Native Nights ~ Part One
Sheriff Monroe was choking on his own blood. The wounds in his neck had pierced his esophagus and blood was pouring into his
lungs and abdomen. He coughed, trying to expel the blood but it filled up quickly with every ragged breath.
“Please…”he gasped in between a breath.
His body was clutched in the arms of the eldest living vampire, Niyol. Not a pureblood, being born as a vampire but still stronger than most. Niyol’s long fangs penetrated Monroe’s throat again and again, splattering blood across his face and clothes.
Blood bubbles formed from Monroe’s mouth, pulsating with tiny pockets of air and fluid.
“Do not beg for end, it will come.” Niyol said with a deep accent. Niyol pulled on Monroe’s lower jaw, holding it open so that
the pooling blood would pour out. With a tug, he broke the jaw and small fragments of teeth fell to the ground.
Monroe cried out in pain but no voice was heard behind the eruption of clotting blood springing from his throat.
Niyol lapped up the blood, savoring what was left of the warmth and pushing against Monroe’s throat to encourage a steady flow.
Monroe had finally faded with eyes wide and mouth grotesquely gaping. Niyol wasn’t done, he wanted more blood. He leaned over and
bit into him hoping the heart would pump one more ounce of liquid to the surface. Niyol smashed Monroe’s head to the ground, cracking his skull and
finding what was left of the precious warmth. He savored the taste until the blood was cold and useless and then dropped Monroe to the ground carelessly.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing the blood further, still curious about the blurred photograph he held
in the other hand. He tilted his head to one side trying to make out the figure in the image; tall and dark, standing next to a small woman that was perfectly
in focus. He smiled knowing that the image he was staring at was one of his sons, Hastiin…perhaps Nathaniel, or Niyol named
from me, he thought. Why had his sons allowed themselves to be photographed and where had this human come across the photo?
He smiled again, knowing that soon enough they would be able to answer that question. Niyol was heading north, into the cold,
dark land of Alaska somewhere near the Arctic Circle. That is where he’d find Raven and her pack, hiding away from as much direct sunlight as possible. He
could track them, he knew he could find her and her wolves and when he did, he would use her connection with her siblings to find the others. It was time to
reclaim the families, to gain control and power over all of them and bend their will to his. He was too strong now, too strong to be tossed aside as a solitary
old man.
Niyol lifted the lifeless body and tossed it into a nearby dumpster, slamming the lid down and causing the rats to scatter. The sound knocked the blonde girl out of her trance who was crouched on the ground holding her knees to her chest. Blood splatter littered her face and hair while her wide eyes peered into an eternal darkness without focus.
Niyol kneeled next to her, showing her the photograph. “Tell me, who is this.” He said in broken English. She rocked back and forth not showing any acknowledgment of Niyol’s question. His fist crashed down against the asphalt rupturing the ground and forcing her attention. She looked blurry eyed into the photograph.
“I…I don’t know. I think it’s Gabriel Maicoh.” She whispered.
“Gabe…Gabriel?”He inquired.
She nodded her head, afraid to speak.
He smiled again looking into the photograph, “Hastiin…my son.”
“Gabriel.”He said his English name out loud again. “Where do you find this?” He waved the photograph in front of her eyes.
“I got it from the Club.” She pushed herself further into the wall that was at her back.
“What?”Niyol was struggling with his understanding.
“Club Nosferatu, it was a club on this street. They closed it down a long time ago.”She explained. She tried to inch away, not
comfortable with how close Niyol was to her. He was horrifying. His face, his body, he looked like a monster with human attributes. His hair was long, dark
grey and his eyes held an extreme coldness that was blacker than pitch. He sightlessly reached out with his hand, clamping down on her shoulder so she
could not move while he studied the picture.
A small scream escaped her throat by the force and surprise of his speed. “Please, don’t hurt me.” She cried.
He looked at her, sensing her fear to be this close. He studied her, almost with a sick fascination wondering how much fear he could cause in her.
“Haash yinishly?” He asked.
“Wh-What?”
“Name!”
“Devin. My name is Devin.” She stuttered.
He touched her long blonde hair, studying the golden color and then pulled out a handful carefully placing it to his nose. Devin screamed and held
her head where scalp and hair were suddenly missing. Niyol carefully covered her mouth with his hand, so that her screams were muffled.
He dropped the handful of hair with his eyes bleeding to solid black he placed his hand over her heart. “I can hear the blood in your heart…”
lungs and abdomen. He coughed, trying to expel the blood but it filled up quickly with every ragged breath.
“Please…”he gasped in between a breath.
His body was clutched in the arms of the eldest living vampire, Niyol. Not a pureblood, being born as a vampire but still stronger than most. Niyol’s long fangs penetrated Monroe’s throat again and again, splattering blood across his face and clothes.
Blood bubbles formed from Monroe’s mouth, pulsating with tiny pockets of air and fluid.
“Do not beg for end, it will come.” Niyol said with a deep accent. Niyol pulled on Monroe’s lower jaw, holding it open so that
the pooling blood would pour out. With a tug, he broke the jaw and small fragments of teeth fell to the ground.
Monroe cried out in pain but no voice was heard behind the eruption of clotting blood springing from his throat.
Niyol lapped up the blood, savoring what was left of the warmth and pushing against Monroe’s throat to encourage a steady flow.
Monroe had finally faded with eyes wide and mouth grotesquely gaping. Niyol wasn’t done, he wanted more blood. He leaned over and
bit into him hoping the heart would pump one more ounce of liquid to the surface. Niyol smashed Monroe’s head to the ground, cracking his skull and
finding what was left of the precious warmth. He savored the taste until the blood was cold and useless and then dropped Monroe to the ground carelessly.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing the blood further, still curious about the blurred photograph he held
in the other hand. He tilted his head to one side trying to make out the figure in the image; tall and dark, standing next to a small woman that was perfectly
in focus. He smiled knowing that the image he was staring at was one of his sons, Hastiin…perhaps Nathaniel, or Niyol named
from me, he thought. Why had his sons allowed themselves to be photographed and where had this human come across the photo?
He smiled again, knowing that soon enough they would be able to answer that question. Niyol was heading north, into the cold,
dark land of Alaska somewhere near the Arctic Circle. That is where he’d find Raven and her pack, hiding away from as much direct sunlight as possible. He
could track them, he knew he could find her and her wolves and when he did, he would use her connection with her siblings to find the others. It was time to
reclaim the families, to gain control and power over all of them and bend their will to his. He was too strong now, too strong to be tossed aside as a solitary
old man.
Niyol lifted the lifeless body and tossed it into a nearby dumpster, slamming the lid down and causing the rats to scatter. The sound knocked the blonde girl out of her trance who was crouched on the ground holding her knees to her chest. Blood splatter littered her face and hair while her wide eyes peered into an eternal darkness without focus.
Niyol kneeled next to her, showing her the photograph. “Tell me, who is this.” He said in broken English. She rocked back and forth not showing any acknowledgment of Niyol’s question. His fist crashed down against the asphalt rupturing the ground and forcing her attention. She looked blurry eyed into the photograph.
“I…I don’t know. I think it’s Gabriel Maicoh.” She whispered.
“Gabe…Gabriel?”He inquired.
She nodded her head, afraid to speak.
He smiled again looking into the photograph, “Hastiin…my son.”
“Gabriel.”He said his English name out loud again. “Where do you find this?” He waved the photograph in front of her eyes.
“I got it from the Club.” She pushed herself further into the wall that was at her back.
“What?”Niyol was struggling with his understanding.
“Club Nosferatu, it was a club on this street. They closed it down a long time ago.”She explained. She tried to inch away, not
comfortable with how close Niyol was to her. He was horrifying. His face, his body, he looked like a monster with human attributes. His hair was long, dark
grey and his eyes held an extreme coldness that was blacker than pitch. He sightlessly reached out with his hand, clamping down on her shoulder so she
could not move while he studied the picture.
