Valley of Dust (3 page)

L
UCIEN WAS WAITING for Anton’s return. He was sitting in dread wondering if she was healed or if there was any problems. He had already informed his police unit to be aware of the situation regarding Selene and Anton. He hoped they would take over the case when necessary. This case would not be solved. It would never be solved; after all, his brother had been the one to leave such a messy kill and he had to clean up after him. The council would be angry with Anton’s clumsiness; however, he knew they would never react against Anton. Lucian wished Anton would realize how much strain he put on the council, but he knew it was wishful thinking. Carla had just rang him; he knew it meant Anton had returned. He told her to let him in.

“Anton, is she healed yet?” Lucian spoke. “Yes, Lucian, Selene has the gift. She is, as you expected, a live strigoi,” Anton said. This was great news. He dreaded the thought of anything happening to her even if he was wrong and she was not a live strigoi. Lucian wanted to heal Selene’s pain, or at least help her overcome her obstacles. He knew, however, she was one who tried to do everything for herself. If only he didn’t have to be in charge of the strigoi. He knew that if he was free he could be by her side protecting her and finally be able to pursue her as he had always wanted. As for now, he left the guard duty to Anton, his brother whom he trusted. He had always been there for his brother, and he put his faith into helping him protect Selene. The one thing Lucian worried about was Anton lacking compassion and humanity. Lucian had gained his humanity and compassion back when he was cursed by the Gypsies. The very curse Anton would have received if not for Lucian stepping in to take the blame. If Selene had been human, he knew Anton would have killed her, but he knew for sure she was a live strigoi and those were rare and almost impossible to kill. Live strigoi born from humans were extremely rare and very powerful. They needed protection from themselves until they realized who they were.

Lucian just hoped Anton would only protect Selene and not try to force his ideals on her, especially on how strigois should rule the world. He shuddered at the thought, but he knew Selene could not be Anton’s puppet; she had grown into a fine woman. Maybe not one for mortal society, but she was strong willed for the strigoi. He hoped Anton would not try to seduce her to get her to see his views, but he had to put his trust in his brother. He hoped Anton had learned how good he had it. Lucian had protected his brother from the curse and the vengeance of the Gypsies. The curse had given Lucian back the human personality he had lost and much more, but he wondered if it at all affected his brother. Anton knew the pain Lucian went through for him. Now he hoped he could trust him with his heart. Lucian was a very forgiving person to a point. The council and Anton knew once that point had been crossed there was no return. His team of police agents all over the world kept an eye mainly on the undead strigoi. The undead strigoi lost most of themselves after they passed on and became an undead. Unlike the live strigoi, the undead ones were brought back to life frozen in the time of their death. They would never be as powerful as the live strigoi and had many weaknesses. Gypsies could easily get rid of a few undead strigoi, that’s why Lucian had always tried to keep the strigoi out of society and live in the shadows. The undead strigoi were sick and vile to him. Well, most of them were; there were always a few exceptions. The thought of creating one repulsed him. What made him resent the undead more than anything was having to be in charge of them all. Punishing those with death for revealing their secrets and praising the loyal ones who kept in check. He wished many times he could give up this life and live a normal one with Selene, even if it was a short mortal life, but it was an impossible dream. Without Lucian, the undead strigoi would run rampant, feeding on humans until there were none left for them to consume. They would not only destroy themselves but the entire human race. He had to keep them in check to keep everything balanced. How he hated the lot of them.

