Secondary Silence Read online

  Years after my passing, I had returned to my grave. Overgrowth covered the headstone as I made unlikely promises to myself; ones only a human could keep.

  “What promises?” Thad whispered from over my shoulder without touching me. I wasn’t ready for that again.

  I turn to him as he shakes the flashlight to charge it, “I will never leave someone that I love…” I wasn’t sure he would understand. He was a Vampire, a creature created to wander the world alone.

  Without waiting for a response, he smirks and crouches down in front of the falling angel. The long grass and dandelions were yanked from the soil, leaving a clean edge, framing the timeline of my life:

  Ashley Swan

  December 18 1953 – January 18 1980

  That was all there was left of me. After a tragic fire and a life with a vampire, this is all I was worth to my family, my friends; to anyone.

  “You know that’s not true,” Thad says, trying to make me feel better. “The old timer at your death party looked like he missed you. Or, maybe he was happy that it wasn’t his demise they were celebrating.” His smirk made me laugh as he finished cleaning off the debris that I was incapable of pulling.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be right over here, take your time,” he looks like he wants to say more, but he stops himself before turning to a row of mausoleums. I watch him walk away from me as the loneliness seeps in. Not only am I creeped out by a graveyard, I am alo…”

  “You’re not alone,” I hear Thad yell from the other side of the structures.

  With a sigh, I kneel at my grave. Running my finger along the dark etchings, I focus on the reason for my being here. I palm a handful of dirt and slowly release it to my body, “for you are dust, and to dust you will return,” I whisper to the ground, reminding myself that there has always been a path for me.

  I remember the little things about my life, the good things. Murder and secrets were foreign and it was killing me to think that I was keeping anything from Thad. He was my better half, even though he had done much worse than I.

  Stop thinking about it, he can hear you. My inner intelligence spoke up in time for Thad to join me. His steps were heavier and his breathing was more labored, but he was here.

  “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” The owner of the voice stood in front of me and it wasn’t Thad.

  I was frozen in place. I was invisible, yet a man with the darkest eyes that I had ever seen was taking in my every feature as if I was real.

  “Don’t worry, babe. You are not crazy.” He started walking around me like a cat stalking its prey. “I am curious though. Why would you be wandering free during the witches’ hour?” He waited for me to respond but I was swallowing every word that threatened to escape. I only stared in to the eyes of a monster.

  I was wrong, he wasn’t a monster, he was much worse.

  “Does it matter?” I was hoping to distract him long enough for Thad to realize something was wrong. He wasn’t here and he wasn’t coming. I tried to focus without avail. Words and thoughts evaded me as I stayed kneeling over my shard corpse. Well, hovering above the 6 feet of dirt covering what’s left of my forgotten body.

  Heavy steps began pacing alongside of my headstone. I watched the padding of his steps rather than the demonic look across his face. Darkness wrapped around the dirt as he rolled heel to toe in melodic tempo. Like fine mist, the aura mimicking his movements kept my attention drawn to the ground.

  “Where is he?” The footsteps stopped and he turned towards me. Waiting for bravery to overshadow fear was becoming increasingly difficult. I wanted to scream at the highest decibels in hopes that someone would hear me. I was rendered speechless to the living and the undead. “I know that you know where he is. I can sense him, but he is not here to protect what’s his?”

  I can hear the smirk form across his face without looking right at him. The chills that I faced were directly linked to the beauty in his features and the aura that plagued him. I knew as soon as I looked up, there would be nothing more than a creature of vanity, prepared to attack and that was the moment that I realized I was in danger. Never before had I feared for my existence, or lack thereof. Thad’s words replayed like a vision as I anticipated the worst. “You are one of the only ones left.”

  Scenarios flooded my mind as I stayed in place. I knew he was a vampire, I could sense him. What if he was the man that invaded my memories, the one that Thad swore would never come here? What if he kills me before my vampire can finish him off?