A small scream escaped her throat by the force and surprise of his speed. “Please, don’t hurt me.” She cried.
He looked at her, sensing her fear to be this close. He studied her, almost with a sick fascination wondering how much fear he could cause in her.
“Haash yinishly?” He asked.
“Wh-What?”
“Name!”
“Devin. My name is Devin.” She stuttered.
He touched her long blonde hair, studying the golden color and then pulled out a handful carefully placing it to his nose. Devin screamed and held
her head where scalp and hair were suddenly missing. Niyol carefully covered her mouth with his hand, so that her screams were muffled.
He dropped the handful of hair with his eyes bleeding to solid black he placed his hand over her heart. “I can hear the blood in your heart…”
Part Two
SAM
The rain was coming down a bit harder now. Usually in Hawaii it rained consistently but it was always a steady rizzle. The windshield blades on my truck were fighting to give me a clear vision of the back roads as Daryl and I drove towards the rocky shores of Keaau. It had been ten years, almost to the day and it was now my job to meet the returning vampire coven somewhere away from curious eyes and bring them home.
Daryl tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and leaned forward playing with the radio and trying to catch a signal in this rain. The weather channel came in just fine but they were telling us what we already knew.
Multiple cell storms have settled in over the towns of Keaau and Pahoa. This storm has moved in very fast the last couple hours and appears to have gained strength since making landfall about thirty minutes ago. High winds have been reported in Keaau in an excess of forty miles per hour causing some damage to power lines in the area. Drivers on the road watch for flooding and poor visibility.
“Do you think that’s them, Sam?” Daryl asked lowering the volume on the radio.
I smiled, “Definitely. They’re here.”
Daryl shifted slightly in her seat and then turned her attention to the window, watching the rain.
I returned my attention the road. Daryl had also been employed at Club Nosferatu back in Arizona. It was at that time she was let in on their secret, which as far as I knew made three humans on the planet that knew vampires existed. She had been close to Trent but from what I understood, she had declined vampirism like I had, opting to stay human, although I was getting the feeling that she had recently changed her mind. Daryl had lived and worked with me on the island for the past ten years waiting for the day when they would return. I had received a wire from Europe letting me know when and where they would be returning. I had arranged all of their belongings to be removed from storage and shipped to the Big Island of Hawaii, awaiting their arrival. Daryl and my family had helped drop off shipments of boxes and a few vehicles to their houses, now all that was left was to meet them at the beach and welcome them home.
The closer we got to the beach, the harder the rain fell. I was happy that I had a large truck, it made it easier to navigate the flooding but the amount of water was making me a bit nervous. I drove slowly through the rain water as the black, lava rock shores appeared in the darkening distance.
Daryl clutched onto the door as the truck rocked back and forth from the gusts of winds that were assaulting us.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded.
“I mean with seeing Trent.”
She looked at me. “Yes.”
“You don’t seem like it. It will be okay, I promise.”
She nodded again but was looking more concerned.
I never asked what had happened between them, it wasn’t my business but I knew that she wanted to be here, she wanted to help with everything. I was happy to have her. It was nice to have someone to talk to about the vampires. The wolves were not a species that I particularly cared for so little was spoken about them especially with Raven leading them. What I knew about her was she was very difficult to deal with and a pain in the ass that gratefully, kept her distance for the most part. In fact, Raven had taken her pack somewhere when her brothers disappeared with their coven. Who knows where she was or what she was doing.
A thick sheet of water passed over the top of the truck with a thundering sound and as if we passed through a curtain, the rain had stopped. It was clear on the other side once we made it to the cliffs. I parked the car and looked out to the east wondering where they were.
“Come on, let’s get out.” I jumped out of the truck, Daryl followed suit and walked around to my side. I looked up at the sky and could see the stars shining through the darkness. I ruffled my tightly curled Samoan hair and shook a few beads of water free. I pulled out a medium tackle box, tucked it under my arm and grabbed a couple of flashlights from the truck, handing one to Daryl.
“We may have to hike out a bit.” I started walking towards the area that had been designated as the rendezvous point. We both clicked on our lights and made our way across slick lava rock with trepidation. The cliffs were always perilous but more so when wet. Lava was dangerous, hot or cold. Just one misstep and the black, glass-like rock would slice you open. It took experience to walk these rocks unscathed.
“Trent?” I called out into the night, hoping he’d be close enough to hear me and we wouldn’t have to go much further. Daryl had slipped twice already and I was trying to keep us both from tumbling down the cliff.
We made it down the base of the cliff on a flat plateau just beneath the cliff wall. The water was much higher at this time of night; we wouldn’t be able to go much further. I turned around to help Daryl down the last few steps and shone the light out into the pitch blackness. My light picked up several shadowy figures in the distance. We took a few steps further watching our step and footing. I lifted the light again into the dark and was met with red eyes for a fleeting moment.
He stepped closer and I could make out familiar facial features. His lightly bronzed skin and black hair told me I was looking at my friend.
Trent shielded his eyes and looked away. “Hello Sam.”
TRENT
I embraced my old friend for a moment and waited for his startled look to pass before proceeding. “It’s good to see you after all this time.”
He smiled up at me, “And it’s good to see you.”
I was happy to see that Sam was still in great shape, he seemed to be doing very well for himself. Despite the decade that had passed there were very few signs of his aging, just some grey hair that had taken up residency near his temples and lightened his naturally black hair. He was five foot nine and was built like a linebacker. His dark skin and even darker colored island tattoos that covered the majority of his body gave him a rough appearance but that wasn’t further from the truth. Sam was a man you didn’t want to tangle with, but by nature, he was a gentle man. His dark, warm eyes looked up at me. I patted him on the shoulder smiling brightly. I looked just beyond him and saw Daryl, an old friend of mine. I smiled at her modestly, not exactly sure what to feel looking at her again for the first time in ten years. The last time I saw her in Tucson, she was twenty-three years old, a young girl by all accounts but a good and trusted friend, just the same. What stood before me now was a woman of thirty-three; blossomed and beautiful with experience and history behind her blue eyes. Gone was the signature pink streaked hair that she once had, showing her natural white-blonde hair color that matched the fairness of her skin. I watched her unashamedly as she approached me.
“Hello Trent.” Her velvet voice rang through my ears and sent shudders through my body.
The wind picked up her long hair and blew a hint of lavender and vanilla into my waiting senses. The gentle breeze of wind moved her hair in slow motion, hypnotic and feminine it tickled and tantalized my arms with wispy caresses. Tiny bits of rain water clung to the tips of her long, black lashes as she blinked, clearing her vision and looking back up at me.
“Hello Daryl.” I held my breath, not wanting to catch another scent of her body. My heart had suddenly started thumping against my chest. It was difficult to ignore, for me, as well as the other vampires that were in tune to the sound of blood pumping.
Tawnie came up alongside of me and placed her hand in mine. She looked up at me suspiciously, her eyes just as red as mine.
Daryl lowered her gaze and stepped back, wiping away tendrils of hair from her face.
Sam opened up a box that he carried. In it contained dozens of crosses on silver chains.
“I thought you may need these.” He smiled.
With our crosses in place, we let Sam and Daryl lead the way up the cliff towards our home and destination. The moon in the sky didn’t keep the area lit; we were in literal darkness, walking towards a cabin that I had recently purchased. The best part about Keaau was its virtually underdeveloped land and there were little, if any neighbors. We walked down the long dirt road that was the only way to reach the homes nestled against the ocean. Lava rock walls formed a few barriers on either side of the road and were home to all kinds of critters. We were all distracted by the constant chirping of the coqui frogs and the raspy scampering of the centipedes that made their homes in the rock walls. From here I could hear the sound of the waves crashing up against the cliff that was behind our property.
Sam and Daryl would do their best to show us to our homes tonight, but some would have to stay together until daylight. It was a huge imposition on our human
friends so the houses that were situated the closest together were the ones we started with. My house, Kris, Gabriel, Johnny and Billy were all within a mile
of each other which made it easier, the others would stay with me or Gabriel tonight. Two dozen vampires followed me up the dirt path to the house. It was a multi-level home, old and somewhat weather worn from the years of salt water damage but it was just what I was looking for. Gabriel went around to the side of the house
and started the generator so that we could have some power inside.
