The Day I Loved

By Caelia Sky

How many chances does someone get?

Sometimes I wonder who the real monster is, then again, I already know, and it isn’t any vampire.

There was hope. It was faint, but it was there.

It was.

I wanted to keep both, but gave up one, and now in the end, I have none.

I blew it, but does that make me wrong for what I did, and, do I deserve to suffer because of it?

Maybe I do.

A tale of love, betrayal, heartbreak, and redemption.

This romantic suspense is suitable for young adults 18+

The Day I Loved is a 46000+ word sexy, love inspired romance novel and book three of the series.

Themes and Categories in this suspenseful vampire romance book include:

Bad boys

Suspense and Thrillers

Vampires

Paranormal love stories

• Language: English
• Publisher: Caelia Sky
• Release date: Jun 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513002927

Book preview

Chapter One

There’s a first time for everything I guess.

Never thought I’d begin to consider going this far. Though naturally, thanks to earlier reality checks and questionable actions, it’s come to my attention that I’m not the saintly, heroic woman I once painted myself as.

But to take the life of another living being? I’m not that evil am I?

Indeed, not even that card can be played, because I’ve already done that as well. Six times before, in fact.

But, I never thought, never considered, that the day would come when I’d have to kill one of my own flesh a blood, another living, breathing, human. I don’t even know who the poor victim is yet.

Am I so infatuated with this man in front of me, this man who guides me up the tiled pavement that leads to a grand, shackled mansion I never could have imagined he owned, that I can’t say no?

I wet my lips as I follow behind Rhett. Who is this person you want me to kill?

Wait and see, he says.

And why do you need me to kill them?

He doesn’t stop to look at me. Instead, he keeps walking towards the mansion. For the same reason you need to kill them.

My face tenses. R-right.

This mansion resembles a forgotten graveyard. Filthy weeds, and prickly vines laced with thorns so sharp they could rip through tender flesh with ease protrude from the ground and overflow onto the pavement, clinging along the earthly surface and manor like a feeding baby to a wet nurse. The moon pours cords of thin light onto the tall manor, revealing the shredded curtains, along with the dust and grime. It’s eerie, and I don’t want to be here. It screams vampire’s dwelling, or at least haunted. And, it’s hard to make out, but in the far distance, close to a rusted swing set, I think I see two stone tablets that protrude from the ground.

The grass below me scutters with a swift shuffle.

My eyes pop open and my heart races like it’s been fueled by an electric jolt. I yelp and cling to Rhett.

What? he asks.

I think something just moved.

And?

You don’t think that’s weird?

He shakes his head. You’re what’s weird.

I release him with a push and purse my lips. He’s so dense sometimes.

And, I’m a spy, not a hit woman. I seek out vampires, collect evidence to track them down, and then let the actual killers handle the rest. He told me he needs me to do this so he can trust me, but I’m frightened to my wits end from something, probably a possum, creeping through the grass. It shouldn’t be hard to tell that I’m not cut out for this, yet he keeps moving forward as if I’m some hardened virago that does this for a living. Well, I’m not.

I don’t think I can do this, I say.

He stops at the nicked, unkempt front door and takes out a pair of keys. We’re here now, its’ too late for second thoughts don’t you think?

I’m not a killer. Why is that door scratched? It looks like a tiger went to town on it. That’s not normal.

Then why did you agree to come with me?

I...you can’t just tell me to kill someone and then not expect me to leave you alone. Yeah, of course I’m not here to kill anyone, I just came to save them from Rhett. Why else would I be here?

He jams the key into the lock, grabs the doorknob, and pushes open the door, which creaks with a distressed moan. Let’s go.

Where’s the light? I ask.

No power comes to this place.

I nod my head. Great, of course it doesn’t. So how am I supposed to see where I’m going?

I see Rhett’s silhouette move around in the dark. Must be great being a vampire.

His figure moves deeper into the house, and then disappears from my sight.

A sigh escapes my lips. Just great, leave me all alone in this creepy house. It’s too dim to make out anything.  I swear, if I couldn’t feel my feet planted on the hard wooden floor, I’d think I was stuck in a vacuum, minus the instant death of course.

Hard footsteps pounce upon the floor and grow closer, and the familiar silhouette reappears. He takes my hand and places a flashlight in it. Use this and follow me. He speaks with mild frustration.

At least the sun doesn’t turn me into a well done steak.

He chuckles. Because that’s what happens to me when I’m out during the day doesn’t it?

I clench my teeth. Can we just hurry this up? I already feel bad enough as it is, and the smell of stale moth balls and year old dust doesn’t make me want to stay here any longer.

He leads me into a narrow corridor. At the end of the corridor he makes a left turn and keeps moving, but I pause. Something catches my eye.

Why is this door closed? I ask.

Just keep following me, he says in a mildly harsh tone.

But I don’t follow him. There’s something about this door, something I can’t quite let go. It’s the only door in this hallway that’s closed.

I grab the cold, hard knob and turn it.

It’s locked.

But why? This house is long abandoned isn’t it? Maybe I just want to role play, see something where there isn’t anything to see, but I feel something from behind this door, a kind of energy. The door isn’t closed by chance, it’s important, I know it.

Come to think of it, why did Rhett leave this place and let it go to ruin for that small apartment of his?

Move along, says a soft, ailing voice.

The hairs on my neck stand up and my spine stiffens as a cold chill runs down my body. That’s not Rhett.

No one else should be here but me and him right? So, why is there a third voice, a voice I’ve never heard before? This place isn’t really hunted is it? Or, is this the person—

Cold, dead fingers slowly run across my cheek and draw at a lock of my hair. It’s like I’ve just been touched by the hands of the arctic. There’s no life, no warmth at all in that horrifying embrace. No one’s touch should feel like that.

