34

arly in the morning, Evonne heard the door open and felt someone join her on the bed. She rolled over to see Keelan. He watched her, but said nothing. The same thoughts from before returned to her, still swirling around without any clear answer. What did he see when he looked at her? A human, of course, but what else? And now that she was out of Eden for a second time, how would they out smart her father now?
She dared herself to ask those questions, yet found herself drifting back to sleep. In her mind, she had plenty of time to ask him all the questions she wanted. And if the past proved anything for the future, then he wouldn’t hesitate to answer.
A light knocking came from the door. Evonne found herself waking at the sound, not sure how long she had been sleeping. Keelan answered the door, his voice speaking softly. She struggled to listen but their words were too low for her. Succumbing to her curiosity, Evonne headed to the door. She saw Gabriel on the other side.
“There’s been a change of plans,” he repeated for her to hear. “Many are leaving at sunset. They are frightened that SEVEN knows of this place. Word is spreading fast and the other havens are being warned, as well.”
“So what’s the change?” asked Keelan.
“Saros’ haven was mentioned, including a possible location, which turned out to be correct. So we’ll not be heading there.”
“Then where?”
Gabriel paused. “Belmiro’s.”
A look of shock came over Keelan. “We can’t go there. Humans aren’t allowed within the walls of that place.”
“Belmiro’s?” Evonne asked.
“The first haven in the New World,” Gabriel answered. “Their security lies within their secrecy. Thus no humans.”
Keelan shook his head, already disliking the change in their plan. “Why did you choose that place? Why not hide in the city?”
“It’s not safe with SEVEN looking for Evonne and I. And you know my real reason for not heading to Saros’ haven. This will give me the alibi needed to avoid her for the moment. She will not think to look for us at Belmiro’s.”
“And if she does?”
The sound of an argument entered the hall. Two vampires fought, the tension heighten throughout the haven. A flurry of shouting began as more vampires became involved.
Gabriel ignored the commotion. “I will think of something.”
“I don’t like this idea,” Keelan admitted, “but you’re right. It is safer there, and it’s away from Saros.”
“What’s wrong with heading to her haven?” Evonne asked, realizing the answer before the question left her lips. “Oh. That.”
“It’s a seven hour drive,” Gabriel said, glancing down the hall. “So keep that in mind. We will not be stopping for anything.” He left them, walking back down the hall and past the aftermath of the small skirmish.
Keelan closed the door, catching sight of Evonne’s worried face.
“This isn’t good, is it?” she wondered out loud.
“I know it doesn’t look good right now, but Belmiro’s offers the safest place to stay. At least until things settle down with SEVEN.” He went back to the bed and sat.
“I’m guessing this Belmiro place is named after someone?” Evonne ventured to ask. She went back to the bed, as well.
“It was named after its founder, Belmiro. The haven once allowed humans, but when a human spy aided in his death, the elders vowed to never allow another human to seek shelter there.”
Evonne forced herself to swallow at the dryness in her throat. “Okay. Now I’m worried.”
“Either Gabriel has something planned or he’s hoping for the best.”
Laying on the bed, Evonne chose to end the conversation there. The more they talked, the more nervous she became. She imagined them heading west, far away from Eden as they could. She mentioned about seeing the ocean before, so why not see the ocean from the California coast? As it had before, the thought of seeing the ocean and smelling the sea air and feeling the warm sun eased her back to sleep.

The haven was in a rush of activity from the many vampires and humans fleeing the grounds. The Elder tried to ease their worries, but the fear of SEVEN was too great. Even before the sun settled below the horizon, the exodus began.
Back in the familiar Jeep Commander, Evonne had a faint bout of déjà vu. A seven hour drive; all Evonne saw in that was more of the same boredom. She tried to make the best of it. Sitting in the back, with her laptop open, she played any and every game it had, trying her best to keep her boredom in check. Four hours into the drive, she lost her battle.
Evonne’s agony ended as the Jeep came to a stop within a wooded area, well off any road. She peered out the window and saw no signs of a building or gate.
“Leave your things here,” Gabriel said. He stepped from the Jeep, Keelan doing the same.
Evonne nerves twisted as well as her stomach. Something about this didn’t seem right, but she trusted Gabriel and Keelan. They wouldn’t knowingly place her in harm’s way, of that she was certain. Exiting the Jeep, Evonne held onto Keelan’s arm. Her eyes struggled to see, but the lack of any light made it impossible.
They walked for several minutes. Evonne kept looking around, searching for any lights marking the entrance.
Keelan stopped. He held his arm out, shielding her, his body growing tense. A growl came before them, accompanied by the sound of rustling leaves. Evonne’s eyes picked up on the dim moonlight, giving shape to the formless night. A wolf approached, head down, ears back, and lips drawn. Beside the wolf stood the form of a man.
“Werewolves?” Evonne whispered.
“Regular wolves,” Keelan replied. “They use them as guardians against humans.”
The wolf continued to growl at the three while the vampire at its side kept him at bay without the use of a leash.
“No humans allowed,” the vampire said.
