Blood-Red Tear (11 page)

“Jeez
, what perfume did you wear today?” Jess asked.

“Why?” I asked
, confused by her question.

“I want to borrow
it. It seems to attract guys like a magnet.” She laughed, ignoring the scathing glare Paul gave her, but I pondered her words, wondering what was going on. Before Scott, none of the guys had approached me, now it seemed like I was free game. Not that it mattered.  It wasn’t any of the guys at my school I was interested in.

*****

   By the end of the school day, I was exhausted and just wanted to get home. Trying to smile and pretend I wasn’t concerned about Scott’s sudden departure was mentally draining. Despite Aidan’s assurances that Scott was not dead, I still had reservations, but I had to trust my instincts and they told me no matter how things looked. I should trust Aidan.  

I was standing on the sidewalk looking for Paul’s truck
after school when I heard the low purr of an engine and looked up to see Aidan pulling into the parking lot. With the ease of someone used to driving fast cars, he pulled in front of me and jumped out to open the passenger side door.

“Hi,” h
e said softly, the sound of his voice sending tingles down my spine and flutters of excitement deep in my belly. He looked incredible in his black dress slacks and white button- down shirt. and I found myself unable to speak as he helped me into the car and his amazing one- of-a-kind scent surrounded me.

“How was your day?” h
e asked as he got behind the wheel.

“L
ong,” I said, offering no other explanation as I laid my head back against the leather seat. He seemed to sense my sour mood and drove in silence the entire way home, but I felt his worry for me radiating across the car.

“We’re here,” he said
as the car slowed to a stop, his voice sounding troubled.

I opened my eyes
, surprised to find a long black limousine parked in front of the house and looked at Aidan questioningly, but he just frowned and got out of the car, then came to my side to open the door for me. He was visibly tense as he helped me from the car, and at the front door he stopped me from walking directly inside.

“Before we go inside
, I should tell you that some of my people have come from far away to meet you today.” I couldn’t keep the surprise from my face, but he quickly tried to reassure me. “I know your parents have kept you sheltered from our world and you are not used to meeting other vampires, but in this case I think it wise you make their acquaintance.”

I glanced nervously
at the door, wondering why they would want to meet me.

“You’ll be fine,” he said
, clearly sensing my unease. “This particular group of vampire’s are some of the oldest of our kind and can be rather imposing, but do not be afraid. I would never let anything happen to you.”

“I know you would never place me in ha
rm’s way,” I told him, unable to keep the tremble from my voice. It wasn’t that I thought he would allow them to hurt me, but these vampires were an unknown entity. I had no idea what they were capable of or how powerful they were. I was simply scared to death.

“
Not on purpose,” he said, his voice taking on a sadness that made me feel horrible for allowing him to see my fear. “Believe me, your life is no joke to me. I will always protect you above all else.” His face filled with resolve and he let go of my hand to open the door. “Come, everyone is waiting for us.”

Once inside
of the house he placed his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. Sensing his own unease about the upcoming situation didn’t help and I trembled slightly, but if he noticed, he said nothing.

A
s we entered the office I glanced at my parents, who stood behind the large leather sofa. My mother graced me with a wan smile, but my father frowned as he stared at Aidan’s arm around me. I had no time to ponder his reaction though; my eyes were drawn to a stunningly beautiful female sitting in a wing chair, staring at me with a welcoming smile upon her flawless porcelain face. Her long, silvery-blue hair was pulled to one side and cascaded down to the floor to pool at her dainty slipper-clad feet. Her reed-thin figure made her appear delicate and frail, but I felt the power she possessed and knew she was far stronger than her appearance let on.

The female
stood and approached us gracefully, her green, luminescent eyes holding a hint of merriment as she met my stare, holding me captivated by her gaze.

A
nother of our “guests” cleared his throat, breaking her hold on me and I turned in his direction. The man’s face was pale, and drawn so tight; that I thought if he smiled, it might crack, but it was his eyes that drew my attention. They were as black as onyx and so entrancing I felt as if a deep abyss had opened and was slowly sucking me in as I stared at him. If not for Aidan’s growl next to me that diverted the vampire’s attention, I was confident he would have completely taken over my mind.

Another man
, dressed in a three-piece business suit, stepped forward from the darkened corner where he had been silently watching us all. His silver hair against his shocking alabaster skin reminded me of a specter from a ghost story. Fortunately, he did not try to entrance me but instead bowed to Aidan respectfully then took a nearby seat.

