Wrenching Fate (7 page)

“Lord McNaught, do I have your permission to start business in your territory?” the vampire repeated.

Silas had to fight to keep his attention on the petitioner, anxious to get his first glimpse of Akasha’s friends before they arrived here for the evening. He regretted setting this appointment, but his responsibilities as Lord of the City couldn’t be ignored without dire consequences. Every vampire wanting to reside in his territory must be completely checked out and Silas had to make his rules clear at the offset. Punishments must be doled out immediately to those who disobeyed, for if he lost control there were plenty of other powerful vampires who wouldn’t hesitate to swoop down and snatch this city for themselves.

“I do think a doctor would be useful here. Greenbriar, was it?” Silas finally replied.

T
he doctor nodded. “Yes, my lord. Please, call me Jonathon.”

“And your former Lord is fine with your leaving?”

“Not only do I have her writ of permission,” the vampire reached into his breast pocket, “but she also included a letter of recommendation.”

Silas read both impatiently. “Very well, Jonathon.” He handed him a packet of papers.
“Here’s your contract of residence with the laws of my territory, my listings of properties for rent and my loan information if you need funds to get a start. I’ll see you tomorrow when you’ve read and signed everything. I apologize, but I must conclude this interview. I have another pressing matter to see to.”

The minute Jonathon was out the door Silas went outside and opened his mind to the Mark between him and Akasha. As he got into the car
, he felt her a few miles southeast.

He was on a dirt roa
d past the lake and near the Fernan Saddle when he saw the light of the bonfire and heard the music. Silas pulled over and walked the rest of the way, not wanting to be seen. As he drew closer to the party, he sensed the presence of something not human …and not vampire either. It could be none other than the daughter of Mephistopheles. McNaught peered through the trees and saw a mass of young people indulging in drunken debauchery that he hadn’t enjoyed for five centuries. Two boys held the legs of another as he drank from a keg upside down. Silas chuckled, remembering doing just that from a barrel of ale.

His heart gave a pang of longing as he spotted Akasha, standing near a crudely erected stage, drinking beer and watching a group of musicians perform. Drums sounded and a demonic scream rent the air.

Goosebumps rose up on the vampire’s skin as power prickled the air. The creature on the stage with the black and purple hair was the inhuman presence: Xochitl, the daughter of the creator of vampires. She stood before the microphone, playing a guitar with expert fingers and singing with the most beautiful voice he’d ever heard, punctuating the song with screams of rage. Power thrummed through her, the likes of which he’d never felt.

As Silas’s gaze traveled over her and the other musicians, a premonition hit him.

This is supposed to be,
an inner voice announced.
They and their music will shape your destiny and those of many worlds
. That insistent voice unnerved him far worse than his visions, for it came so rarely.

The vampire’s breath caught at the music. He’d never before cared for heavy metal music, but the way these four combined rhythms and melodies could have made Mozart weep. They had great talent at such tender ages.
How much is learned, and how much is the destiny that binds them?
Silas could almost see the lines of power linking the group. Xochitl looked ethereally beautiful up on stage; her jet black and purple hair flowed in the wind, her eyes molten amber in the firelight. The other three were an impressive sight with all the passion they displayed.

Silas watched the performance, periodically looking at Akasha who appeared to be just as amazed. The other revelers danced with abandon, oblivious that powerful magic was at work here. The song ended and he had to fight to keep from applauding with the rest of the audience.

A boy stumbled near his hiding spot to urinate, so he had to back away.

When he found another vantage point the band had exited the stage, put away their instruments and joined Akasha.

“You guys were fucking incredible!” Her amethyst eyes sparkled.

The bass player had his arm around Akasha as other girls began to swarm him. Silas bared his fangs. How dare that messy-haired brat touch her! It was all he could do not to leap forward and pull her into his arms.

“Hey! You lookin’ at me fag?” A Goliath of a boy in a letterman jacket approached the bass player.

The bassist rolled his eyes. “No, I don’t do jocks, jackass.”

