Scarlet Night (Limited Edition) (7 page)

S
ensing a powerful energy source approaching, Serena opened the door and stepped out of her cabin and onto the front porch. She stood, scanning through the blackness beyond the trees in an effort to locate the source. A snapping branch sounded to the left and she turned her head towards it right before a flash of light to the right snapped her attention back.

She sneered, “SHIT!”

She shifted on her heels, bracing herself as the bright red blast shot at her and lifted her hands out of reflex. Though the approaching wave was fast, she had more than enough time to throw her aura in front of her in a defensive orb. As the scarlet wave collided with her shimmering purple shield, a violent flash of light illuminated the woods and everything in it.

Except the source of the attack…

Cursing under her breath, Serena jumped from the porch, her aura poised to defend against another attack, and started in the direction of her unwelcome guest. As she crossed the threshold dividing the clearing from the dense forest, she felt a spike of energy and saw a dark blue aura swirl in the distance.

“Stop right there!” A deep
male voice called out past the glow.

“Oh? And why sh
ould I do that?” Serena asked, doing nothing to mask her snide tone. As the sound of heavy boots on the forest floor advanced, her lip curled at the familiar energy, and she let her aura whip out and tear a portion of a nearby tree trunk as a warning. “Leave now, mister mystery-vamp!”

The intruder growled at her hostility,
and the blue aura coiled and spiked with his aggravation. “No! You’re coming with me!” Then, as if as an afterthought, “… Serena.”

“You sound pretty confident there!” she mocked, smiling and licking her
parched lips as the smell of fresh blood wafted from the stranger, “Tell me, have you fed from a human? You
know
that’s a criminal offense, right?” She smirked, “Wouldn’t want to see you fall on the wrong side of our kind’s law.”

“I
am
our kind’s law!” A roar bellowed from his chest, “And I don’t answer YOUR questions!”

He took one final step towards her
, and she fought her body’s urge to swoon. He was
gorgeous
! His skin, now lit under the glow of the moon, seemed to break through his inky mane, which spilled onto his shoulders. Over his brow was a sharply-contrasting streak of silver hair—like a sliver of moonlight in an otherwise dark sky—that hung over his forehead and between his piercing gaze.

His gaze…

Each of his eyes was unique; a bright and piercing blue on his left and a ghostly pale right that shimmered like a pearl. She smirked as his aura spiked impatiently as she continued to take in the sight.

"Had your fi
ll yet?" He frowned.

"Not
just yet," she chuckled, making a show of looking over his form one last time, "But you
do
seem to be in something of a hurry. Maybe later I’ll let you tie me to the train tracks, eh Snidely?”

“Enough stalling!” He growled, his fists clenching at his sides,
“One way or the other you’re coming with me, and. I don’t want to have to hit you,” he narrowed his eyes, “So don’t make me have to!”

Her smile widened and she licked a fang, continuing to undress him with her purple eyes, “Oh you
are
kinky! I only hope you hit better than your friend throws!” she frowned, wondering where the source of the red aura had gone to. Not wanting to break her composure, she forced a coy smirk and wagged her hips, “Now, if you’ll excuse me"—she smirked and turned her back to him—“I was just about to catch my dinner.”

She felt his icy gaze
chill her back and his heavy boots followed, daring her to continue. She rolled her eyes and turned back, lunging at him.

“Enough of this!”

“Wai—”

His speech and his advance ceased as he was taken off guard and she took the opportunity to jump up and shoved both of her high-heeled boots into his chest, rocketing him off the balcony and sending him crashing into a nearby willow tree.

She landed with cat-like grace on her feet and began a cocky swagger towards and then past him. His mismatched and bewildered eyes followed her, taking in her teasing wink as she disappeared.

“Dinner time!” she purred.

The city was still several miles south of the cabin she was staying at—or, rather,
had
been staying at. Now that she’d been found by
someone
that wanted her she'd have to find a new home.

She sighed, “On the road again…” she shook her head as the vampire’s shocked face bobbed into her mind. “That bastard!”

