Eternal Changes (Mikah) (12 page)

Ashton smiled as he leaned into her. “You’re lying.” He grabbed Lucy’s hand again. “You don’t have to. I’m different, too.”

Lucy’s heart skipped a beat. “Are you saying that you’re like me?”

Ashton shook his head no. “Similar, but not just alike. You’re special. So, so special,” he murmured as he ran his hand softly down her cheek. He tipped up her chin and lowered his lips to hers.

Lucy’s soul shifted and the world shook beneath her. She grabbed on to Ashton as the kiss deepened. She opened her mouth and his tongue slid along hers. Her blood ignited and sparks flew as her tongue clashed with his. 

Feelings and thoughts that weren’t her own flooded through Lucy. Her eyes flew open and she pushed Ashton away. “Wh-wh-what was that?”

“Me kissing you,” Ashton chuckled as he moved towards her.

Lucy put her hands up, stopping Ashton from getting any closer. “No. That was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced, Ashton. I could feel what you were feeling along with what I was feeling. Does that make any sense?”

“I meant it when I said you were special, Lucy. There’s just more to it than you realize,” Ashton said. “I promise to tell you everything once we reach the creek.”

“In that case, can you run?” Lucy asked right before she took off in a burst of speed.

Lucy looked back to see if Ashton was following her. He wasn’t where she had left him. Where did he go?

“You looking for me?” Ashton asked.

Lucy almost stumbled as she looked in front of her. There was Ashton, smiling back at her as he ran. “How did you do that?”

“You’re not the only one with some powers, Luce,” Ashton said right before he bolted forward.

Lucy scanned her surroundings. Ashton was gone. Power coursed through her body as she propelled herself forward. She slowed down as she came to the clearing where the creek was located. The fresh, clean smell of the creek wrapped around her as she looked for Ashton.

“What took you so long?” Ashton asked.

Lucy turned to find Ashton sitting on a large boulder with a small smile on his face. She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle lapping of the water as it hit the bank. She let out a soft sigh as the tension eased out of her shoulder. Lucy opened her eyes, walked over and sat down next to Ashton.

“I thought I was the only one in the world who could do that,” Lucy said as she picked at a piece of dirt on the rock and flung it into the creek.

Ashton grabbed Lucy’s hands as he looked her in the eyes, his gaze softening. “You’re not alone, Lucy. There’s more to the world than just people. Stories that are made up of vampires and other mystical creatures do have some truth to them.”

“Vampires?” Lucy’s eyes widened as she pulled her hand from his. “Are you telling me that
vampires
, the ones that like to feast off of people, are
real
?”

“They’re very real, but there are two different kinds. They don’t all just fit into one category,” Ashton said. “There are the Haemon who have no consideration for the life of a human and then there are the Dragomir who only take what’s needed without causing any harm.”

Lucy’s mouth curled up in disgust. “Why don’t we hear about this on the news? If the Haemon kill people, surely there’d be something showing that they exist.”

“You do hear it on the news. You just don’t realize it,” Ashton explained. “When someone is murdered and the case goes unsolved, they’re usually the reason why. We can heal the bite marks once we are done and no human ever sees them.”

“Whoa, hold on just one minute,” Lucy said. Her heart started thumping in her veins and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. “Are you saying
you’re
a
vampire?
”

Ashton nodded his head as he stared into the depths of Lucy’s brown eyes. “We’re
both
part vampire.”

“B-b-both?” Lucy asked. Her hands shook as she rubbed her arms.

“Yes,
both
. You and me,” Ashton confirmed. “But, in all fairness, I’m actually considered Halfling. One of my parents was a human and the other one was a vampire.”

“I don’t feel like I’m part vampire,” Lucy disagreed. “I’ve no desire to suck blood out of anyone. I don’t even like my steaks medium-rare.”

“You wouldn’t have the desire yet,” Ashton said. “I didn’t go through the change until my eighteenth birthday.  That’s when I came into my full powers and the desire for blood was overwhelming.”

Lucy stared at Ashton in disbelief. Eighteenth birthday? Was he telling her that within the week she was going to be a vampire? No way. This
couldn’t
be happening. The color drained from her face and the earth shook beneath her. Lucy glanced down to find that her legs were quaking. Tears blurred her vision, but she shut her eyes to stop them from spilling.

“Are you ok?” Ashton asked Lucy as he touched her leg.

Lucy took a deep breath and tried to slow down her pounding heart. “I think so, but I need to hear you tell me which one you’re with. Are you with the Dragomir or the Haemon?”

“Do you really need to hear what you already know?” Ashton asked as he walked up to Lucy and cupped her face in his hands.

“I needed to ask. I needed to see your reaction.” Lucy rubbed her arms. “Can you do me a small favor, Ashton?”

“I’d do anything for you, Lucy,
anything.
”

“Could you just hold me for a while?” Lucy asked.

Ashton lifted Lucy up as if she weighed no more than a feather and placed her in his lap. She laid her head on Ashton’s chest as his arms wrapped around her. She closed her eyes and breathed in his earthy scent.  Her shoulders slumped, her heart pattered, and warmth spread through her body as his arms wrapped around her.