We walked in and waited for the okay to hit the switches. Tawnie stood next to me in the dark holding my hand, waiting patiently. We got the sign from Gabriel and I kicked the lights on, which our human friends appreciated. They flickered, trying to light the bulbs that had been virtually unused for over a year now. The bulbs buzzed and flickered again and then shone bright, lighting the living room. The room was adorned with some old fixtures and moving boxes that had arrived recently. We looked around surveying our new home taking it room by room and finding areas to sit and relax after our long journey back to the United States.
Sam and Daryl had left briefly to show Billy to his place, which was the furthest out and Gabriel’s home which was just on the other side of Kris’.
“What do you think?” I asked Tawnie.
“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care.”
I smiled. “Yeah, but what do you think?” I asked again.
“It’s quaint.”
“You’ll like it better when we get unpacked and get some furniture in here.”
She smiled and cuddled up next to me. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and rested my cheek against her hair. Tawnie was Mexican-American and had the best of both genes. Her hair was thick and dark brown with rich strands of mahogany framing her face. Her skin, naturally tanned and slightly copper was soft and
warm looking. I ran my hands along the skin on her arm and she turned her gaze up towards me. Her mother’s side gave Tawnie those beautiful pale green eyes and a very feminine, almost European nose. Her features were perfectly soft and delicate, a counter balance to the fire that burned in her Latino blood. She was
a handful but you momentarily forgot that fact with one look at her sweet face. She was exotic, alluring and sexy. More than just her looks, she oozed sex appeal through her voice, the way she moved and the way she made eye contact. It was bold, challenging and left a man wondering what had he done to get the attention of such an exquisite creature. I lifted her chin and kissed her.
“Hey Trent.” My brother called.
“Yes?” I turned my attention to him.
“Does this place have running water?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“We were hoping for a shower.” Kris stood next to his wife, Blaze.
“It should.” I walked over to the sink in the kitchen and cranked the knob. Water spurted out slowly then came quickly. “Looks like it’s on.” I said.
Sam had informed us that a recent inspection had indicated a leaking pipe at Kris’ house. It would be repaired tomorrow so in the meantime, he, Blaze and their
boys would shower here.
Tawnie sat on one of the counters, “Who has the newspapers?”
“Johnny.” I said.
He walked in the kitchen, as if on cue. “Here you go.”
He handed them off to Tawnie and she flipped through the pages. “It’s April 21st, 2008.” She announced. “George Bush is President…”
“Again?!” I exclaimed.
Tawnie laughed, “No, I think this is his son.”
“Oh.” I went back to inspecting the kitchen.
“And let’s see…”
“Tawnie, do we have to do this now? I’m not really in the fun facts mood.”
“No, we don’t.” She smiled and hopped off the counter.
She and I rejoined the rest of the troupe in the living room.
“So what do you guys think?” I asked my family.
They nodded their heads in approval. “I like it, it’s earthy.” Johnny smiled.
“It’s a big difference from the mainland.” Kris said. “Already I can tell Hawaii is going to be interesting.”
“Well that’s why we moved here, because it’s different.” I said opening the double doors to the back yard. The yard was small with some patches of slippery moss
here and there.
There was only about two hundred feet to the edge of the cliff. I walked out towards the water and looked out onto the black ocean. Tawnie came up behind me and
wrapped her arms around my waist.
We stood listening to the sound of the waves crashing and feeling the light spray of ocean water on our faces. “Are you disappointed?” I asked.
“No.”
I turned to look over my shoulder at her, “This is going to mark a new chapter for us.”
She smiled, “I know.” She kissed my shoulder, “Do you think we can stay here a while?”
“I hope so.”
“Hawaii will be better than Arizona; it’s not so crazy over here. It’s so peaceful and quiet.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too,” I sighed.
I thought back at the life that we left in Tucson and how stressful it had been the last couple months we were there. I was happy that we left when we did. No
more club, no more gossiping employees and no more nosy cops. We had a new opportunity to start over and get things right. Maybe now with Norah gone and
with Raven too far away for her occasional visits, we’d finally be able to enjoy ourselves. I smiled to think of the possibilities and the promises of a new day
in a new world and I felt hope returning to me. Disappearing for a decade was no fun but it was all worth it when we finally made roots in a new place. It took
us some time to decide where to move. It was difficult to pick such a rural part of the world but maybe it would work in our favor. It worked out well simply because Sam was born and raised here the majority of his life. It was partially his idea to come here. With people content to live and let live, maybe Hawaii could be a blessing for us, vampires; the ones that wanted to hide from the rest of the world.
“Trent.”
My cousin Johnny appeared in on the patio. Johnny was tall, like his brother and a few inches above me. His black hair reflected a bit of the moonlight above but
his eyes shone bright blue clearly, even in the darkness.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Can you talk to Gabriel, something is freaking him out.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know he won’t talk to me. You talk to him, he tells you everything.”
I looked at Tawnie for a moment, who mirrored my concern. “Okay.”
I went to find my cousin. It wasn’t too hard; he was standing in the front yard, peering into the darkness.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked.
Gabriel turned his head to me, his eyes were blood red.
He turned back to stare into the dark.
I put my hand on his shoulder, “Gabriel, what do you sense?”
“Niyol.” He said quietly.
My eyes got wide, “What?!” A visit from Gabriel’s father was not a vampire I wanted to see after all this time. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is he here, in Hawaii?”
“No.”
I breathed a small sigh of relief. “Can you find him?”
He shook his head, “He’s going to find us.”
“He’s looking for us?”
He nodded, still peering around the dark, trying to get a sense of him in the world.
“What does he want?”
“Blood.”
“Besides that, what else do you see?”
Gabriel’s eyes bled back to green emeralds. “It’s gone, he’s gone.”
“What did you see? Can you tell when he’ll be here?”
“No.” He rubbed his head, either trying to clarify an image or dispatch one.
Gabriel was what we teasingly called the dream witch. He was able to see images and alter them to his liking within a dream world. He also had amazing senses when he was awake that made him a valuable ally. And the connection to his father through blood meant that senses for Niyol ran deeper and stronger than any of us.
“What do we do?” I asked, wondering what his advice may be.
Gabriel looked at me for a moment. “What can we do? He wants to find us, he will find us. We have to be ready for anything.”
“We should tell Kris.” I turned to find my brother.
Gabriel grabbed my wrist, “Wait!”
I looked at him surprised.
“Don’t tell anyone yet. I don’t want the others to freak out.” Gabriel thought for another moment, “He’s calling me. I can hear him in my head.” Gabriel rubbed his
forehead again. “Maybe he just wants me. Maybe I can leave and he’ll follow me.”
“No, we just got here! You aren’t going anywhere.” I instructed.
“Is everything okay?” Our conversation was interrupted by Daryl. Her sweet look of concern instantly put me at ease.
“Yes. Everything is fine.” I assured her.
Gabriel left my side and went inside.
I stood watching Daryl in the darkness. She was a woman now, definitely more mature than when I left her but there were still some childlike mannerisms. She
carefully made her way towards me, barely making eye contact.
“I didn’t know if you would be happy to see me or not. I hope me being here is not a bad thing.” She said.
I touched the side of her face wiping her hair from her face and she looked up at me. “No, of course not. Sam tells me you’ve been a wonderful help while we were
gone, I’m grateful that you are here.”
I dropped my hand to my side, hearing the sound of Tawnie close.
I turned my head slightly to the right trying to pick her movements within the house before continuing my conversation.
Looking back at Daryl I couldn’t help but smile. “You look beautiful.”
She smiled back, “And so do you. You look the same, except for maybe something behind your eyes.” She stepped forward to touch me but seemed to decide against it at the last minute. She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets instead.
