Chapter 3
“Briar...Briar, please wake up....please....”
His eyes opened painfully, slowly adjusting to the darkness. He realized he must be lying on broken glass, or at least something sharp, because he felt things poking into every inch of his skin.
Eyes focusing suddenly, he saw Raven standing over him, blue eyes wide and afraid.
Blue eyes...not yellow...
He remembered suddenly, and he sat up so fast he almost rammed his head into Raven. Staring at her in horror, he jumped up, backing away.
“Who...what....”
Raven stood slowly. She couldn’t even think of words. Everything was so cliche, so unpersonal so...”Briar,” she managed to stutter. “I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you’d...” she glanced painfully at the horrified expression on his face. “React exactly how you’re reacting.”
Briar turned and ran.
Pulsing music and shrieking laughter assaulted Raven as she slowly began to walk home. She glanced moodily at the nightclub that was the source of the noise, eyes grazing its name. “Thunder”. Raven did a double take.
Damn.
She quickened her step. Just her luck she would end up in front of her brother’s favorite hangout and hunting spot. She could only hope he wasn’t here tonight, because she didn’t think she could hide her emotions so soon after...Oh, please don’t let him be here....
“Raven!”
It wasn’t her brother. The feminine voice betrayed that. The catty green eyes and full golden hair confirmed Raven’s suspicions.
Chastity.
Her brother’s sire. Mr. Thomason’s...ahem....former “maidservant”. Oh, goody. Raven just loved it when she came to visit.
Right.
“Chastity,” she smiled wryly. “Hi.”
Chastity gave her a dazzling smile. “I’ve missed your family so much, darling, and I was in the neighborhood for a few weeks, so I thought I’d drop by.”
“Well, I’m sure Darion will be, uh, thrilled to see you,” quipped Raven with a significant glace at Chastity’s skimpy black dress.
“Yes, your father told me I could probably find Darion here,” gushed Chastity. “Won’t you come find him with me? We’ll have so much fun!”
Mentally cursing her luck, Raven forced a smile.
Briar wandered for what seemed like hours. By the time his mind had begun to comprehend what had happened, slivers of pink were showing above the horizon. He couldn’t go home now. And he didn’t think he could handle going to school. He kicked moodily at a smashed beer can. He just couldn’t understand- she couldn’t be a...vampire. That was all just bad horror movies and scary stories. They didn’t exist in real life. Besides, vampires were evil and Raven...
But what else could she be? There really wasn’t any other explanation. All the myths, movies, and stories he’d ever heard of about vampires rushed back to him, overwhelming. Vampires can’t stand garlic or crosses. Vampires can’t be seen in mirrors. Vampires are the undead. Vampires drink people’s blood.
Vampires don’t have souls.
No. No, no, no. Raven had a soul- some kind of soul. How else could she love him ...or was it all an act? Even to act that well she had to understand feelings, she had to have them.
Briar looked up, suddenly realizing he was standing in front of the library. It was as good a place as any to go, and there he could think. There he could research, and think, and feel. But he still had an hour to kill. Fishing in his pocket for money, he started across the street to the coffee shop.
The sky was turning the rosy pink of dawn quickly, and Raven pulled the heavy shades on her bedroom window shut. Didn’t want to get burned, now did she? Huh. Or maybe she did. Without Briar, did she want to live?
Raven felt an empty space inside she must’ve always felt, but only now was noticing. With Briar, that space was filled. With Briar, she was complete. It was strange how she’d never noticed this before- this aching, burning hole that wrenched her gut and made her want to fling her curtains wide to the sun. Ashes might be a better fate than this.
Crazy. A suicidal vampire.
She was supposed to be sleeping now. She’d spent all night in hell, hunting with Chastity and her brother and then talking until it began to lighten. Well, actually, Darion and Chastity flirted with her father throwing in occasional comments and herself attempting not to break down and start screaming. Maybe it was better she hadn’t been left by herself. She might have done something drastic.
Feeling like she was tearing in two, she collapsed on her bed, eyes filled with visions of soft yet piercing brown eyes.
