The Vampire Legacy III; Familiar Souls (13 page)

“
The darkness around him
is fading, almost gone, and I know he loves me, Cristian. I felt it
last night when. .“ She stopped as he looked at her, then she
looked away. “It doesn’t matter how you feel about your brother, or
what you think he’s become. What matters is that he’s connected to
Michael and you, and whatever threatens your existence also
threatens his.”

“
Why didn’t he come then?”
Cristian asked. “Is it because he knows who’s after us?”

“
I don’t think so. I think
he’s afraid of the way he feels. He’s afraid that Michael won’t
want him, just like you don’t.”

“
I know what he is, Sage,
and if you would just open your eyes you would see what he is
too.”

“
My eyes are open,
Cristian, and all I see is a man with tainted blood, that’s trying
to make up for what he’s done, and I also see a brother who won’t
except the fact that people can change.”

Cristian exhaled loudly, and then
looked at the road in front of him. “Did you ask him to
come?”

“
Yes.”

“
Why didn’t
he?”

“
He believes that Michael
will influence me and make me stop loving him. He believes that his
brother doesn’t want him there. It’s just as simple as that.” Sage
watched as they pulled into the long driveway of the large
three-story house that Michael lived in. Cristian stopped at the
guardhouse and rolled down the window. A young man looked in the
car and smiled.

“
Can I help you?” He
asked.

“
We were asked to come
here to see Michael De Polyneices.” Cristian said.

“
Just a minute.” The guard
walked into the house and talked on the phone for just a minute,
then came out and nodded. “You’re expected, just pull up to the
house, they’ll meet you there.”

“
Thank you.” Cristian said
and pulled away. Sage almost held her breath as the house drew
nearer, then Cristian made his way around the oval driveway to stop
in front of the door.

Sage looked at him, his long blond hair
pulled back into a ponytail, his face still as young as she
remembered. He looked anxious, as he shifted his weight. The girl
beside him, a dark haired woman with bright blue eyes, touched his
shoulder, trying to calm him. Cristian stopped the car, put it in
park and looked at her. Sage drew in a deep breath, glanced at
Cristian and pulled on the door handle.

The door opened slowly and Sage climbed
out, standing up and stepping aside to shut the door. She looked at
him, didn’t dare to move, and listened to the sound of her pounding
heart. He stepped closer, but stopped suddenly and looked quickly
at Cristian, then back at her.

“
Sage?” He asked as if he
didn’t know who he was looking at.

“
Michael.” She whispered
as the sudden realization that she was home hit her, and she
fainted.

Chapter
8

Michael seemed to be the last thing out
of my mouth when I fainted and the first person asked for when I
woke up. I looked around the room, at the black haired girl that
had been holding Michael’s arm, and at another girl with blond hair
that kept walking in and out of the room.

“
Sage, can you tell me how
you feel?” The black haired girl asked. I looked at her and shook
my head. “My name is Ashley Wolf; I’m a friend of your
father’s.”

“
He’s not really my
father.” I whispered.

Ashley smiled. “Yes, I know, it
slipped, I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“
It was not offensive. I’d
like it if he was, but he’s not.” I replied. “You feel like him,
though.”

“
What do you mean?” She
questioned and handed me a glass of water.

“
Thank you.” I whispered
and took the glass. “You’re a vampire, aren’t you?” I watched her
pause, and then she nodded. “Michael and you are, uh, family. By
that, I mean, did he make you?”

“
Yes, if you put it that
way, we are family.” Ashley smiled. “You don’t have to be afraid of
the people in this house.” She whispered. “Some may come off as
mean, like Quinn, but he won’t harm you, and Julian’s very
helpful.”

“
Can I ask you a
question?” I asked softly. Ashley nodded as she grabbed a wet
washcloth and patted my forehead. “Is everyone here a
vampire?”

“
No. Lauren isn’t, and
you’re not. The maids and the cooks are mortal. My son, Jack, is
also mortal.” She smiled. “Do you know Cristian well?”

“
We met about nine months
ago, and since that point he’s been trying to keep me away from
this one person.” I said and thought of Justin, closed my eyes, and
then opened them to look at Ashley.

“
Is this person
dangerous?”

“
Cristian thinks so, but
he’s never touched me, to hurt me anyway.” I shook my head. “I
think that Cristian believes that he is dangerous just because of
what he’s done in the past.”

“
Do you think he has
reasons, I mean, the kind that you don’t doubt, to want to keep you
from this man?” Ashley walked over and sat near me once again, as I
shrugged.

“
He’s very dark, or he was
when we met, but, since then, the darkness around him has begun to
disappear. Cristian doesn’t see it, but I can feel it, I know that
it has.”

“
So, who is this
intriguing young man that we’re talking about?” Michael asked as he
walked into the room, a wide smile on his child like face. My face
turned a bit white and then I shook my head.

“
No one of any great
importance.” I whispered, knowing that Ashley had caught on to this
change and made a note of it. “You haven’t changed a bit.” I said,
perking up, but then laughed at this. “Of course, you haven’t
changed. You’re a vampire.”

“
So, what do you think of
my home?” Michael smiled and sat next to me on the bed.

“
So far, the driveway and
the bedroom are magnificent. I’m sure the rest of it is just
marvelous.” I smiled and Michael helped me off the bed. I slipped
on my shoes and walked down the hallway with Michael by my side.
“Is this where you’ve been all this time?”

“
Yes.” He whispered. “I’ve
wanted to contact you.”

“
I know.” I smiled. He
looked at me for an explanation.

“
When you think about me,
I can feel it, and when you talk to me, I can hear that, well, some
of it.”

“
Why didn’t you tell me?”
He questioned.