“How are things with you and Tawnie? I mean, are you happy?”
I turned slightly to the side again wanting to make sure our conversation was just between us. “It’s complicated.”
She looked up at me with sadness, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I nodded, not entirely sure if I shared her feeling. The truth is the last year Tawnie and I had been arguing more than we had been getting along. It was tiring
and old, there had been many times when I thought I couldn’t stand it any longer but managed to work things out. I loved Tawnie, I truly did. She was a wonderful
woman with fire and zeal for life. She made me feel alive, desired and needed but the cost of her constant company had almost buried us on more than one
occasion. I had no idea how much longer we could stay together and seeing Daryl had put the proverbial monkey wrench into the equation.
Daryl was about to speak again when I held up my hand stopping her. Seconds later Tawnie appeared beside me.
“What’s going on?” She asked with as much restraint as she could muster. Tawnie on her own was a jealous and possessive person but she almost seemed to sense that Daryl was special to me somehow. I could feel her energy spike as she stood next to me waiting for answers.
“Nothing.” I turned my attention to Daryl. “Thank you again for everything you and Sam have done for us. I suppose that you will be here sometime in the afternoon to take the others to their homes, is that right?”
“Yes, Sam and I will be here around one or so.” She stated.
“That sounds good, have a good night Daryl.” The heaviness in my chest hit hard when I turned from her and walked inside my house with Tawnie on my
arm.
Aside from a sideways glance, Tawnie didn’t say another word. And once we got inside, she seemed content to see me taking Gabriel by the arm and leading him out the other door, to the backyard.
I ran my fingers through my hair, a gesture that usually indicated that I had way too many things going on in my head. “I’m not really sure what to make of your
vision Gabriel but I’m almost certain that it’s bad news. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time; we are supposed to be starting fresh. A run in with your
dad wasn’t what I had in mind.”
“Me either.” The darkness in Gabriel’s eyes and voice told me he and I shared the same stress of unanswered questions.
He continued, “If he wants me, I can’t stay here. I’ll lead him to the family, he can wipe us all out, and you know that.”
“No, he can’t. Together we are stronger than him.”
Gabriel laughed, “You are missing one valuable piece to your puzzle. We are only strong enough with Raven’s help and she’s not here.”
“If the situation escalates then we can change that, Niyol is a concern for all of us. If need be, we will find my sister.” I turned and walked into the house.
By the time I laid down for the night, my thoughts were running ragged. All I could think about was Niyol, coming here. It was never good to have him close because
he was so unpredictable. Being a human, he was evil but as a vampire elder his carnage was unimaginable. Why was he coming here? What could he want with us or with his sons and after all these years?
I closed my eyes and dared to slip into a dream state. Thoughts flooded back to me swiftly and I was overwhelmed by the realism of the memory.
Growing up without my father wasn't easy, especially since fellow tribesmen were responsible for his death. Our father’s calm guidance was replaced by
frustration and hatred. Even the strong and supportive side of my mother buried deep within me, was suffocated by the feeling of absolute revenge. Paranoia
kept me awake at night, constantly questioning the safety of me and my remaining family. We stayed close together, watching our backs and hoping that
we wouldn't show any signs of the curse that sealed the fate of my father. Bidziil had ultimately convinced the head counsel to let Kris live, even though he had
killed a man. He played to the loyalty he had for my parents and was eventually forgiven; or as close as he could get to forgiveness.
After our mother’s death a few years later, Bidziil had become our guardian. Watching over the three of us and trying to help reestablish our place within the tribe.
My sister and I did our best to cooperate; we still wanted to be part of the people despite what had happened to our parents. It was the only life we knew
and I remembered our father talking about the importance of the tribe when we were younger. Up until his death he believed that the tribe as a whole would
survive the generations and not one man would succeed, standing alone for personal gain or revenge. I had tried to remind my brother of this but Kris had
refused to bow his head to the people and fought them daily. I was torn between wanting to stand next to and support my brother, who was right not to trust the
tribe again and wanting to offer some comfort and stability to my little sister. She desperately wanted to be accepted back into the tribe and tried very hard to win their trust and approval.
Through time and effort on our part, the people had barely tolerated our existence, let alone forgave us for the blood that ran in our veins. I had eventually decided
that I wouldn’t reach for their acceptance again, just so they could snatch it away at will. I stood next to my brother and supported him any way that I could.
I left Raven to decide who she would stand next to; it wasn’t something that I could force upon her. And so the majority of the time I spent with Kris and our
cousins Gabriel and Nathaniel leaving Raven to find where her heart truly lied. Today was hot. I looked up to the sky watching birds, high above me, circling the
plains. I shaded the sun from my eyes as much as I could. I held my hand against the powerful rays to get a closer look at the predatory birds flying above. The
horses I was tending to were chewing on sun burnt grass and slapping their tails; the sound of annoying flies were buzzing all around. I watched the wings
of birds flap, soar and hover. I was amazed at the sound the wind created within their feathers, it was almost mesmerizing. I couldn't remember it ever
being quiet enough for me to hear their wings before.
Somewhere in the distance, tribe chatter and the chopping of wood flooded my senses. I couldn't see where these sounds were coming from, but felt that they had to be close. I walked away from the horses and followed the sound of voices. The voices got louder, like I was getter closer but still no people appeared. I had
almost thought that they were part of my imagination when I finally came upon the scene that I had heard in the valley. Women were carrying water, stripping
hides and shucking corn, all the while carrying on their own conversations.
The sound of splitting wood turned my attention to my cousin Gabriel. He was standing in the hot sun, splitting wood into smaller, more manageable pieces.
His father Niyol was sitting close, watching his progress. Niyol was an abusive man, full of hate and violence. Earlier this year he had taken part in a beating
of Gabriel and Nathaniel's mother that resulted in her death. Although she was a carrier of the vampire gene, she rarely benefitted from its power. Physically,
she had taken as much pain as she could stand before passing away. Her husband and tormentor, Niyol remained. The vampire blood that she had shared with him
before the birth of my cousins, made him strong and powerful but he kept that a secret. Gabriel and Nathaniel had always told us that Niyol was stronger than
anyone suspected. He was not a carrier; he was a vampire, like my father had been when he was changed. The pain of losing their mother was as cruel as me losing my father. Gabriel never really recovered from it. He hated his father and obeyed him only for the sake of his little brother, Nathaniel. At fourteen, Gabriel stood over six feet tall. He was sturdier than his smaller, thinner brother and as a result, often took both shares of beatings, like he had done for his mother. His bare back faced me, littered with scar tissue inflicted by the man that sat five feet away. Niyol had piercing black eyes that never looked out of focus, even now he
watched his oldest son with unblinking eyes. He was always intense, even when his eyes opened to the first morning sun. He was void of any emotion or
compassion and he was cold; cold to look at, cold to speak to; I also hated the man.
He had shouted a command at Gabriel who immediately acknowledged his father and continued to chop wood. A few strokes later, Niyol was moving towards Gabriel. He spun him around lashing out across his face with a strip of leather. The slap was loud and echoed in my ears. Gabriel didn't make a sound when his head snapped to one side, only a line of blood across his cheek indicated how hard Niyol had hit him. My face curled up in anger, I hated to see him hit my cousin.
I wished that I had been strong enough to beat him, to make him suffer like he had made his family suffer.
Niyol turned away from Gabriel, disgusted and angry. He paced around Gabriel cursing him, condemning him and wishing that he were dead. Gabriel had heard all of this before. He stood with a somber look in his eyes, still wielding the hatchet that he used to chop the wood. When Niyol thought he wasn't paying attention he
would hit him again. One after the other the leather strip lashed out, revealing blood with every back swing. Niyol waited for an emotion and hoped it would be fear. He would wait awhile. From all of the beatings I had witnessed, I had never seen Gabriel crumble beneath his father. He stood and took anything he could dish out until the old man had given up. Today Gabriel wouldn't be that lucky. His father was bound and determined to change the look in his eyes one way or another. He kicked the back of Gabriel's knee, making him fall forward on all fours, the hatchet dropping from his hand. Niyol walked around Gabriel, circling him like a wolf circles their prey. He was cursing Gabriel with the most hateful words pouring from his lips. The words didn't seem to affect my cousin until Niyol mentioned Gabriel's mother. The sound of his mother's name lifted Gabriel's head to face his father. He stared back into his black eyes with mirrored hatred. That small sign of defiance was all he needed to unleash a fury of attacks on Gabriel. Still kneeling, he endured kicks to the ribs, crushed fingers and multiple whips to his back.
