The Original Sin

Chapter Five





I was dreaming that I was shopping at the Christian Louboutin boutique in Paris. The sales lady had just brought me a gorgeous pair of lavender peep-toe pumps and I eagerly sat down to try them on. As I reached down to grab a shoe out of the box, the box melted away and so did the store. It was replaced by a stark, dark room. The only feature in the room was the red door which stood in front of me.

“What the hell?” I asked aloud as I stared at the door. I slowly walked toward it and grabbed ahold of the cold metal handle. The phrase Curiosity killed the cat briefly came to mind, but I dismissed it and bravely turned the handle.

To my shock, the door opened to my living room in north-central Austin. I cautiously stepped through and looked around. Everything was just as I left it. I smiled at the feeling of being home and promptly walked into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. I put the water in the kettle and set it on the stove to heat up. As I was opening the cabinet to retrieve my favorite mug, I heard someone clear their throat behind me.

I whirled around and, to my immense horror, Amun was standing in the doorway watching me. I screamed out in terror and ran to the back door. I tried opening it but it was locked. I fumbled with the deadbolt for a few seconds, but it was no use. The deadbolt wasn’t what was keeping the door from opening. I quickly ran to the side door that led to my garage, but was horrified to find that that door wouldn’t open as well.

“Do not be afraid,” Amun said calmly from behind me.

I spun around to find him a mere twelve inches from my body. I started hyperventilating with the panic I felt and pushed myself as far as I could up against the locked door. “You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real,” I repeated aloud over and over as I tightly squeezed my eyes closed. I knew that at any moment I would wake up in my bed and be safe and sound.

“I assure you child, I am very real,” he said as I felt him gently grab my hand. “Come. Let’s sit and talk.”

I swallowed a scream and tried to think of a way out of this nightmare. “I have nothing to say to you,” I stumbled and tried to pull my hand out of his, but it was no use.

Amun tsked as he led me over to my couch and sat me down. He magically produced a steaming cup of Thai milk tea and sat it down on the vintage coffee table in front of me. “Drink. You’ll feel better.”

I eyed the mug like it was an alien creature for a few seconds before I turned back to him. “What do you want from me?” I asked, my chest still heaving with each labored breath. The panic attack was slowly ebbing away but the intense fear remained.

“Many things,” Amun answered cryptically. “But today, I just want to talk.” He sat down next to me on the couch, wisely keeping a few feet between us, and crossed his legs.

“I-Is this real?” I asked in a whisper as I watched him carefully. I was prepared to bolt at the first sign of violence.

Amun glanced around my living room briefly before looking back at me. “Yes, this is real. I am real. I am here in your dreams with you. I control what you see.”

“Are you going to kidnap me again?” I questioned, my bottom lip trembling.

“No. There is no need.”

“Are you going to hurt me?”

“No, child. Hurting you does not serve my purpose,” he said gently.

“W-What is your p-purpose with me?” I stumbled.

“Drink your tea,” he said instead of answering my question.

I fearfully picked up the mug and brought it to my trembling lips. I didn’t want to make Amun mad by not honoring his simple request, so I obliged him. I blew into it a few times and took a tentative sip. The tea was plain, just how I liked it, and hot. The liquid felt divine as it slid soothingly down my throat. I stared down at my cup and realized just how real everything seemed.

“Am I really here…in my house?”

“No,” Amun shook his head, a small smile upon his lips. “You are asleep in your bed.”

“Are you at my house?” I asked fearfully.

Amun smirked at me but did not answer the question. “How was your day?”

I gaped at him a few moments. Is he really asking me how my day was? This conversation was abnormally normal. What the hell is he trying to do?

“I’m trying to have a conversation with you, my child. I just want to know how you are. Are you being well cared for?”

I swallowed thickly and looked down at my mug. “This isn’t some kind of trick? You honestly just want to know how I am?”

“Precisely. No tricks, Skye,” he said gently. “Are the Day Walkers treating you well? Are your needs being met?”

“A-Archer treats me very well,” I said quietly before taking another sip of tea. “They all treat me well. I’m like a part of their family.”

“Oh that’s wonderful,” Amun said as he clasped his hands together in his lap. “That pleases me.”

