Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 6

For the next week we went out as a group every night—whether it was dancing or walking—and we stayed up late into the day. A few times Drei and I would excuse ourselves and fly off somewhere to be alone. Once, he told me it was possibly the best of my experiments, though that was after he was better at it.

Despite the happier times, I still felt poorly thinking Drei had failed at something. So I decided I would help him succeed at something else he hadn’t finished yet: finding his sisters. Before he had explained that he had turned me, he told me the story of his own turning, abridging the events leading up to where he met me. That story included the death of his younger twin sisters, and the disappearance of their bodies—the location of which he had yet to discover.

In the time before it was suggested I should sleep, I would pull up a map on the laptop that displayed all known cemeteries and burial grounds in his home country, and slowly began making my way through mapping them. What I was looking for was very specific, and since they were all dead, I could tuck the air closer to increase accuracy. I just needed to find two children, girls, buried next to each other or at least close together. They were young girls, too, so that helped cut down the possibilities.

I didn’t tell Drei what I was doing; I didn’t want him to discourage me, or feel badly because of it. When he asked, I’d only tell him I was practicing. Any pair of graves that matched what I was looking for I made note of, not able to visit them yet, but knowing I’d manage to forget a few if I didn’t. There weren’t many that fit into my specific search, but there were still more than I had expected.

At the end of the week, the summons came. All four of us were to face the Council, and we would be picked up the next night for the proceedings.

“It will be okay,” Drei whispered into my hair, holding me tightly. “They cannot keep me from you, no matter how they try.”

“What’s the worst that can happen?” I needed to know; I had a right to know.

Valetta and Mitchell both looked away; Drei seemed to just hold me tighter. That wasn’t comforting; nor was it an answer, for that matter.

Pulling slightly away from him, I hit his chest and demanded, “Tell me.”

Meeting my gaze, he swallowed hard before saying, “The worst ruling is death. But being an elemental, that might not be what they choose. We may be separated.”

May. In that context, it wasn’t my friend; in that context, it sounded more like an enemy that couldn’t be overcome by any means. That wasn’t very reassuring.

Nodding, I changed my mind. I didn’t really want to think about it anymore; I wasn’t sure if I preferred knowing the worst consequence. Being separated was one thing; death was another altogether. Neither were even a semi-pleasant, “I can deal with this” kind of thing.

Naïvely, I thought not thinking about it would make it seem further away. Would make that night and day longer so the hearing wasn’t so close. That hopefully, by some sheer luck, it could all fall away into oblivion never to be seen or heard of again.

Instead, it felt like hardly any time passed between our brief conversation concerning the hearing and when we were climbing into the black town car that would take us to whatever fate was waiting.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 5

“Why are you with her?” Valetta demanded when we stepped through the door. Her anger flooded the room as she stood, glaring at him.

I could feel Drei shrinking beside me under her fury. Our talk earlier hadn’t completely settled him, and he still hadn’t decided the answers for himself. But I didn’t want her bullying him when it was my fault and I was around—I didn’t want her being hard on him even when I wasn’t around, but that was slightly harder to control.

Slipping my hand into his, I stared back at Valetta. “It was my idea,” I stated, determined not to fold under her ferocity. “I asked him to come with me because I wanted to be with him.”

She was completely taken aback—not expecting me to speak on his behalf, apparently—but it wasn’t long before she recomposed herself, her anger still obvious but not nearly as strong. “Why?”

“Because I love him, Valetta, and I enjoy spending time with him,” I explained gently. I knew she had once felt the same way, but somehow she seemed to have forgotten that.

“But he was not there to protect you, and he turned—”

“We were both responsible for what happened, and we’ve come to terms with it already.” I was trying to remain patient. She didn’t know the circumstances and seemed reluctant to even attempt understanding them, but that didn’t give her an excuse to completely ignore their existence. “We went over the whys and the hows and we’re past it. We just want to be happy. Just like you.”

Mitchell took Valetta’s hands and pulled her aside. They argued a moment over whether or not to trust what I was saying, if they were really my own words or somehow Drei’s influence. He eventually talked her down, taking our side, and explaining how he saw it to her. We weren’t trying to spite her; Drei wasn’t trying to take advantage of me. We were simply making the best of our situation and living our undead lives the way we wanted. And for once, Mitchell was speaking straightforward and, instead of hitting him, I kind of wanted to give him a huge hug.

“Apologies are in order,” she said when Mitchell finished and they had approached us again.

“No they’re not,” I said, crossing the space between us and taking her hands in mine. “You were just standing up for what you felt was right. There’s nothing to be sorry for in that.”

“But—”

“You are worse than Abriel when it comes to arguing about everything.” Drei was unsure yet about whether he was still in deep with her or not, but not so uncertain as to remain silent. “She is right, though. There is no reason to apologize.”

“I yelled at you,” she persisted, her dark eyes wide and befuddled. “I was cruel and judgmental; I separated you, and—”

“We needed that,” Drei finished for her, steadily growing surer of his position in this. “At least I did. It gave me time to contemplate how much I do value her;” he met my eyes and held them. A faint warmness spread through my body and my lips upturned slightly. “How I have made mistakes in the past, and renewed my resolve not to repeat them.”

“I do not recall mushy messes being on our itinerary,” Mitchell teased, successfully coaxing grins from all of us—even an eye roll from Valetta. I was grateful he was breaking up the cycle of reassurances that was bound to follow, but it didn’t stop me wanting to hit him for his teasing.

