Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 94

His lame description removed every trace of happiness from Lily's face.

Jack's gaze traveled to the rickety staircase. He wanted to go up and have a talk with Summer, maybe threaten her life if she didn't leave Silver alone, but Lily deserved better from him. The least he could do was share the sun with her.

"Sorry," he said. "The first day I woke to the feeling of sunlight on my hand. The warmth is incredible, like a million hugs from your favorite person. Then I leaned out the window. The sky didn't look real, more like a watercolor painting than reality. There were colors like yellow, orange, pink, and maybe a splash of purple. They blended in perfect harmony."

Lily's eyes sparkled. "I wish I could see it. How did it feel the first time the warmth of the sun touched your skin?"

"Scary beyond all belief." She giggled while he explained the circ.u.mstances. "I had no idea I wasn't a vampire anymore. When I woke up and the sunlight was on my hand, I totally freaked. I thought I was going to burst into flames, but once I learned the truth, I went to the window and let it touch me full force. It felt incredible. There are no words to describe it. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You did a good job." She went to the fireplace and picked up the radio before playing with the dials. "You're lucky to have this second chance. I know Cowboy and Summer don't agree, but that's what I think. I would give anything to feel the sunlight again. It's what I miss most. Not my family or my old life. I barely remember them.

"They were already old when I was born, early forties I think. I had a younger brother, but he's probably dead now. I didn't like him anyway. I remember him sticking his tongue out all the time, and he put a lizard in my lunchbox once. We didn't get along."

"Most siblings don't," he said. "Billy and I used to fight over everything. He followed me around, getting in the way constantly. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't breathe. My mom used to tell me I should be glad to have a little brother who looked up to me, but I didn't think so. Now he's older and loves bossing me around. It's hard."

Lily frowned. "That doesn't sound good. You should tell him some of the things you did with us. Your older than him both mentally and emotionally if not physically. You have lived longer than him. You have seen things most mortals never do. He should show you respect."

Jack couldn't agree more. "We're working things out. It will be okay as long as he doesn't revert to form."

His eyes went back to the stairs.

"Why did you come?" Lily asked. "Why do you need to see Summer, and why is she mad at you?"

"She threatened this girl that I know, and she was watching us tonight. I'm here to make sure Summer doesn't hurt anyone I care about."

Lily sang, "Jack is in lo-ove."

"I am not."

"I saw it in the cards, moron. You're in love with the girl in the fuzzy pink sweater, the one I warned you to stay away from. Am I right?"

"I wouldn't pay too much attention to those cards if I were you. They were wrong before. Obviously I didn't die."

"Death comes in many forms. Your vampire-self died, and you were reborn as a mortal so the cards were right. I'm happy you didn't listen to me though. I'm glad you have the girl in the fuzzy sweater."

They talked some more about the good old days and shared a few laughs. He missed Lily the most. He and Lily had always had a special bond. It was good to be with someone who would love him no matter what. Lily hugged him.

"Maybe I should be jealous of you, Lily." Summer spoke from the doorway. "Not the little human girl."

Jack released Lily and stood face to face with his former girlfriend. Summer wore a disinterested expression, but he wasn't fooled. She had come down for answers. She wanted him to tell her what she saw meant nothing, wanted him to rea.s.sure her.

"Leave Silver alone or else," he said.

"Is that really her name or does she use a nickname like us?"

"She is Silver, the werewolf hunter. She's a legend, has her own book and everything."

Summer's lips twisted in disgust. "Is that what turns you on now?"

"She has a family of hunters. She has me. She has my brother and his hunting friends. Do you really want to take us all on?"

Summer turned and slowly walked to the bottom of the staircase. "Fine. I'll stay away from her. I'm not the one you should be worried about anyway."

"Meaning?"

A malicious smile curved her lips. "Cowboy has taken matters into his own hands. He's probably killing the little tramp as we speak."

Jack drove like a maniac, praying the whole way he wouldn't be too late. He made it to Silver's house in record time and immediately spotted his former friend. Cowboy stood on the other side of the street, propped up against a telephone pole, waiting on Jack. A bottle of booze dangled from one hand. Tossing it into the air and catching it several times, he didn't seem to be in a hurry to talk to Jack.

Was he drinking?

Vampires were allergic to alcohol, so that couldn't be it. Jack didn't take the time to turn the engine off. He jumped out and sprinted over to Cowboy. His eyes went straight to the bottle, checked it out. It was filled with whiskey. Jack's eyes narrowed on Cowboy's face. Cowboy wasn't the type to hurt himself to spite someone else. There had to be a plan involving the alcohol. Maybe he was going to force it down Jack's throat to make him sick.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show," Cowboy said.

