I Must Be Dreaming (6 page)

             
We got dressed and headed back to the house. “So who would put out those missing signs?” I wanted to change the subject. “I don’t know, but you need to stay in the house from now on.”   “Here we go again, so I'm a prisoner now?”  “Izzy this is for your own good. Someone wants you bad and I can’t let that happen.”  “Well I think I can take care of myself and you for that matter.” He just gave me a look of don't go there and didn’t say anything else until we got home. I guess he was still deep in his thoughts. “Will you cover your neck for right now?” I felt my neck with my fingertips. “Yes but I need to know something. Do you regret what we did?”  “Yes, I should not have done that. I let my emotions get in the way. It was foolish of me to do that.” I heard my heart break into a thousand pieces. Even if it was a mistake he should have lied to me then. “Well don’t worry anymore. No one will know what we did.” I said it as calm as I could even though I was on the verge of tears. I opened the door to the cottage and walked through the living room and down the hall to my room without a word to anyone. I let myself fall down on the bed and started to cry. I had been through too much to lose the one person I felt at home with.                                                                                                                 I heard Jake come to the door. “Izzy can I come in?” I didn’t want him to see me this way. “NO! Jake go away. I don’t feel like talking to anyone at the moment.”   “I’m sorry Izzy; you don’t understand what I mean. I‘m not good with talking and saying the right things.” It was too late the damage had been done. I already knew how he truly felt. It was a mistake. “Please just go away.” I asked to save what pride I had left. After a few seconds I heard him walk away.                                                                                                                              I sat there feeling sorry for myself and thinking about what had just happened. I decided to get in the shower again; it always made me feel better, like washing all the hurt away. The hot water made always made it easier to clear my head and think. I started to undress. I looked down at the mark on my thigh. I rubbed over it thinking all this mess over a tiny mark. Stupid vampire rules. I looked at it a little closer and realized I’ve seen it before. My mother had the same mark on her leg as well. Hers didn’t look as deep as mine and it was almost distorted like it had been burned. Then it hit me. I saw the man’s face, it was still a little unclear but I could see him. He was very handsome. Dark features, with dark hair and eyes. His eyes…he did this to me. I know it, I could feel it. The mark on my thigh started to burn. I realized I was rubbing it so hard, hoping it would just go away.                                                                                                   All of a sudden I had a memory flash before my eyes. My mom looking at me smiling, Jake hugging me, even Karri hanging out with me in my bedroom. I remember Daymon but he didn’t go by that with my mom. He said his name was Hank. I remember the night he took me too. I was at the club with Jake and we got separated so I started to walk home and wait on Jake there. I remember some guys grabbing me and taking me to him…. he kidnapped me. He kept calling me mom’s name….. Cora. I have to go and find him. I was about to go tell Jake but I thought about what had happened with us. I can’t go to him until this is taken care of. I’m not going to be the damsel in distress no more! I looked at the door, can’t go out there. I decided to sneak out the window. Jake will hear me if I do though. I went to the dresser grabbed some clothes to put in my back pack and turned on the shower. It will be at least ten minutes before he knows I’m gone. I opened the window took one last look back at the room and jumped right out.                                                         I got as far away from the cottage as I could before I stopped. I knew I couldn’t stop to long. Jake was fast but the shower thing gave me a little bit of time. I headed back to the place Jake had found me in the woods. I started to talk out loud to the trees. “Come get me. I’m by myself. I want to see Daymon. Right NOW!!” A minute or two past. “I don’t have all day; they will start to look for me soon. IF you want to deal with Jake then be my guest and wait.” A foul fish and rotten garbage odor hit my nose, and a second later a man with blond hair and a long deep scar that looked like it didn’t heal right on his face came out of the trees. Then another that was short and stocky with darker hair that looked like it had not been brushed in weeks. Oh gross or his teeth! I don’t think either of them knew what a tooth brush was. “Are you going to fight us again?” The man with the blond hair and scar asked. “No, I just want to talk to Daymon.” I said with my head held high. “We need to blind fold you.” He was smiling the whole time as he talked to me with his black and rotten teeth showing, like he couldn’t wait to touch me. “Whatever just hurry up.” I didn’t want to look weak so I was trying to play it cool. He walked over to me, and tired to get a little rough with me. I guess trying to show me he was in charge but I knew he was just a pawn in this huge game. He pulled a red and black scarf out of his grimy pocket and put it around my eyes. Then he tied my hands behind me with another I couldn't see the color it. One of them got right in my ear, “that’s just for your protection love.“ Both men started to laugh. I started to think maybe this was not such a good idea but it was too late to go back now. One of them threw me up over his shoulders and we were gone.