“You hurt him pretty bad, you know." Devon chided her.

“So you finally decided to come out, huh?" She smiled, not bothering to glance over at her ghostly companion.

The warmth—an ever-constant reminder of his presence—wrapped around her. She exhaled, enjoying the otherworldly embrace for only a moment before looking over at him. Even as a ghost, he retained his beautiful looks; an eternal mirror of how he was—thankfully—before the accident. He smiled warmly at her. Despite everything she’d done to him, he was still so kind to her.

And that hurt more than he knew.

“I'll find a body for you, Devon. I promise.” She said, biting her lip.

“That's not w
hat I said,” his voice hardened.

She nodded, “I know what you said. Doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to find you a body.”

She had been looking—always had been—but, whenever she found a suitable human body, Devon would always stop their impending deaths and discourage her at the last minute.

“Serena,
you know how I feel about that,”
Devon said.

She ignored his words. Nothing he’d said or ever could say would sway her. She wanted to feel him again; be able to enjoy his physical embrace and not just some warm air. He was, and always would be, the only one for her. Hell, she’d give up drinking blood and start gagging down that synthetic crap if he asked her to. He was the only one to see her as her true self because she refused to show it to any other.

“Devon, I want to be with you again,” she finally said, stifling her approaching tears before they could spill down her cheeks. She wouldn’t let him see her cry. She knew how much that hurt him. “To
really
be with you!”

She paused beside a sapling and enjoyed a cool summer night’s breeze as it wrapped around her, teasing her senses as it mingled with Devon’s warmth.

Devon's unwavering warmth…

No matter what, she knew that he would always be there for her. Not even the fire could stop him from finding his way back to her three years earlier. She looked down and shook her head.

She wanted to fix it…

She wanted to stop it!

Waves of intense heat pushed her back; pushed her away from him. Still down on one knee, Devon was unable to move fast enough to save them both. The hollow, echoing taunt of his offered ring hitting the floor chilled her heart as he stood and planted himself protectively in front of her.

“Serena, I love you, always.”

His last words, spoken moments before the fire had started, were already growing cold with grief as he'd used the last of his strength to push her into the tugging hold of the fleeing crowd. There was no pulling free from the combined force of the group as they unknowingly dragged her out of the ballroom, crying and screaming as the roof collapsed behind her and taking her happiness with it.

She blinked, still feeling the phantom flames burn through the fabric of time, and wiped away the tears. She couldn't stop them that time around. Not that she wouldn't have tried, but it was useless. When the memory surfaced, her awareness sank. Devon’s aura, knowing and sympathetic, was already wrapped tightly around her. And though it was comforting, it wasn't enough for her.

Approaching footsteps sounded from the clearing and instinctively brought out the fighter in her, the trails of tears drying up on cue.

There, standing and watching her with those wonderfully mismatched eyes, was her attacker.

Though his face didn't show it, his slouched body, weighed down with agony, was in so much pain that it hurt her to see him. Frowning, she looked away, realizing then just how much damage she’d inflicted.

“What do you want?” she made no move to fight, having no strength or desire to do so.

He stayed quiet for a moment and the breeze from earlier came back, colder than before. She frowned at the sudden chill; Devon and his warmth had disappeared, leaving her alone with the vampire.

“I-I… n-need you to come with me,” his voice cracked, and, though Serena wanted to believe it was from the pain she’d dealt him, she could see that it was something else.

Something darker.

For a moment he was silent as he worked to steady his labored breathing. Then, as the tension in his body melted away, he locked his mismatched eyes on her.
“You need to come with me,” he said, “You’ll be safe.”

Despite the confusion she felt from his words—and from the
unnerving growl in his voice that carried them—she was surprised to find that she believed him.

Against every instinct she'd ever learned, she stepped towards him, still staring into his eyes.

More than anything else she needed Devon. But, feeling a whole new type of warmth emanating from those eyes, she realized that she needed something else.