Seeing Eternity

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please be warned that the erotic scene in this chapter does not come until you have patiently read through most of the text.

This installment had been subjected to more than a dozen edits, two of which had seen the deletion of an entire chapter that was as long, if not longer, than this one. I could only hope that you, dear readers, will enjoy the fruit of such sweet yet painful labour.

As always, any comments and feedbacks are welcome, and you have my deepest gratitude for both.

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Locate the target. Watch its every move. Remain invisible. And when the moment is right, strike.

The basic rules of the game. Even new recruits knew it: surveillance was as much a part of a good hunt as the actual killing of the prey. Knowing the target was knowing its weakness, and knowing its weakness was halfway through winning the fight.

But...why this target? Lee could not fathom the reason behind this surveillance.

She

was not one of the enemies. In fact, as far as he knew, she was an ally. An asset.

The order came three days ago—an order bearing the seal of the head of the organization. An important mission, entrusted to a very few. Lee had been thrilled to receive it. Until he read its contents.

Boiled down to its core, the order had been simple: keep an eye on Raine Amethyst Reinhart. The "how" of the mission had been exhaustively laid out, a plan that involved six people in three separate cars. But the "why" had been left out—an omission that made Lee uncomfortable. It was just never done. Usually, every detail was provided to those who would undertake a mission—even the tiniest detail. So, why was it that they were being kept in the dark now?

A flash of memory took Lee back to the conversation he had with his friend Bram four months ago. Drinking in a bar, they ended up talking about women, and the way Bram talked about his partner assured Lee that the guy was head over heels in love. Although he had not met Raine before, Lee was left with the impression that the woman was reliable, loyal to a fault. Just like most of them.

So, why would their boss ask them to tail her? After Bram was killed two months ago, Raine had been adamant to avenge his death. She single-handedly took out Boris and Eliza and two or three more vampires in a single night. There was no reason to suspect her.

Drumming impatient fingers on the steering wheel, he glanced furtively at the woman on the passenger seat.

Miranda.

Lee tried to hide his annoyance.

She

knew why Raine had to be watched. She had been summoned to the boss's office soon after the missions were issued. And, as always, she was hiding the information from him.

If only he could change his partner, Lee would. Miranda was an excellent slayer, never hesitating to exact death upon any vampire they encountered. She was a well-oiled killing machine, but after two years of working with her, Lee was very much afraid that she was just that: a machine.

He had witnessed firsthand Miranda's ruthlessness when she killed a girl bitten by a vampire even though there was no sign that the girl would transform. The incident fueled Lee's suspicion that, in Miranda's world, there were no compromises; there was only black or white. He was not sure he could continue to work with a person like that.

Still, having Miranda as a partner had its perquisites. Lee glanced at her again, his eyes taking in his partner's beautiful face, her perfectly formed lips. Lips that had been around his cock just the night before. Even now, whenever he remembered the glorious way she had used her mouth to bring him to pleasure, Lee could feel his cock standing up to form a tent in his pants.

Damn, but she was excellent at that, too. She never shied away, taking his full length into her mouth, even down her throat, and swallowing his seeds when he came. Lee had been with countless women, but Miranda just blew his mind with that blowjob. She knew every weapon in her arsenal.

He kept drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he narrowed his eyes on Raine, who had just finished filling her car's gas tank and was now about to pay. What the hell did the woman do to earn Gilford's mistrust?

Miranda's phone rang, breaking the silence in the car. She answered it promptly.

"Yes?" After a pause, she smiled, her full lips curving up in an almost-seductive way. "Good. We're still keeping our eyes on her. We'll call as soon as she's close to your location."

She ended the call, turning to Lee. "That's Theodore."

"I suppose he and Lana are ready to pick up where we'll leave off?" Lee asked.

"Exactly."

Miranda leaned back on her seat, causing her breasts to push against the fabric of her shirt. She caught his eyes on them, but merely grinned at him. She knew he wanted her, just as Lee knew that she wanted him. That was probably one of the few things they had in common—that insatiable lust they had for each other. It was not unusual for them to spend a whole day in bed, exploring each other's body until they both fall down completely exhausted.

