For the Good of Eternity: Part Four

Kainda emerged the next morning from her room, well rested since the last time she ever felt safe, and she couldn't even recall when that was.1

Downstairs was Carmina making a wonderful breakfast. She smiled as she glanced at Kainda in the doorway, but continued to cook the hash browns on the grill pan on the stove.2

"I hope you don't mind, but I invited Serkan over tonight for some dinner."3

"Why did you go and do that?"4

"Because he is a very interesting person."5

"Who else?"6

"I also invited Kenneth."7

Kainda groaned at the mention of the little slime-ball. "Oh," she groaned with disgust. "Why him of all the people we work with?"8

"I wanted to see if Serkan was a true gentleman and could pick Kenneth to pieces."9

"I think you want Serkan and Kenneth to fight over me."10

I was blatantly obvious to Kainda the first time she met Kenneth that he liked her. He had asked her on several dates and made feeble attempts of bedding her. She found him a waste of beauty, an utter horn-ball and too egotistical to ever really be worth the while.11

"Do you like him?" she asked Carmina.12

"Hell no," she spat at her feet, away from the food. She moved the grill pan off the flame and dumped the hash browns onto a plate. "I wouldn't like a horrid excuse for a human bedding me every moment he feels like it."13

Kainda smirked and picked a couple of grapes from the bowl sitting on the table. She munched as Carmina prepared hash browns, sausage and mini waffles for the both of them.14

They ate in silence. Kainda contemplated her problem between Kenneth and Serkan. If she had a choice of who to spend the upcoming evening with, it would definitely be with Serkan. He was alot more safe than Kenneth.15

All she could remember of Serkan was his soft voice and his brief caresses. She struggled to see his face, remember anything else of her meetings with him. Only his touch, his surprising nonsexual feeling for her.16

"I have this evening all planned out," Carmina said, taking her dishes to the sink to rinse them and then put them in the dishwasher. "And if all goes as planned, we will prove two things and be rid of one of them for good."17

Aelwyn proved to be an annoyance as Serkan roused from his sleep. He hummed a flat tune and then proceeded to put words to it that made it sound even more ridiculous.18

"You are a horrible person to wake up to, you know that?" Serkan mumbled.19

"Ah, you know I don't care. Since when did it really bother you?"20

Serkan just sat up and shook the last bit of sleep from his head. He groaned as he got up and shuffled his way over to the window to gaze out over the nightscape.21

Aelwyn handed him a cup of warm blood and patted him on the back. "I take it you have something on your mind?"22

"I got invited to a little get-together by a Hunter."23

Aelwyn grew unnervingly silent and still, holding his cup of warm blood close to his chest.24

Serkan turned to him and shook his head. "I was wondering if you would be willing to back me up tonight."25

"Of course. How did you get invited to a get together by a Hunter?"26

"Long story."27

"I have an eternity, numbskull."28

Serkan sighed and reiterated all that had transpired with Kainda and Carmina.29

"Whoa, but tell me about this Carmina. She sounds like a babe."30

"She is, but my point is, I may have some trust in Kainda, but it is Carmina I am worried about since she seems just a bit... different."31

"My type of gal. Say, how about I just tag along with you to the shindig? No hiding on a nearby rooftop or bull-crap like that."32

"Very well. But dress nicely."33

"Formal or semi-formal?"34

"Semi-formal. It's being held at their house. It's just the four of us."35

"Four? That's counting me right?"36

Serkan rolled his eyes and went to his room. He set out an outfit and hopped into the shower. As he washed away all signs of drowsiness and the grime of laying in his bed during the warm day, or at least from the warm apartment. The cool water soothed his burning skin. The last thing he needed was to be a pink or red for when he saw Kainda.37

God, just the thought of her name or her face brought his heart to a speedy pace. He leaned against the shower wall and shut his eyes, hoping the cold water would soothe more than just his burning skin. He appreciated her smile because she made it seem like she never smiled before. To make her smile or laugh brought him great satisfaction because she was honest about it.38

Aelwyn knocked on the shower door. "You doin' all right, bud?"39

"Yeah, I'm almost done."40

"You're not slapping the sausage, are you?"41

Serkan smiled and scoffed, suppressing a laugh. "No, I'll be right out."42

He got dressed and checked himself. He went to the fridge and took a huge gulp from a bottle of blood. His nerves needed it.43

Aelwyn and Serkan both arrived, entering the house to a smiling Carmina in an off-white little number that had Aelwyn grinning ear to ear. The cut was just slightly above the knee, but it showed the curves of her buttocks and her thighs. The halter top of the dress showed ample cleavage.44

