This is a MEGA chapter, so be warned. Hopefully this makes up for my mini chapters and the time-lag in between.
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Part Thirteen: First Kiss
She'd driven for miles through winding country roads, circling and meandering to and fro around the conventional suburban checker-pattern of 30 mph stop and go. Though Wednesday despised the glaring sun and the fertile bounty of the farmland it produces, she couldn't help but love the empty streets, the winding hills, and the stretching landscape that left her, and her Mercedes, completely alone.
The roads seemed to cradle the car, which, in turn, seemed to carve delicately through the land rather than lumber over it. In a strange sense she felt connected to the land, to the car, as if it were she alone that flew over ravines and across fields, around winding bends, or under low hanging branches.
She wasn't sure exactly when she'd left her home, so she wasn't sure how long she'd driven before she found herself in desperate need of a little caffeine. Winding her way, halfheartedly, back toward town, she grabbed a coffee at one of those drive-through affairs, (not willing to leave the sanctuary of her car just yet), and slowly but surely found herself wending her way to a familiar spot.
When she reached the weeping willow at the ridge of a hill, overlooking a cemetery below, she was, at first, surprised to find herself there. Had she consciously driven herself to the same spot in which she'd watched fireworks with Joel? The same spot in which she first suspected something was different about him?
Though it was nearly mid-day by now, Wednesday noticed that the glaring intensity of the morning sun had dimmed. She eyed the enveloping shade of the expansive willow and watched the slight twitching of the bows with great envy. After a moment of battling with her desire to remain in her car and her urge to sit in the shade as the wind brushed her face, Wednesday forced her door open with a groan and settled herself beneath the tree.
In the horizon, Wednesday could see the steady clouds inching their way across the sky. It was one of those days that the unobservant person would never imagine could result in rain. But Wednesday knew better. Like Joel, she could feel it in the air. It was slight, but the gentle breeze carried a hint of weight, like the air was already becoming heavy with the thought of rain. And the clouds; though they inched carefully, Wednesday could tell they were hiding something – an intensity that only builds over time.
Wednesday smiled sardonically at the clouds, approving of their innocent façade and raw power, imagining how the storm would rage that evening. I know the truth about you, she thought to herself, imagining the unprepared masses, waiting for their buses and taxis that evening without even a newspaper to shield them.
She smirked sadistically, but after a moment, the smile faded.
You'll have to confront it sooner or later, Wednesday heard her inner voice chiding.
There were two very different, yet connected, problems plaguing Wednesday's mind. One, the problem of Joel, the horrifying prospect of being in love with him and the many, varied horrors inherent in that potential vulnerability. And two, the problem of his being a vampire – well, no, she admitted to herself, it wasn't his being a vampire that bothered her, it was the inscrutable power-lust that had seeped into her veins from the moment of her own vampiric dream.
With a start, she realized the two problems were essentially two manifestations of the same issue – the price of power. Well, of course there were other issues, ones that complicated the basic issue, but the commonality of the two problems revolved around power and the price Wednesday would have to pay to get it.
The vampire issue was clearest: was Wednesday willing to gain an infinite amount of power over mortals, by putting her body and soul at the mercy of some sire, who would, no matter how much power she had, always have power over her?
She shuddered.
The Joel issue was more complex.
Now that she'd admitted to herself that she loved him, she found herself unable to be near him. She'd thought, at first, on the tail end of her dream, that she'd been afraid to be near him for his own safety. But, she could see now, in the cool clarity of her solitude, that she wasn't hiding for him, but from him. And what's more, from herself and her…she scowled…feelings.
"Yuck," she said aloud. She loathed the word feelings, even more than she loathed feelings themselves.
Her experience with love, albeit secondhand, had always been the example of her parents. They were a good model, in Wednesday's estimation, considering that her father doted on his mother and that she, in loving fashion, alternated between sadistically feigning indifference and sadistically inflicting pain – the two pastimes her father loved best.
Wednesday rolled her eyes, despite a slight smile curling her lips.
Her face crumbled into concern as she realized that even their masochistic/sadistic pairing could not work without a shared concern and love for one another, and a deep desire to please the other – teamwork.
Ew. This was Wednesday's second least-favorite word.
Crap, she thought.
So, where do we stand? She heard her inner voice ask again.
As the clouds rumbled in, Wednesday sat in silence, her coffee steaming in the heavy air.
She didn't know.
In her absorption, she didn't notice the sky beginning to darken in that back-lit sort of way, as the clouds trapped the daylight close to the ground but obscured the sun. It wasn't until fat droplets of rain trickled down the willow boughs that Wednesday realized she'd stayed out too long.
She rose to leave.
"There you are, my child," she said, freezing Wednesday in her tracks. Her coffee fell to the ground unnoticed.