  I wasn’t ready to disappear, to be captured by the same kind of monster that I swore to protect. I was stupid to come here and even worse off without Thad.

  Now, I had to respond. Open my mouth and actually convince him that I wasn’t worth it. What was I going to say? “I have no idea. Haven’t seen him in a few minutes so maybe he is on his way to grab a latte?”

  Acceptance of my fate beat the answers to my own questions. I rose from the ground, continuing to gaze at the only remaining parts of me; the pieces buried deep beneath the surface. There were no answers buried below the grass and dirt, they were standing in front of me.

  I am a coward cloaked in defeat and I needed to remind myself that there is a reason for my being here. If he wanted me dead, he would’ve killed me. As I rolled my shoulders back, his heavy steps moved away from me. Darkness surrounded me and darkness was needed to keep Thad safe.

  Out of habit, I filled my chest with a breath that I no longer needed and looked my stalker in the eyes. The words that I had planned to say were strangling my strength. The vampire standing in front of me is much more powerful than I had given him credit for. Violet eyes stared back at me as I tried to keep my strength intact. He began to circle me from a safe distance while I prepared for his attack.

  “Who are you?” I asked in attempt to distract both of us for different reasons.

  “Drake, but you won’t need to know that. You know what I came for, I can sense it in your fear.” He is right. I am afraid.

  I am standing atop my grave as a ghost while I fear for my existence. He was everything that I would have been attracted to as a human; strong, confident and gorgeous. Had I needed air to survive, I would have passed out by now. There was no movement between us once he stopped only mere inches from me.

  He looked as if he wanted to speak, mirroring my exact stature. As I grew in strength from the encounter, I noticed the color drain from his skin.

  He is too close. He did this to himself.

  I pull myself from the hypnotic state I fell in to, dragging my foot across the grass. As I had hoped, tension pulled at my foot. Thad was strong enough to be near me, this guy had a lot of power and I was draining him of it as he stood paralyzed in front of me.

  As I squeezed my eyes shut, I could feel the wrinkles form at the outer crease. If what Thad said is true, this was hurting him more than it was going to hurt me, considering I was trying to stay upright. A battle of power, danced between us as he fought to hang on to what little life I hadn’t taken. I tried to control it and give it back but I was quenching a thirst I didn’t know I had.

  As quickly as I had craved his energy, I wanted it to escape. The horrible things that caused him to acquire such darkness was too draining for my soul. As I stared in to his lowering violet eyes his body begins to fall, I remembered a memorable quote from the bible, a verse that explains everything, as I accept my punishment for this mistake.

  Chapter Eight

  Thaddeus

  “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light,” her voice was weak as she finally let me in.

  I have heard that verse; I am that verse, she just doesn’t know it yet.

  Without thought or hesitation, I race to her. Any other night, I would believe that she wouldn’t leave without me, but after the actions that brought us here in the first place, I can’t be so sure. I vowed to keep her safe and based on the Satan reference, she is head to head with a vampire. One that wo
uld rather see me dead than her suffer.

  “Ashley,” I thought, hoping to break through the wall she put up. I hadn’t gone far, but it was further away than she needed me to be.

  My heart beats erratically against my chest as I run to her. What feels like minutes, is only seconds. I spot her flowing, blonde hair only a few yards across from me, when she collapses to the ground next to Drake.

  Before her head slams to the marble stone, I catch her. Surprised by the warmth of her skin against mine and the way her body falls slack in my arms, it reminds me of both the past and the present. Her solid form is breathtaking, yet I know it won’t last.

  For a moment, I am thankful that she absorbed Drake, because that pain was a bitch. He deserved to feel that soul sucking fury but I never want her to do that again. It could kill her and I am not going to let that happen, at least that is what I am trying to convince myself.

  “Fuck,” is all I could say as I watched Drake regain consciousness. I didn’t want to leave Ashley, but I needed to make sure Drake knew never to try that shit again.

