***
Apollo stood in the shadows while Sophie woke. He kept himself concealed by the night. He made sure that his features had returned to normal. The last thing he wanted was to traumatize Sophie any more than she had already been. When he saw her stand, he moved slowly into the moonlight.
Sophie glanced around her. When she saw the silhouette of a person standing in a distance, she knew it was Apollo. The fear in her eyes made him leap back and out of the moon’s light, cowering into the shadows.
“Stay away from me,” she said, panicked. She scurried back on the boulder and fell off, pushing herself up to run and hide behind a tree.
“It’s okay, Sophie, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”
“How do I know you won’t hurt me? You’re one of them. You’re one of the things that attacked my parents and my little sister.”
“I’m not like them.”
“You are like them. I saw what happened to you. I saw that vampire bite you and turn you into one of them. You are a vampire. Oh God, Apollo, please don’t kill me.”
Apollo felt disoriented. He wanted her to feel safe in his presence, but he was not sure how to make that happen. “Why didn’t Tereq let me die?” he whispered. He would have rather died as a human than live as a vampire. “Sophie, please . . . I promise I won’t come any closer to you if you don’t want me to, but please, don’t be scared of me.”
Sophie moved to the other side of the tree trunk where she could see Apollo’s silhouette. “Do you look . . . like you?” Her voice quivered when she asked.
“I look like me right now. It seems I only change when I’m hungry, but I don’t know, maybe I change at other times, too. This is new to me. I can assure you, I’m the same Apollo who you first met.”
Apollo stepped into the moonlight. His hair was a deeper shade of red, his eyes were smoky black, and his features were well-defined. His body was slightly larger, but he looked normal—he looked like a stronger version of the Apollo she knew.
She glared at him from the tree, wishing for a moment that she were invisible. “Do you want to hurt me?” She needed to know.
“No, of course I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Did you want to hurt me?”
“If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it by now.”
“But you didn’t. Instead, you got me out of that place,” she whispered.
“Yes. I made you a promise that I will keep.” He could hear her escalated breathing, with her emotional conflict. He sensed fear in her voice and body language. “It’s still me, Sophie. I could go back to wearing mud on my face if that will make you comfortable around me again.”
Her lips twitched into a slight grin. She hesitantly moved away from the tree and inched toward him. When she was standing in front of him, she felt some comfort in his familiar appearance. He seemed the same.
She reached up and rubbed the side of his neck where Tereq had bit him. The wound was gone. Then she looked at his dirty shirt. She had seen him land on the spikes that filled the canal, but the wounds there were gone, as well. The rips in his shirt were still there, but the wounds had healed. Her fingers lingered on his skin while her heart raced out of control.
Apollo closed his eyes. Her touch was soft and warm. He held his breath while her fingers hesitated on his skin. He could feel her essence in her fingertips.
“You’re really warm,” she whispered. “They hurt you. I watched them hurt you.” She removed her fingers, and Apollo’s eyes flew open.
Where his eyes were once brown, they were now smoky black. He swallowed. “I could feel the poison attack every part of my body. But when I was reborn, I felt strong, fearless, angry and hungry.” He hesitated, “But I’m okay now, and you’re safe.”
She walked toward the boulder and sat down. “I’m not safe, Apollo. I’m right back where I started, and I still don’t have my family.”
“I know. But right now, we have to get out of the woods and find shelter.”
“I know, but I’m too tired to run.”
He walked over and leaned down to pick her up, cradling her in his arms. He was aware that she lay in his arms unlike his attempt to get her out of the cave where his mind was a babbling mess. She felt lighter than she did when he picked her up and held her in his lap, two nights prior. He knew it was not that she was lighter; it was that he was stronger—much, much stronger. But, this time he fought the thirst for her blood.
-14-
Nicholas stood perfectly still in Maximiliano’s lair, waiting for him to arrive. He stood in front of the empty throne with his thick legs slightly apart, and his fingers intertwined behind his back. He was in human form, standing in his ceremonial garb, tall and prideful. His children were now part of the Sanguis clan, and that alone gave him an abundance of pride and relief.
At this moment, however, he also fought to conceal his nervousness and fear for the unknown. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for Maximiliano and the questions he realized he would have to answer—answers he was not sure he could provide.
He replayed the ceremony in his mind. He thought about his bold son as a human attempting to thwart Vasco in order to save the girl. Nicholas realized that his son was naive to think he could take down a vampire with his bare hands. It was nothing for Vasco to extend his arms and send Apollo flying backward into the canal. Apollo was lucky that Vasco did not kill him. How could Vasco know that Apollo would end up in the canal, impaled by stalagmites? The whole ceremony was a catastrophe, but the result was the same: his children were no longer human and both reborn.