I
WOKE UP TO the nurse removing my IV. It was the worst way to wake up, and I was quite annoyed that she could not at least warn me. The smell of the sterile alcohol pads were more pronounced than usual, which made my stomach queasy. She had handed me my discharge papers, making sure to explain everything so she would have no liability. I finally finished listening to the nurse’s medical jargon and was allowed to sign the papers for my release. The thought of leaving this place brought tears of joy to my heart. Then I realized I had no money with me. My tracksuit was no longer blood soaked but a somewhat clean one. All I had on me was a dead cell phone and the keys to my apartment. This was great: ten miles from my apartment, and it was almost night.
That hospital was so kind
, I thought as I laughed. I decided to use the bus stop; maybe they would feel guilty for me and let me hitch a ride. I knew it wasn’t that far of a walk. It had definitely gotten cold out. As I was walking, I wished I didn’t have to wear this mentally stained tracksuit, but it was better than the alternative: wearing a hospital robe out in public. The walk was a lonely one. I wished that my family didn’t hate me so much. I even had secretly hoped that maybe one of them would show up.
A two-hour drive isn’t that far
, I thought,
to see someone you gave life to
. Sadly I was mistaken and realized their lives were too important to take care of their runaway. I knew I was alone in this world, and the only person I could depend on was myself. No one else can make you happy; you have to achieve that with hard work and determination. I knew that’s what I had to do.

When I got to the bus stop, I realized I was not alone. There was a man in a hood sitting on the bench, hopefully waiting for the bus. The thought of the previous ordeal with the last male I had met with had me timid. I decided it would be best to not chance it and head back to the hospital. There maybe I could wait until I could get a ride. Then I thought maybe I should demand a cab; how dare they let a patient leave without trying to find a ride for her. Right when I was turning around to go back to the hospital, I found the hooded man in front of me. “Shit!” I screamed. “I am sorry, Selene, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was waiting for you,” he spoke and then proceeded to take his hood off. I cringed thinking something would happen, but when I looked up, it was the man from the hospital, the one who had brought me to the outdoor garden. Damn, he wasn’t a dream. This was becoming too unreal for me. I must have been hyperventilating, because within seconds everything went black.

“Selene, wake up, are you okay?” he spoke. His words sent shivers down my spine. The settings looked familiar as I was coming to; it was my apartment. I was in my bed, and he was applying a wet towel to my face. I shot up at this unexpected stranger in my home. “Who the hell are you? How in the world do you know where I live?” He was laughing at me. The nerve of this man! Then he explained everything that happened, which made sense; apparently I had passed out. He told me that all I had on me was my keys, a dead cell phone, and my discharge papers. The discharge papers had my address on them, and that’s when he decided to take me home. It seemed simple enough, but still my hairs on my back were on edge. I knew the panic attack I must have had earlier was not helping with my current anxiety. I was glad though that I was in my house and not his; it would have been quite the fright if I found myself in unknown surroundings with a strange man. Again I thought my luck was that of a victim on one of my favorite crime shows. I knew from today forward I would be carrying pepper spray, and I planned on using it. Looking at him, I could see he sensed the tension in the room. You would be blind if you couldn’t. It was thick and very uncomfortable. My body had become extremely stiff, and I knew at any moment I might have more anxiety coming my way. I knew I couldn’t let my guard down, no matter how handsome this man was. Then he said something that I never thought would be uttered out of those lips. “Look, Selene, here is my card. My name is Anton, and my number is on the card. If you ever need anything, just ask. I will leave you now, and I am very sorry for the misunderstanding.” Right after that he was gone. I was speechless. I did not want him to stay, but for some reason it was odd to see him go.

After the shock was gone, I knew I had to call my boss. I was dreading this, but I was hoping I still had a job. To my shock, I had made the papers even though I never met a reporter. My boss was very kind and offered his condolences for what happened to me. That’s when I decided I needed to get my mind off everything. I asked if I could work tonight. He was a bit shocked, but he said the clients and everyone would love to see me back. I got my uniform on: black pants and a halter top. I took my purse and jacket this time and trashed that disgusting tracksuit I had to wear back home. There were too many memories in that outfit. I would have to buy myself a new one and pray that it never gets soaked in blood.

