EVERLASTING

Julia

December 10

3 A.M.

A slight, cold breeze rustled my hair. The tiniest creek rippled through the air and met with my ears. My peripherals caught a shadow moving around the room. I ejected into a sitting position, swiped the crossbow off the nightstand, then jumped to my feet, releasing a gasp of anticipation.

I pointed my weapon at the billowing curtains framing the open window. A dark figure stood attentively, eyeing the deadly stakes prepared to shoot from my contraption. However, my fingers nearly failed me, my hands were trembling so much while I gaped, stunned by our unexpected visitor. Someone I never thought I’d see again. Tears brimmed around my eyes while my heart pounded uncontrollably.

Transfixed and bewildered, I mumbled, “Vladimir…”

His blue eyes surveyed me, warily, understanding that any wrong move would guarantee my finger pulling the trigger. In peaceful surrender, he lifted his arms up so that his hands were near his cropped, blond hair.

His heavy Ukrainian accent sliced through the air. “I promise I don’t mean any harm…”

Harm. The weapon in my hand shook violently from my quaking arm fueled with a fury I never knew could exist within me.

Through clenched teeth, I hissed, “You killed him. You fucking killed him…”

A profound heaviness shadowed over his face, but he carefully replied, “I promise you I am not an enemy. But yes, I did kill him. It was time for him to die, Julia. He ruled for too long. Just because he happened to love you in the moment didn’t mean that he would not revert back to his old ways. It was too dangerous for him to live.”

“Fuck you!” My shrill scream ricocheted through the room while hot tears broke through the barrier of my lower lashes. “You killed him because you are a petty son of a bitch. You wanted revenge. He was just trying to help you!”

Mom and Mackenzie began to stir.

Vladimir’s alert gaze broke from mine to watch them.

“If you hurt my family, I swear I will make you regret existing,” I snarled.

Back to me, he replied, “I just came to talk to you; I will not hurt anyone. I’m here to help.”

“As if I’m going to trust anything you have to say,” I blurted.

A gasp tore through our conversation, and I heard the bed creak, signifying Mom woke. I didn’t dare take my glare off Vladimir, though. His presence required my full attention.

Vladimir’s blue eyes shifted wildly between my crossbow and the others behind me, daunted by the situation. His expression begged me. “Please, Julia. All I want is a civil conversation. Báthory and her people are coming. My men have formed a perimeter around the property to keep you safe.”

“Liar!” I cried.

Vladimir lifted his index finger to his lips to require silence. “It’s true. I’m protecting you because I need to protect Liberate. I want to join them; I believe in their cause.”

“Why confront me first? You know I hate you. Why not approach them?” I demanded, doubtful.

“Because if I can get you to trust me, your friends will trust me. If I went the other way around behind your back, you would find out then tell them not to believe me. I couldn’t afford to do that. I just now learned of Báthory visiting here, and when we went to investigate, we found out that another order of Vampires were attacking her. I’m assuming to defend you and Liberate.”

I shook my head at him so that he could understand my distrust.

Defeated, he took a wary step forward. Impulse sparked through my muscles; my finger pulled the trigger. The kickback from the weapon nearly rammed it into my face as a slender stake speared into Vladimir’s abdomen. He grunted once from shock while the women behind me screamed. My shaky knees nearly buckled underneath me.

I never shot someone before.

It was like my subconscious knew I wasn’t a killer; despite my anger, killing Vladimir would be harder than I thought.

He looked disappointed in my reaction, but he swiftly pulled the stake out, dropping it on the floor before continuing his peaceful stance. The voices in the living room intensified followed by quick footsteps then the bedroom door burst open with our Vampiric company materializing by my side. Lelagül grabbed my arm protectively, glaring at Vladimir, baffled by his appearance.

“What are you doing here? How? How are you here?” Lelagül demanded, flabbergasted.

“Who the hell is this?” William added.

Again, Vladimir lifted his hands to show that he wasn’t a threat. “I’m a new Vampire. I just started my own order ten months ago, and we heard that if we came to the U.S., we could join forces with Liberate. Which one of you is Knight?”

“You seem to have a very unique way of entering a stranger’s home,” William replied with authority. “Why sneak in? Why not come to the door?”

Vladimir glanced at me, thoughtfully as if construing what to say next. He further explained exactly what he told me all apart from how he knew me and how he murdered the Count.

“It still doesn’t answer why you snuck in,” William said. “How do we know if you don’t work for Báthory?”

