B005EMAYWS EBOK

  Immortal Destiny

  Wolves and Black Roses

  By

  Lorraine Kennedy

  Copyright 2011, Lorraine Kennedy

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

  Chapter One

  She was entombed in darkness - a darkness so complete that nothing existed beyond that black void but her own poisonous thoughts and fears. The rapid pounding of her heart was like a relentless hammer beating against her chest.

  How long had she been here?

  Terror had been her constant companion - its grip so tight that she no longer knew what it felt like to not be afraid.

  She could hear movement above the pounding of her heart. Something scurried across the floor and brushed up against her leg.

  Summer put a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. She dare not make any noise for fear that she would wake them. For now they lay rotting in their coffins - unaware of her and her terror.

  There was another sound - a creaking. It came from the direction of where the coffins were lined up against the cold - gray wall.

  Something came out of the darkness to brush up against her hair. Her mind exploded with panic, and she scrambled up the steep stairs to the opening of the tomb.

  Pounding and digging at the door, she could no longer contain her terror and she began to shriek.

  The heavy door creaked and groaned as it was pulled open. For so long the darkness had stolen her sight, that now even the moonlight was blinding.

  She could see only a looming shadow that grew as it moved toward her.

  He stood there on the stone steps, a silhouette against the moonlight streaming in from the open door of the tomb. His dark eyes resonated an inner light - the light of the immortal.

  Screaming, she backed away.

  “Come my love,” he said, holding out his hand to her.

  His eyes pulled at her - forcing her body to move against her will. She placed her hand in his and he led her out of the tomb.

  The vision of the gravestones bathed in the light of the full moon was surreal - eerie, but she was aware of only one thing - her captor.

  Drawing her down into the grass, he positioned himself above her. She felt the chill of his touch on her legs, and then he lifted her dress. She gasped when his hand roughly spread her thighs.

  The scene faded.

  She suddenly found herself somewhere else. She was no longer in the cemetery with the vampire. In this vision she was in the home of her ancestors.

  Shades of crimson blazed across the desert sky as the sun made its descent into the west. Though the day waned, the heat of the desert was stifling. The only relief from the heat was a soft breeze coming from the north, though it was little help. The wind could not penetrate the thin material of her ribbon dress to cool her skin. It made no difference. Summer barely noticed the temperature.

  She stood on a rock ledge overlooking the dance arena. The steady rhythm of the drums vibrated the earth, folding around her body until her heart felt as if it beat in time with them. From the ledge, she could view the dancers moving gracefully to the beat of the drums - their traditional Navajo regalia creating a spray of brilliant color that swept across the dance circle.

  She could feel the shadows moving silently over the land. Not the shadows of night, but the darkness of spirit. A gust of wind played havoc with her long golden-brown tresses. A sudden gust of wind blew her hair into her face, blocking her vision for a fraction of a second. She brought a hand up to brush the hair away from her eyes, and was startled to see that the dancers were no longer there.

  The drums had gone silent.

  A lone figure in the center of the circle looked up at her. Though there was a strong breeze, it did not disturb the old man’s long - thinning gray hair. His intense stare never wavered from where she stood.

  “Grandpa Busby!” Summer’s words echoed off the surrounding red cliffs.

  “The time has come child.”

  She could hear his words, but not with her ears. His voice seemed to echo within her skull.

  “It was always meant to be. Your life’s path will take you on a journey of shadows. You are in danger … you are all in danger!” Grandpa Busby’s scratchy voice faded away, as did the vision.

  “Who are you talking to?”

  Summer jumped at the sound of the deep - husky voice that came from behind her. She knew that voice. It had haunted her dreams and beckoned her heart on those lonely nights when the world seemed so empty of light and love.

  Was this just another trick of the spirits?

  She turned around slowly, afraid that she had imagined his voice. He stood only a few feet away. He was as large as life, and so overwhelming that to look at him, took her breath away.

  He stood there against the backdrop of the darkening sky, his long blond hair dancing on the winds. Their gaze locked and Summer found it impossible to look away from those intense, smoky-gray eyes. Standing so close to him, she felt as if she were still a child. He was so tall that he towered over her.

  “Anton,” she whispered. Summer feared that if she spoke too loudly, he would simply fade away.

  Anton’s eyes sparkled with amusement. His words were spoken with a slight Romanian accent. “You were expecting someone else?”

  “What are you doing here?” Summer finally found her tongue.

  “I’ve come to take you back.”

  * * *

  “Wakeup sleepy head!” Penny shook her arm.

  Summer stirred, but resisted leaving her dream.

  “Hey! If we are going out tonight, don’t you think you’d better get ready?” Penny shook her again.

  Finally Summer opened her eyes. Her heart sank as soon as she realized that she’d been dreaming again. It had been so long since she’d seen Anton that she ached whenever she opened her eyes to find that he was not really there. Dreaming of Anton was not so unusual, but the rest of her dream had been truly bizarre.

