His Dark Embrace

Sam stared at the photo for a long time, his brow furrowed, and then he shook his head.

“Maybe seeing your room will help,” Sky suggested, and Sam followed her up the stairs.

She had stood in the doorway, watching as he walked around the room. It was still decorated as it had been when Sam was in high school, with posters of rock stars and baseball pennants on the walls. A number of CDs and DVDs lined the shelf over his bed, an old footlocker held his favorite baseball glove, a bat, a football, a pair of inline skates, and other odds and ends from his teen years.

When he was finished, he looked at her and shrugged.

Skylynn hid her disappointment behind a smile as they returned to the living room. Telling Sam to rest, she escaped into the kitchen. For a moment, she stood at the sink fighting back her tears. She had to stay positive for Sam’s sake. Remembering that she had read somewhere that familiar scents could awaken old memories, she made a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

As soon as the cookies were done, she put a dozen or so on a plate, poured two glasses of milk, and carried everything out into the living room.

Sam looked up, smiling for the first time since he had come home. “Smells good.”

“They’re your favorite. Remember how we always liked to eat the raw dough and how Grams used to pretend to get mad whenever we snitched some?”

Sam’s face scrunched up as he tried to remember, and then he shook his head. “No. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Don’t try to force it. I know it’ll all come back to you.”

Sam raked his hand through his hair. “What if it doesn’t?”

“Then we’ll just have to make new memories.”

That had been two hours ago. Now, she found herself wondering why the army had released Sam when he was still suffering from amnesia. She didn’t know anything about the illness other than that it was usually caused by a sharp blow to the head, which was apparently what had happened to Sam.

She paused as a horrible thought occurred to her. What if the army hadn’t released Sam? What if he was AWOL? Lordy, didn’t she have enough on her plate without worrying that the army would come and arrest her brother?

She glanced upstairs. Sam had gone up to take a nap. Kaiden was asleep in her room. That was going to require some explaining, she thought. What would Sam think when he found out Kaiden had been spending the night here? Then again, maybe seeing Kaiden would be the key that would unlock Sam’s memory. Lord, she hoped so.

Thorne woke with the setting of the sun. A single breath, and he knew Sky wasn’t alone in the house. A second breath told him the visitor was her brother, Sam. So, the boy was alive.

Rising, Thorne dissolved into mist. Moments later, he reappeared in his own house, where he took a quick shower, then pulled on a pair of clean jeans, a long-sleeved gray T-shirt, and a pair of running shoes. Whistling softly, he walked across the street and knocked on Sky’s door.

He had to laugh at the expression on her face when she saw him standing on the porch.

“What are you doing out there? I thought you were upstairs.”

“I was, but I needed a shower and a change of clothes.”

“You could have showered here,” she said, smiling up at him. “I could have washed your back.”

“Sounds nice, but I wasn’t sure how your brother would feel about that.”

“How’d you know he was here?”

He tapped the side of his nose. “Vampire, remember?”

“Oh, right.” She kept forgetting about his preternatural senses. “Well, get on in here.”

Thorne followed her into the front room and sat beside her on the sofa. “So, how is he?”

“Not good. He’s got amnesia.”

Thorne rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I’m surprised they let him come home.”

“Me, too. I’m worried about him. He looks ... haunted.”

“Well, I’d say that was normal, considering what he’s been doing and where he’s been.”

“I know, but ... he’s so thin and pale. He doesn’t remember how he got wounded or what caused him to lose his memory. Of course, he doesn’t remember me, either.”

Thorne slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “I’m sure he’ll be fine, in time. He’s young and resilient. And he’s in good hands.”

“Thanks.” Sky leaned into him, grateful for his nearness. She wasn’t afraid of anything, not when Kaiden was beside her. “Maybe you could read his mind and find out what happened?”

“Maybe. It depends on what caused his amnesia.”

“What do you mean?”

“If it’s a physical problem, then there’s not much I can do. If he’s burying something unpleasant, something he doesn’t want to remember, then I might be able to help, depending on how deeply he’s buried it. I can try, if you want.”

“I don’t know. Let me think about it.”

“Sure.”

“I’m so glad he’s home, but I really think he needs to go back to the hospital where they can treat his amnesia.”

“I guess that’s something the two of you will have to decide.”

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with worry. “What if he starts having flashbacks or he decides to, oh, I don’t know, just take off without telling me?”

“Calm down, Sky Blue. Letting your imagination run away with you won’t help.”

“I know. You’re right. I just can’t help worrying about him.” She smiled wistfully. “That’s funny, isn’t it? Sam was always the one who looked after me.”

“I guess that’s what families are for. You take turns looking after each other.”

“Was your family like that?”

“Not hardly. My parents were all about appearances.”

“What do you mean?”

“My father was landed gentry.”

“I’m not sure what that means, exactly.”

“Back in the sixteenth century it meant a landowner who was untitled. Land equaled wealth in those days. My father lived off the rents he collected from tenant farmers. Class was all important at the time. My parents were somewhere between the aristocracy and the middle class. My mother was very conscious of her place in society, always worried about making a good impression on her betters. I didn’t care about any of that. I was more interested in ...” He paused as he reconsidered his next words.