Midnight Blood (Born Immortal) Read online

  Shayna walked below, and the hawk watched her intently. She thought he looked larger than a normal hawk , she couldn’t get over how big he appeared. High up in the tree he seemed as big as a large eagle.

  The clouds cleared, and the sun pierced Shayna’s eyes, blinding her. When her vision was clear, and she could see again, she looked back up, but the beautiful creature was gone. How odd, she pondered. She hadn’t even heard him take off. She wondered if she would have heard him.

  She continued to school, shrugging off the thought of the hawk. She passed by an old closed down retail shop and noticed something new. There was a sign in the window.

  Grand Opening

  January 4th

  ‘Between the Lines’ Bookstore and Gift Shop

  She peered in the window. It looked inviting, and very comfortable inside. She took a mental note, to come back and browse around sometime. She hadn’t known Interlochen was even getting a new book store.

  Shayna felt a sense of ease and relief as she walked to school. She told herself that it was time to accept the change that was beginning in her life. If she had secrets that she had no control over, then she was going to have to deal with them. She thought of her father and smiled. She knew that she had meant a lot to him. Marcus Verona had loved his twin daughters equally, but Shayna was different. She was special, and she and her father were connected in a way that he and Melina were not.

  Shayna knew that something inside of her had changed overnight. She could still not fathom why she felt so strongly for this new boy. Maybe it’s part of the change. She thought, and wondered if her emotions and way of thinking would change too.

  The art academy came into view, and Shayna thought of Melina.

  What am I doing? Shayna wondered if she should tell her sister how she was feeling about Cain. She wondered if Melina would even care, because she ‘saw him first’. The rule didn’t apply to the twins, but Melina could be pretty selfish sometimes.

  She tried to tell herself that she shouldn’t pursue Cain. When she thought of Melina upset with her over a boy, she felt embarrassed. She couldn’t betray her sister, even if the two twins barely knew each other anymore. But, as student after student passed her on the side walk in front of the school, she found herself searching for his face amongst them.

  First period felt like it dragged on. She could not wait to get out of there, she had to talk to Noah about Cain. She hoped he knew something, anything about him. She decided in class to tell Melina that she had an attraction to Cain. She didn’t know what would happen. She didn’t care. For God’s sake, neither one of them even knew him!

  When the bell rang she darted out of the biology lab, and went for the stairs, almost running into Derrick Jones at the top. He grabbed her as she stumbled backwards.

  “Sorry,” she smiled apologetically, “In a hurry.”

  Derrick laughed, “Yeah, I can see that.”

  Shayna pushed passed him and contiuned down the hall. Derrick had been Melina’s last victim. He was a nice good looking boy, but not someone Shayna saw her sister with anyway. Shayna felt sorry for Derrick though. He had been new in the fall, and Melina played her little ‘Welcome Wagon’ game, as always, and they had hooked up, but Melina dropped him like a bad habit, right after Christmas, when she found out about Cain moving to Interlochen. Melina disappointed her sister sometimes, Shayna knew that she would never find love and happiness, that way.

  Shayna had sent Noah a message telling him to meet her in class early. She walked into the Calculus room, and Noah was there waiting for her. She saw him and smiled.

  “What’s up?” he asked her. Shayna wanted a chance to talk to him before class. She sat down.

  “You meet the new guy?” she asked.

  “Yeah, he seems cool,” Noah said and leaned back in his chair. Shayna loved being around him. He made her laugh, he never tried to impress people either, he refused to care about what people thought. He was a lot more sociable than Shayna though. Sitting there with a fedora on his head, and Converses on his feet, she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “What?” he didn’t get it.

  “Nothing,” she said, pulling all of her long curls around her neck to one side, “What do you know about him?”

  “What do you want to know?” he asked her in a joking tone, and then realized, that, Shayna wants to know about a guy! “Wait what?” he demanded suspiciously.

