Immortal Prophecy (The Immortal Prophecy Saga) (4 page)

“
Oh god,” she whispered as the pieces fell into place. “You’re the unknown man that has been searching for me.” She said to the creature standing before her.

Vincent crinkled his forehead in slight confusion.

Oh great, finally I throw him off just as I have thrown myself off, she groaned internally.

“What are you talking about child?” he asked curiously. She was going to die anyway so he might as well indulge his curiosity.

“I’m not ready,” she muttered.

“To die?” he laughed sadistically. “Most people aren’t.”

She looked at him in shock, and took an involuntary step back from the creature that repulsed her to her very core.

“To be honest you are starting to bore me Ally,” he said whilst casually examining his fingernails and adopting a pose that was entirely too forced looking to be natural. Her instincts were on high alert and she felt the end was just around the corner. All she could do was stare death in the face and show no fear.

Coco was still at her side, loyal as ever and she heard the low growl emitting from her. Ally silently willed her to be quiet. She couldn’t bear it if he hurt her beloved dog. She had to distract him again or she was going to die.

“So you’re crazy then?” Ally shook her head as if she pitied him. He seemed to like it when she showed spirit earlier as he put it. That might keep her alive a bit longer. “You don’t seriously expect me to believe all that crap you just spouted do you?” She could tell he was seriously displeased. This was not how she planned this playing out but she was still breathing, so maybe she was doing something right.

A cruel glint crept into his eye and sent a shiver of dread running through her. Ah, maybe not…but she had to keep going.

“I see that you truly think you’re Vincent, ruler of the vampires. We all have our fantasies but I’m nothing special, just plain old Ally.” She took a deep breath and continued. “How about we call the police tell them about Sarah and call it a day. I’m sure you could plead temporary or for that matter permanent insanity. It seems to work for a lot of people. How does that sound?”

All of a sudden, his casual pretence dropped in an instant as he took a step towards her and she was drawn into his arms before she could even blink.

His voice had taken on a rasping quality that she likened to the sound of damned souls trying to claw their way out of the hell they were trapped in.

“This was fun, dear.” He leaned in closer, “But now it’s time for you to die.”

Oh dear…

Ally was powerless to stop him. Her neck was exposed to him she knew this was the end for her. She felt his stinky hot breath a mere centimetre away from her neck, when he paused.

She heard a strange sound and then felt an energy that seemed to be vibrating all around them.

“So he has come then,” Vincent said absently as he let her go. She stumbled and fell to the ground. Relief poured through her but she had no idea what had happened to make him drop her.

Then she heard it in her mind. That voice like smooth whiskey that seemed to flow through her soul and warm her insides as the drink itself would.

“
I’m coming Alessandra.”

It was intensely familiar to her but she couldn’t immediately place it. Suddenly she knew who it belonged to. James Carlisle, the man that had haunted her dreams for five years. Ally was sure she had made him up. Come to think of it maybe she was dying and this was all some illusion her brain had created so she didn’t have to face the knowledge that her demise was imminent. Nothing tonight had seemed real perhaps it was all a nightmare.

James appeared out of nowhere and was standing between her and Vincent before she could even blink an eye. His eyes were fixated on his opponent. Ally was struck again by his magnificence and the energy that seemed to radiate from within him. He didn’t appear human at that moment.

She looked him over from head to toe, taking in the fine cut of his jeans and the tight fitting pale blue shirt. This man before her could have just stepped off a vogue cover shoot.

Ally looked for Coco to make sure she was all right having almost fallen on her. Coco was next to her watching the two males in front of them. James and Vincent were circling each other like two king cobras dancing, before one devoured the other and she was forgotten. Ally was slightly indignant at that thought but then realized in this scenario it was obviously a good thing. She looked up and was caught in a trance, as she would have been, had they really been cobras.

James never took his eyes off his opponent but she could feel his anger and disgust radiating off him in waves. She noticed how tense and rigid his body appeared to be. James was ready to spring at his enemy without a seconds notice.

She watched him with a fierce concentration and silent admiration. James was as perfect as she had remembered him to be all those years ago, but he was different somehow. The man she had met when she was sixteen was sweet, kind and gentle. The man before her today was strong, dangerous and full of murderous intent if she was reading his body language correctly. Despite this, Ally realised that she felt perfectly safe with him. She knew that he could and would protect her.

She was still deeply lost in her thoughts when she heard his voice again. “
Ally…can you hear me?”

Confusion swam across her face, James but hadn’t moved or given her any indication that he had spoken. Ally was still trying to decipher what was happening when he spoke again.
“Get into your car and drive home as quickly as possible! Lock the doors and don’t let anyone into the house.”

James’ voice in her head giving her instructions, Ally was starting to believe she had lost her mind. Maybe she was the crazy one, not Vincent or whoever he was. He was evil to the core she was sure of that but nothing made sense. It was too weird for her, so she decided to do just as the voice said.

Ally scooped Coco into her arms and got in the car with a quick backward glance towards James. She didn’t want to leave him now that he was here again but she sure as hell didn’t want to sit and cheer on the sidelines in case Vincent came after her again.

Madame Isabella’s prediction was coming to pass again but she was missing some vital information. Do I really want to find out? She thought to herself.

Ally started the car and sped away as fast as she safely could. As she was driving away, she heard the scratchy voice coming from behind her, “This isn’t finished Alessandra. I will come for you again. You will not fulfil the prophecy.”

