Within The Shadows (13 page)

The thought
of me conceiving his child scared me beyond imagination. I was not
ready for motherhood. I had not even graduated from high school,
and trying to talk sense into Alex was a complete waste of time.
Our relationship was far from perfect, and I was sure there were
many secrets yet to be revealed.

The one
thing that did linger in my thoughts was the file I had found
in
Afanas’s study. Evie Stokes’ name
played over and over again in my mind. There was no escape from
that bitch. Baffled by the significance of the file, I was eager to
find out, and willing to do just about anything, no matter the
cost.

Alex walked
into the garden. His presence was known to me before I could see
him. I was in tune with his every move, and my senses were becoming
more astute every time I drank from him. He looked radiant, and his
eyes were calm and satisfied. He fed more frequently than me, and
although I was not happy about some of the feeders, I turned a
blind eye. Remembering Leonid’s explanation sobered any jealous
rage inside.

I sat
quietly at the fountain, watching the water flow as the moonlight
danced between each trickle. I felt his hand slide across the back
of my neck as he perched himself beside me. His hands were big and
beautiful. I knew how gentle they felt against my naked skin, but I
was also aware of how powerful they could be when used as a
weapon.

“
So, this is
where you’ve been hiding,” he said as he played with the loose hair
that fell over my shoulders.

“
I wouldn’t say I’ve been hiding. Just taking a little ‘me’
time. Besides, it’s a gorgeous night. What else is there to
do?”

“
Ah, ‘me time’,” he mocked. “We could always find something
to do.” He winked at me.

Playfully, I
thumped him on the arm. Wincing, he pulled me into his arms,
embracing me tight. I tried to fight back, arching my back away
from him, and felt his mouth search for my lips. The heat of his
breath lit every fire within my body. Willpower was not my best
attribute, and within seconds, I was kissing him forcefully. My
tongue explored inside his mouth while his hands caressed the side
of my thighs, and we sank into our world of want and greed. He had
won again.

A noise
close by caught my attention. Something moved beyond the bush at
the far wall, and it paused while Alex and I looked. The solid
brick wall stood over eight feet in height, and towered over the
boundaries of the estate. It was hard to imagine anything clearing
it, and soon my imagination got the better of me.

“
It’s them again, isn’t it?” I shook.

“
Who?”

“
Nothing. It’s just my imagination,” I lied.

“
Tell me, Giselle. I can feel the lie.” His voice became
harsher.

“
Them . . . The shadow creatures.” My voice trembled at the
mention of their name.

Alex looked
at me. A puzzled expression swept over his face. “How do you know
of them?”

It then
dawned on me that Alex never knew about my little excursion down
into the valley, my run-in with the shadow creatures, and my rescue
by Leonid. Alex would be pissed.

“
A few weeks back, I couldn’t sleep, and went for a walk . .
. You know, past the boundaries. Only, I didn’t know then that the
walls were boundaries.”

“
You left the safety of estate? Do you know what could have
happened to you?”

“
I never knew . . . I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just
needed to escape, you know. So much had happened. I only meant to
go for a walk and come back. I didn’t realise those things were
watching me, and when they attacked me . . .”

“
They attacked you? That’s impossible! If they had attacked,
you would not be here. You would not have survived.”

“
But . . . He – He saved me!”

“
Who?”

“
Leonid. Your father rescued me.”

I knew Alex
would be angry, but I never expected him to explode. His eyes
flashed amber red, like the fires of hell blazing bright. Staring
into my face, the fury I saw in his eyes was like nothing I had
ever seen before. It danced across his features. The Alex I thought
I had known was gone.

His fangs
were down,
and his nails dug deeply into
my flesh. His delicious sweet scent had disappeared. In its place,
I could smell deep burning sulphur, its suffocating odour hitting
the back of my nose like a smoke bomb exploding.

“
My father?” he spat into my face.
“You allowed yourself to become the
victim!”

Throwing me
to the warm, dry ground, Alex disappeared into the night. Silence
surrounded me as I became aware of my rapid heartbeat. I could
sense the danger. It filled the night air around me. At that
precise moment, I was alone and vulnerable.

Sitting on
the warm, dry ground, I saw yellow feral eyes staring at me through
the canopy of the trees. Sitting still and lifeless, they watched
me as I froze. My stomach knotted up once I realised there was not
another soul outside with me. Getting to my feet, I retreated back
to the house, closing the door firmly behind me.

The shouting
was the first thing to grab hold of my attention. I followed the
direction of the echoes, stopping outside Afanas’s
study.

Afanas
growled. “You dare speak to me like that again, and I can assure
you . . .”

“
Don’t threaten me, old man. Remember your position here.
Your opinion has never mattered. Why think it is of any importance
now?” Alex ridiculed Afanas.

“
Alexander, that is enough,” Leonid bellowed. “Afanas is a
much respected member of this lair. His viewpoint is the foundation
of our beliefs. Have some respect. It is I with whom you have
issues.”

“
Yes, you . . . Do you think it is right for my father to
tend to my problems or my wife’s? Did she ask for your help?
No!”

“
So I was
supposed to allow them to take her?” Leonid sounded
surprised.

“
Yes, if that
was the will of the Goddess.”

“
Lilith would not have allowed her death. The creatures have
had a long suspicion that the prophecy was being fulfilled. Giselle
has had no training. She does not understand the dangers of our
world.”

“
Why keep it a secret? Why didn’t either of you tell me?”
Alex yelled at his father.

“
There was no reason to speak of it. What good would have
come from informing you? You would have reacted the same way,
losing your head over a minor issue. What is done cannot be
undone.”

