Haeven (29 page)

“Please, Herrik…you’ve said enough,” I got
up and stood behind him. I laid my chin on the top of his head and
wrapped my arms around his chest while I kissed and comforted
him.

“No…no there’s more…I…I think you should
know. I helped him escape...I made it look like I was trying to
stop him. I…I took as much as I dared from him then I let him
go…let him run. He should have been miles and miles away but Carah
has an exceptional gift for tracking. He wasn’t fast enough and
before the night had barely begun she managed to find him. Somehow
he was able to fight himself free after she caught him and…and he
hid under a house…”

“My house!”

“Yes…” Herrik whispered. “You found him. I
saw you find him. I had so much of Daemon’s blood in me…it felt
like it was me lying there in the dust and dirt! I made him…I
forced him to accept your offer…I’m sorry. I never knew what it
would mean for you. I thought you would give him just enough…just
enough…but I had taken more from him than I imagined and Carah had
weakened him, too. He couldn’t stop. He didn’t stop!”

Herrik’s arms wrapped around me and he clung
to me full of grief and remorse. “I’m sorry, Emily! I stole your
life from you to save my son and now…I’ve forced you to love me
when I have done nothing to earn or be worthy of that
devotion!”

I closed my eyes and with all the surety I
could muster, “I wouldn’t change a thing, Herrik. I am sorry for
the way it all came about but I wouldn’t change it. I know in my
heart that everything had to happen this way or it wouldn’t have
happened at all. If I could go back and choose between you and the
life I might have had I would choose you. I would always choose
you.”

“How could you? How can you possibly forgive
me?”

“Forgive you for what? For loving your son?
For loving me? There is nothing to forgive!” I moved around him and
gathered his face in my hands then kissed him.

“You mean that don’t you?” his eyes were
full of hope as they met mine.

“You know I do!”

“I can never make it up to you but I promise
you that for however long we have I will do my best.”

“You already have; without even trying,” I
gazed down at him.

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

Herrik sighed as the tension between us
slipped away, “I don’t want to keep anything from you. I want you
to love me without all the doubts and reservations you would have
had if I kept the truth from you.” He paused for a short moment and
shook his head, “I didn’t mean to bring any of this up,” he smiled
weakly, “but I’m glad you know. I’m sorry if I’ve made a wreck of
our night.”

“No,” I squeezed him tight, “just sidelined
it for a bit,” I said. “Let’s clean up so we can make the most of
what’s left!” I tugged him to his feet.

Once we were done tidying up the kitchen we
found ourselves at a loss as to what to do. Neither one of us
wanted to leave the apartment and risk having our time together
interrupted by anyone we might meet. So we ruled out the garden and
common rooms. About the only thing we could agree on was that we
wanted to be close. After a few minutes of indecision we ended up
making our way to Herrik's living room and stretched out on one of
the sofas together.

We talked quietly for a good portion of the
night, mostly about ourselves, asking questions about books and
music and so forth. Herrik seemed eager to learn everything he
could and though I offered more than once to let him see for
himself he insisted on asking questions and hearing my answers out
loud.

Surprisingly there was quite a bit that we
didn't know about one another. Eventually the questions came slower
and slower and the answers less surprising. Then I started to think
about Daemon again.

"Is he your only family? I mean, I know you
have a brother. Did he ever marry and have children? Do you know
any of them?"

"I am aware of them and a handful of details,
but mostly no. I try to keep my distance. It's safer for all of us,
them and me, if I keep myself detached. It's hard but I know that
they are there and that they are well and I have to content myself
with that."

"Hmm," I stroked his arm, "I think I
understand. Sometimes I wonder about my family."

"Do you? I don't know many details but...well
here." Herrik edged closer to me and took my hands.

"Oh! Is that Evan? He's so tall and...and
handsome!" I said excitedly. Then Herrik shared a second image with
me. It was my mother and father. They were well dressed and
smiling. They looked as though they were ready to go out on a
date.