Wednesday turned slightly toward the sound of the voice, feeling an odd sense of recognition, though she'd never consciously heard this voice before.
Wednesday was met with a strange and terrible sight.
Standing before her, shielded from the sudden downpour by two, very large, overlapping umbrellas held aloft by two large, well dressed men, was a tall, voluptuous woman, whose long, blonde hair was pulled artfully back from her face, wherein glittering ice blue eyes stared, unblinking, at Wednesday.
Feeling uncomfortably trapped in her gaze, Wednesday scanned the rest of the woman's appearance. She was tall, but not unnaturally so, and curvy, but not thick. She wore a tan overcoat, despite the warmth of the afternoon, and she kept her hands inside the pockets of her coat. Her appearance gave off the impression of wealth and class, as glittering diamonds studded her ears and her well-tailored pants exposed fancy (and completely mud-free, despite the rain) crocodile pumps.
The stranger seemed to be waiting for Wednesday to respond, so she lifted her eyes back to the strange icy blue abyss and said, "Excuse me?" She shifted her weight impetuously, placing a hand on her hip. Usually when she struck this pose, the force of her glare was enough to discourage further conversation.
Not today.
The strange woman smiled.
"I said, 'there you are,' my dear Wednesday." Her voice was as soft as sigh but it jolted Wednesday like an electric shock.
She tried to keep her shock off of her face and out of her voice. "Do I know you?" she asked, casually.
The woman giggled. It was an enchanting sound. As such, it made Wednesday's skin crawl. Wednesday's eyes raked across the men at her sides, their faces partially obscured by heavy dark shades, their bodies clad in dark pants and jackets. They remained immobile, and silent.
When her eyes returned to the woman, Wednesday noticed her expression had sharpened. No longer subtly amused, her face was now pensive, calculating. Wednesday stared, waiting for her to play her hand.
Finally, she spoke. "I am that which you most crave to be. I possess that which you most desperately desire. And I am she who might grant all of these things to you – should you merely ask."
Lilith's voice rang out over the steady drizzling of the rain and dissipated into the silence.
Wednesday absorbed the poetic verse of the woman before her and raised an eyebrow in disgusted impatience. The woman's act of benevolence was wearing on her.
More than her deep desire for power, Wednesday felt a growing disdain for this woman standing before her – her poor theatrics, overblown prose, and silent bodyguards made Wednesday feel like she was in corny sitcom.
She sighed heavily and turned to leave. She'd managed to take three steps before her path was blocked by two snarling sorority girls. The first, a tall redhead, fell into a crouch and half-leaped at Wednesday's throat. Wednesday reared back defensively, but the girl's face was halted inches from her own when the second girl grabbed the first and pulled her back. Wednesday straightened as Red screamed furiously and struggled against the arms of the second girl, a smaller dark-skinned girl with long braided locks.
"Calm yourself, Melody," Lilith's voice rang out, sharper than Wednesday had heard before.
"Relax, Mel," the second girl hissed, pulling tighter against the struggling girl in her arms.
The redhead's struggling calmed slightly, and she looked Wednesday straight in the eye. "You'll pay for what you did to Cassandra," she snarled.
Wednesday stared back, unafraid. And, with a flourish, turned her back on the girls.
"Well," she said, offhandedly, "This has been a blast, but I think I'm about through for the afternoon, so –"
The circle of vampires tightened around her as she moved for her car.
"See, here's the thing, Wednesday," the dark-skinned girl said her name like a dirty word, "We're not really ready for you to leave just yet."
Wednesday kept her eyes on Lilith, "Hmm, that's strange," she said in mock confusion, "I thought you said it was for me to ask for your gifts."
Lilith kept her poise, "Yes, well, I had hoped you might come to your senses. We really are quite similar, you and I. Aligning yourself with like minds, especially those who can offer you limitless power… well, let's just say I'd thought you, of all people, would make the smart choice."
Wednesday remained silent, so Lilith continued.
"Of course, there's also the matter of the damage you've done to our family."
Wednesday smiled sardonically. "Family?"
"Why yes dear. Thanks to you we're down three members, two of which are completely lost to us now." Wednesday heard a collective hiss rumble around her.
"Which brings us back to you," said Lilith. "The least you could do is join our little collective willingly. You will be rewarded handsomely."
"That still leaves you two short," Wednesday replied in deadened monotone.
Lilith smiled, "Why yes, clever girl. But of course, young Joel wouldn't dream to be parted from us with you in our number and then… well, I suppose we'd just have to find another willing candidate." Lilith said that final line with a sinister glare in her eye – as if she'd already picked out the candidate and was greatly anticipating the initiation.