“What’d you call me?” The jock grabbed the boy, towering over him and emanating menace.

Akasha grabbed the assailant, lifted him in the air and threw him. He crashed into a group of other boys in matching jackets.

How in God’s name did she do that? The lad outweighs her by at least a hundred pounds!
Silas froze, remembering her unnatural strength the night they tuned up his car.
So I didn’t imagine it then.

“You fuck with Beau, you fuck with me,” Akasha growled, turning Silas’s attention back to the fight.

A crowd gathered, cheering at the entertainment. Xochitl and the other two girls leapt into the fray. Beau didn’t need Akasha’s help. Though he was small and wiry, the lad held his own just fine, fists flying into the faces of his attackers and jumping back up when he took a blow. To the vampire’s further astonishment, Xochitl and the blue-haired guitar player both appeared to be skilled in hand to hand combat. After a few lightning-quick hits and roundhouse kicks their enemies avoided them completely. Their opponents tried to help their comrade fight Beau, but Xochitl and her friend wouldn’t let them near.

Akasha and the drummer were at the far end of the circle of spectators. The drummer straddled her opponent, bashing his head on the ground until he begged for mercy. Akasha was being careful with her enemy, only shoving him away and dodging his blows. She didn’t deliver a single punch, obviously careful not to display her inhuman strength again.

Finally, the attackers gave up and left the party with a parting shot from the leader.

“You’ll pay for this, freaks. I’ll get you all!”

“I just don’t understand why that asshole thinks I want his body,” Beau said with a dramatic sigh. “He’s totally not my type. I like my boys with a little more brains.”

“He’s probably hung like a squirrel,” Xochitl replied with a dismissive shrug.

Silas nearly choked, holding back his laughter as he headed back to his car. Xochitl may be a powerful creature, but that made her no less a rambunctious youth.

***

Three weeks later

They were loud. Silas looked at the clock and buried his face in his hands in futile effort to dim the sound of Aurora’s drums. The sun would not set for another hour but Akasha’s friends had yet again awakened him early with their raucous music.

His efforts to charm the four had worked too well. For the past few weeks, it seemed
Rage of Angels
, as they called themselves, had practically moved in. The basement— inconveniently above his hidden sleeping quarters— was now a veritable haven to the group, when they weren’t working as his new cleaning service.

Silas smiled. It had been so easy to get them under his thumb. One would think Delgarias had planned it that way.

Despite their unruly music and morbid taste in clothing, Akasha’s eccentric friends were better mannered than the average adolescents. Also, they were far more dedicated to their goals than most mortals. Silas closed his eyes and thought of the four musicians.

To his relief the bass player, Beau, had no interest in Akasha. From the way the boy looked at Silas when they were first introduced, it was apparent Beau’s interests lay in his own gender.

The guitarist, Sylvis, seemed to be a shy thing at first, but he quickly learned she was something of a comedienne. The girl had been Xochitl’s best friend since early childhood and it seemed they had a language of their own, often punctuated with bouts of hysterical laughter. Both were finishing their high school diplomas at the college with Akasha. Aurora and Beau hadn’t qualified. After scenting marijuana on the two, Silas was not surprised.

However, despite her taste for illegal herbs, Aurora, the drummer, was definitely not lacking in intelligence. As the unspoken leader of the band, when she tapped on her drums like a judge with a gavel, looking like a queen as she declared it was time to practice, or that some melody should be cut, her word was law.

Silas yawned. Then there was Xochitl, the walking, singing conundrum. Although she was supposed to be the offspring of an evil being, she did not seem to be malevolent in the slightest. Her mother had been a preschool teacher, of all things.

Xochitl’s bubbly cheer and impulsiveness hid a frightening intellect, which made its appearance in the most surprising times. Just last night, she had sat across from him at the dining room table decked out in leather and fishnet as she sipped wine like a duchess and discussed the battle of Flodden Field with him— in German. According to Akasha, Xochitl could speak six languages. Silas had only mastered four. The next time he saw her, she was scampering about the house wearing a ragged baby blanket about her shoulders like an ill-fitting cape.