  The way his body contorted in pain sated me as I gently placed her blonde hair across her own headstone. The color of her lips matched the color of the blood that I craved to see. There was no need to feed, only a desire to rip Drake’s head from his fucking neck.

  Standing to full height, I take small steps towards his weak body. I have no idea how long he will be down but I intend to make sure it isn’t too soon.

  “What are you doing here, Drake?” I can hear the wrath in my own voice.

  With a deep moan, he turns towards me, “Fuck off. You know why I am here.” He rolled over to his side to face me. “Why is she here?”

  “She is none of your concern and you shouldn’t be here. I want to know why you are.”

  His elbows rested on his bent knees as he worked to regain what little strength he could. Agony was the only way to describe the look on his face as the only person that I cared about lay unconscious, in human form, above her worldly corpse.

  “Thad, there is something big happening. You are the only one left with,” he was silent as he looked to Ashley. “You are the only one left with one of her.”

  What the fuck was he talking about? I was with a group of vampires only days ago. All of them were in possession of a seer as I was.

  “They were lying to you. None of them have their help anymore. The collection has grown sparse for the vampires as the power within the lords has increased.”

  “You’re here to see if I was lying as well,” I said to Drake as he looked over to Ash.

  “I certainly didn’t expect… that.” His head tilted towards the body as she stirred. I had never expected that, either.

  “She is stronger than you think. She isn’t going anywhere and I will make damn sure that none of you get this close again. Return to the assholes that sent you and deliver that message.”

  Kneeling beside her, I lift her in to my arms. Warm skin against mine is surreal as I stand, never taking my eyes off of Drake.

  “Don’t move,” I instructed as I started to walk away. “I will kill you if you come anywhere near her.”

  His snicker made me halt in the damp grass. The fog was beginning to move in as if timed for effect. Before I could rip his spine from his neck, the threat became more vocal.

  “I’ll kill him, but first I’ll make him suffer,” Ashley said against my chest with closed eyes. Her limp arms wrapped themselves around my neck as I held her close.

  “Ready to do that again, Drake?”

  Without an answer, he was gone.

  The ground was thick with moisture as the air cooled. The only thing I wanted to do was get her home. She was safe there and I could protect her from herself, if she was her only threat.

  There was a violent part of me that wanted to go after Drake, removing him as a future issue. The big shots will know soon enough that she is still alive and what she is capable of. I have never seen a seer do what she did and I can imagine that it won’t go through the rumor mill. There were only a handful of links that had yet to be severed and I wasn’t letting her go without a fight; another fight.

  Ashley stirred slightly as I made it to the car. Her dreams were increasing in power and the frequency was more than I had ever seen. The visions that I needed her to see were no longer an active part of her brain. She was seeing things from her perspective and I can’t imagine it was her past or she wouldn’t be here.

  Holding her tighter, I pull the keys from my pocket to unlock the shadowed car. Thick fog seeped in to the car as I pulled open the door. Swirling in a tornado affect above the passenger seat, I watched the moisture dissipate.

  With a heavy sigh and a final glance over my shoulder, I gently place Ashley in the car, pulling the seatbelt over her solid form. Knowing she is dead doesn’t change the fact that I would take every precaution to keep her safe.

  The echo of the closing door reverberates against the huge mausoleums lining the driveway. Planting both hands on the roof of the car, I look to the ground for answers. I have no fucking idea what I am going to do next.

  Knowing that I need to make sure that she stays safe, there is no question that I barely know what is going on or how to stop it.

  “How am I going to stop this?” I say to the darkness at my feet.

  Pushing off the car I walk to the driver’s side. Paying no attention to my surroundings, I get in the car beside her.

  She looks peaceful, as if she were sleeping. Before I reach across to lay back the seat, I brush my fingers against her rosy cheek. With no painful power draw from me is both a good thing and a bad thing. The seat buzzes as it reclines, allowing her a little more comfort than she may need being she is filtering some pretty dark shit though her body.