“This is a special situation,” Gabriel explained. “The haven will not be placed in any danger.”
“You cannot guarantee that.” The wolf at his side stopped growling, but kept his head low.
“We seek sanctuary. Only an elder can deny our request.”
“You may speak with the elders, but she is to remain here.”
Another vampire approached, this one accompanied by two wolves.
“I’m not leaving her,” Gabriel said, adamant.
“Then leave.”
Surveying the scene, Gabriel readied himself for any possible attack. The vampires were near his own age, and this made any hand-to-hand combat difficult, especially when considering Evonne safety.
“There are plenty of other havens,” the vampire reminded him, “all of them catering to human pets. This is your last warning. Leave.”
A woman’s voice moved through the darkness. “You dare turn them away?”
Evonne looked around, searching for the origin of the voice. She saw another form enter the scene, his one slender, her movements graceful.
“Sanctuary will be granted to them,” the woman said. “Belmiro was my child and you will obey my orders.”
The vampires bowed before her, one of them speaking. “Forgive us, Lady Saros, but humans are not allowed within the haven. These are the rules.”
“My words are for the elders now.”
Evonne felt Gabriel at her side. He grabbed her free hand and attempted to guide her away from the scene. The urgency in him was evident and this frightened her. Evonne then felt another hand on her wrist, this one pulling her back. The hand was strong, its grip solid. With another steady pull, Evonne was ripped from Gabriel’s hand, losing her balance and falling back. The hand let go. Evonne looked up to see the woman at Gabriel, her hand now around his throat. She pushed him against the tree, her eyes glaring and long teeth showing.
“You will not leave this place,” she said, her voice hissing above a whisper. “I saw your ploy and judgment against me. How can you be so insolent? Do you like angering me?” She removed her hand. “By your actions here tonight, you have forfeited her life to me.”
Through the darkness, Gabriel’s eyes found Evonne. “I’m sorry.” He looked at Saros, his eyes filled with hatred. “I will do as you ask.”
The strong hand returned to Evonne, lifting her to her feet. “I’m not too certain now,” Saros taunted, her voice lightening. “My child, David, pines for this one often. Perhaps I should give her to him.”
“I said I’ll do it,” Gabriel repeated.
A flurry of emotions ripped through Evonne. Was she hearing them correctly? They were openly discussing her fate, not even respectful to the fact that she was standing right there. Evonne wanted to run in the opposite direction, to get as far away from this place as possible. But she knew that no human could out run Saros, and to try would be suicide.
Keelan stepped toward Evonne, pleading with Saros. “Why do this? There is no need to turn her right now. She is no threat to us. Just let her—”
Saros pushed Keelan away from Evonne, the force of her movements sending him to the ground. “You will leave this place. And for one year, you will not contact your sire or seek out the child, Evonne.”
“You expect me to play your game?” he almost shouted.
“Keelan!” Gabriel interfered. “Do as she says!”
Pulling himself to his feet, Keelan’s eyes went from his sire to Evonne, finally landing on Saros. He forced himself to bow. “I have no other choice. Goodbye, Evonne.” With no last look, he left them, heading further into the woods and away from the haven.
Saros began walking, her hand wrapped around Evonne’s wrist, pulling her along. Evonne could hear Gabriel behind them as he followed close. Her legs felt like soggy pasta, the firmness in them melting away in the wake of her fear. She wanted to collapse to the ground, to protest this decision, to do something to escape this. But there was nothing she could do. She was trapped.
The entrance to the haven was an old door on the side of a small, stone structure. It looked like an old pump house. Inside, the stairs spiraled to the levels below. The warm glow from the light sconces added to the ambiance of the late 1800s décor. The long hallway opened into a center room. Three vampires stood, once talking about other matters, but stopped upon seeing Lady Saros.
Saros spoke to them, her words hidden from Evonne in another language. The three vampires answered in the same language. Evonne glanced at Gabriel who seemed to understand every word. She wanted him to look at her, to give her some kind of reassurance. He instead kept his eyes on the ground and well away from her.
One of the vampires stepped forward and took Evonne’s hand from Saros. He then led her down another hallway. Gabriel followed. With each stride Evonne took, the more her nerves ravaged her body. This can’t be happening. The vampire opened a door and ushered them inside. Evonne jumped as she heard the door close and then lock. Why lock the door? A vampire’s strength could easily rip it from the frame, but a human… a human could not.
She forced herself to look around the room, taking everything in as a way to distract herself. The room was large and decorated with items from the same era as the rest of the haven. The bed had a tall canopy with heavy drapes tied back at the posts. Other smaller pieces of furniture filled the room. Like all havens, they reminded her of fancy hotels. Within the comparisons, however, she saw the many differences they carried. This place appeared trapped in the past.
“You knew about this, didn’t you?” Evonne found herself asking, unable to look at him.
Gabriel stepped further into the room. “Knew about what?”
“That this would happen.”
“I tried to avoid this. I thought she wouldn’t come here, that this would be the last place she’d look.” Taking off his coat, he placed it on the back of a chair, then sat on the edge of the bed, still unable to look at her.
