Midnight Blood (Born Immortal) (23 page)

     “I’m ready,” she said into the darkness, and closed her eyes.

     The waters of Lake Huron were a beautiful turquoise blue, and the beach was beautiful. Cain’s face was as handsome as ever. Shayna lept into his arms, and kissed his face all over. She was so happy to see him, even if it was only in a dream.

     They were on the beach on Mackinac Island.

     “Shayna, I’m coming back for you,” he said, holding her face in his hands and looking into her eyes. “You are my princess, and I haven’t forgotten you. You are all that I know now.”

     Everything seemed so real to Shayna. His touch still felt like cold electricity. She held him. She refused to let go.

     “I promise, just a little longer,” he said, “And, we’ll be together again,” he tightened the hold he had on her petite body.

     He feels so real, he smells so real. She thought.

“I love you Cain. I miss you so much,” she kissed him more. She even dared to kiss him on the lips, but to her disappointment there was no uncontrolable effect in her dream. “I forgive you. I understand now,” she said, and buried her face in his chest. “I don’t want to be without you anymore.”

     He stroked her curly, chocolate hair, “Soon Princess, soon.”

     He gently layed her down on the sandy beach and began to kiss her, and Shayna entered into a whole different state of dream.

     There was a smile on Shayna’s face when she awoke. She could still smell him. She breathed in deeply. She had no idea how the day would end, but she was certain that Cain was going to return to her.

     She got dressed, and met Melina downstairs. The plan was to go into Traverse City to get there hair and nails done. Shayna had protested, she had thought that Melina was going to do everything herself, at home. In the end Melina won.

     “No make up,” Shayna said, after she gave in. Melina agreed.

     They drove down South Long Lake Road, and Shayna noticed that Melina seemed withdrawn. After much thought, and consideration, Melina couldn’t take it any longer.

     “Is it true Shay?” she asked her twin.

     Shayna wasn’t sure what she was talking about, she had a good idea, but continued to play stupid.

“Is what true?” she asked.

     Melina glanced over at Shayna, trying not to take her eyes off the road.

“What I read in those books?”

     Shayna was at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected to be  having this conversation with Melina, not so soon anyway. She was guessing that if Melina knew, that Noah knew as well. Melina seemed to be pretty calm though.

     “Are you okay?” Shayna asked her twin. There was no point in trying to lie, and she was glad that it had came to this.

     Melina started crying, her brain screamed; My sister is a vampire!

     “Are
you
?” Melina sobbed.

     “I’m scared shitless Mel!” Shayna started crying too, “I don’t know what’s going to happen to me after tonight. I’m not going to be
me
in the morning,” she said wiping tears from her face.

     “It’s going to happen tonight?” Melina asked. She felt like she might go in to shock, “Tonight?” she repeated quietly.

     Shayna nodded and wiped more tears. “Uh-huh.”

     Melina pulled the car over to the side of the road and hugged Shayna. They both cried and held each other.

     “Why didn’t you tell me?” Melina asked, pulling back onto the road.

     Shayna flipped down the visor to use the mirror, and looked at her face, wiping the remaining tears away.

“I don’t know. I guessed I wasn’t sure I believed it myself,” she said, “But then Cain showed up, and he knows what I am. It kind of made it hard not to believe it then.”

     “Is Cain a vampire too?” Melina asked. She was glad, and surprised that Shayna was finally opening up to her.

     Shayna wasn’t sure if she should answer truthfully, but she did, “Yes,” she said quietly, “He is.”

     Melina stared ahead at the road, she wasn’t sure if she could take anymore for the day. She sighed, and kept her eyes on the road.

“I’m not leaving your side Shayna,” she said, “I’ll take you home after the formal, and stay with you,” she paused, “If you’ll let me.”

      The tears started to flowing again, followed by anxiety. Shayna was emotionally drained. She hoped she was going to be strong enough for the night. Melina started crying again too.

     “I love you Shay,” Melina was able to get out a laugh through her sobs, “And, as long as you don’t try to drink my blood, I will always be here for you, and will help you anyway I can.”