I had had enough. I stepped forward ready to stop Niyol in any way possible when a strong hand grabbed my shoulder.
Bidziil held me back, "It is his son, and you cannot interfere."
I turned my attention back to Gabriel. I could see the expression of pain on his face as he tried to hold it back. His teeth were clenched together, forbidding a
sound to pass from between his lips.
Niyol stood back for a moment, his chest heaving from the energy he had expelled. Even the sight of blood from his son's back didn't appease him; Gabriel was still
holding his position, kneeling in the dirt. Niyol lunged forward, grabbing the hatchet that lay next to Gabriel's hand and quickly raised it above his head, taking aim on his son's back. He swung down so swiftly there was barely anytime for me to pull free from Bidziil and run to Gabriel. The crunching of bone ringed out in my head followed by the rush of screaming air. Niyol ripped the blade from Gabriel's back pulling a splattering of blood from his body. His hatchet over his head again, Niyol started his second swing.
I rushed into Niyol, knocking him aside and making him struggle to regain his balance. He stood several inches taller than me and when he came at me with the
hatchet in hand, my body tensed. I reached up grabbing a hold of his arms, holding the blade at bay. Niyol cursed me, pushing the blade closer to my face
an inch at a time. My muscles started to shake, threatening to collapse under the strain.
The seconds seemed like minutes as I gave my last bit of energy to the fight. The look in Niyols’ eyes and the smug smile that played across his lips, told me
that he knew he was winning and that he would soon enjoy sinking the blade into my head.
In an instant my muscles tensed, regaining a powerful strength that I didn't know I had. The force of my muscles pushed Niyol back, almost knocking the hatchet from his hands. The look of surprise was no doubt seen on both of our faces. I felt a sudden rush of wind and an electrifying jolt to my body. I looked around, not
knowing where it came from. It didn't hurt; it just felt like a surge of energy crawling up the length of my body.
Niyol jumped forward, still eager to taste blood once more. This time he was met by an immovable wall. I grasped his arms again, completely unyielding; they simply stopped him in mid swing. I felt the strength in me and swung Niyol around, tossing him to the ground. I took a breath of air and my body felt a quick
collection of energy that made my skin tingle. I stepped forward in a threatening stance when I heard a loud growl escape my lips. Shocked I paused
for a moment wondering if the sound had really come from me. The look on Niyols’ face, told me it had. I felt a pressure in my mouth and my hands. I
raised my hands to see that long, tapered fingernails had grown out of the tips of my fingers. I suddenly knew what had happened. Our parents had told us that
one day we would change, it would happen quickly and most likely in a heightened, stressful situation. For a moment I was afraid. I was afraid of the
unknown, not really knowing what to do. Then I remembered Niyol. I looked down at him while he stared up at me. I smiled at him, knowing exactly what I was
going to do with my newly found strength. I reached for him and he recoiled, pulling his arms up over his head to shield himself.
I grabbed him by the throat and punched him in the face. I beat him over and over again. Blood was splattering from his mouth and nose with every blow. I wanted to do so much more but I was distracted by sounds that Gabriel was making. He was having difficulty breathing, I could hear the struggle. I dropped Niyol and saw that Nathaniel and Kris had grabbed Gabriel. They picked him up and were carrying him off as quickly as they could. For a moment I stood alone, towering over Niyol with a crowd of tribesmen encircling us. I stood with my back straight, feeling strong, yet vulnerable to their accusatory glares. The crowd parted and Raven came forth. She paused for only a second when she saw my face but she continued to me, standing before me, looking up into my eyes. "Enough, our cousin needs you." She held out her hand and we walked through the crowd together. The people parted quickly, not wanting to be close to me. I looked down at Niyol as I passed him, wishing I could have done so much more to him. He deserved his fate twice over, he shouldn't still be alive.
The rain was coming down a bit harder now. Usually in Hawaii it rained consistently but it was always a steady rizzle. The windshield blades on my truck were fighting to give me a clear vision of the back roads as Daryl and I drove towards the rocky shores of Keaau. It had been ten years, almost to the day and it was now my job to meet the returning vampire coven somewhere away from curious eyes and bring them home.
Daryl tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and leaned forward playing with the radio and trying to catch a signal in this rain. The weather channel came in just fine but they were telling us what we already knew.
Multiple cell storms have settled in over the towns of Keaau and Pahoa. This storm has moved in very fast the last couple hours and appears to have gained strength since making landfall about thirty minutes ago. High winds have been reported in Keaau in an excess of forty miles per hour causing some damage to power lines in the area. Drivers on the road watch for flooding and poor visibility.
“Do you think that’s them, Sam?” Daryl asked lowering the volume on the radio.
I smiled, “Definitely. They’re here.”
Daryl shifted slightly in her seat and then turned her attention to the window, watching the rain.
I returned my attention the road. Daryl had also been employed at Club Nosferatu back in Arizona. It was at that time she was let in on their secret, which as far as I knew made three humans on the planet that knew vampires existed. She had been close to Trent but from what I understood, she had declined vampirism like I had, opting to stay human, although I was getting the feeling that she had recently changed her mind. Daryl had lived and worked with me on the island for the past ten years waiting for the day when they would return. I had received a wire from Europe letting me know when and where they would be returning. I had arranged all of their belongings to be removed from storage and shipped to the Big Island of Hawaii, awaiting their arrival. Daryl and my family had helped drop off shipments of boxes and a few vehicles to their houses, now all that was left was to meet them at the beach and welcome them home.
The closer we got to the beach, the harder the rain fell. I was happy that I had a large truck, it made it easier to navigate the flooding but the amount of water was making me a bit nervous. I drove slowly through the rain water as the black, lava rock shores appeared in the darkening distance.
Daryl clutched onto the door as the truck rocked back and forth from the gusts of winds that were assaulting us.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded.
“I mean with seeing Trent.”
She looked at me. “Yes.”
“You don’t seem like it. It will be okay, I promise.”
She nodded again but was looking more concerned.
I never asked what had happened between them, it wasn’t my business but I knew that she wanted to be here, she wanted to help with everything. I was happy to have her. It was nice to have someone to talk to about the vampires. The wolves were not a species that I particularly cared for so little was spoken about them especially with Raven leading them. What I knew about her was she was very difficult to deal with and a pain in the ass that gratefully, kept her distance for the most part. In fact, Raven had taken her pack somewhere when her brothers disappeared with their coven. Who knows where she was or what she was doing.
A thick sheet of water passed over the top of the truck with a thundering sound and as if we passed through a curtain, the rain had stopped. It was clear on the other side once we made it to the cliffs. I parked the car and looked out to the east wondering where they were.
“Come on, let’s get out.” I jumped out of the truck, Daryl followed suit and walked around to my side. I looked up at the sky and could see the stars shining through the darkness. I ruffled my tightly curled Samoan hair and shook a few beads of water free. I pulled out a medium tackle box, tucked it under my arm and grabbed a couple of flashlights from the truck, handing one to Daryl.
“We may have to hike out a bit.” I started walking towards the area that had been designated as the rendezvous point. We both clicked on our lights and made our way across slick lava rock with trepidation. The cliffs were always perilous but more so when wet. Lava was dangerous, hot or cold. Just one misstep and the black, glass-like rock would slice you open. It took experience to walk these rocks unscathed.
“Trent?” I called out into the night, hoping he’d be close enough to hear me and we wouldn’t have to go much further. Daryl had slipped twice already and I was trying to keep us both from tumbling down the cliff.