I stood uncomfortably, feeling highly inadequate amongst the room of vampires before me
and lost for any reason why they would want to meet me, a lowly human.

“Council
, this is…” Aidan said, but before he could finish, the white-haired man cut him short with a wave of his hand.

“We are all aware who she is
, Aidan.  Those eyes have not changed one iota since we last saw her.” He moved so quickly in front of me that I had to step back or be knocked over. Aidan stepped up behind me, his hand on my back reassuring me and stopping me from falling. “I am Cedric,” the man told me, his voice monotone.

“Nice to meet you,” I managed to whisper
politely, despite the fact I was petrified of the vampire before me.

He was much bigger
up close, more intimidating, and his power filled the area around us, reaching out like tentacles threatening to suffocate me. He reached out suddenly, placing his hand on my arm, his fingers locking tightly around my flesh. I felt a sharp stab of pain in my head and, despite Aidan’s warning, my eyes met his in shock. I was too stunned to move away or protest but Aidan was not. He tore the vampire’s hand away with a feral snarl and moved in front of me, blocking Cedric’s power with his own. A low, deadly growl tore from his throat.

“Cedric
, you are upsetting everyone,” the female vampire said, coming forward and putting a small, delicate hand on his chest. “Now take a step back before Aidan rips your throat out.” She exerted what looked like light pressure on his chest, but he stumbled backward as if she had shoved him.

As I stared at her
, in awe of the power she held, I recognized her as the woman from my dream. From what I had seen then I knew she was someone important in the vampire world, and that made me even more nervous. She caught my gaze and smiled warmly, but made no move towards me as I peered around Aidan’s large, tense body.

“Hello
, Katie,” she said, her voice soft and gentle, lulling me with its calm, easy melody. I found myself moving from behind Aidan towards her as if under compulsion, unable to stop myself. “My name is Zoe. It’s good to see you again. You have grown into quite a beautiful young woman.”

The man on the sofa grumbled
, pulling me from my trancelike state to look in his direction.

“That is Kale
.  Just ignore him, we all do,” Zoe said. She reached out, brushing her hand across my cheek. The coolness of her fingers brought me immediately back under her spell. She smiled encouragingly as I took another step toward her, but frowned, a flash of fang appearing, when Aidan snarled and started pulling me back behind him. “No one here is going to hurt the girl, Aidan. We just want to get to know her better.”
o get to know her better.” Zoër, I knew shis chest t."111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
She looked annoyed by his protective stance, but he ignored her irritation, took my hand, and pulled me away, tugging me down next to him on the love seat.

“Co
uld we just get this over with?” Kale barked, looking bored.

Zoe
regained her seat, her serene facade once again firmly in place as she looked at me. “Katie, I know this will be difficult, but it has come to our attention that others of our kind seek to harm you. We have, of course, made plans to keep you safe and…”

I blinked
, unsure I had heard her right, then passed out right there in front of them all. The last thing I saw was Aidan’s panicked face as he reached for me.

Chapter Eight

“You should have never
come here!” Paul was yelling as I came to, his temper, as always, getting the better of him. “This is entirely your fault! Your presence in her life has put her in danger.”

“You
’re right, but my leaving won’t change anything,” Aidan answered, his voice filled with regret.

“Paul,
this threat would have come whether Aidan was here or not. We have been lucky to hide her for this long,” my father snapped angrily.

“His presence here drew them,” Paul shouted.

“We don’t know that,” my father told him. “Aidan has been here many times before without incident.”

“He should leave. We can take care of her; she does not need Aidan here, complicating her life and confusing her emotions,” Paul insisted.

“You know
, it isn’t easy for me to leave. It will be even harder now that her life is in danger,” Aidan told him.

I winced inwardly at the pain in Aidan’s voice.

“Deal with it,” Paul snapped.

Hi
s words were followed by a growl, then a gurgling sound followed by a loud thump that I felt even from where I lay. My eyes were heavy as I struggled to open them and see what was going on, but I knew the sound had to be Paul hitting a wall. He had pushed Aidan too far.

“Aidan
! You don’t want to hurt Paul. Let him go,” my father said, confirming my fears.  

Another loud thump followed by a crash
ing sound made me cringe.

“Sometimes Paul
, you forget yourself, and who you are talking to. I am your prince! I will not allow anyone to talk to me in such a manner, even a member of Katie’s family,” Aidan growled. “Our goal has always been to keep her safe. She is, and has always been, my first priority. I will do what I think is best for her.”