  She couldn’t make eye contact with him, and turned her head away, “I’m curious, is all”

  Noah leaned closer to her, and caught her face and turned it towards his, “Cut the crap, Shayna, you are never curious about anyone,” he narrowed his eyes, “What’s really going on?”

  She looked at him and raised her eyebrow, to say, ‘Like you don’t know’.

  “No,” he sarcastically gasped, “No way!”

  “I can’t stop thinking about him,” she confessed, “I get butterflies in my stomach when I see him,” she couldn’t hold it back, “He was even in my dream—.”

  “What about the other guy?” Noah asked.

  “He was there too, I’ll tell you about the dream later,” she leaned even closer to him, the other students were beginning to shuffle in, “What’s worse,” she began to whisper, “Is that Melina saw him first.”

  “So,” Noah said annoyed, “That rule doesn’t apply to you, and who cares, you saw him yesterday morning, before he walked into the school, remember?” he raised one eyebrow toward her,”You saw him first.”

  “You’re right,” Shayna knew that the rule didn’t apply to her, and she felt ridiculous that she even cared. But, she had seen him first.

  “So what is your plan?” Noah asked grinning.

  “I’m not sure yet,” she told him, “I want to get to know him, and I’m going to tell Melina that I’m interested.”

  “Yeah?” he said, “You’re going to tell her?”

  “Well I should do it, sooner or later,” Shayna said, and then remembered why her and Noah had met early for in the first place. “What do you know about him?”

  “He moved here from northern California with his aunt. I didn’t ask him where his parents were, I figured he would have mentioned them, if they were around. But,” he said, “They’re going to turn that old place into a horse ranch.”

  “Really?” Shayna was intrigued, she absolutely loved horses. They were the only animal that didn’t freak out around her. “That’s good to know,” she said.

  Since Shayna was fifteen she worked at a horse ranch near the Sleeping Bear Dunes during the summers. She was having a hard time accepting what she was, and wanted to get away from everything, and everyone, and it was the only thing she could get Sarah to agree to. Shayna stayed at the ranch during the week, and would come home on the weekends.

  “What else do you know?” she asked Noah.

  He smiled at Shayna, “He likes fine art,” Noah knew that would get Shayna’s attention. “And he likes drawing portraits of people.”

  “Wow,” Shayna said, with a content smile, “This just keeps getting better.”

  Noah was amused. He had waited a long time for someone to catch Shayna’s attention. He was starting to think it wouldn’t happen. He wasn’t sure if it was because Shayna had high standards in boys, or in herself…or both. She was too focused on her life, and meeting all of her expectations of herself, to care or worry about dating.

  The teacher arrived to the classroom almost five minutes after the final bell rang. He began the class and Noah winked at Shayna and said, “You go girl!”

  Shayna was on her way to lunch and Delany stopped her, “Hey Shay, where’s Mel?”

  “Cramps, is my guess,” she said with a smile. They parted ways and Shayna decided to call and check on Melina, I should make sure she’s okay.

  She headed for the nearest bathroom searching for her cell phone in her backpack. She ducked in and went to the farthest stall at the end, and locked the door. The students weren’t allowed to use their phones wh
ile school was in session, but everyone broke the rules a little.

  Melina’s phone only rang, when the voicemail answered Shayna left her a message.

  “Hey Mel,” Shayna said into the phone, “It’s me, you alive? Call me,” she hung up, and put her phone back in her backpack.

  She left the stall, opened the bathroom door, and stepped out right into Cain. He was able to grab both of her upper arms, and stop her before they collided. She felt the strength in his hands as he held her, she looked up at him. His hold weakened when their eyes met.

  “Sorry,” she smiled and looked down embarassed. “I just keep running into people today.”

  “No harm done,” his voice was music. He released her, she could still feel his hands on her arms like electricity. “You seem like you are in a hurry.” he said.

