Infinitas 1 - Warriors of Faith (5 page)

Eva got herself a glass of milk and turned on the radio softly, all the while trying to avoid starring at his huge biceps, which were visible through his sweater. »Would you like something to drink?« Eva asked holding up her own glass. Shia declined.

»Security.
That’s a fairly broad business.
And at your age.« Shia ran his hand through his hair and laughed.
She looked into his dark green eyes, noticed his high cheekbones and symmetrical features.
He was so handsome and with his build and muscular arms, he was a presence, which deserved respect.
Only his face was that of a twenty year old.

»Thanks for the compliment, but my college days were awhile back.« How long exactly, Shia kept to himself. »I’m thirty-two actually and work for a security company which specializes in personal and building security.
Most of the time I have the shift from 6 pm to 1 am.
Does that answer all your question, Eva?« It was hard for Eva to break eye contact with him.

»I see, then you’re a bodyguard!« She took off her jacket and put her holster containing the pistol and her badge onto the counter to see how Shia would react.
When he raised an eyebrow in question, she explained:
»Seattle Police Department.« »You’re a cop?« »Yes, I’m a profiler and was called up here to work on a case and then transferred permanently from L.A.«

»I guess that makes us colleagues to some degree.« Shia stated and then removed his own weapon from the back waistband of his pants and set it down on the counter next to Eva’s pistol.

Her eyes widened subtly and she swallowed hard.
„I assume your weapon is registered?« »
Yup!
« Shia smiled at her provocatively. Eva lifted her glass and drank a sip of milk.
She had wanted to shock him with her gun, but the effect seemed to have backfired.
Now she was the one starring annoyingly at his weapon.
For a moment, no one spoke and only the quiet music coming from the radio filled the room.

Shia recognized that it would be better to go, but something was holding him there.
He looked over at Eva and knew what it was.
She was the woman he’d been waiting for his entire life.
The fact that she was a mortal was something he was trying to ignore.
He’d seen her the first time about a week ago while watching the police secure a crime scene, where a person had been found murdered in an alley near a new club.
The body of the woman was covered in bites and Shia was sure that vampires were responsible.
He’d seen Eva’s blond hair illuminated in the dark, like a beacon from a lighthouse leading him to her.
He could not get enough of her clear blue eyes, which lit up like stars in the sky.
She looked so familiar to him, but he wasn’t sure from where.
A day later when he was coming back from the beach, he saw her getting out of her car.
He immediately took in her scent, even before he saw her slender body and golden blond hair.
The fragrance of lavender after a summer rain drifted into his nose.
Ever since, he’d watched her every night hoping to meet her. Being so close to her now, to breath in her scent was making him crazy.
He knew he should go, but he couldn’t.

»Why did you transfer? Not because of the gorgeous weather here, I gather?« He laughed quietly.
»No, definitely not.
It was because of a murder case.«

Shia looked into her eyes and sensed a deep sadness.
He wanted to take her into his arms, but he painstakingly held himself back.

»Were you not able to solve it?«
He dug a little deeper. »No, it happened about a year ago and I haven’t been able to find any answers.
The victim was a police officer, my husband, actually.«

Shia was focused on Eva’s thoughts and emotions.
He could see the emptiness creating her pain.
She didn’t talk about it and had buried the memories, but he had to find out more about Eva and her sorrow.
In order to help her, he would need information.
Shia wished so much that he could protect her from all harm.

»I’m so sorry, Eva!« She nodded. »It’s okay.
I’ve gotten over it.
He was called out on assignment and was killed in the line of duty.
One of the risks of the job.
You must know how that is. Your job is dangerous as well. « She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. »When we got married, I knew what I was getting myself into.« »How long were you married?« A feeling of jealousy began to eat away at him.
»About two years.
I couldn’t take L.A. anymore so I came up here to start a new life.« She lifted the glass to her mouth and drank the last of the milk.
She looked over at the radio just as a new song was beginning to play and her eyes changed their expression.
Something unrecognizable to most people, Shia registered the emotion, which the song awakened and noticed the sorrow in her face.
He moved away from the counter and walked slowly towards Eva.
»Is there something about this song?« »
Over and Over,
an old hit from Fleetwood Mac. We used to listen to this song together, that’s all.« There was an embarrassing silence.
»Come here.« He took her hand and pulled her into his arms.

»What are you doing?« she asked quietly, letting it happen and then swayed with Shia slowly to the music, allowing herself a moment of weakness in his arms.
»I hope that the next time you hear this song, it makes you smile.« He pulled her closer to him and they moved slowly to the rhythm of the music.
»And you think that dancing with you will magically make a smile appear on my face?« She didn’t look up at him, but instead rested her cheek on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
His heart was beating quietly, while her heart was racing.
She’d often found herself in difficult situations, but this, dancing in the kitchen with a strange man in the middle of the night, was beyond reason.
»Uh-huh,« responded Shia full of assurance. He placed his finger lightly on the small of her back and pulled her a little closer to him.
»You are pretty convinced of yourself, Mr. Keane.« »I’m a just warrior.« He stopped for a moment and lifted Eva’s chin with his finger so that be could look into her eyes.
»A warrior of faith!« She nodded subtly as he lowered his head and kissed her. First soft and tenderly and then, when Eva returned his kiss, more urgently.
He pulled her tightly into his arms, as if not wanting to ever let go.
The scent of lavender and summer rain was too irresistible and the hiss of her blood too overpowering.