"Where are you staying tonight, Lee?" she asked a few moments later.

Always the same question.

Lee almost laughed. "I'll inform you when I find out."

Miranda smiled, running moist tongue over her lips. "Make sure you do."

Lee shook his head, grinning, as he watched Raine emerge from the filling station's convenience store. "You know I will."

*****

Miranda glanced at her partner once again, her mind filled with thoughts of how to spend the night with him. On her back, or straddling him? Or, perhaps, kneeling down? She could not decide. Maybe she would just keep him awake all night. Fortunately, Lee had the same penchant for pleasure as she did, always keeping up with her unquenchable thirst for more. The perfect lover—perfect for her in every imaginable way.

They had spent the best nights together, always in each other's arms. Always making love. Or, maybe "fucking" was the appropriate term? Certainly, there were no feelings involved when they take pleasure in each other's body; there was just that primal urge to mate, to fill and be filled, to seek release.

But—no more of that. At least, not at this moment.

Miranda focused all her attention on their quarry as the latter walked from the store back to her car. She bit back a moan as she raked her eyes over the woman's body. Full breasts, trim waist, perfectly-rounded buttocks, shapely legs. Raine Amethyst Reinhart had a body enough to make men's mouths water.

She tore her gaze away from the body to examine Raine's face. Miranda grinned. She had to admit, Raine had all the assets a woman could use to enslave a man. A gorgeous body topped by a beautiful face. Absolutely delectable.

Laughter bubbled up her throat, threatening to spill over. As expected,

his

tastes were impeccable. Miranda did not think she had ever seen a woman as tempting as this one, with her platinum blonde hair and deep blue eyes, proud, straight nose and full, sensual lips.

No wonder he had chosen her

, she thought.

Lee followed Raine's car at a safe distance, while Miranda's thoughts drifted back to the conversation she has had with Gilford. The boss had been worried over Raine after the woman asked for a vacation. Although it was generally the case that a slayer asked for a few days off after his or her partner died, Raine never indicated the exact duration of her leave, thus alarming the head of their organization.

Miranda's lips curled up in a grin. She did not delude herself that Gilford only wanted them to tail Raine because he was worried. There was something about the possessive glint in Gilford's eyes whenever he would mention Raine's name that warned Miranda of—danger.

She frowned. Could Gilford be foolish enough to think himself in love with Raine? Sure, he was merely five to eight years older than Raine, and as far as Miranda knew, he took much interest on Raine's welfare, but—was it really because of an affection that ran deeper than it ought to? Or was there something else?

Ahead of them, Raine made a left turn, heading toward a busy street. Miranda groaned, wondering if there was something in Raine's actions that had ticked off the alarm in Gilford's head. Was she actually doing something suspicious? Miranda hoped not. It would mean trouble.

Perhaps it was the train of thoughts running through her head, or perhaps it was the subtle way Raine went about it, but when Miranda realized the other woman's intent, it was almost too late.

"Fuck," she hissed, reaching for her phone to quickly dial Theodore's number.

Beside her, Lee, too, realized what was happening. Immediately, he hit the accelerator of the car. Ahead, Raine was expertly negotiating her way between cars, steadily gaining speed, moving farther and farther away. Even as she talked to Theodore over the phone, Miranda admired the way Raine handled the wheels. She was a truly good driver. A reckless one, perhaps—judging by the honks she got from other drivers—but a damn good one.

"She's getting away," Lee muttered under his breath as he sounded his horn when a van cut in front of them. The other driver stuck out an arm, flashing a finger at them.

"It's hopeless," Miranda said, ending her phone call and looking at her partner. Their view of Raine's car was greatly impeded by the van straight ahead.

Lee looked pissed. He swept a hand through his brown hair, a frown of frustration emphasizing the strength of his jawline. "Gilford will have our heads if we screw this up."

"We already did," Miranda said, keeping her facial expression unreadable.

Inside, she was applauding the woman who smartly outmanoeuvered Gilford's plans.

No wonder he had chosen her, indeed.