I felt his anguish
from across the room, and my first and only thought was to ease his discomfort. “Aidan,” I called out. Within seconds, I felt his presence surrounding me like a comforting blanket as I came fully awake. His cool fingers brushed my cheek, and my eyes fluttered open.

“I’m here,” h
e said softly.

“Can we get
you anything, sweetheart?” my father asked from behind him.

“No
, I’m okay, I just feel extremely stupid.” I couldn’t believe that I’d passed out like I did, but the idea that I was now being targeted by other vampires had overwhelmed me.

My family
rushed to offer me comfort, assuring me my reaction was normal, but Aidan sat quietly next to me, his eyes filled with sadness. I felt his regret, his fear that he had indeed been the cause of the vampires who sought to harm me.

My father cleared his throat. “We should
see to the Council now that Katie is feeling better.”

“
Are you up to going back downstairs, honey?” my mother asked with concern.

“She should rest
. We can handle this without upsetting her anymore,” Paul argued. 

It would have been so easy to agree
with him and hide there in my room where I had always felt safe and comforted, but I couldn’t give in to that childish urge. “This is important, isn’t it?” I asked Aidan. He nodded.  “Then I will come with you,” I answered, swallowing back my fears as I made to rise from the lounge.

“You are still weak,” he said
, scooping me up into his arms instead and carrying me down the stairs, despite my assurances I could walk.

At the sit
ting room door, he finally allowed me to stand, but I leaned into him for support when my knees threatened to buckle.

Zoë came forward as we entered
, a frown marring her perfect features. “I am so sorry if I scared you. We don’t deal often with humans, and sometimes I forget to consider that the emotions you feel can be…” she tapped her chin with her finger looking for the right word, “overwhelming.”

“It’s okay,” I assured her. “It was just a shock
. I mean, I know what you all are, but I have nothing to do with your world, so why would any of your kind wish to harm me?”

“Why don’t we take our seats?” my mother suggested
, looking nervous.

Everyone took her suggestion
, except for Aidan, who stood behind my chair his hand on my shoulder.

“I am a little confused
,” I told them. “What have I done to make these vampires want to harm me?”

Every eye in the room looked
at Aidan. He moved before me and knelt down so we were eye to eye. The mixed range of emotions he felt flooded me, overpowering my senses, and I was shocked to see his eye color morphing between black and blue, a sign his vampire side was warring to be free. 

“Yo
u are extremely valuable to my people,” he said.

“Why?” He looked uneasy.
I knew he was hiding something, but I also had the feeling he wasn’t going to confide in me.

“Let’s just say that i
f anything should happen to you, the ramifications would be dire for my people.”

“I don’t understand,” I said,
hating the secrets they kept from me.  

“
For now, it is better you don’t. I promise someday I will explain everything to you, but for the moment I need you to trust me. You are in danger, and we are trying to protect you.”

I wanted to be mad
, to rave at him for being so secretive, but when he looked at me beseechingly, I found myself reaching for his hand instead, wanting to comfort him. Tiny sparks danced between our entwined fingers, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. My mother gasped; Paul growled and took a step closer, but Aidan stayed him with a growl and my father grabbed Paul’s arm, pulling him back.

“Let
us get on with this,” Kale snapped crossly, breaking through the tension.

“We have moved
a few of our protectors in place at your school and around town, so you will never be out of their sight, and of course Paul will be close by, as he always has been,” Zoe told me, still staring at our entwined hands with a wistful smile.

“Protectors?”  I asked uncertainly.

“A special group of vampires loyal to me, who take care of problems like this one,” Aidan explained.

“Do you think that w
ill that be enough?”

“I think we should lock you up in a tower
far away from any of these threats, but I know you could not live with that option, so this is the best course for now,” Aidan answered.

I looked at Paul and he shrugged. “I like the odds better
if we protect you here. We know this area and the people here, so any stranger will immediately gain our notice,” he added.

“I agree,” my father added.

“This is ridiculous! If you would do what has to be done with the girl, then none of this would be necessary,” Kale growled angrily.

“That i
s not an option.” Aidan hissed angrily.

Zoe
cast Kale a dirty look and I felt her calming influence move around the room. “Relax, Aidan, we won’t explore that option unless we are forced to.”

Everyo
ne seemed to calm and I let go of the breath I had been holding. Vampire politics was not something I was used to dealing with, and I had to admit it was incredibly frightening to be around such temperamental beings.

