Losing His Wings

By Kallysten

For millennia, Samuel has whispered in humans’ and vampires’ minds and tried to steer them toward the right path. For almost as long, Rowan has stood opposite him and nudged the same prey toward more questionable choices. Sometimes, Samuel won. Sometimes, Rowan did. But there was always someone else to help—or destroy.

When they battle once again over Jeffrey, a newly-turned vampire, the fight takes a different turn. This time, it’s about more than the life of Jeffrey’s girlfriend Tanya, or the people Jeffrey might kill to feed. This time, the fight might just be Samuel’s and Rowan’s last.

(28,800 words)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kallysten
• Release date: Jan 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466071322

Kallysten

Kallysten’s most exciting accomplishment to date was to cross a few thousand miles and an ocean to pursue the love of her life. She strives to give her characters the same ‘happy ever after’ she found... although their lives are significantly stranger than hers! But whether they have fangs or an inner beast, whether they play with magic or with whips, whether they’re looking for ‘the one’ or a single night of fun, in the end it’s all about love... To see her other stories, visit http://original.kallysten.net. Subscribe to her readers group for free stories and exclusive content, and to get notices about new releases, discounts and giveaways.

Book preview

Losing His Wings

Kallysten

For millennia, Samuel has whispered in humans’ and vampires’ minds and tried to steer them toward the right path. For almost as long, Rowan has stood opposite him and nudged the same prey toward more questionable choices. Sometimes, Samuel won. Sometimes, Rowan did. But there was always someone else to help—or destroy.

When they battle once again over Jeffrey, a newly-turned vampire, the fight takes a different turn. This time, it’s about more than the life of Jeffrey’s girlfriend Tanya, or the people Jeffrey might kill to feed. This time, the fight might just be Samuel’s and Rowan’s last.

~~~

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Excerpt

About the author

Also available

A note from Kallysten

Smashwords edition

Copyright © 2012 Kallysten

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

The right of Kallysten to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First Published 2012

First Edition

All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Edited by Mary S. and Margaret C.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

Two strokes of his wings carried Samuel across the world, folding the very fabric of reality around him, time and space the warp and weft that pulled and stretched to accommodate him. One second, he stood in Europe, whispering away the nightmares that had plagued a young girl for far too long. The next, he was observing a newly turned vampire outside a restaurant in a small town in Pennsylvania.

Folding his wings away, Samuel slipped his hands into the pockets of his long, gray coat, and stepped closer to the vampire. He reached out toward the vampire’s mind as easily as he would have opened a book and started reading.

Jeffrey.

A small shiver ran through the vampire. He couldn’t hear Samuel, not really, not any more than he could see him, but their minds, for now, were linked, making him suggestible to every one of Samuel’s thoughts. Samuel had always believed that, at least at first, spoken words were better received than projections of emotions and images.

It’s a terrible thing that has happened to you, Samuel continued in the same calm, composed voice. You were so young. You had so many dreams.

Jeffrey’s hands clenched into fists as Samuel came to stand at his side, looking into the restaurant with him. Light poured out of the large windows, and the faces of the customers and servers dressed in black and red were clearly visible. One of the servers, in particular, stood out in Jeffrey’s mind—and Samuel’s.

Terrible, Samuel said again with a soft sigh. For you to be robbed not only of your life but also of your love… very cruel indeed. But she is lucky that you love her so much, isn’t she?

Behind the glass, Tanya smiled as she set down plates in front of a couple, oblivious to the presence of Jeffrey, so close and yet so far. Her smile was strained, though, with small lines at the corners of her lips and eyes revealing that she hadn’t slept well in too many nights and had cried for too many days. Grief was inscribed on her face as plainly as letters on a marble tombstone, but only those who cared to see it would recognize it; the diners only cared about good service.

She made you happy, Samuel continued. Six years. Six beautiful years. Do you remember the day you met? How pretty she was in that bridesmaid dress?

A small smile started to pull at Jeffrey’s lips, and his gaze softened. He remembered, of course. Samuel was not inventing anything, merely drawing out memories that were already there, dusting them off, polishing them a little, and giving them back to Jeffrey like so many shiny presents to unwrap as though they were brand new.

Sifting through Jeffrey’s mind, Samuel picked another memory: their first date, this time. Tanya’s laugh had been as bright as the sun shimmering over the lake.

Was this when you knew for sure? Samuel asked, although he already knew the answer. What did it? The way she laughed? How well her hand fit in yours? That little gleam in her eyes? Or maybe…

He focused on the memory of the end of that evening, when Jeffrey had taken her back home, when she had leaned in for a chaste goodbye kiss that had touched the corner of his mouth, not quite on his lips and not quite on his cheek either. Her lips had been as sweet as the cotton candy they had shared, as warm as the sun Jeffrey had now lost forever.

Leave her to the sun, Samuel whispered. He rested his hand on Jeffrey’s shoulder, a comforting touch that Jeffrey wouldn’t feel but that caused him to shudder just the same. That’s where she belongs. That’s where she’ll be as happy as she can be.

He could feel Jeffrey faltering, his half-formed desire of turning Tanya, of making her the same thing he now was so they could be together forever, ebbing away, chased by the knowledge of how hard it was to lose the sun.

Any second now, Samuel made himself sure of it because his certainty would pass on through their link, Jeffrey would walk away for good. He’d leave Tanya to her life and find a new one for himself. It wouldn’t be the end of Samuel’s work, far from it; not siring the woman Jeffrey loved was one thing, but the battle would be altogether different to make Jeffrey find a way of life that didn’t require killing. Jeffrey had taken lives already, but only because he hadn’t known any better, only because his Sire had offered him humans and told him to feed. The idea was already there, rooted deep within him, that he could feed without killing. He had heard of non-killing vampires when he had been human, and now that his Sire was out of the picture, the option was there, accessible if he only reached for it. Samuel just might be able to help him find the way.

Jeffrey was just moments away from pulling away, turning his back to Tanya and his old life, when the very last thing Samuel wanted happened. Tanya raised her head to look out, like she had done half a dozen times since Jeffrey had approached the restaurant. So far, Samuel had managed to divert her attention. He couldn’t actively be in two minds at once, but he could skim the surface of her mind while he dived deeper into Jeffrey’s. Her mind had just closed to Samuel, though, and when she looked out, she saw Jeffrey.

This time, rather than seeing a vague shape too dark to recognize, Tanya saw the last person she had expected to see. The coffin at the funeral had been empty, but she had buried Jeffrey just the same. And yet, she still loved him so much. Her eyes grew wide and wet. In only seconds, she ran out of the restaurant. She stopped past the door and stood on the sidewalk for a few moments, watching Jeffrey with all the incredulity and hope of someone who had lost everything, only to find it all again. When she ran to him, Jeffrey remained perfectly immobile, as though afraid to go to her—or was he afraid to startle her if he moved as fast as his vampire nature now allowed him to?

Samuel cringed when her arms closed around Jeffrey for a tight hug. Jeffrey remained very still for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her, too. He pressed his face against her hair and breathed in deeply. Samuel could feel the pangs of hunger that slammed into Jeffrey when he took in her scent in a way he never had experienced before, could hear that little voice in Jeffrey’s mind that was purely vampire whisper that her blood was there, just beneath skin so easy to tear that she wouldn’t even feel a thing. Jeffrey’s fangs were already extending.

You love her, Samuel reminded him, his tone urgent now. You love the life that radiates from her. It would be terrible to lose that, wouldn’t it?

Jeffrey closed his eyes very tightly and made a conscious effort to retract his fangs. His hold on Tanya loosened a