Evonne crossed her arms, refusing to move as she spoke. “But it happened to be the first place she looked.” She remembered something. “Back at the other haven, you mentioned that your original plan was to go to Saros’ haven. If you wanted to run from her, then why go there?”
Gabriel finally looked at her. “Honestly? I planned to beg. I hoped that by going to her first she may reconsider. But with the information you smuggled from Eden and the fear it sparked, I saw it as the perfect cover. I should’ve known better than to go against her.”
“What now? How do we get out of this mess.”
“By following her orders.”
Evonne shot him a confused look. “You mean that I… No. I can’t. I won’t.” She walked across the room, arms still crossed and mind racing. “I don’t want this. You know I don’t want this. Do something. Beg, plead, anything! You can’t let this happen!”
He left the bed and approached her, stopping her from pacing. “There’s nothing I can do.” He tried to remove her coat.
Evonne resisted, pulling away and continuing to pace the room. “There has to be something you can do. We can fight our way out of here.”
“The vampires who stay here are old. Some only need to feed once a week. They are strong and they are many. We cannot fight our way out of here.” Again, he tried to remove her coat. Evonne allowed him this time.
“Now? This night?”
He draped her coat across the same chair. “She told them… If you were human at dawn, they were instructed to kill you.”
She felt her stomach knot. She felt sick. “I can’t do this,” she forced herself to say. Her fear double and tripled as the full weight of the situation became clear. Either which way she was going to die this night.
Evonne slumped onto the foot of the bed, her head cradled in her hands. “You don’t understand. I never wanted this. I want to grow old, I want to be that seventy year old woman with all of that wisdom and pretty silver hair.” She laughed. “I may be the only human ever to wish that. And the sun. I actually love the sun and how it makes me feel on those spring days. I can’t give all of that up.” She looked at him now standing before her. “I was just starting to learn what it means to be human.”
Gabriel took her hand and guided her to her feet. Nothing he could say would change the outcome. He lowered his mouth to hers, choosing a different route to place her at ease. She hesitated against him. She could see through his scheme to deflect the tension, but her emotions were too heightened for such a simple diversion. She felt him leave her lips and move to her neck.
Evonne pushed him away, her hands on his chest. “No. I don’t want this. I do not want this!”
His grey eyes held on hers. He wanted to quiet her fears but she spurred him on every attempt. Abandoning the gentlemen side within him, Gabriel ignored anymore of her protests and pulled her close, his mouth at her neck.
Fighting against him, Evonne felt his teeth on her skin. The bite was quick. He began to pull the blood from her, drinking away her strength, and going beyond the weakness she experienced the last time Keelan fed from her. She could see her death and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He lowered her on the bed, her body fading further.
This was the first time she felt Gabriel’s bite. He was different than Keelan. Where she was calm in Keelan’s arms, she was frightened in Gabriel’s. The gentleness was absent from him, showing only his monstrous side. In one last gathering of strength, she grabbed onto his shirt, her futile effort to escape his hold. His body remained unmoving, still fixed on her fragile neck.
Her vision waned. The low light from the room shimmered through her sight, blending and blurring all she saw. Gabriel retreated from her, his irritating mouth and teeth leaving her numb body. She tried to focus her eyes on anything, but they bounded aimless from object to object. Her mind grew numb, as well. She knew this to be it, that moment between life and death. And there she lay, straddling one world and the next. The fear once accompanying her was no more. She felt nothing. And yet one sensation rose above this nothingness: peace. In this room, below the earth and miles away from the comfort she once called home, Evonne Ingram ceased her mortal life.
A familiar radiance passed through her lips, crashing into her mouth and driving away the darkness. She knew only one thing in this moment; this radiance, this taste, was the breath to her lungs, the light to her soul, and the end to her beginning.
She pulled this man close to her, arms surrounding, and mouth to his flesh. Her tongue moved over the wound, urging the blood to exit faster. Not fast enough. Her human teeth scrapped along the skin of his neck, threatening to tear him further. She needed more—her body screamed for more. But the blood continued to flow steadily. Her drinking grew feverish, wanting every last drop for herself. He let her take all she needed to feel complete.
Evonne’s mouth left him as she lay back, her body swimming within the depths of his blood. The wholeness she felt was far stronger than the peace she briefly knew in death. This was her new definition of peace. His blood continued to sing within her veins, rushing into her heart like a runaway locomotive. There was nothing more she wanted. She was at peace.
Time blurred around her. Phantom hands and voices danced across her body and mind. At one point, she recalled the coolness of water to her skin and the pampering of words within her ears, though all of their meanings lost within her sea of euphoria.
The images grew quick and raw as a prickling of pain threatened to enter her perfect world. She writhed against it, fighting the sensation for brief moments until her body begged for no more. Her mind grew dim and her thoughts ceased. The weightlessness of her body subsided as a heavier, more terrifying force began to press down on her. She cursed at the peace as it withered away. She needed it back.
Out of all her chaotic thoughts, only one stood true; it was blood that gave her peace, a sense of wholeness, and no one great or small would stand in her way of reaching that perfection once again.