We made it down the base of the cliff on a flat plateau just beneath the cliff wall. The water was much higher at this time of night; we wouldn’t be able to go much further. I turned around to help Daryl down the last few steps and shone the light out into the pitch blackness. My light picked up several shadowy figures in the distance. We took a few steps further watching our step and footing. I lifted the light again into the dark and was met with red eyes for a fleeting moment.
He stepped closer and I could make out familiar facial features. His lightly bronzed skin and black hair told me I was looking at my friend.
Trent shielded his eyes and looked away. “Hello Sam.”
TRENT
I embraced my old friend for a moment and waited for his startled look to pass before proceeding. “It’s good to see you after all this time.”
He smiled up at me, “And it’s good to see you.”
I was happy to see that Sam was still in great shape, he seemed to be doing very well for himself. Despite the decade that had passed there were very few signs of his aging, just some grey hair that had taken up residency near his temples and lightened his naturally black hair. He was five foot nine and was built like a linebacker. His dark skin and even darker colored island tattoos that covered the majority of his body gave him a rough appearance but that wasn’t further from the truth. Sam was a man you didn’t want to tangle with, but by nature, he was a gentle man. His dark, warm eyes looked up at me. I patted him on the shoulder smiling brightly. I looked just beyond him and saw Daryl, an old friend of mine. I smiled at her modestly, not exactly sure what to feel looking at her again for the first time in ten years. The last time I saw her in Tucson, she was twenty-three years old, a young girl by all accounts but a good and trusted friend, just the same. What stood before me now was a woman of thirty-three; blossomed and beautiful with experience and history behind her blue eyes. Gone was the signature pink streaked hair that she once had, showing her natural white-blonde hair color that matched the fairness of her skin. I watched her unashamedly as she approached me.
“Hello Trent.” Her velvet voice rang through my ears and sent shudders through my body.
The wind picked up her long hair and blew a hint of lavender and vanilla into my waiting senses. The gentle breeze of wind moved her hair in slow motion, hypnotic and feminine it tickled and tantalized my arms with wispy caresses. Tiny bits of rain water clung to the tips of her long, black lashes as she blinked, clearing her vision and looking back up at me.
“Hello Daryl.” I held my breath, not wanting to catch another scent of her body. My heart had suddenly started thumping against my chest. It was difficult to ignore, for me, as well as the other vampires that were in tune to the sound of blood pumping.
Tawnie came up alongside of me and placed her hand in mine. She looked up at me suspiciously, her eyes just as red as mine.
Daryl lowered her gaze and stepped back, wiping away tendrils of hair from her face.
Sam opened up a box that he carried. In it contained dozens of crosses on silver chains.
“I thought you may need these.” He smiled.
With our crosses in place, we let Sam and Daryl lead the way up the cliff towards our home and destination. The moon in the sky didn’t keep the area lit; we were in literal darkness, walking towards a cabin that I had recently purchased. The best part about Keaau was its virtually underdeveloped land and there were little, if any neighbors. We walked down the long dirt road that was the only way to reach the homes nestled against the ocean. Lava rock walls formed a few barriers on either side of the road and were home to all kinds of critters. We were all distracted by the constant chirping of the coqui frogs and the raspy scampering of the centipedes that made their homes in the rock walls. From here I could hear the sound of the waves crashing up against the cliff that was behind our property.
Sam and Daryl would do their best to show us to our homes tonight, but some would have to stay together until daylight. It was a huge imposition on our human
friends so the houses that were situated the closest together were the ones we started with. My house, Kris, Gabriel, Johnny and Billy were all within a mile
of each other which made it easier, the others would stay with me or Gabriel tonight. Two dozen vampires followed me up the dirt path to the house. It was a multi-level home, old and somewhat weather worn from the years of salt water damage but it was just what I was looking for. Gabriel went around to the side of the house
and started the generator so that we could have some power inside.
We walked in and waited for the okay to hit the switches. Tawnie stood next to me in the dark holding my hand, waiting patiently. We got the sign from Gabriel and I kicked the lights on, which our human friends appreciated. They flickered, trying to light the bulbs that had been virtually unused for over a year now. The bulbs buzzed and flickered again and then shone bright, lighting the living room. The room was adorned with some old fixtures and moving boxes that had arrived recently. We looked around surveying our new home taking it room by room and finding areas to sit and relax after our long journey back to the United States.
Sam and Daryl had left briefly to show Billy to his place, which was the furthest out and Gabriel’s home which was just on the other side of Kris’.
“What do you think?” I asked Tawnie.
“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care.”
I smiled. “Yeah, but what do you think?” I asked again.
“It’s quaint.”
“You’ll like it better when we get unpacked and get some furniture in here.”
She smiled and cuddled up next to me. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and rested my cheek against her hair. Tawnie was Mexican-American and had the best of both genes. Her hair was thick and dark brown with rich strands of mahogany framing her face. Her skin, naturally tanned and slightly copper was soft and
warm looking. I ran my hands along the skin on her arm and she turned her gaze up towards me. Her mother’s side gave Tawnie those beautiful pale green eyes and a very feminine, almost European nose. Her features were perfectly soft and delicate, a counter balance to the fire that burned in her Latino blood. She was
a handful but you momentarily forgot that fact with one look at her sweet face. She was exotic, alluring and sexy. More than just her looks, she oozed sex appeal through her voice, the way she moved and the way she made eye contact. It was bold, challenging and left a man wondering what had he done to get the attention of such an exquisite creature. I lifted her chin and kissed her.
“Hey Trent.” My brother called.
“Yes?” I turned my attention to him.
“Does this place have running water?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“We were hoping for a shower.” Kris stood next to his wife, Blaze.
“It should.” I walked over to the sink in the kitchen and cranked the knob. Water spurted out slowly then came quickly. “Looks like it’s on.” I said.
Sam had informed us that a recent inspection had indicated a leaking pipe at Kris’ house. It would be repaired tomorrow so in the meantime, he, Blaze and their
boys would shower here.
Tawnie sat on one of the counters, “Who has the newspapers?”
“Johnny.” I said.
He walked in the kitchen, as if on cue. “Here you go.”
He handed them off to Tawnie and she flipped through the pages. “It’s April 21st, 2008.” She announced. “George Bush is President…”
“Again?!” I exclaimed.
Tawnie laughed, “No, I think this is his son.”
“Oh.” I went back to inspecting the kitchen.
“And let’s see…”
“Tawnie, do we have to do this now? I’m not really in the fun facts mood.”
“No, we don’t.” She smiled and hopped off the counter.
She and I rejoined the rest of the troupe in the living room.
“So what do you guys think?” I asked my family.
They nodded their heads in approval. “I like it, it’s earthy.” Johnny smiled.
“It’s a big difference from the mainland.” Kris said. “Already I can tell Hawaii is going to be interesting.”
“Well that’s why we moved here, because it’s different.” I said opening the double doors to the back yard. The yard was small with some patches of slippery moss
here and there.
There was only about two hundred feet to the edge of the cliff. I walked out towards the water and looked out onto the black ocean. Tawnie came up behind me and
wrapped her arms around my waist.
We stood listening to the sound of the waves crashing and feeling the light spray of ocean water on our faces. “Are you disappointed?” I asked.
“No.”
I turned to look over my shoulder at her, “This is going to mark a new chapter for us.”
She smiled, “I know.” She kissed my shoulder, “Do you think we can stay here a while?”
“I hope so.”
“Hawaii will be better than Arizona; it’s not so crazy over here. It’s so peaceful and quiet.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too,” I sighed.
