“Gabriel? Do you mind? No, offense Danny but I feel like Selena may be more afraid of Gabriel than you,” I said, trying to make my lie sound believable. I needed to get Gabriel on his own.
Gabriel looked momentarily shocked but he recovered quickly and came to my side.
Danny laughed, “It’s fine Kylie. You’re probably right. Gabriel is a pretty scary guy.”
With Danny’s golden boy looks it was hard to not see him as a threat. He had shaggy light brown hair, an easy smile, and light blue eyes. Dhampirs, even if they chose to become full vampires, kept their eye color for whatever reason. And compared to a lot of other vampires Danny and Mason were slight of build. They were still muscular but not overly so. But Gabriel with his dark looks and the current of power that always seemed to emanate from him it wasn’t hard to be afraid of him.
Gabriel gave me a questioning look as we headed to our room but I couldn’t help keep the smile off my face. Maybe I would finally get some answers.
Gabriel unlocked the door with an old grimy key that looked like it had seen better days. The door squeaked open and a horrible smell came from the inside. This place probably hadn’t been cleaned since the early 1970’s. I couldn’t help but hold my breath. It was even worse when Gabriel turned on the light.
“Oh, dear. You have got to be kidding me,” I said.
Gabriel chuckled.
To call the room gross was a compliment. The walls were cracked and the blue flowered wallpaper was peeling and yellowing. The floor was salmon pink with various stains ground into the floor. The lights were dull, probably trying to hide more stains from the eye. The beds looked hard as a rock and also covered in various stains. A sickening smell emanated through the whole room. I couldn’t help but gag. It had an old smell like no one had been here in a while. And I really I couldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to be here. It was beyond dirty. The only way for this place to be clean would be to tear it all down and build it new again. Gabriel crinkled his nose as he closed the door. If I thought the smell was bad it must be ten times worse for him. He put down his bag and moved the curtain peering out the window.
“We should be safe here,” he said, “Unfortunately,” he added under his breath.
“If anyone tries to get us the smell should take care of them,” I mumbled. He cracked a smile and I felt a sense of pleasure at getting a smile out of Gabriel.
The room had a few standard motel pictures of ugly flowers. There was no t.v. and nothing for entertainment.
Gabriel picked the bed next to the window and mumbled a few words.
“What?” I asked, thinking he had been speaking to me and I hadn’t heard him.
“It’s a charm. I can influence objects too, not just people or vampires. The window will warn me of danger,” he said.
I tried not to laugh, “Okay,” I said resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Maybe Gabriel is crazy.
I checked out the bathroom. It too was beyond disgusting. But I would have to manage. This was the first place we had stopped at and I desperately needed a bath. I let out a breath and stepped into the shower.
The water alternated between burning hot and freezing cold. At least I had thought to bring my own shampoo. I lathered my hair and body, relishing in feeling clean, even if it was in a gross place like this.
I got out and towel dried my hair.
I stepped into the room to find Gabriel changing his shirt.
I noticed immediately the intricate designs of the tattoo that marked his power. It covered his whole right arm. It had a bunch of swirling lines that were all intertwined and other things that looked like fireworks. And in the middle of his arm, at the elbow, was an eye. I also noticed something else. He was wearing a necklace with two circles, one larger, one smaller. Just as his shirt covered them I realized what was on the necklace. Wedding rings, his and hers, Gabriel’s and Lea’s. Poor Gabriel. I couldn’t begin to imagine the guilt he lived with everyday.
Trying to eliminate the silence I asked him the first question that popped into my head, “What does your tattoo, I mean symbol, mean? I know it represents your power but I’ve never seen one as detailed as yours is or as big.”
Every vampire has a power and when they are created a symbol that looks a lot like a tattoo, forms on some part of their body to identify their power.
Gabriel chuckled, “These swirling lines here,” he pointed, “Are supposed to be brain waves. These,” he said now pointing to the firework looking things, “Represent thoughts in the brain,” moving his finger to the eye he sighed and said, “The eye represents how I can make you do or see anything that I want. The size, well, the bigger your symbol the more powerful you are.”
“Wow,” was all I could say. The symbol on Jonathon’s stomach was pretty large. Larger than others I had seen but certainly not as large as Gabriel’s.
As if reading my mind Gabriel said, “Jonathon is a very powerful fire-setter. I’ve never seen another vampire with fire as hot as he has. And no other can control it like he can. For most it’s like lighting a match but for him he can make his fire do whatever he wants. For every fire-setter I’ve met the power is more of a physical thing but for Jonathon it’s more mental. He can just think what he wants the fire to do and it does it.” Seeing my confusion, he asked, “You’ve never seen him use his power?”
I shook my head, “Not really,” I said thinking about my rescue from Selena and my birthday where he lit the candles.
“Huh,” said Gabriel mulling that information over.
“So, if he wanted someone dead he could just think it and it would happen?” I asked feeling stupid for not knowing this. I was starting to think that Gabriel knew more about Jonathon than I did.
“No, it’s nothing like that. He’s tried. It only works as far as aiming and controlling who can feel the heat and who can’t. It’s quite interesting.”