Longest Days (The Firsts) (14 page)

He had to.   One thing he knew.  He would never survive it.  He’d hurt her once, no redemption possible for that.  And now he would hurt her again.   She would never forgive herself for making love with the man who killed her. 

He thought he might pass out.   He wished he could make himself disappear from her life like she could make herself disappear from his.  He couldn’t. 
Karma, you mother-fucking son-of-a-bitch, to do this to her!

She was speaking.  He couldn’t hear her.   He couldn’t focus on her.   At one point he realized he was clutching the jacket.   Then her voice filtered through.

“Daniel, are you alright?    I can sense your pain.  Please, are you okay?”  Eillia touched him and eased him some, enough for him to look at her again.   He had shut down and she didn’t know why. 

It was okay.  Maybe the vampire stuff was too much for him.   Maybe he was overwhelmed.  She could fix that.   It was going to happen tonight anyway.   For his peace of mind.  For hers.  So she could leave with a clear conscience.   So she could leave at all.

“Look at me, Daniel.”  He did, under her influence already.  His eyes were watery but untroubled now.  “You are such a lovely surprise, Daniel.  I wish I could keep you.  I can’t.  You deserve a normal life.  A good life.  A family.  I know you need to heal from your loss, but you will.  Keep yourself open.  A wonderful, lucky woman is out there for you.  I wish it could be me.  I will never forget a moment of our time together.   Maybe someday I can come back.  I don’t know.  That’s the one thing I cannot do.  I can’t tell what will happen tomorrow.  So, please sleep until you hear me say awaken Daniel.” 

He fell back against the cushion.  She slipped off the couch and grabbed their parkas.  With vampire speed, she dressed him, put him in the truck and drove him back to the Wooly Bully.  She’d left the flak jacket on the couch.  It wasn’t a good idea to leave it with him anyway.  She’d take it home to her villa in Paris and leave it in a trunk, tucked away and forgotten until the day she could look at it again.  At the bar, she told him what she wanted him to know, then wiped his memory of her.  Once again.

As she drove away, her heart heavy and tears in her eyes, she knew it was the best choice.  And she was finally going home this week.  She’d wrap up her life here, quit the job, wish Starla the best life, and go back to France.  Get rid of everything that would remind her daily of Hamid.   Keep the sweetest memories, but let them slide to a part of her mind that stored the things that were gone.   It was a survival mechanism necessary when you lived a long time.  There were always losses.   For an immortal, a death could leave endless years ahead missing someone once dearly loved.  First bloods were
very
passionate.  Eillia thought of Koen, the closest of friends, a first blood who had so many losses over the past ten years, she knew last year he had been ready to end his life.   On the very day he’d made the final decision, he’d found a daughter he thought he’d lost forever.  Thankfully, it proved he was not finished with his long life.   She hoped this past year had gone wonderfully for them.   And that she would see them soon.  

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The compelled pilot landed the small plane smoothly on the cleared runway at the Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport in Barrow, Alaska.  It was where Tamesine felt her “lost” first blood was located.

Tamesine squealed, Alvin winced, and the pilot turned to his unexpected passengers.

“It’s frigid out there.  You’ll need a vehicle to take you where you’re going.”

“We won’t need one.  Our target is here in this city.”

Tamesine sighed.  “I don’t think so, Alv.  We’re close, but not that close.”  She tapped the pilot on the shoulder.

“Is there another city nearby?”

“Only one.  Wilkes-Barre.  Just south and east of here.   Not too many people there.  It was set up as a remote weather research station for a European agency about twenty years ago.  The guy that excavated the area named it after his hometown in Pennsylvania and it stuck.  Only place around with a bar that serves alcohol.   Makes it popular for visitors.”

Closing her eyes, Tamesine was as still as stone for about five minutes.  A few moments later she opened them lazily.  “That has to be it.   She isn’t here in this town.”

“Okay, then.  We go to Wilkes-Barre.”