I thought back at the life that we left in Tucson and how stressful it had been the last couple months we were there. I was happy that we left when we did. No
more club, no more gossiping employees and no more nosy cops. We had a new opportunity to start over and get things right. Maybe now with Norah gone and
with Raven too far away for her occasional visits, we’d finally be able to enjoy ourselves. I smiled to think of the possibilities and the promises of a new day
in a new world and I felt hope returning to me. Disappearing for a decade was no fun but it was all worth it when we finally made roots in a new place. It took
us some time to decide where to move. It was difficult to pick such a rural part of the world but maybe it would work in our favor. It worked out well simply because Sam was born and raised here the majority of his life. It was partially his idea to come here. With people content to live and let live, maybe Hawaii could be a blessing for us, vampires; the ones that wanted to hide from the rest of the world.
“Trent.”
My cousin Johnny appeared in on the patio. Johnny was tall, like his brother and a few inches above me. His black hair reflected a bit of the moonlight above but
his eyes shone bright blue clearly, even in the darkness.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Can you talk to Gabriel, something is freaking him out.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know he won’t talk to me. You talk to him, he tells you everything.”
I looked at Tawnie for a moment, who mirrored my concern. “Okay.”
I went to find my cousin. It wasn’t too hard; he was standing in the front yard, peering into the darkness.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I asked.
Gabriel turned his head to me, his eyes were blood red.
He turned back to stare into the dark.
I put my hand on his shoulder, “Gabriel, what do you sense?”
“Niyol.” He said quietly.
My eyes got wide, “What?!” A visit from Gabriel’s father was not a vampire I wanted to see after all this time. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is he here, in Hawaii?”
“No.”
I breathed a small sigh of relief. “Can you find him?”
He shook his head, “He’s going to find us.”
“He’s looking for us?”
He nodded, still peering around the dark, trying to get a sense of him in the world.
“What does he want?”
“Blood.”
“Besides that, what else do you see?”
Gabriel’s eyes bled back to green emeralds. “It’s gone, he’s gone.”
“What did you see? Can you tell when he’ll be here?”
“No.” He rubbed his head, either trying to clarify an image or dispatch one.
Gabriel was what we teasingly called the dream witch. He was able to see images and alter them to his liking within a dream world. He also had amazing senses when he was awake that made him a valuable ally. And the connection to his father through blood meant that senses for Niyol ran deeper and stronger than any of us.
“What do we do?” I asked, wondering what his advice may be.
Gabriel looked at me for a moment. “What can we do? He wants to find us, he will find us. We have to be ready for anything.”
“We should tell Kris.” I turned to find my brother.
Gabriel grabbed my wrist, “Wait!”
I looked at him surprised.
“Don’t tell anyone yet. I don’t want the others to freak out.” Gabriel thought for another moment, “He’s calling me. I can hear him in my head.” Gabriel rubbed his
forehead again. “Maybe he just wants me. Maybe I can leave and he’ll follow me.”
“No, we just got here! You aren’t going anywhere.” I instructed.
“Is everything okay?” Our conversation was interrupted by Daryl. Her sweet look of concern instantly put me at ease.
“Yes. Everything is fine.” I assured her.
Gabriel left my side and went inside.
I stood watching Daryl in the darkness. She was a woman now, definitely more mature than when I left her but there were still some childlike mannerisms. She
carefully made her way towards me, barely making eye contact.
“I didn’t know if you would be happy to see me or not. I hope me being here is not a bad thing.” She said.
I touched the side of her face wiping her hair from her face and she looked up at me. “No, of course not. Sam tells me you’ve been a wonderful help while we were
gone, I’m grateful that you are here.”
I dropped my hand to my side, hearing the sound of Tawnie close.
I turned my head slightly to the right trying to pick her movements within the house before continuing my conversation.
Looking back at Daryl I couldn’t help but smile. “You look beautiful.”
She smiled back, “And so do you. You look the same, except for maybe something behind your eyes.” She stepped forward to touch me but seemed to decide against it at the last minute. She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets instead.
“How are things with you and Tawnie? I mean, are you happy?”
I turned slightly to the side again wanting to make sure our conversation was just between us. “It’s complicated.”
She looked up at me with sadness, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I nodded, not entirely sure if I shared her feeling. The truth is the last year Tawnie and I had been arguing more than we had been getting along. It was tiring
and old, there had been many times when I thought I couldn’t stand it any longer but managed to work things out. I loved Tawnie, I truly did. She was a wonderful
woman with fire and zeal for life. She made me feel alive, desired and needed but the cost of her constant company had almost buried us on more than one
occasion. I had no idea how much longer we could stay together and seeing Daryl had put the proverbial monkey wrench into the equation.
Daryl was about to speak again when I held up my hand stopping her. Seconds later Tawnie appeared beside me.
“What’s going on?” She asked with as much restraint as she could muster. Tawnie on her own was a jealous and possessive person but she almost seemed to sense that Daryl was special to me somehow. I could feel her energy spike as she stood next to me waiting for answers.
“Nothing.” I turned my attention to Daryl. “Thank you again for everything you and Sam have done for us. I suppose that you will be here sometime in the afternoon to take the others to their homes, is that right?”
“Yes, Sam and I will be here around one or so.” She stated.
“That sounds good, have a good night Daryl.” The heaviness in my chest hit hard when I turned from her and walked inside my house with Tawnie on my
arm.
Aside from a sideways glance, Tawnie didn’t say another word. And once we got inside, she seemed content to see me taking Gabriel by the arm and leading him out the other door, to the backyard.
I ran my fingers through my hair, a gesture that usually indicated that I had way too many things going on in my head. “I’m not really sure what to make of your
vision Gabriel but I’m almost certain that it’s bad news. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time; we are supposed to be starting fresh. A run in with your
dad wasn’t what I had in mind.”
“Me either.” The darkness in Gabriel’s eyes and voice told me he and I shared the same stress of unanswered questions.
He continued, “If he wants me, I can’t stay here. I’ll lead him to the family, he can wipe us all out, and you know that.”
“No, he can’t. Together we are stronger than him.”
Gabriel laughed, “You are missing one valuable piece to your puzzle. We are only strong enough with Raven’s help and she’s not here.”
“If the situation escalates then we can change that, Niyol is a concern for all of us. If need be, we will find my sister.” I turned and walked into the house.
By the time I laid down for the night, my thoughts were running ragged. All I could think about was Niyol, coming here. It was never good to have him close because
he was so unpredictable. Being a human, he was evil but as a vampire elder his carnage was unimaginable. Why was he coming here? What could he want with us or with his sons and after all these years?
I closed my eyes and dared to slip into a dream state. Thoughts flooded back to me swiftly and I was overwhelmed by the realism of the memory.
Growing up without my father wasn't easy, especially since fellow tribesmen were responsible for his death. Our father’s calm guidance was replaced by
frustration and hatred. Even the strong and supportive side of my mother buried deep within me, was suffocated by the feeling of absolute revenge. Paranoia
kept me awake at night, constantly questioning the safety of me and my remaining family. We stayed close together, watching our backs and hoping that
we wouldn't show any signs of the curse that sealed the fate of my father. Bidziil had ultimately convinced the head counsel to let Kris live, even though he had
killed a man. He played to the loyalty he had for my parents and was eventually forgiven; or as close as he could get to forgiveness.
After our mother’s death a few years later, Bidziil had become our guardian. Watching over the three of us and trying to help reestablish our place within the tribe.
My sister and I did our best to cooperate; we still wanted to be part of the people despite what had happened to our parents. It was the only life we knew
and I remembered our father talking about the importance of the tribe when we were younger. Up until his death he believed that the tribe as a whole would
survive the generations and not one man would succeed, standing alone for personal gain or revenge. I had tried to remind my brother of this but Kris had
refused to bow his head to the people and fought them daily. I was torn between wanting to stand next to and support my brother, who was right not to trust the
tribe again and wanting to offer some comfort and stability to my little sister. She desperately wanted to be accepted back into the tribe and tried very hard to win their trust and approval.
Through time and effort on our part, the people had barely tolerated our existence, let alone forgave us for the blood that ran in our veins. I had eventually decided
that I wouldn’t reach for their acceptance again, just so they could snatch it away at will. I stood next to my brother and supported him any way that I could.
