Promise Me Anthology (25 page)

Krys shook her head. “Sometimes cutting
causes this type of scarring. Instead of a little collagen helping
the wound to heal, my body produced an overabundance. That caused
the scar tissue. It’s called a hypertrophic scar. If you mess with
them, they only get worse.”

“Does it hurt?” David said gently, his hand
resting on the scar, but not pressing. “This was long ago?”

“Ten years,” Krys said, her smile pained.
“The doctors say that in time, it will fade completely. Every day I
check, and it always looks the same.”

“I’m sorry,” David said softly, stroking her
back.

“So am I,” Krys whispered, burrowing into his
chest. “It itches terribly sometimes...”

David moved back, then tilted her chin up
with his hand, his cool lips meeting hers. The shock of being
kissed made Krys draw breath quickly.

David pulled back, his dark blue eyes
questioning, clearly wondering if he’d overstepped in kissing her.
Krys reached out her hand to his face, bringing his lips again to
meet hers. At first, their kisses were light, the gentle touch
making Krys’s heart race, and her body tingle. Then David’s kisses
became deeper, more sensual, his arms pulling her close, his body
pressing against hers.

Krys began kissing down David’s neck, her
lips hot against his cool skin. David took her gently by the
shoulders, stopping her.

“Don’t think I don’t want to, because I do,”
he said, his tone desire and hope. “But are you sure this is what
you want? I don’t want to take advantage—”

“I do,” Krys said huskily, wrapping her arms
around his neck and kissing him for all she was worth. David
responded, pulling her astride him, his lips devouring hers.

* * * *

She was going to die if she didn’t get some
water. Parched, Krys grabbed her robe. Wrapping it around her, she
hastened downstairs to the bathroom. Stumbling on the last step,
she caught her hip on the door handle and let out a curse at the
sharp pain, dropping her robe. She ran to the sink, fumbling for a
plastic cup.

There was a loud screech from outside, as
brakes squealed. Krys peered out the window blinds as her hands
hurriedly filled a cup in the bathroom sink. It was sunny out there
today, at least. She gulped down one cup of chill water, then
another. Her thirst finally sated, she put the cup down, and turned
to leave. Glancing up, Krys caught sight of her back reflected in
the cabinet mirror above the sink.

The scar on her shoulder was gone. In its
place was new pink skin, the tone slightly reddened, as if by a
sunburn.

In disbelief, afraid to look away, Krys
reached up her hand, watching her reflection do the same, her
fingers confirming that the new skin was real.

What had happened last night?
David
had to have done this, somehow.

Krys felt the new skin again, then smiled
widely, laughing in sheer joy not to see the ugly half word there
anymore. She felt better than she had in years. She felt
reborn.

* * * *

It took more than an hour for Krys to get
over her happy surprise. For years she’d chosen her clothes
carefully, coverage her first concern, and also shunned mirrors.
Now she couldn’t get enough of her naked reflection, loving how
young and carefree she felt.

But her body soon reminded her that she’d not
really had dinner in two nights, and that the temperature was wrong
for naked jubilation, no matter how deserved. With new energy, Krys
put on a sweatshirt and jeans over her goose bumped flesh and began
making a big brunch, trying to figure out how this miracle had
occurred.

David and she had made love last night,
several times in fact. He’d been wonderful, both enthusiastic and
considerate. She’d fallen asleep in his arms, completely satisfied.
But sex—even fantastic sex—wasn’t a cure for scars.

Krys thought back as she ate, replaying the
night, trying to find the moment when she’d last felt the tightness
of her mark. The last time with him, he’d kissed her scar as he
loved her, his tongue caressing her warm skin, his mouth gently
sucking. The sensation coupled with his lovemaking had been dreamy,
erotic, and blissfully wonderful all at once. Krys had wanted it to
go on and on, but the climax had crested, sheer pleasure washing
over her. When she’d gone limp under him, her cries ebbing along
with his, David had given her shoulder a last kiss, then rolled
onto his back, bringing her into his arms to hug her tightly. She’d
hugged him back, then dropped off to sleep, exhausted. David had
left sometime after that, somewhere near dawn.

Unbelievable as it was, David had somehow
done this.
How? Was he a sorcerer?
Magic of some kind had to
be involved.

