Dead Girls Don't Cry (17 page)

The final vampires were Trent and his crew. No, Trent was not the toe sucker, even though, with his dead body fetish, he was the logical candidate. Visions of stars filled his mind. Not too strange given he was a pilot.

The remainder of the crew passed through. Cave images for all of them.

Duty fulfilled, I left the group to think. Louis, camped in the hallway, was speaking to Beckham. Not wanting to interrupt their animated, and no doubt geeky, discussion about plants, I slunk away and headed for my office.

Caves. Caves. What did it mean if most of us were having the same dream?

I pondered the question until my head hurt. When no answer was forthcoming, I completed my administrative duties and reviewed the colony’s progress report. During the short time since I had landed, damage from the storm notwithstanding, the colony had made stunning improvements. The most exciting – construction of a green house. Upon its completion, I’d be first in line to visit.

Not all my duties were performed in an office. Every day, I visited the work crew outside, listened to their concerns and suggestions, and jotted them down in a tiny spiral bond notebook for discussion at the daily briefing. Once I was satisfied the work assignments for the day were underway, I made an executive decision. Time to explore.

Under the pretense of searching for the remaining cargo containers, I commandeered a hover craft.

Easy peasy. GPS thingie on, engines fired up, supplies packed, I headed towards the open plains of Mars. Hell, most of the planet was an open plain. About an hour out, the bracelet flared to life, tugging my arm to the west.

“About time you were useful again,” I muttered.

Bang. The ship rocked. “Gadding about are we?” Ian took the passenger seat next to me. Thank goodness I was already dead or the shock induced heart attack would have killed me.

“Yes. Top secret Colony Director mission.”

“I see. All very hush, hush.” Ian flashed me a confident, secret agent grin.

“Have we re-established contact with the ship?” I asked, feeling like a starship captain.

“Yes, full communication has been restored. I extracted that nugget from Jay before I left.” He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Never seen such a miserable bloke in my life. Your beauties insisted Jay decide on the colors.” Ian gave a small shudder. “Only thing worse I can think of is handbag shopping.”

A smile filled my heart. Ian’s blond hair whipped in the wind, carefree like his spirit. Why was I still holding back with him? Was it Ian I didn’t trust or men in general? No, I trusted Jay with my life. Okay, maybe authority figures?

Part of my problem with Jonathan was the way he acquired me. Like a brood mare for his stable. A commodity to be used. Ian didn’t have that vibe. He genuinely seemed to like me.

“What ails you, darling?” Concern marred his handsome face. That it was for me loosened the worry.

“Jonathan married me before he vamped me. He took my virginity for my own good.” I blurted out like I was in a confessional. Now why in the hell did I say that?

“Excuse me?” Ian gaped. “He did what?”

Deep sorrows from my past bubbled to the surface. The stupid cuff bracelet burned into my skin. I wanted to tear it off. I jerked the ship to the southwest. The horizon blurred before me. Pale pink tears flooded my eyes. “He did it out of kindness. Too bad I realized it too late. Can you imagine having sex and re-healing every time? It would have been painful or at least uncomfortable.”

“I can’t exactly imagine it, but I see your meaning. Here, let me steer for a while.” Ian offered and I accepted.

“Jonathan was as gentle with me as he could be. I was scared shitless. I had no idea what to expect.” My first sexual encounter was probably no different than most women of the age. We were imprisoned by our Victorian ignorance.

Ian gave me a long hard stare. “Thank you trusting me with something so personal.”

I shrugged. I had no idea why I felt the need to dredge up that little tidbit. Funny, there was no lingering shame in the revelation. It was a relief to share it with Ian.

“Things were considerably more relaxed in my time.”

“Dancing naked under the full moon,” I asked with a smile, thinking of the blue tattoos on Ian’s rock hard body.

“Something like that,” he said with a wolfish grin. “Perhaps we can re-enact the ceremony some night.”

Heat suffused my cheeks. “Sounds fun.”

The bracelet tugged forward when Ian changed direction to veer around a large boulder. “Hold your course. We’re almost there.”

“Good because there’s a bloody, large ravine approaching.”

Threads of excitement weaved up my arm. The bracelet seemed happy. Good for it.

“I’m stopping here. Your bangle, does it always glow?”

The runes were bright and pulsing. “Sometimes. In certain areas of the ship. This is the first time it’s reacted like this here.”

Ian and I jumped out of the hovercraft, backpacks in hand. When we were done securing the ship, we headed to the cliff’s edge.

“What exactly are we doing over here, Cherry?” Ian pulled up my sleeve exposing the cuff. “There are no cargo boxes out here. We weren’t following a transponder signal.”