Amaya’s turning went as he had expected. Her reaction to his poison and initial coma state of recovery was normal. However, Apollo’s close encounter with death and Tereq’s intervention had left a bitter taste in Nicholas’s mouth.
He repeatedly relived the events in his mind. Nicholas wanted to be the vampire that turned his son. He wanted his son to have his memories and his overall essence. Then there was Apollo’s transformation. It was an anomaly, which baffled Nicholas.
Apollo’s initial strength was abnormal. His speed was unnaturally elevated. Those two things enabled Apollo to do to Vasco what no one has ever done: take him down.
Nicholas cracked a slight grin, reliving the moment when Apollo’s pure muscle overpowered Vasco’s influence. Nicholas knew, by the look on Vasco’s face, that he was not only angry, but also determined to get answers.
Above all, there was something even more absurd—something that made Nicholas feel uneasy. Apollo’s upper and lower fangs and his uncanny scent.
Nicholas could not help but wonder about those two rare things. I’ve never heard of a vampire with four fangs. Why does he have lower jaw fangs? And his scent—I hope no one else noticed. Was it because of Tereq’s bite? No, it couldn’t have been; Tereq smells like us. What was it? Why is my son so different? Why is he stronger than us? Nicholas tossed questions around in his mind while he waited for Maximiliano to arrive.
Max threw open his lair door and entered the room. He stormed up the few carved stairs that led to his throne. Anger, for many reasons, beleaguered the moment. Maximiliano turned and faced Nicholas, his beady eyes glaring at him. But it was Max’s anxious demeanor that made Nicholas feel more uptight than he already was.
When Maximiliano spoke, his words were crisp and deliberately slow. “Why did a ceremony that I allowed you to perform—” he slammed his fist down on the marble pillar where he stood “—turn into a circus?”
“My son . . .”
“Your son is not one of us!”
“Of course he is; you saw him turned . . .”
“I saw Tereq turn him, but what was he turned into?”
“A vampire, of course.”
“One of us?” Max circled around the inside of the pedestal throne where he addressed his subordinates. “You’re right. He should have been turned into one of us. That was the plan. But, we both know, that’s not what happened.”
Nicholas sh
ifted uncomfortably. His fingers still locked together behind his back. Vasco was standing to his right. Nicholas could feel Vasco’s eyes staring at his uneasy behavior.
Max stopped pacing and stood perfectly still. His black suit-style coat buttoned once in front. He narrowed his eyes while his hands were as still as a statue, intertwined in front of his chest. “What did you give your son?”
“Give him?”
“Your specialty is blood. What did you give him to induce the strength of an elder, the speed of a superior?” Before Nicholas could speak, Max left his throne and stood in front of him.
He leaned into Nicholas, saliva stringing from his upper and lower teeth. Slowly and meticulously he asked, “What did you give your son that would allow him to move, look, and smell different?”
Nicholas leaned back. Max had noticed. Nicholas felt the panic in his gut. He wanted those answers, too. “I gave my son nothing. I’m just as mystified as you are.”
“I know his adrenaline was driving through his veins. He was determined to save the human girl. But, he is different.” Max turned around and locked his fingers behind his back as he strolled back toward his throne. “You are going to find out why he is different and what he is capable of doing. I want to know how strong he really is, how fast he can be.”
“I will find him.”
“Don’t just find him, experiment on him. He may be the key. He may be the exact thing you need to finish the serum.”
Nicholas nodded.
“And you,” Maximiliano glared at Vasco. “You let Apollo get past you. That newborn vampire could have killed any of us.”
“I tried to stop him, but his strength was far greater than mine.”
“I want you to assist Nicholas in finding his son. I don’t want anything to go wrong. We cannot have Apollo running around Stockwood as a hungry, bloodthirsty beast. He’ll draw attention to us.”
Vasco did not hesitate to come up with a solution. “I’ll assemble a team to bring him back.”
“Take Ori with you. The three of you should be enough. I don’t want anything to go wrong. And Vasco, bring Apollo back alive,” Max demanded.
“Alive?” Vasco asked.
“Yes, alive,” Nicholas said, emphasizing his son’s well-being.
“Maximiliano, how am I to subdue him? You saw how strong he was.”
“I suggest you use your imagination. Capture the human that he has taken a liking to, and he will follow.”
Vasco nodded.
“Nicholas, when you have the serum completed, you’ll need a subject to test it on,” Max said.
“I will run the serum through a Sombra.”
“No. You will test the serum on Amaya. So, you had better make sure it works. If everything works out right, she will be the first of my long-awaited new race of vampires. Understand?”
Nicholas could feel anger race through his veins. His eyes turned black, his nails grew, and his fangs began to descend. It took everything in him to suppress his anger toward Max. He would never use his daughter as a scientific experiment.
“Do you have a problem with my orders?”