Why had he left afterwards? To go sleep in
the basement? And how had his kiss healed her?

Maybe he was a vampire, and there was a
coffin down there. Krys snorted, then chuckled. That didn’t work,
as she didn’t have any fangs herself this morning. Moreover, there
wasn’t room for a coffin in that truck of his, unless he strapped
it in the truck bed. That would be a sight...

Krys peered outside again through the drapes.
David’s truck was still there, parked in the same place.

Should she go over and knock?
By the
clock, it was about one in the afternoon.
But what if he was
busy composing?
That opportunity he’d spoken of was clearly
important to him.
Damn it, why hadn’t he left her a
note...

Maybe he had, and she’d been in such a rush
to get downstairs that she’d missed it. Krys rolled her eyes, made
an irritated noise, then went back upstairs to look. There on the
nightstand was a piece of paper, the writing delicate block
letters. Relieved, she picked it up and began to read.

Krystin,

I hope when you wake you will feel happy.
I’m equally sure you’ll have questions. I will answer them if you
wish tonight at midnight. Please come over to the Chalet then, or
leave me a note there that you wish me to come to you.

It was wonderful to be with you last night.
Writing that sounds trite, but it’s the truth. I’ve been as lonely
as you have been, and I very much want to see you again.

In Genuineness, David

“You’ve got a way with words, David,” Krys
murmured, shivering in excitement as she remembered his kisses.
“But I think I’ll let you come to me.”

* * * *

While Krys would have enjoyed a few more
hours sleep, she also was eager to be out and about. Though her
scar was covered with several layers, knowing it was gone made her
feel empowered, as if she’d gotten sudden good news that she
couldn’t wait to share with everyone. Krys walked the trails,
making pleasant conversation with a few older couples at the scenic
overlooks, greeting the other visitors that crossed her path with a
wide smile.

This was how she remembered the park being.
This was who she remembered being, this woman who was alive and
happy and knew that not only did she have a great destiny, but she
was also going to achieve it. However David had accomplished his
magic, he was going to get nothing but her gratitude.

On her way back to her cottage that evening,
Krys dropped off a note on the door of the Chalet, telling David to
come and see her at nine. Then she headed inside, planning on a
long bath, and then maybe dinner and a nap, before David
arrived.

Krys had just emerged from her bath an hour
later when there was a sharp knock at the door. Worried, she got
out, wrapped her robe around herself, and went to the front door,
moving aside the curtain. There was no one there.

She unlocked the door, then walked out onto
the porch. “David?”

A hand went over her mouth, as she was
grabbed from behind. “Shush, if you know what’s good for you.”

Krystin thrashed hard, but the arms around
her held firm. Swiftly, she was dragged backward into the cottage,
the door slamming hard. Her attacker threw her to the floor, locked
the door, then rested a chair under the handle.

Krys watched him from the floor, conscious of
being dressed in only her robe. The man was tall and gaunt, his
eyes black pinpricks in his white face. Yet his clothing was oddly
upscale, his khakis and heavy coat almost tailored.

“Who are you?” she said defiantly.

“That’s not important,” the man said, going
to the window and looking out. “Get dressed. You have two minutes.
Or you’ll go in your robe.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you—”

The man hissed, baring long fangs, the lower
two almost as long as the upper ones. “Go!”

Krys ran for the stairs, and up to her
bedroom, the man close behind. She slammed into her center room,
and shut the door in his face.

“I can break this down in an instant,” he
said in a low amused voice. “You now have one minute before I do,
Krys.”

Krys’s eyes widened. He knew her name.

“Forty seconds—”

Krys lunged for the closet.

* * * *

“I told you, you were better off being
quiet,” the man said patiently. “You are the one who screamed. You
have only to blame yourself.”

Krys glared at him above the tape over her
mouth, and kept following him, the rope around her bound hands
making her stumble with every few steps.

“This is far enough,” the man said, stopping.
He turned to Krys and pulled her toward him, grasping her arms,
then shoved her up against a tree.

Krys began to struggle, fighting him. With a
crack of his hand, he slapped her, the blow making her bite her
tongue as tears came to her eyes. Before she could gather her wits,
she was securely tied. In fear of what was to come, Krys stared at
her captor, motionless.