“Do you always have to be insensitive to the moment?” I asked, my hands on my hips.

“Only when you are around,” he taunted jovially, hugging me.

“Of course. So what should we do now that all this drama is done with?” I asked as Drei slipped an arm around my waist, his other hand disappearing into his pocket.

We all looked at each other, hoping someone had an idea. “What if we just talk?” Valetta suggested after a while. With no other suggestions, we sat in the living room and talked.

It was entertaining, as we covered recent events—both serious and frivolous—debated about different places in town, and discussed what I had come up with for my movement. From their reactions, I really had figured it out—all of them had known since before meeting me, but none of them would ever tell me what it was.

It was well into the afternoon before Drei insisted I should sleep. Mitchell and Valetta agreed, despite my arguments, but then Valetta suggested we all retire for the day, as if to ensure they weren’t just treating me like a little kid. Mitchell even proposed we go out as a group the next night before we parted ways. Things were somewhat back to normal for the time being. Valetta didn’t even say anything about Drei and me sleeping in the same bed again. That was probably the best thing, too. I felt like I was actually able to fall asleep.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 4

Drei left and, a short while later, Valetta and Mitchell followed suit. Not long after I watched them disappear around the corner, I left Drei a note requesting he meet me on the roof. The night was unusually chilly for the end of spring, but it was still beautiful—almost perfect in some ways.

It didn’t feel like I had been waiting long before Drei showed up. I heard him before I saw him, and I could tell he was uneasy about this. Valetta and Mitchell may not see us leaving together, but he was more concerned about if they saw us return together.

“Don’t worry,” I said as he pulled me into his arms.

“I do not want to cross her,” he said, the caution and the longing competing to be dominant in his voice. “The last time I did, it was rather terrifying.”

“Do you trust me?” My eyes searched his, hoping the answer I thought I knew matched the one his features revealed.

“Of course;” his brow furrowed, his eyes were shocked and incredulous I even had to ask.

“Then don’t worry about it.” When he nodded, I asked in a lighter tone, smiling, “Are you ready?”

“I do not even know for what to be ready.”

Laughing, I began pulling my usual breeze of strings. “Don’t be scared, Drei. I’ll be with you the entire time,” I assured him, stepping onto my breeze.

“You have been busy experimenting again, I see.” His eyes followed me as I moved in slow circles before him. “Now how do you suggest I join you?”

“Step up here with me.” I increased the number of strings and their thickness for added strength. “I’ll help you find your balance.”

Cautiously, he took my offered hand, jumping up to join me and nearly falling off again before taking my other hand and catching himself. I couldn’t help but laugh; I had never seen his eyes so wide before.

“You enjoy tormenting me,” he said, the corners of his lips curled upward and his eyes glowing.

“Only when you let me,” I returned, adjusting my balance so I wouldn’t fall with him. “Tell me when you’re used to it.”

“Not when I am comfortable?” he asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, if I wait for you to be comfortable, we won’t have time to go stargazing.”

“And where do you suggest we do that?”

“Are you used to it?”

“I would assume so.”

Turning my back to him, I announced, “Then we can go,” taking off over the rooftops beyond the city limits, but not too quickly—I didn’t want either of us to fall. Drei held onto my hands as he readjusted his balance to match mine. He was coping better than I had expected, but that might have been because he could use me to help him balance and I would adjust my own footing to accommodate both of us.

Neither of us spoke, but that was probably because neither of us knew what to say to the other. II didn’t mind much; I was just happy to be with him.

“We’re here;” I stopped us in the middle of an old, disused highway. The stars were brilliant here, practically lighting everything on their own. I stepped off of the breeze and Drei followed clumsily; I tried to hide my giggling behind my hand but he still glared playfully at me.

“If you were just going to mock me all night, I should not have indulged you;” he slowly approached, wrapping me in his arms.

“How can I make it up to you?” I asked, sinking into his embrace. I can’t begin to explain how wonderful it felt. It was almost like I was whole again. Almost, because I knew he was holding back, uncertain if this was appropriate or not considering the current situation.

The playfulness racing across his features disappeared to be replaced with a seriousness I was hoping wouldn’t rear its head tonight. “Do you think I deserve you?”

Sighing, I couldn’t help feeling I knew this had been coming. I knew it had been on his mind the past week, ever since Valetta first said it. “Drei, what happened was both of our faults. I don’t want you feeling discontent because someone else thinks you should;” I stared at him, taking in the sorrow just under the surface of the seriousness. “We’ve talked about this; we’ve both come to terms with it. We’re past it.”

“But do I deserve you?” he repeated slowly, painfully.

He really needed this answer, and I couldn’t help but feel obligated to say something. I had been there, after all, needing an answer I didn’t have, hoping it would make things better—feeling unable to move on or make a proper decision without it.

“I think so. Do I deserve you? How do you even measure that?” The question was confusing. How does anyone determine who has a right to be with whom? People make mistakes; just because they know better doesn’t mean they can’t be forgiven.

“You deserve the world, Abriel,” he whispered into my ear, holding me closer to him.

“So do you;” and I meant it. He hadn’t made nearly as many mistakes as I had. The only difference was I always had other people to help me fix them—or just fix them for me in some cases; he didn’t have that leisure or luck. Valetta might have held that against him, but I wouldn’t. If I did, there were a lot of things they should be holding against me and weren’t.

