Chapter 1

A person would think that walking at night would be perfectly safe in most cases. I would say the same; however, there is always that rare occasion in which you encounter something unique. I experienced such an occasion while walking down an old dirt road. I technically walked on what would be considered the median. This median remained relatively flat without any significant vertical deviation, which made my stroll much easier. However, at two o’clock in the morning, one does not expect much traffic. Unfortunately, I found this not the case tonight.

You see, I had taken an excursion toward one of the new covens that had been established recently. The Council had intentionally chosen the new location with care. I walked toward a sprawling fifty-acre piece of land. This new group was an expansion of a much larger coven. The Council chose a relatively new leader but with sufficient experience to guide this new coven to prosperity. Even with that in mind, a small amount of assistance to make sure nothing terrible happened never hurt. I decided that instead of taking flight, I would simply walk and enjoy the cool air. There are times when traveling in my human form has its advantages. I took a moment and looked up at the sky. I examined what seemed like an ink of black tar floating above me. My travels took me far from city lights so I could enjoy the stars during my time. These specks of dust that sprinkled the canvas above seemed as though sands of light poured away from the earth. However, the stars became obscured by a set of bright headlights illuminating the path of a car. Even at a distance, the lights wobbled a little bit erratically. However, I found a problem lurking in my future. As the vehicle came closer, I realized that the velocity at which the vehicle traveled remained not in excess but moved quicker than what I would consider safe at this particular time of night.

As the car approached, I noticed that the vehicle veered from side to side occasionally. As the car loomed even closer, the driver suddenly decided to turn off the road. Even though many miles of road stretch in both directions, yet the occupant veered off precisely where I happened to be walking.

From the momentary glance I took toward the driver, she concentrated on her cell phone, either texting or talking. As the car veered in my direction, time seemed to dilate, which was not an illusion of the mind but simply that my reaction time far exceeded that of any human. As time began to slow, I realized the trajectory of the vehicle aimed at an ancient tree. The gnarled branches extended far in the velvet darkness, reaching for those specks of bright sand. With centuries of rain and nutrients, the trunk had grown rather large.

Quickly I estimated that the motorist would not survive a direct strike with this object. Unfortunately, the situation forced me to make a choice. My choice became to move out of the way, which I possessed more than enough speed to do or let the car me. I could use that to change the direction of the vehicle away from the tree. Being a Keeper came with obligations. I am to protect both vampires as well as humans from each other and themselves.

In the end, I had no choice but to let the car hit me. With that in mind, I positioned myself to do the minimal amount of damage to the vehicle but push the trajectory sufficiently to miss the massive obstacle in the path. I could not have anticipated the young drive pressing the accelerator, which caused the vehicle to move faster than I had initially thought. The addition of speed meant I would have to absorb an even more significant amount of energy to redirect the vehicle. In the end, as the car struck me, I succeeded in directing the vehicle far enough away from the tree, so no major damage was sustained.

However, this impact sent me flying through the air with a fair amount of speed. I chose to be hit by the front side panel of the vehicle, which projected me in the direction of yet another obstacle. I sent the car into the barbed wire fence, which would absorb the energy and slow the vehicle down a little bit. I was not as lucky. I flew toward the pipe fence that was old and rusted. As I struck the piping, I felt the material give way. This was most painful at the velocity at which I traveled. The more detrimental part of the impact turned out to be the angle I hit the pipe. This caused the pipe to break. A sharp extrusion formed and successfully pierced my upper back that left me hanging slightly above the ground from my torso. Even though I could not die, the Gods of Old did not give me an option not to feel pain. Even after millennia, sometimes the shock of pain can still distract you for a moment. While I hung gathering my senses, the driver successfully extricated herself from the vehicle. Luckily she was relatively unharmed, excluding a bruise or a scratch. She instinctively hunted for the object that she struck. She quickly found me hanging from a fence with an iron pipe protruding from my chest. Even though she seemed rather intoxicated, the adrenaline definitely helped her focus. She tried to find her cell phone in order to call for medical assistance. Luckily for me, the phone had been sent flying after the impact. After only a few moments, I gathered myself enough to realize the driver was experiencing sheer panic.

Gently I asked, “What is your name?

Without truly seeing me, she responded with a squeak, “Sara.”

“Sara. A very nice name. Please come closer to me. I will not hurt you”, I asked with the same gentle tone. As she approached cautiously, the true level of panic became evident. “Sara, look at me. Now take a deep breath. You are in shock and having a panic attack. I assure you, that is not necessary.”

She looked into my eyes and took a deep breath. As some of the panic subsided, the fact I had a pipe through my torso sank in. “We have to get you help. I can’t find my cell phone, but I will keep searching for it.” Even though she contained less panic, she still spoke very fast, and her words tumbled over themselves.

“That will not be necessary, Sara. I do thank you, however, for checking on me. Now, if you will simply turn around for a moment, I need to extricate myself from this pointy situation”, I said with a slight smile. Shock roiled her face, but she did as I requested. I put my feet and hands in the appropriate places and pushed myself off of the pole. “That is better. Now you may turn back around Sara.” I fully expected to be pelted with questions once she did.

Once turned around, Sara’s jaw dropped open like a ton of bricks. Even intoxicated as she was, the facts that struck her eyes were not lost on her. “That is impossible. No one can just get up like that and survive. You should be dead!”

I smiled slightly and replied, “you are one hundred percent right. Good thing for me, I already am.” Even though I knew she would not understand the implications of my last statement, I enjoyed the look of confusion that slid across her face. “I tell you what. Your car does not look like it is in any condition to drive. For that matter, neither do you. With your permission, I would like to pick you up and carry you to a safe place. It is not far from here, and it would give you a chance to rest.”

“Carry me? How can you do that after having a pole through you? Besides, I am in better condition than you think”, she replied with conviction. Even though she truly believed what she spoke, I knew from experience that the adrenaline would burn off quickly. This would leave her in a weak state.

I took a few steps slowly toward her. I made no fast movement or aggressive actions so as not to cause her more distress. “I know you believe you are alright. However, I can tell you that the shock and adrenaline will catch up to you shortly. I am simply offering an alternative. If you wish to walk with me, you are most welcome to do so.” I knew that within the next ten minutes or so, she would crash, and arguing with her at this point would prove fruitless.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“About a mile up this road to a house. You will be able to rest and find sustenance there. So will I. I do not wish to leave you here alone on the side of the road in the dark. Please accept my offer”, I said as I willed her to follow me. I would not force her, but my concern for her well-being was genuine.

After taking stock of her situation and lack of other options, she finally agreed. Falling into step with me, we began a mostly silent trek to the coven. Sara had a great many things to process, so I let her contemplate as we walked. As I expected, about ten minutes into the walk, she stumbled and almost fell. She recovered but stopped walking.

“I think you are right about being tired,” Sara said suddenly.

She fell to the ground but never made it all the way. I anticipated this outcome and with the speed born of my kind, I simply caught her while swinging her up into my arms. After she laid her head upon my shoulder for just a moment, I could tell that exhaustion took over. This provided me more than one advantage. The first benefit became the lack of need to be concerned with her health temporarily. Secondarily, this allowed me to travel at a much greater speed.