"And if I refuse to, as they say, come quietly?" Wednesday asked politely.
At these words, Lilith's face became fierce and her eyes glowed subtly red. A smile lined her face – a smile that was so sinisterly evil that Wednesday felt a pang of jealousy.
Lilith advanced, and the entire circle began to contract slowly.
"In that case," Lilith began, slowly, letting each word sink in, "we will take you by force, and then – in punishment for your resistance - initiate each member of your family – draining each one dry… before letting you choose the two we will resurrect by the power of our blood."
"How does that sound?" Lilith hissed.
Wednesday was momentarily stunned by the sadistic intensity of the vampire before her – equal parts fear, revulsion, and awe warred within her – rendering her speechless.
Without a hope of running for it – the graveyard was deserted below her and the drive up was a mile long – or making it to her car – the way was completely blocked off – Wednesday set her feet and braced herself against an unbeatable assault.
She reached into her combat boot for the small knife she kept there for emergencies (or the occasional threat), knowing full well that a tiny blade against five vampires was nearly a waste of time.
"Have you made your decision?" Lilith asked, eyeing the blade.
Just as Wednesday was about to shout something defiant and insulting, a different voice rent the air.
"Lilith."
The voice was soft and low, and, despite the tense situation, it froze everyone in their tracks.
Lilith pulled up out of a crouch and returned to a casual stance, smiling.
"Ah, dear Joel, where have you been, you naughty boy," she chided.
Wednesday, as well as everyone else, turned to the sound of his voice. It was coming from a few feet behind Lilith, outside of the circle. As Wednesday looked, she saw he stood casually, leaned against his motorcycle, dressed in his riding attire – covered from head to toe in black leather. His helmet was in his hands.
His posture was calm and unafraid, but Wednesday thought she could make out a slight stiffness in his jaw that betrayed his anger and his fear.
"Oh, you know," Joel replied casually, "Here and there."
"Well, I'm glad you're here now," said Lilith, seductively. "We were just about to welcome Wednesday into our little family, isn't that nice, Joel?"
Joel snorted. "Yea, I don't think so." Leaving his helmet with his bike, he walked over to Wednesday and stood by her side. "I'm pretty sure we're leaving now."
Lilith laughed, "Joel, don't be silly. You don't stand a chance against the five of us. And what's more," Lilith's voice grew sinister, "how can you protect Wednesday from us, when you can't even protect her from you."
Lilith's eyes grew dark and she stared deep into Joel's eyes. His body bucked slightly, as if he were trying to avoid eye contact, but he remained in place. Wednesday turned to watch as Joel's body shook very slightly despite his whitening knuckles and clenched fists. She could hear Lilith murmuring something under her breath and she looked up into Joel's face to see his eyes slowly reddening - before he closed them completely and bowed his head under the onslaught.
Wednesday took a reflexive step back and froze. She froze because her impulsive movement had stirred Joel from his stillness. In an instant, his head had whipped up and he stared her down. On his face he wore the look of the predator when the baby deer crunches a hoof on a fallen branch. Wednesday held her breath and stared into unfathomable depths of his unfamiliar eyes.
It was terrifying. Gone was the cold face he wore when he was trying to hide something, or the tormented face as he relived his nightmare, or the cocky, smiling face he'd worn the first time they sat on this ridge. This was the face of the hunter.
He moved slowly, questing out with his senses, taking in every aspect of his prey – her smell, her racing heart, her stillness, her fear, the tantalizing color of her skin and the warm pulsing of her life-laden blood. Joel could practically taste it.
In his head he heard, "Take her, Joel." A litany of encouragement in the seductive voice of Lilith that pulled at his heart and urged his deprived limbs into action.
"Joel?" a different voice said, softly, breaking slightly in fear.
Wednesday watched as Joel's glare was broken by an infinitesimal amount. The mask of the hunter slipped and was momentarily replaced by a look of confusion that quickly crumbled into an expression of agonizing pain.
"Focus," said the lilting voice in Joel's head, "Take the girl. Obey. Follow your instincts."
Wednesday watched Joel's face change again. The hunter folded forward into a crouch and prepared to spring.
Wednesday felt an odd combination of sensations as regret, remorse, sadness, and loss swirled uncomfortably through her heart and mind.
Instinctively, she knew her life was at an end, but, despite knowing this, she felt neither fear, nor anger, nor any of the other emotions she imagined other people felt when facing their deaths.
All she felt, while looking into the face of the hunter, was that she loved him and that he belonged to her.
Thus, in a strange, startling, and (many might argue) stupid move, Wednesday approached the hunter before he could spring.
"Joel," she said firmly.
And, placing her hands on either side of his face, she pulled him into a fierce kiss, knowing full well that it might very well be her last.