  Sitting up, Summer struggled to rid herself of the grogginess she was feeling. She wasn’t sure how long she’d slept, but it was getting dark outside. She had worked all night, trying to get into the head a killer, but had made no progress at all. The latest murder was as weird as the rest. Usually she didn’t have too much trouble coming up with some type of profile to give the police, but this one really had her stumped.

  She had only intended to take a quick nap, but had been so exhausted that she’d fallen into a deep sleep. In her dream she’d been with a stranger - an immortal. That part really disturbed her. She’d been about to have sex with him in a cemetery. Summer couldn’t help but wonder where that had come from. Then her dream had changed suddenly and she’d been in New Mexico. Anton had been there. He’d come to take her home.

  But then there was that ominous warning from Grandpa Busby. Busby was her mother’s grandfather. Though Grandpa Busby had passed away when Summer was young, she could still remember the sparring of words between him and her mother. Laura Gray Eagle had always tried to talk Busby into coming to live with them. Grandpa had been one of the few humans that knew of the existence of Outerlands. He always told them that he loved visiting, but he liked it just fine at home.

  Summer could still hear his words.

  “I am Busby, born to the Bitter River People for the Deer Clan. I am Dineh and will die in my own country.”

  And he’d done just that. When the time came for Grandpa Busby to pass into the land of spirits, her mother had been devastated. It was then that Laura decided that she wanted her children to grow up in the Navajo tradition. She’d sent Summer and her brother J.J to live
in New Mexico with a family friend. Though Outerlands was where she came from, she really looked at New Mexico as home.

  Her native heritage ran deep and was a large part of who she was. That was why she believed that her dream had not been just a dream. It was a message from her grandfather. He was trying to reach out to her from the other side - he was warning her about something.

  Summer had her mother’s gift. She could communicate with the dead, but for some reason Grandpa Busby had never come through. There were times that she really wished that her grandfather would make contact with her. She missed him terribly.

  Summer groaned when Penny returned to the living room and gave her a look of disapproval. Her friend was already dressed and ready.

  “Okay, I’ll get going,” Summer told her.

  “You shouldn’t have stayed up all night,” Penny scolded.

  Summer ignored her and headed for the bathroom. She now wished that she hadn’t promised to go out. Not only was she troubled by her dream, but she could not keep her mind off of the murders. Someone was killing people and it was her job to help the police figure out what the perpetrator could be thinking. What could drive someone to commit such horrendous acts against others?

  * * *

  Through the double glass doors, Summer could see the flashing lights of the slot and poker machines that filled the interior of the casino. Just as she reached for the elaborate brass handle on the door, her mobile phone rang. She knew she’d never be able to have a conversation once she was inside, so she backed away from the doors and pulled the phone from her handbag.

  “Hello.”

  “Summer?” The female voice was soft and uncertain.

  “Yes, who’s this?”

  “Sarah. Do you have a minute to talk?

  Seeking privacy from the crowd of people entering and exiting the casino, Summer moved to the shadows of the parking lot.

  “Sarah! What happened to you? You disappeared on me and left me nothing but a note.”

  “I know, and I’m so sorry. It was unavoidable, otherwise I wouldn’t have left that way,” Sarah apologized.

  “Okay … so what happened?”

  “I can’t explain a lot right now, but I will as soon as we see each other again. I have a problem that I thought you might be able to help me with?”

  “What’s that?” Summer asked.

  “A friend of mine managed to get through to Outerlands. Do you know if he will find his way out again?”

  Summer inhaled sharply. Outerlands was not the place to be if you were not from there. Although it was her home, she’d really spent little time there throughout her life. Summer could only imagine what might happen to someone that was unfamiliar with that realm.

  “Summer … there’s something else. He’s a vampire,” Sarah added.

  “Oh no!” Summer whispered. “How?”

  “It’s a long story, but will he be okay?”

  “I don’t know,” Summer answered truthfully. “It can be a very dangerous place for vampires … or anyone really.”

  “That’s what has me worried,” Sarah confessed.

  “Why don’t you let me get back with you? I might be able to get some information about what’s up with him over there.”

  “Thanks. That would help a lot. And Summer … I really am sorry about leaving the way I did.”

  “We’ll talk about it later.”

  “What about our spell? Did it work for you?” Sarah asked in a lighter tone.

  “Not yet, but maybe soon. What about you?”

  “Yes, it worked.”

  “I’m so happy for you. I’ll talk with you soon,” Summer told her before hanging up the phone.

  Great! Now she had a serial killer on the loose in her city, strange dreams warning her about something, and to top it off, now there was a vampire trespassing in Outerlands. How much worse could it get?

  When Sarah was in Reno, the young witch had performed the most amazing spell to bring their true loves to them. So far it hadn’t worked for Summer, except for in her dreams. But then again, Anton was always in her dreams.

  Inside the casino, Summer saw her roommate sitting at the cocktail bar waiting for her.

  “Sorry I’m late. I was held up with a phone call,” Summer told her.

  “Likely story. You were probably trying to call your sexy professor again,” Penny smiled.

