The Guardian Vampire

The Guardian Vampire - 15

The Guardian Vampire - 15

Tara entered the library once again, seeing if they were in need of help. Nate stayed in their room, saying he'd go to the library soon. Lara, Rocky, Ethan, Jarith, and Jason sat at the large table. They were talking and searching through books. 

"Are you sure it will work?" Lara asked, not noticing I had come in. Jarith had heard me come in. He gave her a nod. 

"We can't be sure of anything, but we are confident about this one." Jason said, looking over at me as I approached the table. Rocky looked up and frowned. 

"You should be resting, Tara." Rocky said. 

"I can't. Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked, hoping they'd let me stay. 

"Not really, but you can come listen in." Ethan said, knowing she'd rather be present. 

"Thank you." She gave him a relieved smile and went to sit on an empty chair by Jarith. He looked at her with a worried expression. 

"Has it been hurting or anything?" He asked, indicating the marks on her forearm. 

"No." She shook her head and opened one of the discarded spell books. She didn't quite know what she was looking for, but she needed to keep her mind and hands busy.  

"Good. Where's Nathan?" He asked as the others were distracted. 

"In our room. Why?" She asked, looking down at the book. She wasn't sure why Jarith was asking her. They weren't anything official yet. This made her frown slightly. 

"You guys are sharing a room?" His voice raised slightly and the others paused, but payed him no mind. 

"Yes. Why is that so horrible?" She asked, looking up at him with a slight shake of her head. 

"Can I talk to you, in private?" He asked her, frowning slightly. 

"Of course." She nodded. Jarith was one of the handful of people she trusted with her life. 

"Come on." He took her hand and they both stood. "Excuse us. We'll be right back." Jarith said to the others as he led Tara out of the library. He kept quiet and Tara felt as though she should do the same. 

Tara followed him through a white set of double doors. The room he led her to was some sort of indoor garden. It was beautiful, almost getting distracted. She sniffed and nearly sighed in pleasure. She realized Jarith was still holding her hand and still remaining quiet. Looking over at him, she's slightly surprised at the look he's giving her. 

"Do you think if we hadn't been turned, we would have been together?" Jarith asks her. 

"I don't know, Jarith. Our relationship was doomed from the start, don't you think?" Tara said lightly. 

"Right. Because I was a young rich lord and you were the nurse's daughter?" He says sarcastically. Tara nodded. 

"I would have done anything to be with you. I would have let myself be disowned and gladly gave the estate and inheritance to Ethan. As long as it meant that I got to marry you." He said, shaking his head. 

"I was completely in love with you, Jarith. I would have gladly run off with you. But because I cared for you so much, I wouldn't have let you thrown it all away because of me." She told him, squeezing his hand lightly. 

"You're feelings for me, you don't remember them?" He asked her. 

"I didn't at first because the blood lust overwhelmed my senses. It's just hard, to have feelings. I still love you and care about you. You and Ethan are my family, I wouldn't know what to do without you guys." She said. 

Ethan and Jarith had been in her life for over one hundred years. She and Jarith were close when they were human. They had a secret romance and she remembered the days she shared with him well. It was the feelings that came with it that were blocked off to her. She would have never thought she'd be able to feel those feelings again, but Nate changed all of that. 

Tara had been looking down, at their entwined hands. She remembered holding his hand like this in the past. She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. Jarith pulled her in close and she knew what was bound to happen next. His lips were upon hers before she could break away. He held her close and kissed her deeply. 

The kiss reminded her of their times together when they were human. She would have done anything for him, she still would. He smelled so familiar that it made her sigh softly. He must have taken it the wrong way as he deepened the kiss further, moving his hands up to the back of her head. Their kiss was nice, amazing, but it was sad. It reminded Tara of the life she would never be able to have. 

She pulled away and stared into his eyes. A picture flashed in her mind, at a beach. A man, and children. This is what Aiden had been showing her. The life she would have had if she would have never been turned. Tara let herself sink to the cold ground as a powerful emotion hit her. It was painful. 

At first she thought it was the sadness and longing, but then she turned back. Through one of the glass windows, she could see Nate. He had seen them kiss, she realized. Jarith tried to pick her off, but she shoved him away. 

"Don't, Jarith. Just please go." She pleaded with him, not able to meet his gaze. 

Tara heard footsteps and a door closing. She knew Jarith had left. She didn't look back towards the window, but she also knew Nathan had left as well. The sadness, hurt, and pain Nate had felt... it was so powerful, it had made her fall. Now her sadness, hurt, and pain was thrown in the mix. She wasn't even mad at Jarith for kissing her. She was mad at herself. 

A couple of minutes went by and the sun began to come up. She was getting very tired, but couldn't find the drive to move. She still felt it, the pain. She would have taken Aiden's physical pain to this emotional pain. She became more and more tired, the sun hitting her through the large garden windows. If she stayed down here any longer, she'd simply fall asleep and possibly die. Finally die. 

The thought made her gasp and rise to her feet. She kept telling herself not to think like that. She opened the door of the garden and nearly collapsed. A huge sky light was above and she was becoming very, very tired. She tried to make it to the next door, back to her room. She put one foot in front of her and collapsed. 

She was falling and was too weak to catch herself. She was either still falling or someone had caught her. Trying to open her eyes, she failed. She felt a shift in movement as though someone was carrying her up the stairs. She felt safe, no longer in danger from the sun. Before she knew it, she was being placed on a soft bed. She let out a low sigh, her weakness taking her body. Before she completely fell to the exhaustion, she heard a voice she recognized. "I've already lost you to another man, Tara. I'm not going to lose you to the sun as well." Nate's voice drifted to her.