FAMILY

              I know we had to be far away because we had been traveling for two hours now. I’m sure zig zagging so I wouldn’t know where we were. Joke was on them I wouldn't have known even if they went straight. Finally we stopped thank goodness. The blonde headed guy untied me and I took the scarf off my face. I could not believe my eyes, we were in a cave of some sort. It was lit by torches all down the walls. It did have a homey feel to it though. There were paintings on the walls of the cave. My mom had painted them I knew her work anywhere. She really did love to paint; I could see her doing it now.                                                                       “Thank you Caleb for bringing my daughter to me.” Said a smooth voice. And out of the shadows I saw the most handsome man in front of me. His dark blue eyes and a face that looked like the angels made themselves. Wait WHAT did he say? “That’s not possible.” I looked at him with questions. “You just became a full vampire by my hand, did you not? You have always had my blood in you." I looked at him as if to say and. "You also have my birth mark.” He sounded annoyed that he had to explain more. “What birth mark?”  “The mark on your thigh.” He pointed toward my upper thigh. “That’s a birth mark?” A wave of relief washed over me. “It’s the mark of royalty my child. Did your mother tell you nothing?” I ignored the question about my mother. “Why did you bit me there?” I point to my thigh while looking at him with anger. A father would never have done that to his child! “I could not have just anyone claim my daughter.” He said that as if I should be thanking him. “I’m not yours to claim and someone has already marked me.” His eyes shot up when I said that last part. I wanted to smear that in his smug face. “That is not possible. No one would have marked you if they thought you were already marked.” I lifted my hair to show him the mark Jake left. It was in the shape of a diamond and right now it was burning bright on my skin. His eyes turned from there beautiful blue to furry red! “How could you let someone do this?” He stood up while yelling, he was enraged with me. “I wanted him to, unlike what you did to me.” There was a quick moment of confusion on his face. “As soon as Victor finds out what you have done you are dead.” I smiled at him but he smoothed his self back out walked over to me. “Victor would not and cannot touch me. I’m his brother by blood, just like I am your father. We are family.” When he said that I saw a hint of evil in his eyes along with his fangs. “NO, we are not. You killed my mother you bastard. You are nothing to me.” I wanted to kill him right then and my body tensed reacting to my emotions. “Why are you girls so dramatic. She kept you from me.” He said it as if that explained it all. “Obviously for a good reason.” He ignored me and kept on talking. “I still love her and you.” He touched the side of my face very lightly almost like he didn’t want to touch me but wanted to show me affection. I couldn’t tell if he meant those words or if he was just plain nuts. He did look a little crazy in his eyes.                “When I found her again and saw you for the first time I knew you were mine.” He said with a bit of cockiness. “Does Victor know any of this?”  “He knows I drained Cora, for what reason, no. I told him it was an accident. Which is not a lie, I was just going to turn her so she would have no choice but to bring you to me. I found out she was going to leave with you again. I could not have that.” He was circling me as he talked. “So you just killed her!”  “No, please stop being so dramatic.” He acted like my words hurt his head. “I just started the ritual but she wouldn’t drink my blood, she died at her own will.” He shrugged his shoulders and was so causal about it. It made me hate him more. She died for me not to know him and I understood why. He is a vile creature and I wish I never met him. “That’s because she did not want this for me. That’s what a mother or father would have wanted for a child they truly loved. You did not love her or you would not have let her die. You just wanted control over her and now me!” I said it with as much rage as I was feeling. “Do not test me child.”  He was showing his fangs, which by the way were longer than I’ve ever seen on anyone not to mention scary. I mean I have fangs but his made mine look like a puppy. “I want no part of you in my life.”  “You have no choice now.” he laughed. “So are you just going to keep me here in this cave for all eternity?” I spread my arms out looking around the cave. “No. I plan on going to Victor. Once he see’s reason we can come out of hiding. It will be great. We will be the most powerful royal vampire family.”  “Great plan but I don’t want to be your little family!” I sounded like a teenager testing her parents. “You have a tongue like your mother’s. That will get you killed. I have no problems with that.” He said staring into me and I swear I could feel his power. Like waves, one after another crashing against my skin and sinking deep into my soul. “I love you too dad!”  I’m not sure if it was nervous or guts but for some reason I could not stop myself. I was losing control of myself and so was he.                                                         He seemed to almost fly at me and before I blinked he was in my face choking me. “I said watch your tongue child.” His eyes were red and his fangs nicked my neck. It was the scariest thing I had ever been through. He was not some damn vampire crony he was the head crony, the king behind the pawns and I was in his clutches.                                           After a moment he loosened up on his grip. “I do not want to hurt you, so don’t make me.”  I just stared at him, mainly because I could not speak from him choking me so hard. I think he broke my vocal cords. I could feel it coming back together as I stood there. “Good girl. Now that that’s settled I need to go to Victor. Whoever marked you will die. They are not supposed to touch you. You are a Royal and your place is not with these low life’s.” My throat hurt but I had to stop him.  “NO! You can’t tell me who not to be with. You did not claim me; that thing is a birth mark and if you go to Victor he will know this.” My voice was still scratchy and low from not being healed completely. “I still cannot have someone claim you. I have big plans for you.”  Before I could ask what, Victor, Jake, and the two body guards walked up. “Daymon what have you done?” Victor asked almost ashamed. “I have done nothing; the girl came on her own.” He winked at me then waved his hand in the air like I was nothing. “Is this true Izzy?”  “Yes Victor but that’s because I remember what happened. He did this to me.” I pointed at him. Daymon started to hiss at me. “Daymon, I’m so sorry I have no choice but to kill you.” You could tell Victor was sorry; he truly loved his monster of a brother. Maybe he
felt like it was his fault I don’t know but it was kind of sad. “Wait! That’s not all Victor. Daymon is my father and not like he made me father, my biological father. I think.” Victor and everyone else looked at me like I had lost my mind. Victor came so close to me we were nose to nose again. “How can this be? This is not possible.” He looked back at Daymon. “Is this true Daymon?” Daymon sat there for a minute before responding. “Yes, but I did not know this until recently. I would not have believed it unless I saw her with my own eyes. She looks like her mother but has my eyes and the royal birth mark.” Victor was looking from me to Daymon, I think in shock. “Why did you leave her? Jake jumped in.” They talked as if I was not standing here. “I didn’t she ran off. I can only assume she was looking for you.” Daymon said while sizing Jake up. “You also must have been the one to mark her.” Victor looked like he was in a daze. Too much information in such a short time. Daymon walked over to Jake and started circling him as he talked. “Do you love my daughter?”  “Yes.” I could tell this was not good. He just tried to hurt me and I didn’t want him to hurt Jake. He didn’t value his life like I did. “Then why did you let her come here alone?”  “I did not, she ran away as well.” Jake looked down then at me. “She seems to do that a lot.” Daymon said still looking Jake up and down. “I can feel she loves you also.” “Why did you erase her memory?” Jake was asking with authority this time. “I did nothing of the sort. She just needed some time. Her brain to reboot if you will. I knew she would come around when she was ready.” Victor finally spoke up. “We will have to go before the council. This is out of my control now. Too much is at stake Daymon.”  “Victor you know as well as I do Zadok has hated me for centuries. He will want me dead the moment he sees me. “You have gone too far this time Daymon. I cannot fix your mess anymore, you should have left her alone.” I could hear the hurt in Victor’s voice. He sounded defeated. “The council will say your fate.” I think for a split second Victor had a tear, but his face went to stone quickly. “Can I come?” I asked. Everyone turned and looked at me as if they forgot I was even there. “You will need to be there. They will want to hear what you have to say.” Victor’s face and voice stayed neutral. Like he was afraid he would show weakness if he let himself feel. “You will need to pack; it’s a long journey to the city of lights.”  Victor walked over to Daymon and put him in chains that seem to have a bluish glow to them. Jake responded before I could ask, “they have a spell on them. He cannot escape those this time.” I looked at Jake with worry, fear and excitement.