Mercurial Ends Ch. 01

"Nothing dear heart," he answered, heard her thoughts. "We are the most melancholy happy couple that ever lived."

Tabor smile slightly, her left hand felt heavy more important than any other body part she had.

"Oh, I can think of some more important body parts." Shy grinned and Tabor giggled.

"It's so quiet here, too quiet." Tabor glanced at the wood that surrounded the house in the Catskills Mountains of Upstate New York. Not a single soul to interrupt them, not a noisy neighbor above them to play house music, no yelling couples arguing unabashedly, no crying babies. Silence and stillness were a complete change of pace from the bustling New York City life.

"Do you want to go back to the city?" Shy massaged her non-plastered leg.

Tabor only bit her bottom lip tentatively before releasing it. "It's a huge house."

Shy chuckled and shook his head, his eyes glinted with such admiration for her. "And you called me a stingy vampire."

"It's ..."

"It's too big for us."

"Perhaps you are right? Have you spoken with the actress?"

The actress was Tabor's mother who constantly worried about her. "I can't Shy. She'll ask too many questions.

"It's been taken care of don't worry."

"When do you want to get married?"

"Tabor, you are already my mate. You are mine. You are my Aura."

"Oh," She burned with embarrassment.

"What?"

"I thought you wanted to "really" marry me."

"Tabor, I consider you my mate already. I come from a different time then you do, where you were pared together it was with very little pomp and circumstance. Anyway, I thought you didn't want a fuss."

"It's too big for us."

"Perhaps you are right? Have you spoken with the actress?"

The actress was Tabor's mother whom constantly worried about her. "I can't Shy. She'll ask too many questions."

"It's been taken care of don't worry."

"When do you want to get married?"

"Tabor, you are already my mate; you are mine. You are my Aura."

"Oh," She burned with embarrassment.

"What?"

"I thought you really wanted to marry me."

"Tabor, I consider you my mate already. I come from a different time then you do, where you were pared together it was with very little pomp and circumstance. Anyways, I thought you didn't want a fuss."

You've been around long enough to notice that things have changed since Ancient Grecian times. She muttered to herself but only said aloud.

"Perhaps." She shuffled to her foot.

"Why don't you take a nap you look tired or why not paint for awhile?"

Tabor rolled her eyes; she hated when he always tossed in paint commands passive-aggressively or dictatorial. "Why, so you can hide away and make calls?" She snapped.

"Tabor." He tried to level down to her.

"No, Shy, what are you hiding? You know something. Tell me!"

"I know that you've been through a huge ordeal, almost died and a lot more."

"Shy, if I am your mate, then you need to be honest with me. Tell me things."

"Not now, Tabor."

"I want you to train me. I fully want to know what I am capable of as an aura. I want to heal myself. Make the scars go away."

Shy pressed his forehead to hers, his fingers brushing her neck before he forcefully drew her face to his, capturing her lips with a delicate kiss.

"Tabor, you are beautiful."

"I'm changed."

"No you're not."

She felt herself give into his trap to distract her. Shy was a grand master at that. She knew she wasn't the best bed mate the last month, as she would wake up and thrash about from her nightmares. He was very patient, even through the many nights, she kicked him in the leg with her heavy cast.

Nevertheless, every night through gritted teeth wincing from pain of being hammered by plaster, he would comfort her, help her draw her thoughts to the present. Other times when she was near to him in his secret whisperings, he would stop her in her tracks, stopping her from the change to question him. By drawing her off her feet and carrying her straight to bed with the finesse that he wasn't covertly trying to divert her attention with passionate sex, but he truly did want her then and there.

And he had her. His lips locked so sweetly on hers with earnest kisses. His hands tenderly cupped her face in their dark bedroom. She was melting her will to his.

Perhaps I'll let him get away this time.

She wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself to him though it took a lot of strength. Again, her heart raced as if it would pound right out of her chest, it was painful, but she wanted to endure.

"Damn!" he hissed into her mouth and pulled her off of him. "We have company. Do you need anything?" She shook her head and smile happy to have a visitor finally. "I'll be right back-"

"I want to go down too-"

"No," he said sternly. "Stay here."

"Shy?!"

