Midnight Blood (Born Immortal) (10 page)

     They reached Cain’s car and he opened the driver door, and gestured for Shayna to get in, placing his keys in her hand.

     “What?” she couldn’t believe it, “No.”

     “Just be back in the morning for our ride, everything will be fine,” he said with solace. He took her hand knowing he was putting her at further risk, by keeping her close. “I’ll see you in the morning Princess, goodnight.”

He kissed her forehead softly, his lips tingling when they made contact with her skin. He helped her into the car, and closed the door, waving her to go.

     Shayna fumbled with the keys, trying to find an ignition key. She found one and gave it a try. The BMW started, she looked up, and Cain was gone. She took a deep breath and put the car into gear. She asked herself how she was going to explain this to Sarah. To Melina. To anyone. She pulled onto the highway and away from the farm house. She didn’t want to bring his car home, but she hadn’t been given a choice. What was she thinking?

Chapter 6

    
Shayna sat on the porch swing at her house for twenty minutes, soaking up the day, and thinking about everything that was happening. There was so much to absorb and process. Cain was her angel, or better yet, her Prince. He was the best thing that had entered her life, since her father’s “death’’ and she knew, that with Cain by her side, she could conquer anything.

     She finally decided to go inside, and she opened the front door to a house that was slowly darkening.

     “Who’s snazzy car?” she heard her mother ask. Shayna wasn’t quite sure where she was at in their large Victorian house.

     “A friends,” she answered, she listened for a reply, to decipher where her mother was. The only light on in the house was a small table lamp in the living room.

     “Mmm Hmm,” she heard.

Top of the stairs, Shayna realized. She looked up, her mothers silhouette stood at the top of the stairs.

“Is it the new boy?” Sarah asked.

     “He’s not just a boy,” Shayna didn’t know what else to say. She knew her mother wasn’t ignorant. Sarah knew her daughter well.

     Sarah came down the stairs, and stood with her daughter. She tucked Shayna’s hair behind her ear.

“That’s what worries me, I don’t want you to throw away everything that you’ve worked so hard for, because of a boy or anyone,” Sarah told her daughter.

     “Mom, it’s not like that,” Shayna said. They walked to the living room, and sat down on the couch together, “He would never let me neglect my responsibilities.”

     “I guess I’m worried, also because I have never seen you fall for anyone like this. It’s not like you. But,” Sarah sighed, “I know that you can’t help how your heart feels, love is a powerful emotion.”

     “Mom!” Shayna said, “Who said anything about love? I just met him on Monday.”

     “Shayna, I see it all over your face,” Sarah smiled, and squeezed Shayna’s hand, “You can deny it if you want. But I haven’t seen this kind of happiness in your eyes, since you were a little girl.”

Sarah knew that she would have to let go of her daughters one day, but she had always hoped she would be able to hold on to Shayna a little longer, than it was looking like she was going to. She knew that when Shayna left, that she would possibly never come back.

“I just want to make sure you know what you are doing, Shay.
You
have too much to lose.”

     “Mom, I promise, I know what I am doing, and I promise that I won’t lose sight of my life’s goals.

     Sarah smiled, “I know, I’m sorry, I worry too much. You are a smart girl. I know you know what you are doing,” she said. Sarah trusted Shayna’s judgement more than Melina’s most of the time. “So, tell me about this boy,” she said changing the subject, “When do I get to meet him?”

     “His name is Cain,” Shayna began, not realizing the grin that had spread across her face, “He lives at the one huge farmhouse with the big white barn, and like ten different horse pastures. You know where I’m talking about right?” she asked.  Sarah nodded her head, and Shayna continued, “He lives there with his aunt, they moved here from California, and they opened up a little bookstore near Interlochen Corner’s.” Shayna beamed at her mother, “Anything else?”

     “When do I get to meet him?” she said with an inflexible look.

     “Seriously?” Shayna asked. “I’m still getting to know him myself, but soon. Okay?”

     “Promise?” Sarah said.

     “Yes,” Shayna promised, “I’m going on a ride with him tomorrow.”

