Nevermore, the Complete Series (47 page)

Hospitals always made me nervous, but never more than today. My best friend was in one of the hundreds of rooms, unconscious and unaware of my presence. The idea of seeing her lying on the hospital bed terrified me. I wanted to run away and pretend this wasn’t really happening – but I knew it was happening and that it was something I would have to face. On top of all this I had the burden of being able to hear and smell things wafting through the hospital that no ordinary person could have. Top amongst these scents was blood, and God help me, it smelled delicious.

I gripped Salem’s hand tighter than I ever had before as he and I silently walked behind Mitchell. He led us down a white tiled hallway, into an elevator, and eventually to the room Karen was staying in. The door was cracked open, and I heard chatting from inside. Jason’s voice was easily recognized, followed by Eila’s light voice and Karen’s parents as well. It had been a long time since I last saw Mr. and Mrs. Williams, and I wished our reunion could have been at a better time, under better circumstances. They were the closest things I had left to parents in this world now.

There was a part of me that felt empty and useless as I silently entered the room. I should have felt miserable – not just emotionally, but physically. My stomach should have been on the verge of nausea, my heart should have been racing, and my limbs shaking with all of the nerves I felt. I should have been able to cry, but that was impossible in this immortal body. My eyes cautiously peeked into the room, and I suddenly felt shy and uncomfortable in the presence of everyone.

“Alex!” Jason yelled, leapt up from his chair and pulled me into a tight, constricting hug.

I laughed and squeezed him back, happy to smell his familiar scent and feel the touch of his skin. Unlike Mitchell, he didn’t recoil at the touch of my cold flesh and refused to let me go until Eila cleared her throat to gain his attention. He apologized in a mumbled tone and returned to his chair. I waved briefly at Eila, and then turned toward Karen’s parents who enveloped me in a joint hug.

“It’s good to see you, Alex,” said Mr. Williams, who shared the same blonde hair as his daughter. He had thick-rimmed glasses and a crooked nose, which made his spectacles lean somewhat to the left. Mrs. Williams had a dark mane of hair that cascaded down her back, straight and perfect – just like Karen’s. She had wide bright green eyes that were the main focal point of her face – something about them drew you in and you would find yourself staring into them. I blinked and looked away momentarily.

“I only wish the circumstances were different,” I replied with a frown and turned away from everyone to get a glimpse at the one person I needed to see most.

“We’ll give you some privacy,” Mrs. Williams said and dragged her husband out of the room. Mitchell and Eila followed them, but Jason remained.

It was difficult to look at her. My beautiful, perfect friend was broken. Her arms were both wrapped in casts; one leg was bandaged up to the point that not a single inch of skin was visible. Scrapes and bruises marred her face and there was a bandage wrapped around her forehead. Her eyes were shut yet moving rapidly beneath the lids, and her breath was labored. IVs and other tubes were poking out of her body and I felt disgusted with myself for having not been able to do anything. Worst of all was the scent of fresh blood swirling around in the otherwise-stale air. It was tempting and I wanted it.

Salem seemed to notice a sudden change in my appearance and pulled me away from Karen.

“Alex…” he whispered into my ear, eying Jason with concern. “Your eyes are…changing.”

“What?” I gasped, noting an unintentional guttural growl in my voice.

“Do you need to step out of the room?”

“No! I need to stay here!” I shouted and broke free of his grasp. “I can control myself.”

“Is everything okay?” Jason asked from his chair.

“Yeah,” I replied quietly. “I was just tearing up…that’s all.”

“You don’t have to hide that from me, Alex.” He nearly laughed. “Not like I haven’t seen you cry before...and not like I haven’t shed my share of tears in this room.”

“I know…I’m sorry, it’s just…” I sighed and went to Karen’s side, facing away from Jason in case my eyes changed again. “It’s not easy for me to be around her like this.”

“I understand,” he said.

“No you don’t!” I snapped back without realizing it.

“How can you say that, Alex? She’s my best friend, too.”

“That’s not what I meant, Jason. I’m sorry. Just…leave us alone for a minute, okay?”

