Ch. 40
Our flight wasn’t actually until later which we confessed the next morning, agreeing to meet my parents for breakfast when they called to say good bye again. It was pleasant. Mom and Dad really seemed to be trying. For James’ part, I have to say he was as effective at seducing the parents as he was the daughter. He seemed to find all of the right topics, from Dad’s love of furniture and his travels across Europe before I was born, to Mom’s unending desire to take a long trip to France.
I just watched and marveled at how smooth James was handling my parents, wishing I could know for sure we would be able to do this again. After a long good-bye at the restaurant with a particularly long conversation about quarter sawn wood that sent my mother and I to find sanctuary out of earshot, my dear vampire and I found ourselves wandering down the sidewalk, side by side.
The inside of my head was buzzing, I assumed as an aftereffect of the clattering of dishes so prominent in the open establishment where we’d had our meal. When we came to a crowd he reached out and, with one hand on the small of my back, maneuvered me automatically through until we reached a concrete planter that divided us for two store fronts. Coming back together, I saw his hand come out again as if to steer me and I prickled at the gesture.
“Do you handle me as intentionally as you handled them?” The insult came out before I could temper it. The idea that he was manipulating me took hold and held me fast.
Perplexed, his hand froze inches from my back and he waited for more. “What do you mean, ‘handled’?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. It seems so perfect, it’s not possible for that to just happen. You fit what we all want you to be. You know what to say and when to say it. You’ve done this before.” I didn’t mean to keep poking at him, I couldn’t help myself. My tongue had a mind of its own. The love I felt for him twisted and I heard my own doubts come back to me in my head. James lived a life I didn’t belong in. As soon as he was bored with me he would move on, not even hesitating to “clean up” the mess he’d made with a human. My mother’s statement joined in, what’s he hiding?
His eyes took on a dark, angry glint. “Claire I honestly don’t know what you mean. I have been nothing but honest with you.” His eyes flicked up over my shoulder.
He couldn’t look me in the eye. “James, you’re a liar.” I stopped walking. Turning on him, I pressed my fingers into his chest, my voice rising. “You’re holding something back from me. Is it because you don’t think I can handle it? Is someone here? Or is it something about Scotland? Or have you changed your mind and you don’t want to bring me anymore? There’s something you don’t want to tell me and I know it.” I accused him.
The flinch was barely perceptible and he tried to hide his face, turning it toward the street. Furious, I lowered my voice. “Why are you treating me like a child. Do you remember who asked who for help? How can you stand there and lie to my face about our situation? I’m not some helpless little girl who needs to be handled. I can take care of myself.”
So enraged that my hands shook, I backed away from where James remained, bone white and unmoving, except for the muscles in his jaw twitching convulsively.
We were in the middle of the sidewalk on the main drag and I wheeled away from him in a huff. I could tell he didn’t want to make a scene and took advantage. Spinning on my heel I took off jogging briskly in the opposite direction. Jogging for about ten minutes, I ended up on the rocky shoreline. It was not as sunny and temperate as yesterday and I wished I had brought a raincoat.
Alone, I could think again. It was bizarre that I was still so angry when, less than an hour ago, I’d been more than pleased with James and my life. How could my views on the complications of our relationship suddenly be so offensive? It didn’t matter. Still in a huff, I followed the path on the large boulders onto the point where the rocky ridge ended in the bay.
On the point, I was getting soaked from the cold spray coming off the lake as it struck the rocky outcropping and arced up into the air for the breeze to blow it onto me. With a sinking in my stomach, I realized what had happened. The realization sunk in, bringing with it a burning shame. James and I had been out of touch, physical touch at breakfast and had not resumed physical contact afterward except for a few chance brushes. The effects from last night’s feeding must have worn off for me, possibly on James as well, and my hypersensitivity was me channeling James again.
It wasn’t until I turned around to go back, to explain what had happened if James would hear me out, that I realized I wasn’t alone anymore. Two pale figures stood about fifty yards away between the shore and me. I was trapped next to a foreboding lake that would alone bear witness to my end. I closed my eyes and tried to picture James as clearly as possible in my head so that I could say goodbye to him in spirit, if not in the flesh. With no one coming to help me this time, my fate was sealed.