I was so confused. Now he cared about my wellbeing? Back in that basement in east Austin, he couldn’t have cared less about me or how I was being treated. He personally inflicted pain upon me and as of yet made no apologies for it. I started getting angry just thinking about how horrifically he treated me those few weeks ago.

“What the hell does it matter to you how I’m being treated? You sure as hell didn’t care when Martin almost drained me or when you were slapping me around and ripping my hair out. Why the f*ck do you care now?” I asked, getting madder and madder with each word that came out of my mouth. By the end, I was positively seething with rage; rage in which I have never felt the likes.

“Anger looks delectable on you, my child,” Amun smiled sinisterly. “You are going to be absolutely beautiful when I am done with you.”

What? “What do you mean ‘when you are done’ with me?” I yelled, my hands shaking with the anger I felt. “You said you weren’t going to kidnap me again! Were you just lying to me? Is this all just some kind of game for you?”

“I speak the truth,” Amun answered calmly. “I will not take you against your will again. You are not a game to me, child. There is much you do not understand but, with time, I will explain them to you. Right now, I’d like you to tell me how you feel.”

“How I feel?!” I growled, my eyes narrowed and my nostrils flaring with intense rage. “How I feel?! Right now, I feel like I want to launch myself across this couch and rip your head from your shoulders.”

“Good,” Amun grinned. “Very good. What else?”

A silver dagger suddenly appeared in my left hand and I looked down at it excitedly. I threw my tea filled mug haphazardly to the side and launched myself at him. He instantly evaporated from the couch and I heard his laugh coming from a few feet away. He was now sitting in my Pedro Friedeberg hand chair; his legs crossed casually and a delighted smile on his face.

I growled savagely as I scrambled up from the couch and flung myself in his direction. He stood up just as I reached him and I plunged the dagger over and over again into his torso. We toppled to the ground, me on top of him, as I continued my assault. I was going to kill him and the thought made me insanely happy. I wanted to see his thick red blood coat my milky white alabaster skin; I wanted to bathe myself in the sticky sweet blood of my kill.

I plunged the knife into him again and again, my mind filled with the deepest sense of rage and happiness that I’d ever felt, and I began to smile. I became vaguely aware of laughter and it broke me out of my murderous haze. Amun was on his back, laughing; a delighted smile upon his face.

“You are so beautiful,” he laughed happily. “You are perfect.”

I quickly looked at the dagger in my hand and then back at his torso. There was no blood; no marks of any kind on him. I crawled off of him and dropped the knife as I sat back on my heels. What the hell just happened? I felt the drag on the knife as it entered his flesh. I felt it! I looked back over at him as he sat up and adjusted his black evening jacket. He was perfectly fine; completely uninjured and still laughing.

“You did very well, child,” Amun grinned. “You have pleased me this night.”

He stepped over to me and I gazed up at him. I was still in absolute shock. I had never felt anything like the emotions I had just experienced; never in my life had I been so thrilled to murder someone. I wanted his blood. I actually wanted to bathe myself in his blood. What the hell is happening to me?!

“You are evolving, my sweet,” Amun whispered as he reached down to stroke my cheek. Panic swelled as I got ready to run from him. “Hush, my child,” he whispered soothingly. He began talking to me in a language I had never heard before. His words quickly soaked into me and caressed my soul. They touched some deep part of me and I instantly became calm.

“Abum,” I whispered as I looked up at him adoringly. I spoke in another language, but the fact didn’t seem to register with me.

“Damu,” he smiled as he stroked my hair. “Sittu, Nisiqtu. I will be with you again soon.”

My house started to fade away, taking Amun with it. “Ul,” I cried out as I lifted my hand to try and hold on to him.





*****





I awoke with a start and frantically glanced around my room. The clock on the iPod dock read 4:45am. I was drenched in sweat and my heart was racing. My dream suddenly came flooding back to me as a sob tore itself from my chest. I was so confused and terrified. Part of me despised Amun and was glad to be out of that nightmare, but the other part of me was missing him terribly.

I began crying harder as my inner emotions warred. Is he going to come back and kidnap me? Yes, please. Come to me. I was terrified of these feelings and threw the covers back, bolted out of bed, and left my room. I had only one thing on my mind and that was feeling safe; I needed to be with someone right now.

