Frailty: The Darkshine Read online

  “Ah, there you are.”

  Gaijryc smiled at his younger brother and walked through the water. Normally he would have just jumped across, but the fact that he was about to be near Aires and that his brother would no doubt be able to smell the human, Gaijryc needed to get the female’s scent off of him. He felt the water splash off his boots and land on his arms and shirt. Gaijryc kept his smile as he watched Aires stop by the edge of the water and knit his brows in confusion. Gaijryc knew his brother was wondering about the strange behavior.; no DarkShine would purposely walk through water when they could just as easily jump across it.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of silver. In the next second he scooped up the trout and held it tightly in his hand. He walked up to Aires and showed him the fish as he slapped him on the back in greeting.

  “Aires, what brings you out here?”

  “I thought I would get some fresh air. The mansion was getting stuffy and I was sick of seeing and smelling Adais fuck those females. I see you are out fishing, huh?”

  “Yes, a gift for Mother. You know how she loves the taste. I am going to have the cooks prepare it for her tonight.”

  Gaijryc started to walk back to the mansion. He needed to lead his brother away from the human female so that there was no risk of Aires sensing her. He was lucky the fish had swum across when it did. The smell of it helped cover her scent. He didn’t ask Aires to come with him, just hoped his brother would follow. Thankfully he could hear his brother’s footsteps behind him.

  Gaijryc didn’t know what compelled him to protect her, but as he’d stared into her lovely eyes, he knew he could do no less. Aires had a taste for humans, more so then any other DarkShine. He had always wondered if Aires shined them—had controlled their mind so that they too felt compelled to want him as much as he wanted them.

  Most of the time his kind didn’t bother controlling a human, since it took an exorbitant amount of energy. Others were just plain cruel and enjoyed a human’s fear, didn’t even attempt to shine them into submission. He felt a light breeze as Aires ran past him, his body not even a blur. Gaijryc picked up his pace and ran after his brother, an age-old game the two used to play when they were younger, but today he just wanted to get his brother away from the female.

  “Getting slow in your old age, brother.”

  “Just letting you win, Aires.”

  The two raced to the front door of the mansion, not even their breathing accelerated. Aires stepped in first as Gaijryc looked behind him at the woods a moment before stepping into the foyer.

  Helina stayed in that dark, cold corner for an hour before she heard a noise at the opening of her cave. She tried to make herself as small as possible, her body starting to shake because she was afraid of who or what might be only a few feet away. She prayed it was the vampire that she had seen by the lake. The fact that she actually felt that way had her shaking harder. Helina shouldn’t want anything to do with him, since his kind, after all, had killed Lizelle.

  She could see the opening of the cave from where she was crouched and felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw it was the vampire from the lake looking through the entrance.

  “Are you okay?”

  Helina knew he couldn’t see her, for the corner she was in was completely obscured by darkness, but he looked right at her—seemed to look right in her eyes. Helina was shocked by how much relief she felt at the sight of him. She didn’t even know him, didn’t know if this was some kind of cruel game he wanted to play before he killed her, but she assumed if he wanted to harm her he could have done so back at the lake.

  He gestured for her to come to him and, as if she couldn’t help herself, Helina slowly uncurled her body and moved toward the opening. She could see his fangs shining bright white in the sunlight as he smiled wide at her approach. Those fangs should have frightened her, but no fear came to her from the sight. He held his hand out and she glanced at it apprehensively.

  “I promise I won’t harm you.” His voice was calm and tentative, as if she were a frightened animal that he needed to coax.

  She looked into his face and back again at his outstretched hand. She placed her palm in his much larger one. As soon as their skin touched, Helina felt a shock wave of electricity pulse through her. Their eyes locked for a suspended moment, as if he too felt the same jolt of awareness. She let him pull her out of the cave and into the sunlight. He stood much taller than her five foot six, his body seeming to dwarf hers in height as well as in mass.

  “What are you called?”

  Again his dark voice seemed to wash through her, touching every cell in her body. He worded his question so strangely that she wasn’t quite sure how to answer. Looking at him, she finally said the only thing she thought he meant.

  “Helina. My name is Helina Alges.” Her voice sounded rather weak, but as he smiled once again, she felt the tension ease from her shoulders. Even though his fangs were very prominent, very long and sharp, she just had this feeling deep inside of her that made her comfortable being around him.

  “Helina.” He said her name like it was honey sliding from his tongue, as if he enjoyed saying it on a pleasurable level. “So beautiful. So feminine.”

  Helina didn’t know what to say to his comment. “Wh-what is your name?” Her words seemed to stutter out of her mouth as she asked the question, not so much because she feared him. Her neck was craned back in order to see him and she saw another one of those stunning masculine smiles cover his lips.

  “I am called Gaijryc, high prince of the DarkShine.”

  Her eyebrows knitted in confusion at his words. “DarkShine? Is that what you are? I mean, you’re a vampire, right?”

  His low deep laugh surprised her. “We have been called many things, vampires being one of them. Our true name, the name our kind was born to, is the DarkShine.”