Before she could further contest, he was already gone rushing down the stairs, swearing that dusk had come so soon.

"Since when did you learn to knock?" Shy scolded as he opened the door to four vampires, Genevieve, Ilsino, Menefer and his daughter, Julisa.

"Where is your aura, Shy?" Ilsino slithered.

"Why are you here?" Shy's arms stretched out commandingly as if with ready to blast the door frames apart with the slightest bead of sweat

"We've come to discuss matters." Ilsino slurred. "We know about Helsinki."

Shy pushed the frame, the muscles in his arms drawing taunt with restraint. "Why must you emotional charge me when my guard is down?" Genevieve purred as she danced around him, her fingers playing with his collar like a mistress.

Shy knew what they meant as they planted the image of him hunting for the file while they watched baffled why he would not leave the facility. His mind recalling with the painful details of what was done to Tabor.

"What do you want?"

"We want to know if it is true and what your intentions are to deal with it," Ilsino smirked and glanced at Genevieve to continue her sensual play with Shy.

"My intentions are for me and myself." Shy voice was like ice.

"Not ever your aura?" Ilsino poo-pooed and smirked mockingly, taking great pleasure in the deceit Shy was burying himself in.

"No, not even for her to know," Shy snapped.

"Well, the information is very valuable, and we want to know what you are willing to do for us to keep our secrecy."

"You mean to bribe me."

"Oh, Shy," Genevieve purred into his ear; her old smell danced about his nose straight to his heart. "That is exact." She turned his face to hers, her lips so close to his. "You know what it means to a woman," Her red lips tucked to one side in a seductive grin. "You mean to crush her in the end because that will be your outcome." She planted pictures of Tabor crushed learning the news, her anger towards him, turning herself cold and un-trusting. He immediately thought of how Declan had crushed Tabor, many months of sadness and living in an invisible trap. "Oh poor cupid always doomed from love. She'll leave you and then, as you know; her deterioration will come quickly. I want to make it better."

Shy closed his eyes and shook the mental picture from his mind as best as he could, but it was so vivid, and she was right; he had the worst fate with true love. "You have become a real monster, Vieve."

"Only because you have made me, remember Shy," She leaned into him and dragged his lips across his chest stopping at his nipple to bite.

Shy pushed the vampire away. She truly mastered the art of using seduction with vampire magic. He didn't realize how fast he was caught in her siren like trance remembering the love he had for her. He looked at the vampire he had made, her pale white skin and long curly chocolate brown hair as she crouched in a stance as if writhing sexually.

"No secrecy. I will not be an ant to you!" Shy boomed.

"Oh, you are an ungrateful bastard," Ilsino hissed. "I should have let you starved to death when I laid my eyes on you. We helped you get your aura back and you refuse to join with us to keep your secret from your little toy before a little longer before you ruin her life anyway. You may even like what we have to propose."

"No, I want nothing to do with you."

"Then I'll go see your aura, where is she?"

Shy blocked his mind but winced at the sound of Tabor trying to walk away from eavesdropping was the only sound in the house. Ilsino hissed and smiled looking up the stairs to where Tabor had been standing.

Shy exhaled deeply, he would have a lot of explaining and he already heard her questions berating him from upstairs but she didn't hear enough thankfully. "Fine, what would you have me do?"

"NO! Don't Shy!" Julisa cried out but Menefer pulled her back sternly.

"Don't what? What are you three playing at?" Shy narrowed his eyes on his enemies

"Wage war with us against the Lycans." Ilsino said more like a jester than a fierce warmonger

"No!" Julisa cried and tears fell from her eyes.

Clarity came to Shy's face and he could help but smile at the thought of war.

"You pestilent bitch! This is because you. You best mind your tongue around me or I'll rip it out." Ilsino grabbed Julisa's hair twisting her head to his attention. Gone was the cad, all was left was the predator.

Shy removed his smug expression. He had to play it cool there was more to this than war with the wolves; there was always more when it came to Ilsino. "Why would I care? I keep to myself."

"Simple. They know about your aura." Ilsino remarked smugly.

"Shy you hate the wolves. You've wanted war with them for centuries." Genevieve added. She was his lover that remembered his darkest secrets and wishes.