I didn’t bother to point out to Ian that he’d seen the bracelet before when the queen bequeathed it to me and that night in the tent. Of course, he was busy . . . doing other things. Heat suffused my female parts at the thought of Ian’s weight above me. The slide of his skin over the small of my back. . .

“Hey, no distracting me,” Ian kissed my forehead. “Out with it. What are you really after?”

“I’m not sure. Honest.”

As soon as Ian released me, a desire to walk toward the ravine took hold. My limbs went watery. Yet, I marched forward, trusting the cuff wouldn’t yank me over the edge. If I was smashed to jelly, it wouldn’t be able to move around anymore.

“Wait. You are not thinking of walking off the cliff.” Ian held me back.

“No, I think the bracelet’s trying to lead me in a specific direction.” Symbols raced across the surface too fast to follow. “Slow down. I can’t understand. Could you use an arrow or something?”

“A compass?” Ian suggested.

The surface went blank. “Great, we’ve confused it.”

“Hold on. Patience,” Ian said. “Look here.”

Concentric rings appeared. A bobbing arrow floated in the center, pointed towards the ravine’s edge.

Ian tapped the dial. “I already told you mate, she’s not jumping over the side.”

“You could fly us over,” Inch by inch, knees knocking, I moved closer to the massive ravine. Sheer will prevented me from running back to the hover craft. Wind smacked me in the face, rebuffing me away from the edge. Grit stuck in my eyelashes. Not brave enough to look down, I tilted my head sideways. Then I saw it. A thin ribbon-like path along the side of the canyon.

“Ian, right there.” I pointed, arm trembling. “A narrow trail.”

“We don’t have to go down there.”

“I need to.” The caves haunted me and my family. They must mean something. Kasia thought they did too. I explained the dreams to Ian.

“I’ve had similar experiences since landing. And so have my rogues. And it’s not just the vampires. I’ve overheard zombies and revenants bemoaning their lack of sleep.”

“Down we go then,” I said with forced cheerfulness. I could do this. As long as I hugged the cliff side and didn’t look over the edge.

The wind kicked up and the sky darkened to a gloomy orange gray. Another dust storm loomed in our future.

“Will the hovercraft be okay?” I shouted over the screaming gusts whipping up the ravine.

“It’s secure,” Ian placed his hands on my shoulders, steadying me. “How much farther do you think?”

I flattened my back against the cliff face, then checked the bracelet. “I have no idea.”

We descended for what seemed like hours. Dust roiled over the ravine like thick fog, reducing visibility. If we didn’t find the caves soon, we’d lose sight of the path. We were too far from the ship to make it back safely. Ian wouldn’t be able to fly in such hazardous conditions.

The path curved sharply to the right. The bracelet yanked hard around the bend. I stumbled forward.

“I’ll be damned.” Ian said, clutching me around the waist.

The entrance, angled behind a cut in the rocks, would be missed by anyone concentrating on the path. The narrow opening would only accommodate one of us at a time.

“I’ll go first,” I hollered over the gale winds. I didn’t want to be the first one to pass into the darkness beyond. There could be a cliff on the other side. But, I doubted the bracelet would lead me this far only to hurt me.

Ian nodded and released me. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Points to him for not acting dominant. Points subtracted for not stopping me either. Poor guy. With my math, he couldn’t win. I squared my shoulder, turned sideways and slipped through the slim passage.

A cavernous space opened before me. The howling winds were silenced as if a switch had been flipped. And it wasn’t pitch dark either. Instead, the smooth rock walls glowed with soft phosphorescence.

“Incredible,” Ian said over my shoulder.

“Yes.” I walked forward, following the glowing arrow on the cuff. “To the left.”

At first the entranceway seemed limitless, like the grandest sized foyer ever made. Eventually a series of carved arches appeared, the rock polished like the shiny granite countertop I left behind on Earth. I traced my finger along ridges decorating the last arch to the left.

“Clearly, this was done by someone,” Ian observed. “Maybe LGM?”

“Little Green Men?” I snorted. I hoped not. The bracelet nudged me along. “Come on. The bossy bracelet wants us to keep moving.”

“Not sure I like the idea of sentient jewelry,” Ian grumbled.

Can’t say I disagreed with him. It’s probably prudent not to trust objects with a mind of their own. Funny, weeks earlier, I would’ve never believed settling Mars was even possible, let alone traveling to it. And here we were discussing the disadvantages of intelligent jewelry.