I turned in his arms so we could stargaze, deciding that was enough of that conversation. To be honest, I’m not sure how much stargazing we actually did. It seemed more like we stood together and stargazing was our excuse. When Drei suggested we head back, I created our breeze and waited for him to adjust before flying us back to the apartment rooftop.

Even if the whole rendezvous had been shaky from the start, at least we had spent some time together. I wanted him to be the way he had been—loving and confident, if not still somewhat penitent—but I wanted to be with him more. I didn’t care if that made me selfish or naïve. It’s what I wanted.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 3

It had been a couple of nights since I had fallen, and I decided I wanted to take Drei with me. I wasn’t sure if he’d be willing, but during the day, after I was sure Valetta and Mitchell were asleep, I slipped into the living room.

“Drei, can we talk?” I whispered, sending the words on a breath of air to his ear. He stirred in my mapping, carefully leaving the room so he didn’t disturb Mitchell.

“Yes?” he asked, standing before me a moment later.

I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder for a moment, breathing him in. It wasn’t until then I realized how much I did miss him—his faint flowery scent, and, when he held me closer to him, his touch.

Kissing the top of my head, he murmured, “You wanted to talk?”

“I miss you;” I didn’t want to let him go for anything.

“I miss you, too,” he said slowly, sadness lacing his voice. “I did not think it would be appropriate for us to—”

“I don’t care what Valetta said to you; I don’t even care if she supports us, Drei.” I held his faintly violet eyes with mine. “I love you, and that’s worth everything.”

His lips found mine for a moment, leaving me breathless—quite a feat considering I didn’t have to breathe anymore.

“I want you to come flying with me.” Drei gave me a look that suggested I hadn’t had enough sleep or enough nutrients or something. “I’m serious. Will you?”

“I am not sure that is possible,” he said, kissing my forehead.

“You can leave like you always do, but come back after an hour and they should be gone. Then we can go. They won’t know,” I promised, practically begging. Now that the question was put forth, I wanted him to say yes; I wanted him to promise we could do this together after he had left alone and hurting for the past week. “Say yes, please.”

He smiled wryly. “I spoil you too much.”

“You don’t spoil me nearly enough,” I teased, kissing his lips.

“Tonight, then?”

“Of course.”

“You should sleep now. I am not sure I want to fly with you exhausted,” he said, smirking.

Nodding, I left his embrace, feeling better but still somewhat empty without him near me. I had spent nearly a year alone with him, falling asleep in his arms. This broke habit, and he was a wonderfully terrible addiction.

“Abriel,” he called from his bedroom door. Turning back, I widened my eyes at him questioningly. “I cannot wait.” We smiled at each other, joyous and secretive, before parting for the rest of the day.

Sliding back into bed, I decided my next request of him would be about switching our sleep schedules so we’d be awake during at least part of the day. After all, you can’t run a movement in the dark. Then no one knows what’s going on.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 2

The next night, Drei went out to some meeting or another. He wouldn’t look at me as he left; Valetta’s words still rang in his head, filling him with undue guilt. Mitchell and Valetta were going out in search of entertainment and invited me along, but I didn’t feel much like spending time with them currently. I couldn’t figure out if it was because I blamed them, or if I was shamed and embarrassed. Either way, I wouldn’t have been much of an asset to their plans as I didn’t feel like smiling.

I sat, staring into space for the longest time. Eventually I stood and went to the window. There was still one experiment I had never tried, and now was as good a time as any. Besides, I hoped it would take my mind off of everything else.

Opening the window, I slid out onto the narrow ledge, concentrating on how I wanted to do this. It was similar to some things I had done in the past—like sending messages to people on a breeze. I just hadn’t done anything like this with a person. I had made the air into shapes and used those to move people, but never on a breeze. In my mind, it would be something like flying if I could pull it off.

I started pulling a gentle stream of air below my feet, part of my brain wondering if I should maybe start this closer to the ground instead of five stories up. Ignoring that questioning part of my mind, I jumped onto the breeze, pulling more air into it to accommodate my weight. Slowly going in circles, I practiced balancing myself; unlike before when it was more like standing on a solid object, this was akin to standing on a collection of strings. I could see the wispy strands beneath my feet and tried centering myself on enough of them I found some stability.

After circling for a while, I directed my breeze upwards over the rooftops of the apartment buildings and worked on balance while moving faster, turning, swerving, and even while changing position on my strands of air. I tried to keep over the rooftops, not too far off in case I fell. I did fall, quite a lot. But it seemed all too soon I heard Valetta and Mitchell on the street heading back to the building, so I followed suit and slipped through the window.

Taking a quick shower, I exited the bathroom to find them sitting on the couch, Valetta’s head resting on Mitchell’s shoulder, her eyes studying their linked hands. He was whispering something to her, though I doubted she heard a word of what he said. She just had that look about her suggesting her thoughts were elsewhere.

As I walked past them, she glanced up and asked. “What have you been up to all night?”

“Nothing much,” I said, forcing myself to come up with something more solid than that. “Thinking mostly.” I really wasn’t good at this.

She nodded, though, turning her dark eyes from me again. Mitchell smiled hopefully, obviously unsure what was wrong with her. Reading her thoughts, I found she still fought with herself over what was the best thing to do: reward Drei to my benefit or punish us both. She also struggled to find something for Drei to do to prove he deserved the former.

