CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE
ACROSS THE SEA
LEAH LUCIER:
At last we were in the air. I had nearly tore the check in attendant's face off when she told Etienne and I there was a delay on our flight to Vancouver. I had to get home. Embry was in danger according to my strange visions. If I hadn't met Daniel I would have dismissed them maybe, but since he was seeing the same as me then I had to believe they were true. The long four hour wait at Heathrow airport was torturous. I kept having visions. I gripped Etienne's hand so tightly each time they assaulted me. In my head a song kept playing over and over Come on baby (Don't fear the Reaper) Baby take my hand (Don't fear the Reaper) We'll be able to fly (Don't fear the Reaper) Baby I'm your man. A constant loop of noise over and over. I saw a dark haired man abduct Embry over and over. Even shape shifters were not immune to chloroform, although they could recover quicker than a human could. I saw a dark road and a small cabin nestled deep in the woods. Embry was there I could see him, he was unconscious again. The trouble was I had no idea who his abductor was nor where he was being held captive, or indeed why? Another vision washed over me, this time it was different than the rest. I cried out a little as I was bombarded with images of Katherine, Embry's fiancee. Somehow she was at the centre of this. Etienne stroked my cheek and softly kissed my hair as I went rigid with the strength of the visions behind my topaz eyes. I don't know what I would do without my husband, my rock, my everything.
"Leah, my love are you okay?" Etienne asked as he ran a finger down my pale cool marble cheek. "Oh Etienne! The visions are getting stronger and more vivid the closer we get to Vancouver! Why does there have to be all this sea between London and home? Why can't vampires fly huh?" I smiled weakly trying to make a joke. The flight was taking far too long, I just wanted to be back on home soil. "I am sorry you are suffering with your special ability Leah. Maybe Alice can advise you? Her ability is similar to yours." he smiled, his full lips curving upwards perfectly. I tried to share his optimism but found it hard to muster up any at all. "I wish I knew what is real and what isn't! The visions are so jumbled and so repetitive I don't know if I am seeing the past, the present or the future. Damn this stupid aeroplane! I can't even get a signal on my phone! If only I could speak to someone, find out what is going on!" I exclaimed. I could feel panic rising in me again as an image of Kat crying came into my head. She was looking at a photograph of her and Embry taken on First beach. Then the vision would change again and I heard the music playing over and over as I saw the sky turn dark above me. How did Alice stand this all the time? How did Daniel, my new physic human friend take this mind assault each day?
After Daniel and I had our strange meeting in the park, I had taken him to meet Etienne. At first my husband was suspicious of him especially when he confessed to following us. Daniel looked positively scared and awestruck at the same time. Etienne and I in the same room could do that to a mere human. Dazzling. That is what my dear friend Bella called it.I had explained to Etienne that Daniel was clairvoyant, that he had been guided by the spirits to find me and that he had similar visions to my own. I also told Etienne in private that Daniel had inadvertently discovered I seemed to be missing a pulse. I had shrugged nonchalantly at my husband as he looked at me with shock. I told him that Daniel confessed that he could guess what we truly were. Etienne was convinced we should not discuss our true nature with this human. Although Daniel was no ordinary human my husband still did not feel comfortable revealing all to him. I had to respect his decision, it wasn't just up to me, we were a team now and forever. Daniel had explained to Etienne about his visions. We compared notes and discovered even more so that the visions were very similar. There was no other action that we could have taken. We immediately made our way to the airport and booked flights to Vancouver. Daniel had driven us to the airport and as he dropped us off he gave me his number. He wanted to know how everything worked out, even though he would probably know before it happened!
Now, here we were flying high above the Atlantic Ocean with still no clue as to what was really going on at home. We were flying first class of course and had private seats at the back. There were others on the plane but we paid no attention. Etienne put his arm around me and drew me towards him. He placed his cool lips on mine, his mouth moving slowly and sensuously against mine. I knew he was trying to distract me. He knew this would always work. His hands entwined in my hair and he pulled it roughly, moving me closer to him so our lips crushed against each other's with bruising passion. How I loved Etienne kissing me. I could never tire of it. His hands now moved to my waist and snaked upwards under my soft cashmere jumper to teasingly stroke my smooth marble skin. His touch was like ice and fire to me. Electrifying. Magical. I sighed against his mouth as I entwined my hands in his thick dark curls. Never ever would I need anything more than this perfect amazing creature who had given me so much. His love. His devotion. This new strange life. I was lost in our passion once again. Then a vision struck and I pulled away from Etienne sharply. The last thing I saw was his face gazing down at me with worry etched all over it's perfect structure. Then the world went dark and I blacked out again.
I was floating. Floating in the night sky above the woods. I thought to myself this is nice. Then I was in a cabin which smelled faintly of rotting fish and pine trees. Then I smelled wolf. There was Embry, my dear friend, tied to a chair, his head slumped forward on his chest. I knew he was alive, but he wasn't conscious. I shouted "Embry wake up! Please Embry! Wake up!" Then I was gone. Now I was in a cosy warm bedroom with the scent of roses all around me. Katherine lay on the bed hugging a teddy bear and sobbing her heart out. "Why Embry? Why did you do it? Why did you leave me Embry?" she cried to the empty room. My cold still heart broke for her. Obviously she didn't know where Embry was or what had happened. I reached out to stroke her hair. Then I was gone again. Now I was in a vehicle sitting in the passenger seat. The lit up signs on the highway revealed that the next exit was for Vancouver city centre. I turned to see who my driver was. It was the dark haired guy. He was singing along to the music blaring out from the speakers. Come on baby (Don't fear the Reaper) Baby take my hand (Don't fear the Reaper) We'll be able to fly (Don't fear the Reaper) Baby I'm your man. I recoiled with shock, this was Embry's kidnapper! Then I got angry so I launched myself at him. Then I was gone, once again.
I came to on the plane high above the Atlantic, with my loving husband holding me and whispering over and over, "Come back to me Leah" I smiled weakly at his concern. "I'm back darling" I said quietly in his ear. Etienne stopped squeezing me so tightly and gazed into my eyes with worry clouding his. "Don't do that again Leah!" he scolded. I smiled half heartedly, "I'll try not to my love!" He really did look worried. "That's what happened when I met Daniel" I told him. He frowned, "It was awful Leah! It was like you were here in body but your soul was very far away. I couldn't reach you!" my husband exclaimed fearfully. I shushed him and kissed his cheek."We have bigger things to worry about Etienne. We must find Katherine as soon as we reach Vancouver. We need to find out what's going on and we need to do it quickly! I am so afraid for Embry, so very afraid" Etienne hugged me close to him as I looked out into the dark sky. Soon it would be dawn and we would land in Vancouver. As close to home as I'd been in awhile.
I prayed we weren't too late to stop the terrible situation unfolding behind my troubled eyes.