The Watcher, page 15
part #1 of Fleur de Lis Series
I entered the bathroom. It was made out of stainless steel and also smelled like roses. I used it and fixed myself. I pressed the button above the toilet, and it flushed. The noise startled me; it flushed hard and fast. I really hated flying, even using a bathroom at 30,000 feet felt wrong and claustrophobic. I quickly washed my hands, dried them, and then exited the bathroom. I stopped, turned, and stared at the bedroom door—contemplating whether I should enter.
I couldn't help myself. I had to see where they had put Bari. I took a hairpin from my hair and picked the lock, slowly turning the knob on the bedroom door.
The room was dark and only the light from behind me shined through. Bari was tied to a chair next to a twin-size bed. He was still blindfolded and shackled. His head moved back, and he inhaled deeply through his nose.
“Ouvres les yeux, une petite colombe. C'est tout un jeu pour eux,” he said in French with a deep raspy voice and a strange accent. (Open your eyes, tiny dove; it's all a game to them.)
“What do you mean?” I asked and moved closer to him.
The door behind me started to close.
“We meet again. I smell vampire blood in your veins, but you are still human. You let them experiment on you?” he asked, and his accent now sounded Middle Eastern.
“No one has ever given me vampire blood,” I said with confusion.
He snickered in a deep voice. “Yes, they have. I smell it...all vampires have an ashy sent to them. You have a hint of it. Didn't you ever wonder why you are different than anybody else?”
In an instant, the door slammed opened and Bari received a punch to his face by Zachary. “Get out of here!” Zachary growled at me.
I walked back into the lounge area. I looked pale, noticing my reflection in the bar mirror. I turned and gazed at my brother, who was still angry at me for pressure pointing him. I couldn't stop thinking about what Bari had said.
“What's the matter?” Christian asked me, noticing my sickly expression.
I walked quickly to the cockpit and knocked on the door. Fernan answered. “We need to talk...now!” I said with a stern tone.
“Alright,” he said and closed the door behind him.
Zachary walked into the lounge area and spoke to Fernan in Latin. I turned off the television with the remote control. “Hazel and Kiki, please leave us,” I said.
Fernan nodded his head in agreement and the women entered the cockpit.
“Skye, what the hell is going on?” Christian asked.
“Bari just told me I have vampire blood in me. He said it's because I have a scent of ashes. I need to know if this is true and if my brother also has vampire blood?” I asked.
My brother's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. “What are you talking about? We have never drunk vampire blood,” Christian said and furrowed his brows.
“I need to know the truth and don't lie to me!” I raised my voice at Fernan.
“We were planning on telling you and your brother everything when we reached Barcelona,” Fernan said calmly.
“I told you not to lie to me!” I said, staring into Fernan's eyes with rage.
“He's telling you the truth,” Zachary said.
“Please sit-down Skye, and I will explain everything,” Fernan said politely.
I sat at the bar stool. Christian was sitting next to Charlie and Tristan on the long leather sectional.
“Explain,” I said to Fernan, who stood next to me.
Tristan's eyes looked down. I could tell he was nervous for me to hear the truth and Charlie also looked away. Zachary walked over and stood next to Fernan.
“The night your parents were murdered was the last time Aaron had stepped foot in New York. We were chasing him and some of his vampires. They had tried to assassinate me. We managed to stop them and killed all the vampires, but Aaron, who got away. He ended up escaping to Brooklyn. Your parents were walking home from the train station that night. You and your brother were in a stroller. Aaron was injured. He had lost a lot of blood from several gun-shot wounds into his chest and he needed to drink blood in order to survive and escape. He chose your parents as the victims,” Fernan said.
“How do you know this?” I asked.
