Twisted Fate Chapter 6

I come to and find myself behind the vacant house, clamping down on the idiot’s jugular like a pit bull. The exhilarating sensation of the man’s blood rushing through my body makes Caleb’s ranting nearly inaudible. This is the first time I have awakened mid feeding. Now I know why it is so difficult to resist. It’s like I’m in my own little world, a perfect bubble of satisfaction. I release my bite, letting go of the man and insolently pushing him to the ground. “Why are you angry? This is what you’ve been pushing me to do all along,” I growl.

“Not like this! Do I need to list all the things you did wrong? It’ll take all night!”

I scamper up a tree, carrying the man high up and draping him over the branches, out of sight of any passersby. I jump down from the tree. As soon as my feet hit the ground, my ears begin ringing. The pressure is so intense; it brings me to my knees.

Rachel’s face flashes through my mind like a strobe light. With each flash, her face moves further away until it resembles a lone star twinkling against a black sky. The star burns out, only blackness remains. The vision and the pain vanish instantaneously.  Caleb is still rambling on, scolding me like a child. I spring to my feet and walk away from him.

“Have you heard a word I’ve said?”

“I need to find her.”

“Find who?”

“Rachel!”

“That’s preposterous!”

“Maybe so, but I really don’t care!” I increase my pace, heading toward my car. I jump into the driver’s seat and Caleb rushes over to the passenger side. I grab my hair, which seems like the go-to move lately, and rest my head against the window.

“Damien, help me understand what you’re feeling. I want to help you.”

I lift my head and say, “Rachel’s in trouble.”

“No. Rachel was in trouble. You intervened. It’s over now.”

“It doesn’t feel like it’s over.”

“Your emotions are more intense than you are used to. You need to remember that normalcy lies somewhere in the middle.”

I can’t get the vision out of my head. Rachel is slipping away from me and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let that happen. There’s no way Caleb will understand this. Hell, I don’t understand it myself!

“As far as that guy is concerned, I get it. You were angry. He was an a*****e!” Caleb says. “No one messes with my b***h and gets away with it! Just be more cautious next time. We can’t risk exposure.”

“It won’t happen again.” My phone vibrates in my pant pocket. Lavinia. Of course! Just what I need right now. “Lavinia just sent a message. She wants to see me.”

“When?”

“In one hour.”

Caleb looks at the clock and says, “Since we have time to kill, no pun intended, how about a little tracking lesson?”

“Sure. Why not?” I’m sure my lack of enthusiasm hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Do you see that girl walking to the car in front of us? Roll down your window.” I roll down the window and inhale deeply. “Now, we wait a few minutes. This one should be fairly easy. She has her window rolled down, which should leave a steady trail.”

“How long does a trail stay fresh?”

“Not very long. This is tougher than it seems. Right now, the scent is fresh. You can taste it, can’t you?”

“Yes.”

 “Okay, try to find her.”

I smile as I speed out of the housing area. I’ll show Caleb! I’m not a failure. I can do this. I stay focused on my goal as I fly through the side streets.

“Maybe I should drive,” Caleb suggests. “You’re way off track. Lesson over.”

“No need,” I say calmly. “I know what I’m doing.” My foot touches the floorboard as I weave through the back roads. I turn into a housing area and slow down, suddenly coming to a stop.

“You crazy son of a b***h!” Caleb yells.

I stare at the blue Corvette in the driveway, then glance up at the lighted window on the second floor. “I needed to know that she made it home.”

Caleb clicks his tongue against his teeth.  He must know how much I hate that. “I’ve gotta hand it to you. That was impressive. You are out of your mind though! You do realize that, don’t you?”

“I’m drawn to her. She needs my help.”

“We are selfish creatures. Everything we do or feel is motivated by need. This feeling you have to protect her is egocentric in nature. I’d stake my afterlife on it!”

I know that I am chasing down the feeling Rachel instills in me. That indeed is selfish, but I can’t shake the concern I feel for her, which I know is not for my benefit. “Regardless, I need her. For whatever reason, I need her. Just sitting out here makes me feel alive.”