  She was in a hurry, she had hoped to see him at lunch, but here he was, tall, dark, and handsome. “Not really,” she didn’t know what else to say.

  To be standing that close to her was almost unbearable to him. Everything about her was everything he had learned to crave and desire in the years that he had witnessed.

  “I’m very sorry,” he said quietly, “I have to go.”

  Without saying another word he turned and headed in the direction he had come from. Shayna stood in the hallway confused. What was that? she thought. Is he okay? She shook her head and turned in the direction of the cafeteria.

  Cain left Shayna and went straight to his car. He climbed in, leaned the seat back and closed the door. He did not know how to control this new emotion that he was feeling. The only thing that he knew to do, was to run. He wanted her blood so bad, but didn’t want to scar her soft ivory skin either. She was the most beautiful flower he had ever seen. Just to see her was hard, but to stand next to her, breath her in, and feel his throat burn and ache for her was something he had never felt before.

  Will she be like the others? He wondered.

  “No,” he said out loud, almost scaring himself. He refused to think of this girl like the others. This one is different, I won’t let it happen. He closed his eyes and thought of her sweet innocent face. He vowed to himself that Shayna would not be like them. He knew what he had to do with her, and he knew that he would not be able to stay away from her in the meantime. He waited for three centuries to find her, and he wasn’t about to just let her go. Not now.

  He wondered if she was even aware of what she was, or how she had survived so long already without her father. He wasn’t the the only one in the world that craved the blood that flowed through her veins. He got out of his flashy BMW and headed back into the school building. He realized walking in the doors, that Shayna was nestled in this small Northern Michigan community for a reason. To be secluded. As far as Cain knew there was only one other being on the planet that knew about Shayna, and he was more of a threat to Cain, than her.

  He went down the hall to the stairs and walked up. He tried to appear as much like the children of this learning instution, as he could. He approached a boy with sandy brown hair, and skin too tanned for winter. Instantly Shayna’s face was in Cain’s mind. The tan boy was thinking about her. The image in his mind changed from her face to her body. Cain became enraged when she stood before him, in his mind, in purple underwear. Cain passed the boy, and bumped into his shoulder, hard. The boy stumbled back, and they made eye contact.

  “Watch it,” Cain said to him, as serious, and as cold, as he could.

  The boys eyes widened. He looked away fearfully, and headed down the stairs. Cain would have to watch this one. His mind works differently than most others. He thought.

  Shayna walked into the art room, and was surprised and joyed to see Cain. Everyone was already positioned around the table. She had forgotten about the still life project. Shayna left her backpack at her table, took her sketchbook, and claimed her place. She looked over her shoulder, at Cain. He was intently looking down at his drawing. She watched him draw. He was perfect. He looked so beautiful and graceful sitting there. He looked up, and his emerald green eyes locked with hers. Although she was emarrassed that he had caught her looking at him, she couldn’t look away from him. He held her gaze for a moment longer, and then looked back down, and continued drawing.

  She couldn’t believe the feeling that ran through her body when their eyes met. Magical, was the only word to describe it. Her emotions were going wild, but she liked the feeling. She tried not to look at him that often, because she was sitting right in his line of vision of the still life, and she didn’t want him to think she was some kind of weirdo stalker. No wonder he is starring at me! She told herself. He has to try to see through me.

  This was all very new to Shayna, especially the feeling she got in the pit of her stomach everytime their eyes met. She had never been this interested in a boy, and she didn’t even know him. She continued with her own drawing, but her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Cain, she even considered staying home from college to get the chance to know him better. Don’t be an idiot! She told herself.

  Shayna closed her locker and prepared herself for the walk home. Once outside, she scanned the student parking lot for Cain’s car. It was nowhere in sight. She exited the campus thinking about the little book store she had seen. She decided to stop in. It opened today, she remembered.