Serkan noticed an overweight but burly guy sipping a drink. He glanced up at the two new arrivals and thought nothing more of it as he went back to his drink. He couldn't help but size up the stranger, sensing a bit of hostility coming from him. This was already putting him on guard and he hadn't been there for more than two minutes.45

"Serkan," Carmina said, kissing both sides of his cheeks. "Sarà giù presto."46

"Andrò controllo su lei," he told her as he made his way to the stairs.47

Aelwyn gave him a look of puzzlement, not knowing that Serkan knew many languages, choosing not speak them all the time.48

He had a feeling that Carmina would try to use her native language on him, but then again, she could also see more than the average person could see.49

As Serkan raised his hand to knock softly on Kainda's door, he hesitated. Instead he put his ear close to the wood and listened. Within he heard nothing moving, no one speaking.50

He decided to just open the door. Kainda sat with her back to the door on her bed. She didn't move to look at Serkan enter and move to her. Her head was lowered, looking into her lap.51

"Kainda?" He circled round to the front of her, seeing that she stared vacantly at the floor in front of her. Her eyes held sorrow, betraying the simple beauty she portrayed as fragile. "What happened?"52

She breathed shallow breaths, her lips quivering. Her fingers were lightly twined together, trembling ever so slightly.53

"Kainda," he said softly, hoping she'd come out of it. He sat next to her, brushing a small braid back behind her ear. "Is it your father?"54

She didn't answer, nor react.55

Slowly, he settled his hand on top of her twined fingers. Already he could feel her sadness ebbing away into him. He gasped and shuddered at the raw feeling and immediately closed his hand around hers.56

"Kainda," he said, whispering it. "It's all right. I am here to help. I will help you."57

She took in a deep breath and focused her eyes, looking at him. "What..." She blinked, losing her train of thought.58

"Come on, I brought Aelwyn along tonight. So far he looks like Carmina is on his to do list."59

Kainda laughed. "I hope not. For both of their sake."60

They wandered downstairs.61

"You look lovely tonight." He eyed her in the jean skirt and white tank-top that clung to her frame. The white slip-on high heels greatly added a contrast to her caramel skin.62

She looked down at herself. "Oh, thanks. I try."63

The evening was blessed with Carmina's culinary delights. A scrumptious plate of garlic bread and marinara sauce served with the main dish of hearty beef lasagna. The salad looked just as colorful as Carmina set right in front of Aelwyn, giving him a good peripheral view of her cleavage.64

"Bon appetit," she said, grinning with pride.65

And everyone found every part of the meal bon. Except when Kenneth, the stranger to Serkan, decided to make a bland comment.66

"I thought vampires despised food, much less garlic."67

Kainda and Carmina both looked at each other, knowing something that Serkan could tell as despise.68

"Quite the contrary. It's a myth believed by many simpletons of the old world."69

"I was never raised to believe such rubbish," Carmina said, off-handedly insulting Kenneth.70

Kenneth said no more for the rest of the meal, leaving room for Aelwyn to start his joking. By the time everyone's plates were empty, everyone was holding their full stomachs and laughing their hearts out.71

Serkan, having seen every joke Aelwyn ever came up with or adopted, he saw Aelwyn's next move and told him to stop.72

"Oh, why stop him?" Carmina breathed, her gaze pleading with Serkan.73

"Because it isn't appropriate to have anything up your nose at the table."74

Carmina, Kainda and even Kenneth burst into laughter.75

"Then we shall move to the living room."76

When Carmina stood, everyone did. Kainda and Carmina began to gather the dishes to wash them as Serkan, Aelwyn and Kenneth went to the living room.77

"So, tell me how you and Kainda know each other," Kenneth demanded subtly. It would have been a question if he didn't sound automatically like an asshole.78

"On the job," Serkan replied politely.79

Kenneth nodded. He leaned against the arm of the sofa, his arms folded over his burly chest. "Who attacked who?"80

"No one attacked," he corrected. "I was in a trap and she helped me out."81

Kenneth scoffed, rolling his eyes. "How did you manage to get into a trap?"82

"It happens to the best of us."83

Aelwyn sat in a chair, his legs crossed, musing in his own little world as he enjoyed his drink. He puckered his lips and hummed with delight with each sip. It was distracting to Kenneth and provided Serkan great amusement to see the annoyance growing in Kenneth at Aelwyn.84

"And how do you know Kainda?" Serkan asked.85

"We work together."86

"She doesn't speak much of you."87

This seemed to get Kenneth. "She doesn't?"88

"Nope. I've been visiting her and even took her on a date, not at any time did she mention you." Inwardly he grinned. It was getting his goat.89