     They pulled into the Grand Traverse Mall’s parking lot, and Shayna took and squeezed Melina’s hand.

“Mel, I will tell you everything I possibly can, after the formal,” she said to her, “But for the rest of the day, let’s just try to have a good time.”

She hoped Melina would be able to pull herself together enough to enjoy the rest of the day, so they could have fun together.

     “I would like that,” Melina said and hugged Shayna.

     They got out of the car, and walked inside toward Regis Salon.

Shayna added, ‘You’re going to tell Noah, aren’t you?”

     “Yep,” Melina answered right away, “Unless you want to.”

     Shayna rolled her eyes, “Go ahead,” she said, “You probably already told him anyway.”

     With a proud smile, Melina said, “Yep.”

Chapter 19

    
The waters of Lake Michigan weren’t quite freezing, but they were colder than his unbeating heart. He could feel the sun shining down on his face, and could hear the slushie water splashing around him. Cain slowly opened his eyes.

     Everything was a little blurry at first, but it all slowly came into focus. He was staring up at the bluff, that he had been thrown from, the sun blinding him. He looked at his chest. The platinum dagger remained protruding there. He reached for the blade, his arm stiff as he moved it, and pulled it out with a quick jerk. He yelled out in agonizing pain, and pushed himself up into a sitting position, ripping his shirt open. The wound from the blade healed right before his eyes. He examined the dagger. It is definatly platinum, but how am not fully dead? He wondered.

     Many things could kill a Changeling a lot easier that a full blood. But a blessed platinum blade of any style should do the job immediately, and without fail.

     “How is this possible?”

     Cain managed to stand up. He looked around him. He was stuck where he was, surrounded by towering bluffs. The only way out was up or through the water. He would go up. Cain looked at the blade on the dagger again. Everything about it looked perfect, he didn’t understand.

     Suddenly an image of a face appeared in his mind. She was perfect, and looked like a Princess.

“Shayna,” he whispered her name, “I have to get out of here.”

     Cain felt a surge of what felt like adrenaline, rush through his body. He had to get to Shayna, and fast. He frantically looked around for another way to get to the top of the bluff. He had no other option. He stuck the dagger in his boot, and began to climb the sandy wall.

     The girl staring back at Shayna looked like a goddess. Shayna couldn’t believe that she was looking at herself.

     Melina had the stylist, put most of Shayna’s thick curly hair, into a french twist, leaving the rest of her dark curls falling around her face and onto her shoulders.

     “Your not a little girl anymore,” she said to her reflection.

     Melina had talked Shayna into wearing a little mascara, and a soft pink lip gloss. When Shayna hadn’t been looking, Melina threw a handful of silver glitter on her. Shayna noticed the glitter later, but didn’t mind. She liked the effect it added, and she didn’t want to fight with Melina over glitter.

     Sarah had gotten called into work, and Shayna was upset that she wasn’t going to get to see her. She wasn’t even sure if she had told her mom that she was going to the formal. She was anxious to get the evening over with. She didn’t know when Aiden was going to pick her up, or what he would be driving. She hadn’t seen him since the night that they had made their plans, and she was starting to wonder if he was still coming.

     When Noah had picked Melina up, his jaw about hit the ground, when he saw Shayna. Shayna was glad to see Noah and Melina together. She would have never, in a million years, have thought of the two of them together, but once she saw it she thought they kind of fit.

     Melina had not wanted to leave Shayna behind, but Shayna insisted that they go, since they had dinner plans. She promised to catch up with them at the formal.

     She stood examining herself in the mirrow. She was proud of the young woman she had turned into. She looked amazing. She wanted to stop in so that Aunt Mill could see her, but she was pretty sure taking Aiden over, would not be acceptable. She smiled at the girl looking back at her in the mirror. Her eyes sparkled. More blue than ever.

     A horn honked outside, and Shayna made her way to the window, and looked down at the street. Aiden was climbing out of a little silver sportscar, wearing an all black tuxedo. He was headed toward the front porch.

     Shayna looked at herself one last time, and said, “Here I go,” to herself.