  It wasn’t long before the little shop came into veiw. The open sign was made out of old redwood burl. She opened the door and stepped in. It was a quant little place with inscense burning, and numerous shelves of what seemed like ancient books. Standing behind the counter was an older woman with white hair, that Shayna did not recognize. Shayna smiled sweetly, and gave her a ‘Hello” and a nod.

  “May I help you find anything Dear?” the woman asked her.

  “No thank you,” Shayna replied. “Not at the moment, anyway,” Shayna ran her hand across a row of books. “I saw your sign, and thought I would browse around.” Shayna was never much of a ‘People Person’, but this woman had a good vibe about her.

  The woman stepped out from behind the counter. She wore a floor length floral skirt, and had a cane that looked like it was as ancient as the books in the store. “Feel free to look around, I have some work to tend to in the back, but if you need anything, just holler, my assistant or I will be right with you.” she told Shayna with a very sweet smile.

  Shayna didn’t see an assistant, she had thought the two were alone in the store. “Thank you” Shayna said, and returned the smile.

  The frail woman walked slowly to the back of the store and disappeared around the corner. Shayna looked around the shop until she found the section she was looking for. She was a little surprised at the size of the selection.

  MYTHS/LEGENDS/ and the PARANORMAL

  She was hopeful that she would find something, anything. She knelt down to the floor, deciding to start at the bottom, and started scanning the titles. Immortal Blood, Curse of the Night, and Sunlight. She grabbed Sunlight, and kept scanning until she found one she thought might be helpful.

  “No way,” she whispered to herself. She reached for the book, her heart pounding, hoping it was what she thought it was. The Halfling Princess was the title. With the book in her hands she stood up, and took a step backwards.

  “Whoa,” she heard and felt herself hit someone, knocking books onto the floor. “Sorry I didn’t see you down there,” Music.

  Not again! She thought. Shayna was in shock, there stood Cain, more handsome than ever, holding a partial stack of books. He works here! She quickly put the two books that were in her hand behind her back.

  Cain realized it was Shayna, and smiled and laughed, “I should have known it was you,” he said, “I have never run into sombody, literally, so many times in one day, in my life.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her cheeks flushed, “I really need to start watching where I’m going,” she thought back to Derrick, “You’re not the only one I’ve run into today,” she told him, embarassed.

  He laughed again, “Shayn
a, right?” he was trying to be coy.

  “Right,” she thought about the books she held in her hand, that she didn’t want him to see. “Cain, right?” she liked his coyness.

  “Are you finding everything okay?” he asked her, “This is definitely not your basic book store.”

  “I’ve noticed,” she smiled at him, “It is very,” she paused, “different, but yes, I am finding what I need,’ she said and hoped. “I’m just about done.” Shayna dreaded what was coming next, he would have to see the books she was purchasing, and any hopes she had of getting to know him better would be gone. He would probably think she was a freak.

  Cain looked toward the back, “Let me grab Aunt Mill for you, she’ll be happy to help you.”

  Shayna couldn’t believe her luck, although she was great full at the moment, she didn’t want him to go away either.

  “She’s your Aunt?” she never would have guessed, there was no resemblance at all.

  “Yes, we own the bookstore,” he looked toward the back again and whispered, “I know the store won’t be hugely popular, but we’re not trying to make money, we’re trying to be informative. People don’t know about this kind of stuff, and some want to know, while others deny it,” he raised an eyebrow at Shayna, she was embarassed again.

  She enjoyed talking with Cain, she had been waiting for this, but oh how she just wanted to pay for her books and hide them. She was disappointed when she realized he must have noticed her nervousness, and told her that Aunt Mill would be right out, and he excused himself and walked to the back.

  The old woman stepped out of the back and came to the counter. Up close Shayna could see that her old face looked oddly young, and beautiful. Her long silvery hair was pulled back in a loose braid, and it flowed down to her bottom. She must be his great aunt, Shayna thought to herself.

  “Ahh,” her smiling face was comforting, “I’m glad you found something, dear.”