“Good,” the man said, then turned and began
to walk off. A moment later, he was lost among the trees.

Relieved, Krys sagged in her bonds. Then a
moment later, she straightened with sudden hope at the sight of
David coming toward her through the trees. As he neared, Krys’s
eyes rounded in horror to see the gaunt man rushing toward him, a
fancy sword in his hand. She tried to cry out, to warn David, but
the tape muffled her cries. In desperation, she kicked out with her
leg, trying to draw his attention. The man was almost on him!

In a smooth motion, David drew a gun and
fired, the silenced bullet hitting the gaunt man in the forehead
with a short “pfft.” The man’s head jerked back as he fell to the
ground, the sword dropping from his slack hand. With a deft move,
David grabbed the weapon with his free hand, then severed the man’s
head in a powerful blow. He sent the head rolling off with a kick
of his foot.

Breathing hard, David turned to Krys, letting
the sword fall from his hand. She looked into his dark blue eyes
with her own scared ones.

David reholstered his gun, and hurried to her
side as she began to squirm. “Shh,” he whispered, untying her.
“You’re safe now. Brace yourself.” With a fast rip, he tore off the
tape.

“Ow!” Krys yelped.

“Are you okay?” David said, looking her over.
“He didn’t hurt you?”

“Who was that?” Krys said angrily.

“That opportunity I want?” David replied
darkly. “Others want it, too.” His jaw worked, as he stepped back
from her. “I’ve got to leave tonight, before I put you in any more
danger.” He walked back to the sword, and grabbed it up. “Can you
make it back to the cottage by yourself?”

“Yes,” Krys retorted, miffed he would allow
her to walk back. Hadn’t he just told her there were others, as in
plural? What if another guy jumped her on her way back? “Do you
want me to call the police?”

“No,” David said, wiping off the sword blade
on the corpse. “He’ll turn to dust by tomorrow morning.” He looked
up at her. “But the sword won’t.”

There had been enough mystery and innuendos.
“He had fangs, David. I saw them.”

“He’s dead now, Krystin. He can’t come back
and hurt you. In a few hours, there won’t be any trace of him left.
That’s what happens to all my kind in the sunlight.” He smiled
sadly. “Just go back to your cottage and forget this ever
happened.”

He was telling her he was a vampire, even if
he hadn’t said the word. Impossible as that might make any
relationship between them, the last thing Krys wanted was for David
to disappear out of her life. “When will you be back? A few
days?”

“I might not come back,” David said gently,
squeezing her hand.

Krys stared at him, her eyes wide in
disbelief, her hopes devastated.

“It wouldn’t be because I didn’t want to,”
David said quickly. He grimaced. “Oh hell, I’m sorry to say this
all so badly. I’m not good with words, Krys. I’m much better
expressing myself in music.”

Krys just looked at him, blinking back
tears.

“Come here,” David said softly, hugging her.
“I didn’t want to spring everything on you at once. I didn’t want
to heal you last night, to not be with you when you woke. But if it
was a choice between healing you and not healing you, I had to take
it. Do you understand?”

“How did you do it?” Krys whispered, looking
into his eyes. “No more vagueness, David.”

“I’m a vampire,” David said bluntly, baring
his fangs slowly. “My blood and saliva has healing ability. I
carefully used both to heal your scar.”

Her conclusive jest earlier had been the
correct one. She took a long breath, then let it out. “I didn’t
feel fangs when you kissed me.”

“I was careful,” David replied evenly. “That
you had a few drinks helped.” He smiled widely, revealing his
fangs.

“Did you drink my blood?” Krystin asked
tentatively, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

“A little, yes,” David admitted. “It was
inevitable in healing you. But I didn’t heal you to get your
blood.”

“I know you didn’t,” Krys said softly, then
she hugged him. “Maybe I should be screaming, or brandishing a
cross at you. But you just saved me from that fiend. Last night you
did what no doctor could, not with all the latest technology. It
makes sense that there’s an extraordinary explanation. What you
just admitted doesn’t change how I feel, or make me regret anything
that’s happened between us.” She kissed David’s cheek. “Thank you
for what you did.”