Authors: Tarah Knight
Haven lifted her head
cautiously looking at her granny who wore pretty much the same expression that Brooklyn did. “Oh my, a vampire you say? That is something that would be hard to tell people I would imagine.” Haven searched her face for some reaction to her crazy announcement. “So you believe me? Just like that?” Smiling her grandmother shrugged her shoulders. “Well, dear you wouldn’t be the first one in the family, so yes, I believe you.” Once more Haven looked to Brooklyn to make sure she heard her grandmother right. Her friend wasn’t much help she just shrugged with raised hands. “Granny, I said all that pretty fast. Did you truly understand what I told you?” Once more her grandmother smiled then nodded her head. “Yes, dear, you said you were turned into a vampire by someone you trusted, but now you are with another male who claims you as his, but you are in love with his twin and the only way you can be with him is to find your twin sister. Did that just about sum it up correctly?” Haven sat back on her knees staring at her granny with wide eyes and a slack jaw. “Um… yes, ma’am that’s exactly what I told you.”
Then her grandmother’s face grew somber
, and she sighed deeply. “I told your mother that you should have been told about Hannah, but she wouldn’t listen. Then I knew that I should have told you after your mother… left, but I didn’t want you to think badly of her. She did what she thought was best for the both of you, please understand that. She loved you both so much that she wanted the best possible life for you. Haven, my dear child you do indeed have a twin. She was born exactly four minutes before you were and she was given up for adoption when you were three months old. It was a closed adoption so I’m sorry that I can’t tell you more than that.” She pulled a chain from around her neck that held a locket and a key then she pointed toward an old roll top desk that had always remained locked. “Here take this key and open that desk pull out the fourth drawer from the right.” Haven stood with help from Brooklyn onto shaky legs. She crossed the room and inserted the small key into the lock and twisted it carefully. She then rolled the top up and slowly pulled opened the drawer that her granny had indicated. Inside was a small wrapped bundle of papers and pictures that were tied with a faded pink satin ribbon. “Bring that bundle to me Haven, I’ll explain what you’re looking at.” Her grandmother instructed. Haven brought the little bundle and placed it in her grandmother’s lap. She watched as her grandmother handled the little bundle carefully running the length of pale pink ribbon through her fingers. The she handed the bundle to Haven. “The ribbon belongs to Hannah, it was taken from her hair the day she was adopted. The first picture you will see is the last one of you both together. You are the baby on the left.” Haven slipped the faded picture out from under the ribbon. The photo showed two babies dressed just alike in white dress with pink ribbons in their blonde curls. They looked exactly alike. “So we are identical twins?” She asked. “Oh yes, we tied small ribbons on your wrists the moment they brought you to us so we wouldn’t get you mixed up. You were named after your great aunt and Hannah was named after my mother. You were the prettiest babies I had ever seen. Your father was not worth even talking about. He left shortly after you were born, twins he couldn’t handle he said. But it didn’t matter one baby or two some men should be neutered at the onset of puberty. Your mama tried so hard to raise the both of you alone, but that wasn’t possible. I tried to tell her to come home to me. But she wouldn’t burden me with her troubles. That’s what she thought she would be bringing, trouble. So she did what she truly thought would be the best choice. She gave up your sister for adoption. I thought your mama was going to cry herself to death she mourned over that child so.” Haven flipped through the rest of the bundle. The next item she found was a birth certificate. It stated that Hannah Alyssa Carver was born at eleven fifty seven pm on April 13, 1991. She weighed five pounds and two ounces and was 17 inches long. Her mother was listed as Kara Lynn Nelson Carver age seventeen, occupation homemaker. The father was listed as Daryl Lee Carver age twenty-three, occupation unknown. Havens own birth certificate was next and listed much of the same information. Haven Aleah Carver was born one minute past midnight on April 14, 1991. She was five pounds and three ounces and 17 inches long.