“Yeah, sure…” he muttered and left the room without a second glance at me.

Salem stood behind me, ready to pull me away from Karen if I let myself get carried away. Human blood had never smelled so inviting, yet I had never been around anyone with open wounds before…the smell was invigorating. It was difficult to ignore, but I had to try.

I clasped my hand around Karen’s and glanced at her pale face. She looked miserable yet serene at the same time. It was unnatural to see her in such a state – she was always lively and chatty, it was often hard to get her to shut up. I wished she would sit up and start talking, about anything…even mundane things that didn’t matter. I needed to hear her voice again, to see her active and healthy.

“Karen,” I whispered, hoping that she somehow could hear me. “I can’t believe this happened…you look so fragile. But it won’t be long before you are back on your feet,
studying makeup and hair styles and I’ll stay in Colorado and we can hang out every day if you want…”

Why the hell could I not cry! Of all of the things that were taken from me upon becoming a vampire, why did I have to lose the one way to express my sadness? I wanted to bawl my eyes out until they burned!

“Alex.” I gasped and looked up at Karen as my name eased through her parched lips. She wasn’t entirely awake, but she was obviously somehow aware of my presence. I squeezed her hand tightly.

The door swung open and distracted me. A stout pudgy woman in a nurse’s uniform peeked in and announced that visiting hours were over. With a sigh, I kissed Karen on the forehead and left the room with Salem right on my tail.

Mitchell drove Salem and me to the hotel he, Jason and Eila had been staying at and we rented a room. Part of me desperately wanted to stay at the hospital by Karen’s side throughout the night, but there was little I could do about that. Jason followed me to the room I would be staying in so that he could take some time to talk to me, away from Eila. While I was thankful for the company, I was almost afraid to be around him.

“So, Texas, huh?” he said casually as he sat down in a red armchair against the hotel window. “Mitchell told me that’s where you flew in from. What was that like?”

“It’s pretty dull there,” I replied and sat on the edge of the mattress. Salem stood in the hallway, observing us from afar. His eyes were distant, his face expressionless. “So, how have things been?”

“Good. I got promoted to store manager at Howard’s.” He shrugged as if that was insignificant news; however I was proud of him. “Eila is looking into colleges here in Denver, which might put some strain on our relationship because I don’t want to give up my position at work. I know it’s not the most glamorous career but I’ve worked hard. They say I’m the youngest store manager the store’s ever had.”

I nodded somberly. My friends were growing up while I was stuck in a state of eternity as a teenager – how could I possibly have considered that I could keep in touch with them over the years? Obviously they would notice the fact that I never changed. They would get older, have careers…children. None of that mattered now, as long as the fountain existed and I managed to get to it. I shook those thoughts from my mind – right now I should be focusing on Jason, getting in as much time with him as I possibly could before I had to leave again.

“Long-distance might not be too bad. It’s not that far from home, really,” I said quietly. “You haven’t seen Paul lately have you?”

“Nope.
I’m not sure what’s up with him. Kate works at Howard’s now, actually. She took my old position. I thought you of all people would know what the matter with him is. Maybe you should go see him?” he suggested.

I laughed. “No, thanks…we’re not exactly on good terms right now. It’s partially my fault for how he’s been.”

“What do you mean?” he asked as he crossed his arms across his chest and shivered. The air in the room must have been cold. 

“We got into a bit of an argument before Salem and I left…it’s kind of what made us decide to take a vacation.” I sighed and thought over what had occurred that night, it still made me shudder.

“Was it something to do with Salem?”

“Kind of…why?”

Jason shrugged. “I just sort of figured he might’ve had something to do with it. Paul’s probably just being over-protective of you. You’re the only family he’s got really, right?”

I laughed again. “It has nothing to do with that…it’s much worse.”

He looked at me for a moment, studying the expression on my face. His mouth opened to speak then shut quickly when Salem approached me with a stern look.

“You do not want to make any mistakes, Alexis.”

“Jason deserves to know the truth, Salem…he can handle it.”

“I disagree.”

“So, you’re trying to tell me what I can and can’t do now?”

“The consequences of his reaction will affect me just as much, if not more, as it will you.”