“Sebastian controls the police department in New York, and they are always searching for unusual deaths that might occur because of vampires. We read the police report the following day, but what we didn't realize is that your father had taken Aaron's dagger away from him and slashed him trying to defend your mother. Some of Aaron's blood landed on the stroller, and we suspect it also landed in your mouth and in your brother's. The autopsy showed your parents were drained of their blood and that your father put up a fight against Aaron. Even the slightest amount of vampire blood can be deadly to a human, but it wasn't lethal to you and your brother. It didn't turn you but gave you both abilities that can only come from a powerful vampire like Aaron. We think it's because you were toddlers that the transformation wasn't complete and that sudden death did not occur,” Fernan said and looked at me with a sorrowful expression.
“How long have you known about this and why didn't Aaron kill me and my brother?” I asked Fernan.
“Aaron doesn't kill babies or toddlers—he thinks it can bring him bad luck. When Sebastian met you and Christian in Central Park last year he knew right away there was vampire blood inside your veins. Not many vampires would notice unless they have a sensitive sense of smell or were looking for it. To make sure you and your brother were not working for Aaron, we followed you both for a year and did more investigation concerning your parent's death. I am sorry for the deception, but I needed to protect my Covenant, and now we are here to help,” Fernan said.
“This whole thing has been a lie,” Christian said with a sullen facial expression.
My brother was just starting to feel like he belonged...that we could trust them with our lives. I could see the disappointment in his eyes. Especially, his friendship with John. They had become so close.
“No, this war is real and you both belong with us. We will avenge your parent's death and end this war,” Zachary said.
“How do you expect us to trust you after you have lied to us?” I asked.
“You know me Skye...you know you can trust me. I have vowed to protect you, to give up my life if it comes to it, for you to be safe,” Zachary said with conviction and moved closer to me.
“I can't believe this. How long have you been following me? You moved from Iceland to New York last year, not two months ago—didn't you?” I asked Zachary.
He already knew about my parents and Chris Tanner before he ever met me. My eyes became watery as I tried to hold my tears back. I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. I thought about his kiss, and I wanted to punch him in the face.
“Yes, and I am sorry. I didn't tell you the truth because it wasn't the right time. You would have never agreed to work for us if you knew I had followed you for a year,” Zachary said.
He was right about that, but I still wanted to punch his face and break his pretty nose.
“I knew there was something wrong when I saw the camera in The Big Green Monster,” I said.
Tristan narrowed his eyes with a confused look. “The green monster,” he said and looked at Christian with a confused expression.
“She means the Citigroup building in Long Island City,” Christian said and glanced at Tristan.
“Oh,” Tristan said.
“I can't go back to the past and change things, but I can help you move forward,” Zachary said in a soft tone, trying to convince me that he was trustworthy.
My brother approached me and hugged me tightly. “I love you, and we will kill the son of a bitch that did this to us and killed our parents,” he said softly into my left ear and moved back to look at me.
I nodded my head in agreement. “But I can't trust you anymore, Fernan,” I said and turned to look at him.
“I will gain back your trust...that I do promise you,” Fernan said with assurance.
“Please forgive us and let's get past this. We have a war to win, so we can all try to live normal lives,” Zachary said.
“My life can never be normal,” I said with conviction.
“Let's not give up now,” Christian said and looked at me with concern.
I could see my brother wanted to make things right. He liked being part of this Covenant, and if I were honest with myself...I did too, but now all I wanted to do was break Zachary's face.
“Fine, but we will not be lied to anymore. If I find out anything else was kept from us, we will walk away from this,” I said and looked at Fernan.
“Understood,” Fernan said.
“Thank you, we need you,” Zachary said with relief.
“Don't get confused Zach...I am only doing this now to avenge my parents, and I want to see the police report and autopsy record,” I demanded.
“I have them in New York, but Salazar has a copy. I will show you and Christian everything when we get to Barcelona. Salazar is looking forward to meeting both of you,” Fernan said.
“I bet he is,” I murmured.
I always felt like a freak, and now I learned that I am one, even among the vampires. Christian hugged me again, and I saw the same struggling emotions behind his golden eyes. I was happy to know I was not alone that my brother was with me.
