Keone
His skin prickled as he entered the dark alleyway. He was being beckoned by Angel. This rarely happened. There the man of the hour stood, in his dark clothing and even darker gaze.
Keone quirked up a brow. "You summoned?"
"She's awakened." Additional context was not given. Not that it was needed.
Her face popped into his head. Big, brown eyes. Thick brows. Plump lips. Curls and frizz surrounding her head. "Who?"
A muscle ticked in Angel's jaw. "Watch. Your. Next. Words."
Keone sighed, dragging a palm over his buzz cut. He hadn't seen Angel this pissed since, well... ever. "Where is she?"
"In her apartment. Most likely traumatized and confused. With her lover." Angel unfolded his arms and removed something from the inside pocket of his jacket. It was a folded piece of paper.
Keone accepted it. He opened it and read the words. "They filed a police report..." Blood tests pending.
"A witness statement. Notice how it doesn't mention anything about an attack."
Keone stuffed the paper in his pocket. Too many emotions flowed throughout his body, landing in the pit of his stomach and the hollow part of his chest. The terror in her eyes was quickly followed by the life leaving them. Then, they closed and she was gone. He lingered more than he had meant to, but he left her there, a corpse covered in blood. "I fucked up."
"You've only now come to this conclusion?" Angel chuckled. It was an off-putting sound that lacked any kind of amusement. "Had she spoken of the man with red eyes in an official, government documentâdo you understand the exposure that could have resulted? After all these centuries, I didn't think I'd associate impulsive or naive with my supposed top soldier."
Keone looked down at Angel's leather boots. "I should have listened to you."
"She clearly has no knowledge of the undying world. While she was and is a mystery, she was in no way a threat. We could have taken advantage of that. Now?" Angel shook his head. In the next second, he seized Keone by the throat and had him up against the nearest brick wall. He squeezed until the vampire was gasping. It was nothing more than a show of dominanceâif he wanted Keone dead, Keone would be dead before the next blink of an eye. "Now, she will never trust us. After what you did, you may have just made us an enemy that I, Death, do not understand. That. Is. Not. Good."
Keone was as tense as ever but said nothing, even as he felt his windpipe crushing. He doubted any words would satiate the seething Angel.
"You're going to make amends. You'll do whatever it takes. You'll keep her safe." He released Keone onto the concrete. "And you will keep the undying from finding out about Ms. Jiménez for as long as fucking possible."
"Yes, sir."
Death took a step closer. "If you disobey me again, Keone..."
"I won't fail you."
Renata
"I will be okay, I swear," Renata reassured a dubious Diamond. "I don't want you missing any more work for me. If something else was going to happen, it would have." It had been two days since the incident took place. The one where she briefly died.
In the meantime, they both went out and purchased a costly alarm system for the apartment. She could even access the cameras via her cellphone. Two more, stronger tasers were hidden throughout the apartment, and Renata was now the reluctant owner of a semi-automatic pistol.
It was becoming obvious that nothing Renata said would truly comfort either of them, "Fuck work. How can I dance when there's a psycho out there who tried to kill my best friend?" Diamond was standing at the counter, wine glass in hand.
Renata snorted. "Well, the fucker didn't tryâ"
Diamond walked over and sat across from Renata with those pleading eyes of hers. She grabbed her hands and pressed her fingertips in until they turned white. "This is not helping your case. What if he finds out you pulled a Lazarus? We should have told the police when we first had the chance. It's not too lateâ"
Renata pulled out of her grasp only to come by her side and hug her from the middle while kneeling. "It means everything that you're here for me, Diamond. But as much as I'm enjoying being your damsel," she looked up at her, briefly eyeing her blue hair, "I know there are plenty of bills waiting on you. I would hate to put you behind."
Diamond leaned back to look at her with furrowed brows. "You know damn well I am living comfortably, just like you...but I should at least get back for tonight, and Natalia's been on my line too, something about 'get your ass back here asap'." Diamond didn't say anything, and simply just watched Renata. The next time she spoke, it was with a far more quiet and gentle tone. "I just keep thinking you're gonna go somewhere if I look away for even a second."
Renata grimaced. She couldn't blame Diamond for feeling this way, yet she knew entertaining it too much would be debilitating for them both. "I'm not going anywhere, clearly." Renata stood up. "Who knows, maybe I'm immortal."
Diamond laughed. "God, I hope so." Her eyes suddenly lit up with hope. "Hey, why don't you hang out at 'Nope' while I work? That way I can still keep an eye on you or someone can keep an eye on you at the very least."
Renata was trying to politely kick Diamond out of her apartment, but it appeared Diamond didn't pick up on this at all. Figures. Of course, Renata wasn't that okay and would appreciate her company after a little space. "I probably should get away from this place...what if I meet up with you later? Actually, maybe I'll just head to your place, keep the bed warm for you."
Finally, Diamond was slightly satisfied. She got out of her seat and grabbed her purse. She approached Renata and put her hands on her shoulders. "Will you check in with me every couple of hours? Even just a text will make me feel better. I just need to knowâ"
Renata laughed, but it didn't come out as light-hearted as she had meant it too. It sounded anxious. "Diamond. I don't mind sending a text." She hugged Diamond again. "Listen, I'm as scared as you are, but...we'll figure this shit out. It's gotta make sense eventually, right?"