Haven looked up in surprise. “We have different birthdays!” Her granny nodded. “Yes, you do. Hannah wanted her own day I guess that’s why she waited until the last possible moment to make her appearance. I have always wondered how she turned out? I pray every night for the Lord to watch over
her and keep her safe.” Haven set the bundle aside. “Granny can you think of any information about the adopting family? A name? A city where they lived? Anything?” Her grandmother’s brow wrinkled in thought as she tried to remember. “Like I said it was a closed adoption, but it seems like I remember the name Barton being mentioned. I don’t know if that has a thing to do with your sister or not, I’m sorry. Of course the date of the adoption would be July sixteenth of 1991.” Haven got up and hugged her grandmother. Then drew back suddenly as a thought occurred to her. “Granny! Where is Kaden? How is he?”
She waited to hear
news about her little brother but her grandmother sadly shook her head. “Baby, after you disappeared he went looking for you every night. When so much time passed without finding you or hearing from you, he just lost it. He has been gone for over eight months now. He calls from time to time to let me know he is alright but he won’t come home.” Haven hated to hear that her grandmother was alone in the house now. How was she doing it blind? “How can you stay here alone not being able to see granny? You need someone to stay with you. Its not safe!” Haven insisted. Her grandmother patted her hand gently. “Baby girl, I have lived in this house for so long I can tell you that it takes twelve steps to reach the kitchen from my bedroom, seven steps from the kitchen door to my recliner. Ten steps from my recliner to the front door and I have three steps going down my front porch. I have friends and neighbors that come to check on me a couple of times a day. I know some day I will have to have help but that day is not today. I’m fine don’t you worry about me.” Brooklyn motioned to the door. They needed to be leaving. “Thank you for telling me everything granny, we need to go but I promise I’ll be back soon because I need to know about the other vampire in the family.” Haven could have sworn nothing else could have shocked her that day, but she wrong, for the next words out of her granny’s mouth sent her to the floor. “Honey, I guess you need to know this too. This is really a day of telling secrets! Your mother was turned a few weeks before she left. She didn’t die of cancer, baby she is a vampire.”
Brooklyn drove an understandably distraught Haven back to her house. Haven begged her not
to take her to Barron’s just yet. She was too raw, she felt like her heart was wide open and exposed. She couldn’t deal with him right now. “I simply cannot imagine what you are feeling right now Haven. In a way you have received wonderful news that your mother is still alive and you have a sister, but the whole world as you knew it was turned upside down yet again.” Haven gave her a small smile. “I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt, but that summed it up pretty well. Thank you. I am worried about Kaden though.” Brooklyn patted her hand in sympathy. “Its easy to see things clearly when you have not just been hit broad side with some pretty life changing news. How old is your brother?” She turned into their driveway and then killed the engine. Haven looked out at the house not really wanting to go in there either. “Kaden is two years younger than me so he is twenty, or will be in October.”
“You know your grandmother struck me as an incredibly strong woman. She
has taken some serious blows in her life during the last few years and yet she has retained her strength and her character. You and your brother clearly come from a tough gene pool, you will both get through this just fine.” Haven laughed softly. “You know I was worried about her not being able to handle the truth that I had to tell her. She definitely had bigger shots to fire than me. I wonder where my mother is? Where did she go after her conversion?”
“Well if I was in her shoes I think I would have gone far away from where I lived. I wouldn’t want to risk my children seeing me. But on the other hand wanting to stay close to be able to watch over you would be a strong desire too. You knew your mother which do you think she would have chosen?”
Haven knew immediately which option her mother would have picked. “She stayed, at least until we were grown. I would bet money on it.” Haven looked in the review mirror then groaned. “Crap! I guess Barron came looking for me. I really didn’t want to have to deal with him right now.” Brooklyn turned and glanced behind her then grinned. “Um yeah, look closer, that wouldn’t be Barron, my sweet. That’s Deacon.”