I shrugged to Mitchell. He didn’t really need to know if he didn’t already; it was one of those things she had to figure out for herself, despite how difficult it might be.

The next few nights followed a similar pattern: Mitchell and Valetta went out after I declined the offer to join them, Drei went out somewhere—I wasn’t sure where or what for, but he kept his distance from me, much to my dismay—and I would take my breeze and improve with what I would call flying.

My mom named every trick she learned and discovered, and I had picked up the habit over the brief time I had spent with her. Shortly after I was born, the government had taken her to one of their testing facilities, and she’d been there ever since. While working under Caroline, I had taken one for the team and been temporarily reunited with her and Nick. Then Drei came and took me away from that dreadful place and the crazy specialists, but she had opted to stay behind. I couldn’t begin to understand her logic; her mind wasn’t in the best of conditions, but that wouldn’t stop me being grateful for the time I had been given with her.

Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 1

Chapter Two: Fearful Truths

“Drei, we really should talk,” Valetta calmly said when we reached the apartment, though it was more a demand disguised as a suggestion. I wished all of this hushed discussion would be finished; I wasn’t a child and I knew what was happening. There wasn’t any reason I could see to keep me out of the loop when I was in the center.

He nodded as if expecting this. Kissing my cheek, he said, “You and Mitchell should wait for us out here. We shall return to join you shortly.” His eyes didn’t meet mine and I wanted to tell them to just have it out here. They wouldn’t, though; they’d probably just pretend they didn’t know what I was talking about and leave anyway.

Mitchell kicked back in one of the armchairs and I sunk into the middle of the couch. I didn’t want to eavesdrop on their conversation—I could guess it was only a continuation of earlier—but I wanted to know what kind of mood they’d each be in when—if—they returned.

“Go ahead and listen,” Mitchell said, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. “I am.”

“But—”

“It is good to know what mood to expect him in, and Valetta as well. As you know, no harm ever came from eavesdropping;” he tilted his eyes in my direction a moment, a content and mocking smile playing across his lips. “We know. It was almost expected of you.” And here I thought I was doing a fair job at not looking shocked. But I wasn’t going to argue with an open invitation.

“Do not drag me away if you are not going to say anything,” Drei was saying as I tuned in. Splitting my attention further, I mapped the room so I could watch them.

Valetta stood a few feet from Drei, biting a fingernail. “Are you not even ashamed of what you have done?” Her hand batted away a tear on her cheek.

“I am ashamed, and many days I loathe myself for what I have done to her,” Drei answered softly, his hands in his pant pockets.

“You do not act ashamed,” she replied humorously. “No, because if you were ashamed, you would not kiss her in front of us, or hold hands in public, or any number of things that you may be doing with her—sharing a bedroom, for another.”

“I see nothing wrong with any of those. Despite what I have done, I still love her,” he said softly, keeping a firm grasp on his stoicism.

“And turning her is how you show that?”

“I have told you she was dying. What would you have me do?”

Valetta threw her arms up in frustration. “Prevent the situation in the first place? You promised to protect her, to be with her. Where were you?”

“It is complicated.”

“Everything is complicated, Drei. That does not mean you leave her to die and then decide you want her to live.” She turned her back to him, crossing her arms. Soon, one hand flew to her mouth and she chewed her nails again.

“Valetta—”

“It does not even suggest that you take advantage of her. It takes years to control one’s vampire, especially the lust.” She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling heavily to steady herself before turning to him. “Swear you have not taken advantage of that, too.”

“I have not taken advantage of her, at all.”

“But you have,” she argued, advancing on him, pacing circles around him. “First you took advantage of her humanity, and took her mortality from her. Then you take advantage of her love and flaunt that as if you deserved it. Who knows what else you have taken advantage of before that, or even after,” she spat angrily. “So have you, or have you not, taken advantage of her vampire’s lust?”

“No.”

“Do you want to?” she continued, stopping in front of him. “Because wanting to is just as disgraceful as the deed.”

Drei looked away from her, walking past her to the bureau.

“Drei;” she sighed, shaking her head. “I should never have encouraged you. She might very well have been better off with Nick.”

“Do not say that,” he shouted, a few tears tumbling down his cheeks. He clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists atop the bureau. “Nick would not be able to care for—”

“Nick would have been there to protect her,” she shouted back at him, her voice strong despite the tears filling her eyes.

“You do not even know the circumstances,” Drei said through gritted teeth, turning back to her.

“I know you promised to protect her, and you obviously failed.”

I didn’t like that they were fighting, but I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt them. They needed to have it out, as much as it hurt both of them; it was even hurting me. Valetta was making several good arguments, and I almost wanted to stop listening. Drei was right, though, she didn’t understand the circumstances. I had forgiven Drei for not being there because we were both responsible for it. But I had never before thought about if he had failed. Dying meant I failed, because I couldn’t change anything if I wasn’t alive. Hearing Drei had also failed pained me; I didn’t want it to be true. Even as I realized it was.

“I cannot decide if I want them to take her from you,” Valetta whispered, breaking the silence that had filled the room. “You do not deserve her…but she still needs you.”

“Valetta, I love her. Ten—no, ten thousand times the world over. What do you want me to do to prove I deserve to stay with her? I will do anything.”

“I shall think on it.”

Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I looked up at her as she entered the living room. She had recomposed herself and dried her tears.

“Come, Abriel; you should sleep. Today has been far too…exciting.”

