Martyn had tried to persuade Rayne to stay behind while he went out to check on her friend, Rose, but in all of his two hundred and sixty years he had never met anyone as stubborn as her. So here they were, walking side by side in the pitch black searching for someone that they weren’t certain was lost.
They had checked her house but Martyn had not caught her scent, meaning she hadn’t been there since this morning when she had left to go to college. They then began to check her friend’s houses but her scent wasn’t there either. Just to be sure, Rayne had knocked on doors and asked if anyone had seen Rose Swan but no one had seen the young girl. Now Martyn was beginning to share his girlfriend’s worries, where could she be?
It was close to midnight as they came to the field, the field that Rayne, Rose and all their friends would use as a place to camp. The wind smashed into them from behind and Rayne pressed herself to Martyn’s body.
“I’ve got something.” The vampire stopped and surveyed the dark field, it was empty. “She was here, but there was someone else.”
“Who else, where have they gone?” There was desperation in the girls’ voice and her blue eyes pleading.
He was silent for a moment and then his top lip pulled back into a snarl. Vampire.
The bed was soft and she spread her arms over the pillows, feeling the soft feathers within. She remembered being brought to this house, with its giant kitchen to your left as you entered through the oak door, the beautiful stair case with red carpet lining each step and now this room with its dark wooden floor and large window. She remembered sharing blood with the attractive man, Abraxus. But that was all she remembered, she didn’t remember her name. Abraxus had called her darling and angel.
She heard footsteps outside the room and she floated from the bed, her black wings wrapping around her naked body. As she floated slowly towards the door she noticed the walk in closet, the old desk covered with photos and open books and the en suite bathroom with the white tiled floor, she remembered all these words but couldn’t seem to form them in her mouth in order to speak them. She reached for the door handle and pulled at the door.
The man standing outside was not her Abraxus, but a taller man. His grey eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her and blue eyes narrowed in confusion. Who was this man with the face similar to her Abraxus’? Unlike Abra’s dark, silky hair this man had stylised, spiked mousy brown hair. He gazed in wonder at the black wings that covered her, at her eyes bluer than the sky and at the golden hair that lay over her shoulders in a disturbed mass.
She smiled, welcoming the stranger but it seemed to make his knees go weak. Startled, she threw her wings out and caught his falling body. She scooped him up in her and took his large hands, he averted his eyes like a gentlemen when he saw her naked body behind the dark wings.
Darling Angel, she told him.
“That’s your name?” His voice was deep and pleasing and she smiled again, knowing that she was holding him so that he could not fall. She nodded, her hair covering her naked breasts. “My name is Benediktos.”
He felt them lower to floor and he saw her at her normal height; he was at least two heads taller than the beautiful stranger. No doubt one his brother’s visitors, but never had he met one of Abra’s visitors, or anyone for that matter, with wings. Small hands cupped his face and brought them towards her face, he held back for a moment. Abraxus would be furious, but the girl’s eyes were so filled with childlike innocence that he could not help but lean down further until their lips brushed.
It was gorgeous, unlike her Abraxus; his brother let her into every corner of his mind. Understanding was what she felt first, his understanding that this was how she got to know people. Then she saw two brothers, Abraxus and Benediktos, but no other family.
Her Abraxus smiled a content and mischievous smile. She smiled against Benediktos’ lips but then she saw his face, he was sad, completely unhappy with life and she saw that in his lifeless grey eyes.
She pulled away put did not take her hands from his face. My poor Benediktos, she cocked her head to the side and smiled sympathetically. You’re hungry, are you hungry, my Benediktos?
He nodded but when she moved toward him, offering her blood, he looked away. “I can’t, I just... I just can’t.”
Tears sprung from her eyes and she dropped her hands, her wings fallen to the floor. They scraped along the wooden boards and she moved away, sobbing into her tiny hands.
“Ah, brother, I see you’ve met my Darling Angel.”
“Rayne, you listen to me.” Martyn grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “You run, you run all the way home and you don’t invite anyone in.”
“What is it, what’s wrong?” She wailed.
Run!
But Abraxus was upon him before she could listen; the strong vampire grabbed her boyfriend by the throat and threw him across the field. He heard the thud of a body against a tree and smiled. “What do you want?” The human whispered.
“I could ask you the same question.” He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back, staring into her eyes. “Why have you come here?” He could hear the vampire across the field fixing broken bones and healing ripped flesh.
“We came here looking for Rose,” Rayne’s voice was expressionless and forced. “She is my best friend, I’m so worried.”
Martyn ran up behind Abraxus but he waved a hand that hit the young boys jaw, he fell to the ground at the human’s feet. Power beyond any other, he smiled. “She is mine, my Darling Angel and you will stay away from her.”
The girl nodded obediently but Martyn spat curse words in different languages that Abraxus would not usually have understood.
“Where have you been, brother?” Benediktos asked, the older brother noticed the way his sibling stood in front of the naked girl protectively.
“Out and about, Benny boy, out and about.” He smiled at the crying girl and she ran to him, holding herself against him, sobbing.
“You still have blood on your jacket, αγόρι.”
Do not call me ‘boy’, Benediktos. Only one man has ever called me that and I killed him.
“Don’t hide anything from the girl, Abra. I didn’t.”
Abraxus threw himself at his brother and growled. Do not challenge me, brother. You will not win.
Soft black wings came between the brothers and pried them easily apart. My Benediktos let me see everything, why did you not, my Abraxus? The vampire scowled at the naked girl, this was not what was supposed to happen. He was supposed to influence her and her innocence which branched so close to stupidity.
Her blue eyes looked hurt and he cursed himself, she can hear me.
Darling Angel turned to Benediktos, who still lay on the floor. She bent over him and her wings closed around them. “Benedik... Benerdig...” He smiled encouragingly to the creature in front of him. “Ben.” She said simply, and smiled a stunning smile that made butterflies swarm in his stomach.
“My Ben.”