Chapter 9
Atonement
Christian's best quality is to easily move on from things—unlike me. Charlie drove the limo fast through the streets of Central Barcelona, and Christian kept flirting with Hazel, cracking jokes. I wish my brother could see things the way I did. We were taken advantage of, humiliated, and stabbed in the back by our new companions. What bothered me most was Zachary's fake smile. I let my guard down with him; it was the biggest mistake I've made—in a long time. For a long year, he had followed me, and with his impeccable vision, heightened sense of smell, and high-frequency hearing, he knew everything about me. Without having me explain, he already knew what soaps I used, the way I took my coffee, and every personal conversation I've had in the past year. I felt violated, but I needed to try and forgive in order to finish what I had started.
I looked at Zachary's side profile. He sat crosswise in front of me. I could tell he felt embarrassed about hurting me. He kept on looking down on the floor, and his eyes had remained a dark blue from the moment he had told me the truth.
“We are in Las Ramblas. It's a series of short streets with kiosks that extends close to a mile. Salazar owns most of the buildings and homes here,” Fernan said as we drove by a tree-lined pedestrian mall in Barcelona.
I lowered the window on my left-hand side and looked out. Christian was sitting next to me. He leaned over my right leg to get a better view. The place was filled with booths and street performers, setting up for a busy day.
“That's awesome!” Christian said and pointed to a woman street performer standing on a gold box.
She was covered in gold, wearing Cleopatra's hair, a long-ruffled dress, and angel wings that pointed to the sky. She stood motionless as a statue, but her eyes moved and glanced at our limo as we passed her by.
“There are a lot of historical buildings here, cafes, restaurants, and kiosks that sell unique souvenirs. It can get crowded in the day, until late at night. You need to be careful, that's when pickpockets strike. Keep your personal belongings out of reach,” Hazel said.
“Don't worry, Skye can see them coming,” Christian said.
Zachary finally looked at me and grinned. His eyes—dark blue. My face became serious, my eyes squinted a little, and my eyebrows lowered. He looked away in embarrassment.
I glanced at Fernan, who was texting and sitting in front of Zachary. “Why is it that you and Salazar live where there are so many tourists?” I asked him.
Fernan looked up at me. “There is one thing Aaron has in common with us, he doesn't want humans to know vampires exist. Having our homes near tourists helps protect us—it prevents him from attacking us while we sleep. The Elder's that lived secluded have all died,” he responded and then glanced at Zachary.
I examined Zachary and saw sadness in his facial expression. Maybe he had thought of Elder Varg Jonasson and the Guardians that died in Iceland.
The limo turned right into a narrow street. A high black gate with spikes opened. We entered a long tunnel made of dark bluish-grey slate and exited into a cobblestone driveway. We faced the back of a Gothic building, three times the size of Fernan's building. The driveway was a rectangular open space. It had a circular fountain in the center with a statue of a woman standing tall, wearing a long cloak that covered her head.
“We have arrived,” Fernan said.
A tall Spanish Guardian opened the limo door. He was wearing a black coat that reached his ankles. It had silver buttons shaped like daggers with embroidered designs and a medieval sword peeking from the back. His hair was twisted up on the sides. His rectangular face had a wide forehead. He had nut-brown eyes that were downturned, and his full lips were long.
I exited after Fernan and admired the Gothic architecture on the building. It was made of grey to black rocks with sculptural decorations. The bottom exterior had a cloister arcade with pointed arches and gargoyles above them. The lancet windows were long and narrow. Some were made of stained glass. I looked up and saw a dome-shaped roof and a tower to the right.
“Maravilloso,” Christian said in Spanish, admiring the architecture. (Beautiful)
Charlie climbed out of the driver seat, and Christian turned to admire the fountain.
“This is Ismael Vargas. He is head of security in Barcelona,” Fernan said, introducing us to the Guardian.
“Mucho gusto,” Christian said in Spanish, and I slightly bowed. (Nice to meet you.)