"You're p.i.s.sed at me. I get that. Take it out on me, not Silver and her family."

Cowboy gaped at him. "You really have a thing for these people, don't you? Hah! I thought Summer was just being Summer when she told me you had hooked up with this girl. And she's a hunter? What is wrong with you? We were buddies, but you have spit in my face for the last time."

Jack steeled himself for a fight. Summer could play with him, knock him down a few times, but Cowboy could tear him in two without breaking a sweat, and they both knew it.

Only Cowboy didn't attack him.

Instead, Cowboy turned away from Jack and opened the bottle. Before Jack could gauge his intentions, Cowboy c.o.c.ked his arm. He threw the bottle across the street. There was a rag stuffed into the top, and it was burning with an orange flame. The bottle crashed through the Reign's living room window.

With a sudden burst of speed Jack didn't think he was capable of any longer, he flew across the street and into the house. He was inside before the bottle hit the floor. He could have caught it, could have stopped the fire from spreading, but shock kept him from thinking straight. Standing frozen in the entryway, he watched in horror as the large area rug ignited.

Chapter Fifteen:.

FIRE!.

Jack watched in horror as the drapes caught fire. The scorching heat sucked the air from his lungs, making it almost impossible to breathe. Sweat broke out on his entire body. He considered trying to put the fire out, but it was spreading so fast he felt it would be a waste of time. Silver's home would burn to the ground in a matter of minutes, and the entire family was upstairs asleep.

Flames nibbled at the furniture.

Jack hurried up the stairs.

Andrew jerked his bedroom door open as Jack reached the second floor. "What in the h.e.l.l is going on? Why are you in my house?"

"The house is on fire!" Jack would save blame for later. "You need to get out quick."

Vanessa yelled, "Silver!"

"I'll get her," Jack offered. "Take the back stairs."

Andrew said, "I have to get the diary. Go, Vanessa! Call the fire department. I'll meet you outside."

"I'm not going anywhere without you."

Jack left them in mid-argument and rushed to Silver's room. He burst through the door, found her slipping into a baby-blue robe. A startled cry burst past her lips, and her wide eyes landed on his face.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Fire. Grab whatever you can, and let's get out of here."

Her stunned gaze drifted around the room, slowly moving from one item to the next. She froze. The only part of her that moved was her throat as she swallowed several times. She wasn't trying to save anything-so Jack did. He went to her closet and grabbed several pieces of her clothing, yanking each item off the hangers. He hurried to the window and tossed them out.

The sight of her stuff flying out the window spurred her into action. She grabbed her hamster cage first. Her eyes continued to pick out things in the room, things she didn't want to lose. It was like she was silently saying goodbye to her life. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Jack threw more clothes out the window. With a burst of speed he flew around the room, dumping her drawers outside in less than a half-a-second, clearing off her dresser and desk, and gathering various items from various places.

Silver's voice returned. "You have your powers."

He yanked a sheet from her bed. Tying one end around her waist, he pushed her to the window. "I'll lower you down."

Her jaw dropped. "Can't we just use the door?"

"No time. Do you trust me?"

Her head slowly moved up and down. He rea.s.sured her with a smile before pushing her out the window. She was light as a kitten to him. He lowered her easily. In seconds her feet touched the ground, and she waved up at him. He returned to her room, clearing out her belongings in a flash. The thought of Silver losing a single possession was not acceptable.

Jack used his vampire speed to get to the back door, and Silver met him near the street. She grabbed onto his arms with both hands. Worry drew her brows together. "Where are my parents?"

Good question. Jack had warned them about the fire before going to her bedroom. They should have been outside already. Then he remembered her father talking about saving the diary and her mother refusing to leave him. Jack sighed. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Silver tried to stop him, but he was gone before a single syllable left her lips. In a flash he was on the second floor. He found Andrew on his knees in the study, trying desperately to open a hidden safe in the floor. Vanessa lay in a heap near the door. Her face was red. She struggled to breathe. A round of unceasing coughing began. Her body went into uncontrollable spasms.

"Take her," Andrew shouted. "I'll be right behind you."

Jack lifted the woman and tossed her over his left shoulder. In the blink of an eye, they were outside. Vanessa's surprised gasp reached his ears. He set her on her feet next to her daughter. She started to cough again.

"Mom, are you okay?" Silver wound her arms around Vanessa's waist.

Vanessa coughed into her hand several times while nodding.

"Where's daddy?" Silver asked.

Jack's eyes went to the back door. The man had told him that he would be right behind them, but there was no sign of Andrew Reign anywhere. The fire had reached parts of the roof. It wouldn't hold for much longer. Jack raced into the burning house a third and final time. Andrew had collapsed on the stairs. Jack grabbed the man's arm and pulled him to his feet. He wasn't going to try to carry Silver's father. He had a feeling Andrew would rather burn to death than be tossed over Jack's shoulder like a sack of dry cement.