The arch led to a long, straight hallway. The walls and ceiling were tall and wide. Cool, fresh air tickled my cheeks. The faint scent of spice floated under my nose. The smell brought back pleasant memories of my time in India.

Ian sniffed, “The fragrance reminds me of home. Of the herbs the Druids used.”

“You too?” Interesting. “The odor’s tailored to each of us. I smell curry and sandalwood.”

We crossed a threshold and the plain stone walls changed. Elaborate carvings, reminiscent of hieroglyphs filled the walls from floor to ceiling. Broken out into sections, each picture told a story in golden leaf and vibrant pigments.

“Let me get out the torch,” Ian said, fumbling around in his backpack. Light illuminated the artwork, deepening the colors. “Amazing.”

“Look at the detail on the clothing.” I peered closer. “They look like us.” The figures were human or at least humanoid, with two legs, human shaped torsos and heads, the same number of digits on the toes and hands. “I wonder who they were.”

“And what happened to them?”

We continued walking, observing the story’s timeline. First there were primitive settlements. Agriculture and livestock followed, the animals, nothing like what we had on earth. Soft slug bodies, dragged what appeared to be plows. Manta Ray type creatures flew like birds.

The cities grew larger. Dwellings were carved into the cliffs and on the surface. Two moons floated over head. One shaped like a potato the other a dented ball. Deimos and Phobos.

“The society, it's progressing similarly to our own,” Ian said.

“And look, the surface had water and vegetation.” I pointed to a shimmering field of green plants and a sparkling teal lake. “The technology gets more sophisticated. They had flying cars.” A vehicle eerily similar to the hovercraft floated above a translucent city.

Ominous undertones appeared along the utopian vista. The landscape grew barren. The water dried up. The animals died. Famine. Riots. War. Death.

The last story showed, three groups, each climbing into a ship.

Ian picked out an eerie similarity. “Look at their skin, their faces. Vampire, zombie…”

“Revenant,” I finished in a whisper.

We stood there for a long time, deep in our own thoughts and conclusions.

Whoever these people had been, they appeared to be us.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“When we get back, Jay is off decorating duty. He can study this. Isn’t one of our new vamps a Cultural Anthropologist? Joan, I think her name is.” At the time, I thought she was a total waste of space. The planner of this venture had a long range vision.

“I’d like to suggest one of my rogues. Garth is a historian.”

“Anyone who has a science background needs to come down here. Who knows what else we’ll find.” We continued down the hall, the murals long past us.

“How did the murals survive in such perfect condition?” Ian walked in front, lighting the way.

“I’m more worried about what it means. And the timing? It’s too convenient to be a coincidence.”

“Agree. When we return, it’s time for Prior to divulge what he knows,” Ian said.

I stumbled. Weariness pulled at me. We’d been on the move for hours and still the destination was unknown.

“Want to take a break?” Ian rubbed my shoulders as we walked, easing the knots.

“No.” I tapped the bracelet. “Either show us why we’re here or I’m leaving and not coming back.”

The magic words spoken, a portal appeared on the wall to my left. “Come on! Why didn’t you do this an hour ago?” Clasping Ian’s hand into mine, I walked through the doorway.

The space we entered made the front foyer look like a shoe box. The light beam was swallowed by the space.

“This place keeps getting stranger and stranger,” Ian said circling with the flashlight. “What was this used for?”

“Okay, Enkile’s Cuff, you’d better show me something worthwhile. Now.”

“The bauble has a name?” Ian said. “Care to explain?”

“Not really.” A new display appeared on the bracelet’s smooth surface. Grids and lines fanned out. “Ian, look at this. It’s some kind of floor plan.”

“Not very helpful. This whole area is empty. If there were rooms or buildings they’re gone now.” Ian crossed his arms. Frustration vibrated into my brain cells through our emotional link.

As if in response, a grid pattern flared to life on the floor. The surface wasn’t stone, but a transparent material backlit with colored lights. Hello Tron.

“I don’t know how much more strange crap I can take in one lifetime,” I buried my face in my hands. A wave of dizziness rocked me. When I opened my eyes, the room swam around me. Ian’s arm encircled my waist, holding me upright.

“Don’t freak out, luv. The floor is moving.” Ian pointed down. A pale neon blue path stretched out before us.

Sure enough, the walkway propelled us like a conveyor belt. Colorful streaks from the patterned ground blurred by as we picked up speed. Cool air pushed back our hair and flapped our clothes.

The blue line climbed upward. I clung to Ian, fearful of falling off. An irrational worry because the conveyor moved smoothly with no bumps or hitches. A wall appeared. The blue line continued through the center, then the barrier disappeared. We passed through and arrived in another chamber.