She didn’t sound remotely excited and I wasn’t tired, but saying that wouldn’t have been in anyone’s best interest. Mitchell gave me a quick look as if wishing me luck, or perhaps it was pity; then he stood and went to console Drei. At least, I hoped that’s what he was doing. I would hate for him to have to face Mitchell after Valetta had torn him apart; I wouldn’t listen, though. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to withstand another argument if that should occur, or put words to the pain swirling around me.

“How long has it been?” she asked, sitting at the foot of the bed, staring at the curtained windows.

“A year,” I replied, staring at a wall. I really wasn’t tired and it was strange to be falling asleep without Drei. It felt like missing a part of myself, or having forgotten something important. It was a dark and deep feeling of loss, of desolation.

She didn’t say anything after that, some part of her hoping if I thought she was asleep, then I would follow suit. Valetta should have known better though, especially with her emotions as turbulent as they were. I wasn’t the only one who wouldn’t be sleeping that day.

Eternal: Chapter One, Part 4

About a month after he had first brought up the phone calls, we were walking through the park, discussing my movement. I still hadn’t figured out what exactly I would do, though I had figured out what the basis of it was going to be. I hoped by the time I had brought everyone integral to my revolution in, I would know how to carry it out.

“So who all is included as integral?” Drei asked as we left the park, walking along a predominantly empty residential sidewalk.

“Mikael and Kora, because they’re both earth. Jake and Xenia, for water. Caroline, though I’m not sure I’ll find her counterpart. And Ian will match me in air. Then of course there’s you,” I added, glancing up at him.

“Anyone else?” he prodded, a glint in his eyes suggesting I was forgetting someone.

For a moment I thought about saying Nick, one of my friends who, unfortunately, was trapped working for our corrupt government. The very government I would be moving against. But I didn’t know if he’d even be able to partake in the ensuing events. If he showed up, I wouldn’t deny his help, but I wasn’t going to count him in when I couldn’t be sure.

“I’m not sure,” I admitted slowly, still trying to think of an answer.

“So there is no room for us?” a woman’s voice demanded indignantly from behind us.

My head whipped around to take in the sight of Valetta and Mitchell as Mitchell said, “I guess we are unwelcome, Valetta.”

Mitchell smirked teasingly at me before I hugged him. Both Valetta and Mitchell were vampires, though I hadn’t seen them since I had left the elemental safe camp Drei used to run. Valetta had been left in charge, and I guessed in the years we had been away, some relationship had blossomed between her and Mitchell. They stood closer together than I remembered, and Valetta seemed to radiate a happiness I couldn’t remember having sensed around her. There was also a flicker of some secretive smile when he said her name.

Valetta was pale in complexion with dark hair and long flowing clothes that made her elegant in an old world way while keeping with the new world trends. She had been one of my first new friends after I had run away from home, though, then, I had been convinced Drei was in love with her. That wasn’t the case, as I found out from both of them—at separate times—though she did love him.

On the other hand, Mitchell had dark ebony skin and was bald, more than likely a choice of his own. He used to drive me crazy, never once having answered any of my questions directly. What was almost worse was he seemed to enjoy it. So many times I wanted to hit him, but now I was just so happy to see them. It felt like it had been forever.

“Of course there’s room for you,” I said, throwing my arms around Valetta. “There’s always room for friends.”

“Do you like your surprise, Abriel?” Drei asked from behind us.

“I love it;” I kissed his cheek, asking, “Is this what all of that phone call business was about?”

Smiling, he replied, “Yes, love.”

“He insisted on surprising you,” Valetta said. “You know I cannot resist a good surprise.”

“I know.”

“You must have matured some,” Mitchell said, smirking mischievously, “as you are not yet berating us for the surprise. If I remember rightly, you did not used to care for them.”

I shrugged; “I’ve had so many surprises the past few years, I guess I learned to just deal with it.”

“Walk with us,” Drei said, tilting his head in the direction in which we had been going. “We will soon be at the apartment again.”

“We have a spare bedroom, too,” I added, slipping my hand back into Drei’s. “You could share, or however you want to split it.” I didn’t much like the possible thought of not sleeping next to Drei, but I didn’t want them to be uncomfortable either. I guess my mother’s drilling in proper hostess behavior hadn’t been worn away with my distaste of surprises.

“We shall discuss that later on,” Valetta said, walking beside me, Mitchell on her other side, their fingers loosely interlaced. “For now, we are more interested in this secret Drei has been keeping from us.”

“What secret?” I looked from Valetta and Mitchell to Drei. Why didn’t I know there was a secret? You’d figure I would know if there was a secret.

“Concerning you, Abriel,” Mitchell said casually, his gaze fixed at some point down the street.

“Though I think I can guess what it is;” Valetta voice retained a light-hearted quality though her features were considerably stonier. “Drei, please tell me this secret is not what I believe it to be.”

“And what, pray tell, do you think it is?” Drei asked, staring ahead like Mitchell. There was a stiffness about him, and though I still held his hand, it didn’t feel like he was really holding mine back.

I had this sinking feeling I knew what the secret was. It wasn’t a secret to either of us since we’d been dealing with it for a year, but if he hadn’t told them, it was still somewhat of a secret. I couldn’t be sure how I felt about him not telling them; they deserved to know, especially since the Vampire Council would eventually know; I honestly preferred if they knew before the Council did.