Coming forward to meet my attackers I watched them mirror my advance. We met in the middle of the outcropping, their pale figures motionless in dark coats as I stood shivering in my sweater and jeans, soaking wet. The only things moving were their coats in the rising breeze. I didn’t recognize the two vampires sent to kill me. One was a tall male; dark hair, dark eyes. He appeared to be in his late twenties. The other was a hauntingly beautiful female with bright blond hair. Her hair was soaked to her head like mine but instead of looking like a half drowned rat, she radiated a beauty a mortal woman would have sold her soul to possess. Together, they slowly advanced on me and I stood my ground, watching the waves crashing into the rocks beside me.
When we were within human hearing range, about twenty feet considering the roar of the surf, the female spoke. “We have been sent to find you. Our Master wishes to meet you.”
“Who is your Master?” I assumed they worked for Bradley, though, the benefit of keeping them talking was that it could buy time. Time for someone to happen by or James to come find me. I felt a pang knowing this time he wasn’t coming. How could he after the awful things I’d said?
The male spoke up. “It is nothing we need speak of here. Come with us, we can talk about it on the way to our Master. He is eager to meet you.” He took a few more steps forward and I stepped back, my heels dipped precariously over the edge.
I noticed the way they were maneuvering me; I was being herded. In a few more feet they would be close enough to grab me without relying upon their speed. My stubborn streak flared and I bristled at the notion that I would go quietly with them anywhere.
I had options. I had been practicing. Maybe there was something I could do to help myself after all. Slowly I brought down my defenses, trying to feel both of them. Since we were alone on the rocks I didn’t anticipate any interference.
Rapid flashes assailed me and I opened myself up to them. They were sent to find me that much was true. Except the Master they served didn’t want to meet me; he’d sent them to kill me. The why of it didn’t matter and these two did not question the order. On the contrary, the male had some ideas about my death that turned my stomach. He liked to inflict pain, especially on women. His excitement was building. I could feel it; he was getting ready to lunge.
“No, I’m not going anywhere with you. There’s no one with you who wants me anything but dead.” They exchanged a look and I saw the truth of my accusation confirmed.
Panic took hold of me, clenching my insides within its iron grip. Again I pictured James and his kind smile, that generosity I had grown to love and his constant desire to do what was right. I choked back the emotion that threatened to erupt as I, again, glanced at the water and considered my choices.
Given my pick between the water and the vampires, I made my decision. If anyone were going to kill me, it would be me. With one big gulp of lung filling air, I jumped. It was sudden and sideways off the ridge, taking the vampires completely by surprise, enabling me to get in the water before they
could stop me.
Unfortunately, courage couldn’t overcome the shocking effect of the water engulfing my body and I took in a lungful of icy water as my head was pulled below the surface by the current. The good news was that I completely forgot about the vampires as my body struggled to survive the rocky shoreline, strong undertow and icy waters. At first I tried to fight the current while watching for someone at the surface to pluck me out. It was only at that moment that it hit me I had not given up hoping James would come for me. That he wasn’t coming hurt more than the water forcing my muscles into a non-functioning frozen state.
Drifting in the current, I began to think about all that was being taken from me by dying here. I saw the life I could have had with James, laughing with Stephen and my parents coming to visit us in our home. Hosting my family for the holidays, finishing school and traveling to see some of the places my father said everyone should see before they die. That I should lose all of what could have been my life without a fight awakened my numb brain. Anger surged through me and I kicked hard, working with the current to bring me to the shore across the bay, away from the vampires.
I kicked and pushed my way through the water, my muscles becoming too painful to be effective, making my movements halting and uneven. Caught up in this last desperate fight to survive, I failed to notice movement in the water beside me until I felt hands grab my sweater and pull my head clear of the water. Unable to focus through the water in my eyes and confusion from lack of oxygen, I struck weakly at the hands pulling me along through the water toward the shore. Against the stronger grip holding me my feeble efforts were no match. The waves gave me a few more parting blows as I was brought up onto the shore and with my soaked skin exposed to the cold air, I quickly passed out.