I left Raven to decide who she would stand next to; it wasn’t something that I could force upon her. And so the majority of the time I spent with Kris and our
cousins Gabriel and Nathaniel leaving Raven to find where her heart truly lied. Today was hot. I looked up to the sky watching birds, high above me, circling the
plains. I shaded the sun from my eyes as much as I could. I held my hand against the powerful rays to get a closer look at the predatory birds flying above. The
horses I was tending to were chewing on sun burnt grass and slapping their tails; the sound of annoying flies were buzzing all around. I watched the wings
of birds flap, soar and hover. I was amazed at the sound the wind created within their feathers, it was almost mesmerizing. I couldn't remember it ever
being quiet enough for me to hear their wings before.
Somewhere in the distance, tribe chatter and the chopping of wood flooded my senses. I couldn't see where these sounds were coming from, but felt that they had to be close. I walked away from the horses and followed the sound of voices. The voices got louder, like I was getter closer but still no people appeared. I had
almost thought that they were part of my imagination when I finally came upon the scene that I had heard in the valley. Women were carrying water, stripping
hides and shucking corn, all the while carrying on their own conversations.
The sound of splitting wood turned my attention to my cousin Gabriel. He was standing in the hot sun, splitting wood into smaller, more manageable pieces.
His father Niyol was sitting close, watching his progress. Niyol was an abusive man, full of hate and violence. Earlier this year he had taken part in a beating
of Gabriel and Nathaniel's mother that resulted in her death. Although she was a carrier of the vampire gene, she rarely benefitted from its power. Physically,
she had taken as much pain as she could stand before passing away. Her husband and tormentor, Niyol remained. The vampire blood that she had shared with him
before the birth of my cousins, made him strong and powerful but he kept that a secret. Gabriel and Nathaniel had always told us that Niyol was stronger than
anyone suspected. He was not a carrier; he was a vampire, like my father had been when he was changed. The pain of losing their mother was as cruel as me losing my father. Gabriel never really recovered from it. He hated his father and obeyed him only for the sake of his little brother, Nathaniel. At fourteen, Gabriel stood over six feet tall. He was sturdier than his smaller, thinner brother and as a result, often took both shares of beatings, like he had done for his mother. His bare back faced me, littered with scar tissue inflicted by the man that sat five feet away. Niyol had piercing black eyes that never looked out of focus, even now he
watched his oldest son with unblinking eyes. He was always intense, even when his eyes opened to the first morning sun. He was void of any emotion or
compassion and he was cold; cold to look at, cold to speak to; I also hated the man.
He had shouted a command at Gabriel who immediately acknowledged his father and continued to chop wood. A few strokes later, Niyol was moving towards Gabriel. He spun him around lashing out across his face with a strip of leather. The slap was loud and echoed in my ears. Gabriel didn't make a sound when his head snapped to one side, only a line of blood across his cheek indicated how hard Niyol had hit him. My face curled up in anger, I hated to see him hit my cousin.
I wished that I had been strong enough to beat him, to make him suffer like he had made his family suffer.
Niyol turned away from Gabriel, disgusted and angry. He paced around Gabriel cursing him, condemning him and wishing that he were dead. Gabriel had heard all of this before. He stood with a somber look in his eyes, still wielding the hatchet that he used to chop the wood. When Niyol thought he wasn't paying attention he
would hit him again. One after the other the leather strip lashed out, revealing blood with every back swing. Niyol waited for an emotion and hoped it would be fear. He would wait awhile. From all of the beatings I had witnessed, I had never seen Gabriel crumble beneath his father. He stood and took anything he could dish out until the old man had given up. Today Gabriel wouldn't be that lucky. His father was bound and determined to change the look in his eyes one way or another. He kicked the back of Gabriel's knee, making him fall forward on all fours, the hatchet dropping from his hand. Niyol walked around Gabriel, circling him like a wolf circles their prey. He was cursing Gabriel with the most hateful words pouring from his lips. The words didn't seem to affect my cousin until Niyol mentioned Gabriel's mother. The sound of his mother's name lifted Gabriel's head to face his father. He stared back into his black eyes with mirrored hatred. That small sign of defiance was all he needed to unleash a fury of attacks on Gabriel. Still kneeling, he endured kicks to the ribs, crushed fingers and multiple whips to his back.
I had had enough. I stepped forward ready to stop Niyol in any way possible when a strong hand grabbed my shoulder.
Bidziil held me back, "It is his son, and you cannot interfere."
I turned my attention back to Gabriel. I could see the expression of pain on his face as he tried to hold it back. His teeth were clenched together, forbidding a
sound to pass from between his lips.
Niyol stood back for a moment, his chest heaving from the energy he had expelled. Even the sight of blood from his son's back didn't appease him; Gabriel was still
holding his position, kneeling in the dirt. Niyol lunged forward, grabbing the hatchet that lay next to Gabriel's hand and quickly raised it above his head, taking aim on his son's back. He swung down so swiftly there was barely anytime for me to pull free from Bidziil and run to Gabriel. The crunching of bone ringed out in my head followed by the rush of screaming air. Niyol ripped the blade from Gabriel's back pulling a splattering of blood from his body. His hatchet over his head again, Niyol started his second swing.
I rushed into Niyol, knocking him aside and making him struggle to regain his balance. He stood several inches taller than me and when he came at me with the
hatchet in hand, my body tensed. I reached up grabbing a hold of his arms, holding the blade at bay. Niyol cursed me, pushing the blade closer to my face
an inch at a time. My muscles started to shake, threatening to collapse under the strain.
The seconds seemed like minutes as I gave my last bit of energy to the fight. The look in Niyols’ eyes and the smug smile that played across his lips, told me
that he knew he was winning and that he would soon enjoy sinking the blade into my head.
In an instant my muscles tensed, regaining a powerful strength that I didn't know I had. The force of my muscles pushed Niyol back, almost knocking the hatchet from his hands. The look of surprise was no doubt seen on both of our faces. I felt a sudden rush of wind and an electrifying jolt to my body. I looked around, not
knowing where it came from. It didn't hurt; it just felt like a surge of energy crawling up the length of my body.
Niyol jumped forward, still eager to taste blood once more. This time he was met by an immovable wall. I grasped his arms again, completely unyielding; they simply stopped him in mid swing. I felt the strength in me and swung Niyol around, tossing him to the ground. I took a breath of air and my body felt a quick
collection of energy that made my skin tingle. I stepped forward in a threatening stance when I heard a loud growl escape my lips. Shocked I paused
for a moment wondering if the sound had really come from me. The look on Niyols’ face, told me it had. I felt a pressure in my mouth and my hands. I
raised my hands to see that long, tapered fingernails had grown out of the tips of my fingers. I suddenly knew what had happened. Our parents had told us that
one day we would change, it would happen quickly and most likely in a heightened, stressful situation. For a moment I was afraid. I was afraid of the
unknown, not really knowing what to do. Then I remembered Niyol. I looked down at him while he stared up at me. I smiled at him, knowing exactly what I was
going to do with my newly found strength. I reached for him and he recoiled, pulling his arms up over his head to shield himself.
I grabbed him by the throat and punched him in the face. I beat him over and over again. Blood was splattering from his mouth and nose with every blow. I wanted to do so much more but I was distracted by sounds that Gabriel was making. He was having difficulty breathing, I could hear the struggle. I dropped Niyol and saw that Nathaniel and Kris had grabbed Gabriel. They picked him up and were carrying him off as quickly as they could. For a moment I stood alone, towering over Niyol with a crowd of tribesmen encircling us. I stood with my back straight, feeling strong, yet vulnerable to their accusatory glares. The crowd parted and Raven came forth. She paused for only a second when she saw my face but she continued to me, standing before me, looking up into my eyes. "Enough, our cousin needs you." She held out her hand and we walked through the crowd together. The people parted quickly, not wanting to be close to me. I looked down at Niyol as I passed him, wishing I could have done so much more to him. He deserved his fate twice over, he shouldn't still be alive.