Headfirst for Halos

“—know now don’t we?”

“Explosive…tends to internalize…past fits?” The voices were hushed and kept going in and out of focus, try as I might, I couldn’t identify them. So I settled on my other senses.

I was lying somewhere soft. The blanket was thick and warm, and smelled like sunshine for some odd reason. The smell had a faint edge of bleach, but I could smell flowers—real ones—above all else. I focused on what I could hear, smell and touch more intensely.

I almost gasped as I saw the whole room in my mind’s eye. The ticking from some distant clock giving off a pulse and making everything seem three dimensional. A little sonar to help me see, I almost laughed. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and everything became more focused. Syn was talking to someone on the phone, Roddy was leaning against the wall, and Ice wasn’t in the room.

The room was surprisingly small and cozy, but it was kind of depressing at the same time. There were pots hanging from the ceiling with strange plants in them, and even things in jars of formaldehyde. A large crow turned and looked at me—as if it knew I was awake. It nudged Syn with its arm and nipped at the phone cord when she didn’t respond.

I heard her murmur a few more things before hanging up and turning to me.

“Hey,” her voice soft and kind. “You took us by surprise. I had to sedate Master Gee until I was sure you would be okay. He was so worried, and so angry. Even when Michelle was here I’ve never seen him so mad.” She brushed my hair away from my face. She murmured something and the backs of my eyes went from red to blue.

“Try opening your eyes now. The lights shouldn’t hurt so much,” she murmured shifting closer. I was amazed at how much energy it took for me to make a big enough slit to peek through. I could see that her face was bathed in a warm light that kept moving—candles. She nodded as my eyes got slightly wider, encouraging me forward. I half wished she would just pry them open for me, but I knew that would hurt a hell of a lot more and in my present state…yea, I wasn’t looking for more pain. I had it in over abundance at this point.

I swallowed thickly and tried to talk—a croak was all I could manage. “Ge—,” she smiled, thankfully knowing my question.

“He’s in another room. He won’t be moving for another hour or so. I told you I had to sedate him.” I blinked slowly, suddenly so exhausted. She held a cup to my lips and practically forced me to drink. It tasted metallic. I must have made a face because she laughed.

“It has blood in it dear,” I froze and she rolled her eyes. “Hunny, you knew you’d have to start drinking blood. That’s one part all the humans got right.” I paused for a moment, trying to figure out a way out of it.

“It’s this or that nasty thing I made before,” I grabbed the cup and chugged the contents without paying heed to the pain in my body from those simple moves. I could hear Roddy chuckling and Syn laughing quietly. Within two seconds the pain started receding from my limbs and organs. I sighed heavily in relief. Syn chuckled and took the cup from me as Roddy helped me sit up. All of me no longer hurt, but had the sturdy consistency of pudding. After enough pillows were behind me I was set back against them, and told to write down what I remembered.

I stared at Syn for a minute before darting my eyes toward Roddy who wasn’t paying much attention. She smiled and held a finger to her lips and I relaxed. He wouldn’t read it.

Roddy left after he was sure he wasn’t needed. Syn ushered him out rather quickly. I looked down at the paper and hesitated—I didn’t know where to start. After a few minutes Syn came to my rescue.

“Why don’t you start with the day or so before you came here?” I nodded and began writing, hardly going into detail for the first two days, but slowly getting better as I wrote more. When I was finished she handed me a heavier cup.

“Drink this, it’s undiluted blood. I know you don’t like it…yet, but get used to it. It’ll become your life force in a hundred years or so.” I nodded and took a cautious sip—my eyes widened in shock.

My fangs elongated and pierced through the cup and bit into my lip. With a choking yelp I began coughing, the blood seeping into my clothes and the covers.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to,” Syn laughed lightly and told me to relax.

“No, the apologies are mine,” she helped me from the bed into a neighboring one. “I gave into my curiosity and didn’t warn you, I wanted to see what would happen, and you didn’t disappoint.” I looked at her curiously, waiting for an explanation that never came. I glanced over at my old bed and gave a start—clean covers with military-grade neatness.

“I told you I had a few quirks,”” she murmured, handing me another cup of blood. “Drink this and I’ll go get you some eggs for breakfast.”

“How did you…” I trailed off, unsure of what I should ask.

“Same way you don’t need a bath after a week of being out of commission,” my eyes snapped to hers.

“A week,” I whispered. She nodded, brows furrowed in thought.

“It’s difficult to keep an enraged or, for lack of a better word, amorous vampire calm for an hour. A week pushed my knowledge to the limit, though I learned far more from it,” she smiled kindly and patted my leg. “I have you to thank for that.” I sat in silence for a while, but my curiosity won—as always.

“What happened?” She looked at me curiously before taking my little…essay and started busying herself with filing it away. She still had her back to me when she started to answer.

