Page 31 of Last Hope
“I know what it means!” His lieutenant didn’t flinch but Azizi could read the emotion on his impassive face. He hated to be taking orders fromhim.A vampire forever trapped within the body of an eleven year old child. But his appearance meant nothing, for he was older than he looked, misfortunate enough to be frozen in time but lucky enough to be the heir to Caesareon’s evil plans. And his first order of business had been to kill his Master’s murderer. A woman baring the name of his sister, a woman he hadn’t seen but had heard of from his Master.
Caesareon had told Azizi stories of the rebel Isis. He had painted portraits of her dark skin and hair; a queen of destruction who took on the name of his deceased sister as a mockery to them.
Learning of this vampire’s name brought a knife to his chest every time he heard it and every time they spoke of killing her. All he could see was his beloved sister’s image in his mind each time they spoke of the rebel. It was difficult to forget the same sun-bathed, dark skin and slanted eyes that were a mirrored image of his own.
“They say she just vanished out of their reach. As if she has fallen off the face of the earth. My guess is the witch of hers hid her with a spell.”
Azizi was pulled back to the reality at hand. There was no use dwelling upon thoughts of his sister. She had been killed years ago, buried with the ashes of his mother and of his people.
“Then you’ll have to use a different method to find her.” Azizi suddenly felt a large hole in his chest contract as if it might burst with the pain of his memories. “Go to the Santiago mansion where she once inhabited.” He sat on a nearby chair, aware of the eyes of the disciples that followed his every move around the room. “Search for her there.”
“Sir?”
Azizi looked up suddenly, at the eyes of all of the supernaturals that followed Caesareon—followedhim.They were all counting on him to raise Caesareon’s memory from the ashes in which he had burned and continue his legacy, to finish what he had started and to avenge him. And avenge him he would.
“Burn it to the ground,” Azizi whispered malevolently. “And burn everyone to the ground with it.”
18
Esmeralda had spent the night wandering the streets of Spain with Antonio guiding her. Never before had she seen a more beautiful place than his home. Cobblestone streets, street vendors on every corner selling fruits, sweets and breads; the art museums were very large and beautiful at least from the outside. Since everything was open during daylight hours, they didn’t get the chance to check those out. But it didn’t even matter to Esmeralda because she was with Antonio and she was happy.
But beneath that happiness, bitterness attempted to emerge and thoughts of Isis tried to dominate and make the guilt of leaving her best friend behind chew at her mind and soul. Even now, sitting in the grass and staring at the sky by Antonio’s side, the day’s happiness was overshadowed with negativity.
Dampness seeped through the backs of the black pants she had pulled on that night, and even though she wore a wool turtle neck, the chill of the fall air sent goosebumps all over her arms as she thought about what Isis could be doing in that particular instant. She voiced the question aloud.
“What do you think Isis is doing right now?” she asked Antonio, who was sprawled carelessly across the grass by her side, his hands settled behind his head like a pillow. He was in black pants with holes in the knees, black boots with shiny silver buckles, a T-shirt that matched the ruby red of her own sweater—the kind of red that reminded Ezzy of vampire blood—and his thick leather jacket. His eyes were closed, making it impossible to read his face when he replied.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Hopefully she’s gotten herself into hiding.” There was tightness in his voice at the subject. He was hurting as well, she knew, although he had attempted to avoid talk of Isis all together.
“I just wish we could hear from her.” Esmeralda sighed and leaned back on her palms, staring up at the starry sky. Although she felt safe, her heart was not at ease. She felt a deep longing in her chest forsomething.As if something were missing from her life—orsomeone.
“Ez,” Antonio whispered so softly, she almost didn’t hear him, as if the wind had drifted his voice over to her. She turned her blue eyes to him to find he had taken a hand away from the back of his head and was holding it out to her, palm upwards, moving his fingers beckoning her to come.
Ignoring the stain it would probably leave on her bottom, she slid herself closer to him and laid against the grass beside him. In an instant, he interlaced his fingers with hers. She sighed pleasurably and buried her face in the crook of his neck. The jagged edge of his swollen, white scar pressed the curve of her cheek.
“I love you, Ez,” Antonio whispered against the top of her head. “I’ll do anything to protect you. You may think I’m scum for bringing you here while Isis is in trouble, but you’re my family and I will not lose you.”
Esmeralda felt the tears slide down her cheeks before she felt them form in her eyes. “I know.” She buried herself deeper into the comfort of her Soul Mate. “I know.”
And he held her to his chest while she cried and repeated the same thing over and over again, each time causing her heart to feel a little less broken and a little more rational about the whole thing.
When she had finished, Antonio pulled her to her feet only to wrap his arms around her in a protective manner. “I want to show you something,” he said after a while and after he had released her. “I wanted to show you before, but I wanted to save the best for last.”
She was going to ask what it was exactly he wanted to show her, but he had already pulled her into a run at his side, further into the park and dodging clusters of trees and pedestrians as they did so.
When they finally stopped, Esmeralda was out of breath, she had to take a moment, leaning her hands against her knees and heaving. She wasn’t used to running at his speed yet, considering she was human. She straightened and turned to say as much to him but stopped in her tracks when she realized where they were. It was the most beautiful place she had ever set her eyes on.
A dirt pathway led up to one large cement step and then to a curved bridge with wooden steps and black metal rails. The top of the bridge formed a straight platform, only to curve downwards again. The wood and rails were thin yet appeared sturdy, below dark water was gently stirring with the wind. Fallen, golden leaves rested on the water’s surface like lily pads in a pond.
There was a certain peace about this place Esmeralda couldn’t quite describe or really even understand why. The whole park had been beautiful, but this place seemed to put her at ease, despite its extreme simplicity.
“This is where your parents first met,” Antonio whispered.
Esmeralda gave a little gasp of surprise when suddenly images filled her mind like a motion picture, as if she herself were living it.
Images of a brown haired man juggling a soccer ball in his hands laughing at a joke as if it were the funniest in the world and then suddenly going still as his gaze went up. He stopped and stared with wide eyes as if the rest of the world had fallen into an abyss away from him.
Then Esmeralda saw what it was he was staring at. A woman, small and curvy with bright red and gold hair that frizzed in disarray around her freckled face; her eyes were a bright blue and scrunched in confusion as she stared at her surroundings as if she were lost.“I’ll be back, go without me.”the brown-haired man—Ignacio, Esmeralda knew—said and rushed to meet the woman as she stormed away.