Zachary, Charlie, and Hazel bowed to Ismael, and he elegantly returned the gesture.
“Tuviste un buen viaje?” Ismael asked Fernan in Spanish. (Did you have a good trip?)
“Si, llegamos a tiempo,” Fernan said. (Yes, we arrived on time.)
John and Tristan stepped out of a Mercedes behind us and two Spanish Guardians grabbed Bari. He looked sedated again. They dragged him into the building.
John and Tristan greeted Ismael. “Traemos sus maletas a sus habitaciones. Por favor, Sigueme. Salazar le espera,” Ismael said in Spanish. (We will bring your suitcases to your rooms; please follow me. Salazar is expecting you)
Fernan nodded his head in agreement. We all followed Ismael and entered the building passed the series of arches supported by columns.
The Mansion had a Gothic interior with high, wooden ceiling beams and pointed arches. The floors were made of dark stones and had deep-toned, luxuriant carpets. The wall colors were black, red, and hunter green. It had a medieval vibe with murals painted on some of the walls. The wall tapestries were embroidered, and the velvet window treatments were maroon. The wood furniture had arched designs with turned legs, elaborate sculpted details, and plush upholstery.
We walked inside an enormous central hall that had a sixty-foot ceiling and black marble columns. Eliseo Salazar was sitting in the back of the room on a royal throne chair, made of gold. He wore an embroidered black Gothic coat with a white medieval dress shirt, black pants, and high black boots. His curly brown hair was pushed back, and its length reached his collar bone. His exotic hazel eyes stared at me. A female vampire with perfect, silky, jet-black hair and pale green eyes sat to his left. Her see-through black dress reached the floor. Black embroidered flowers covered her breasts and her hips. A young man sat to the right side of Salazar. He looked fifteen years old. His hair was buzzed short. His dark black eyes matched the medieval vest he wore, and his black leather pants and boots had daggers strapped on both sides. Their presence was intimidating.
There were over a hundred vampires bowing in the room as we walked toward Salazar. They were dressed in dark Gothic clothes. Most of them looked like Guardians, wearing dragon knuckle rings. Their swords were either strapped to the back of their jackets or the side of their pants. The walls had wrought iron pieces with crosses and long candles lit the entire room. At each corner of the room, gargoyles stared at us. I felt like I walked back into time and entered Dracula's castle.
“My Lord,” Fernan said as we all bowed in front of Salazar.
“It's good to see you, my son,” Salazar said with a thick Spanish accent.
Maybe Fernan was his real son. He looked just like him with a diamond-shaped face, wide almond eyes, and radiant olive skin, except Salazar had curly hair.
“It's good to be here, Father. I have brought you a gift,” Fernan said.
“I see you have brought me more than one,” Salazar said and rose to his feet to kiss my hand softly. “It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Skye,” he said.
He smelled like sweet vanilla and amber wood. He wore a thick gold wedding band with engraved designs on it. His hazel eyes glowed bright yellow around the rim of his pupils and a sense of peace flowed through my entire body, relaxing my muscles. I didn't feel melancholy anymore about all the lies and secrets that had been revealed. I understood and saw it from Salazar's point of view. He admired us, trusted us, and more than anything...he desired our friendship. Therefore, Fernan wanted to wait to tell us the truth when we arrived in Barcelona. I felt like I belonged.
“The pleasure is mine,” I said and looked into his hazel eyes.
He walked toward my brother. “Christian, mucho gusto,” Salazar said to him and shook his hand.
“Mucho gusto,” Christian said with an amazed expression and nodded his head.
I could see my brother felt the same peace as I did.
“Tonight, we celebrate, and tomorrow we interrogate Bari,” Salazar said and smiled broadly.
A tall, dark female vamp with Persian copper eyes, an oval-shaped face and short hair approached us from our left side. Her chocolate brown skin was luminous. A thick scar traveled along her neck. She was thin and wore a tight leather outfit with a metal whip strapped to her right hip. She was a Guardian.