It was hard for Jack to walk; he gritted his teeth against the urge to run. It took a lot longer to get outside this time. However, once they did the women met them practically at the door. Vanessa took her husband. He leaned on her as they made their way to the street. Jack and Silver followed.

A fire engine and ambulance arrived when they were halfway across the lawn. Paramedics gave the parents a dose of oxygen. Both of them refused to go to the hospital. They were worried about Silver, but she told them Jack had gotten her out safely before she'd inhaled any smoke.

Andrew looked upon him with a sense of overwhelming grat.i.tude. He walked over to Jack and put an arm around his shoulders. Carefully, he steered Jack away from the others. "You saved our lives tonight." His voice sounded raw, strangled by smoke. "I was wrong about you." He shook Jack's hand. "But I will still kill you if you touch my daughter in any way I deem inappropriate. Understood?"

Jack nodded. He restrained the smile itching to stretch his lips. Silver's father had practically given them his blessing. He hadn't totally put the mental shotgun away yet, but he'd set it aside. Good enough for now.

Andrew held a book in front of Jack's face, showing it to him with a look of pride. It was small and bound in dark brown leather with a name engraved in gold on the front. "This is Lovely's diary. I wouldn't have it if it wasn't for you." He pushed it at Jack. "Take it. Read it. You deserve to have the answers you want."

Jack wiped his hands on his jeans before accepting the book. There was something sacred about it. The leather felt rough beneath his fingers. He held it tight and stared down at it with awe, his newfound treasure. Within these pages was the story of the girl he loved.

And he did love her, although he wasn't ready to admit it just yet. He had to be sure of her feelings first and at least close to sure they were meant to be together. No need to rush things.

Jack couldn't wait to read every single word in the diary. He wanted to read everything Lovely had to say about Silver along with everything she'd written about him. The fire raged behind them, lighting up Andrew's dirty face. Silver and Vanessa huddled together in the background, tears in their eyes as they watched their home burn.

Jack's joy turned to sadness. He wished there was something he could do for them. Maybe he should have tried to put the fire out instead of running up the stairs to warn the occupants. It was possible he could have saved Silver's home.

Jack looked for Cowboy, but his former friend was long gone.

"You invited people to move in with us without asking me?" Billy stood in the doorway of Jack's bedroom, arms folded.

Jack was on the bed, legs crossed at the ankles. He rested the open diary on his chest and looked up at his annoyed brother. "I didn't think you'd mind. You like the Reigns. Besides, didn't they let you live with them for a few years?"

"That isn't the point. You still should have asked me." Billy walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He picked up the diary but didn't handle it with the same care that Jack had. Instead of awe, Billy's expression held faint disdain. "So this is it. Vanessa told me about the fire, and Andrew mentioned he gave you the diary. Blew my mind. Anything interesting?"

"Loads." Jack's hands itched to grab the diary. He couldn't stand the sight of Billy holding it. Giving into the illogical urge to s.n.a.t.c.h it away from his brother, he took the book back. Once he had it safely between his hands, he relaxed. "I haven't gotten very far. Lovely just wrote about how she came to this world and how she fell in love with two guys at once. There hasn't been any talk of Silver yet."

"Well, keep reading. You'll find something."

"I wish she would talk about the lead werewolf, maybe give me his name."

"Life is never that easy. Anyway, Vanessa told me about the English teacher. Why didn't you tell me about him? According to Silver, you are fighting tooth and nail to clear the guy. He's a werewolf. You were a vampire. Don't you have to hate him? Isn't there an unwritten law or something?"

Jack's eyes went to the book. The pages were calling to him, and he desperately wanted answers. He wanted to soak the words into his brain, every single one until he found satisfaction.

Billy waited for an explanation.

Jack refused to give it to him.

With an exaggerated sigh, Billy left. He didn't say anything else. His amused expression said it all. He was going to leave so Jack could return to the precious diary. Sometimes his little brother wasn't as dumb as he looked.

Later that night Jack woke to a strange sensation. He could feel his vampire friends, minus one, waiting outside for him. They were linked again, forever bound by the vampire in him. Jack automatically reached for the diary. He had placed it beside him before falling asleep. Now he picked it up and moved it to the nightstand drawer where it would be safe, at least for the moment.

Going to the window, he stared into the darkness. It only took him a second to spot them, Cowboy and Summer, standing by the fence. Two sets of piercing eyes watched him in return. Without saying a word they summoned him, and he couldn't refuse. He hoped for their sakes that they hadn't come to start trouble because he had a house full of hunters.