As I looked desperately up and down the dark, quiet hallway, I spotted my salvation. I opened the door without thought and ran at the end of his bed.

“Archer?” I needfully called out to the dark form in his bed.

Archer stirred and sat up. “Skye? What’s wrong?”

A sob ripped itself from my chest and suddenly the light was on and Archer was standing right in front of me.

“What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly as he searched my face. “Cion, what is it?”

I flung myself to his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. I held on to him for all I was worth as I cried.

Archer enveloped me in his arms and held me tightly to his chest as he stroked my hair. He whispered soothing words to me as he kissed the top of my head.

It felt so good to be in his arms; I truly felt safe there. I don’t know what the hell is going on but Amun will never be able to get to me here, I thought as I cried.

A few minutes later, my tears had slowed down to the point where I could speak and I lifted my head up to look at Archer.

He worriedly gazed back and forth between my eyes. “What’s wrong, Skye? Tell me, please.”

“I-I had a bad dream,” I sniffed as he gently wiped the tears from my cheeks. “It was bad…very, very bad.”

“Oh, love,” he sighed as he pulled me to his chest again. “You’re safe now. Nothing can happen to you here. I made sure of that.”

I sighed, trying to calm myself, as I held on to him. I’m safe, I repeated silently. Nothing can happen to me here.

Archer squeezed me tighter. “That’s right, baby. You’re safe,” he repeated, reading my mind.

I nodded my head and leaned back from him. “Thank you,” I whispered timidly. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” Archer said sternly. “Don’t ever be sorry for coming to me, Skye; I’m glad you did. I’m here for you, day or night, always.”

I nodded my head, feeling silly for disturbing him, as I stepped back from him and looked down at my hands. I suddenly realized that I was stark naked. My eyes flashed to Archer and he was only wearing a pair of black silk boxers.

“Shit!” I cried out as I tried covering myself quickly with my arms. “I-I-I…,” I stumbled, but words completely failed me. I was standing butt assed naked in my boss/crush’s bedroom.

Archer quickly turned and retrieved his shirt from the chair by his bed. He politely averted his eyes as he draped the long sleeved button down around my shoulders and pulled it closed. I slid my arms into the sleeves as Archer politely fastened it for me. Using his vampire speed, he made quick work of the buttons and soon he was helping me roll up the too-long shirt sleeves.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered as my cheeks flushed red hot with embarrassment.

“Stop apologizing, love,” Archer smiled fondly down at me. “It’s okay, really. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

I glanced over my shoulder at his bedroom door and dreaded leaving. I didn’t want to sleep alone for fear of the nightmares returning; I was terrified of seeing Amun again.

I looked back up at Archer and he took my hand, leading me to his bed. “You don’t have to leave, Skye. Sit,” he said as he walked back over to the door and quietly shut it. I watched as he walked over to his dresser and retrieved a pair of black silk pajama pants. He quickly stepped into them and returned to my side. I watched as he carefully pulled back the covers and fluffed his extra pillow.

“Well, don’t just stand there, love,” he smiled sweetly. “Get in.”

I obliged and crawled into the bed and over to the other side. Archer climbed in next to me and reached over to cut off his lamp. The room was plunged into darkness and my body stiffened with fear. My heartbeat must have sped up, because Archer gently instructed me to take a deep breath. I felt his hand reach out for mine and I grabbed onto it for dear life. I felt tears spring to my eyes again and I looked over at Archer.

“Aw, babe,” he tsked as he reached over and pulled me to him. “Don’t cry. It’s going to be okay. I’m here.”

I laid my head on his chest and snuggled into him. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight as he tenderly stroked my back. His smell immediately permeated my senses, flooding me with comfort and desire, and I sighed in contentment.

After a few minutes of silence, Archer whispered to me. “Better?”

“Much,” I mumbled sleepily as I nuzzled his chest hair. I sighed, squeezed him tightly, and drifted off into a blessedly dreamless slumber.





*****





I felt movement under me and my eyes flew open in alarm. I was still firmly wrapped around Archer and I blinked a few times before tilting my head up to look at his face.