It was
fucking
cold up here.  Alvin hated the cold.  Which is why he had never lived north of Georgia.  It showed his dedication that he was here in the polar north with a super-powerful,
much
less than stable ubervamp.  But he was excited about this execution.  If it was the last thing he ever did he would send his message to the vampire community that they were abominations.  He admitted he himself had been vampire for about fifty years and that he was a monster too.  The difference was that he admitted it.   Whoever thought it was natural to drink blood was crazy.  Alvin meant that this message would be loud and clear to vampires all over the world.  And then he would find a way to kill this gorgeous and psychotic first blood, too.  Although that might be the most difficult thing he’d ever done.

He smiled disarmingly at Tamesine.  “We’ll need a car.”

Alvin instructed the pilot to wait in readiness for their return so he could fly them out of this frozen waste as soon as they accomplished their mission.  After arranging transportation, they headed for the second least likely city they would have expected a first blood vampire to have chosen to live.

Daniel’s dreams had intensified again lately.  He didn’t know why.  But now they were of the assault itself, not of the woman he’d held in his arms in death.

That night in late September, the mission had seemed wrong from the beginning.  The promise that only drug dealers would be present in the compound.  He never hurt children, tried not to hurt women.  An old code of ethics that got lost this time.  No return.  It had been done, the bad guys had died. So had his team.  And her.

Even after a year, he still felt he belonged in this land of constant darkness.  His goal through this past year was just that…to get through the year and do no more harm.  So far, he was succeeding. 
They could sell
tickets…Daniel trying to be a good guy
.  Someday, maybe, he could have a life again.  

Not today.

He upended the shot glass and closed his eyes to acknowledge the pleasure of the buzz, a dizziness to remind him it was time to go home.  He glanced at his buddies, playing pool and arguing.  The usual.  And poured another shot.  Not yet.

The Joeys called him to the table, each slamming a shot glass down.

“Hey, Whiskey.  Get over here.  Teach this fishface how to play the game
.
”
  Whiskey
.  Not a great nickname, but well-earned.   Daniel stood, wavering a little.  Shit, really needed to stop this.  Needed to go home and sleep it off.  He glanced at his two buddies who were waiting, the pool cue held out to him.  The fucking dreams could wait.

“Why the hell would anyone live in such a godforsaken land?   Especially a powerful vampire who sure the hell doesn’t have to!”  Alvin was horrified by the amount of snow they’d encountered just trying to get this tiny town in icefuck Alaska.  “You’re right, Tamesine.  There has to be something seriously wrong with her.”

“I don’t know.  I think it’s charming.  It’s refreshing.  And so pretty.  And dark all day this time of year.  But you’re right.  It’s ridiculously cold and I can’t imagine choosing here over someplace just as beautiful without the long summers, the vicious winds, and polar bears.  Whatever her deal, I can’t wait to get to her.  I tell you, Alv, had a blast torturing David.  He’s the one I played with for thirty years.   A little torture, big deal.  Especially when he was so mean to me.”  She sighed as she watched Alvin dealing with the heavy snow and the four wheel drive.  He wasn’t a very good driver. “I hope she’s nice to me.  I’d like to play with her.  Before we have to kill her.  It shouldn’t be long now.”

“Good.  I’m starving.  I just hope there are a few nice choices there.”

“Oh, Alvey.  You’re not paying attention.  I just told you I want to play with the first blood.  It means she isn’t sacred to me.  It means I’m going to let you drink from her.  Do you see what I mean?”

Alvin had wondered.  He’d been afraid to ask.  “If I drink from a first blood vampire would it change me?  Would I become more powerful?”

Tamesine nodded.  “It will make you more powerful.  No, it won’t change you.  Not like us.  Not like a first blood.  That isn’t possible.  But you will be much stronger and faster than average vamps.  At least while you’re drinking.  When you stop, in a few days, you’ll be back to your original vampire strengths.  Sorry.  But until we kill her, she’ll be all yours to feed on.”

And there it went.  It seemed these days his cock was attached to his brain.    Anytime anything got him excited, up it went.  The idea of gaining more power and speed was exhilarating.  The idea of feeding on a first blood almost made him blow right here.  He couldn’t imagine anything that would be more exciting.  Even sex.  He wondered.   What would it be like to drink from her and fuck her?   Aw, hell.  He was definitely going to come.  He just had to keep the damn car on the road.