*****

Raine glanced at the side mirror, making sure that her tail had been cut off. So far, no sign of them. No sign of another car picking up the trail, either.

If Gilford thought she was so easy to trick, he was mistaken.

It had to be Michael who sent those slayers after her. Why he would do it, she was yet to know, but that he

did

do it, she had no doubt.

Something changed in her after she had slept with the vampire. Always on alert, she started to note her much sharper senses. She could sense other slayers nearby, could feel their eyes upon her. She was attuned to her surroundings such as she had never been before, and it unnerved her. At first.

This time, though, the change paid off. She had seen through Michael's otherwise well-crafted plan. He had asked a pair of slayers to follow her as soon as she left the apartment suite. They let up when she was halfway through the cottage, only to be replaced by another pair. Raine had to take a route away from her destination lest they discover where she was heading.

Not trusting her instincts, she had driven to the filling station even though her tank was more than half-full. She surreptitiously watched the second pair, going inside the convenience store to see if they would drive past. They did not. Instead, they stayed in their car, hardly speaking to each other. A pair intent on their job, as far as Raine could tell. They did not even realize that an onlooker would find it odd to see their car parked on the side of the road when there was apparently nothing wrong.

Heaving a sigh, she finally relaxed. The sun was near the horizon now, and a hot bath in the cottage would further soothe her spirits. She would decide what to do with Gilford once she was through taking her vacation. For now, she would enjoy her days off work.

Raine stepped on the accelerator, at the same time increasing the volume of the car audio.

The road was quiet, much like the night she vowed never to come back to this place.

She smiled bitterly, reminiscing how her whole world shattered after that last visit to the cottage more than ten years ago. It was such a beautiful evening, and her father was driving the car, chatting away about the family trip he just booked for the Christmas holidays. They would go to Santa Claus Village in Finland, the one place Raine had been dying to visit ever since she heard of its existence. Raine had been ecstatic, already looking forward to telling her friends about it.

It was not meant to be.

A woman jumped in front of the car, forcing her father to slam on the brakes. Her parents immediately got out to help the woman, finding out that, although wounded, she was miraculously conscious. They helped her inside the car, asking her to sit beside Raine on the backseat.

"We will drive you to a hospital," Raine's mother had promised, once again apologizing to the woman.

The woman merely smiled, asking them to drive her home. Her brother was a doctor, she said; he would know what to do.

She turned to face Raine then, still smiling. That smile brought Raine's heart hammering against her ribs. She tried to smile back, but could not. The woman was looking at her in a strange kind of way, and it unnerved Raine so much she just turned her gaze away.

In hindsight, Raine realized she should have told her parents. She should have warned them of the fear the woman evoked in her. Maybe if she had, they would still be alive.

Immersed in memories, Raine almost did not notice the deer that jumped in front of her car. Reacting quickly, she slammed on the brakes, flinching when she felt the impact of the collision. Her breath coming in gasps, she got out of the car, cursing herself for not paying attention on the road. She hated the thought of killing a poor animal because she had been daydreaming.

She was not prepared for what she saw.

The front of her car remained intact. No blood, no dent. And no deer lying dead on the road.

Confused, Raine got down on hands and knees, checking underneath the car. Just to make sure. Still nothing.

Her heart missed a beat before pounding erratically inside her chest. With a gasp, Raine stood up as a bead of perspiration trickled down her back. Her body started trembling in fear, once again remembering the last moments she spent with her parents.

A woman hit on the road, wounded but conscious after the collision. Sitting down beside her in the car. Smiling at her with a strange glint in her brown eyes. Asking her parents to drive to her brother's house.

And then betrayal.

Five vampires waiting for them at the place where the brother was supposed to live. Her father being dragged out of the car to be devoured by the group. Her mother's strangled cry as she whirled to look at Raine. The woman reaching out to grab her mother's throat before sinking fangs into the neck that had been Raine's solace when she was a child...

Reminding herself that she was not a helpless ten-year-old girl anymore, Raine wiped the tears that began running down her face. Yet her body would not stop trembling. Her feet would not move. She seemed rooted to that spot, paralyzed by the fear she never conquered even after all the training she underwent to become a slayer.