Together, the four filled his castle with chaos, amusement, and music. After centuries of solitude, having a full house was unnerving, yet invigorating. It seemed the musicians never slept. When they weren’t practicing their music, they were talking, laughing, and often watching movies.

Silas shuddered. They had horrible taste in movies. Thanks to them, he could likely recite every line from
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
as well as everything done by Mel Brooks. They loved horror movies equally well. Practically every vampire movie, from the silliest to the most grotesque, had been paraded before his eyes. Silas lived in increasing fear of what would happen if the group found out
he
was a vampire. Would they attempt to stake him or kiss him? He took more care than ever when entering and leaving his lair, ensuring they never discovered the secret entrance.

On weekends, they laid out sleeping bags and camped on the floor while Akasha gleefully joined them. Silas sighed. Since Halloween, he’d barely had a moment alone with her.

On a happier note, Akasha smiled far more frequently since Xochitl and her group started practicing at his house. And her laugh...
oh God, her laugh.
Silas shivered the first time the deep, throaty sound poured from her lips. Smooth and strong as single malt Scotch, it was a sound made for closed bedroom doors, for nights of pleasure under silk sheets.

The incessant drums finally stopped and Silas allowed sleep to carry him off in an erotic dream.

Akasha crept out of the shed. Under the cover of darkness she made her way to the garbage cans, careful not to let the slight finger of light from the windows touch her. Her breath made clouds and her teeth chattered, but she ignored the bitter cold, focusing on her goal.

With utmost care, she lifted the lid of the first can without a sound. Her eyes widened at the bounty. A half sandwich and a can with a few mouthfuls of beans! Gently, she set down the lid. Her hand stuck to the icy handle. She bit her lip to hold in a cry of pain when she freed it.

The unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked pierced the frigid air.

“Hold it right there,” a gravelly voice commanded. “Turn around.”

Akasha obeyed, clinging to the sandwich and beans like a lifeline. The man was tall and built like an ex football player. Her eyes rested on meaty hands that held the rifle on her. They could just as easily snap her neck like a toothpick.

“So, you’ve been eating out of my garbage, eh?” His tone was unreadable. “And I’ll bet you’ve been living in my shed too?” Her throat was too dry to speak, but he was merciless. He pointed the gun at her again. “Answer me!”

She cringed like a kicked dog, praying he wouldn’t shoot. “Y-yes. I’m sorry.”

“How old are you, kid?”

“Tw-twelve.”

“Shit.” He stared at her for a long time before lowering the gun. “Get your ass in here.”

On quaking legs she followed the man into the house. He led her into a dirty kitchen and had her sit at the table. “Don’t move ‘til I get back.”

He soon returned with a frayed blanket and wrapped it around her. “Damn, girl, your hands are purple! Wrap em’ up and let’s get some food in ya.” She stared at him in mute awe as he opened the fridge and pulled out two pieces of pizza. He put them in the microwave and poured her a glass of water. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Akasha.”

“I’m Max.”

They stared at each other, silently assessing until the microwave beeped. Max put the steaming plate in front of her. “Not another word ‘til this plate is clean. Got it?”

Her hands tingled from the warmth of the crust. The first bite burned her mouth, but it tasted like heaven itself and she nearly moaned in pleasure of the experience. It had been over two years since she had a hot meal. The first piece of pizza seemed too good to be true. Akasha savored every nibble, chewing slowly, concentrating wholly on the flavor. The second, she devoured like a ravenous beast. The water felt like the elixir of the gods as it slid down her throat.

Max sat across from her and folded his work-worn hands. “Did you run away from home or something? Where are your parents?”

“They died when I was eight. Then I lived in a foster home. The woman was crazy, so I left.” She crossed her arms.

He scratched his beard. “I see. So you’ve been on the streets ever since.”

