Sensitive to the Light Immortal Bloodlines I

Sensitive to the Light (Chapter 5)

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To my mam who said to make the chapters longer so as not to leave her hanging...

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Callan

She cried herself to sleep in my arms.  I’d been scorched by the sun many, many times, but I knew that I would eventually heal. The pain on the other hand was something I’d never managed to shut out - not even after almost four centuries - it was like putting your hand in the hottest of fires, letting it remain as it stripped skin and muscle from bone, letting it remain as the air filled with the acrid smell of burning flesh...

She would never heal from that, not physically and never mentally.  She was so ashamed of herself.  In my time scars were worn like badges of honour, I had been a Soldier, I wore my scars with pride, as marks of my victories in battle, marks of survival.

She was a fighter, a survivor... she just couldn’t see it.

I stroked her silken hair gently with my fingertips as I tried to make sense of the last twenty four hours.  I killed the college tutor simply because she had hurt the beautiful, gentle girl sleeping peacefully against me, but I couldn’t fathom why I had brought her here of all places - to a house occupied by six of some of the most dastardly members of the Saith; a soldier followed by criminals, rogues, robbers, cheats and liars.  All of us killers.

Julius was the only one who wasn’t home as I slammed through the front door with a frail unconscious girl covered in blood in my arms.  Bette was the only one not to judge.  For all I knew she had read it in the cards.  

Gray and Isaac had been furious.  We had a ‘no human rule’ - one of my rules - and I had broken it.  She could expose us all, it was dangerous for us and for her.  Anne wanted no part of any of it and was the first to leave.  

Bette spoke sense for a change without the riddles or drama we had become so used to, taking charge, telling the others that what’s done is done.  To deal with it or leave.

They left.  Everyone but Bette.  I guess even after centuries have passed, my friends can still surprise me.  She took Daegan upstairs to rid her of that perverted whores blood while I stayed in the sitting room, building a fire like an automaton until it blazed with a wild fury.

The relief I felt when she regained consciousness was indescribable.  Over the years I have heard many speak of finding their soul mate, their one true love, a kindred spirit to share their life with and I had scoffed at it.  Could it be possible that I had actually done it after four hundred endless years? Was this incredibly breakable creature the one? Did I even have a soul with which to find a soulmate or had living so many lifetimes finally driven me to insanity?

She let out a tiny sigh as she nestled herself into my lap, her hair falling over her face as she pulled the blanket more tightly around her.  I felt a familiar stirring in my loins, I wanted to kiss her until her lips were bruised and bleeding, to take her in every way, to make her scream my name over and over...

She began to twitch as she slumbered, I contemplated waking her but she needed to rest, I wanted her to rest.  

She gasped suddenly, thrashing against the blanket she had pulled around her sleeping form, managing to free her arms.  Her hands were bent into grotesque claws as her head whipped around to face me, wide eyed, staring at something only she could see.