Wrenching Fate

She forced her attention to a painting of a beautiful oil landscape of the Scottish highlands with a mighty castle in the background. It was crooked. She tried to adjust it, but her hands were still shaking from excitement and it came off the wall, clattering to the floor. Oh, great. The damn thing probably cost a fortune.

Cursing under her breath, she scooped it up and quickly checked for damage. It was fine. She lifted it back to the wall and froze when she saw something strange.

There was a knob on the wall where the painting would have hung. At least it looked like a knob… She set the painting down and peered at it. The silver gleamed dimly, making it look like a tarnished bauble. It was cool to her fingertips. Slowly, she twisted the knob, shuddering as it moved.

Creak!

The sound made her jerk in surprise. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked around for the source. There it was. A hidden door had opened in the wall beside her.

“Holy shit!” Her whisper echoed in the corridor. “A secret passageway! I knew he was hiding something.”

For some reason, being right all along didn’t feel as good as she’d thought. Her stomach pitched as the opening gaped at her, a pitch-dark abyss. Akasha fished inside her pocket for her Bic. The feeble light revealed a set of stairs going downwards. Slowly, she made her way down, noting that the air wasn’t musty as one would expect. What is he hiding down here? She hoped it wasn’t dead bodies. She glanced over her shoulder, watching for Silas’s approach until her neck cramped.

Just when the lighter was getting too hot and burning her fingers, the stairs turned sharply, and she could see a bit of light below. She licked her stinging fingers and pocketed the lighter. As she neared the light, an eerie feeling crept over her and the hairs at the nape of her neck stood up. The feeling intensified, and by the time she reached the bottom her body was covered in goose bumps.

A long shadowy hallway stretched across five doors. Akasha shook her head. Another basement? Does this fucking house ever end? With a trembling hand, she reached for the knob on the first door, one fist held up and ready to beat something to a bloody pulp if it startled her. The door moved soundlessly open. There was a faint light in the room. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

Akasha stood awestruck in a candlelit chamber. It was too dim for her to see how large the room was, but in the center she could make out a large bed. All of her instincts screamed at her to go back, to run out of there as fast as she could, but her curiosity was relentless and pushed her legs forward. As she approached the bed she saw that someone was in it. Yes, there was definitely a body tucked under the covers, lying as still as a corpse. The realization terrified her, but her treacherous legs brought her yet closer. She could almost make out a face.

Then she saw him.

Silas lay on the bed, still as death. Then his chest moved up and down almost imperceptibly. Unbidden, a relieved sigh escaped her lips. As she drew closer, his beauty hit her full force. His chiseled features and sensuous mouth looked so inviting, making her stomach clench. She drew in a breath as her hand reached out of its own volition to touch him.

Silas’s eyes snapped open, and he saw her. Akasha gasped when she saw his green eyes glowing with demonic radiance. Time seemed to go in slow motion as his mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs.

Vampire.

The word hit her mind like a bucket of ice water. Silas sat up and threw off the covers, fangs bared, blazing gaze fixed on her like a target.

“Oh shit!” Akasha turned and fled the room, darting up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her.

Her heart pounded louder than Aurora’s drums, drowning out all sound, but she didn’t need to hear his footsteps to know he was behind her. She could feel him. Not daring to look back, she continued running, stumbling up the dark stairs, terror gripping her mercilessly.

Finally, she made it out of the passageway and ran down the hall, lungs heaving. If he caught her… no, she wasn’t going to think about that. She got to the living room and almost cried out in relief when the front door was in sight.

But then Silas appeared, blocking her escape. She tried to turn around, but with obscene speed, he caught her, imprisoning her in his arms. Cold seeped over her as she raised her eyes to look up at him. His eyes still glowed like green fire. She shivered. I’m going to die now. I might as well do it on my feet.

Gazing up at him resolutely, Akasha took in the sight of his tall, dark form looming over her. His bare chest was surprisingly warm against her palms. He has muscles like iron, a part of her mused distractedly.

She flinched as his lips curled upward, revealing the glistening fangs. Time seemed suspended as she stared at him, spellbound by his dark beauty. His grip tightened on her and she held her breath, waiting to feel his teeth sink into her neck.

Will it hurt? … Or will I like it?

The slow motion movie sensation continued as Silas lowered his head. His hair tumbled forward to caress his face. Akasha’s fists clenched, resisting an insane urge to tangle her fingers in those silken tresses.

His lips came down on hers.

The heat of the kiss encompassed her body like the fire in a combustion chamber. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the mind-bending pleasure. Unconsciously, she reached up to put her arms around him, but suddenly it was over.

She opened her eyes. He was gone.

Akasha sank to the floor and hugged her knees, unable to stop trembling.