When I got to work, I was relieved to find my anxiety gone. This is what I needed; I needed distraction, and bartending was just that. This was my passion, and I dressed my drinks with art. I loved seeing the people’s face as I made my specialty drinks and decorated them. The feel of seeing the people marvel at how I layered their shots made my day. This was one way to release my art to the public even though it only lasted till they drank it; the amazement from their faces etched into me for a lifetime. I may work for a hole-in-a-wall bar, but once I started working there, it became more lively. Maybe that was why the owner was always so flexible with me. He gave me all the hours I needed, and I poured my heart and soul into this place. After one year of working here, it had become so busy sometimes I would be able to pay rent in a night. Sadly, tuition was another story; almost all my money went to paying for classes and material. I knew at the rate I was going it would be five years before I would get my degree. The only thing that made sense and kept me going was that I knew I would be finished debt free. I had once thought of a loan, but my family was always against helping me. It had always been like that. I was the black sheep after all. An artist in the family was an embarrassment, but not to me. I was proud of what I wanted to become, and I would never be a puppet to them or anyone else.

Work had gone by in a breeze, and before I knew it I was at home. The night felt young, but I had learned my lesson to not go jogging at night so late. I shook at the thought of all that happened to me that night the rapist attacked me. That’s when I decided to work on my art; it always took my mind off things. I took out my easel and started sketching. I started to draw the man of my dreams. The man who brought comfort when I had none. That dark-haired man with gorgeous blue eyes. From what I remembered, his eyes reminded me of earth, deep blue with speckles of green. He was as perfect as I remembered him. I wish I knew more, but sadly all I had was a brief moment with him to capture his features. I wished he existed; I wanted to learn more. Sadly I knew it would never happen; he was just a dream. That’s when I glanced over the table and saw Anton’s card. I was sure I had at least seen him twice, but it felt like I had seen him before the hospital. I decided to do a painting of him. From what I saw both nights, it would be quite easy to paint him, unlike my dream guy. He was tall, average build with long moonlike hair. He also had wonderful almond-colored eyes. His look reminded me of someone from Europe, I couldn’t figure where from. I drew him with such ease, and the paint glided over his hair and then his skin. I decided to paint the background dark since there was still a mystery about him. The only light I put in the picture was from the moon to show the silver color of his long flowing hair. I started to yawn, then realized it was eight in the morning. Time went by so fast when I painted I never realized how quick till I finished a piece of work. Thank goodness I didn’t have to work tomorrow and had enough to cover rent. I slept peacefully that morning; it felt wonderful.