“No, of course not.” Nicholas quickly returned to his human form.
“I didn’t think so.”
Once we know the serum works, I will finally have the last thing I need to complete my army and use them for my victory against that bastard, the once so-called King of Spain, Max thought to himself.
-15-
Apollo knew they were running out of time. He needed to find shelter for them, and fast. Not only did he need a place where they could hide, he also needed somewhere he could go that would keep himself out of the sun. Time was not on their side with mere hours until that ball of fire would peek over the horizon.
He searched the mountain’s gaps and crevices. He hoped to find a small cave that they could use until nightfall when he could search again. But, the mountain did not reveal anything deep enough for them to use.
Finally, Apollo spotted an old, decrepit house on a flat ledge of the mountain. The average person could not have noticed that there was actually an abandoned home buried beneath the grip of ivy leaves and a heap of rubbish. In Apollo’s eyes, it was a grand palace. He did not know how long they would need to hide. So, he needed shelter that would shield him from the element that he learned could destroy him—the sun.
Apollo cradled Sophie in his arms. Not only did he want to keep her warm, he knew they would move much faster at his speed then the speed of a human. He set her down, and asked her to stay there while he walked around the house to determine if it would be adequate protection for them. He approached the small house with caution.
Apollo noticed that the ivy had wrapped itself around the house so tight that the windows and doors were sealed shut. He tore the vines off a window in the back of the home, and used his fist to break the glass. The jagged edges of the window’s glass sliced and cut his hand open. Blood dripped down the side of his arm, giving him the wet sensation that caught his attention. He was amazed to see his slashes heal themselves immediately before his eyes.
“Oh man, that’s cool,” he murmured to himself. He was so surprised at his body’s new ability; he continued to clear the glass carelessly. Once he had cleared the window for Sophie’s passage, he climbed through and landed on a pile of old, dirty clothes. His heightened vision allowed him to see through the darkness of the home with ease.
He searched all the rooms in the house. He wanted to make sure it was safe before he brought Sophie inside. More than anything he wanted to get them settled before the sun rose. Once the sky turned from dark to light, he would have no choice but to stay inside.
When the house was clear, he went back outside and caught Sophie looking around impatiently.
“You found a way in?” she asked.
“I pulled off the ivy over a window. We can climb through to get inside.” Apollo grabbed Sophie’s hand and led her to the back of the house toward the broken window.
“Can you just pull off the ivy from the front door?”
“No, it’s better if the house looks sealed from the outside. If we only have to worry about this one window, it will be easier.”
“So, it’s true what they say about the sun and vampires?” Sophie asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. There’s something in the sun’s rays that incinerates my kind.” He paused right after having pronounced his last words. He was surprised to have said, ‘my kind’ so casually. They both looked into each other’s eyes and shared a concordant glare. “I am, what I am Sophie. I have to accept it or I will destroy myself. And if I do that, how will I protect you?”
Her lips twitched into an understanding grin.
“Let’s go inside.” He carried her to their hidden entrance and helped her through the window. It was too dark for her to see anything, so she waited for Apollo to join her inside. When he stood next to her, he wrapped her hand into the crook of his arm and started walking her through the abandoned house.
“I can’t see anything, Apollo. Don’t walk so fast.”
“I have you. Don’t worry, I won’t let you go.”
“It smells in here. It smells like wet dirt and an old library,” she whispered.
Apollo led Sophie from the bedroom into the living room. “Maybe you can take me to one of those old libraries some time. I love to read.”
“I would love to, but we can’t be locked away in a rotting house—ouch.” She tripped over something protruding from the floor.
“Are you okay?”
“No, I hurt my foot. What was that?” she asked.
Apollo saw the metal handle that stood out from the living room hardwood floor. He pulled on the handle, and a door opened in the floor.
“What is it?” Sophie asked when she heard the creaking sound.
“It’s a door that leads to some kind of underground room.”
Sophie could not help but smile. “It’s probably a basement.”
“Wait here,
I’ll be right back,” Apollo said.
Before she could respond, he had jumped straight down into the hole and landed silently at the bottom.
“Be safe.” She could hear him shuffle through things and open and close cabinets. “What’s going on down there?” she yelled out.
“There’s a lot of things down here we could use. I even found some candles and matches.” Apollo jumped back up through the hole and landed quietly in the room.
“Great, bring up the candles so I can get some light in here,” she yelled out to him again, not realizing he was already back at her side.
He watched her in the dark for a moment. He stood there in silence under the invisibility of darkness and admired her. She was the epitome of beauty and grace. Although she was dirty, and her hair was matted, Apollo could not help but stare at her features.
Finally, he made a shuffling noise to let her know he was back in the room with her. Out of nowhere, a comet-like streak flashed before her eyes. Apollo had ignited a match and lit one of the candles.