Haven spun around in the seat just as Deacon made his way up to Brooklyn’s window. He waited to speak until she rolled her window down. “Hey Deacon, when did you get back?” She asked. He answered Brooklyn’s question but his eyes were eating up Haven’s face like a starving man would eye a thick juicy porterhouse steak. “I just returned. Haven, how are you?” He asked her softly. Haven wanted to jump out and slap the holy crap out of him for leaving and she wanted to hug his neck for the very same reason. “I’ve been better actually. Thanks for asking.” Brooklyn smiled. “Haven has had a rough night Deacon. She found out some pretty earth shattering news. She still hasn’t quite recovered.” His serious face grew even more so when he looked at her again. “Nothing bad I hope?” Haven shook her head. “Not exactly bad I don’t guess, unless finding out you do indeed have a twin sister and that your mother didn’t die of cancer, but was actually turned into a vampire, bad news.” That had his eyebrow arching in surprise. “Your mother was turned? Haven, that is good news.” She noticed he didn’t mention the twin sister part, but he did look at Brooklyn when she mentioned it. He knew something. “Deacon, tell me how was your little mission? Did find anything important?” He looked her dead in the eye and without flinching told her that he had found her sister.
“Haven? Wake up Haven…
come on now.” Haven could hear Brooklyn’s voice coaxing her back to the land of the living, but she didn’t want to return. Too much was changing too fast for her to process, she needed some down time! But Brooklyn wasn’t allowing that. Opening her eyes she saw three sets of eyes peering down at her, Brooklyn’s beautiful crystal blue eyes, Verlons deep chocolate eyes, and Deacons hazel eyes. Staring up at Deacon she wondering how she ever thought that he and Barron looked alike? The differences in their souls showed on their faces if you knew what to look for. Deacon reached out his hand to help her up, but Verlon stepped in lifting her to her feet holding her shoulders until she was steady. They walked into the house and all gathered around the table where Verlon served some red wine laced with blood. “I’m sorry Haven, but I don’t have anything that you can keep down.” He apologized. “I do.” Deacon said. He sliced his wrist open with a sharp thumbnail and dripped several thick drops into a cup. “You better hope Barron doesn’t find out about that Deacon.” Brooklyn warned. He closed the gash with a quick swipe of his tongue and turned hard eyes to his friend. “Soon it won’t matter what Barron knows or doesn’t know. I have found his true Serah, and nothing and no one will stop me from claiming mine.” He said this while watching Haven raise the cup to her lips. Holding his stare she drank what he had given her saying with her eyes and with her actions what her lips could not yet say. That she knew he was her Serah, and she fully accepted him. Giving his head a barley noticeable nod, she knew he heard her loud and clear. “So where did you find her sister?” Brooklyn asked, breaking the sudden tension in the room. “Hannah, her name is Hannah.” Haven supplied. Deacon sat down across from Haven keeping enough distance between them so not to cause a fight should Barron show up. He shook his head. “Hannah may have been her birth name, but she doesn’t go by that now. She told me her name was Myra and I’m sad to say she hasn’t lived a very good life. From what I found out from tracing her records she was passed from one family to another. Her original adoptive parents actually put her back into the system not six months after they took her. From there she was housed in no less than twenty three foster homes until she ran at the age of fifteen and they lost track of her.” Haven gasped putting her hand over her mouth. She had lived a fairytale compared to her poor sister! Deacon’s eyes told her the worst was yet to come. “I found her by accident one night as I was looking for my dinner. I heard a woman cry out, so I tracked it down and found her being attacked by a man that had… um… paid for her services. When I had taken care of the man I looked down and God as my witness I thought I was looking at you Haven. A scared and harder you, but it was your face that was staring back at me.” Haven reached out to touch his hand, but Verlon stopped her. He didn’t say anything he just shook his head gently at her. Haven scowled at him. “Was she badly hurt? Tell me you ripped his throat out!” She asked in a low voice. Deacon shook his head. “Haven, I figured the last thing she needed to see was me sinking my fangs into her attacker, she was traumatized enough.” He paused there for a moment then continued. “I took her back to my motel room where I cleaned her up. It wasn’t too bad mostly a busted up mouth. But I kept staring at her and that was making her nervous. I finally told her that she looked exactly like someone I knew, and I asked if she had a twin.” Haven held her breath waiting to hear what he would say. “Well? Did she know about me?” She asked with ill concealed impatience. “No, she knew she was given up for adoption, but she didn’t know she was a twin. Haven there is something else she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know what you, what we are. She is still human.”
