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I frowned. As much as I didn’t like the idea that vampires existed or that they could compel us to obey, I didn’t want to forget. I didn’t want to forget him, despite everything.
Nothing exciting had ever happened to me. Nothing.
Meeting Kier and learning there were vampires was the most exciting and scary thing that ever happened to me or would likely ever happen.
“I don’t want to forget.”
He glanced at me and made a face of regret. “Sadly, that’s not possible. You must forget for your own good. For my own good.”
“How is that? If I can’t talk about you or vampires, what harm is there?”
He shrugged. “Think of it. If you remembered everything, you’d always be looking behind your back, worried that a vampire would be lurking about. You’d always wonder where I was and maybe, if you were foolish enough, you’d try to find me. That would get you in immense trouble. No, sweet Calla,” he said and put his folded paper towel on the table. “The best thing all around is for me to compel you to forget.”
I sat and fumed for a few moments. “If you’re going to make me forget, tell me everything.”
He studied me, his blue eyes intense. He chewed his bottom lip as he considered. Finally, he exhaled.
“All right. Why not? I haven’t spoken to anyone since I escaped captivity. Here,” he said and pushed back from the table. “Let’s take a walk along the beach.”
“This late? It’s almost midnight.”
“Midnight is my time, Calla. I live in the night. It’s all I have.” He held out his hand and as usual, I took it, becoming used to his chivalrous ways. “Come,” he said and opened the door. “I love the roar of the surf in the darkness. You can feel the ocean’s power.”
I made a face of doubt. “It scares me.”
“The ocean scares you? Why? It’s just water.”
“After the tsunami…”
“Tsunami?” he said, frowning. “There was a tsunami here?”
“No, in Japan and before that in the Indian Ocean. Over a quarter million people died. Ever since the tsunamis, I feel nervous around the ocean. Especially at night.”
“Oh, dear,” he said and we walked out of the house and down the path to the trail leading to the beach. “You have so much modern history to catch me up. It’ll be a long walk.”
Kier
Because my eyes were as good in the dark as hers were in the light, she held on tightly to my arm as we walked along.
“Can you see in the dark?” she asked, her voice soft and tinged with fear.
“Yes. Very well. As well as the day, but don’t ask me to explain why. I’ve become a creature of the night. I see you beside me clearly.” I turned to her. “Your eyes are wide, your face is pale from anxiety. Relax,” I said and patted her hand. “I won’t let you fall into a hole or step on a dead jellyfish.”
While we walked, Calla told me about the major events of the past century that I was imprisoned – great wars, earthquakes and tsunamis, and the developments in technology that I still found confusing.
“Tell me about your life before you were turned," she asked after she'd relaxed enough to enjoy our walk. "Tell me about your family,” she suggested when we came to a large log. “You’re British, I know that much. What part are you from?”
We sat on a huge log and I thought about how to explain about my family. How does one tell a mortal about being immortal? Things changed as soon as eternity stretched in front of you instead of imminent and inevitable death. Until you experienced it, there was really no way to understand.
“I have to go a long way back to remember my life before,” I said, casting my memory back to the start. “The Vikings invaded Scotland during the eight-century, and established colonies along the coast. One of the raiders raped the daughter of a powerful chieftain they had killed and kept her as a slave.” I turned to look at her. “She gave birth to my mother, who had very dark hair and fair skin like a Scot but the blue eyes of a Viking. She married my father, Kenneth, who was a Chieftain in Caledonia.”
“So your grandfather was a Viking?”
I nodded. “Harald of the Uplands, son of Thorir. You know the history of Scotland? Invasion by one group after another. The original inhabitants were called Pictii by the Romans, because they wore paint and had tattoos. Fierce warriors who fought almost naked so they were more agile. The Scots came from the coast of Ireland and invaded, intermarrying and claiming the lands. My father descended from those warriors. Scotii means ‘invader.’ So we had the Irish invading and the Vikings invading. The Picts fought them all. I’m a mix of all three.”
“How did your father marry your mother? Wasn’t she a slave?”
“He bought her freedom, knowing who her grandfather was. He was smart, as his children were able to claim two titles as a result.”