With those final words lingering in her head, she decided that everything that had happened tonight was something she just wanted to forget. In the morning she would ask her grandmother about Vincent. Adele would look at her like she was crazy and that would be that…she hoped. Surely one part of the damned prediction would be wrong and she prayed with everything that she had, that it would be this part.

Chapter Two

J
AMES HAD COME SO CLOSE TO
losing Alessandra tonight, he obviously needed to keep a closer eye on her and not underestimate his mortal enemy, Vincent. “You won’t win this, Vincent.” He growled, never taking his eyes off his opponent.

Vincent was evil but not a fool or weak. This task would have been much easier if he had met with a lesser vampire, but of course it would be Vincent. He would take on the task personally instead of sending minions. There was too much at stake. If the prophecy was fulfilled, Vincent would die, at Alessandra’s hand.

“Oh I think your wrong James,” Vincent drawled. “I may have missed out on an opportunity tonight but I will not lose.”

“You will die at her hand,” James stated confidently.

“I don’t think so. Besides, if I had killed her tonight it would have been too easy and where would the fun be in that? I do like a challenge after all.” He smirked at James with all the confidence of a Cheshire cat.

Vincent continued. “She has no idea who I am or that she is an immortal does she?”

“No, she doesn’t.” James’ anger was increasing by the minute. “Thanks to you, her parents died before they told her. Adele has been waiting for the right time.”

Vincent smirked, “Someone really should tell her you know. Maybe I will just before I kill her.”

At those words, James felt his temper explode and he flew at his enemy, managing to catch him off guard. Vincent was knocked to the ground but in a split second he was back on his feet and trying to tear James’ throat out. James side stepped at the last second and used the powers endowed in all immortals. A fireball appeared in his hand. He threw it at Vincent, who dove to the ground to avoid it, but the fireball hit him with full force. A high pitched scream of pure hate pierced the night.

James didn’t want to draw attention to the scene going on in the parkland below the apartment, but it couldn’t be helped. At least they had the cover of the surrounding oak trees and the sound of water flowing by lazily, from the man-made waterfall and stream running through the exclusive community. It wasn’t much but it would have to do.

Vincent had recovered from the shock of a direct hit to the heart and was livid. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets and he was losing blood at a rapid rate.

Despite the many myths regarding vampires that humans had created, vampires had no problem with garlic, crosses or stakes to the heart. The only way to kill a vampire was to inflict a mortal wound so the vampire’s blood drained out. The creature’s very existence depended on blood. Take that away and the vampire was simply a corpse.

James had managed to give him what would be a mortal wound if he didn’t replenish his blood supply and tend the wound immediately but James knew this was far from over.

“This isn’t finished,” Vincent spat and then he took to the sky in the form of a bat.

James was tempted to go after him and finish this but he decided he needed to check on Alessandra. He would let Vincent go this time. Things were not going as he had planned. James needed to speak with Adele. It was time Alessandra knew everything.

He scanned the area to make sure no-one else was around. He needed to do a quick clean up and grab Ally’s surveillance gear. Humans didn’t need to be aware of what went on around them. If they did, the world would be in a constant state of panic.

James decided he should also make an anonymous call to inform the authorities of Sarah Carrington’s death. She was a vile creature, he admitted, but each life lost to the evil ones was a blow to him. With that final thought he got to work.

* * *

Ally breathed a deep sigh of relief when her grandmother’s house came into view. It was a place she had always felt safe and loved. Ally needed comfort more than anything right now. She was sure that she was suffering some form of hysteria after whatever it was that happened tonight.

Located at the end of the street in a quiet neighbourhood, trees lining either side of the road lit up by fireflies, sat the enchanting white double story home. It had been built on a large lush green piece of land that was hard to come by in suburbia these days. The wrap around veranda skirting the house was a blissful space to sit and get lost in a book on the old fashioned day bed during the summer. Every bedroom had a private balcony, a luxury she loved, with an attic that added to the old world charm.

She reached the driveway, parked her car and sat staring into space.

Ally decided that tonight was something she didn’t want to deal with right now. Coco was looking at her with big brown eyes, the concern her dog felt was radiating out of her.

“I’m alright Coco.”

It seemed as if Coco was saying yeah right, as she cocked her head to the side.

Can’t I just pretend this never happened?
She thought wistfully.

Ally got out of the car in a haze. Her actions seemed a bit robotic, even to her, as she put her key in the lock and opened the front door. It swung wide and the hinge let out a squeak. She kept meaning to oil that. The house was dark, save for the light in the hall. Her grandmother always left that hall light on for her when she was out on assignments.

Ally walked silently through the house. She had to speak with Gran but not tonight. The best thing to do is get some sleep, Ally decided.

Crawling into bed, pulling the covers up, her last coherent thought was about James. He was back in her life. She didn’t know how or why but that was the one thing that made her almost…almost want to believe that tonight was real. Sleep came easily but she was haunted by dreams of the man that tried to kill her and the man that saved her.

Not long after she had fallen asleep, Adele crept into the room to check that her granddaughter was alright.

“My darling granddaughter…if only you didn’t have to know…” she whispered then silently left the room.

James was waiting for her when she went back downstairs. His face was ash and sullen. “Adele…He has found her.”

“I know James…I know.” She sank down in a kitchen chair and wept for her granddaughter.

Chapter Three

T
HE ENTICING AROMA OF FRESH COFFEE
floated throughout the kitchen as Adele and James sat at the white provincial kitchen table together, trying to concoct a plan for Alessandra.