She knew she had to get out of there—knew it in her bones that vampires would come to get her. She could sense their purpose, feel the rush of excitement in their blood, hear the celebratory hymn already singing in their veins. Or...was it the force of memory that made her feel this way?

"It's all in the past," she reassured herself, clenching her fists in order to get a hold of herself. "Let it go, damn it..."

As she shut her eyes, she saw a pair of violet eyes staring at her, issuing a challenge without words. Raine snapped her eyes open, unnerved that she should think of him now. If the thought had any good consequences, however, it was precisely that it helped her snap out of idle vulnerability.

She felt it then: the unmistakable approach of a powerful vampire.

Cursing, Raine ran back to the rear of her car, opening the hood to reveal the weapons she always carried. No sooner had she grabbed a pair of daggers did she hear footfalls behind her, approaching her location at a speed no human possessed.

Whirling around, she slashed at her attacker, barely missing the outstretched arm that was about to grab her from behind. Surprise registered on the vampire's face as she moved back, although her stance told Raine she was ready to pounce any time.

"A slayer," she purred, licking her lips. "How very,

very

exciting."

Raine looked at the vampire from head to toe. The woman had finely-curled, burnt-gold hair framing a beautifully carved face. She licked full red lips as a twinkle of delight appeared in her dark brown eyes.

Raine would have taunted her then if she were not busy calculating the odds of getting out of this situation alive. This vampire oozed with power that would put to shame most of the vampires Raine had encountered. This was the kind of monster that slayers like Raine never hunt down alone, and especially not when there was no possibility of reinforcement coming.

Perhaps it was not a good idea to shake off the other slayers, after all.

But she had not expected to find any vampire around at this time of the day. Even then, Raine was wondering how far the woman's resistance to sunlight had developed if she could attack a human prey when the sun had not yet completely set.

Once again, Raine cursed Michael Gilford with a vehemence that would make her mother turn on the grave. If he had not sent the slayers after her, Raine would have long been inside her cottage, and if vampires attacked her then, she would have been ready, not emotionally vulnerable due to the memories that were her living nightmare for the past decade.

"Do you want to play, little slayer?" the vampire asked in a singsong tone, flashing a smile that would have looked absolutely gorgeous in a human.

"If you want my blood, you had better work for it," Raine answered, glad that her voice did not betray the doubt she felt.

"You have guts, slayer," commented the vampire, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Come, then. Entertain me."

Raine knew that this vampire's entertainment was a matter of life or death on her part. Though she had faith in her abilities, she could not deny that the fiend she faced right now was powerful—so powerful that Raine would have to take a defensive stance while thinking of a way to best the vampire. If she had to go down fighting, then so be it, but she would try to take the vampire down with her.

The attacks came one after another, fast and strong, but Raine was able to block them all. If she had time to think, she would wonder at the speed of her movements, but Raine was too intent on trying to keep her head upon her neck that she had no time to pause.

A blow delivered on her left side caught Raine by surprise, but she was able to react quickly and draw blood from the vampire, too. The woman reared back, baring her fangs, as blood dripped down from her left cheek onto the paved road.

The transformation of the vampire's face was almost fascinating to behold. With fangs bared, she definitely looked the part of a villain now, so unlike that calm, angelic female that could have turned any man's head. Her brown eyes had turned red, and the sharp look she was giving Raine was definitely enough to strike terror in another's breast.

Glad for the brief reprieve, Raine ignored the soreness of her limbs and the throbbing pain on her side. Her breaths came in gasps, and she was starting to sweat heavily, but she kept her attention on her opponent. To let it slip would be the death of her, as Raine learned from the fight with Boris.

Perhaps, she could take this vampire down without having to shed blood of her own. The anger and frustration emanating from the woman was enough to tell Raine that she had a chance.

But, once again, Fate was against her.

As they resumed the fight, Raine felt another presence closing in, and the unmistakable glint of victory in her opponent's eyes told her that the vampire, too, sensed the upcoming arrival of one of its kind.