Light Guards

I awoke to a starless night. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness when I notice that the air around me was thick and scented with smoke. I was not in the Light House. I looked around me to see that the ground I was standing on was black and covered with ashes. It had been scorched by a wildfire. My mind told me this and the feeling deep inside me confirmed it.

Where was I? All I could see was scorched earth surrounding me. There was the sound of waves crashing against the beach off to my left and I was drawn in that direction. I began to walk across the still smoking ground to follow the sound of the ocean. I needed fresh air, the smoke was smothering me and the scent of ashes began to burn my lungs. I walked faster, coughing and gasping for air. I stumbled onto the beach and could see the ocean stretching out before me. I gasped air as a rush of wind blew in from the ocean. It carried the smoke away and the stinging in my eyes began to clear from the acrid air that had surrounded me.

I looked around and realized that this was an island in the everglades. It was very similar to the one I had been on when I met O’Loft. No one was on the beach so I guessed it was one of the unpopulated islands. I was suddenly gripped by a strong feeling. It felt like my body was drawing in on its self, trying to warn me of danger.

I couldn’t see anything that might want to harm me and my mind knew that any animals here were most likely among the ashes that I had waded through on my way to the beach. Then it occurred to me that Azar held several caverns along the islands that spread across the everglades. I began to scan the beach looking for him. He had promised to see me again.

What was I going to tell Calab? I am a married woman and I should not be meeting Azar. He was an evil, power hungry vampire. So what if he was incredibly sexy and gorgeous? Calab was my husband and he was also sexy and gorgeous. I had to figure out a way to get rid of Azar and permanently.

It was at that moment that I saw him walking along the beach as if he were out for a midnight stroll. He wore an old painter’s style shirt that was white and accented his features. His dark hair stood out against his pale skin. He had on dark pants and the knee length boots that he favored. I watched as he approached me.

““Drucilla, it is so lovely to see you.”

““Why did you bring me here?”

““I told you that I would come to you again. I must admit that I had planned on seeing you in person this time. My plans had to take a slight alteration. I’m sure you can understand, afterall, my island has been burned by the wildfires. I only wanted to let you know I am well.”

I watched as he moved closer to me in the darkness his white shirt glowing and I looked up to see his eyes staring at me appreciatively. I flushed a deep shade of red as I realized I was still wearing the silky, short, white night gown that I had worn to bed with Calab. I was exposing entirely too much skin and my breasts left little to the imagination. My feet were in white slippers that had been covered with ashes.

““You are lovely, my senorita. The heavens would pale in comparison to you,”” he drawled in an intimate voice.

I tried not to let his voice or sweet words affect me. I ran my hand though my long hair trying to choose the right words to explain that I did not want him. His eyes followed the movement of my hand and then his gaze sharpened. He reached out and grabbed my hand pulling it up in front of his face. I watched as his face turned angry and his features began to twist into an animal likeness. I tried to jerk my hand away, but he held it firmly still gazing at the ruby wedding ring that Calab had given me. He slowly untwisted his face and glanced at me.

““Senorita, you would marry another without denying my proposal to become my queen?” He asked with a smile spreading across his face.

““I did tell you that I did not wish to become your queen. I gave you my answer the last time I saw you if you remember?”

His gaze regarded me with amusement. “I would never force myself upon an unwilling woman senorita. I simply chose to give you time to consider all the possibilities. Perhaps you could have done me the honor of confirming your denial before you married another?” He asked in a tender voice. “Tell me, who is the man that stole my queen from me?”