There was silence around the table. “When can I meet her? We can’t just spring this on her, we must move slowly and carefully with her and for Gods sake keep her away from Barron!” Brooklyn nodded. “I agree why doesn’t she stay here? We can offer her protection and I can help her come to terms with what we are. Haven can see her whenever she comes to visit. Barron rarely comes with her anymore.” That had Deacon looking at her sharply. “He allows you out unprotected?” Haven raised her chin a notch. “Barron doesn’t
allow me anything, Mr. Northcross. I come and go as I see fit. That was one battle we had very early on in our relationship, I suggest you get used to the idea as well.” Deacon made no reply but his eyes told her this wasn’t over.
That night after she got home Haven ran a hot bubble bath then clipping her hair to the top of her head she sank down into the frothy bubbles with a deep sigh. She was surprised that Barron still hadn’t made an appearance.
She no more formed that thought in her mind when she heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs. Within seconds the doorknob was turning, and he walked in. He walked over and pulled her face to his for a deep kiss. Haven waited for the fire to start in her stomach at his touch, but nothing happened. He pulled back looking at her strangely, then he reached and pulled her from the tub unmindful of the water and bubbles that were sliding down her body and pooling onto the tiled floor. He pressed her firmly against him kissing her even more deeply wrapping his tongue around hers but Haven felt cold. No all-consuming racing through her veins at his touch, no deep ache in the lowest part of her tummy, she felt… nothing! His fingers tighten painfully on her arms “What the hell have you done?” he whispered softly. Haven shook her head. “Nothing! I haven’t done anything I swear!” She couldn’t tell him about Hannah, not yet. She needed time to be prepared she would not allow the same rude introduction to this world that was given to her to be passed on to her sister. She had been through enough. “You lie! You have done something, for I feel nothing when I touch you, when I kiss you. So I will ask nicely one more time. What have you done?” Haven lifted her chin staring him in the eye boldly. “I said I have not done anything Barron, and that is the truth, whether you accept it or not is up to you. I am as surprised by this as you are.” He roughly shoved her away from him. Haven stumbled barely keeping herself from falling. She grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around her wet body. Barron was silent watching her with cold calculating eyes that were just a little frightening. She went into the bedroom to get dressed and he followed her not saying a word but watching every move she made. After ten minutes Haven couldn’t take it!
She whirled around with her hands on her hips and fire
blazing in her eyes. If he wanted a fight he could damn well have one! “What? What do you want me to say Barron? You can stare at me with your cold evil eyes until the cows come home, but I still won’t have an answer for you! I don’t know what’s going on anymore than you do. Now either you talk to me or leave this room, but I won’t allow you stand there looking at me like the devil himself!” Barron slowly approached her moving like the predator that he was and struck without warning. Grabbing her by her hair he jerked her head back and sank his fangs savagely into her throat. He didn’t even try to lessen the pain for her. Haven screamed and fought clawing at his shoulders and chest with her now sharp fingernails but he paid her no heed. Finally he lifted his head letting her see the blood dripping from his mouth. He once again crushed her lips beneath his not caring that his now needle sharp fangs were tearing into the soft skin of her lips. This wasn’t a kiss it was an assault a punishment for what he perceived was her betrayal. He threw her onto the bed face down pinning her under his massive body he tore her clothes from her then bit her repeatedly on her shoulders, on her back and the backs of her thighs, ignoring her screams of pain and terror.
Finally
he flipped her over to face him pulling her bruised and ravaged face within an inch of his own snarling like a wild animal. “Do you think that I don’t know he is back? Do you think that I don’t know that this very evening you were with him? I gave you a chance to be truthful with me, but lies were all that spewed from your deceitful lips! I would have given you anything! I would have given you the world had you asked me for it! But I was never good enough for you it was always him always Deacon!”