“What about Lavinia?”

“What about her?”

“You can’t just abandon Lavinia!”

“She means nothing to me!”

“That’s not what I was referring to. She will kill you if you betray her.”

“Betray her?”

“Open your eyes, Damien. She has chosen you to be her mate. Lavinia always gets what she wants. You know better than anyone how vindictive she can be.” Caleb looks at the clock. “We should probably get going. You don’t want to be late.”

“Damn it! I don’t know if I can face Lavinia, not after what you just said.”

“As long as you can keep your mouth shut about Rachel, you have nothing to worry about.”

Keeping quiet is the least of my problems.  If Lavinia truly has chosen me to be her mate, there’s a multitude of problems heading my way.

“I’ll drive. I wouldn’t want you careening the car off of a cliff.”

“If I thought it would do any good, I just might.” I scowl, relinquishing the keys to Caleb.

“So, where’s the meeting?”

“Her place.”

“Let phase three commence!” he says, rubbing his hands together in sardonic excitement.

 

Caleb pulls into the garage. “Take the tunnel to her place. Since she’s expecting you, it should be unlocked. I’ll go take care of the man’s disposal. “Have fun,” he says playfully.

. The house that Caleb and I share is part of an intricate commune. Underground tunnels provide unrestricted access to all four houses, as well as safe passage to the communal burial ground. I open the basement door and brace myself for the inevitable.

It takes less than a minute to navigate the mile-long, pitch black tunnel. I open the door and walk through the vestibule. Priceless works of art adorn the cream colored walls, extending the entire length of the room. I continue through the archway and into the two story grand ballroom. The marble columns are hand carved, elegantly spiraling from the ceiling down to the marble floor. Greek statues, also carved from marble, stand between each of the cathedral style windows. In the center of the room, hangs a colossal, ten foot tall, crystal chandelier.

“Xavier, leave us,” Lavinia commands. She stands at the far end of the ballroom. Her red dress sways and her heels clack lightly against the marble as she approaches me.

Lavinia holds out her hand and I reluctantly take it. She leads me down the hallway to her bedroom. I enter and stand near the corner of her four post canopy bed. The entire room is white. The carpet, the curtains, the bedding, everything is angel white. I appreciate the irony. She backs up into the door, slamming it shut.

“You fed,” she says quietly as she moves toward me. “I can tell.” Lavinia stops in front of me. “You look satisfied.”

I walk away from her and gaze out the window.  “Yes, I feel much better.” I can feel her eyes burning into the back of my skull. Suddenly, I feel her fingers snaking through my hair and a light, playful tug as she slowly drags her fingers through it. I turn around, desperate to avoid her advances. Talk, damn it! I need to think of something to say. Fast.

“I want to know more about the Chiron Prophecy,” I say abruptly.

Lavinia smiles, taking a seat at the foot of her bed. “What do you want to know?”

“How did you learn of it?”

“It was written on a scroll.”

“And you’ve seen this scroll?”

Lavinia chuckles and says, “Of course!” She stands up, pacing back and forth in front of the bed. “It was sent down to me by Chiron himself.”

I doubt her claim, but I can tell that she wholeheartedly believes it to be true.

“When the Black Death spread through Europe, the panic was rampant. People crying, boo-hooing about their lot in life. Pathetic! I was ready for whatever the Gods had in store for me. One evening, a man appeared at my doorstep. He offered me an alternative. A death without dying, as he called it.”

I listen intently, not at all surprised by her callousness.

“I traveled to Mount Olympus to thank the Gods for their gracious gift. The scroll manifested at my feet.”

“The plague happened centuries ago. Why has it gone unfulfilled all of this time?”

“Because the conditions are optimal at the present time. Everything is falling into place and I am confident that my persistence will pay off.”

Her finger travels up my arm and rests on my chin. “I’ve been waiting far too long for you to be healthy enough.”

“For what?”