“
I didn’t want to make my
Aunt and Uncle think that I was flipping out on them, besides, I
kind of like the fact that I could listen to you babble about
things without you knowing.” I smiled at him. “Where’s
Cristian?”

“
He’s outside, walking the
grounds.” Michael replied as we stepped down from the stairway and
walked through the house to the sitting room. “He’s worried about
you.”

“
He should stop worrying
about me and worry about himself. I’m fine. I just wish he would
leave me alone.” I said and shook my head. “He’s the world’s
biggest pain in the ass, Michael.”

“
He’s always been.”
Michael smiled. “Sage, it might become a bit crazy around here in
the next few weeks.”

“
I know that troubles
coming.” I whispered to him. “I’ve known for months that things
were going to get a bit weird.”

“
How did you
know?”

“
The voices in my head.” I
said. Michael nodded, knowing I had been hearing the voices since
my parents died, but they were never wrong. “I have a question,
though.” I glanced at him, stopping near the door to the patio. “Do
you think that there can be unexpected events? I mean, you know
they’ve always warned me about danger and new people in my life,
but do you think that something, or someone, might be able to get
passed them?”

“
Has someone come into
your life?” Michael asked. He looked at the way my eyes suddenly
sparkled and the look on my face. “You’re in love?”

“
Yes, but it was totally
unexpected.” I said and spoke up.

“
With the man that
Cristian is trying to keep you away from?”

“
That would be the one.” I
sat down and looked at him. He was so young looking, but I knew he
was much older. “Have you ever experienced a power, inside
yourself, that seems so totally unstoppable when you’re near a
certain person? I mean have you ever felt a bond to a person that
just makes your powers explode?”

“
Does this young man do
this to you?”

“
The third time we saw
each other was the night of a full moon, in January. He could have
hurt me, killed me actually, but he didn’t. He tried to defend me,
but I put myself between him and Cristian, and then it just
exploded and I did something I don’t remember doing ever before. A
wall of blue flame just ignited in front of me, keeping Cristian
out. However, it was too much and I couldn’t hold it. The flame
died and just became a wall. Of course, that faded when I
fainted.”

“
A force field type of
thing?” Michael asked. I nodded, and watched him smile. “I’ve seen
that only once in my life.”

“
When?”

“
When you were seven, the
house was on fire and I ran in to get you. You were sitting on the
bed, surrounded by this blue light and nothing could touch you. I
think you were reading a book. It lasted until I called to you and
you realized what was going on. Don’t you remember?” Michael
questioned.

“
I don’t remember anything
about the fire; except that a candle had started it and that you
were holding me when I woke up.” I said and shrugged.

“
That is a power that can
only be brought to the surface when you’re really emotional, I
guess.” Michael shrugged. “I don’t know much about your powers, but
I’m sure that Julian can help find something that might help you.”
Michael smiled at me as I stood up and walked over to him, wrapped
my arms around his waist and closed my eyes as he hugged me,
tightly. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“
I’m just glad to see
you.” I whispered.

“
I don’t mean to break up
this little reunion...” a voice interrupted. Michael and I turned
to look at the tall man with shoulder length black hair and green
eyes. I looked at him and smiled. His eyes held a bit of mischief
in them, and I noted the strong feeling of darkness that surrounded
him also. As I said, there wasn’t such thing as a perfectly good
vampire. “Michael, who is this charming young woman?”

“
This, my friend, Quinn,
is Sage Owens and she’s totally off limits to you.” Michael said
and smiled. Quinn walked a bit closer and I gave him an evil
look.

“
Yes, she’s definitely
part of you.” Quinn said and stepped back. “I can read your mind,
young lady, and your thoughts aren’t very nice.”

“
Well, I was just about to
say the same about yours.” I smiled and nodded. “And, I believe
“off limits” means hands and fangs too.”

“
Oh, my.” Quinn said and
smiled. He looked quickly at Michael and pointed at me. “I like her
all ready.”

Michael smiled and looked at me when
Quinn walked out of the room. “You can’t read minds, can
you?”

“
No, but he’s a man, and a
vampire, and they all think alike, so I thought I’d take a shot.” I
smiled back. “What do you think?”

“
Well, you’re on his good
side, that’s a start, but I’m not real comfortable with the fact
that he actually likes you.” Michael said and put his arm around my
shoulder.

“
So, where’s the other
one?” I asked as walked through the hallway again.

“
Julian’s here
somewhere.”

“
Did I hear my name?” A
sexy male voice interrupted us once again.

I turned to look at the man who was
stepping down to meet us. He looked much like Quinn, except that
his hair was back in a ponytail, his green eyes were lighter, and
goodness surrounded him, but the darkness was still there. He
looked at me as if to size me up, then he moved closer. “You are
Sage, I presume.”

“
And, you’re Julian?” I
questioned. He nodded. “You’re not quite what I
pictured.”

“
But, you’re just how I
pictured you to be.” His face seemed to grow serious and Michael
noticed the connection between us. He suddenly looked at Michael,
confusion on his face, and he stepped back. “I’ve never met a
mortal so powerful before.” Julian said softly, his voice telling
his awe about me. “Tell me, who were your parents?”

“
Douglas and Yvette
Owens.” I whispered and they looked at Michael who seemed to be
confused about this himself. “You seem a bit confused. What’s
wrong?”

“
You’re one of us, but
not. Exactly how is that?” He asked. I understood then. He felt me,
just as I did him, as a presence that seemed familiar, but at the
same time, different.

“
I’m part of Michael. He’s
also my parent.” I whispered, trying to make him understand. Julian
still looked baffled. “My blood is his blood.”

Julian straightened up, his face seemed
in shock and he looked from Michael to me at first, completely
speechless, but then he turned to Michael.