Jason looked back and forth between the two of us as we argued. He looked rather apprehensive. “What’re you two talking about?”

“It is of no importance to you, Jason. If you want to keep yourself and your family safe, you will stay out of it,” Salem said warningly.

I sighed and glowered in Salem’s direction. This was my decision to make, not his. Jason was my friend and I knew he could be trusted with our secret.

“What if it could save Karen?” I asked remorsefully. “What if I can help her?”

“Alexis!” Salem tried to interrupt.

“I could do it, Jason, I could save her.”

“What are you even talking about?” Jason said, staring at us awkwardly. “Karen is going to be fine.”

“I am going to tell him, Salem,” I said stubbornly.

Salem glared at me through his pale blue eyes, a strand of black hair falling across them and he frowned. “You’re making a big mistake here Alex, mark my words.”

I watched him turn around and leave the room without another word, the slamming of the door putting a final exclamation on what he had said.

Jason came and sat beside me on the edge of the hotel mattress and draped an arm around my shoulder. It was comforting, but the dreadful feelings did not ebb away. How was I supposed to blurt out the truth to him, remembering how I freaked out when I first found out about vampires? Would he see me differently? Would he think I was crazy?

“You can tell me anything, Alex, you know that,” he said to break the silence. I leaned my head against his shoulder and stared off into the distance.

“It’s complicated,” I mumbled, glancing at our reflections in the small television screen that sat across from us on the hotel dresser. It was comforting to see him beside me, to know that even after all of these years Jason Banner was still in my life. I didn’t want to lose him, even if it meant keeping this secret from him…but somewhere deep down I knew that he had to know in order for us to remain friends. For all I knew the fountain was fake or no longer worked, and if that were the case I would have to sacrifice my friendships for good and live far, far away in order to keep them from growing suspicious.

“We’ve always told each other everything, Alex. Look…I know you are with Salem now…but don’t let him stop us from being able to talk. No matter what it is you can tell me, okay?”

“I guess,” I said quietly. “I don’t even know where to start...or what to say. When Salem first came to me about it, it was something I needed to know...something I would have probably found out about eventually anyway. With you, it’s more of an ‘I don’t want to keep a secret from my best friend anymore’ kind of thing. You don’t need to know.”

He looked suddenly uncomfortable. “What is it, Alex?”

I placed my left hand gently on his leg and patted it, about to reveal my secret when he gasped and pulled away. “Alex…” he mumbled, staring dumb-founded at my hand. At first I didn’t understand why, then I saw the glimmering jewelry wound around my finger. “Is this what you wanted to tell me about? You and Salem are getting married?”

“N-no,” I stuttered, unprepared for this moment. “Well, I mean yes...but that isn’t what I was talking about.”

He looked hurt and shocked. “You’re getting married. To him.”

I nodded, trying to force away the grin that so desperately wanted to come out. “Eventually,” I said.

“Well congrats, then,” he murmured, then started to stand up.

“You don’t sound happy,” I commented.

“No…I’m happy for you, Alex…really, I am,” he said and sighed. “I just always hoped we’d end up together.” His cheeks grew red and he lowered his head in shame. “I know that’s wrong to say considering the circumstances…you’re in love with him, and I’m…well I’m with Eila…”

I stared at him in awe. Jason had more than just a little crush on me…he loved me. This was all wrong and confusing. How had I been so blind? I thought he was over me once Eila came into his life, but was she just a distraction or an attempt at making me jealous?

“Oh, Jason…” I took his hand in mine. “I will always love you, and you’ll always be my best friend…but Salem is the love of my life.”

“Nothing could hurt more than hearing those words,” he sulked and I saw moisture in the corner of his eyes, “so you might as well get on with whatever you were going to say before.”

“Please don’t cry, Jason,” I pouted and pulled him into a hug. “I’m not worth your tears.” I could feel the beat of his heart pounding against my empty core, smell the resplendent blood coursing through his veins and the monster inside me wanted it…desired it…needed it. The vampire in me made up the decision for me before I had the opportunity to stop myself. My lips were against his jugular in seconds, ready to strike – but he took it as more of an intimate gesture and I was grateful when he pushed me back against the mattress and stopped me from ripping his throat out. His lips were against mine and I almost let myself get carried away by his tender touch but I pushed him away and scooted off of the bed.