It was her last night at the Blue Star before she contacted Koen and let him know she was alive.  And coming home.   Starla was early and when Eillia came into the back room, she looked up with teary eyes.

“I can’t believe this is the last time we ever work together.”

Eillia felt moisture spring up in her own eyes, and knew they were probably glowing some since strong emotions tended to do that.

“I know, sweetie.  I’m going to miss you so much.  But I have to go.  It’s time.  My family has been missing me, too.”

“Yeah.  Yeah, I get it. I just wish I could go with you.”

That certainly couldn’t happen.   Starla had no idea what Eillia was.  Or about her world.  And it should remain so.

“I would take you with me, I swear, if I could.  But you realize the reason I was here in this isolated town is that my life is very complicated right now.  I promise I won’t forget you.  And I’ll come back some time to visit.  I want to see how this Swiss boy works out for you.”

“If it does, I might be on your side of the world.  You said you had a home in Paris?”

Had she?  Eillia couldn’t remember disclosing that.  Well, she did not know her real name, so she’d never find her anyway.  She could compel Starla to forget about her completely, but she decided not to.  Their friendship had been real and she knew Starla’s confidence had been heightened by their connection.  Eillia wouldn’t do anything to harm her friend.

“Remember last month when I made my lemon tarts for Christmas?  You loved them.  I still can’t believe you ate a dozen of them!”

Vampire metabolism.   Eillia smiled.

“Well, I made you some as a going away gift.”

“How kind.  You are such a lovely person, Starla.  I hope all your dreams come true.  No one deserves it more.  Just remember, don’t ever compromise.  Don’t stop until your life is as wonderful as it should be.  You promise?”

Starla hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear.  “I promise.”

They had a lot of diners tonight.  Apparently it had gotten around that Eillia was leaving and many of her dedicated customers were there.  She smiled as she accepted order after order for “Lia’s” special dishes. 

Partway through the night, juggling several orders on the grill, she looked up.  She had an intense feeling in her chest.  Something…what was it?  She didn’t know.  Then…vampire.  There was a vampire near.  She peeked out into the dining room.

Her eyes scanned the room.  She recognized everyone.  Then the door opened to frigid air and two people came in shaking their boots free of snow.   When they pulled their headgear off and looked around the crowded diner, Eillia did not recognize them.   But she knew they were vampire.

More.  Because this near to her, even Tamesine couldn’t mask her life force.  She was first blood.  Eillia pulled back into the kitchen.  An unknown first blood.  And Eillia knew.   She had a strong sense of it.  This was not good.  They were not here for honorable reasons.

She fell to her knees behind the grill as a feeling suddenly assaulted her.   The first blood was sending her a message.  She received it.  Telepathically, the vampire sent a three word message.

I GOT YOU
.

Eillia panicked.  What the fuck?  What did that mean?  She could do nothing here in the Blue Star with so many humans around.  So many friends.  She wouldn’t let the vampires hurt them.  But this was bad.

She knew she had to send for help.  Consciously, she grabbed her spirit amulet and concentrated.  She unmasked her life force.  She could feel it spilling out of her and onto the wind.  Koen would read her now.  And Park.  And all of her first blood kin.  She grabbed Starla’s cell phone that lay on the counter.

Half a world away, Koen woke, startled.  What?!   He was shocked.  Eillia.  He could feel her.  Eillia, gone for a year.  Presumed dead.  Eillia’s life force, strong.  She was alive!  He rubbed his eyes and sat up in the darkened room. 
Eillia?

Somewhere a cell phone rang and he had to focus to realize what it was, he was so blindsided by feeling Eillia’s life force.  He reached for it absentmindedly, and said a distracted, “
Oui?
”

“Koen, my darling, it’s me.”  She spoke English, but it was a voice that he thought he would never hear again in this life. 
Eillia.  Dead since last year
.  Although, apparently not.  He fell back against the headboard of his bed.

“Eillia,” he whispered.  “What happened?  How are you…where are you…I thought you were gone forever.”