"Birthday party, actually," Herrik released
my hands. "That was about a year or so ago. I'm sorry I don't have
specifics. I've always tried to respect their privacy and aside
from someone catching a glimpse of them here or there, there's not
much I can tell you."

I wiped a tear or two from the corner of my
eye, "It's OK. I'm just happy...they looked so happy. Thank you for
letting me see," I kissed his cheek.

Herrik smiled, "You've never celebrated a
birthday here have you?"

"No, I never know what day it is or what
month or year. No one keeps track."

"I'll keep track and the next time your
birthday comes around we'll all help you celebrate."

It was a very exciting prospect. I couldn't
remember the last time I celebrated anything – Christmas or New
Year's or Easter or the Fourth of July.

"You've missed out on quite a bit haven't
you?"

"Yes. Well, no. Not really. I mean I've been
busy and too..."

"Isolated."

"Focused,” I corrected. “I haven't really had
a chance to think about it. And besides somehow you’ve always
managed to surprise me whenever I did feel like I needed more than
the compound had to offer. Every night that I've spent with you has
more than made up for what I've missed."

"I'm not so sure about that," then Herrik
went into a long list of the things he felt I had been deprived of.
"Oh, and dancing!" he added with a great deal of emphasis.

"Dancing?" I giggled nervously.

Herrik's expression brightened, "Ah,
dancing!" He sprung from the couch and disappeared. A moment later
he returned to the sensuous voice of a beautiful tenor.

I shook my head
no
but he held his
hand out to me insistently and begged me not to disappoint him.
"But I've never danced before! I can't. I don't know how," my voice
filled with panic.

"This will be easy. I promise," he smiled and
tugged me from my seat.

Herrik took my hands and moved us towards a
more open area of the living room. He drew me close and began
swaying gently back and forth to the rhythm of the music. One of
his arms was wrapped around my back and his hand was resting on my
hip. He held my fingers to his chest and brushed my knuckles with a
kiss.

"You see," he grinned down at me, "nothing to
it!"

He was right, of course, and it felt
wonderful standing so close and feeling him holding me confidently,
securely. It was a perfect moment when everything felt completely
right; the music, the lighting, the two of us. I laid my head
against his shoulder and let him lead me through a handful of
songs. I'm not sure how it happened but eventually his lips found
mine and before I knew it I had let go of the hand that was holding
mine and wrapping my arms around his neck lost myself in a kiss
that I never wanted to end.

It was so soft and beautiful and so full of
emotion that I nearly started to cry it made me so happy and feel
so fulfilled. Minutes later we pulled back and without a word
Herrik wrapped his fingers in mine and led us to the bedroom.

We carefully undressed and admired one
another while we covered each other's bare skin with feathery
kisses. Every touch was silky, delicate and beyond a mere act of
pleasure. We were committing ourselves to one another, making and
weaving an elaborate promise that our love was eternal,
transcendent and unbreakable. Herrik stepped away from our
discarded pile of clothes and reached out invitingly. Together we
made our way to the bed and with great solemnity made love to one
another. There was no urgency or unnecessary eagerness, every
second a precious sensation to be relished and enjoyed.

"I want to taste you," I whispered, "I want
to feel you flowing through my veins. I want you to be a part of
me."

Herrik eased himself to sitting and with
complete understanding ran his fingernail across his chest opening
an inch long gash. I caressed the wound with my lips and tongue
then he began moving again. He pulled me close and held me tight as
my body came to life. All my senses awakened to a fevered pitch as
his blood joined with mine and coaxed my body into a greater and
stronger yearning.

"Taste me," I clutched and begged while I
felt him full and rigid inside me.

I closed my eyes as he lowered his head and
wrapped his mouth around my neck. I felt the pull on my veins, on
my heart, on my soul and cried out at the glorious completion of
our union.

"Oh, Emily," I felt his breath in my ear. "I
love you."

"I love you, Herrik."