“Jason, no!
What are you doing?”

“What? You started it.”

“No…I…this is wrong, Jason,” I said and frowned. “I’m dangerous around you.”

“I don’t mind,” he whispered seductively and approached me again, placing a hand on my waist and tugging me close.

“No, you don’t understand…” I protested and pulled away with all of my strength. “Think about Eila!”

He blinked and stared at me with a bewildered expression and a look of sudden guilt. “You’re right,” he muttered and backed away from me. “I-I’m sorry…please, don’t hate me for this. I don’t know what came over me.”

“I could never hate you, Jason,” I said soothingly and sat in the red armchair. “You just about got yourself killed, though.”

“Yeah, I imagine if Salem had walked in during that he wouldn’t have been too happy.” He laughed nervously and eyed the door.

“No, that’s not what I meant…I nearly killed you.”

That got his attention fast. “What?” his voice trembled.

I got up from the chair and cautiously approached him. “Do you really not notice the difference? Look at my hair, my skin…my eyes.”

“So you dyed your hair, been out of the sun for a while, and popped in some contacts…what’s the big deal?”

“And this?” I said and placed a hand against the side of his face. “Is that not unusual?”

“It is cold in here.”

With a sigh, I took his hand and placed it against my chest where my heart was and took his other one and placed it against his own chest. “Don’t you feel the difference?”

“Your heartbeat is really faint and mine’s racing, so what?”

“No. Mine isn’t beating at all, Jason.”

His expression fell blank and he stared at me in shock, but he still wasn’t sure just what I was trying to tell him.

“The reason Paul is so upset with me is because I killed my mother,” I said bluntly, which caught him off guard. He backed away from me and gulped.

“Alex…this isn’t funny.”

“My mother…my real mother, Destiny, was taken away from us during a trip with Paul. I was barely a year old. For the longest time, he thought her dead. That’s why Paul gave me up to Janet. Paul…my father,” I explained, ignoring him. “She wasn’t taken by any ordinary human however – she was taken by a vampire. He turned her into one of his kind, thinking that he had caught a vampire hunter – but he caught the wrong person. He wanted my father,” I paused and wished I could wash away the confused, terrified expression from his face. “My family comes from a long line of vampire hunters. I know this is hard to believe, and I know that part of you doesn’t want to believe it – I felt the same way when Paul revealed it all to me.”

“Why are you making up these stories?” He frowned. “Are you trying to scare me away, because of what I did? If you don’t want me around anymore at least have the decency to say it!”

“I’m not making anything up, Jason!” I growled. “Salem is a vampire, and he turned me into one after his sister nearly killed me – it was either I became a monster or I died. We don’t feed on human blood, we feed on animals…but lately…I have been very tempted. Being so close to you, I could smell your blood, and I wanted it…”

He shook his head and glared at me. “What kind of nonsense is this? You’re just using this as an excuse for coming onto me.”

“I didn’t come onto you, damn it! Listen to me, Jason! I was about to rip your throat out! Don’t you see what I’m getting at?!”

With one quick leap I was on top of him, pinning him to the ground and he didn’t have the strength to wriggle beneath me.

“This is what I am now,” I snarled and bared my sharp white fangs and leaned in to his throat.

“Alex, no!”
Salem shouted as he burst through the door at just the right moment. He shoved me off of Jason and pulled him to safety. “What are you doing!?”

I gasped and walked away. “I wasn’t going to hurt him, Salem.” Or was I? I honestly wasn’t sure. My mind was hazy. “He wouldn’t believe me…I had to show him…it was the only way.”

“This is all real, then?” Jason muttered as Salem held him still. “You’re…you’re dead?”

“Undead, if you want to get technical,” Salem corrected him. “You mustn’t tell anyone about this, Jason. You must promise that you will keep this to yourself.”

“Are you two serious? You expect me to believe all this?”

“I assure you we are very serious.” Salem said.