“I know not what set you off,” she murmured, only my new hearing allowed me to hear her as if she were speaking next to me. “You destroyed half of the castle in an explosion that sent a shockwave through all of France. It was all over the news. Gerard and a few of his allies rebuilt as much as they could while making it look like an earthquake had occurred. Unfortunately, Gerard was injured.

“The explosion caused a huge chunk of ceiling to fall on him, it very nearly killed him. Before you add too much blame to yourself he was on his way to see if you were all right. He had caught up with me soon after I left and was discussing your training. We…heard it before it physically manifested. He was unaware that your…ability had been accessed,” I was unaware of the tears burning black acid marks down my face until a gentle hand brushed them away. I glanced up and froze—Gerard. My heart stopped.

His eyes looked bruised and swollen from obvious lack of sleep. His jaw had a faint, vomit green bruise on it. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered as I started to cry in full force.

…

I don’t know when I drifted off, but I knew when I woke up. Everything was screaming, I think I muttered a ‘shut up’ because a body near me shifted. I gave a start and launched myself out of bed, but forgot about my new strengths and reflexes, and launched myself into a bookcase on the opposite wall instead.

Stars danced the conga before my eyes as something…or was it two some things?…large and green filled my eyes. When I managed to focus again I realized it was Gerard.

His eyes were hypnotic, endless, pools of greed and light. I didn’t even realize it until it got blown up, but I had kissed him. His arms snaked around me and held me close, his lips fitting to mine like to matched puzzle pieces.

A small moan escaped my throat, and I’m almost positive he growled at it. Suddenly the door was opened. Of all the luck in this world I had to get this kind.

“Gah! I’m sorry,” someone I didn’t know had walked in. “I came to tell you…umm…I’ll wait.” The little slip of a girl bowed out crimson faced. I felt my own blush cross my cheeks. I glanced up at Gerard, worried for an unknown reason. His face was carefully blank as he stood, dragging me with. I leaned against him as the room decided to turn sideways.

“Ugh,” I groaned, my feet feeling unsteady.

“I assume you forgot,” it wasn’t a question. I nodded before letting my head fall onto his chest…damn he was tall. I yelped as he swung me up and into his arms. I dared a look at his face and my jaw dropped open, he was trying not to laugh. I wiggled until he had to put me down.

“What exactly are you laughing at?” I challenged, and instantly regretted it. I had meant it as a joke, but judging by the way pain had flashed across his face before the mask reappeared—he didn’t know that. I blinked and took a step toward him, but he retreated.

“My apologies,” he murmured heading for the door. This time I didn’t let him go. I grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around.

“I was only joking,” I searched his face, wanting to get a glimpse into the Gerard behind that damn mask. Not even a crack. He smiled politely and nodded as if he understood, but it never reached his eyes, those magic eyes that told more than he could ever guess at.

I refused to let go when he made to leave. I clung to him until he put his hand on mine.

“What kind of person,” I murmured a thought suddenly occurring to me. “Doesn’t know what a joke is?” I felt him tense, and I wondered what in his past had made him into the recluse that he was.

Before either one of us could really react there was a knock at the door.

“Master Gee,” Syn’s voice was slightly muffled by the heavy door. “I really think you should read this.” Gerard pulled out of my grip and opened the door.

“Yes,” his voice calm and quiet. I wanted him to break that damn calm! I wanted him to scream and curse and laugh and cry! Suddenly my face was in the wall.

“You hurt him,” said an all too familiar voice in a strange and foreign tone. “And I will ensure your painful demise.” I knew Gerard wouldn’t have heard her. I was released and nearly fell to the floor in shock. My eyes flicked up to those cold hazel orbs. Syn meant business.

“Syn, that was not necessary,” Gerard said, a cold edge creeping into his voice. She bowed respectfully and handed him a letter. He ripped it open in a second with those beautiful hands. It took him only a moment to read it.

Then he wasn’t there. The note fell to the floor, and I stared at the empty space in numb terror and surprise.

“I apologize, Promised One,” Syn said, robotic and unemotional. “Master Gerard has charged me with his safety, and it goes before your own. I cannot allow you to hurt him in anyway.” I nodded, suddenly terrified to be alone with her in any room. She turned and left me in the now threateningly close room. I ran out of there and into the night. Letting the cold air sear my nose, throat, and organs.

I gazed at the stars.

…

I was slapped awake. A blindfold on my eyes. I felt the rope bite into my arms and ankles.

“Well, well,” said a voice that made my blood run cold. “My Pretty does so have a way about him. I should thank you really I should. The opportunity you afforded us could not go to waste.” Suddenly I felt the bitter sting of a knife on my throat. “This is gonna be good.”

…

All my life seems to have been spent in the darkness, but this one moved and was wet.

Gerard was crying. I couldn’t help but wonder why he was crying.

I wanted to hurt whoever had made him cry, he was so kind…why would anyone want to see him cry…