The walkway slowed, flashed, and then came to a complete stop.

“I guess this means we get off,” I said.

Ian guided me off the line, a slight quake in his grip. Glad I wasn’t the only one suffering a bit of technology induced shock.

Another line appeared, green this time. So we followed it through another chamber. I recognized where we were. “I know this place. This is the place in my dreams.”

The centerpiece of the cavern was a dark lake. The liquid rippled from the pleasant breeze flowing through the space. The floor went from glassy smooth to sandy, like the shore front of my lake at home.

“Well, this is interesting,” Ian agreed.

The bracelet took control. My arm stretched out and aimed at the lake. “I guess we move forward.”

“Do you think its fresh water, like on Earth?” Ian asked, easily keeping pace with my smaller steps.

“It would be nice.” But I doubted we would be so lucky. The lake was probably poisonous and filled with vile creatures.

“It smells very clean.”

Soft sand crunched under my boots. “This is nothing like the sand outside on the surface.”

“Much cleaner and finer,” Ian agreed.

At the shoreline, the bracelet relinquished control. My arm dropped by my side. The water moved. Large ripples radiated from the center outward as if a large rock had been landed in the center. I tapped the bracelet, “This better not be a sea monster.” The cuff pulsed back, warm and reassuring.

“Fear not, young one,” said a strong, clear female voice.

My eyes widened. A woman emerged in the lake’s center.

“Hello, King Arthur,” Ian muttered.

I hissed at him, “Shut it.”

“All I’m saying, is if she offers us a bloody sword, I’m outta here.”

“Ian!”

The woman walked toward us, across the lake’s surface. Billowing pale robes, fanned out behind her. Her slipper covered feet silently padded, leaving still water in her wake. Silver colored earrings dangled from various piercings in her ears. Long black hair hung down to her waist. And her eyes were a shade of blue similar to Ian’s.

“You have no fear of me,
Brunii,
” she said to Ian. Her brow wrinkled, the only imperfection on her ethereal face.

“Not really.” Ian widened his stance and crossed his arms. An unimpressed vibe rolled off him.

I wanted to smack him in the arm and scream,
what the hell are you doing
? Instead, I said, “He means you no insult.”

Ian scoffed, contradicting me.

The lady laughed. Sweet tones jingled across the cavern, bouncing off the lake with an eerie echo. “I should have known. I recognize it in your blood. A warrior priest.”

He stiffened, “I’m no longer either of those things.”

“Do you not still protect the innocent? The helpless?” When she smiled, joy radiated into my pores.

Her attention turned to me, “You I know as well. A fiery spirit, the blood sings strong inside you.”

“Who or what are you?” Ian said.

“I am a memory. I am here and now as well.”

Riddles. I hate them. I was never very good at them as a child. Not as clever as the other children, I was always last to figure them out. I shifted from foot to foot. “Why are we here?”

“To return.” She raised her arms. Her mouth opened. High mournful notes poured from her mouth.

Tears pooled in my eyes. The tune tugged at my heart, though I couldn’t understand any of the words. Weariness filled me up, threatening to tip me over.

The song stopped. “When the time is right you will sing the song of creation. You need to rest. You are safe here. When you awaken, in three days’ time the storm will have passed. This place is yours, Charity Belmont. Use it wisely.” The lady turned and dissolved into the lake.

“Bloody hell, that was bizarre.” Ian walked me away from the water’s edge.

“Did you understand what she meant?” A yawn split my jaw wide. Exhaustion swept over me.

“No idea. We’re setting up camp. I believe we’re safe here.” Ian unloaded a tent from his seemingly bottomless backpack. He set it up, refusing my offer of help.

“Inside you go.” Ian ushered me in and spread out two sleeping bags.

I was too tired to ask where they had come from. I tugged off my boots, shucked off my jumpsuit and crawled inside the bag.

“Night, luv,”’ was the last thing I heard before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~ * * * ~

“Three days. She said we’re stuck here at least three days?” I gaped at Ian, repeating myself like a parrot. I had been so tired parts of the conversation with the lake lady were a bit blurry.

“Yes.” Ian lay stretched out on his sleeping bag, hands tucked under his head. “No use getting your knickers in a knot.”

“Everyone will be worried,” I rolled onto my side to stare at him. His hair, mussed from sleep added to his roguish charm. I’m sure my hair said – disheveled mess. “Although, we could explore the cave little more.”

“Always a possibility,” Ian agreed. He rolled over to face me. “Or we could do other things.” He smoothed the left side of my hair down, then caressed my left earlobe.