  He still had her hand as he led her in a slow, steady walk through the woods. They were quiet, the sounds of the leaves crunching beneath their feet seeming loud and piercing. She didn’t know why she was letting him take her away from the comfort of her cave, didn’t know why she was having anything to do with him at all.

  Helina looked down when she felt his thumb run small circles across her inner wrists. She caught herself continuously looking at their joined hands and then at his face. She don’t know why she’d even let it get this far. For all she knew he was leading her to her very death. Helina looked back in front of her and watched the brown trunks of the trees pass them. The colorful flowers brushed by their feet and she heard the sound of the trickling water as they neared a stream. He stopped by a large boulder and let go of her hand.

  “So, sweet Helina, what brings you to living in a cave?”

  She took a couple of steps back and watched him stare at her. She didn’t know how much she should tell him, didn’t know if revealing that she had watched one of his kind kill her sister was the smartest of moves.

  Opting to tell him part of the truth and see if he would leave it at that, she spoke softly. Although she should keep what she knew to herself, she couldn’t help the feeling inside of her. It was a feeling that made her feel warm and safe, protected in a world gone crazy. She couldn’t explain the strange feeling, for she had never felt it before. It was as if he were her protector, a feeling that he wouldn’t let anyone or anything hurt her. It was ridiculous to have these feelings about someone she even didn’t know—a vampire nonetheless.

  “What are you thinking right now?”

  His words brought her back to the present and she looked into his face. His skin was a golden color, as if the sun had come down and kissed it intimately. His eyes were a bright blue, a startling contrast with his pale blond hair. The locks touched his forehead, short and neat in its appearance. She let her eyes travel down his muscular body and took note that every tendon and sinew was defined to perfection.

  Dropping her eyes to the ground, she stared at her running shoes that had little pieces of dirt and leaves s
tuck on them. “I was just thinking about your question,” she lied. “My family used to come here with me when I was little. After my sister died, well, I guess I just felt like this was the place I needed to be.” Helina was not about to tell him that she’d moved into a cold, dark cave because she feared the monster that had killed her sister would come after her. A sad look crossed his face, a look that made her think that he really did feel sympathy for her.

  “That must have been very devastating for you. I am truly sorry for the loss of your sibling.”

  Helina started to kick around the rocks at her feet, willing herself to stay strong. “Why didn’t you kill me? I mean, didn’t you want to suck my blood or something?” She didn’t know what possessed her to ask him, but the words just spilled out. Her head downcast, she didn’t dare look at him after she asked the question. When he didn’t answer right away, Helina glanced up. He was staring at her with what appeared to be utter shock.

  “I can’t believe you just asked me that.” He chuckled softly and she knitted her eyebrows in confusion.

  “Why was that funny?”

  “I’m sorry. The question itself is not funny, but the fact that you actually asked me was. No one has ever spoken to me the way you have just done. It’s quite refreshing actually.”

  “I should be frightened of you.”

  “Why do you say that, Helina?”

  She picked up a dead leaf and started crushing it up in her fingers. “Well, I know how fast you are, and I’m sure you’re just as strong. It’s clear those sharp teeth of yours aren’t just for looks, and well, you just seem scary is all.”

  “I would never hurt you.”

  “I know that. How I know that I’m not quite sure, but I feel in my heart that you wouldn’t intentionally hurt me.”

  “I wouldn’t unintentionally hurt you either.”

  She crushed the rest of the leaf in her hand, the sound like the Rice Krispies that used to sit in her cereal bowl and crackle in the milk.

  “Tell me about yourself, Helina.”

  “Why?”

  “What do you mean, why?”

  “Why do you want to know about me?”

  He chuckled again and the sound speared through her in an intimate way. “You are stubborn, aren’t you?”

  It was her turn to laugh. The sound escaped her and she glanced up at him, seeing a strange look cross his face. Helina instantly sobered and looked down at the ground.

  “No, please, I enjoyed the sound. It was very beautiful.”

  Her cheeks heated with embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve embarrassed you, haven’t I?”

  “No. Well, yes, but that’s all right. I laughed because my sister used to say the same thing. About me being stubborn and all.”

  “Well, I’m glad I could make you smile. It makes you more beautiful.”

  Helina blushed again, her face feeling like it had been set on fire. Clearing her throat, she glanced at the creek. “So, um, what about you?”

  “You want to know about me?”

  She nodded and looked back at him, smiling when she saw his big grin.

  “Well, you know my name and my title. Let’s see.” He tapped his chin with his finger, as if he were thinking really hard about her question.

  Helina couldn’t help the smile that seemed to stay on her face, or the small laugh that came out when he gave her a devilish grin, fangs showing and all. Her face sobered at the sight and he didn’t miss the fact.

  “I’m sorry. Do they bother you?”

  “A little.” She wasn’t going to lie, and she wasn’t going to tell him that she had already seen a set before, a pair that dripped with her sister’s blood.

  “I’d take them away if I could, but you see, they’re kind of attached to me.”

  It took her a minute to realize he was making a joke, and when she finally did, her mouth broke into a smile.