  Summer shook her head in denial. She was ready to say something in her defense when she saw him. He was playing a dollar slot machine and seemed completely oblivious to his surroundings, though with Anton, appearances could be deceiving.

  Somewhere nearby, the lights and bells of a machine started going crazy. Everyone’s attention was on the little old lady sitting at the winning machine. Summer barely noticed. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the giant man with the long blond hair. Summer could only see a profile of him from where she sat at the bar, but that’s all she needed to see. She’d know him anywhere.

  What was he doing here?

  Was it Sarah’s spell?

  Had her dream really been a premonition?

  Summer did not want this to be just another dream. She wanted - no she needed Anton to be there in the flesh.

  As if sensing her watching him, Anton turned in her direction. Their eyes locked, and Summer had to catch her breath. It had been years since she’d looked into those smoky silver-gray eyes, but they were still as magnetic as she remembered. The corners of his mouth lifted just a touch.

  An elbow in her side pulled her out of her trance-like state. Summer forced her gaze away from Anton and turned her attention to Penny.

  “Did you hear a thing I said?” Penny grinned knowingly.

  Summer smiled. “I’m sorry. I guess I am a little distracted tonight.”

  “You think?” Penny giggled. “Do you know him … or is this one of those cases where you just wish you could know him?”

  Blushing, Summer took the little red straw that protruded from her margarita and started stirring the slush in a circular motion. “Yes I know him. He’s from back home … a friend of the family.”

  He was from Outerlands, the mystical land of that which supposedly didn’t exist to those living in the human world. Anton was also part of what didn’t exist in this world.

  In the lounge, the band began playing a slow pop tune. Summer could sense that he was near. Slowly she looked up from her drink.

  “Hello Summer,” he said with a smile. Anton’s accent added to the air of mystery that surrounded him.

  “Hi,” she responded with a nervous grin. The butterflies in her stomach made her feel as if she were just getting ready to get on a very wicked roller coaster.

  Over the years she’d thought of Anton often. He’d been her hero when she was a little girl. Back then she’d been utterly mesmerized by him. She was no longer a child, and now the fascination had an underlying heat to it.

  He was the type of man who could make a woman stop what they were doing just to get a better look. Anton was attractive, but there was something about him that made him seem wild, and maybe just a little dangerous. Tonight he was even more breathtaking.

  Summer had never seen him out of the black tunic of the Zen warriors, but tonight he wore a royal blue shirt, with several buttons undone to show off his hard - muscular chest.

  “Will you dance with me Summer?” Anton smiled and held out his large hand.

  Placing her hand in his, she let him lead her onto the dance floor. She was glad for the dim lighting in the lounge so that he would not see how flushed she was. Anton wrapped an arm around her waist and continued to hold her hand.

  “How have you been Summer?” he asked, pulling her closer so that she would hear him.

  Summer cleared her throat. She was afraid that her voice might crack when she tried to speak. “Good … and you?”

  “Little ever changes in Outerlands.”

  Swaying to the music, they said no more. Then the music changed to an even slower song. Wi
thout thinking, Summer wrapped both arms around his neck and snuggled closer.

  Anton stiffened. Backing away, he put a few inches between them.

  Summer wasn’t sure if his reaction was because he still viewed her as a child, or because he was as sexually aware of her as she was of him.

  “Is it a coincidence that you are here, or are you following me?” Summer asked.

  “I saw your friend and figured you’d be along shortly.”

  “I see.”

  “Your dad sent me to get you,” he told her with a guarded smile.

  She knew it!

  Somehow her subconscious had known he was coming and it had come through in her dream.

  Summer made a sour face. “I can’t leave right now. I have finals coming up in a couple of weeks.”

  “You received your degree several months ago.”

  “Yes, but I decided to take more classes. You know … expand my education,” Summer told him defensively.

  “But you gave your father your word that you would be back this summer,” he reminded her, as if reprimanding a child.

  “And I will, but Anton … my dad is being totally medieval about this,’ she cried.

  She felt his body shake with laughter, and his amusement raked on her nerves.

  “I am really having second thoughts about this marriage deal he’s made on my behalf. I should be able to decide for myself who I mate with and marry.”

  “Oh come now Summer. You’ve been aware of this for most of your life. And you never know … you might actually like your husband to be.”

  “What if he has smelly feet and can’t dance?” Summer pouted.

  Again she heard his deep laughter. Summer was ready to spout another slander against her future husband when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see who was trying to get her attention, and froze.

  Summer backed up sharply - running into Anton.

  Only a few inches away, a girl peered at her with dead eyes. When she tried to speak, blood gurgled out of a deep gash in her throat. Her long, stringy blond hair was matted with dirt, and she was so pale. Scarlet stains covered the front of the girl’s delicate, white nightgown.

  The phantom held out her hands. Summer could see that her fingernails were torn and bleeding, as if she’d been digging and scratching at a hard surface. Summer’s hand went to her mouth to stifle a scream. She again stepped back abruptly, this time right into Anton’s arms.