Shadows of My Heart

Chapter 3

Leo’s POV “You can’t go with Faith for coffee.” I knew my voice was flat and final. “In fact, we need to leave this house and go somewhere else.” I watched as Emma’s eyes narrowed. She really didn’t like being told what to do. 

“I’m all for never stepping foot in this house again. In fact, I’d burn it to the ground with everything in it if I could, but who are you to tell me where I can and can’t go?”

My arms crossed over my chest and I allowed my eyes to show my true age. “I know I appear to be your age, no more than a mere boy, but let me assure you. I’m over two hundred years old and when it comes to vampires I know a little bit more than you.”

She fully turned to face me now. “How old are you anyway?”

“When I turned, I had just celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday. That was in the year 1799. So I suppose I’m…” The answer surprised him as well. He hadn’t thought about it much over the last decades. Time had passed as it always did for him. Slow and painful. “Two hundred and forty-six years old, including my human years.”

Emma let out a whistle. “So, why can’t I get coffee with Faith again?”

I had already begun to understand Faith’s frustration with her and attempted to remain calm. “My maker, Sebastian, did this to you to lure me here. He’s around White Oaks somewhere, waiting and watching.” I was pleased to note that she paled at that. “You are still in danger and by associating with Faith, so is she.”

“I saw you talking to her. Twice. Aren't you putting her in danger too?” Her voice was smug and I wanted to shake her.

“Yes. But no more. I can’t.” I turned around. “Sebastian was invited into this house by someone. That means he can come back whenever he wants. We need to go to a house owned by a human where he can’t get in. It’s your only protection.”

“And how do you suggest we do that? I don’t have any real friends and my family…” Her lip quivered again and she stopped. “I don’t know anyone who we could stay with. What about a hotel?”

I shook my head. “Hotels are accessed by the public. The rules don’t apply.”

“Is this guy--this vampire--stronger than you?” 

“Yes.”

“How strong?”

I sighed. “After I was turned, I wanted nothing more than to kill him for what he did to me and my family. I hunted him for twenty years with no luck, but I did find out his name, how old he is, and where he comes from. He’s twice as old as me. It would take ten vampires my age to kill him. And even then, it’s incredibly hard to kill a vampire.”

“How do you do it? A stake? Sunlight? Holy water?”

I smiled. “No. Stakes are worthless, sunlight only weakens us, and holy water is a joke. Although, the older a vampire gets the weaker he gets in the sun. Sebastian is at least five hundred years old. Catching him in broad daylight won’t be easy.”

As I was explaining things to her, a thought began forming in my mind. I took out my phone and dialed a number.

“Leo?”

“Jasper. I need your help.”

Faith’s POV At my vanity, I brushed my hair and pondered Leo’s strange behavior earlier. I’d thought he liked me but maybe not. Why did I ask him out like that? He obviously didn’t appreciate it. It was frustrating. I slammed my brush down and threw myself onto my bed dramatically. Leo was the hottest guy I’d ever seen and I thought he’d been into me at first. 

Argh! I shoved off my bed and left to go downstairs. Suddenly, someone knocked on the front door. Opening the door, I saw an older man, around thirty-five, pale, with black hair and a wooden cane. His eyes were incredibly intense and dark. Almost black.

Immediately, I disliked him. There was a danger about him that made me tense. “Yes?”

He smiled which did nothing to make me less nervous. “Hello. Faith, is it?”

My eyes narrowed. “Yes. Have we met?”

“No, we have not. My name is Sebastian. I’m a … friend of a friend. Leonardo, or Leo, as I believe he goes by now.”

I moved closer into the doorframe. “You’re a friend of Leo’s?” Doubt was written all over my face. I could tell he noticed. He seemed to be cataloging every detail about me.

“A very old friend. I was hoping you could get in touch with him for me?”

“I just met him. I don’t have his number and I don’t know where he’s staying.”

He replied smoothly. “I believe on the phone he said something about staying at Emma’s? Emily? Something like that.”

“Emma? No, he doesn’t even know her. Also, how did you know where I live?” This was starting to get creepy. “And if you know where he is then why do you need me to call him?”

Sebastian’s smile curved higher. “Oh, Faith, there’s no need to be afraid of me right now. I know I must seem like a strange lunatic, coming here like this, but I assure you that if you call Emma’s house right now and tell Leo I’m here he will come in no time.”

Something about his tone made it seem as though I had no choice. My parents weren’t home and I was all alone. Maybe Leo could sort this out. I dug my phone out from the waistband of my shorts and scrolled down to Emma’s number. It rang a few times and then she answered.

“Yeah?”

“This is gonna sound weird but is there a guy named Leo living with you?” I kept my eyes trained on Sebastian making sure he wasn’t going to try to come in. 

Silence greeted my question. 

“Hello? Emma? Is Leo there?”

“Why are you asking?”

A little spurt of jealousy pricked me. He was there. “Put him on the phone, please. It’s important.”

“There’s no one here. I gotta go.”

Sebastian’s eyes were boring into my face. “Emma,” I snapped, “put him on the phone.”

There was more silence. Then I heard Leo’s voice. “Faith?”

“Um, yeah, hi. I know this is weird but a friend of yours is standing in front of my door. He wanted me to call you.”

“A friend? Faith, I don’t have any--”

I cut him off. “Sebastian? He said his name was Sebastian and he was an old friend of yours.” Another bout of silence. I was losing my patience. “Leo, what’s going on? Who is he and why didn’t you say you were staying with Emma?”

I looked over at Sebastian and felt a stab of fear. He was gone.

“Listen, Faith, he’s not my friend. Do not let him into your house. Do you understand? Don’t go outside. Just wait for me.”

“He’s gone,” I whispered, walking over to the front door. It was still wide open but Sebastian wasn’t there. Did he sneak inside while I wasn’t watching? “I think he’s inside my house, Leo.”

“Did you tell him he could come in?”

“No.”

“Then he’s outside somewhere. Stay inside. I’ll be there in a sec. Keep talking to me.”

“You don’t know where I live.”

“Emma does. Hold on.”

I was growing more and more terrified with every passing second. “I think he’s really gone. I don’t see anything outside.”

“He’s there. You just can’t see him.”

This was not how I wanted to get Leo’s attention. I laughed humorlessly and crouched down by the side window to scan the area. Sure enough, headlights bounced off the oak tree in my front yard only a minute later. He must’ve done eighty miles per hour to get here that fast. Leo and Emma jumped out of the car but I saw him shove her behind him, protectively. The jealousy came flaring back. Did she have to screw everyone I liked?

I put away those thoughts and hurried over to the door to open it. Emma bounded up the steps and inside before I even could say ‘Come in’, but Leo just stood in the doorway. “What are you doing?”

He scanned the area behind him. “You have to invite me in, Faith.”

I laughed. “What are you, a vampire?” When he looked at me, his expression was not amused. “Okay, okay, come in.” I stood to the side to let him in and then shut and locked the door. “Okay, what is going on?” I put my hands on my hips and glared at them.

Emma just stared at me and then at Leo. Leo ran a hand through his hair, helpless as to what to say apparently. Finally, it was Emma who spoke. “Just tell her, Leo. She deserves to know. I don’t want the same thing to happen to her that happened to me.”

Leo glanced at her and then looked at me and sighed.

“What?” I demanded. “What is it?”

Slowly, Leo walked over to me and stared down. His face was full of regret. “The man who was here earlier was not a man, Faith.”

I frowned. “Not a man? Um, I’m pretty sure he was.”

“He was a vampire.”

A freaking what?

“And so am I.”