  My hand brushes against her arm, reveling in her warmth. Before I can move away, everything goes dark.

  My eyes open in a wooded area at day break. The morning sun rays cast streams of yellow and gold through the branches. “This must be what it’s like to be a movie vampire.” The colors were abnormally bold and bright.

  Scanning the area, I hear the familiar sound of a bullet aligning within the chamber. I don’t see anyone around me, but this can’t be good.

  Heading in the direction of the unsettling sound, I break through the trees too late.

  Standing over six feet tall is a large man wearing an orange vest, flannel shirt and jeans. His loaded shotgun is perched on his shoulder and ready to shoot. The blood flows quickly through his veins as I watch his neck pulsate with his heartbeat. The longer I stand there, more sweat drips from his fuzzy brow. Fuck I’m thirsty.

  Time stood still while I stayed the hunger that was overpowering me. I couldn’t close my eyes, though I was trying. Fixated on the warm, flowing crimson liquid beneath a layer of fat and flesh was not making it easy to avoid draining his oversized body of life.

  My teeth dropped slowly from my gums. As I prepare to feast, the man wipes the beads of moisture from his forehead with his left arm, never lowering the gun. The irony in this situation was amusing. I am hunting a hunter.

  Ready to take my first step towards dinner I heard her voice and stopped immediately.

  “Don’t do it,” she whispered full of pain and sorrow.

  Ashley stood behind me with a handgun raised and ready to shoot. I stepped to the side in time for the gunpowder to ignite, sending a spiraling bullet casing through the air.

  Lucky for me, I stepped to the right. My prey wasn’t as lucky. The bullet pierced the hunting vest, stilling the beating noise that had clouded my decision making. She shot a man in cold blood. Turning back to her, I watched as the tears flowed down her cheeks. She was becoming more and more empty as each droplet landed on the ground in front of her.

  “I am so sorry. I had to do it,” she cried as I abandoned the thirst that I couldn’t fight before.

  She was talking, but she wasn’t talking to me. From the trees, a little girl dressed in a pink prin
cess dress broke through carrying a crown and a picture book.

  “Did you catch it, Daddy?” The excitement in her steps was replaced with terror as she ran towards the man that was bleeding from his chest. She couldn’t be more than five years old. I wondered why he would take a little girl hunting, but to each their own. She didn’t need to see this, no-one did.

  Before I could stop the little princess, Ashley raced past me as if I wasn’t there. I was here and I saw the whole damn thing. She just shot a man in cold blood and now she expects me to stand by and do nothing?

  She stood over the little girl, taking her in to her arms, consoling her with, “shhh” and, “it will be ok,” as I watched in confusion.

  Without thought, I was moving towards the three of them. The picture book had fallen from the girl’s hand, landing open to a picture of the man, the little girl and a beautiful woman, holding the little princess tight in her arms. They were all happy and smiling, unlike now.

  “Come with me. I will make sure you are safe.” Ashley stood with the little girl in her arms and walked away as if I wasn’t standing there. She was ignoring me and it was fucking ridiculous. I just watched her kill a man in cold blood. Not just a man, but a father.

  “Ashley,” I yelled towards the duo as they disappeared through an opening in the trees. Fuck this.

  Running after her, as soon as I pushed back the first branch there was a scream and a bright flash. With a quick blink, I was sitting in my car next to Ashley. She was panicked and breathing heavy. Looking out towards the darkness, I saw nothing moving within the shadows or the fog.

  The engine roared to life as I raced to get home. Whatever the fuck just happened, I knew it wasn’t real; it couldn’t be. Ashley couldn’t kill an innocent, she was incapable of it. It had to be a vision, one that I wasn’t supposed to see.

  Chapter Nine

  Ashley

  Awakening to screams, I saw nothing but darkness. It wasn’t until Thad fiercely turned the key, illuminating the interior with a soft orange glow. The engine roared as he slammed the pedal to the floor. The headstones passed faster than I could handle.