He was quiet until Akasha finally built up the nerve to speak. “You gonna call the cops?”

“Hell no! I hate cops!”

She was relieved, but only a little. “What are you going to do?”

“Hell if I know. But one thing’s for sure. You’re not gonna freeze your ass off in my shed, so you’ll sleep on the couch. Maybe I’ll figure something out in the morning.”

He provided her with a pillow and blanket. Compared to the frigid wood floor of the shed, the couch was a warm paradise. Exhausted and with a full stomach for the first time in months, she was blissfully comatose until late the next morning. When she awoke, Max cooked her breakfast and again refused to speak to her until she finished every bite.

“All right, kid, here’s what I figured out.” Max grabbed two cans of Coors from the fridge, opening one and setting it before her. “I can’t let you be out on the streets, starvin’ and freezin’. That just don’t settle well with me. Y’hear?”

She nodded, sipping her beer, trying not to make a face as she tried to decide whether she liked it or not.

“So here’s the deal. Either you live here and earn your board cleanin’ this place and maybe earn some money helpin’ me in my garage, or I’ll call the welfare department and they can deal with you.”

***

Akasha slid out from under Xochitl’s Datsun, eyes burning from the memory, heart aching from missing Max.
Where is he now?

The door opened, pulling her from her thoughts.

Beau poked his head in the doorway, grinning at her. “We’re taking off, okay, babe?”

“Sure,” she replied distractedly and pushed out with her feet to get the creeper rolling.
These sway bar bushings look like they’ll be a pain in the ass.
Still, it was easier to spot obvious problems in a parallelogram steering system rather than rack and pinion.

“Hey, ‘Kash!” Xochitl’s voice echoed in the garage. “Thanks again for fixing Little Beast. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

Akasha smiled and rolled the creeper back out. “Just keep playing your music. When you’re famous you can send me backstage passes for every concert.”

Xochitl grinned. “Speaking of concerts….have you asked Silas about taking us?”

Although Akasha couldn’t remember the name of the performing band, she remembered camping out with Xochitl, Sylvis, Aurora and Beau to get the tickets. She also remembered all four sets of parents saying they couldn’t go without an adult.

Naturally, none volunteered and she’d been putting off asking Silas because she didn’t like asking him for favors. His pleased reactions made her feel strange…something about the gleam in those emerald eyes, the curve of his lips …that obscenely sexy accent.

“I’ll ask him tonight,” Akasha promised, struggling to get her mind back on her work.

“Awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Xochitl skipped off, her hair bouncing like a black and purple cloud.

Akasha looked at the clock to see if she had enough time to call the machinist and see if the Datsun’s cylinder head had been finished.

Nope, it was after five.

She cursed and turned back to the engine block then stopped. Silas would be home soon. Then at least she could ask him about the concert. She looked down at her hands. They were black with grease and oil. For some reason she didn’t want him to see her covered with grime. After giving Xochitl’s car one last longing glance, she left the garage and dashed upstairs to clean up.

When she had fixed her appearance, Akasha went downstairs to wait for Silas. She paced back and forth through the hallway, eyes darting every few seconds to the front door.
No, I must not look too eager. He’ll think I missed him or something.

She forced her attention to a painting of a beautiful oil land
scape of the Scottish highlands with a mighty castle in the background. It was crooked. She tried to adjust it but her hands were still shaking from excitement and it came off the wall, clattering to the floor.
Oh, great. The damn thing probably cost a fortune.

Cursing under her breath, she scooped it up and quickly checked for damage. It was fine. She lifted it back to the wall and froze when she saw something strange.

There was a knob on the wall where the painting would have hung. At least it
looked
like a knob… She set the painting down and peered at it. The silver gleamed dimly, making it look like a tarnished bauble. It was cool to her fingertips. Slowly, she twisted the knob, shuddering as it moved.

Creak!

The sound made her jerk in surprise. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked around for the source. There it was. A hidden door had opened in the wall beside her.