“Paul
, who is going to be with Katie during the school day, since you are in a different grade level and attend different classes?” Aidan asked, still glaring at Kale who seemed oblivious to his anger.

“I have
chosen a female protector who will be ready to start tomorrow.  She will be with Katie every moment of the day.”

The doorbell rang
and my father strode out of the room, only to return a few moments later with a petite female with long reddish-brown hair, big brown doe eyes, and a fragile appearance that reminded me of a china doll. I felt Aidan stiffen beside me and knew he doubted her abilities.

“She’s a child,” Aidan muttered.

“I know she seems small and helpless but believe me, she is strong and powerful,” Paul explained, obviously aware of Aidan’s unhappiness with his choice.

“Paul,
I have never doubted you before, but this is Katie’s life we are talking about. We cannot take any risks,” my father said, eyeing the new female worriedly.

“
Beth has been one of my own guards for the last ten years and more than once has been responsible for stopping those who have tried to kill me.” Cedric, who had been quietly watching the proceedings, told Aidan. “She is loyal and would give her life for your…uh… Katie.”

Aidan nodded
, looking somewhat reassured. “Beth, is it?” he asked, motioning her forward.

The
female came to stand before her prince, respect shining from her eyes as she bowed low. “Your Majesty, it is an honor and I will protect your...uh…” She looked at me with puzzlement and Cedric cleared his throat. “Katie.”

“Just be sure you do,” Aidan
replied sharply.

“It is an honor to serve you,” she said
, bowing slightly before me, which I thought was extremely odd. But what did I know. The only vampires I had ever been around were my family and Aidan.

“Uh
, hi,” I offered my hand, which she stared at with panicked eyes. Aidan reached out and pulled my hand back with a growl that had her backing away with a fearful expression. “Aidan, what the…?” He swung me around to face him, his eyes filled with rage, and I shut my mouth instantly.

“Do not
ever
take a vampire by the hand!” he snapped.

Tears
filled my eyes. He had never before taken such a harsh tone with me. “Why?” I asked pathetically.

His face softened. “Y
ou do not know what power they hold, and it makes it easier for those of my kind who are psychic to read you,” he explained, letting go of my hand and lifting his finger to stroke a tear from my cheek.

“That girl is woefully ignorant of our ways. I knew it was a mistake to
let her be raised as you wished,” Kale snarled. “If you would just…”

“Enough,
” Aidan hissed, silencing the aggravating man before meeting my gaze once again.

“We have
covered every possibility. Katie will never be out of sight of one of our protectors,” Zoe assured him.

“Not good enough,” Aidan snapped. “I want my people here too
, surrounding the perimeter of the house, and in town keeping an eye out for anyone who might be a threat.”

Everyone began speaking at once about who was going to be where, but n
o one asked how I felt about everything that was happening. I wondered if they even cared for my opinion, but decided quickly that the answer was a definite no, so I sat silently trying to piece together their conversations.

“Are we all done?” Ai
dan asked tiredly, after what seemed like hours of arguing and planning.

“I think that c
overs everything,” Paul told him.

“Good
, then we can go,” Kale said, rising from his seat.

“Thank you
all for coming,” Aidan said, dismissing the Council.

Everyone murmured their goodbyes
, and the Council was gone within moments, the lingering remnants of their power the only reminder they had ever been there at all.

I sat on the settee
, staring at my hands that lay clenched on my lap. I felt nervous, afraid, and full of questions.

“Would you like to go to the garden?” Aidan
asked, holding out his hand.

I nodded and took his hand, happy to be getting out of the house
and away from everyone’s concerned stares.

We walk
ed to the garden in silence. We were sitting in the gazebo when he took my chin in his hand, then turned my face so I was looking up into his concerned gaze. “Are you okay? I know my Council can be rather intimidating.” He feathered his fingers across my cheek, cradling it softly, and my breath caught in my throat.

“I am sure it will all be fine,” I told him bravely, but deep down I was terrified. I did not want to die, and I certainly did not want to meet up with any rogue vampires who sought to harm me.

“You should
rest; this has been a trying day for you.”

“Oh, I’m not the least bit tired,” I protested.

His eyes met mine and suddenly my eyelids felt very heavy, belying my words. I fought to keep them open, but before I knew what was happening, my head dropped to his shoulder and they closed.

I woke sometime later to the sound of Paul speaking angrily to Aidan
once again.

“You are not doing her
any favors, you know,” Paul sneered.

“I
do know, and I understand why you are angry, but I cannot help needing to be near her. You should understand that,” Aidan said calmly.