I must have had a good sleep because when I awoke ten hours had passed by. I was famished. I took a glass of milk since that was all that was in my fridge and decided I deserved to go out and eat today. All I had since the incident was hospital food, and thinking of that food made my stomach cringe. I looked down on my counter and saw Anton’s phone number. I wondered if he would like to join me for dinner since he had helped me so much. He did bring me safely home, and I never had a chance to say thank you. I knew my attitude to him was quite rude that night. It was just that not many people would help someone out like that these days. I decided to hell with it and dialed Anton’s number. It only took one ring and he answered my call. It felt like he was waiting for my call, but I knew he couldn’t possibly be. “Hello, who is this?” he said. I gasped, “Um, this is Selene. I was wondering if you were available for dinner tonight, say eight? If not I could…” Before I could finish the sentence, he spoke, “Eight it is, I will see you then.”
Crap
, I thought,
I really did it and he said yes. This was crazy
. Well, I might as well get dressed. Showering and dressing casual was what I had always done, so there’s no point in dressing any different. I hoped that he didn’t come dressed up. Eight had come faster than I thought, and before I knew it the doorbell rang. It was Anton. When I saw what he was wearing, my jaw dropped. This was not what I was expecting. He was dressed quite nicely. He had on designer clothes, wearing a pair of black slacks and a buttoned-up white-colored shirt. “Oh my gosh, come in; sit here. I’ll be ready in just a second. I didn’t want my dress to wrinkle,” I lied. I left him alone in the living room and ran to my closet to find something more fancy than I had on. That’s when I saw it: a beautiful blue kimono dress I had bought from Bebe. I never had worn the dress, but I knew this was a perfect occasion. It was a little too revealing for a first date, but I didn’t have any other choice, so I threw it on. I ran to my mirror, dabbed some gloss on my lips, and hastily put on my mascara.
There,
I thought, at least I would look somewhat decent standing next to him. When I got out of my room, I was shocked to see he was looking at my sketch book. That was like a diary to me and very personal. “Hey, Anton, what are you doing?” I said. “Oh, I am sorry. I saw this book and was interested.” He then pointed to the sketch of my dream guy. “Did this guy model for you?” “No, Anton, he did not. I like to draw people from memory that look interesting.” He laughed and then I saw he was staring at the painting I did of him last night. “Do you find me interesting, Selene?” That’s when I knew it was time to switch topics. “Anton, what would you like to eat? I am starving.” He smiled and let me know it was up to me. I decided we should go to a club that served dinner. The Grind was a fantastic club, and I decided I would drive us since I was still nervous about being alone with a guy. I was glad I was quick enough to deflect his question, but I was extremely embarrassed at what had occurred. The club I chose was a VIP club. I hoped we could get in even though we had no reservations. This club was always packed, and I knew why it was a club of dreams. There were three floors and a rooftop full of spectacular modern furniture and art. The music wasn’t that bad either. When we arrived, Anton gestured at the door man and we skipped the long line. My stomach was very thankful, and I was speechless. We had got in on a Friday night and had seats in under ten minutes. This was insane; what was happening? Maybe my luck was finally looking up for a change. This was a night that felt out of this world. He literally swept me off my feet. The food was fantastic, the drinks were just how I liked them, and before I knew it we were on the dance floor dancing the night away. When the club was closing down, I knew we would need a cab because there was no way either of us could drive in our condition.

The cabs were always right on time when clubs closed. I got one in under five minutes, and we were heading back to my place. So many sensations were going through my body. Part of it was the alcohol, but another part was the feeling of being alive, especially after my near-death experience with that rapist. Anton was a smooth talker. He had a way that made me feel beautiful and sexy in merely a sentence. The best part was he didn’t find me strange, like so many other people had. When we got to my door, he leaned in to kiss me. The kiss was simply perfect and I wanted more, and by the looks of him he felt the same way. Before I knew it we were throwing off our clothes and running to the bedroom passionately kissing. I was scared at first that it would hurt since he was my first, but the alcohol had dimmed all of my senses; the sensation was nothing but bliss. We both collapsed on each other in ecstasy; it was a wonderful feeling. I slept well that night wrapped in his arms.

I woke up at noon to the smell of coffee in the air. When I looked up, I saw Anton dressed with two cups of Starbucks coffee. He smiled at me when I glanced his way for the coffee. “You slept well,” he laughed. “Yeah, sorry about that, Anton. I tend to be a late sleeper. It’s a habit of bartenders,” I remarked in embarrassment. I could not believe what I had done last night. Part of me felt ashamed at how easy I came across. I was naked now in what must be soiled sheets from a passionate, drunk one-night stand. Right in front of me was the man I had done the drunken deed with. “Are you feeling well?” he asked. I knew my face was readable, but I wished it wasn’t at this moment. “Yes, I am fine, I just need to freshen up, excuse me.” That’s when I wrapped the sheets around me and dashed to my bathroom. I knew I had left some pajamas in here somewhere, and that’s when I saw it, the clothes I was going to wear before Anton had shown up all dressed up. I snatched them quickly and threw them on. I graciously took the coffee from him and smiled. “Selene, do you have to work this week?” he asked. “I work next weekend and I pick up days when I need the money, but I have a few days off till I work next. Why do you ask?” I said. “Oh nothing, just making sure you’re free.” Anton winked at me. I blushed fiercely at this gesture of his, and he laughed while we drank our coffee.