Valetta stopped under a streetlight, tugging on my hand to stop me as well. Tilting my chin up to the light, she ordered, “Open your mouth.” Obeying, it took her a second before she dropped my chin and slapped Drei. “What the hell do you think you are doing? This jeopardizes everything,” she berated quietly, pointing violently in my direction.

I had been right. He hadn’t told them he had turned me. My eyes studied Mitchell as he buried his hands in his pockets, staring into some dark void. He was disappointed as well, but he wasn’t going to rip into Drei while Valetta was. I wasn’t sure if he would at all, or how opposed he was. For the moment though, he wasn’t going to say anything.

“You do not understand the circumstances,” Drei said, attempting to tower over her, but he was no match to her anger. I’d never seen her so livid, as though she could kill him and not think twice.

“Circumstances? They might take her from you. Did you think on those circumstances?”

“I would rather they take her from me than Death,” he hissed, trying to force her into backing down. It wasn’t working. This was Valetta, after all. She was highly intelligent and as stubborn as Drei. Maybe even more so. I might have been able to coax Drei into some things and stood up to him when he was out of line, but if anyone was going to drag him from a high horse, it was Valetta.

As the words settled in, Valetta seemed to shrink. “You lie,” she said, trying to hold onto her anger, still wanting to paint him a villain. I guessed I had been wrong; even that subject could stop her. But I was sure she wasn’t going to forgive him.

“He doesn’t.” She turned towards me, her eyes finding me as though they had forgotten I was still there. “I thought I had died, and then he told me I hadn’t.”

She held my face in her hands, whispering, “You poor thing; this never should have happened.” Pulling me into her embrace, she rubbed my back. It felt more like the gesture was an attempt to comfort herself instead of me. I had already come to terms with it and her consoling did nothing for me. “You should never have been doomed to this fate.”

“She has accepted this, Valetta,” Drei said, still standing away from us.

“Because you have convinced her she should, or because she has decided to?” Mitchell asked politely, a threat hidden in his words. So he was going to speak after all. I made a mental note to stop guessing how this was going to go; I hadn’t been around them recently and all of us had changed, it seemed.

Removing myself from Valetta’s hold, I decided this was enough. I didn’t want to keep discussing this because there wasn’t a point to it. What was done was done, and no amount of reprimanding would fix it. Period.

“I accepted it because it was the only way I can do what I need to, and because I love him,” I said, wrapping my arms around Drei’s waist and resting my head on his chest. “And even if it doesn’t last long, at least we can be together for a while.”

“For a while may be all you have;” Valetta sighed, as Mitchell soothed her, whispering into her ear and wrapping his arms around her.

“I’ll take what I’m given.” As hard as it was to even consider possibly losing Drei, I knew the time was fast coming when we’d have to admit this was a possibility; that the Council would not rule mercifully in his favor. It wouldn’t stop me from fighting for it, but no matter what happened, I would always have some part of him.

“Let us not ruin this beautiful night,” Drei said solemnly, holding me close for a moment.

“It has been ruined already, friend,” Mitchell said, though there was nothing friendly in his voice. He took Valetta’s hand as we continued down the street.

“Then let us not waste what is left,” Drei said as Valetta took my hand and squeezed it.

She gave me a look then, her dark eyes full of a strange mixture of sadness and happiness. They seemed to say she was glad Drei and I could finally be open about our love, but she also feared whatever came when the Council found out—for my sake, anyway.  Even if Drei wouldn’t admit it, he was afraid of that time as well. I could feel the fear washing off of him, even as he struggled to dismiss it.

But there was something else there in the sadness of her eyes. Almost like a loss of faith, or perhaps trust. I couldn’t be sure, though. Whatever it was, it was deep and troubling her. A sinking feeling overcame me. This storm wasn’t over. Drei’s vain hope the rest of the night wouldn’t be ruined seemed that much vainer.

Eternal: Chapter One, Part 3

We went walking almost nightly after that. The only nights we didn’t was when Drei had other things to do, but then he’d let me open the windows in the apartment and do as I liked, so long as I didn’t leave. He still wasn’t sure why I wasn’t constantly hungry anymore, and didn’t want something to happen when he wasn’t there. I didn’t hold his worries against him; I loved him, and somewhat knew how he could be before I told him as much. Despite everything in our past—the fights, the separation, the disagreements—I couldn’t fathom loving anyone else as much as I did him.

Before Drei had come to some conclusion about my hunger “issue,” I had guessed it was heavily rooted in my element; it was the only thing that really made sense considering how intense it was now. His conclusion reflected this.

“Your element and your vampire inhabit the same space, obviously,” Drei said one evening at breakfast. “It makes sense they would share everything else, including your nutrition. When your element is sated, which happens when it is being actively used as much as I can tell, your vampire is also sated.”

“But not vice versa?” I asked.

“No, because your element cannot draw nutrients as your vampire does.”

“So how does my element draw nutrients?” That was the concept I didn’t understand. Drei shrugged in response; because he didn’t have an answer, I still had to drink a mug of animal blood once a week to ensure I was receiving all of the nutrients I needed. Though I had grown accustomed to the taste, it wasn’t something I had learned to enjoy consuming.

It took a long time for me to figure it out, but I eventually did discover how my element drew nutrients. When we went walking, my element automatically began exploring everything, reaching out to hear, see, and feel various things and people in the surrounding area; by doing this, my element was extracting energy from people, plants, animals, sound, anything and everything, basically. It never drew so much from any one thing to be disruptive, but it drew enough that by the end of our walk, I had nutrition enough to fulfill my needs.