Shy's fangs unsheathed and feral anger mounted. "I am more powerful than all three of you. I can do whatever I please. War or no war with the wolves, I can take them all down because of what they did to Tabor and what she gives to me."

"This is why we need you." Menefer finally spoke.

"Don't forget that I am stronger than you. Don't try to test me." Shy seemed to grow monastery with each syllable in commanding power

"Shy, your head is full of shit." Ilsino rolled his eyes.

"I am the most powerful vampire on this planet and you don't like it. You will not threaten me. The power aura is mine. She is mine. I am her master. You will never have an aura." Shy's eyes glowed silver with Tabor's aura making his vampire nature impenetrable.

"Ahh but you are not too sure about that, are you Shy," Ilsino looked at his nails casually, "I know what you wish to hide from us all and we will take it from you. Or....we can help you, if you help us."

"Listen, the Lycans may come an end us. You need to join with us, Tabor aside, we are in danger." Menefer leveled. "There is a rumor the Lycans are gathering because they have been getting ready to war against us. They are gathering from all over the world to launch an attack."

"And it's all because of her!" Genevieve hissed and pointed at Julisa.

"That's not true!" Julisa cried out and Menfer pulled her body taunt like an insolent child.

Shy tilted his head looking at the young vampire incredulously and walked over to the girl. He seized her face squeezing her cheeks hard "You endangered the wolves and brought them to those scientists. You are reckless. And because of that you are also at fault for what they did to Tabor. The humans and the wolves have both responsible for her pain."

"Ah get a TV commercial lawyer sue for damages," Ilsino interjected.

"I cannot, will not allow a chance for Tabor to be harmed ever again." Shy words were strong and direct to sliced through the young vampire. Julisa knew better than to struggle against Shy grip. He terrified her, he was indeed stronger and more powerful than any vampire she had known. Shy released her and then turned to Ilsino. "You have me as your ally. Now, promise to leave Tabor alone."

"To the sun my death, I swear." Ilsino smirked.

"Good, now please leave my home."

The vampires smiled in varying degrees of assured promise, anticipation and terror. Shy quickly closed the door and locked it.

He quickly skipped stairs to Tabor; her mind was reeling with questions.

She hobbled around barely letting her foot touch the ground; she was tossing her clothes in frenzy onto the bed. He head snapped around when she heard him at the door and glared at him before violently continuing to pull her belongings from the drawers in which she had made herself at home.

"Tabor," Shy said as he stood in the doorway just watching the fire and waiting for it to burn out. "Tabor." It was a strong hot fire. "Tabor, please stop."

Tabor's eyes flashed angrily. "What do you care? What do you think?!" Shy couldn't help but smile and exhale happily in relief, she was jealous. Only jealous. "Just leave me alone!"

Tabor hid herself in the bathroom and slammed the door. She plopped herself on the toilet seat exasperated and now realizing what transpired during her tirade and how she couldn't truly leave - leaving meant death. She had to surrender and talk to Shy. She read his mind and they silently conversed angrily back and forth through the door about Genevieve.

"Tabor, why do you care? You know I love you." Shy said aloud once she opened the bathroom door.

"What do I care? Shy, you should tell me who she is to you, why did you let her kiss you? Play with your body? When you fully know the first time that I had met her she tried to EAT me!"

"Again Tabor, why do you care, you know who I am; and you know whom I am dedicated to. It's you."

"How do you think it made me feel seeing her on you like that?"

"I think you should put your clothes back in the closet because you are my aura and I won't have you waste away over your histrionics about what you perceived you've saw."

"Leave me alone!" She screamed bloody murder slamming the bathroom door in his face again. The fire was burning itself out.

Shy first thought about making her put her clothes back but he instead did it for her. She still didn't understand how vampire magic could also work against other vampires in a way that humans never would be affected. Eventually, Tabor made her way out of the bathroom and he quickly moved to her side to help her sit down on the soft bed. her body collapsed into a hunch. She knew he loved her, but the whisperings and plotting with Ilsino, the phone calls and now Genevieve were too much.

"I want to go back to the city," she said quietly.

"And why?" Annoyance tinged Shy's voice.

"Since this isn't an official "companionship" as you put it then I don't want to be stuck without having my own fun."

"You think I was having fun with that monster?" Shy sneered.