“Yes!” Haven choked out. “It was always and will alw
ays be Deacon! But you knew that! Yet you forced yourself on me. You manipulated everything to suite you own selfish purpose and desires.” She laughed bitterly coughing up the blood that was trickling down her throat from the deep puncture wounds he had inflicted. He continued to stare at her with eyes that were hard and cold, eyes no longer human, more like a crazed beast. He yanked her head back once more and Haven knew this was it he would finish her with this bite. Suddenly the bedroom door was kicked in so hard it splintered and landed on the floor in pieces. Deacon flew across the room and snatched Barron up like a rag doll slinging him across the room into the wall. Plaster flew everywhere filling the room with white powder and smoke. Barron surged to his feet snarling like a wild animal but Deacon gave him no chance to retaliate he struck with blow after vicious blow tearing into his brother with fang and claw roaring so loudly that Haven covered her ears. The room shook under the impact of their massive bodies heaving and straining as the battle continued. Haven was screaming for them to stop for someone to stop them, when Verlon appeared like an avenging angel. He waded in and with a few well-placed blows had Barron out cold on the floor. Deacon rushed to Haven just in time to see her eyes roll back and her body go limp.
The next thing Haven was aware of was warmth, which was a good thing because she felt so cold! She had nev
er been so cold in all her life! Her body was racked with chills that shook her so hard her teeth rattled, and God Almighty she hurt! Why did she hurt so badly? She heard voices coming from nearby and she recognized the gentle cadence of Brooklyn’s soft voice then the deep rumble of Verlons. So she knew she was in good hands, she just wished she knew what happened! Finally her eyelids cracked opened enough to see that she was the room she had stayed in while she was living with Brooklyn and Verlon. Her head rolled slightly to the left and she saw them standing by the door speaking softly to one another. The worry and concern clearly marked on their faces. Haven coughed to get their attention. They hurried over to her bed. Brooklyn reached out and swept her hair from her forehead. “Hey, sweetling, your awake. How do you feel?” Haven thought about that question then answered truthfully. “Like a pit bulls chew toy?” Verlon nodded gravely next to Brooklyn. “That would be a pretty close assessment of what happened. Do you remember anything?” Haven closed her eyes trying to remember, but she drew a blank. “Can you give me a starting point?”
“You left our house after finding out that Deacon had found your twin?” Brooklyn prompted. Haven thought back rewinding the night’s events in her mind. She remembered going home getting into the tub, she remembered Barron showing up and kissing her. Then everything came back in a rush, the kiss the lack of response then Barron’s
out of control rage, and the brutal attack. Haven gasped as the memories washed over her of his assault. Then she remembered Deacon showing up and pulling him off of her. “Where’s Deacon?” She asked. “Please I… I… need him.” She stammered. Brooklyn smiled. “Honey look to your right.” She rolled her head painfully to the right, feeling the pull of the wound on that side of her neck. Deacon was sound asleep beside her. His arm was laid across her body under the blanket. Even in his sleep he was scowling. She reached out to rub the creases between his eyes, but then pulled back and looked at Verlon. He smiled and nodded his head. “Its ok, its abundantly clear that you are his Serah. Touch him all you want. Well, on second thought keep the touching just to his face please. I would hate to have to pour bleach in my eyes if I ever saw more of him than nature intended.” Haven tried to smile at his joke, but her ripped up lips kept her from doing it. She turned back to Deacon. She marveled that she could now touch him without rebuke. Her eyes roved over his face drinking in every detail, the soft sable brown hair that fell boyishly over his eyes. She brushed it back gently running her fingertip over the smooth brows that were as usual drawn together in a serious expression. She grazed his full bottom lip and smiled as much as she could when he twitched in his sleep, finally she cupped his strong jaw. “He has been asleep for maybe a couple of hours. You have been unconscious for three days. He hasn’t left your side, not even to feed. Verlon had to feed him.” Haven frowned as she looked at the various bandages that covered her arms. “Why am I not healing?” As a vampire her wounds always healed quickly. “Barron, clearly must have lost his mind during his attack. He gave you what is known as a dry bite, no healing enzymes were in his saliva. When a bite like that is inflicted it actually prevents the wound from healing even for a vampire. It sets up a serious infection in the bite. Barron bit you over sixteen times. Haven whether Barron was in his right mind or not, and I choose to believe that he wasn’t, he tried to kill you. Had Deacon not felt your distress and came to you when he had Barron would have succeeded.”