Page 15 of The Curse of Eternity (Descendants of Helsing #1)
Light the Torch
Dead flesh crumbled away like dry tinder in the ditch I’d dug.
Beheading was the easiest way to incapacitate them, disconnecting the spinal cord so they couldn’t move.
A stake to the heart would slow them, since it’d make it harder for the vital organ to pump the blood they still needed to survive throughout their bodies.
The problem was trying to overpower their lightning fast reflexes and strength to skewer them properly.
Quick decapitation was a more sure method, and it also dried the vampires out, making them easy kindling. Still took ages for the things to actually disintegrate, which was why Caleb and I were out here well past midnight. I flinched when Caleb sighed, my nerves frayed.
He stopped beside me, rubbing the back of his neck below his long black hair, tied up in a bun. Unfortunately, I’d left my scrunchie back at Everly’s. The dark curls around my bare shoulders knotted from the desert winds blowing in, but I’d done enough shivering tonight—from fear and otherwise.
Just as I was about to ask Caleb to let me have it, he said, “That was the last of the kerosene I brought, but I think it’s pretty much toast now.”
“Thank you,” I said, having to clear my throat when it came out hoarse. Caleb’s warm brown eyes glanced me up and down, then he raised one thick eyebrow.
“I wasn’t going to mention it, but you’re pretty dressed up for an ice cream run.” A grin spread across his full lips, gentle as always. His amusement was contagious, so I cracked a smile.
“Everly was bored. Apparently she’s been hellbent on dressing me up for ages,” I murmured, my mirth fading as my heart squeezed when I remembered Drake’s comment about how I looked.
“Not that I’m complaining, Everly did great work.
It’s rare to see you this way.” Caleb’s shoulder bumped into mine, and heat spread through my chest from his affection.
Totally different from how I’d felt when I’d touched Drake’s hand earlier.
This was playful camaraderie, with family.
With Drake… Okay, I needed to stop thinking about him.
“I’ll pass your compliments on to Everly,” I replied, but my forced smirk faded when I found Caleb’s expression had lost its humor. His brow furrowed, concern plain across his features even before he voiced his thoughts.
“You shouldn’t have taken the vampire on alone, Maria. You know that.” His opinion wasn’t unexpected, but somehow, it still hurt.
“What was I supposed to do? Let the woman die?” I didn’t know for sure if she’d made it, but I called for an ambulance as soon as I’d hung up with Caleb.
Bitterness filled my mouth, regretting how I’d had to drag her to the roadside, leaving her there alone so that I could deal with the decapitated vampire before the cops showed up.
Once she was loaded in, sirens blaring around the next corner, I’d scampered off to do the dirty work.
Caleb’s lips pressed together. Vindicated by his silence, I faced the slowly dying flames, hoping the woman was okay.
“Even Johann doesn’t take them on alone. My dad, either. I’m just worried that you’re going to bite off more than you can chew. After what happened at the warehouse the other week—”
“I made it back in one piece, remember?” I retorted, face flushed.
Deep down, I knew he was right. Both times, the only reason I lived to tell the tale was because Drake was there.
If any other vampire had caught me alone in that warehouse…
More importantly, if Drake hadn’t stepped in to save me tonight, I’d be dead.
Instead of berating me about my impulsivity, Caleb exhaled a long sigh. The shake of his head and quirk of his lips seemed to be his way of conceding that we weren’t going to agree. Personally, my energy was too depleted to argue, either.
With the last of the vampire turned to charcoaled bits, I edged away from the fire, morose on the walk back to my car, which sat parked beside Caleb’s.
I leaned against the hood, and the cold metal chilled the back of my thighs where my dress rode up.
Caleb stomped out the glowing red embers before sauntering my way.
When he stopped a few feet from me, I looked up to meet his gaze.
“I’m glad you’re alive, Maria,” Caleb said, “but are you okay?”
I shrugged, stifling a wince when my ribs stung. “A bit bruised, but I’ve suffered worse from Andrew while practicing fighting techniques.”
“Nothing worse than an older relative you can’t beat.
” Caleb smiled, and I returned the sentiment as he moved closer.
His hand took mine, pressing a soft squeeze into my palm before letting go, but his attention was on the dusky horizon the whole time he touched me.