“
Don’t walk away from me when I am talking to you!” Alex
roared at Leonid as he walked towards the door.

“
Alexander, believe me when I say this, if you ever try to
manipulate or talk down to either Afanas or me again, you will be
banished for a lifetime. I will cut short your very existence.
Remember, it was I who gave you life, and it is in my power to
claim that life and your bride. You would do well to keep that in
mind.”

He left the
room
, and walked straight into me. He
stood like a giant over me. His monstrous physique was lean and
well defined. His blond hair was cut short, allowing his stern
expression to dominate his face. He was beautiful. His
greenish-grey eyes were large and round. In the dim light of the
hall, they simmered. The anger that had consumed them slowly
evaporated, leaving them vulnerable, like glass. They lingered on
mine, watching each expression on my face. I became flustered, and
blushed, the red burning bright on my cheeks.

“
I’m . . . Sorry, um . . . Have you seen Alex?” I whimpered
like a child of four.

“
Don’t pretend you didn’t hear any of that. Alexander needs
some time alone to reflect. Come, walk with me. There is someone
I’d like you to meet.”

He directed
me away from the door
, and like an
obedient animal, I followed. We walked east of the main building,
heading towards an old stone structure. The tall willows partially
enveloped its roof, as if they were shielding it from the world
outside. Soft light flickered from the windows, and as we entered,
I was shocked by the presence of a frail old man seated in a large
chair. His hair was silver with flecks of black streaked through
the roots to the ends. It hung long and tidy over his
shoulders.

Leonid
walked over, and bent down. He kissed the ring on the old man’s
left hand. The man recited something in Slovak. Leonid returned to
his feet, and called me over to him.

“
Giselle,
this is Vadim, our Prophet.”

I stood in silence.

Vadim called
me forward. His voice was like a thousand knives cutting through
the wind as he spoke. “Do not let this pleasant exterior fool you,
child. I am, after all, a killer. I am what I am, never forget
that. It was you who visited my dreams, and brought hope to our
troubled times. You are the key.”

He held my
gaze
, and then began to recite some
strange poem. “She will walk forth from darkness into light. At the
moment of birth into the world, the child we seek, in the name of
truth, will lead, and so shall become the first and be the
last.”

The words
echoed in my head. Was I to conceive a child who would be some kind
of leader, and eventually die? Confused and tired, I sat down close
to Vadim. He smelt different from Leonid and Alex.

His scent
was sickeningly sweet. Intoxicating aromas of aged merlot and silky
smooth blends of milk and honey sprung from him, making me dizzy. I
twitched my nose in disapproval.

Leonid stood
close by, his demeanour calm and relaxed. I had never seen him like
this. I could not help but to watch him as he drank wine from a
silver lined glass.

Vadim spoke
as I eyeballed Leonid. “I trust that you have consummated the
union.”

Oh
, my
God
! Embarrassed, I blushed. I could feel
the heat rising from the back of my neck, hitting my cheeks like a
train at a hundred miles-an-hour.

“
Well, yeah!”
I replied.

I was not
expecting questions about my sex life. I was uncomfortable, yet
relieved, when Leonid interrupted.

“
I can assure
you, both Alexander and Giselle are following the agreement of
their union.”

“
Very well. I trust you will keep me informed of any
developments.”

Leonid
nodded. “Giselle, it is time we left. After all, dawn will be upon
us, and I’m sure Alexander will be curious as to your
whereabouts.”

I got up,
and proceeded to follow Leonid. Turning back, I looked at Vadim.
“My one request is that if I do have this child, I want to be his
or her mother, not just someone who gave birth. That is my
right.”

He smiled.
“But of course. I would not trust anyone else to raise the
child.”

We left, and
walked silently back towards the house. Leonid was clearly deep in
thought when I spoke. “Leonid, can I ask you something?”

“
Yes?” he
replied, slowing his pace.

“
Why did you
save me from the shadow creatures?”

He stopped,
and looked at me, his dark eyes like a pool of juniper berries
waiting for me to dive in. “Because I could not stand to see you
come to any harm. Alexander is a fool if he cannot see how
beautiful and special you are.”

His words came as a shock to
me.

“
Oh!” I could sense his awkwardness. “I guess I’m glad you
did. I kinda owe you my life.”

With his
back to me, his voice was barely audible. “You owe me
nothing.”

He continued
to walk
, and I followed. Nothing more was
said between us. Confused, I retreated to my room.

Alex was
already in bed. The sun was beginning to rise, and its golden light
crept in through the black, thickly lined drapes that covered the
two bay windows. I slipped out of my clothes, and crept in beside
him. He did not acknowledge me, and I watched him as he slept. I
found myself soon drifting off to dreams of familiar settings, and
in the arms of another.

Marc.

Chapter Eleven

MARC
RAN AFTER me, pointing the paintball gun at me.
I squealed like a child as he got closer. I found overgrowth in the
trees in front of me, and crept down, silently holding my breath. I
could hear his footsteps, and twigs cracked as he moved
closer.

“
Come out,
come out wherever you are!” he sang in a dorky voice.

Excitement
built up inside me as I got ready to jump him, and end this game,
once and for all. I slowly made my way out from under the branches,
aiming the gun at the back of his head. He was standing looking in
the opposite direction. My finger rested on the trigger. Calmly, I
got ready, aimed, and fired.

Bang.

The red
splatter of paint hit him right in the back of his left arm. He
swung round, shocked. A broad smile spread across his face as he
ran towards me.