Golden Hue (14 page)

“Would you call her?” I asked. “I don't want to talk to her.”

“I don't mind if you talk to her,” Cathy said. “I trust you.”

“But I don't know . . . ” I said.

“You don't know what?” Cathy said.

“One time I loved her with all my heart, and I don't want there to be any chance of those feelings returning,” I said. “You’re the only woman I love now.”

Cathy took my hand and squeezed it.

“I'll talk to her,” she said. “Give me your phone.”

She looked up Candace's number and called it. I listened in.

“Hello?” Candace said. “Is that you, Eli?”

“No, I'm Cathy, Eli's fiancé,” Cathy said.

“Oh,” Candace said.

“Do you want to talk about what happened in the cave?” Cathy asked.

“Well, yes,” Candace said. “But I’d rather talk about it with Eli. I don't know you.”

“Eli doesn’t want to talk to you now, so you’re going to talk with me,” Cathy said.

“Okay,” Candace said. “Can you please explain what happened that night?”

Cathy went into great detail explaining exactly what happened that night.

“So that’s why I have over a day of missing time,” Candace said. “I was possessed by a witch's spirit?”

“Yes,” Cathy said. “And Eli saved your life.”

“Are you really a vampire?” Candace asked.

“Yes, I am,” Cathy said. “But I’ll never hurt you, we don't drink blood.”

“Is Eli a vampire too?” she asked.

“Yes,” she said. “He’s now one of us.”

“Can I please talk to him?” Candace asked.

“Look, Eli loved you for a long time. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea for him to be talking to you,” she said. “So please don't ask again.”

“I'm sorry,” she said. “But he’s my friend, and I want to thank him for saving my life.”

“I’ll tell him for you,” Cathy said.

“I also want to apologize for how badly I treated him over the years,” she said. “He was so good to me, and I just hurt him over and over again.”

“I'll apologize for you,” Cathy said.

“Do you love him?” Candace asked.

“I love him so much I’d die for him,” she said. “He’s the most kind, caring, respectful, and loving man I’ve ever met. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm glad you two never got together. I can’t imagine my life without him.

Candace paused. “Please let him know that I’m so sorry for how I treated him.”

I could hear Candace start to cry.

“Will I ever see him again? Will I ever be able to meet you?” Candace asked.

Cathy sighed.

“Maybe, one day,” she said. “The best thing you can do now is go about your life, and please don't tell anyone what I’ve shared with you.”

“I promise that I won't,” Candace said.

“Good,” Cathy said. “I’m going to text you my phone number. If you ever have an emergency, please text me.”

“Thank you,” Candace said.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “Bye.”

Candace's words had dredged up thoughts of that night in the cave. Although I didn’t want Candace in my life -- Cathy was who I wanted to be with -- I couldn’t help but feel moved by her words.

“Thank you for talking to her,” I said, as I reached for the phone.

“No problem,” Cathy said. “Are you alright?”

“I'm okay,” I said. “I just don't like hearing her voice.”

“Don't think about her,” Cathy said. “Just focus on me and my voice.”

I reached forward and took Cathy in my arms.

“You’re the only woman I want,” I told her. “I don't want Candace or any other woman in my life.”

“But you still have memories of how you felt for her, don't you?” Cathy asked.

“Every now and then,” I said. “And I’m so, so sorry for that.”

“Don’t be sorry, Eli,” she said. “It just shows you have a heart.”

“Just be faithful to me and everything will be fine,” she said.

“I'll always be faithful to you,” I said

I then looked at Lizzie, and I saw she had a tear in her eye.

“What's wrong?” I asked.

“I just wish I could find someone as nice as you,” she said.

“I'm sure you can,” I said. “Are you dating anyone right now?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I’m in a couple of on again, off again relationships, but for right now I'm single.

“You’re going to find someone,” Cathy told her.

“I don't have your personality or looks,” Lizzie said.

“Eli thinks you’re good looking,” Cathy said. “I can tell. Don't you think she’s pretty, Eli?”

I turned and looked at Lizzie.

“You’re a beautiful woman,” I told Lizzie

“Do you mean it?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I'm serious.”

“Thank you,” she said.

We left the mall and before long, we were driving through downtown Atlanta. Looking out the windows of the vehicle, I was amazed by the tall buildings that seemed to rise up into the clouds.

Lizzie's phone rang and she answered it. In a few moments later, she hung up.

“My grandma Meg is flying in,” she said. “She’s going to be joining us at the dance.”

“Do we need to meet her at the airport?” I asked.

Cathy and Sarah both looked at me.

“She’s
flying
in,” Lizzie said.

“Oh,” I said. “I get it now.”

I felt stupid, again.

“When will she be arriving?” I asked.

“She’ll be here in time for the dance,” Lizzie said.

I looked forward to seeing Meg. Not only was she a friend, but she was the most powerful vampire in my new family; we might need her.

Not long later, we drove up to the empress’s estate. The large, cast iron gate opened, and the limousine drove into the parking area. As we neared the front of the house we could see smoke billowing out of one of the windows. I powered up and flew towards it. Hovering outside of the smoke-filled room, I peered inside. Even with my enhanced vision, I could make out very little of what was going on.

With Lizzie and Cathy hovering beside me, I rushed to an office window, opened it, and flew inside. We rushed through the office and opened the door to the main hallway.