Under the moonlight, I thought I glimpsed his cheekbones darken.
“I’m exhausted,” I admitted, recapturing his gaze. “I’m sorry for calling you out here so late. You’re a godsend.”
“I was already up, actually, gaming with Jim and Cody.”
“You don’t see enough of each other working at the garage?” I teased, but I’d met his coworkers. They were cool. Caleb smirked, his arms folded across his broad chest.
“Nah, but it was a long week. You should have seen the old Chevy I worked on. It would be better off as scrap metal.” A yawn brought his palm up to cover his mouth, and guilt squirmed in my chest.
“About tonight—”
“I won’t tell anyone,” he promised, lifting one side of his mouth in a lopsided smirk. “You can trust me.”
“You’re the best.” I straightened up to give him a hug, throwing my arms around his wide shoulders. Warm hands held my waist in return, lightly and not nearly as wholeheartedly as I’d squeezed. Awkwardly clearing my throat, I let go and stepped back. “I’ll let you get home, okay?”
“Don’t be a stranger.” He winked, grinning despite the dark circles beneath his eyes.
Once he returned to his car, I hopped into mine.
When we reached the highway, Caleb beeped his horn as we pulled out in opposite directions.
The night’s events replayed in my head. Between kicking myself at my dumb replies and questioning the trust I’d felt for a vampire , what made me flush was neither of those thoughts.
It was the last thing he’d said to me, before all hell broke loose. The way he’d leaned in, his impossibly dark eyes gazing at my lips—high above where my jugular pulsed with anticipation. What would have happened, if the woman hadn’t been attacked? If we hadn’t been interrupted…
Glad I was alone in the car, I swallowed hard. Nothing good could have come from kissing Drake. So why did my chest ache so damn bad?
Groggy and sore, the first thing I did when I cracked my eyes open was reach for my phone.
Only to be let down when the screen illuminated to reveal several new messages, but none from him .
A sigh escaped me, and my eyes closed in acceptance.
I’d told Drake that he wouldn’t have to see me after last night, and that was that.
‘How disappointing…’
His accented voice replayed in my head, renewing the throb in my chest from my ride home. In all my panic, I never thanked him for saving my life. Conflicted, but determined to focus on the people I already knew and trusted, I chewed on my lower lip and checked my unread notifications.
When I got home last night—early morning, whatever—my immediate priority was to sneakily jump in the shower.
After that, before passing out in bed from the spent adrenaline, I managed to text Everly with a brief update.
The words I used exactly were, ‘Tonight sucked, vamp attacked, (not Drake), I’m going to bed. ’
I probably should have guessed such a vague explanation wouldn’t cut it. Her response was several paragraphs long, and I read through each message while the seconds ticked by on my alarm clock. At the end of it, she elected to mention—yet again—her hot date tonight at the club.
Then I checked Caleb’s text, and my heart sank.
Not because it was bad, just the opposite.
Worry laced every word of his message, sent around nine this morning, ‘I know last night was rough, but I’m here for you if you need anything.
We all are.’ It was typical, the same things I’d been told for almost a year by everybody in my life.
Before the addiction, the incident, and the rehab, nobody talked to me this way.
It was only after my most vulnerable moments were laid bare, when everyone got to take a good look at my struggles and whispered behind my back about my treatment and diagnoses.
That’s when they all started to care so much.
Maybe I was being selfish, wishing that they wouldn’t spend that energy worrying about me. Anyone should be so lucky to have family and friends so willing to help, accepting and unbiased. Except what nobody seemed to realize was that I wasn’t a fragile little thing—not before, during, or after.
The things I’d gone through, the choices I made, they were my mistakes that I needed to learn to live with.
Nobody could have saved me from the fallout, and it bothered me every day that they all seemed to think I still teetered on that edge.
That if one bad thing happened, then I’d fall off the wagon and need to be rescued from myself and anyone in my vicinity.
Tired of their condescending opinions, I decided to stop letting their fears control me.
Because my instincts weren’t permanently impaired, and I’d proven that to myself last night.
Even if I never saw him again, keeping Drake safe from my family had been the right call.
Emboldened and sure, I flipped back to Everly’s contact and dialed.
Her high voice squeaked through the receiver after only one ring. “Gods, Maria! I’ve been waiting for you to reply all morning. Are you okay?”