I thought about telling Drei, but he seemed satisfied enough having pieced together what he had. Besides, I doubted it would dissuade him from my weekly blood requirement.

Oftentimes, I would fall asleep in Drei’s arms around sunrise, though I knew he would leave again to wait for his phone calls. Part of me was concerned with how many calls he had been taking lately, considering he’d never been much for chatting. I chose to trust him. If it continued on much longer, I would ask about it again, I decided. I had a right to know, and it would be better to ask than to do nothing and let the nerves build until they exploded. We had already been there once before; I didn’t think either of us was too keen on revisiting.

Eternal: Chapter One, Part 2

It was wonderful being away from the apartment. My element picked up on everything around us: the wild party-goers; the happily drunk couples; the families leaving the movie in the park, babbling excitedly; the varying conversations of people leaving the visiting comedian; and so on. I was ecstatic to be surrounded and filled with the sounds of life again, even more so now because I was fully aware of my connection to the air element; we were far more intertwined than I had known while alive.

“Are you pleased?”

“Very much so,” I said, unable to stop smiling. Now that he had turned me, it didn’t matter who knew we were together. Of course, we would eventually have to face the Vampire Council, considering he wasn’t supposed to turn me in the first place, but I forsook that train of thought. Right now, his hand was in mine, we were outside, and that was all that mattered.

“How are you doing?” His eyes scanned me nervously, as though afraid I would fall into a million pieces if the breeze so much as shifted direction.

Nudging him with my shoulder, I assured him I was fine. “I feel better than I have in a long time.”

Smiling and looking at me as though I was the only person he could see, he said, “I am glad.”

It amazed me how much my element was absorbing. I felt connected to Drei, to his every available thought and motion, as well as to everyone else if I paid enough attention. How much I had changed hadn’t occurred to me until then. Before I might have wanted to shut it all out and just be with myself; but I had been with myself long enough and the lively change was more than welcome.

“I love the night,” I said, needing to express some of the happiness bubbling inside me.

“You used to love the day,” he said, almost forlornly.

“I know;” I gazed up at him, my free hand pushing some of his shaggy brown hair behind his ear. “But I can’t have the day.”

“No, you cannot.”

“So I’ll love what I can have.”

“That is a good way to live.”

“Not always. Sometimes that’s just settling.”

“This is true. But if you settle for nothing, you lose a lot.”

“Now you’re just trying to sound smart.”

“Perhaps.” He smiled down at me, his pale amethyst eyes sparkling. I found myself kissing him in the middle of the sidewalk. His arms pulled me closer to him for a moment before he seemed to remember we were in public. Grinning, he pulled away from me. “This is not the place,” he said gently.

“I couldn’t help myself.” I honestly couldn’t. The other part of me—the vampiric essence now a part of my being—had been tempted and had very little restraint.

“You will learn to control it,” Drei said, slipping his hand into mine again as we continued on our promenade. “It will take some time, though.”

“Everything takes time.” I was almost sick of hearing the phrase and its variations. It seemed like all I had heard the past six years. My patience was quickly, and understandably, wearing thin.

“The only person you are waiting on anymore is you;” he glanced at me, and I knew I had been thinking too loudly again. “So what plans are you making to start?”

Shrugging, I said, “I haven’t been able to think much on it lately. I’ve been too distracted.”

“What by?”

“Being outside again;” I grinned sheepishly. “But I think the first move to make is gathering those who are going to help me the most.”

“Such as…”

“You know. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

He smirked. “I do know.”

“So if I forget anyone, you’d better tell me so.”

“Of course.”

We turned into the park in silence. It was pleasant, and there were fewer people around so it felt almost like an exciting secret. Kind of like we could hide each other from the world and always be together. Especially since the sounds of the city fell away in the park, replaced with the rustling of leaves, the sighing of flowers, and the whistling of a warm spring breeze. The ambiance was soothing and seemed to carry away even Drei’s worries. I couldn’t recall ever feeling him so relaxed; it seemed he was always stressed by one thing or another.

When we returned to the apartment, it seemed entirely too soon, like we had barely been away. Drei explained the sun would be rising shortly when I raised the complaint. He wouldn’t say if we could have stayed longer had it still been night for a few more hours. Instead, he suggested I change for bed—arguing I had tired myself out with excitement—and wouldn’t listen when I insisted I wasn’t at all tired.

After changing into one of the long satin nightgowns Drei had bought for me recently—he had taken to showering me with gifts, either out of remorse or in an attempt to placate me—I returned to the living room. He sat, reading one of his magazines, completely engrossed.

“Are you joining me?” I asked, curling up beside him and resting my chin on his shoulder.

Drei dog-eared his page and dropped the magazine on the coffee table. He turned to face me and kissed my nose. “If I sleep now, I will miss something very important.”

“Like what?”

His fingers brushed the hair out of my face, tucking it behind an ear. “Such as the call I am supposed to receive this morning.”

“From whom?”

“You will see soon enough,” he replied, his hand traveling down my bare arm and stopping on my forearm. He lifted my arm so he could examine it while attempting—and failing—to conceal his amazement.

“What is it?”

“This is the arm you burned, correct?”

“Yes,” I said slowly.

“When did you heal?”

