Chapter Four
As the weather began to change, I lowered the altitude of the broom. Within moments, thunder danced and leaped across the sky. The rain soon followed, drenching the ground and bringing life to what once was dead. We landed in a vastly wooded area as the storm progressed. Sarah groaned and ran around dodging the rain pellets. I laughed slightly and looked around for cover. Just barely ten feet away stood a beautiful oak tree, so tall no one could ever hope to measure it or cut it down. At the base of this tree was a giant opening, enough to provide shelter and warm from the cold rain. I scooped up Sarah into my arms as she grabbed the broom. I bolted to the tree so fast, not even the rain could catch us.
Sarah smiled as she shook the water off her like a dog, "This could be our home."
I looked around; it was actually a very big space for the inside of an oak tree. It could probably have housed twenty or more people comfortably.
"I think not. This is just until the storm passes." I chuckled.
"Ok, Ok. How long were we flying anyway?"
"You were asleep most of the time silly. I would have to say an hour or two at the most."
"That is why my butt hurts so much." joked Sarah as she playfully rubbed her tosh.
I sighed and ran my fingers through my messy hair.
"I like you better with longer hair. We pass for mother and daughter a lot easier." said Sarah quietly.
I nodded. A loud noise from outside made us both freeze, "Hide."
Sarah nodded and vanished into a smaller crevice just behind where she stood moments before. I glanced at her and hid myself against the wall opposite of the grand entryway; secretly wishing to myself that the opening was not so wide and welcoming. The sound of boots made me freeze in place. They walked by the tree, stopped, and then walked back. I heard deeper breathes a cough, then nothing. After moments of silence, except for the pouring rain outside, the boots moved again. The wet ground squished beneath its owner's feet as they carefully made their way through the entrance of the great oak. The boots surveyed the inside of the tree, but it was too dark to make out the strangers face.
It seemed like an eternity before the boots relaxed and sat down upon the ground. Not shortly after they had a fire going. The warmth of the fire extended throughout the entire oak tree. Somehow this stranger contained it though, so it would not send them or the tree up in flames. Sarah's coughing gave her hiding place away. The stranger in the boots jumped to his feet and pulled a kicking Sarah from the crevice. Sarah screamed, "Mama."
I lunged from where I had been hiding and descended my wrath upon the stranger who had my daughter.
"Hand her to me, or you will die." I snarled.
"Now just one minute here, how long have you been standing over there?" stammered the stranger.
"I have been here with my child since the storm began. Unless you want to die, hand her over…..NOW." I said emphasizing the last word, as this person's final warning.
The stranger let Sarah go. She ran into my arms shivering.
"Let me help you or she will catch cold and get sick." said the stranger.
I moved closer to the fire, "Very well, but one false move and you will die."
The stranger chuckled. I pulled a knife out from my skirt and pointed it to their chest, they became somber at once. The joke was over.
The stranger rustled around in their bag until they pulled out a pair of clean clothes and a warm blanket, "I will turn around, change the child into this."
I nodded and waited until he turned around. Moments later a dry Sarah was curled up by the fire all nice and dry. The stranger took some food and water from their bag and gave it to Sarah. She thanked them. A few minutes later she fell fast asleep. I kept my knife out and sat down next to Sarah. The stranger handed me some food and water as well. I looked at it, and they said, "If I was going to kill you, I would have done it already." I nodded and took the food and water with a silent thank you.
As we ate in silence the stranger was the first one to finish. They took off their hood and looked at me. This person was a man with jet black hair, and the most lucid amber eyes I have ever seen. He smiled and brushed his hair from his face. I saw his eyes looking me over as well. I smirked inside my head; he would never have a chance, dream on pretty boy. He reached out his hand and said, "My name is Caleb. I have been traveling for quite a while. The storm came out of nowhere and I had to find shelter. That is why I am here."
Glancing him over I responded carefully, "My name is Raina. The girl you see sleeping is my daughter, Sarah. We are traveling as well."
Caleb pondered what I had said to see if I was spinning a lie. When he seemed satisfied that I was telling the truth, he continued on, "Where are you traveling to?"
"Nowhere have you needed to be concerned with." I whispered, as to not wake Sarah up.
Caleb nodded, those amber eyes testing my every word, "Well what are the chances that I meet another person just like me?"