You’re Yulia? asks the woman’s voice.

H-how do you know my name?

I know everything about you.

Against all intuition, I turn around and spray my light on the source.

My eyelids pull open and my mouth hangs agape. Just what am I looking at?

Could you stop shining that in my face? she asks. It’s rude.

Pale. Snow pale, and, she wears a bridal dress. Blood runs from her lips and dyes the snow white dress with a deep, heavy coat of red. Her dirty brown hair runs wild and all the way down to her waist, and it’s a complete mess. She holds onto something in her bony fingers, and chews on it with her mouth, causing more blood to drool from her crimson lips.

Hello, she says, slurping at whatever’s in her mouth.

I press my back against the door and feel my heart panic inside of my chest. Who are you?

Her raccoon eyes widen. He didn’t tell you?

He? Oh why did I agree to this? He wants me to kill you?

She swallows the blood in her mouth, pulls out the chewed up blood pack and folds it in her hands. What? No, I’m his sister, Emily. She points down the corridor. The person Rhett wants you to kill is in there.

My blood pressure drops some. And why do you look like that? And why didn’t he tell me he had such a weird sis...never mind.

Her eyes narrow. Look like what?

You don’t think that’s normal, do you?

Her eyebrows pull up and she looks to me with pinched lips. Never knew you were so weird.

You think I’m the weird one? Vampire or not, that can’t be normal.

Anyway, this rooms off limits, but... She shows me her fangs. For a deposit, I could let you have a peak.

Could you stop scaring her Emily, says Rhett, who then looks to me. And I thought I told you to follow me.

Sorry, I say.

Let’s go.

I look to the woman named Emily—who stares at me with a look that makes me want to get as far away as possible—and slip past her.

Why don’t you go scare some people like you usually do? asks Rhett.

Emily giggles. No one left.

Rhett takes my hand and leads me further down the hallway. I told you not to leave my sight.

Sorry, I couldn’t help but feel something from that door.

There’s nothing to feel. He says that, but, he can’t hide the trace of sullenness in his voice, not from me. I know him too well for that.

Your sister’s safe right?

Does she look safe? he asks.

Well no, but she’s your sister, so—

If she wasn’t expecting company, and you got this far inside of the house, she would have fed on you already.

A lump sticks in my throat. Has she before?

Just...don’t wander too far from me.

We reach the end of the hallway, and Rhett takes out his keys and turns to me. Ready?

If I said no, would it help?

No.

He turns to insert the key into the lock, but I grab his wrist. Wait.

Yulia, it’s too late to turn back now.

Why do you need me to kill them? Can’t you or your sister do it?

It’s not that I can’t, but I need to know if I can trust you. I need to know where you stand.

I nod. Ok fine, open it. Even if they deserve it, will I be able personally take the life of another human being, eek them out of existence so I can earn another’s trust? Don’t I have someone else whose trust I need to earn? Why am I here when I should be there?

But, I want Rhett to trust me.

He pushes open the door, and walks inside the room, then lights the candles that sit on the wall. Flickering light bathes the small room, along with the moonlight that flows in through the tears of the windows curtains.

Once I step into the room, a cold hand squeezes my heart, my chest tightens, and my breath becomes heavy. You can’t be serious.

I’m serious, says Rhett.

No. I can’t do this. Not to him. Of all the people that Rhett could have asked me to kill, it has to be the person who understands my position the most, the person who’s the reason I still have my job in the first place.

I look to Rhett with pleading eyes.

He reflects my gaze with cold, hardened eyes. Kill him.

Why?

This man works for the same company as you. He kills our kind for money, and I found him stalking my sister. He places a small knife in my hand. If you’re on my side, kill him.

On reflex I take the knife, and squeeze onto the handle like a hand chocking the rigid neck of a snake.

Why did I just take the knife?

Listen—

No excuses, he says, just do it.

Is this the only way I can gain your trust?

Yes.

A pain stabs at the back of my throat, and the knife handle scalds my trembling fingers. Why can’t I let go of the knife? I promise I won’t come after you or your sister, so please, don’t do this.

Words are empty, I trust actions.

But I know him.

You know me too, but, that didn’t stop you from trying to have me killed, or is it different now that you have to actually do the killing?

My lips shudder. But, you said you forgave me.

And I did, but now, I want to know who you’ll side with.

This isn’t about picking sides.

His eyes widen. Isn’t it?

With the knife welded to my hand, I amble towards Sam. He’s unconscious. He doesn’t know he’s about to die, and he’ll never know. I don’t know how Rhett caught him. I don’t know if he was even aware of any danger, but he certainly isn’t now. If I bring this knife into his flesh, disconnect the main artery of his heart, or snip his carotid artery, he won’t suffer.

But, he has a wife. Like me, he risked all, tossed his pride to the back seat and did what he felt he needed to do to afford his loved one’s medication. He isn’t here because he wants to be, but because he needs to be. Despite how he sees me, I’ve never considered him anything more than a working acquaintance, but if there’s anything to be said, it’s the connection we shared, the knowledge that we were sacrificing ourselves for the sake of someone else.

...It appears his sacrifice will just come earlier than expected.

If I refuse Rhett, will he allow me to walk away from this, and do I lose him forever. Is he worth killing a good acquaintance for? Why do I continue to consider this? Shouldn’t the answer be obvious?

Only, it’s not.

If this were Sadie, Kim, or Yen in this chair, I’d object in a flash. But Sam? What does he mean to me other than someone I sympathized with at one point in time?

I care for Rhett, but I always knew the day would come where I would have to say goodbye to Sam, and honestly, I never cared about when that day would come. If he died on the job, I’d shed a tear, but I’d soon forget him. That’s the cruel reality.

But, to actually