Diamond sighed, and clutched onto her like a gust of wind threatened to sweep them off their feet and apart. "Right."
After ten more minutes of checking the windows and rooms and every damn corner of the house, Diamond finally left with one last hug.
Renata's home quieted with a cold kind of hush. It felt like the warmth had seeped out of it, leaving behind an emptiness, a coldness that threatened to make her sick. She rubbed her arms and looked around, listening as Diamond's footsteps retreated. It was in the afternoon, so the apartment was still filled with a decent amount of daylight.
She clutched onto her silver necklace, the same one she had to leave in a jewelry cleaner for hours, because her blood had soaked into crevices a soaked q-tip couldn't reach. Her eyes sought the kitchen area for the thousandth time. Her mouth trembled and her nose burned with the threat of tears, reaching the corners of her eyes. A chill rippled through her as she saw herself being held against that refrigerator by the man with red eyes, the demon with red eyes. She could still see the hate in them, could hear the impossible questions he shoved at her, before eventually shoving a knife into her over and over againâher free hand sought the thick scars on her midsection. His heavy steps still echoed in her mind as she felt herself drift away, to another place far from here.
But not far enough.
After letting a few tears slip and getting herself together, Renata knew just what she needed. So, she stripped out of her clothes, double-checked that her weapon was still in her bedside drawer, and got underneath her gray covers.
She didn't expect to fall asleep quickly considering her thoughts were racing and every little noise and creak made her eyes flick open, yet somewhere along the way, her exhaustion took control and she finally allowed herself to succumb to slumber.
She knew she was dreaming the next time she became aware of her surroundings. As aware as she could be in this kind of state, anyway.
Renata looked around. Blue skies. White, puffy clouds. Sand beneath the soles of her feet, sand so soft that she sank in just a bit. The seagulls were obnoxious, but not louder than the waves ahead that crashed and crashed, piercing forward only to retreat. She was even wearing her favorite cotton dress, and the warmth of the sun made her feel like maybe she did make it to heaven.
She started to walk along the beach, smiling to herself.
Now this? This was a dream.
Then, to her curiosity, she saw someone sitting about twenty feet off to the distance, closer to the salt water. All she could make out was dark hair, tan skin, and a creme shirt and pants.
Renata was so serene at that moment, she decided to keep her leisure pace. All her worries faded away. She just wanted to enjoy the moment, even with him accompanying her. Whoever he was.
He finally looked her way as she got within a couple feet of him. She stopped when she recognized that face, a face she could never forgetâexcept for one thing, his eyes were brown, well, two differences, because his hair was longer and wavy, combed back. Handsome.
Renata stopped. She should have ran away, should have screamed. Though, being in paradise like this, she trusted he couldn't hurt her here. She didn't know how she knew, she just did. Good enough.
Her voice came out calm but accusing still. "Why did you do that to me?"
His eyes, human eyes, scanned her face, searching. She didn't really care if he found what he sought. "I shouldn't have." Was that his version of 'I'm sorry'? He didn't seem like the kind of person to apologize, not that she would accept it from him.
She swallowed. Renata was glad he didn't stand. It probably would have spooked her and ruined everything. "I've never hurt anyone. Ever. I didn't deserve that." She folded her arms in front of her, wanting to shield herself from his imposing presence.
"No," he frowned, "you didn't." That's it?
She took a step backward. Renata was past fed-up, although it was obvious he wanted to talk. As much as she wanted to tell him to fuck off, she didn't have anywhere else to go. "What do you want from me? Why am I here with you of all people?"
"I brought you here." Of course, this was too good to be true.
Renata's heartbeat remained steady. She was physically relaxed. Her emotions even felt dampened and softened. In spite of all of that, this calming effect could only work so much on an infuriated woman. "So, I'm not dreaming?" The disappointment was only a background hum she acknowledged.
"No, you are. I've penetrated your dreams." She wanted to chop off his head at his use of the word 'penetrated' as the man turned to look ahead at the water. "If I came to you in person, you wouldn't have been receptive to me."
Renata laughed. "You know what? That checks out. You thought, well, I've already fucked her up while she's conscious, let me make her feel the same while asleep." She rubbed at her temples and could sense the patience lain across her body was rapidly thinning. "I may be in 'zen-mode' right now, but you are still the most vile thing I've ever met. You fucking attacked me in my own home. You don't even know who I am. And you did it in the most painful way possible. Not a bullet to the brain or a snap of the neck. No, instead, you left me to bleed out for god knows how long. And I did." She lifted her dress to show off the unmissable marks on her skin, uncaring that she was flashing him. "So, you're wrong, I will never be receptive to you. You fucking piece of shit. You stay away from me or it'll be me doing the killing."
She turned to walk away.
"That's where you're wrong," he called out after her. She looked back to see him standing, as though he'd always been standing before her, towering over her as he did during their first encounter.
Renata recoiled. This euphoric space was morphing into a nightmare she couldn't escape. "Stay back."
"I can't do that." Was that actual remorse on his face? "We have more in common than you think, Renata." Her name rolled off his tongue like an ancient spell.
"I don't care!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, wanting to be as far away from him as possible. "Stay the fuck away from me, you murderer."
"A year is all I will give, but we will meet again." The voice was right in her ear, yet as she looked around, the details swirled with blackness until it was all being taken away. She crumpled downard as she was certain she was losing her mind.