Looking to my right, I saw a number of vampires and servants with fire extinguishers. They were trying to put out the flames of what looked like a massive explosion. Debris was everywhere and the smoke was getting thicker.

“What happened?” I called out to a short vampire, who’d already transformed.

“A bomb went off,” he said. “We’re trying to put out the fire before it spreads.”

I rushed forward through the smoke, and I made my way to a flame filled room. Fire was spreading up the walls and up to the ceiling.

Trying to remember what Meg had taught me, I peered into the molecules of the wall and ceiling with my mind. They were bouncing around and vibrating at high speed. Focusing, I tried to slow them down.

The flames started to recede. I called forth more power, and I could feel a tingling as my skin turned golden. I focused harder, and a frost started to spread on the walls and ceiling. A minute later, the entire room was covered in a thin layer of ice.

Looking upwards, I let my mind inspect the room above; it was on fire as well. I pushed harder, and the room above me began to cool. In seconds, it too was covered in ice. In my mind, I could see the flames were out.

I rushed back into the hallway. Cathy and Lizzie were looking at me.

“We have to find Sarah,” I called out.

I grabbed the arm of a female vampire that was running down the hallway.

“Have you seen Sarah?” I asked.

“Not recently,” she said, before breaking free and continuing down the hall.

“Follow me,” I called out to Cathy and Lizzie. They followed me down the long corridors as I looked for Sarah and made my way towards the throne room.

Two guards stood at the door of the room.

“I need to speak to the empress,” I stated.

The black haired, fully transformed guard growled at me.

“She’s indisposed at the moment,” he said.

“I don't care,” I said. “I need to talk to her.”

“You’ll have to wait,” he said.

I then realized that I hadn’t tried to call Sarah, so I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

It rang seven times and went to her voicemail.

“She should be answering,” Cathy said.

“Try to call her,” I said to Lizzie.

Lizzie called her, but again there was no answer.

I turned and looked at the guards.

“Please let us in,” I asked.

“No,” the second guard said.

I increased my power level and fully transformed. My claws emerged, and I could feel my fangs.

Without a moment's hesitation, I slowed down time, grabbed the two guards by the neck, and slammed both of them through the door.

Walking into the room, I saw Sarah.

A tall, red headed woman had her hand around her throat. The empress, sitting on her thrown, was watching – doing nothing to help her.

I zoomed towards the red headed woman.

“Put her down, now!” I yelled.

She looked at me and continued to choke Sarah.

“If you don't put her down, so help me, I'll take you out,” I said.

The tall red headed woman grinned at me, and she dropped Sarah.

“You must be Eli,” she said. “I'm Agatha, your great grandmother.”

I stared into the sinister blue eyes of Sarah's grandmother.

“What are you doing to her?” I demanded.

The empress stood up. Her light blue dress looked as graceful as her eyes looked cold.

“This is a family matter, Eli,” she said. “Agatha has the right to discipline her children – including her grandchildren.”

I flew towards the empress and looked her in the eye.

“You told me no violence would take place under your roof,” I said.

“This isn’t violence,” she stated. “This is discipline.”

I looked at the empress with disgust.

“I'm not going to let her kill my mother!” I shouted.

“She isn’t going to kill her. I’d never allow that,” the empress said coldly.

Sarah rubbed her throat before finally speaking to me.

“Let me handle this, Eli,” she said.

Cathy stepped forward.

“There’s no time for this,” she said. “Your mansion is under attack.”

“I’m aware of that,” the empress said. “But this takes precedence.”

I rushed to Sarah's side and looked up at her grandmother.

“Whatever you have to say to Sarah, you can say it to me as well,” I said.

“Alright,” Agatha said. “You’re a disgrace to your family, Sarah. By killing your blood kin, you’ve proven what your mother said all along about you.”

“What did she say?” Sarah asked.

“That you’d betray her one day,” Agatha stated. “That you weren’t half the daughter June was to her.”

“I loved my mother!” Sarah shouted out, with tears in her eyes. “But she was going crazy! She killed my boyfriend; he did nothing to her!”

Agatha stepped closer to us. In response, I raised my power level and allowed my golden aura to surround Sarah as well as myself.

“You’ve proven my point,” Agatha said. “You’d kill your own mother, the queen vampire that gave birth to you, over a pathetic human being.”

Sarah grabbed my hand; she needed my support.

“My mother was about to kill my son,” she said. “She’d also killed others. You don't realize how she was changing. There was no way you could know; you were gone all the time.”

“Your daughter sat back and did nothing while her servants kidnapped and tortured innocent pregnant girls from the maternity home,” I said. “Innocent pregnant women were burned alive. Are you too crazy, too out of your mind to realize that’s simply wrong?!”

“My daughter was a good woman. She loved me, and I loved her,” Agatha said.

“I don't doubt she was a good woman once,” I said. “But from what I can tell she started to change at some point. I don't know why, but by the time I met her she’d become violent and obsessive.”

Agatha seemed distressed.

“I don't want to fight you,” Sarah called out. “You’re the only blood kin I have left.”

“You should have thought about the consequences of your actions,” Agatha stated. “I can't forgive you for what you did.”

Agatha turned and walked out of the room.

Cathy and Lizzie rushed to Sarah's side. The wrapped their arms around her as she sobbed.

I stepped towards the empress.