I shivered at the erotic possibilities hinted at in his voice. “So tempting,” I hedged, not wanting to bruise the delicate male ego, “but I think we owe it to the Colony to at least do a little work.”

“My, my, how you’ve grown,” Ian tweaked my nose playfully. “You’re absolutely right. But later…” He trailed off, allowing my imagination fill in the blanks.

We left the tent and gear by the lakeside. It’s not like anyone would steal it. I doubted the lake lady would decide to rifle through our meager belongings. Ian repacked one backpack with the gear we would need to explore. Undeadness had its privileges. Though we didn’t have to eat often or use the bathroom, Ian had thoughtfully packed a few juice pouches for me.

“Still no luck on finding out who tried to kill me?” I asked as we walked the shore’s perimeter. If this was like my lake on Earth, the shore would lead someplace eventually. With the caverns’ freaky technology, who knew what we’d find.

“Afraid not. But it’s not for lack of trying,” Ian said. “He or she can’t hide forever.”

“Or they.”

“Also a possibility.”

So many problems, where to start? Dealing with the immediate situation seemed the most prudent thing to do. Settle the colony, then worry about Earth affairs. Except, it was a safe bet, that whoever tried to kill me was connected to Thalia somehow.

Why try to kill me? Thalia was threatened by Ian, not me. Until the night Queen V was murdered, I’d never been that close to undead royalty. Thalia couldn’t have known or cared less about me. And, I didn’t know Ian either until the day before the assassination.

“Stop fretting.” Ian rubbed his forehead. “You’re making my brain ache.”

“Sorry,” I grumbled. He couldn’t expect I’d stop thinking about things. Ian’s frustration filled my mind. “Hold on. The connection, it’s stronger now isn’t it?”

“Since we entered this chamber,” Ian confirmed. “I’m older than you. The blood . . .” he seemed to search for the right words, “… speaks more loudly in my head than yours. Plus, I think you have some immunity because you’re a sire.”

The shoreline around the lake grew wider, the sand stretching out as far as the eye could see. I stopped and swiveled around. After a tentative sniff of the air, I concluded, “I think we’re traveling in circles.”

Ian scented the air as well. “You may be right. I smell our tracks up ahead and we haven’t been on this beach before.”

“An illusion?” I ventured. A scoopful of sand felt real between my palms. It tasted like dirt too. Yeah, I licked the sand.

“No, seems real enough.” Ian dipped his hand into the water. “This feels real to me. Wonder if it’s safe to drink.”

I marched up to water. Thrusting the cuff into the liquid, I ordered, “Analyze the water.”

“Will it work?”

“I dunno. It’s worth a try. Unless it’s a glorified compass.” The bracelet didn’t like the comparison one bit. Bright colors beamed out in every direction. Runes floated into the air over the rippling surface. Too bad, I couldn’t read them.

“Have you considered asking it to—”

“Translate,” I finished for Ian. The runes spun around like tops. When they stopped, English appeared. A scientific formula of some sort. “Thanks. I have no idea what it means.”

“But Jay or one of the scientists would.” Ian offered me a wash cloth to dry off my dripping hand and wrist.

My stomach rumbled. Ian stared at my waist as if an alien would pop out at any moment.

“Are you
hungry
?” he asked in disbelief.

I shook my head. To contradict me, more tummy gurgles echoed in the cave. “I don’t feel any different.”

Ian started walking back the way we came. “I don’t like this. First my heart beat. Now your stomach. What’s next gray hair? Arthritis?”

I hustled to catch up to him, not liking his train of thought. “Are you suggesting we’re becoming mortal again?”

“I don’t know.”

Was it possible to return to life? Ian led us back to the tent. By then my stomach was silent. And I was completely confused.

“Is any of this even real?”

Ian pulled me into his arms, “I’m real.”

If he was an illusion, I wasn’t about to let go. The strength of his body pressed against mine, soothed me. I doubted an illusion could make me so happy. A fantasy also couldn’t make me feel love for it either.

Ian startled. “Cherry, were you thinking of me?”

I stared at my feet, fear hammered in my chest like a piston. The last time I loved anyone, they had hurt me. Fat tears spilled from my eyes. I wiped my runny nose on my sleeve.

“Aw, darling. I think it’s time you told me why you can’t trust anyone.” Ian guided me inside the tent and pulled me down on a sleeping bag. “Talk. Please.”

I didn’t know where to begin. Ian patiently waited. His emotions were placid. In contrast, my mind was a storm at sea, winds blowing, waves raging, the ship ready to crash at any moment. How could he stand having me in his head?