“Prove it, and I mean more than just some fake fangs. Turn into a bat.”

I laughed but Salem seemed a little annoyed. “Jason we can’t turn into bats…”

“Exactly. And I saw your reflection right next to mine in the TV. So if you’re not really vampires then what is all this about?”

Salem released his protective grip on Jason and pushed him into the red chair. Salem’s eyes flashed violet and a crucifix appeared in his hand, “Nearly everything you have heard or read about us is false!” He threw the wooden cross to the floor.

“Nice magic trick but it still doesn’t prove anything. Look, I get it…you guys want me to be scared and leave for some reason. Well fine, I’m going.”

Before Jason could stand Salem was in front of the chair. “My Sire tried to teach me this, but I’ve never really gotten the opportunity to try it.” Salem grabbed Jason’s head between his hands and stared deeply into his eyes.

I knew exactly what was happening and the memory of the night Raziel had shown me visions from his memories sent shudders up my spine. Although only a few seconds had passed, I knew Jason had been shown many hours of Salem’s life. What exactly he had seen though was a mystery.

Jason nodded feebly and stared from Salem to me in horror. Shaking and wide-eyed he spoke in barely more than a whisper, “It…
it’s all true…isn’t it?”

“Yes, Jason…it is.”

“But…you’re still you, though, right? You’re still Alexis…”

“Of course I am,” I replied. “And there is a possible ‘cure’ for all this.”

“So what, you’re immortal, too?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you want a cure, then? You can live forever.”

I laughed lightly; glad to know that he was no longer as frightened. “Do you realize how suspicious you would be if you saw me ten years from now and I didn’t look any different?”

“I guess you’re right…” He smiled meekly. “You said at the hospital…that you could save Karen? Is that true? You guys have some sort of like…healing power or something? Something to do with making things appear? Magic?”

“Not exactly…we’d have to-”

Salem spoke before I had the opportunity to finish, “Only if you wanted to see Karen become part of the undead.”

“Oh…wait though; you said there was a cure, right? So what’s the big deal? Just turn her then get her that cure.”

“We don’t even know if the cure is real,” Salem said. “Besides, it would be unwise to turn her. She would no longer be herself, at least not at first. When someone is first turned they immediately have an insatiable thirst for blood. She would be surrounded by potential victims.”

“Alex doesn’t seem much different.”

“Jason, that’s different,” I said.

“How?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Oh come on, more complicated or unbelievable than vampires?”

“Well…sort of.”

“Wow, okay. I’m just going to go back to my room now and when I wake up this will all have just been some weird dream.
Right?”

Salem and I both laughed and then frowned. “I’m afraid not, Jason. This is reality.”

“So this cure, where is it?”

“There is a fountain in…”

“It is best that no one knows where we are going, Alexis.”

“Jason wouldn’t tell anyone, especially not Paul,” I argued.

“It is safest this way. I mean no offense to you, Jason.”

My friend stared at us and nodded slowly while standing up from the chair. “This is a big secret to keep to myself.”

“You can do it,” I said confidently. “It’s only for a little while longer, and then everything will be normal again.”

“You might be normal again, but…there are vampires out there, right? Killing people and stuff?”

I nodded. “Yes, there are. That’s how Janet died.”

“It wasn’t a bear attack?”

“No. It wasn’t, and I’m so sorry that I had to lie to you about it. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of vampires roaming the earth, and that’s why people like me exist – to hunt them.”

“But you are one,” he laughed.

I shrugged. “Not all vampires are bad.”

“I can see that,” he looked toward Salem and smiled gently. “Congratulations, by the way…you’re a very lucky man.”

“Thank you.” Salem smiled and glanced at me momentarily. “You should get some rest, I hope we didn’t terrify you too much.”

“Don’t be surprised if you hear me screaming in my sleep,” he replied with a slight laugh.
“If I can sleep. Kind of a lot to take in. Anyways…I’ll see you in the morning…unless you sleep during the daytime or something.”

“We don’t sleep at all, actually.”

“Oh,” he replied, speechless. “Well that’s got to suck. Got to have my sleep.”