“Holy shit!” her whisper echoed in the corridor.
“A secret passageway! I knew he was hiding something.”

For some reason, being right all along didn’t feel as good as she’d thought. Her stomach pitched as the opening gaped at her, a pitch-dark abyss. Akasha fished inside her pocket for her Bic. The feeble light revealed a set of stairs going downwards. Slowly, she made her way down, noting that the air wasn’t musty as one would expect.
What is he hiding down here?
She hoped it wasn’t dead bodies. She glanced over her shoulder, watching for Silas’s approach until her neck cramped.

Just when the lighter was getting too hot and burning her fingers, the stairs turned sharply, and she could see a bit of light below. She licked her stinging fingers and pocketed the lighter. As she neared the light, an eerie feeling crept over her and the hairs at the nape of her neck stood up. The feeling intensified, and by the time she reached the bottom her body was covered in goosebumps.

A long shadowy hallway stretched across five doors. Akasha shook her head.
Another basement?
Does this fucking house ever end?
With a trembling hand, she reached for the knob on the first door, one fist held up and ready to beat something to a bloody pulp if it startled her. The door moved soundlessly open. There was a faint light in the room. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

Akasha stood awestruck in a candlelit chamber. It was too dim for her to see how large the room was, but in the center she could make out a large bed. All of her instincts screamed at her to go back, to run out of there as fast as she could, but her curiosity was relentless and pushed her legs forward. As she approached the bed she saw that someone was in it. Yes, there was definitely a body tucked under the covers, lying as still as a corpse. The realization terrified her but her treacherous legs brought her yet closer. She could almost make out a face.

Then she saw him.

Silas lay on the bed, still as death. Then his chest moved up and down almost imperceptibly. Unbidden, a relieved sigh escaped her lips. As she drew closer, his beauty hit her full force. His chiseled features and sensuous mouth looked so inviting, making her stomach clench. She drew in a breath as her hand reached out of its own volition to touch him.

Silas’s eyes snapped open, and he saw her. Akasha gasped when she saw his green eyes glowing with demonic radiance. Time seemed to go in slow motion as his mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs.

Vampire.

The word hit her mind like a bucket of ice water. Silas sat up and threw off the covers, fangs bared, blazing gaze fixed on her like a target.

“Oh shit!” Akasha turned and fled the room, darting up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her.

Her heart pounded louder than Aurora’s drums, drowning out all sound, but she didn’t need to hear his footsteps to know he was behind her. She could feel him. Not daring to look back, she continued running, stumbling up the dark stairs, terror gripping her mercilessly.

Finally, she made it out of the passageway and ran down the hall, lungs heaving. If he caught her… no, she wasn’t going to think about that. She got to the living room and almost cried out in relief when the front door was in sight.

But then Silas appeared, blocking her escape. She tried to turn around, but with obscene speed, he caught her, imprisoning her in his arms. Cold seeped over her as she raised her eyes to look up at him. His eyes still glowed like green fire. She shivered.
I’m going to die now. I might as well do it on my feet.

Gazing up at him resolutely, Akasha took in the sight of his tall dark form looming over her.
His bare chest was surprisingly warm against her palms.
He has muscles like iron
, a part of her mused distractedly.

She flinched as his lips curled upward, revealing the glistening fangs. Time seemed suspended as she stared at him, spellbound by his dark beauty. His grip tightened on her and she held her breath, waiting to feel his teeth sink into her neck.

Will it hurt?
…
Or will I like it?

The slow motion movie sensation continued as Silas lowered his head. His hair tumbled forward to caress his face. Akasha’s fists clenched, resisting an insane urge to tangle her fingers in those silken tresses.

His lips came down on hers.

The heat o
f the kiss encompassed her body like the fire in a combustion chamber. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the mind-bending pleasure. Unconsciously, she reached up to put her arms around him, but suddenly it was over.

She opened her eyes. He was gone.

Akasha sank to the floor and hugged her knees, unable to stop trembling.