"Kainda is a special girl," he said.90

"Indeed. She is unlike any woman I have ever met."91

Kenneth sighed loudly as Aelwyn moaned through the last gulp of his drink.92

"Why would she invite you?" Aelwyn asked Kenneth. "She doesn't seem interested in you at all."93

Kenneth's eyes flared with irritation. Words seemed to escape explanation.94

Finally, Carmina and Kainda entered the room.95

"All right," Carmina said, "who wants to play a game? Or maybe Aelwyn can entertain us with some more jokes and stories." The last suggestion was one she seemed more inclined to, looking at Aelwyn with a gaze of delight.96

Aelwyn sighed jokingly. "I suppose I could. That is, if Kenneth doesn't mind."97

Kenneth was looking at Kainda who caught him looking at her. "Kainda, may I speak with you a moment?"98

She looked at Carmina and then got up with Kenneth out of the room.99

Serkan looked at the floor, turning to his full sense of hearing to hopefully catch what was being said in the next room.100

Once in the office, Kenneth closed the sliding door and leaned against it. "Why are they here?" he asked in a whisper.101

"I invited Serkan and he happened to bring his friend," she explained simply in a whisper.102

"But they are vampires! You can't have vampires here without having at least some sort of back-up plan for when they might attack."103

"Oh, shut up, Kenneth!" she forcefully whispered. "They are harmless. They are good vampires."104

"Bullshit! You see how that gay one is flirting and reeling in Carmina?"105

"Grow up, Ken!" she said a bit more loudly. She never like him because he was short-sighted and only good for his muscles. He had no intelligence nor did he know his manners.106

"Why did you invite me if you brought him over?"107

"Because I was being nice."108

"Why not invite every other guy who wants to go out with you? Why make me think that you wanted to go out with me?"109

"You better than that. I was just being nice. I would never go out with you. I will never go out with anyone--man or woman."110

"How about vampire?"111

"This conversation is done." She threw open the sliding door, making a loud bang. She didn't so much as glance into the living room, but knew everyone in there was staring as she left out the front door, slamming.112

Just a few feet down the sidewalk, the door opened and closed and heavy footsteps came up behind her.113

"I'm sorry." Kenneth tried to take her arm.114

She turned around and threw him off. "Sorry my ass! You think that you are hot shit! I don't even care about you! I was just being nice because of how I denied your advances."115

"That shows that you care for me!" he tried to explain. He reached out for her again and she stepped back. "Come on, baby, I love you. I want to be with you."116

"Fuck off, ape shit!" She marched down the street and her ankle gave out. Pissed off, she slipped her heels from her feet and continued to walk barefoot down the sidewalk toward the park.117

Serkan had heard every word. He felt pity for Kainda. Having a jackass like Kenneth chasing after her. Watching her storm out the house with him following behind, he couldn't help but get up and follow.118

He saw Kainda throw Kenneth off her, yell at him as he pretended to look hurt. How his hopes were chased that a nice part of Kainda would forgive him and embrace him. He could only smile as Kenneth decidedly got into his car and drove off in the opposite direction.119

Serkan walked after Kainda, seeing her turn off down the next street, obviously heading for the park there. When he got to the park, he saw her sitting on a bench, watching him walk toward her.120

Her leg shook, crossed like her arms, guarding. "I don't know why I thought he'd be a respectable human being."121

"You have hope for the hopeless," he pointed out. "But it is not sucha bad idea to give it a shot."122

"I have him too many and none of them killed his feelings for me."123

"My bet with him so protective of you means that you..."124

"Do I come off as a lovable person?" she blurted. "Hmm? Do I love like I could love some asshole like Kenneth or Justin or Taylor?"125

"No. You look like you could bash in their ugly faces-- a community service, I'd say."126

She smiled. "Yeah. I just need to kill something, break something..."127

"How about my nose?"128

They laughed.129

"I don't think that joke will ever get old," she said.130

"Me neither."131

He sat down beside her and stared into the grassy park, seeing distant lone cars cruise by to their unknown destinations. He put his arm behind Kainda on the bench. She didn't seem to mind this.132

"Thank you for cheering me up a little," she said, looking at him.133

"You can still hit me if you want. I won't mind."134

"Nah, it's no fun unless you deserve it."135

He nodded. "Well, then we will have to go hunt for someone deserving of such a pounding."136

"How about we hunt down some vampires?"137

Serkan nodded. "I know just the place."