An alarm went off in my head, "I have no idea what you speak of."
"I'm pretty sure you do Raina."
"I have no idea what you are trying to imply sir; you are quite rather confusing me."
Caleb cleared his throat, "Let me make this simple, I am not here to play. We are all in danger, every one of our kind."
"How are we in danger?" I whispered.
"We are being hunted, and once turned in the captor is given a reward." said Caleb in disgust.
I dropped all pretenses, "Let me see your neck and your palm, now."
Caleb came close to me. I moved the collar of his shirt slightly out of the way, sure enough there was our symbol draped around his neck. Then I took his palm in my hand, we had the same symbol imprinted upon our palms, the letter 'M'.
"I speak the truth." said Caleb as he pulled his palm away.
I took in the moon glow appearance of his skin, it was as if his skin only knew nighttime and had never experienced daylight.
He noticed my gaze and chuckled, he stood up and stretched, once done he came and sat right next to me.
"Want to know a secret?" he whispered.
I shrugged, "I guess."
He leaned in close to me, so close I could feel his breaths upon my neck; I shivered. Bemused he pressed his lips close to my ear, "I am a Warlock, and a vampire. My mother was a witch, and my father was a vampire. They didn't stay together long though, but nine months later I came along."
I nodded but his breathing upon my neck was not helping. He noticed and moved back a little, not much but a little. I glanced over, Sarah was still fast asleep.
"Thank you for helping my little girl." I whispered.
He nodded. I still held the knife in my hand. Slowly his hand reached for my hand. He took the knife from my coaxingly and made it vanish somewhere inside the tree. I looked at him with a deadly gaze.
"I am one of you, I will not harm you or your daughter, and only the people who seek to do us harm and kill us. For one reason or another, I was sent in this direction to help." said Caleb.
"I do not need anyone to travel with my daughter and I. I do not know you, therefore you cannot be trusted." I all but hissed.
The sound of the fire crackling and popping every now and then helped to calm my nerves.
"I thought that was what we were doing, getting to know each other." murmured Caleb.
Within moments he moved closer yet again, this time daring to take my hand. I tried to push him away but he drew even closer.
"Even outside when I was walking to here, I could sense you and smell your blood, it called to me, and it still does. But I will not kill you, I only eat animals." said Caleb.
A gulp escaped my throat, I tried to pull away but his grip was like a vise, unbreakable.
"Let me go, please?" I implored.
"I will, but I will travel with you and Sarah and I will take you to the haven. There we will be safe and with our own people." whispered Caleb.
"Fine, fine, but let me go." I growled.
"Raina, you have such a fire to you." teased Caleb.
"How else am I supposed to react when a total stranger comes out and admits he wants me for a midnight snack?" I growled.
"I told you I wasn't going to kill you, but I cannot deny myself anything else." he said softly.
Taken aback I froze. Before I knew It, he was so close I could feel his breath and my breath together. Then it happened, his lips touched mine and sent a wildfire burning throughout my entire my body. I could not think, all I could do was feel his lips on mine, and greediness made me want even more. He growled low in his throat and intertwined his fingers with in my hair. I surprised him when he parted his lips to suck on mine. I thrust my tongue into his mouth and pushed him to the ground, "Who is the man now?"
He whispered in my ear, "I am and will always be, don't you ever forget that."
Before I could respond he did a reverse and had me pinned to the ground. Moments later he sunk his teeth into my neck. I felt his tongue trace circles upon my skin, but I knew he had tasted his temptation. He sucked now and then pulling my blood into his mouth and savoring each taste. Slowly he withdrew his fangs and kissed my lips. Each kiss was even more intoxicating than the last.
I lifted my head and looked over to where Sarah laid, she was still fast asleep. I held back a moan as Caleb's teeth reentered my neck. He drank slowly, only in small amounts to not drain me lifeless. All too soon, he released me and held me in his arms. The world began to appear fuzzy, within a few moments; I fell to exhaustion and slowly drifted off to sleep. Caleb smiled and stood up. Slowly he whispered a few spells to secure the entrance then took Sarah in his arms and placed her within Raina's arms. With another smile he cuddled next to Raina and fell fast asleep. The night slowly floated on by as all dreamt and had no thoughts of what was yet to come.