  “Let’s see, where to start. Well, I am fairly old, but still young at heart. My kind comes from a country that humans have no knowledge of. In regards to my fangs, well I am sure you know why I have those.”

  “You drink blood then?”

  “It is a necessity, I’m afraid. Although my kind does enjoy ‘normal’ food, we don’t need it to survive.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Don’t you know you’re never supposed to ask a person’s age?”

  She smiled at his sense of humor, but his joking nature didn’t deter her from her questions. “Then again, you really aren’t a person, are you?”

  He was quiet for some time as he stared at her.

  “I guess I’m not, at least not in the sense that you are. In regards to your earlier question, I am over three thousand years old.”

  Her mouth fell open in surprise and she felt her eyes grow wide. She couldn’t speak for several minutes, shock resonating within her. “Huh.” She really couldn’t say any more than that, her mind not grasping the idea that she was speaking with a creature that old. “You must have seen a lot.”

  “Oh, most definitely. Some things were good, other horrendous. Maybe one of these days you would like to hear about it? The memorable ones, that is.” He smiled down at her and went down on his haunches so that he was eye level with her. “How old are you, Helina?”

  “Not as old as you.” She smiled at him, her sense of humor seeming out of place at the moment. She still didn’t know if he was playing with her, just biding his time until he could rip out her throat and drink her blood. Although the thought was foremost in her mind, she knew the odds of that actually happening were unlikely. For one thing, he could have done that countless times already and besides, he seemed genuinely interested in her. Not interested in mauling her and lapping at her blood, but interested in the person she was. Maybe she was just hoping for a positive light in a world that had gone dark.

  “Twenty-two.”

  He smiled at her, his gaze skimming over her body with hooded lids. “So young. Maybe one of these days I can tell you a tale or two. Would you like that?”

  Nodding, Helina was actually intrigued by what this vampire had to say. She needed to remind herself that he was a blood-drinking creature, the same kind of monster that took from her someone very special. Her stomach picked that moment to growl so loudly that her face heated with embarrassment and she wrapped her arms around her middle. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she looked at the ground.

  “You are hungry?”

  He stood up so fast that she gasped and pressed herself more firmly against the tree. He held his hand out to her and she looked at it for a moment before slipping her much smaller one into it. He led her back to the cave, stopping and turning toward her with a small smile on his face.

  “I will bring you nourishment. Please stay in the cave until I come back. It isn’t safe for you to be out alone. Do you promise you will stay inside until I return?”

  Helina was surprised by the look of concern that crossed his face and nodded as she let him help her into the opening. She didn’t know why she was listening to him, but in her heart she felt like it was the right thing to do. As she crawled through, Helina could feel his gaze on her but didn’t look back. Moving toward the darkest corner of the cave, his words replayed in her mind about “it isn’t safe for you to be out alone.” She knew as much, but hearing him say it made her involuntarily shiver with fear.

  The fact that someone or something was out there with her, something she could never defeat, made her start to perspire with nervousness. Curled into herself, Helina waited for Gaijryc, the vampire that made her feel safe in a world where she was anything but.

  Impossible feelings

  Helina sat in her cave several days later, waiting for Gaijryc to arrive. He brought her food every day, food so delicious and exquisite it made her forget that she was living in a hole with a dirt floor. He came to her several times a day, urging her, almost pleading with her not leave the cave without him. Helina listened to him, only sitting by the opening
to get some fresh air and a little vitamin D.

  They didn’t talk much during his visits. He mainly sat across from her, watching as she ate the food—always urging her to eat more. After eating she always ended up falling asleep whether Gaijryc was there or not. When she would wake up, he would be gone, a blanket placed over her body.

  She couldn’t explain why she trusted him so much. Maybe it was the fact that he was so kind, so understanding and made sure she was well fed and warm? She would have starved if not for him, would have died in the cave where no one would have found her. She wanted to be strong, knew that Lizzy would have not wanted her to give up.

  Hearing the sound of leaves crunching by the cave entrance, Helina felt the familiar tingling sensation that traveled through her body whenever Gaijryc was near.

  He stood once he passed the tunnel’s entrance, a large bag in his hands. “Hello, Helina. You look more beautiful every time I see you.”

  Smiling, she stood, brushing at her wrinkled clothes and running a hand through her hair, which was haphazardly pulled into a ponytail. He wasn’t even human, yet she felt so wonderful around him, like they had known each other their whole lives. “Thank you.”

  The words were spoken softly and she smiled at him once more. He didn’t smile back, just gave her a look that made her heart skip a beat. He had been giving her that “look” more frequently—the expression of desire and want that made her feel warm and wet in her most private of places.

  He watched her for another second before pulling out a thick blanket from the bag he carried. He set the bag on the floor and covered the ground with the material. He went to his knees and started to pull a feast out of the bag. He urged her to join him and her stomach growled in approval.

  Looking at the blanket, she instantly sank into the plush material. She crossed her legs and watched as he pulled out silver bowls and platters that shone even in the shadowed cave—the same dinnerware he always brought with him. “You always bring the prettiest plates and cups.” He gave her a half smile that melted her heart. It was strange how such a big, muscled man could make her feel something that she had never felt before.