     Sarah interrupted Shayna before she could go any further, “What happened to, Mom, can I go on a ride with him?” she asked caustically, “And what kind of ride is he taking you on?”

     Shayna smirked at her mother, and cocked her head to the side, “Mom. Can I go horseback riding with Cain tomorrow?”

     “Thank you Shayna. Yes you can go,” Sarah responded, “Of course you can go. But I want to meet him when you come home.”

     “Yes Ma’am,” Shayna said, and kissed her Sarah’s cheek, “Thank you mom, for understanding.”

     “That’s what I’m here for Shay,” Sarah hugged Shayna, and inhaled her scent. She thought to herself that Shayna always smelled good, “Now go get your phone, it’s been ringing all day. You’re supposed to keep it with you,” she said, “Isn’t that the point of having it?” she was trying to be the parent again.

       “Okay, okay,” Shayna got up and headed toward the stairs, “Mom?” Shayna stopped and turned around. Maybe I should tell her. She thought, “Nevermind,” she said and bounded up the stairs, leaving Sarah alone on the couch.

     Shayna went into her room and grabbed her phone off the dresser, where she had left it that morning. She already knew it was Noah who had been calling, but when she looked at her phone to her surprise, most of the calls had been from a blocked number.

     There was a knock on the door, and Sarah poked her head in, “By the way,” she said, “Why are you so dirty?”

     Shayna looked down at herself. Her jeans were covered in mud. She knew the mud was from the cemetary, but she could never tell Sarah what happened. She tried to come up with something quickly.

“I was helping Cain with his horses, the melting snow made a pretty muddy mess out of the pastures,” she hated lying, especially to her mother, but this time she felt it was for the best. She wanted to just forget the whole thing.

     “Well get cleaned up, and I’ll make dinner,” Sarah told her.

     Sarah closed the door, and Shayna took a pair of baby blue flannel pajama pants, and a white T-shirt, out of her dresser, and went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she took off her shirt in the bathroom, she gasped in shock. Her bloodstone was gone. She hoped and prayed it was at Cain’s house, or in his car, but her instinct told her it was in the cemetary.

     “I don’t want to go back there,” she said to the reflection in the mirror. She stared at the face looking back at her. I am a vampire. She thought. I shouldn’t be afraid or intimidated by some creep.

     She decided to wait until Sunday to go back and find it. If that was truly where it was. She was over the fear of it all, but was definitely not ready to go back just yet. She turned on the shower, and finished undressing. She adjusted the water temperature, and she stepped in. The hot water felt good on her bare skin. She closed her eyes, and let the water flow all over her body.

     After a dinner of bloody steak, potatoes, and salad, Shayna went upstairs to call Noah. He didn’t answer, and she didn’t blame him. She
had
been ignoring him, when she could have at least called and told him what was going on with Cain. She wasn’t trying to
not
tell, and she wasn’t embarassed, she just wanted to be able to process things a little more, without his influence, or anyone else’s for that matter.

     She turned off her bedside lamp, and laid back on the bed. She closed her eyes, she was anticipating the day to come. She laid in the dark room for about a half an hour, before her mind went blank, and the dream took over.

     Shayna took in a deep breath, and entered her father’s memorial. She wanted to find her necklace, and leave immediately. When she saw the figure on the marble sitting bench, she stopped.

     “Don’t be scared,” a very familiar voice said, “It’s me.”

The figure looked up at her, and Shayna gasped.

     “Daddy!” she ran to her father, and all but knocked him off of the sitting bench with her embrace.

     “Take it easy Shay,” he said to her.

     “I missed you so much,” she cried, tears uncontrollably  flowing down her face.

     “Shayna,” he put his hands on her shoulders, and sat her down on the bench, “You need to listen. This is a dream, you are at home in bed, not here. But I am really here. I’m coming to you the only way that I know how,” Shayna gave her father an understanding nod, and he continued. “I know you know what you are now. I can tell by the way you carry, and present yourself,” he said, she nodded again, “I have sent someone to help you, to guide you, and protect you during this transition. You can trust him, I knew him for many years.”

