Racing through the night, Gabriel guided his Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren through the dark streets as Alena sat next to him numb from the news. Her sister was alive, but as a vampire.
He had refused to tell her more than the fact that Lia was not dead and she was considered the true mate, or queen, of the vampire king of America, Edward King. Alena knew better than to keep asking Gabriel questions that he had refused to answer. Sitting quietly at his side she noted the beauty of the machine transporting them. The sleek black interior matched the night and, without benefit of headlights, Gabriel guided them through the pitch darkness as though they were flying through the air. To describe the controls as high tech would be a gross understatement. She felt intimidated by the amount of knowledge needed just to figure out the ignition and gears. Glancing at the man who dominated most of the interior, Alena concluded that this automobile was built for him. Dropping her eyes to her hands folded in her lap, she wondered who had previously occupied the seat where she now sat.
"Only females worthy of being seen with him in this car," she thought miserably. "God, what happened to me? "
Interrupting her thoughts, Gabriel said, "We'll be there in twenty minutes. I don't know how much you remember about life in the mansion, so if you have any questions, ask them now," he offered with a glance in her direction.
"I don't know what to ask. I can't even think. I'm going to see my sister but she's not the sister that I've known for twenty-five years. So you'll have to excuse me if I'm just not concerned with vampire protocol."
"Damn it, Alena," he growled, slamming the brakes, "What the fuck happened to you?"
"Don't" she whispered, turning towards the window to hide the instant tears.
"Baby...,"
"Please don't," her voice resonating loudly in the confined space. "Just take me to see her, find an exception for me and return me to the world where I belong."
She turned toward him in time to see the fury rise and then hide behind his glimmering black eyes. The tightness in her chest became unbearable, like an invisible weight was lying on her breast. Concentrating on her breaths, she ignored the tremors in her hands and focused on gaining a façade of control.
They completed their journey in silence until Gabriel slowed the car and turned onto an unlit side road. "We're entering the property now," he informed her. "Just stay close to me and you'll be safe." The car slowed again when they reached an electronic gate with Gabriel acknowledging the guards before continuing through the entrance. The landscape changed from a deserted road to a manicured lawn surrounding the road that was now an obvious driveway. In the horizon, distant lights indicated their approach to a very large building.
"My God, Gabe, how big is this place?"
"It's the American king's mansion. I've told you that it houses Edward's entire court in addition to the several human families in service. Almost three hundred people live here not including the suites for visiting dignitaries. What did you expect?"
"Well, I didn't think it would look like the Holiday Inn Express but this looks like a fortress, or a cathedral, or," she paused, "a castle."
"Edward is a king," he chuckled, "with or without your approval."
Ignoring his jibe, Alena leaned towards the window trying to see the magnificent gardens running parallel with the drive. Tropical flowers adorned the view with a variety of reds, oranges and yellows. The mixture of vibrant blooms and landscape lighting resembled the sparkling inventory in a jeweler's display case. In the center of the lane, a black marble fountain, that surpassed the size of most family swimming pools, boasted a large structure barely visible despite the accent lighting.
As they neared the mansion, she noticed that every window, more than she could quickly count, was lit as though every room was currently being used. The front appeared to be a few hundred feet wide, and built with white stones glowing in the night. The overall effect was similar to a preserved, national monument but softened with the personal touches that identified this place as someone's home.
As Gabriel stopped the car, the mansion's front door opened and a man moved quickly from the entrance to the passenger door of the car to assist Alena.
"Congratulations on your success," the man said to Gabriel, who was walking around the back of the car.
"We'll see if 'success' is the right word," he replied, tossing the keys to the man.
Their exchange snapped Alena back to her reason for being there. The reminder, that Lia who was once presumed dead but was now in this house, spurred her to action. Racing up the stairs to the door, she abruptly stopped in response to a verbal command.
"Stop"! Gabriel growled. She felt the controlled strength of his hand as his fingers wrapped tightly around her arm. "I told you to stay by me," he said looking from her to the man who had greeted them.
Looking at that man, she noticed that his eyes held the same unnatural glint as Gabriel's. Although she felt no attraction to him, Alena could not deny that this man was comparable to Gabriel in stature, looks, and demeanor. He, too, was a vampire.
"His majesty and lady are waiting for you in the foyer," the man addressed Gabriel while staring at Alena. Gabriel merely nodded as he escorted her up the remaining steps closer to the door.
Responding to his gentle touch and knowing her sister was a few feet away, she felt her heart race as they approached the light streaming through the door. Even with her knowledge of young vampires, Alena was confident that she was safe. Crossing the threshold, her energy surged in anticipation of the reunion. As her eyes searched the room, a smile lit her face revealing the youthful dimples that had been hidden beneath her pain. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the woman. Long ago, Gabe had explained the change from human to vampire as a transformation from a diseased, decaying mortal to a mature, eternally young, body of perfection as Adam and Eve had been in the Garden of Eden.
There was no mistaking the woman for anyone other than Lia but gone was the wardrobe, which Alena had described as an advertisement for a cheap thrill, now replaced by the glamorous, dark blue dress. The self administered highlights were missing and now long, dark hair that would certainly feel like mink crowned her head. Even the dark eyeliner and deep shades of eye shadow were replaced by bright, natural skin accenting the brilliant green eyes.
Those eyes that stared at her revealed absolutely no recognition.
"Lia?" Alena said taking a step towards her. With growls, Gabriel moved in front of Alena while the man next to Lia pulled her behind him.
"I'm no longer Lia," the woman's song voice replied. "I'm now Iona," she offered while searching the visitor's face for something familiar.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Alena quickly said, "I forgot that you'd have a new identity," she looked to Gabriel for help but his eyes were fixed on her sister's companion.
When Alena followed Gabriel's stare, she saw that Edward King was staring at her. He looked like a man that was obeyed, not from fear, but from respect. His sapphire eyes, contrasted by the dark hair and brows, bore into hers as though he was determining her intentions. His big body, although a couple of inches shorter than Gabriel's six foot eight inches, stood alert, ready to protect his mate.
Taking a calming breath, Alena smiled and said, "You look beautiful, Iona. Although it's apparent that you don't remember me, I'm glad that you are alive and well." When she had finished, she leaned into Gabriel wishing she could absorb some of his strength. The awkward silence forced Alena to look back at the woman who had once been her sister and realize that while Lia was alive she was lost to her former life. Absorbing this truth, Alena stared at Lia with tears of this new loss ripping from her heart through her eyes.
As Lia watched this strange woman, she observed the range of emotions from excitement to misery and felt the pain of knowing she had somehow been the cause of this woman's sorrow.
"I'm sorry but I don't remember..," she stopped when the woman's tears poured over her cheeks. She stepped closer, pulling away from Edward, to see the woman's bottom lip tremble.
Lia tilted her head watching the woman's reaction. "I've caused your pain," she stated as the onslaught of tears burned into her soul. "I'm sorry. I don't understand any of this," she hurriedly started in explanation. "I'm new and I don't remember my former life but there's something missing and we thought that if you could accept me, then I would be able to adjust," she said as she took steps closer to Alena.