I nuzzled him as we flopped back onto the
pillows both of us exhausted and satiated. Eventually I fell asleep
laying there in the crook of his arm. Herrik must have too, it must
have been far later than either of us realized. I didn't expect to
spend the night at Herrik's apartment and assumed that we would go
back to mine before the night was over since it was comparatively
safer.

We had worn each other out though and ended
up sleeping peacefully through the night. Towards morning, however,
Herrik woke with a start. He was filled with trepidation and seemed
to know that something terrible was about to happen. It was utterly
quiet adding to the ominous feeling he had.

"Emily! Emily! Wake up! Wake up!" he shook me
roughly.

"What? What is it?" I slowly came to.

"We have to go! We have to go now!" he threw
himself out of the bed and began dressing.

"Herrik, calm down! What are you doing?"

I stood up and took his trembling hands.

"Don't you feel that? Don't you feel that?!"
he screamed. "They're coming! We need to get to the elevator before
it's too late!"

"Herrik, you need to calm down. Tell me
what's wrong. Who's coming?"

Herrik just stood there cocking his head and
looking at me in complete confusion.

"Please," he begged, tears streaming down his
cheeks.

Reluctantly I began to dress but as soon as I
put one pant leg on the bedroom door burst open and there was Carah
and an army of others. Carah seized me and someone else grasped
Herrik who was apparently too bewildered to make an effort to
escape.

"What's going on? What's this all about?" I
glanced over my shoulder at Carah.

Carah thrust me to one of the bystanders and
nodded to them to make sure they held me securely, "Don't
underestimate that one!" she scowled.

Carah moved forward and stood directly in
front of Herrik. She laid her hand on his shoulder and smiling
wickedly told him exactly why she was there.

"No," Herrik mouthed but the word never
escaped his lips.

He stood there lifeless and unbelieving for a
few short moments then recklessly tried to break free.

"Uh, uh!" Carah forced him to look my
way.

The man who held me had his teeth fully
exposed and resting against delicate skin along my neck. I looked
at Herrik imploringly but he knew there was nothing he could do
without any risk to me and against so many. Herrik let go of all
the fight that was in him. Carah flung herself at him and before I
realized what was happening drained him to the point where he could
no longer hold himself up without any support.

"Why?" Herrik whispered.

"Soon enough," Carah taunted.

"How?"

"Did I break your pledge?"

Someone began pushing their way through the
crowd, someone I had never met before or at least didn't recognize.
She was unlike any other vampire I had ever seen. There was no way
she could ever have been mistaken for anything other than
supernatural she looked so unreal, so unearthly. Her skin, her
eyes, her lips and hair all impossible shades and possessing so
much beauty they couldn't conceivably have belonged to a human.

I couldn't turn my gaze away as I watched her
approach, not until she was standing directly in front of Herrik.
When I turned from her to him I was stunned to see the look of
recognition that flashed in his eyes. There was something else
there, too; fear, an all-encompassing, deadly fear. Instantly I
knew who this strange vampire was.

"Hello Herrik," her voice was as beautiful as
she was. He nearly fainted away at the sound of it, weakened as he
was by what Carah had taken from him. It seemed to bring back all
the horrific memories of the night she stole his humanity from
him.

She turned to me, "You must be Emily," as she
reached her hand out the vampire that held me released his grip on
my arm and roughly shoved me towards her. I clenched my jaw and
stood my ground refusing to take part in the introduction.

Something flashed behind my eyes and a
brilliant pain spread from the back of my neck in a straight line
up my scalp to my forehead, to the bridge of my nose. I fell to my
knees in astonished agony and watched in amazement as a series of
red drops fell and spattered on the floor at her feet. I looked up
and she raised her brows and rolled her eyes at me
challengingly.

I glanced behind her to where Carah was
standing beside Herrik. Neither one would meet my eye. Herrik
looked shamefully away and it was impossible to get any sense from
him of what was and what had happened.

I helplessly turned my gaze back to the woman
before me and this time when she offered me her hand I reluctantly
took it. "Oh, God!" my mind cried out, "she can't be real!" She was
cold! So cold it...it burned.