     Shayna smiled at the thought of this, “You sent him?”

     “He’s already here?” her father’s eyes narrowed, “I didn’t know. How long has he been here?” he asked.

     “Are you coming back?” she asked softly, ignoring his question, but not really wanting the answer to hers.

     Marcus Verona put a soft, cold hand on his daughters cheek.

“No,” he answered, “I’m not.”

     A single tear fell from Shayna’s cheek, “I didn’t think so,” she muttered.

     Her father stood up and looked around, “This memorial is beautiful,” he said. “Sarah did an astonishing job,” he walked up to the angel statue, running his fingers down her wings, “It is a shame my body isn’t here.”

     “Where is it?” Shayna asked, “What happened?”

     “Gone,” he replied, “Burnt to ash.”

     “What? How?”

     “Someone who held a grudge,” he answered. More tears came, he grabbed her shoulders again, and looked her in the eyes, “Shayna, you need to be strong. You are, and will be, a very special being,” he said, “I know you are going to make me proud to have been your father.”

     “I just miss you so much,” she sniffled, “When I found that letter, it gave me hope that you would be back for me.”

     “I will try to visit you this way, as often as I can make it possible. But, in the meantime, know that you will be taken care of,” he said this, and his image started to become hazy, and began fading away.

     “No, Daddy, don’t go,” Shayna cried, tears pouring down her face, “Don’t go.”

Chapter 7

     Shayna did not want any interrogations from Melina, and was thankful that she had stayed the night at Delany’s house. She had asked Sarah not to say anything to Melina about the car, and Sarah had promised that she wouldn’t. As long as Shayna took her cell phone with her. She left the house to go to Cain’s, with the phone, but she powered it off as soon as she was in the car. She didn’t want the day to be interrupted by a ringing phone.

     She pulled into Cain’s driveway and smiled when she saw him in the property’s outdoor arena, lunging Obsidion. Cain looked up and saw her, and began to slow Obsidion to a walk, pulling the magnificent horse closer to him, as he did. Shayna got out of the car and walked to the arena, and Cain led Obsidion out towards her.

     “Good morning,” she said to him as they approached each other.

     “Morning,” Cain returned the greeting, “I wasn’t sure you would come back after last night, but I am real glad you did,” he said.

     “Well I had to return your car,” she joked.

     He smiled at her. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

     “I am.” she was finally able to not think about the previous days events, so much.

     Cain smiled and nodded at her, knowing how strong, and fearless she seemed to be.

He handed Shayna Obsidions reins, and said, “I’ll go grab Glytter, the horse I’ll be riding. She’s tied up in the barn. I’ll just be a moment.”

     “Okay,” Shayna said. She stroked Obsidion’s muzzle as Cain walked to the barn. “Are you as anxious as I am?” she asked the horse, “Now let’s see if I can get on you, without his help,”

Shayna stepped back and looked at the large horse. He was all decked out in black leather tack, that was trimmed with silver. He looked even bigger than she remembered, with the small English saddle he bore on his back. Just when Shayna thought there was no way she would be able to climb up on him alone, without delay, Obsidion stretched out one of his front legs and bent the other, so that he was kneeling down.

Shayna stared at the horse in disbelief, “Did you just read my mind?” she asked him in amazement.

     Obsidion huffed and threw his head up. Shayna didn’t hesitate, she immediately climbed on his back and Obsidion righted himself as Cain appeared leading a beautiful bay mare that was nearly as big as Obsidion. She had decided not to tell Cain about what Sid had done, it would be their secret, and she hoped she wasn’t just imagining it. This horse is amazing. She thought.

     “I thought you couldn’t get a saddle on him?” she asked Cain when he approached with his horse.

     “You know,” he started, “It was so weird. When I came to get him, he never fought me. He did everything willingly, like he knew it was for you,” he gathered his horses reins and pulled himself up into her saddle, “It looks like he is, as crazy about you, as I am!” with that Cain yelled out, and gave the mare a kick in her side, and she took off towards the trees.