Shrugging, I pulled my arm away from him and crossed it over my chest. “I don’t know. Probably during our walk.”

“Are you hungry at all, before you go to bed?”

I failed to see the connection between the two but answered, “No.”

“Not in the least?”

“Not at all, Drei,” I said, knowing it was weird as I used to feel hungry most of the time and just learned to ignore it. But I felt completely sated. It was strange, but I wasn’t going to pay it any mind. For the first time in almost a year, I wasn’t hungry; I counted myself lucky.

“That is not at all like you,” he said, regarding me carefully. “You are certain?”

“Yes. What does this have to with my arm, though?”

“I cannot be sure,” he said, though the set of his jaw revealed he was determined to find out. He didn’t like mysteries any more than I did; the only difference being Drei was allowed to know the answers and I had to find them myself.

Deciding the mystery wasn’t worth it—I was healed, that couldn’t be a bad thing even if it was puzzling—I stood, pulling gently on his hand. “If you won’t sleep yet, will you at least lie next to me until I do?”

“You have become very demanding lately,” Drei observed, standing and following me into his room—where I had been sleeping since my awakening. We still hadn’t been together past kissing, but we were both fine with that.

“Not really; I’ve only asked you for two things.”

“And what message do I send if I continue to give you everything for which you ask?”

“You love me;” I snuggled into his embrace, my previous energy quickly slipping away.

“That I do.”

“And I love you,” I added, yawning.

He kissed the top of my head, tangling a hand comfortingly in my hair, the other pulling me closer to him. “I know you do.”

Eternal: Chapter One, Part 1

Chapter One: Change Comes Swiftly

A sliver of sunlight spilled into the room, illuminating the dark space. It was strange seeing sunlight after having hidden from it for so long. Drei said it was because I wasn’t ready yet; he explained we could handle it indirectly in small doses. I wasn’t strong enough, though, and he never said why not. He seemed afraid to admit it, some days, and ignored my questions.

Outside, it was a beautiful day. I could hear the people on the street, their bustling footsteps hurrying past. A few birds flew overhead, disturbed from their previous perches and searching for new ones. Some corner musicians sang their hearts out, trying to make their dreams come true. There were even a few children, gawking in amazement or boredom at the scenes around them while parents pulled them along.

Listening made me miss the world. It felt like it had been forever since I had been part of it. For almost a year—including my time in transition and healing—this apartment had been my universe, and Drei the only other person in it. I loved him, and I was grateful for the extension he had given me, but I wanted more now. I wanted to smell the air, as polluted as it may be; I wanted to feel the breeze wrap around me, and the earth beneath my bare feet; I wanted to see and experience life again. I had been such a fool for ever wanting anything else.

“Come away from the window, Abriel.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Drei, dressed in his usual black. One of his hands was buried in his pocket, the other lay offered to me. Letting the curtain fall closed again, I walked to him, taking his hand. His other hand gingerly touched my arm, and I noticed the skin was riddled with boils and blackened spots. Even noticing it now, it didn’t hurt. I was mostly curious how it had happened, and why.

“You burned yourself,” he whispered, his amethyst eyes fixated on the damage. “This is why I asked you to keep from the windows.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, unsure what he wasn’t saying. Something unnerved him about my being injured but I couldn’t understand what, despite trying to; he kept his thoughts well guarded from my prying.

“You should sleep,” he said instead, kissing my forehead. “Sleep will help you heal.”

I decided not to press him; I’d figure it out sooner or later. Besides, when it came to sleep, that was one argument I could never win. Not with Drei.

She should be strong enough indirect sunlight is harmless, I caught him thinking as I made my way to the bed. It made sense he’d worry about something like that. I had a movement to lead still, and I needed some strength to do so. If his thoughts were any indication, I wasn’t much stronger than I had been since healing from the shooting a few months ago, and that was only enough to venture beyond the bedroom.

“I’ll sleep if you promise to take me walking tonight,” I bargained, pulling back the covers and sitting down. “I haven’t been outside in forever.”

He nodded, coming to the bed. “We shall see.”

“No, you have to promise me,” I said; I wasn’t compromising on this. I needed to be out of this apartment before I went insane. “Or I’ll stand in the window again.”

“You know that will not improve your health,” he chided gently, smiling, trying to make light of the situation.

“Nothing does.” I turned my back to him. What harm could a midnight walk do? There wasn’t any sun then and, if I started feeling weak, it wasn’t like carrying me had ever been a problem for him.

His fingers brushed my hair back, an attempt to coax me into a better mood. He knew, though, it was futile. I could match him in stubbornness. Sighing, he yielded; “Very well. We can go walking tonight.”

Turning back to him, I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

“I just hope—”

“It’s not too soon,” I said, slipping my hand into his. “I need to leave this place for a little while. This apartment cannot be my entire world.”

Kissing my hand, he suggested I sleep then. A moment later, he slipped into the bed next to me, wrapping me in his arms and kissing the top of my head. I closed my eyes, comfortable and content. While worry thickened the air around him, the sensation was dulled by my own anticipation and excitement.

A Gift for You

I know it is very much past Thanksgiving now and no new posts have come. I severely underestimated the amount of work I needed to accomplish by the end of the semester and then I was traveling for a conference. As a gift and apology, I will release a new post every day between now and Christmas before returning to the regular Tuesday and Friday releases.

Happy Holidays and please enjoy the rest of the story!