A Vampire's Life Book 6

Chapter 27

The visit to Henry's bedside had left the two men lost for words. Zane didn't know if Lucas had heard him talking to his father or if maybe he had entered his mind but he was awfully quiet. Maybe his words about Ariella going to her grandfather's bedside had made him think about how he had done things, how he had wronged them. Zane did think it was wrong. He knew Lucas was being protective, he could tell he was one father that was fiercely protective of his children but there were no doubts about this. Ariella should have been told. The path from the witch's place to the building that housed the doorways was only a short one. They were in this place called the shifter realm, Lucas had called it something that sounded like he was trying to clear his throat. Zane's eyes had widened at the place when they stepped through, it was like nothing he had ever seen. Not even their own world was as beautiful as this place. Lucas had stated that the earth once looked this beautiful, that their maker always made them look the same. Zane could see the harsh differences now. It was one thing to look at pictures in books and see the before and afters but this was real. The wind was soft and warm; the grass was a green he had never seen before. Plants thrived, flowers were a mass of colours. There were so many different sounds that he knew were animals but he had never heard anything remotely like it in their world. And then, Zane understood. He understood why the vampires were the way they were. If their world had once been like this but wasn't any more, if their world was trashed to the point where it was almost dead and no one cared, he'd be pissed too. Endlessly toiling to bring the planet back to its former self, hard back breaking work that seemed to be never ending. To have to look at this realm and see its beauty and to remember that they once had such beauty, yes Zane could understand why the vampires hated what had happened.

They were on their way back to this mid jump. Their time passing through had been brief. Step in, close the door, punch a code, open the door. That was it and Zane was feeling rather bereft. He had been standing there, wide eyed at the place. Zane had never seen such a thriving community and now they were on their way back to it. They were going to be walking among the crowds, shopping for all sorts of things. Lucas had a mental list going, knowing that as a slave, Zane would have had the clothes he wore and nothing more. There might have been a chance that he had a few things though, being a city slicker there was potential to have numerous things. They weren't ones for removing possessions from the humans unless they were life threatening objects.

Zane was still in awe at how they got into mid jump. He was fascinated and watched completely enthralled as Lucas held his hand out forming the key, just liked Ariella had done the night of the dance. His hand moved to the door as he put the key to it.

'Have you not been to mid jump before today?'

He shook his head; Ariella had said they would go on so many occasions but something would always come up. She would have morning sickness or would be too tired, Dexter got out and caused a ruckus in the paddock, rogues hanging around the property. Lucas sighed.

'Hold your hand out, think about a key.'

Zane did as he was told, the flames appeared in his hand, bright red flames that flickered away then turned into a key.

'Cool.' he gushed.

They stepped through to a large corridor, the bustle of the people, the starkness of the lights, it was all overwhelming for Zane. He had never been in a populated shopping centre.

'So, what do I get the princess who wants for nothing and has everything?' he murmured as he side stepped what he thought was human.

Zane thought about the being that looked at him but he knew humans couldn't jump realms. Lucas thought about the question as they walked along the corridor, the people move around them quickly.