“I promise that I don’t. Like I said, my men have surrounded the area in case Báthory gets here before we escape,” Vladimir clarified.

Someone’s phone started buzzing. Lelagül pulled out her device and checked the text she received, and she announced, “He’s not lying. The order of Vampires that helped us escape tonight, I’m acquainted with them, and they just informed me that Báthory is tracking us.”

“Clearly you are not only acquainted with that order,” Logan muttered. “It seems, Lelagül, that you also know our new mysterious friend. More secrets, I see.”

My head swam, absorbing all the comments around me yet unsure how to process it all. Vladimir peered at me again, contemplation brewing behind the flesh of his face.

Logan murmured, “Our new friend also seems to know Julia. What is up with this girl? What the hell has she gotten us into?”

“Leave her alone,” Jack muttered.

“If Báthory is on her way, then we have to move now,” Jacqueline cut in. “There’s no time for arguing or pointing fingers or figuring out who knows who.” She further moved up to me to be closer to Vladimir. “As for you…”

“Vladimir,” he introduced. “My name is Vladimir Preobrazhensky.”

Jacqueline nodded. “Vladimir, you will be traveling with us.”

“My men-” he started to protest, but Jacqueline further interjected.

“You may be telling the truth, but we still don’t know you,” she said calmly. “Right now, you are one Vampire against five. You are outnumbered right here. I’m not saying we’ll be taking you hostage, but to keep our people safe, we’ll have no choice other than taking you with us. With that said, we’ll require you to let your men allow us to pass through.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Vladimir told her. “Like I said, I’m not your enemy.”

In an urgent manner, we all collected ourselves and the belongings we had on us. We loaded into our vehicles: Lelagül and I went into Dad’s car along with my family while Jacqueline, Logan and Shane, and Ben and Mackenzie boarded into Ben’s vehicle. Jack and William brought Vladimir into Jack’s truck.

“Where are we going?” I asked Lelagül as soon as she started the car’s engine.

She replied, “Olympia. That’s where Liberate’s headquarters are at.”

“Really? That’s where Jacqueline lives…” I said thoughtfully.

“It’s a long drive,” Mom added from the back. “Perhaps, sweetheart, you can tell us how that man, Vladimir, knew you?”

“It’s about time that we get answers, Julia,” Dad grumbled.

They were right. With how complicated everything was getting, it was time for me to come clean. I responded, “You guys do deserve answers. Everybody does. When we get to Olympia, I’ll explain everything to everyone.”

“Just tell us now then tell the others later,” Mikey suggested.

“It’s a very long and complex story,” I told him. “I’d rather tell everyone all at once.”

The car pulled forward after Jack’s truck rumbled through the driveway, leading the way out. As our vehicle crept over the gravel, I pulled out my phone and texted Scar.

I need to be out of town for a while. I don’t know how long. It’s an emergency. Will this interfere with plans?

I didn’t expect him to answer so early in the morning, but hopefully he would reply soon. No one, not even fucking Vladimir or Báthory was going to interfere with my plans to retrieve the Count from a wicked fate.

Despite the cacophonous thoughts swirling and pinballing in my head, I mumbled to Lelagül, “I’m assuming you’ve informed Xavier and his people about what’s going on and where we’re going.”

“Yes,” she replied. “They will meet us in Olympia.”

Dad sighed, helplessly. “Now there’s a guy named Xavier?”

“All in good time,” I told him.

Mom chimed in. “Maybe you can at least tell us who they are.”

“It will help pass the time,” Mikey added.

I released a hesitant moan, then carefully said, “Do you remember that photo of me injured, and I was taken to the hospital with two men?”

“Fucking hell,” Dad muttered in distress. “So you said that one of them died, so the other guy, the accomplice-”

“That’s Xavier. He’s a leader of an order of benevolent Vampires. He was helping out the Count when no one else would-”

“Count?” Mikey interjected.

Dad continued, “You’ve never mentioned him by name before…”

“Wait, who are we talking about?” Mom cut in.

I said, “Guys, if you want an explanation, you have to let me explain.”

“Why is he called the Count?”

“Did he, like, kidnap you?”

“Who is this person? Julia?”

“Guys, please…”

“Who the hell is this man? And why would no one else help him? What order of Vampires? Wha-”

“Guys!”

“Ju-”

A strong, sudden impact barreled into my side of the car. Just as quickly, a clawed hand broke through the window.

I cried out.

Mom screamed.

Mikey yelled.

Dad cursed.