CHAPTER SIXTY THREE
LONDON CALLING
LEAH LUCIER:
Daniel Merryweather sat opposite me in the Soho café, drinking his small cup of strong black coffee. It was evening and the streets thronged with people. It didn't bother me. I could smell all of their human scents intermingling and entwining together but I felt no thirst nor urge to kill. I loved how I was such a cool newborn. I hated how my new life had introduced me to the visions. I guess there had to be a price to pay. This was mine. Daniel spoke in his deep soothing voice. He was trying to convince me that I could control the visions. He found it hard to believe that I did not trust in the inner power of my own mind. Especially as I was a vampire. Yes, he knows my secret. Hardly surprising really, how could I live with no pulse? He knew of the supernatural and was extremely excited to discover me on the park bench that day. I drifted back to our conversation as he was explaining how easy it was to shut out the visions. According to Daniel it was simple to filter out all the noise and concentrate on the meaningful stuff. He had been showing me various techniques he used himself since I had arrived in London. Of course I missed Etienne like crazy but this was something I needed to do for us both to lead a happy existence. I couldn't go on the way I was. My marriage would begin to feel the strain and I wasn't prepared to let that happen. I couldn't expect Daniel to fly out to me so here I was in London again. Daniels voice soothed me. His Irish undertones were gentle yet commanding. His brown chocolate eyes became liquid pools when he was animated about something or other. He certainly was handsome and a very good second best chaperone around the city.
I gazed at him as he talked, pausing briefly to take sips from his coffee. We had abandoned my hotel room for this busy West end street because Daniel wanted to show me something. He was gesticulating at all the people passing by the window as we sat there. Him with his coffee, me with a napkin I was shredding to pieces bit by bit. "Look Leah, look at all these humans scurrying past here like ants. Blood pumping through their veins, their fragile hearts beating, life all around us, everywhere you look" he smiled. I nodded and smiled back. I could tell he was dazzled as always but he was very adept at hiding it. "Leah, you sit here a magnificent beautiful creature who could cut through these humans like the grim reaper wielding his scythe! Yet you don't! You have no desire to kill them. You have suppressed your true vampiric nature." he smiled again. I nodded, "Yes Daniel. I didn't do it consciously though. It happened naturally. " I smiled back. He raised his eyebrows at me and his dark eyes were mischievous. "That's where you are wrong Leah! " he winked. Gosh, he was cute at times. I tapped my long red fingernails on the table top impatiently. "You have the power in your mind already Leah. You've proved it! Now you just need to apply it to this little problem. You must listen to your inner voice more" he chided gently. I sighed, "But how?" I asked him in frustration. He leant forward so his brown eyes were gazing directly into mine, "When a vision comes you ask it to move into a special room in your mind. This room is the processing plant for all of your visions. Once in this room the vision is captured and can be controlled by you. It can be broken down into little pieces so you can see the bigger picture. I am sure I am not making much sense to you Leah, but all will become clear. You have this ability already. You are in control not the visions." he spoke softly and calmly to me. I smiled, unable to resist his Irish charm.
We walked arm in arm into the bright lights and humming noise of the city at night together. I always felt surprisingly calm with Daniel. It was exciting to have a new human friend. I treasured his guidance and calming influence on me. With Etienne I was never calm. He had excited me from the moment I set eyes on him. Electricity flowed through my veins when he was near. I loved him right up to the moon and back. Daniel was the polar opposite of my husband, but nevertheless just as fascinating to me. As I was undoubtedly to him. I saw him stare at my perfection with awe when he thought I hadn't noticed. His eyes skimmed my being with admiration and something else. Lust? Love? I didn't know for sure and I didn't question. I was a happily married vampire, so completely in love with my beautiful husband that no other man nor supernatural being could compete. So why did I care what he thought? I put it down to a vampiric need to be accepted and wanted. I let those thoughts fleet from my mind. Daniel was pointing out old buildings to me as we walked by the river. London really was an interesting place, Maybe Etienne and I could spend more time here soon. Things had to be sorted back home first. I hadn't forgotten about poor Kat. I couldn't do anything about that situation so had decided to sort out my own problems first so I could be there to support Embry. All my visions showed my friend with his son. Kat did not feature in my visions so far. I didn't want to think about that too deeply. We arrived back at my hotel just in time. A vision struck me hard as we entered my plush hotel room. Embry was crying by a graveside, his tears striking the damp soil below. There was no child with him this time. I gasped as I fell onto the bed. The vision kept shifting to a picture of Katherine and Embry's wedding day. The images began to blur and whirl behind my eyes and I could feel the darkness edging closer. Daniel was holding my hand and talking steadily to me, " Stay with me Leah. Control the visions. Remember the room, your special room deep in your mind. Open the door and let the visions flood into that room. Now close the door and let everything just settle. Calm your mind. Now you can go back into the room whenever you choose. At your own pace. In your own time. " he spoke softly and gently to me.
It worked. I was calm once again. I opened my eyes and smiled. " I did it Daniel!" I cried excitedly, hugging his warm body to my cold one. I felt him shudder and I quickly let go. "Sorry." I said quietly. He shook his head, then smiled and took my cold hand, " I knew you could do it Leah. You have the strength! Plus it helps that I am a master hypnotist! I didn't know if it would work on you but I think something got through!" he crowed, looking very pleased with himself. I didn't mind how he'd got me here, I was just glad I had managed some degree of control. I was confused about the visions though. I told Daniel about them and explained that they had been such extreme outcomes of the current Kat situation. One meant her death, one meant she lived. Daniel didn't know. He didn't share my visions this time. What circumstances made the vision change from a funeral to a marriage? I didn't know, not yet. Daniel was gazing at me very intently. The ringing of the phone broke his stare. It was Etienne. Oh how good it was to hear his voice but also he couldn't have phoned at a worse time! I was close to having a revelation, I could sense it acutely. I think Daniel could too. Etienne told me there was no change in Kat's condition. He told me he loved me and he missed me so much. I felt sad when I put the phone down. He was so far away, so very far away. Soon I would be with him though and we did have all of eternity so this time apart was just a drop in the ocean really.
Daniel was staring at me again, "Leah I can help your friend Kat. I can try to reach her. People in a coma are sometimes not as far away as you think. I could try if you'd like me to?" he asked with a soft smile. I hugged him again. "Ow" he uttered. I must remember not to squeeze so hard! This was it, the action that could change the course Kat was on at this present time. It had to work. It just had to.
We immediately booked flights to Vancouver on Daniels lap top. Now we were in mid air and the stars twinkled in the night sky through the little aeroplane window as I pressed my forehead against the glass. This had been easier than I thought. I was now on my way to controlling the visions and my new friend was going to help Kat too. I would soon be back in Etienne's strong arms. I shuddered with desire at the thought of him. It had been too long since I had felt his lips on mine and his pale body against me. Daniel was staring at me again. Did he know what I was thinking? I realised that he most probably had talents I knew nothing about. It was so lovely of him to help me. Even I wasn't that naïve to think he was completely unselfish in his kindness towards me. I had been through quite a lot in my life, especially since I had come through the changes but even I was shocked at the words which now came out of his full pouting mouth. His smile was so devilishly wicked too as he uttered his request to me.
"If I manage to awake Katherine, will you make me like you please Leah?" he asked in that soft charming voice of his.