Ashton laid his chin on Lucy’s shoulder. “Our people only have one true love, Lucy. I’ve always been told that we’d know when we found them because every touch and every kiss would be felt more vividly than ever before. You’d feel your other half’s emotions and hear their thoughts,” Ashton said as he kissed her shoulder. “No one in my clan has found their one true love,” he said as he ran the back of his hand down her warm cheek. “Except me.”

Lucy’s breath caught in her throat. Did she hear him correctly?

“What do you mean, ‘except you’?” Lucy asked.

“I can feel your emotions like they’re my own. When I kissed you; every emotion you felt… I felt. Every thought that glided through your mine…I heard.” Ashton paused as he looked down at Lucy. “After that
one
kiss, I knew you were mine. The stories I’d heard about the pairing, barely touched what it’s really like. I’ve walked the earth for hundreds of years in a fog. All I did was exist.” He cupped her face in-between his hands. “But with you, I
feel
like I’ve never felt before
.
 I want your safety before my own. I want your happiness more than
anything
else in this world. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Luce.”

Lucy scrambled out of Ashton’s lap. “I’ve never even had a boyfriend and you’re telling me that I’m your
soul mate?
” she asked as her arms flailed wildly as she stared at Ashton. “I’m not even considered an
adult
yet.”

“The pairing has no regard to age and it doesn’t mean you’re locked in right now, Luce,” Ashton explained. “But, you and I will inevitably be together. Denying it is like denying that your lungs need oxygen.”

Lucy stopped moving and looked at Ashton. His stoic face softened as he stared at her. The blue shirt he was wearing clung to his chiseled chest. Her heart galloped in her chest and her skin tingled. How was it possible to feel such a strong magnetic pull to him? She broke her gaze away from him as she started pacing. She needed some time to think.

“I’ll be back in a little bit,” Lucy murmured as she walked towards the nearby woods.

Lucy shivered as the shade of the trees washed over her. She glanced back over her shoulder. Ashton was sitting on the rock, watching her. Lucy took a deep breath as she looked into the woods and kept walking.

The sunlight broke through the gaps of the trees’ leaves and lit up parts of the ground. Twigs crunched and popped under her feet as she walked. Rustling sounds rung through the air as squirrels scrambled throughout the tree tops.

Lucy sat down next to a tree and leaned her head against it as she closed her eyes. Could it possibly be true? Could she be part vampire? She opened her eyes and touched her incisors with her finger. They felt normal. But what else could explain the power running through her veins? Didn’t Ashton say he could hear her thoughts? She paused and looked at him. Could she hear his?

Lucy closed her eyes as she silenced her thoughts. The sounds of the forest faded away as she focused her thoughts on Ashton. She reached her mind out, searching for his. Ashton’s face flashed through her mind as the floodgate of his thoughts and emotions washed over her. She could feel his passion bubbling inside of him as he thought of her. His blood sizzled and popped as he pictured him taking her lips in his. The world stood still as he dug his fingers into her soft hair. A gasp left her lips as her eyes popped wide open and she sprung up from the ground. Her breathing was coming in short, small gasps as she touched her lips with her fingers. It had felt so
real.

“Impossible,” Lucy whispered.

Lucy made a mad dash out of the forest and back to where Ashton was still sitting. “I want to see where you live and where you sleep,” she blurted. “Do you sleep in coffins like what’s depicted in movies?” Her eyebrows scrunched together as she rubbed her forehead. “And how can you be out in the sunlight or is that something that the movies and stories have all wrong?”

Ashton started laughing. “No, I don’t sleep in a coffin. I actually enjoy sleeping in a bed instead of wooden box.” He stood up and walked over to her. “We live in the depths of Mammoth Caves. The darkness of the caves protects those who are full blooded vampires from the stinging rays of the sunlight. Only Halflings have the ability to walk in the sunlight. That’s one thing we don’t usually gain from our vampire parent.”

“So, I’ll always be able to walk in the sunlight,” Lucy said. “That’s a plus. Doesn’t Mammoth Caves have tours?”

Ashton nodded. “Yes, but humans haven’t discovered every inch of the caverns. There are a few tricks we use to keep them out. I’ll fly us to the caves,” he said as he took hold of Lucy’s hand. “But are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Lucy’s eyes widened. “Fly? I’ve never even flown on a plane before.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” Ashton murmured. “I promise.”

Lucy took a deep breath. “Ok, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” A small thrill of excitement and fear shot through her as Ashton pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as she felt her feet leave the ground. A small gasp left her mouth as she opened her eyes. They were already above the tree tops. Lucy looked around her and was in complete awe.

The green hills rolled as far as her eyes could see. There were several small creeks that rolled through them. The houses that dotted the land seemed so tiny and the few cars she could see looked like little ants as they moved along the roads. The hills full of trees reminded her of broccoli. Lucy heard Ashton laugh and felt his amusement over her depiction of the scene before her. The beauty of it would forever be painted in her memory.