonight.

  “Be careful, my friend,” Vlad called to him.

  “Aren’t I always?”

  He could still hear Vlad’s loud guffaw as he left the office.

  * * * * *

  Christian drove over to Twice Charmed. It was one of the few nightclubs open all night and it was unique. It catered to and attracted the paranormal types like vampires, werewolves and elves, among others. This wasn’t a fact that was openly discussed. It just was. There was an aura around the place, a sense o
f dread the creatures that inhabited it perpetuated. Except for the occasional groupies or lost tourists, humans seemed to naturally stay far away from the club.

  Despite this, there was one fast and steady rule everyone had to adhere to. No harm would come to humans while they were at or in the vicinity of Twice Charmed. The owners made this rule from the beginning and everyone involved knew why. If humans started dying at or near the club, people would get suspicious and curious. And none of the patrons of Twice Charmed wanted that. This was one of the few places where their kind could be themselves without hiding it from others. Everyone wanted to keep it that way, so they obeyed the rule, most of the time.

  On those occasions when the rule was broken, harsh punishment resulted and the perpetrator was never allowed to return to Twice Charmed. No exceptions were made. Everyone knew that. So most behaved themselves. Except for the fighting. There weren’t any hard and fast rules about that. Especially when it involved two different species.

  The owners didn’t allow fighting in the club, but they had no qualms about brawling in the back parking area. Especially since bets were often made on the winner. And the owners always demanded a cut of the winnings. Since the parking area was enclosed with high block fencing, they knew it wouldn’t attract much attention from outsiders. But the fights always drew curious onlookers from inside the club.

  Christian approached the entrance and allowed himself to be searched. No weapons of any kind, magical or otherwise were allowed. The large, well-muscled man who checked him with detached thoroughness was a gargoyle. Most people couldn’t tell what they were when they were in human form, but since one of Christian’s co-workers was also a gargoyle, he knew just what to look for.

  Gargoyles were in high demand for security jobs for several reasons. One stood out above all the rest. An innate dislike and wariness of any creature other than one of their own kind. Caution and suspicion was their natural mode of operation.