I hit the icy water, choking and sputtering as I tried to stay afloat. I was quickly dragged under, unable to see anything as I was tossed about in the current. The frigid water pushed me down into its depths, and as I flailed, the shotgun slipped from my grasp. Desperately, I kicked and paddled,fighting against the relentless pull of the river’s current. With a gasp, I broke the surface, gulping in air before being dragged back under again. My waterlogged dress weighed me down, entangling my limbs as I struggled to kick. My hands freezing, grew numb, and I felt weak, fighting not to drown. When I finally surfaced, I shouted for help into the night, a desperate plea lost in the darkness.
“Help me!”
Gasping for breath, I clawed my way toward the river’s edge, trying frantically to reach safety. Just as the river threatened to pull me under again, I felt someone grab my arm, yanking me from the water in a single, fluid motion.
Coughing and sputtering, I collapsed onto the ground, my body wracked with shivers and my chest heaving. The icy chill of the water was bone-deep. As I rolled over, my head throbbed, and my heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest. I struggled to regain my composure and lifted my gaze to find a man looking over me.
“Are you all right?” His smooth, pale skin glimmered in the moonlight, contrasting sharply with his raven-black hair, which billowed around him in the gentle breeze. He looked at me with concern, and his pale blue eyes crinkled. As our eyes met, I felt as though the universe turned into stardust, erasing my surroundings and my identity, leaving only the intoxicating pull of him in my consciousness.
“My heart,” I gasped, snapping out of the trance, my gaze fixed on him. “It feels as though it is on the verge of bursting.” I clutched at my chest, the tightness of my clothing constricting me. Frantically, I started clawing at the fabric, desperate to free myself from its suffocating embrace.
He gently took my hands in his, halting my frantic movements. “Well, feeling your heart is far better than the void of feeling nothing at all,” he said with a hint of sarcasm. I sensed he was trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but Icouldn’t bring myself to respond. He reached out and brushed the hair away from my face. “Are you all right?” he asked again with genuine concern, his eyes searching mine.
I shook my head as haunting images of my mother’s body and the Blood Hunter flooded my mind. I squinted hard, trying to forget, and a shiver coursed through me. The stranger took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. He took my hand and helped me stand up. My knee buckled, and I fell into him, feeling his solid body against mine, keeping us balanced.
“I am so cold,” I said in trembling breaths.
“I will take you home. Where do you live?”
His eyes locked onto mine, causing my heart to beat harder in my chest. “I cannot return,” I whispered.
“Very well, then. Let us get you out of this chill.”
With surprising strength, he scooped me into his arms and walked into the night. I was too tired to protest, and I didn’t even remember falling asleep.
SEVEN
January 1, 2010
I gazed out the motel window, watching as the moon dipped lower in the sky. Dawn would soon break, and then I could find some rest. I missed the sun. Its absence in my life felt like a void. A missing limb. I longed for its warmth on my skin, for the sight of flowers unfolding and dancing beneath it. I yearned for those moments when everything was alive, not just under the moon. My mind lingered on how the sun used to illuminate the strands of Vail’s hair. Now that she was back, her presence opened a gate of memories we shared, and my mind dwelled on thoughts of her.
Fifteen years had passed since our last encounter when we parted on a sour note after spending a long lifetime together. Never did I anticipate that Vail and I would remain separated for more than a few months, let alone years.
My thoughts were abruptly cut off by a loud banging on the motel door. I pushed myself off the bed and moved toward it, my fingers briefly pausing on the chained lock as I listened intently. After a moment of hesitation, I unlocked the chain and swung open the door. Why was I hesitating? I was a Vampire.
Vail stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a smile playing at the corners of her lips as she caught sight of me. Shebreezed past into the room and flopped down onto the bed, bouncing a little as if testing the springs. “This bed is awful,” she marked.
“Make yourself at home.” Sarcasm laced my voice. I was aware that Vail had a talent for making herself comfortable in any situation.
I stood close to her, not sure whether or not to sit next to her on the bed. I was angry about her leaving me at the lake. “Why are you here?”
She surveyed the room. “I need your help with something.”
I felt a pang of embarrassment as I looked at my sparse belongings. My life had been condensed into a single suitcase, and I no longer owned anything sentimental. Everything in my life had either been sold, given away, lost, or abandoned.
“I’m leaving town soon.”
“I know, Rosie, but this matter affects you … It affects us all.”
“What is it?”
“My friend George believes there is a new kind of weapon circulating.”
That piqued my interest. “What kind of weapon?”
“The silent Vampire-killing kind. We’ve been here for a couple of months investigating together, but it’s harder to track than we originally thought.”
“So, you lied to me when you said you were just passing through?” I asked.