Sophie sighed in relief that she could finally see her surroundings. “By any chance, did you find any food down there? I’m hungry. I don’t remember the last time I ate something.”
“Nope—no food. There might be some cans of food in the kitchen. Although I’m not sure I would trust the date on anything in this place. How about I hunt and cook something for you?”
“You can cook?”
“Of course I can. We grew up hunting our own meals. I’m really good at it, too. The other day, I brought down an elk with a two-arrow shot.”
“Do you think there is somewhere I can wash up? I know I’m pretty dirty,” she said.
“I saw a stream nearby. You can wash up there. Wait here.” He walked back to the basement door and dropped through the opening. Within seconds, he had jumped back up to the main house with a towel and a shirt.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the contents in his arms.
“There’s an old trunk in the basement with female clothes. They may be dusty and old, but they have to be cleaner than what you’re wearing now.”
Sophie nodded.
They climbed out the window. Without hesitation, Apollo scooped Sophie into his arms. For a moment, he got lost in her sweet, brown eyes.
“You’re so warm,” she whispered.
He smiled and ran swiftly to the stream. When they arrived, Apollo placed her down on a rock, just in front of the running water.
Where she sat, the water was shallow and extremely cold. She got down on her knees and leaned over the stream. She cupped her hands and dragged the ice-cold water to her lips. She tried to sip, but the freezing temperature of the water quickly numbed her hands. Her hands ached and throbbed from the frigid water. Her body shivered, and her teeth began to chatter. “I can’t w-wash my face in this water. It’s t-too cold.”
Apollo sat down at her side. He motioned for her to sit down on the boulder while he wrapped his arms around her and engulfed her in the cocoon of his hug. He felt her body temperature rise.
“It’s important that you drink some water. Let me help you.” He used both his hands and reached into the water, creating a cup within the palm of his hands. He held the water for a moment.
Sophie just stared at him with a confused look on her face. He motioned her to approach him, then he brought his cupped hands to her lips and let the water drizzle into her mouth.
Sophie looked at Apollo shocked. “The water’s not as cold anymore.”
Apollo said nothing. All he cared about was protecting her and taking care of her. Her smile was his reward. He needed her to know that she was safe and protected when he was there. He lifted another scoop of water with his hands. He waited, and then he let her soft lips drink. He hesitated before he continued. He realized he was feeling things he had never felt before.
Sophie’s hair hung over the front of her shoulders. Apollo’s large hands moved her hair away from her face. He dipped one hand in the water and rubbed his warm wet hand from her forehead down the side of her face.
Sophie basked in the warmth of his touch. She never hinted resistance. She was completely submissive. She closed her eyes, her lips parted and she leaned in as an invitation for him to continue.
Apollo warmed the water in his hand and ran it down her face on both sides. The water began to melt away the grime of the past couple of days. He heard her heart speed up each time his hand touched her skin. He was aware of all her senses and he memorized every imperfection and perfection in the details of her beautiful face. This sensational feeling that he never knew existed mesmerized him.
Sophie did not realize that she had inched toward him. She wanted to feel him closer. She needed to feel the warmth and protection that she felt each time his hand stroked her face.
Before Apollo realized it, he had run his hand down her neck. He wanted to remove any trace of evidence that the last two days had left behind. He used the towel and blotted at the dirt that melted into muddy water and ran down between her breasts. His hand stroked behind her ear and over her matted hair.
When he felt her face and neck were clean, he removed the shirt that he had placed against his stomach to keep it warm. “Here,” his voice was rough and raspy as he spoke. “You should put this on.”
Sophie slowly opened her eyes. She ran her tongue across her dried lips and swallowed back her trembling desire. She let out the breath of air she had been holding in while his hands had touched her skin. She wished he had not stopped. She was in a moment of tranquility and peace—a moment she did not expect from the creature Apollo had become.
Apollo turned his back so that she could remove her shirt. He could tell her hands trembled not only because of the cold, but also because of her nervous desire for him. He could hear her fumbling with the buttons on her blouse. In the best interest of her quick change, he turned to face her and he put his steady hands over her trembling fingers. “It’s okay,” he whispered.
In the warmth of his hands, she felt a calm spread through her body. Then she felt him release one button at a time from her blouse. He worked from the top and made his way down her blouse to the last button at the bottom. He never took his eyes from hers.
Apollo wanted to kiss her. He wanted to touch her soft, flawless skin. Her round breasts peeked through the opening of her shirt and although he tried not to look, he caught a glimpse and quickly turned his back.
“I still have to get us food.”
Sophie quickly removed her blouse and threw the shirt, which was a size too big, over her head. As soon as she was done, Apollo turned to her and opened his arms. Without contemplation, she stepped into his arms and he embraced her, pressing his lips against the top of her head. He took off, running with her tucked into his embrace.