“Good morning,” he said kindly, his piercing ice blue eyes gazing down into mine. He was devastatingly handsome first thing in the morning. His five o’clock shadow was on proud display and his eyes were sweet as he tenderly searched my face.

Memories of last night came rushing back to me and I blushed furiously as I disentangled myself from him. “Good morning,” I smiled reservedly. “I…uh…I’m really sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

Archer sighed as he rolled over onto his side, facing me, and took my hand. “You didn’t disturb me, Skye; your presence never disturbs me. I want you to feel like you can come to me anytime that you need to.”

I sighed as he lifted my hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of my wrist. “That was just so embarrassing,” I admitted reluctantly. “I was a blubbering mess and to top it all off, I was completely naked.”

Archer chuckled. “Well, you may have minded your nakedness, but I sure didn’t.”

I saw the playful gleam in his eyes and it did funny things to my lower abdomen. “Hush,” I whispered, fighting off a smile.

Archer tugged on my arm and pulled me back into his. He gently kissed my forehead as we laid in silence for a bit. I listened to the slow song of his heart and closed my eyes, feeling truly content.

“What was your dream about?” he asked suddenly.

My eyes tore open at the memory and I shuddered involuntarily. “Amun,” I whispered into his chest hair.

“What happened?” he asked gently as he drew comforting circles on my back with his fingers.

“I was dreaming about shoes,” I admitted shyly, “and I was getting ready to try them on when my dream suddenly changed. I was standing in my house.”

“And?” Archer prompted softly.

“And, I went to make some tea. But I heard something, so I turned around and there he was. I tried to get away, but my doors were locked and, even though I unlocked the deadbolts, they still wouldn’t open.”

“Did the Amun in your dreams hurt you?”

“No,” I shook my head as I sat up. “That’s the weird part. He said he just wanted to talk.”

“Well he didn’t hurt you and it was just a dream so, why were you so scared?” Archer asked, sitting up next to me.

“I…It…was more than a dream,” I confessed reluctantly. “At least it felt that way. I-I can’t remember everything that happened, but what I can recall was really…weird.” I took a deep breath and told him as much as I could about what I remembered. I told him about trying to kill Amun and about waking up feeling conflicted about my emotions toward him.

“What do you mean you didn’t want him to go?” Archer asked worriedly, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“I don’t know…that’s just it. All I remember is feeling anger and then stabbing him…and I remember his laugh. Then when I woke up, I was glad to be out of the nightmare…but then I wasn’t. I wanted him to come back to me.”

“Did he say anything to you in the dream…anything that didn’t seem right?” Archer asked, suddenly on edge.

“My tea was hot,” I thought aloud.

“What?” Archer shook his head, not understanding.

“I felt the warmth of my tea slide down my throat and I remember being amazed that a dream could feel so real. I asked Amun if it was indeed real and he said that HE was real…that he controlled what happened in my dreams.”

Archer flashed to stand at the end of the bed and started pacing. “Impossible,” he whispered before swearing and ranting in Irish Gaelic.

He stopped suddenly and stared at me with pale, wide eyes. He didn’t say a word as he flashed out of the room.

Where the hell is he going? I fearfully clutched the covers to my chest and tried to calm the sudden doom that rested heavily upon it. Something didn’t feel right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I sat in Archer’s bed going over my dream in my head. What had I said to make Archer react that way?

A few minutes later, Trey appeared in the room with a bundle of clothes. His eyes were wide and a bit weary. “Good morning, honey,” he said gently as he put the clothes on the foot of the bed. “Come on and get dressed. We need to talk.”

I slowly got out of bed, fear and confusion coursing through me. Trey had a weird look in his eyes and it made me nervous. Why is he looking at me like that? What did I do?

I grabbed the clothes and was glad to see that they were mine. Trey had brought me a pair of jeans, an old UT Longhorns shirt, and undergarments from my closet. I turned to face away from him as I quickly slipped the panties on and then my clothes.

When I was finished, Trey cleared his throat and I turned back around. “Come on, honey,” he said with a tight smile. “Let’s get you some breakfast.”

My brow furrowed, but I dutifully followed him down the hall and as I walked out into the family room, both of my arms were grabbed tightly from behind. I immediately went into fight mode and started kicking out with my legs and jerking my arms.