As he played with her hair, it fell loosely through his fingers.
She opened up her lips slightly and allowed his tongue to explore her mouth.
He could taste traces of mint, orange and sweet milk. Shia was literally salivating, overwhelmed by all the tastes and smells.

His fangs came alive and he couldn’t hold them back.
It took him an incredible amount of energy to tear himself away from her mouth, an energy almost super human.
Eva was captivating and her kiss, absolutely enchanting.
He rested her head on his shoulder and caressed her hair.

»Oh my God, Shia,« said Eva gasping. She was so aroused that she felt faint and rested herself against him.
He looked down at Eva and saw the light skin of her neck shining beneath her blond hair.
He saw her jugular pulsing and could smell the dark blood flowing through her veins.
His heartbeat emulated hers and began beating in unison, and then he slowly sunk his teeth into her neck. He hadn’t wanted to get so close to her, but she’d been so tempting and he hadn’t been able to resist.

It was the first time in over one hundred years that he’d totally forgotten and ignored what and who he was.
He sucked the lifeblood from her body into his own in long, greedy gulps, allowing her to become part of him.
She tasted amazing, exactly as he had imagined. No, even better actually, than he could have ever imagined.

Eva only slightly sensed the bite.
The pain only lasted a second, as Shia’s teeth sunk into her neck, but as soon as she heard the quiet sucking in her ear, she only became more erotically aroused.
She should have fought against him, but her body was not capable of doing so.
Instead, she pulled herself even closer to him, like a drowning person pulling itself towards the shore.
Her body was on fire.
She was ablaze and was relishing the pleasure spreading through her body.
She felt like her insides were going to burst into flame if she didn’t pull herself away from him, but she couldn’t do it.
All she wanted was to stay in Shia’s arms, to breath him in and to give him her blood.
She slipped into a condition of absolute submission, so she closed her eyes and completely let herself go.

Deep mouthfuls quenched his thirst and calmed his stirring soul.
He began to breath normally again and he drew back from Eva.
She was lying helplessly in his arms, as he brushed his hand across her eyes to steal her thoughts, and let her fall into a deep sleep.
At the same time, he erased all memory of him and of the events of the last hour.
She would only remember getting out of the car, but would have no recollection of their discussion, dancing together, or the bite.
The little wound on the side of her neck would heal by morning.
Without waking her, he picked Eva up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
The house wasn’t very big and he was able to find the room right away.
He put her down on the bed, removed her shoes and attentively covered her up.
He lightly brushed a few strands of her blond hair from her face, kissed her lips and then left the room.
When he reached the door, he turned around to look at her, to imprint the image of her sleeping in his mind; like an angel smelling of lavender and summer rain.
Down in the kitchen he picked up his SIG handgun and tucked it into the back waistband of his pants and then left the house unseen.

Channing was standing in front of the mirror studying his tattoo, which really covered a large part of his body.
›Primus inter pares – First among equals!‹
Whatever that was supposed to mean. He kept on repeating the words over and over
:
›Memento te hominem esse – Remember that you are but a man!‹
What was he exactly? Shia had asked him to be patient, but he was pretty much at the end of his rope.
How could he be something, which doesn’t even exist? Well, at least he assumed there was no such thing as vampires, but Shia had told him a different story.
Whether or not his reason told him otherwise, vampires existed and he was now one of them.
He couldn’t dismiss the facts, regardless of what his head was telling him.
He wasn’t alone either. Shia and Maroush were also vampires.
Channing shook his head in confusion.
He had to get a grip on reality.

He got dressed quickly and went looking for Shia.
The house was huge and in the basement area, accessible via the garage as well, was the gym, the firing range and a meeting room containing a large table where at least ten people could sit.

As he ran down the hallway, he could hear voices and immediately noticed that Shia was not among them.
He entered the room hesitantly and saw four large men sitting casually around the table, all wearing the same combat attire.
»Channing, come in.
Let me introduce you to the others!« Maroush got up from his chair and came up to him.
Everyone else was silent, looking at him curiously.
»This is our team.
This is Ruben in front. He’s from New York.
Next to him is Jôrek from Finland and Aragón is Spanish.« »
Buenas tardes!
« Channing nodded towards each warrior. »Where is Shia?« he turned to Maroush and asked.
Laughing out loud, Maroush sat down again.
»He’s investigating
how to get laid,
« added Jôrek. »Last week at a stakeout, Shia noticed a cop, who happens to live a few houses down the street and now he spends every night lurking around hoping to fire up his love life!« Everyone laughed again.
»And what’s so funny about that?« Channing didn’t quite understand.
»Well.« Ruben stood up and leaned against the wall.
»This cop happens to be named Eva, got it?« Grinning, he slapped Channing on the back and he couldn’t help but grin slightly to himself.
The door opened and as Shia entered the room taking powerful steps, the laughing stopped. »Sorry, guys.
I’m a little late.« »
Sí
, no problem, man, we don’t mind waiting.«
Aragón spoke with a heavy Spanish accent.
»And what have you been able to find out? Is there more evidence of vampire attacks?« Shia shrugged his shoulders. »No idea.
I couldn’t get information that fast.«
»You mean you weren’t able to interrogate her so quickly?«