"I wouldn't know since you are always keeping secrets."

***

Silence; only the simple hum of the car engine remained. The trees whipped by turning from green to a black blur. Shy drove without conversation back to the city, his mind meditating on the past, his curse as a living primordial god and how life with Tabor seemed to reverse everything in his star-crossed fate. He affectionately watched as Tabor's head nodded and bounced hypnotized by the window until her head fell back into sleep. He finally felt he could exhale now that she had given in to sleep. He hope she would finally be able to sleep uninterrupted for once.

Smiling, he placed his hand on her good leg, the other laid jutted out in the cast. It was the last remnant of her ordeal the physically inhibited her from moving forward. The permanent reminder was her scars; he wished it didn't trouble her as much. She didn't see them as survival scars but garish lines destroying the beauty he still saw in her. The other remaining issue was that of Helsinki. He did not know how much longer he had or if he were too late all ready.

The engine roared louder as her eyelids turned brighter and more vivid. With each tread of the tire on the highway a distant beat grew slightly louder. Birds flew out of the trees fluttering and squawking for dear life. The greens became more vivid changing into a lush forest. The car was no longer moving but she was moving, floating amongst the branches, drifting down to the needled floor until her feet touch the ground bare. The warm dirt of the earth brought a sense of peace to her body. She took a step forward and glanced down at her leg. It was no longer casted but etching of geometric designs crawls around her leg and up. She looked up into the canopy, the sun's rays broke through the trees cascading a tent of light around her.

Her feet were moving without her guidance. She tried to get her feet to stop but before her breath was consistent her heart began to race as her feet led her in a full sprint. The trees blasted past her in a whirl as if she were still in Shy's vehicle. She called out for Shy but her voice did not speak. She finally began to slow down as the trees lead to a clearing, she felt mentally out of breath and wanted to fall to the ground to catch it but her body instead crouched down grabbing the dirt into her fist before standing. With a quick twirl she scattered the dirt around her in a circle. Her long red and yellow gown twirled around her light as feathers.

The explosions came first and then the groan of the earth as it rumbled beneath her bare feet. Her body began to sway and tremble jerking her torso back and forth as she raised her hands high above her head, the remaining dirt slipping down her arms. The ground shuddered and long violent cracks separated the ground from the earth. Fire exploded from the cracks setting fire to the canopy above her. Rapidly the blaze moved like a red tarp above her head. She opened her mouth to scream, but instead a giggle poured out. Her heart trembled urging her to run and hide, adrenaline flowed in her veins, but she only stood confidently laughing. The sky turned pitch black with smoke.

Jerking her torso she began to scream, tears falling from her eyes in fear but her body only chanted in low guttural tones and her face was not wet with concern. She felt like she was trapped in this body that did the opposite of what she wanted. A wailing of horns came from behind her, followed by the rumbling of drums, and high pitched whistles warning her. She only trembled all the more, her body sick to her stomach. She wanted to clench her stomach to stop the bile from rising.

A rattling followed and a low hum came from the east, the host was no longer shaking but her body was rigid her chin glued to her clavicle and her arms out to their sides like she were a bird ready to take flight. A strong wind billowed around her like a tornado and for the first time she felt herself leave the host to see the monster she was. She saw a beautiful woman dressed reds and yellows her head slowly lifting as the cyclone of wind grew stronger she began to beat her arms urging it to build and gather. The woman turned away from Tabor and with her arms pushed the wind away from her; the fire followed the wind behind leaving a trail behind the large fire ball. The woman turned around her eyes black as night and Tabor screamed.

Her body jerked, her cast hitting the glove compartment her body in complete sweat. Shy looked at her strangely, and she realized, relaxing her grip on the car seat where she was. She closed her eyes mortified and shook her head.

Please don't ask, She begged in her mind.

Shy frowned and turned on the radio and focused his attention back on the road. Tabor gazed out the window trying to blank out her mind but all she could think of was these nightmares that plagued her, Shy's secrecy and what the vampires were whispering about. Her mind was focusing on it, on it all. Her mind was plagued with her troubles.

"Why don't vampires and werewolves get along," Tabor asked. It was the first off topic thing that popped into her head. Shy only looked at her strangely.