     She started downstairs to the door, taking a deep breath. She stepped off of the bottom stair, and pulled the heavy cherrywood door open. Aiden stood there grinning, with a bouquet of beautiful red roses in one hand, and a purple and silver corsage, in the other. His eyes lit up when he saw Shayna, the smile on his lips grew larger.

“I’m speechless,” he said, “You look magnificent.” he breathed her in, and licked his lips, “Are you ready?” he asked her.
     Shayna returned the smile. “Thank you,” she said softly, “Yes.”

     “Shall we then?” Aiden said, and extended his arm out to her.

     Shayna stepped onto the porch, and shut the door behind her, and Aiden took her wrist and put the corsage on it. They walked down the stoop together. Aiden put his arm around her, and handed her the bouquet.

     “They don’t compare to your beauty, but they smell as wonderful as you do,” he told her.

     “Thank you Aiden.”

     “Smell them,” he insisted, moving her hand that was holding the roses, to her face.

     Shayna leaned her face down towards the bouquet, and smelled the flowers. They did smell wonderful.

     “You didn’t have to do all of this Aiden.” Shayna said, and then stumbled a little.

     Aiden caught her, and held her up by her arm, and said, “Yes I did.”

     Shayna stumbled again, but Aiden had a firm grasp on her, and continued to hold her up. Everything began to spin around her. Faster and faster. Just breathe. She told herself. The only thing she was able to focus on, was Aiden’s smiling face
and
his red eyes.

     He opened the passenger door, “Don’t be scared,” he told her.

     Shayna was paralyzed, she couldn’t even open her mouth. Aiden was the only thing keeping her standing. He sat her down in the car, and gently leaned her back onto the seat. He was still smiling. A metallic taste began forming in Shayna’s mouth, and her ears began to ring. Every part of her body was numb, and her eyes became heavy. Aiden shut the door, and walked around the car to the drivers side. Her were eyes comlpetely closed when he climbed in, and there was a single tear falling down her cheek.

     The bluff  had proven to be more difficult of an obsticle, than Cain had anticipated. He was only able to get about halfway up, before he lost his grip, and fell back to the rocky shore below. He repeated his attempt, but he kept falling and hitting the ground, landing on his feet. This gave him an idea. He started back up the wall of the bluff, and when he got as far as he knew he could go, he let go. When he was about to hit the ground, he bent his knees, and when he felt the earth beneath him, he immediately sprang up. He was in the air, soaring up along side the bluff. He used his legs to help him run up the side of the wall. His plan worked. About twenty feet from the top of the bluff, he was able to grab on to the roots of the growth below the sand, that were dangling down, and pull himself up.

     Shayna’s face in his mind, he made it to the top, and pulled himself over the ledge. He stood on his feet,  and he heard Aunt Mill’s voice in his head immediatly.

“The Winter formal. Hurry.”

     Everything came back to Cain all at once, in a whirlwind of memories and emotion. He had to get to Shayna. She was in more danger, than Cain had been to her. He started to run east, he couldn’t waste any time.

Cain burst through the doors of the grand hall at the art academy. He had to find Shayna before it was too late. It took him no time at all to get to the Center For The Arts, once the panther took over. He scanned the great room for Shayna, but could not see her. He tried to find her scent, amongst her dancing classmates, but he found nothing. They’re not here. He thought to himself. He was eager to find her, and frustrated that he had let this happen.

Suddenly Melina was in his line of vision and was walking right towards him, with Noah by her side. Cain was amused that Melina’s thoughts of him were so scrambled, and he was relieved that she already knew about Shayna.

     “Where is my sister?” Melina asked him, leaning in close to him, so he could hear her over the music. She didn’t realize it was unecessary. The look on Cain’s face, made Melina instanly worry. “What?” she asked him.

     “I don’t know,” he looked at both Melina and Noah, “But we need to find her.”

     “Wait, what?” Noah interrupted. He couldn’t hear them.

     Melina began to shake, “What is going on Cain? Where is my sister?”

     Cain looked at Noah, and leaned close to him, so Noah could hear him, “Do you have a car?”